6th chapter
MEMORY
Maple Falls
August 2040
Ben sat down in the library at the large table on which his brother had laid out all these things. He looked over the collection and couldn't believe what his brother had put together over the last two years.
His big brother's training had ended two years ago. After 15 years, his trainer and strictest teacher to date had left. Seth had had a lot of time since then, while Ben still had to train.
Seth sat in the library for days and only exercised to compensate when sitting or the information he was discovering became too strenuous for him.
Now Ben had also turned 15 and his trainer had also left the house.
However, so did most of the other teachers and staff in the house who had looked after the children since they arrived here.
They had all left one by one the week after Ben's birthday. But everyone had left behind some advice, strange clues or even letters full of enigmatic reports.
Only one older lady, Marga, was still there.
She was now quite frail and couldn't do much anymore. However, she cooked heavenly and was the most integrity person the boys knew.
Seth and Ben loved her like their own grandmother and since Aunt Asha called her Mom when she came over twice a year, the boys quickly started calling her Grandma.
Nobody had corrected her because it was good for camouflage, but luckily the children didn't know that at the time.
Well, slowly, after two years of research, Seth realized that there were some things he needed to share with his brother as soon as possible.
He blurted out the biggest news straight away.
"Our parents are alive"!
"What?" Ben looked at him as if a meteorite had just hit next to him.
"Our parents are alive," Seth repeated again.
"I understand what you're saying, but I don't understand how you come up with it. We've been here almost our entire lives and it's never been mentioned once."
Ben stood up briefly, went to the window, took a deep breath and looked out at the wonderful landscape for a long moment.
He briefly considered whether he should just get away for a few hours. He could use a long walk. He wanted to be everywhere except here at the moment and especially not to think about whether his entire life should change.
He had longed to hear exactly that for many years, after a few years he had tried to come to terms with never being allowed to hear that sentence, and now...
Between all the pieces of paper, books and cards, Seth dug out one of the letters they had received from their companions over the last few years.
He pulled out a paper, slightly crumpled as if it had been read a hundred times.
It was the letter from Malcolm, Seth's teacher.
He handed the letter to Ben and nodded encouragingly, so Ben began to read.
Ben hesitated, he looked up at Seth and waited to see if his brother would try to tie a bear on him.
Seth, however, looked at him seriously and nodded again encouragingly to encourage Ben to continue reading.
Dear Seth,
Now it is time to leave you and with a heavy heart I do what I was told.
I would have liked to continue to accompany and protect you.
But my assignment ends this year and I have to follow the instructions exactly so as not to endanger you and your parents.
You were placed here on a top secret mission. Everyone who knows about you and your parents was subject to the strictest guidelines.
In the library you will find everything you need to know in the various books and document collections that I have put together for you there.
You now have 2 years to deal with it. By the time your brother turns 15, his skills will be fully developed and he will have advanced enough in his training that you can deal with it and develop a plan.
Keep quiet about it until Ben's 15th birthday so as not to stop the little hothead from training, by then you will have gathered a lot.
He himself will also receive clues from his companions. This should make it clear to you how to proceed.
With best wishes for the future,
Malcolm X5 331845151 213
Ben read the letter and was no less confused. He himself had not yet read the letters he received last week.
He hadn't been sure when he would do it, as he was quick to react emotionally. He had been waiting for the right moment; this moment should be unobserved.
But now it seemed as if he had to face all these emotions.
Seth waited patiently until his little brother had finished reading, but when he noticed that he was now sitting there lost in thought and staring at the table with all the things that were now flooding his mind, he took the initiative.
"Have you still not read your letters?" I was wondering, but I didn't want to be curious."
"Curious, that's what you usually are, what stopped you?"
Now Seth had to go further. He began by telling how he had read his letters himself, how he had then plowed through the books in the library and how he had repeatedly come across handwritten notes in various books and collections, which always led him to new clues thus introducing him to the secrets of her past.
It was as if someone had planned exactly how long all of this had to be completed.
It had taken Seth exactly two years to put the final piece of the puzzle together, and now it seemed as if the letters to his brother must make sense of everything.
Seth was curious but he waited until Ben was ready to start researching. However, the last week it seemed as if Ben was taking more time, as he always did when it came to such emotional matters. Seth couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to quickly find out whether his theories were true and to do this he needed his brother's consent to include his letters.
"So go ahead, get your things and sit with me, we have to get this together and then pack it".
"Pack, Seth, are you completely crazy now?" Ben was completely overwhelmed.
