Chapter Nineteen
John
"This is insane," Crayton says.
"Yes it is, but knowing the Mogs, I guess we have the right to call this insane," I agree.
I can't believe it either. But nothing is impossible now. I live in a planet where people shoot lasers out of their hands and where animals shape-shift. After Number Three died, I'm surprised that I have survived this long. Of course, I managed to stay alive because of Six, but before I thought it was impossible. After spending all those years on Earth, I'm not a big fan of fantasy anymore. I believe that anything is possible—that anything can exist, even this thing; the evolution.
Crayton says, "We have to tell the others, immediately."
"So, you're telling me that Mogs have some sort of weapon that turns Lorics to monsters?" Cole asks. We moved from the training area to the conference room when Crayton and I broke the news out to the others. Nine and Meredith are arm wrestling on the cold, black stone table that appeared when Six entered the room. Ella is sitting on Marina's lap in her six year-old form. Cole stands behind her chair, drumming a subtle rhythm near her head. Looking at them…they remind me of a family.
Sam and Malcolm are staring at the maps on the walls. Crayton however, hasn't spoken a word since we left. "Yeah, but I wouldn't call them monsters. They're sick…infected," Six says hardly, her gaze fixed upon the map beside Earth. Her back is turned towards me, so I can't see her expression. But by the way I can see her nails digging into her arm, I can sense that she is really, really pissed off.
"Whatever. But how is this possible?"
"Because Mog tech is one of the most advanced systems in the galaxy," Nine says, his eyes maintaining that fixed gaze on his and Meredith's interlocked fingers. "Their techs reign over ours. They have chemicals that extend their life span. Explosives that make nuclear bombs on Earth look like fireworks. Plants that don't need water, and all those other shit. I learned all of that from Sandor."
After Nine finishes his sentence, Meredith wins their arm wrestling challenge.
"Even if they have that kind of technology, they wouldn't be able to convert a positive into a negative," Sam says. Damn Nerd.
"Sam, whatever subject you learned that from won't help us now," I say.
"I'm just say—"
"Sam, nothing's impossible now," Six says.
"Enough! We have to think through this carefully," Malcolm says. Six punches the stone wall out of anger, the anger she kept in during the entire conversation. Several cracks appear, but they disappear as soon as Six takes her fist off of it.
Crayton says, "Malcolm's right."
Six continues to stare at the map. Her fingers trace the old paper, and the thing moves, like "The Marauder's Map" from Harry Potter. Yeah, I watch those kinds of movies—they almost make me believe that we aren't the only supernatural things living on Earth.
A minute passes, and then turns to ten. I can tell by the watch on Sam's wrist. I've been thinking about the evolution, how it turned my people into monsters. But could it be all true? Could it be possible? If it were, where are they now?
A thought pops into my head. If the evolution is about turning Loric into Mogs, then they'd be—
"They're in Mogadore," I say, voicing out my thoughts.
"What do you mean 'They're in Mogadore'?" Marina asks.
"John meant that the Lorics, what's left of them, are in Mogadore. I've been thinking and, well, I think that the Mogs may not have killed them during the attack," Six says, turning around to face us for the first time. Her eyes are as hard as her face, and emotionless as well. There are red marks on her arm, where she dug her nails into a few minutes ago.
"Impossible!" Nine yells, standing up, "I remember everything from Lorien. I saw a Mogadorian kill my grandfather that day. He couldn't have lived…he just can't!"
"Can't you be joyous for a second?" Six yells, "We ourselves defy the laws of physics on Earth, so is it wrong to believe that the entire race of Lorien is still alive? Lorien still has its people! It still has hope!"
"How do you explain the killing, huh? If you think you're so smart then answer me," Nine says, glowering over Six. With a blink of an eye, I appear beside Six, my hand on Nine's bicep. "Leave her alone," I say.
"Get out of the way, Four," Nine replies, his voice dripping with anger.
"It's better than nothing, Nine. Think about what you're doing," Crayton warns. Nine shrugs my hand off and lets himself out, stomping. "I'll follow him, get his mind straight," Meredith says before she, too, exits the room.
"What are we going to do, Crayton?" Cole asks, "We can't just storm into Mogadore to get them all back. There are only ten of us, and an army of Chimæras against their bloody species."
"That is exactly what we're going to do," Six says, "Half of their population is Lorics. Few are vat-born, and very few are pure Mogs. We can take them, just as long as we have the numbers. I believe that Marina can heal the remainder of the Lorics in Mogadore while we distract the army."
"No!" Cole yells, "I will not risk Marina for that pile of shit!"
"That pile of shit you're referring to is our people! And besides, it isn't up to you to decide!" Six says, and takes a step closer to Cole. I put my arm in front of her to push her behind me. "Cole, Six is right. The choice is mine—not yours. Just give me time to decide," Marina says calmly, decisively.
"You have all the time you need, specifically six months. That's when we arrive in Mogadore," Crayton says, "Get back to training. We're going to train every day until the time comes."
Six isn't very enthusiastic during training. I had beaten her three times straight before she left the training room. "She just needs some space, man," Sam says when Crayton allotted us a ten-minute break.
"She just worries me sometimes," I admit. Actually, she worries me a lot.
"Chill. Give her some of that fruit she likes and watch the magic happen," Sam says, handing me two of the biggest fruits available. I nod and sneak out of the dining room.
It's only been two days but I think I've memorized the way to the bedrooms, where I think Six may be at. But when I got there, she was nowhere to be found. I leave the fruits on the table beside the bed and exit the room quickly. Where could she be? She can be in the control room, conference room and the farthest corner of the ship.
I walk back alone to the conference room, whispering her name ever so often. The door of the conference room is ajar. Inside, Six stands in front of the map again. I don't know why, but something about that map pisses her off. "Six?" I ask.
Her ramrod straight figure turns around, her eyes angry red. "Hey, what's wrong?" I ask, reaching her in six long strides. I hold her close and tuck her head under my chin. I rub her back as she says, "He's there."
"Huh? What do you mean?" I ask. Six lets go of me and says, "The map. It shows Mogadore, and look at this." Her finger traces a little dot on the map. A flag moves beside it, and I don't understand what it says.
"What is it?" I ask. Please, I think as well, pardon my stupidity.
"They're Loric symbols, and this dot right here," Six swallows loudly before continuing, "It represents Pittacus Lore."
I didn't get the last part. My brain had malfunctioned before Six had even finished her sentence. Pittacus Lore, in Mogadore…how? Damn it. Why is this day all about questions? Equations and problems and other things. It's annoying.
"What?" I say instead.
"Pittacus Lore is in Mogadore…with Setrákus Ra."