The Forgotten Past Part 6: Deception
A few hours after her talk with Jezira, Ganiana walked out of
her commander's quarters. She was discusted, confused and who knows
what else. Her mission: to disguise herself as a human and go down to
Earth to gather information. She had just sent Jezira on a mission that
seemed more important! He had a point when he said she was the best
person for the job. Compared to anyone in the whole of the empire,
Ganiana was a genius when it came to the human language.
She turned into an inconspicuous room. On the right side of the door on
the other side, there was a panel. After pushing several buttons, the
entire room filled with smoke. When it cleared, Ganiana looked like a
human female. When she walked out of the room, she found her commander
waiting for her. He recoiled in disgust.
"It's perfect!" He cried.
"Good. According to the data we have on humans, this form
should be very attractive. I can use that to gain information." It took
all of her efforts to keep calm. "I will be departing now. I don't want
to stay in this form any longer than I have to." After that, she
quickly and calmly headed to the docking bay.
***
Teddy watched as a young girl entered the cafe. She sat at a
bar stool directly in front of him.
"I want the hardest thing you've got," the girl ordered. Her
appearance and accent seemed to indicate that she was Asian. She
appeared to be in her teens.

"What's a pretty thing like you needing something like that
for?" Teddy asked jokingly as he slammed a twenty-ounce bottle of
Mountain Dew down in front of her. He checked the picture Jack had
given him of Shalo. This girl looked exactly like her.
"I'm too young for you," the girl, Shalo snapped.
"Easy, easy. That'll be a dollar." He saw her rummage through
her pockets until she came up with a five. "Here. Now I'm going to sit
over there."
"Wait a second. Here's your change. He handed her four ones,
which she hastily crumpled into her pocket. No sense of humor, he
thought. Since it was a slow time of day, he began to clean the counter.
The door swung open again. This time, it was a woman with long brown
hair and blue eyes. She wore a cyan business suit that suggested she
was highly paid.
"Hello," the woman said alluringly as she sat on the bar stool
in front of him. She spoke with a heavy accent that Teddy could not
identify.
"Hi. What brings a beautiful woman like you to a place like
this?" She laughed.
"You don't think someone like me belongs here? I can correct
that error easily enough."
"So soon? It usually takes longer than that to chase women away
from here."
"I'm not from around here. That's the difference."
"What's your name, anyway?"
She hesitated for a moment, as though she wasn't sure what to say.
"Gina."
"I'm Teddy. Now that we know each other, what'll it be?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, this is a café. What do you want?"
She seemed relieved. "I didn't come here for food or drink. I came for
information."
"What kind?"
"I'm new in the area and a few people mentioned Giygas, or
something like that. What are they talking about?"
"Were you living in a cave or something?" Her expression
hardened. "Sorry. Giygas is the universal cosmic destroyer."
"Why isn't he destroying, then?"
"He was defeated by four kids who call themselves the Chosen
Four."
"Three boys and a girl?"
"That's right." She began to mutter something under her breath.
"What?"
"I was talking out loud? Sorry. Who were these Chosen Four?"
"Well," he paused. Normally he, like any sub-moron of the time
could not only recite the names of the Chosen Four, but he would also
be able to say where they lived, how old they were and what they looked
like. However, this woman made him extremely tongue-tied. He was having
difficulty remembering the most basic things. Teddy was glad he'd
already told her his name. "Let's see here. The girl's name was Paula
something-or other. One of them was the heir to the throne of some
eastern country. What was his name again? Tigger? No, that can't be it.
Poo! That's his name. One of them wore glasses. I think his name was
Joe. The last one wore a red cap. Nick, maybe? I'm sorry. Normally, I
know more than this."
"It's alright. You've been more helpful than you realize."
"Glad to know I could be of service."
"Maybe we'll see each other again." She got off the bar stool
and walked out the door.
"I wonder..." Teddy stared after her.
Outside, Gina walked toward another café. She had information to
collect and only a limited amount of time to do so.
***
Ness, Paula, Jeff, Poo and Apple Kid walked along the side of the
highway, oblivious to what was really going on.
"It never seems to get any closer," the out of shape Apple Kid
complained. Everyone else agreed, but saying so made it so much worse.
"Have patience. We'll get there soon enough," Poo replied.
Conversation died until a pickup pulled over.
"You guys heading to Ellay?" the man inside asked.
"Yeah," Ness replied.
"I'll give you a ride, if you like." Ness looked at the others.
They nodded. "Sure."