He got up, went towards the window again, only to turn around and jump up the stairs to his room to get his letters.
He knelt in front of his bed and pulled a box out from underneath. In this box were some of his treasures from the past and on the edge were the various letters and little things that he had received from his companions over the last few years.
His coach Marcus had also written him a letter. His teacher had painted him a small picture, and some of the subject teachers had given him small greeting cards with a short text.
The last house workers who had been checking on the house and garden until last week followed a variety of advice. Ben could remember everything as if they had just told him.
But everything was just as cryptic.
"Always look twice when you don't feel good", "Don't let anyone say you're not normal", "Keep searching until you know the truth" and the strangest was "Remember".
Why and what should he remember.
All of these people knew him all his life. Ben didn't know what he had forgotten.
He grabbed the letters and notes, picked himself up from this moment of lost thought and went downstairs to his brother in the library.
Seth was already waiting impatiently.
"It was long enough, did you hide the letters so far back so you didn't have to read them?"
Ben wordlessly threw the small stack of paper in the middle of the table between all the other things and just stared at all the things that were now lying there in front of him, the proof that his life would now be changed forever.
Seth didn't know how to handle it.
"Can I open your letters? Some of them are even still closed."
"Yes, go ahead, I couldn't do it yet, it all happened too quickly for me and I wanted to let it sink in that we are now alone with Grandma here."
"Marga is the next one we have to let in, she probably knows more than we think."
"You mean Grandma?"
Seth was a little annoyed because his brother, like him, was incredibly quick to understand. They both had excellent education and already graduated from college. Both of them had almost a photographic memory and now his little brother acted as if he couldn't think straight for even a second, even though he had always achieved better results in the exams than himself.
Then go out for a bit, relax and train or whatever else is on your mind and I'll read and try to classify it and then put it all into a short version for you," Seth realized that he couldn't get to Ben, he had to First, keep him busy until he understands everything himself and then serve it to him, so to speak, in advance.
Ben closed again. Seth wasn't sure where his brother got this trait of not wanting to dwell on emotions at all. He himself was always aware of his feelings and was able to deal with them and use them very well. Ben, on the other hand, seemed to be paralyzed by his emotions at times. His teacher Marcus had worked a lot with him on this since the mysterious letter from Seattle was delivered here for him. However, sometimes he almost lost his teeth on Ben when he tried to use new psychological tricks (that's what Ben always called it) to have a conversation with Ben that wasn't just about lessons or training.
Ben didn't need to be told twice. He was already out the door and out on the porch, taking a deep breath of fresh air and then running. He didn't know where but first he went to the national park.
Seth sat down at the library table, as he had done many, many hours before, and opened the letters, reading, sorting, and fitting all of Ben's things into his existing framework of clues.
There was a small picture of daisies, the same one he had received himself, that had to connect them somehow. Then there were a few greetings and phrases with wishes for the rest of life. Seth put these things aside for the time being because he couldn't find anything relevant about them at the moment, but you never knew for sure, because a few lines from his own letters that were initially classified as irrelevant later had a major unifying role.
Yes and then there was the letter from Marcus.
Seth hesitated but he had to know and now read Ben's letter with a somewhat heavy feeling in his stomach.
Dear Ben,
now it's time to go. It's difficult for me to finish my assignment because I would have liked to help you further and accompany you.
From now on you have to protect yourself, so you now need all the information that was previously kept hidden from you.
I'm sorry that we had to keep you in the dark for so long, but we couldn't risk introducing you to your childish recklessness earlier than your parents' plan dictated.
Malcolm has already put together some clues for Seth and your brother had a long time to deal with it, but he was also instructed to remain silent until you were ready and your training was complete.
Now it's my turn to give you the final pieces of the puzzle and I'll keep it short.
First of all: your mother is alive.
I couldn't find out anything more specific about your father. Communication took place via encrypted messages, which did not always reach here, as the messengers and couriers had to go into hiding again and again in order not to betray you. So our information remained incomplete in places.
You will find more information in Seattle.
First, contact the city council that represents Terminal City. He will be able to help you.
I wish you all the best in your search,
Marcus X5 331845832 119
Seth put the letter aside. A tear rolled down his cheek. However, it wasn't sadness, it was happiness, her mother was alive!
He took a deep breath, wiped the tears from his face and with a smile that he couldn't suppress, the thought of truly having parents, at least a mother who was still alive, he went back to putting everything together.
