"Number Ten" I scoff "Mog intelligence must not be that intelligent"
"There wasn't a tenth child on the ship" says Hilde
"That's right" says Adam "But she wasn't on your ship, she's the granddaughter of the tenth Loric Elder, the one who was evicted. Her father paid lots of money for her passage to Earth using an old fuel powered rocket that they had in the Museum"
"There is a tenth?" I ask, disbelieving every word that comes out of his mouth. How could I have thought he was funny not long ago, the thought sends shivers down my spine, gross.
"Yes, but she is not bound by the same charm as you are, so she's not safe, but not technically in danger either"
"How can she not be in danger? She's not protected by the charm" says Hilde
"Well" he sighs, as though he is tired of explaining every little detail. Sorry for dying in the future and not being alive to hear all of this, jerk. "The Loric who was cast out is Setrάkus Ra"
"WHAT?" Hilde proclaims
I have no idea what they are talking about, who is Setrάkus Ra?
"Um…who is Setrάkus Ra?" I ask, feeling as though I'm the only one that doesn't know
"The man who destroyed your planet, the Beloved Leader of the Mogadorians" Adam says, I can hear the hate in his voice, the way he pronounces Ra's name, as though it is a curse.
"The granddaughter of Ra is a Garde?" mumbles Hilde, trying to wrap her head around the prospect "She cannot be trusted"
"Who? Ella?" says Adam "Ella is just a little girl, she actually kind of stabbed him this one time in a military base. She is awesome, you guys would like her"
"As fun as this chat is" says Hilde "We should stop, less chance of them overhearing our conversation"
"Good point" says Adam and without another word he hangs up.
I'm trying to help but that pod in the corner, the only pod that is closed, it haunts me, mocking me from its corner. "You scared Adam" I jump, no one is here. I scan the room, nothing. Just me and the pod. I can almost hear One say "Scared of my dead body. Not like you haven't seen it before" But I know it's not One talking. It's me, thinking.
I stand and slowly saunter over to the pod, wondering what I will face when it opens. Perhaps her skeleton, maybe whatever was keeping her looking like her was damaged the last time I was here? I'm standing right next to it. The button on the side will open it. One button, and I can see her again, oh, how I would love to see her again. But it wouldn't really be her. She'd be pale, like me, she'd be cold. Nothing like the actual One.
I press the button and the pod door swings open. One's body topples out, I catch her and lay her as gently as I can on the ground. She's covered in what looks like a white sheet, but it's not a sheet, it's an article of clothing. Some of her blond hair covers her face. I tuck the loose strands behind her ear. Something I've wanted to do for a long time. She was beautiful, even in death you can see that. Without warning the tears flow, my best friend, my only friend, dead. I crawl so my back is up against the wall. I bring One with me and rest her head in my lap. I sit there for what feels like days. Not doing anything, just sitting with One's head in my lap. She looks like she is smiling and suddenly I remember something "I wish your people hadn't killed me" I laugh without meaning to. She was always so blunt, so sarcastic, so guarded. But then I remember the One after we had watched her death, she was not guarded then, she was weak and I could've taken advantage of that. But something in me held me back, perhaps it was her. Or her memories. A small gust of wind blows more hairs out of their place. I tuck them back behind her ear once more.
"I wish you could've seen this. Seen the Garde. Seen what I've done. Deep down you knew I could, when I doubted myself, you were always there. You were the best thing that ever happened to me"
Footsteps, as though someone is walking backwards away from the room. I look up to see John, backing out of the control room. A look of surprise on his face.
He sees me looking at him and starts "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intru-"
I cut him off "Its fine John"
"Who is she?" John asks walking over to me. He sits down next to me, eyeing the dead girl.
"John, I'd like you to meet Number One, The One who Protected the Eight" I say
John swallows, his demeanour has gone from curious to defeated "You knew her" John says, it's not a question, it's a statement, he must have overheard me talking to her.
"Better than anyone, I think. Except for Hilde"
"How Adam? How could you possibly have known her?" John looks at her lifeless form and his shoulders slump. When I don't respond he says "For what it's worth, she'd be proud of what you've done" John stands, brushing off his jeans and begins to walk towards the exit.
"The first time I saw her" I say. John stops and spins around "Was the night she died"
John looks confused, I gesture at the floor for him to join me. He does, sitting in the same spot he recently vacated.
"My father took me there, to Malaysia, to watch. I thought I was getting a glimpse of noble Mogadorian victory. There was nothing at all noble about watching two dozen armed Mogadorians charging at an unarmed teenage girl" John was looking at Six, I guess he was trying to picture what her final moments would have been "Even less nobler, was the way she died. She was overextending herself, becoming drained, using her Legacy too much. She didn't notice one of them slip behind her and plunge a sword into her back" A single tear leaks out of John's eye, he brushes it away.
"That doesn't explain-" he starts
I cut him off once more "We brought her body here, and using the chair that Nine threw, the doctor here was able to plug One's and my mind together. So I could view her memories, try and find the other Garde. I did to, in the beginning, I found memories that would help the cause, until One found me. I don't know what she was, maybe a ghost in her own memories. But I was in her head, and she was in control. The first words she said to me were "Who the fuck are you?" John smiles "She showed me her life, not important things, random things, her boyfriend, her surfing, her training. And I grew attached, she was just a girl, and my people slaughtered her, and they felt proud of it. I was never more disgusted with my people then when she showed me her memory of her death. She fought bravely, killing Mogs left and right, but there were too many, and she had been skipping training to hang around with boys. When I watched her die the ghost of One watched too. I could feel her losing control, and suddenly, I was in control. I could go wherever I wanted. I went to a memory of her, at the beach surfing. I just sat on the sand, watching her ride the waves, come out of the water and then I'd rewind and repeat the memory. Eventually she showed up, the ghost and told me I had to wake up. So I did, it had been three years. And my father had found number Two. But when I woke One was still with me, the ghost One. Only I could see her and hear her. She talked to me all the time, I never went a day without seeing her. She convinced me to save Two, I tried but I failed. We went to save Three and I was close, so close, but I was too late. As a result of openly defying Mogadorian progress my step brother threw me down a ravine. I would have died if not for One. She urged me on. I'd never heard her speak of me like that. She told I needed to get up. And I did, I crawled out" I pause
"So that's it?" John asks "Did One just disappear?"
"No" I reply "She started to fade, whatever connection we had, was fading. I couldn't lose her, I'd spent 3 years in her memories and 2 years with her in my head. I came back here, that's what One told me to do. And when she plugged me back in to the machine I was taken back into her memories. And she was there, and I could touch her. We sat on that same beach. It was all a trick. One needed me to come back so I could help the Garde. She said 'This was never about saving me'. She told me that all I ever needed was myself, I had the courage and the strength to defy my people. She told me that I was no longer powerless and that's when she gave me her Legacy, I don't know how, but she did. And then I confessed, I told her that I loved her" I didn't realise that I had started crying, but I had "And she told me that if she had lived, that I would've loved her. And then she left me, forever"
I sit, stoking One's cheeks while the tears fall freely. John puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes.
"If she could see what you have become. I'm certain she would have loved you too" John stands and walks out of the room, leaving me alone with One.