"Only two of you will fit in front. The rest of you will have to go in
the back with my golf clubs and some power tools." A few minutes later,
Paula and Apple Kid sat securely fastened in the front while the other
three tried to get comfortable amongst the junk in the back.
Unfortunately, the man was a speed demon. Poo was able to stand it by
meditating and floating a foot off the ground. The other two had a
rougher time. It was only made livable by Ness's power shields.
"Sir, don't you think you should slow down? They don't have seat belts
back there," Paula suggested calmly in the front.
"Yeah. I'm getting sick up here." Apple Kid added. His face had an odd
greenish tinge.
"Here. Take a bag in case something happens," the driver
offered.
"How come you didn't get sick in the Sky Runner?" Paula asked.
"I don't get airsick. I get carsick. Strange but true."
"Could you please slow down?" Paula requested.
The driver turned to face her. "I am driving this vehicle. When you get
your license..."
"Watch out!" Paula cried. The driver swerved to avoid a
lamppost. There was the sound of someone barfing. Apple Kid's bag now
had something in it. In the back, Ness and Jeff were being thrown
around like rag dolls. Poo floated serenely, oblivious of all that took
place.
"So, why are you five heading to Ellay anyway?"
We are looking for a girl named Shalo. Have you heard of her?" Apple
Kid replied before Paula could make something up.
"You kids are nuts. What's the real reason?"
"That is the real reason," Apple Kid answered.
"Sure it is." No one knew what to say to that, so there was silence
until he stopped at a street corner. "This is my stop. You're sure you
five are going to be okay?"
"We're sure," Paula replied. "Thanks for the ride."
"Speak for yourself," Ness muttered under his breath. He would
have rather walked.
"How was it in the back?" Apple Kid asked.
"Horrible," Ness replied.
"Painful," Jeff added.
"I rather enjoyed the experience," Poo answered.
"He meditated a foot off the ground the whole time," Ness explained.
"Does anyone know what to do from here?" Jeff asked.
"Let's find a place to spend the night. Then we can split up and
search," Ness suggested.
"Why do we have to find a hotel?" Apple Kid asked.
"So we have a place to meet up later."
After they settled in at an Ellay Suite, Jeff handed out town maps and
they split up the town into five sections. The search had begun.
***
Shalo sat in the back of the café, watching the customers come
in and out. She had long since finished her Mountain Dew, but it was
not what she had expected. How could people drown their sorrows in
something that just made you hyper for a couple of hours? She had come
to this city expecting something to happen and found that nothing was.
"That stupid dream was supposed to mean something," she muttered. "Why
isn't anything happening? She screamed inside her mind.
Another customer entered the café. This time, it was a boy with a red
cap. [He's kind of cute.] She thought to herself. He talked with the
bartender {for lack of a better term} and then began to head in her
direction.
"Hi," the boy greeted.She was unsure of what to say.
"Hello."
"My name is Ness. What's yours?"
Considering her situation, this question was also difficult to answer.
What if he was here to bring her back to Dalaam?
"Okay, if you don't want to tell me. I know who you are already
anyway."
"You're from Dalaam."
"No, but I know someone who is."
"I mean you came representing Dalaam."
"I'm a friend of Prince Poo."
"I'm not going back. You are wasting your time."
"Why did you come here in the first place?"
"I don't have to tell you."
"You're right. I'm just trying to understand what's going on.
I didn't mean to intrude upon your privacy."
"Okay. I had a dream that told me I was supposed to come here, so I did.
It was foolish. Nothing has happened yet."
"Interesting," Ness muttered, falling silent. She guessed he was
running out of ideas.
At that moment, the doors burst open and people, many of them reporters,
rushed in until there was no more room in the place. They flooded him
with questions, such as "Why are you here in Ellay?" "How is post-
Giygas life?" and the ever popular "What is the relationship between
you and Paula Polestar?"
"No comment," he replied calmly. "I'm not answering any questions
today." This only made them ask more questions. Ness sighed. "It
doesn't matter how many questions you ask. I'm still not going to
answer."
"Can't you give the poor kid a break?" Teddy called out. "There will be
other, better times to ask him questions." The reporters finally gave
up and slowly filtered out. A couple of kids came up to Ness.
"Sorry to bother you, but could you sign our hats?" one of them asked.
They both held red caps that looked identical to Ness's except newer.
Ness seemed annoyed, but he said, "Sure." The boy that spoke handed him
a black marker. Ness hastily scribbled his signature onto both hats.
"Thanks!"
Both of the boys eagerly put on their hats and ran out of the café.