Meanwhile, Ben was still running like hell through the national park, he still wasn't fully aware of his strength and endurance. This time he reached the viewpoint on the hill faster than ever before.
Barely out of breath, he sat down on a fallen tree and looked out over the national park. Far in the distance he saw the country house. He had come here his whole life to observe everything and today he noticed for the first time that if he tried he could see even further and more closely and could even look at individual things from this distance in a kind of zoom.
He tried to look into the library down there.
In fact, he could even make out a person in the room at that distance.
His brother Seth, who was down there quietly turning her entire life upside down and remaining so incredibly calm.
He was agitated and could hardly think clearly.
Seth had talked about packing. Did he want to go looking for her parents?
At the moment Ben wanted to continue living his little country life here with all its freedom, or wasn't there a desire deep within him to finally feel a sense of security that he had always missed? Could this search fulfill this wish?
What was the point of hoping when neither of the two who called themselves parents had contacted us here or left even the slightest sign of life for 15 years? Or were the letters that arrived regularly and always brought changes with them from them, the parents who never showed themselves?
A deep-seated anger burst out of him. He screamed, he screamed like he had never screamed before, yes, he roared out all his pain like a wild animal until tears of anger ran down his face and he had to crouch down on the grass to keep from collapsing.
He covered his face with his hands and cried. He cried out all the sadness and hopelessness.
He had parents! Yes, he had a real family and his entire life's wishes were just coming true. He was so angry that they had left him alone and at the same time so happy that it completely overwhelmed him.
Despite the fact that he was crouching there with his hands in front of his face and his tears blurring his vision, he noticed the brief darkness. There was someone behind him.
He looked around.
At the same moment, his companion's sentence went through his head: "Always look back twice if you don't feel well."
He looked around again and sure enough there was something that made him jump. In full combat readiness, he stood there with a leap. It wasn't for nothing that his training had been designed for situations like this, although he never understood why that would be necessary.
He shouted loudly and demandingly towards the group of trees opposite him: "Who are you? I saw you, show yourself".
There was a rustling noise and he suspected he had screamed at a rabbit or a badger. Then a person emerged from the undergrowth.
A person? Ben couldn't suppress a groan, the shock was too great.
Standing in front of him was a giant of a man, long hair, oversized clothes and a dog face!
"Don't attack, Joshua is friendly"!
"You can speak," came out of Ben's mouth, not very witty.
"Yes Joshua speaks, he's human like you, just a little more dog in the gene cocktail, I'm father's first."
Father's first? Which father was he talking about? It couldn't possibly be Ben's father either.
Ben relaxed a little and lowered his fists, which visibly relieved the giant named Joshua.
Ben had previously seen something in the news about transgenetically modified mutants.
This had to be one of them. Back then, he secretly overheard various companions and teachers watching the news. The children were strictly forbidden to watch television at the time and after Ben asked Grandma Marga about what she had heard and asked questions, the television was also removed from the house.
Now one of these mutants was standing in front of him and he only knew what Marga had told him about it back then.
"They are more human than many people, most of them peaceful and all of them something special," she answered him at the time and then did not answer any further questions.
"All right, Joshua, who are you and what do you want from me"?
"Joshua is Joshua, you are Ben, Max is Joshua's little girlfriend, that's why Joshua is looking after Ben".
"Who is Max and why are you looking after me because of her".
Ben couldn't get any further - he noticed how his legs started to shake. Shit, he forgot the pills again. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he tried not to show weakness because he was still not sure whether this Joshua was harmless.
"Ben needs tryptophan," Joshua sniffed the air like a sniffer dog.
"Ben is like Max"
Ben couldn't bring himself to answer, he had to get back to the house quickly otherwise he would fall to the ground here and who knows what that dog man would do to him.
He turned around and ran. But Joshua seemed to be prepared for it and jumped after him with big jumps. Except for the trainers, no one had ever run as fast as Ben, how could this giant keep up. Ben tried to go a little faster again, but the strength faded faster than he was used to. His adrenaline level had had a stronger effect than he had imagined.
He collapsed, fell, struggled to his feet and tried to get back on his feet. But his tryptophan deficiency weakened him and he briefly lost consciousness. There he lay now, trembling, writhing in pain, and Joshua's face appeared above him.
Ben wanted to get away, far away, he had never been as scared as he was at that moment, but his body no longer had the strength to fight, he briefly became unconscious.
It had been a few seconds but now he was in the clutches of the huge dog man.
But why was it anything but what he expected.
One of the pieces of advice flashed through his mind again
"Remember"!
Despite his great fear, he tried to think clearly. The huge dog-man held him in his arms like he did back then.
At that time.
When was that? He rummaged desperately through his memories. But he couldn't remember anything other than that dog face, a thunderstorm and feeling safe.
A feeling of security that he had been waiting for all his life briefly flowed through him. The big man's grip was not hard but soft and careful. He carried Ben carefully like a valuable commodity and as if he didn't want to harm him in any way.
What the hell was going on here?
The giant had arrived with him at the country house. With a strangled voice and the last of his strength, Ben managed to call out to Seth.
Joshua was startled because he hadn't noticed that his precious cargo was conscious.
He quickly placed Ben on the porch at that moment his eyes fell on the pendant Ben was carrying.
"Father," said Joshua and briefly touched the black stone with the golden dog on it before he was out of sight with a few big jumps.
With the last of his strength, Ben pulled himself up a little and was able to lean on the railing of the porch just as Seth appeared in the door before he lost consciousness again.
Seth knew immediately what was going on. He grabbed his little brother, put him on the large sofa in the library where he had recently been sitting for several hours immersed in books and quickly fetched the medication that his brother urgently needed. This little fool still didn't understand how urgent it was to be disciplined and reliable. Seth was secretly annoyed by his little brother's carelessness, but on the other hand he was also worried about how they would be able to carry out the plan he had made with this carelessness.
He quickly found the tryptophan can and was back at Ben's side.
He opened one of the capsules directly over Ben's mouth and then gave him something to drink straight away.
Now it wouldn't be long until Ben was his old self again.
It took what felt like an eternity until Ben was completely back to himself. After taking a sip of water, he closed his eyes again and sank back into the cushions of the sofa. Now he woke up with a start and, as if bitten by a tarantula, he immediately sat on the edge of the sofa and rambled something about the giant and the dog man and Joshua.
Seth sat down next to him.
"Were you dreaming or what are you saying?"
"Man, Seth, listen, just a few minutes ago I was on the hill in the park. Joshua surprised me there and then carried me here. He's one of those transgenics and he was friendly."
Seth was shocked that someone had ambushed his brother, but at the same time he heard that this someone was supposed to be friendly.
"Do you know more than that or do I have to rely on your judgment?"
"Seth, you know that we are rarely wrong in our assessment of people, mmh, or in this case, dog people. His name is Joshua and I remembered him. He must have played a role in our previous lives because suddenly I was no longer afraid of him, as if I knew him."
Ben then told Seth the whole story in detail. He regained his strength and wandered around the room again, looking out the window a few times as if he suspected Joshua was still out there.
Seth was initially rather worried until Ben mentioned Max.
He went to his papers and pulled out an old newspaper article from the collection.
"Max, Max Guevara? Did you hear that right?"
"Max, this Joshua just said, little friend Max".
Seth handed Ben the article, which also had a picture on it.
A picture of a transgeno group.
A dog man, a lizard man, a completely normal-looking young couple, described here as X5 452 and "Terminal City" had started.
"That's Joshua there," Ben pointed to the dog man in the picture.
Seth's eyes widened, "And he was here?"
"Yes, the first time during the thunderstorm, I thought I had just imagined it and then just a moment ago at the viewing point on the hill in the national park."
Ben now told everything again and also how he felt about it.
"I was absolutely no longer afraid when I remembered how safe I had felt in his presence."
Ben rarely spoke so openly about feelings, especially his own, and Seth listened carefully and let him tell everything in detail. He really enjoyed being taken into his brother's confidence.
Ben suddenly sat in front of him in silence. Seth had listened to the end, waiting for more information, but Ben now pointed to the picture again and said:
"Yes, and that's him, exactly the dog man in the picture there."
"Then I'll try to explain the rest of my research to you," said Seth, looking up at the wall clock, "but I think we'd better do it tomorrow and take the whole day."
He wanted to report to Ben in detail and he was too tired to do that now.
The whole thing had already cost a lot of nerves today and he didn't want to forget anything just because he was too tired.
Ben was astonished at the suggestion to take a break and sleep first, but at the same time he was also grateful to his brother because he had already lost his temper for the second time today and his ability to absorb things would certainly not have been satisfactory for his big brother.
The two went upstairs in silence and after a short:
"Good night, sleep well" they went to bed and, surprisingly, fell asleep quickly despite everything that had happened.