"What was that about?" Shalo asked.
"Let's just say that being the one who defeated the universal cosmic
destroyer isn't all it's cracked up to be."
At that moment, Paula walked in. "Ness! We were supposed to
meet up twenty minutes ago."
"Paula. I would like you to meet Shalo."
"You- you're..."
"The ambassador's daughter," Shalo replied, her voice dripping
with sarcasm.
"She says a dream told her to come here."
"A dream?" The Fobby dream flashed through Paula's mind and she
shuddered involuntarily. Luckily, no one noticed. "I've had dreams like
that." She looked at Ness. "They have never failed me. I have a feeling
yours won't either."
"What is your dream about, anyway?" Ness asked. She was
suspicious of their motives. After all, they were trying to bring her
back to Dalaam. Despite this, something deep within Shalo told her they
were trustworthy. The two conflicting emotions lead her to a stalemate.
"Actually, I don't remember the dream, but when I woke up, I
knew I had to go to Ellay." Paula looked at Ness. After a moment, he
nodded.
"Would you like to stay with us until whatever is supposed to
happen happens? Then we can at least tell your father and sisters you
are okay." Paula offered. Shalo considered both options. She knew she
was running out of money and would probably have to return to her
father anyway. Perhaps the presence of the Chosen Four was needed
before anything could happen.
"I accept."
***
Jezira and her crew had finally located the place and time where the
final, fateful battle between the humans and Giygas had taken place.
They were shocked at what they found.
"ROBOTS!!" one of the subordinates cried. "The great and mighty
Giygas was defeated by these primitive robots?"
"Let me see," Jezira ordered her crew out of the way.
"It appears as though they were greatly damaged," another
subordinate reported.
"I can see that,"Jezira snapped. "We must bring these back to
the ship for analysis."
"It's kind of hard to believe that Giygas was defeated by
robots. I mean I expected to see bodies. I thought it would take an
army to defeat Giygas, at least. All we found is four robots. How
strong are these people?" another member of the crew marveled.
"There's something wrong here." Jezira reasoned. "The human
said that Giygas was defeated by humans. Ganiana also found evidence
that suggested the very same thing. Here, we find robots."

"So he lied. What Ganiana found was a lie. This is solid evidence.
Humans are traitors. That much is understood." Her second in command,
Jagner stated simply.
"Jagner. That makes less sense than these robots. The thing Ganiana
found and what the boy said had nothing to do with each other, yet they
both gave identical descriptions of the people who defeated Giygas."
"What were these descriptions?"
"Three boys and a girl. Neither said more than that."
"Those descriptions are vague at best."
"There will be time to investigate this later. Right now, let's
focus on the task at hand."
"Of course, commander," Jagner sneered.
***
Ganiana walked down the street. She had gotten precise
information about each of the Chosen Four. She even knew things it
wasn't necessarily important to know, such as their favorite colors and
foods.
She swore out loud in Giygan after several hours of asking questions.
Although she was sure of who they were and what they looked like, she
knew little more than that. When she glanced at a street sign, Ganiana
realized that she was right in front of the café where she had first
begun asking questions. A lot of reporters were leaving. She heard them
grumbling about the bartender and Ness. She recognized the name
immediately, but because she had already gone in, she decided to wait
outside. Ganiana had no desire to engage in any more conversation. She
noticed a blond girl who looked like Paula walk in soon after the press
had cleared away. A few minutes later, she, someone whom she assumed
was Ness and an Asian girl walked out of the café together. That girl
must really be Paula. If I follow them, they will lead me to the rest.
At that moment, the ship contacted her. "Ganiana, we found four
human-made robots near where Giygas was defeated. There has been
speculation that it was these and not humans who defeated Giygas."
"That is ridiculous. I have been gathering data on the subject in the
city of Ellay. Every human I have asked has told me that three boys and
a girl defeated Giygas. Humans defeated him and they used Psi to do it.
Anything else is ridiculous."
"How do you explain the robots?"
"I have heard a few things about that and none of them seem plausible.
However, a scientist named Dr. Andonuts was said to be a big help to
them. Perhaps you should go question him."
"He will lie, like all humans do."
"Use a truth serum if you are so concerned." His stupidity silenced him
more than her words. "Good-bye." She turned off her communicator. By
this time, Ness, Paula and the other girl were out of sight. She cursed
again, this time using the human language. You're overreacting she told
herself. You'll find them soon enough. She could feel in her bones that
at least one of them was related to the vile human George. That one
would pay for what they had done.