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Today’s Maynia Prompt: fat bodyguard
Today’s Daily Freewrite Prompt: toothpicks in a coconut
Writers can choose to use one of the prompts, both the prompts or not use the prompt at all. It is all up to you!
I wish to make this into a sci-fi novel. Let’s see how it progresses! 😊
Continued from Day 4. You can read it here.
Radhika and Akash reached the Raja Bhoj International Airport in Madhya Pradesh by afternoon the same day. It was the curiosity of what they were going to find that kept them going than the idea of something sinister out there. No sooner did they land were they escorted in another car waiting on the tarmac to an awaiting chopper. They were airborne within minutes.
“So, what do you think we will find at the site?” Akash was switching on his mobile which he hardly got to do since they landed.
“We will find nothing,” Radhika said while scribbling something on her notepad, “the IAF will. I think they would have already.”
“Why is the IAF on the job when we figured out the whole episode?” Akash was not keen on handing dollops of credit to other agencies, though he admired the IAF the most.
“Remember what Arvind asked us?”
“Yeah, I heard that..”
“No, you didn’t,” Radhika was curt, “If you had listened, you would know that he was asking us to stick to our job. We are the IB, and we need to find those infiltrators or humanoids. Let the IAF comb the area and find those objects while we find those people.”
“Hmm. So, then, where are we headed?”
“To the nearest tribal area, north of the site.”
“Let me guess; we are going there because I reported on some strangely dressed people? Akash smiled, “Come on, those are our tribal population. For them, even we would be oddly dressed.”
“If it happens the following morning of those sightings, then I am ready to place my bet,” Radhika continued scribbling, “unless you have a better suggestion, Chanakya.”
Akash knew when to give up. He had grown to admire Radhika’s gut instincts which he had witnessed to be precise most of the time. She was from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) batch of 1994 and five years his senior. Akash was a recipient of numerous awards for his spectacular work in the area of intelligence; still, by far, it was only Radhika in the active operatives who was in a league above him. Such facts helped Akash put things in perspective when dealing with Radhika.
“There, that’s the reported site,” Radhika peeped out as the chopper began to descent.
“Just so that you know, I am not good at tribal lingo,” Akash quipped, “but I can try to communicate.”
“Hmm. Sure,” Radhika turned towards Akash, “once I am done asking my questions through the interpreter, you can try to communicate.”
“What on Earth? Akash’s eyes widened, “when did you find time to get an interpreter?” But Radhika was busy sliding the chopper’s door open, as she got down into the swirling wind from the chopper’s rotors.
Sarvi was growing used to the inhabitants of the planet staring at her and Olyint as they were walking. She could also sense one type of inhabitants starting a lot more at her than Olyint. They were typically the ones with hair on their face and those with narrower chests. She figured it could have to do with the suit she was wearing.
“Commander, we are far from our hoppers and still no sign of the law-upholders.”
“We are almost there,” Olyint’s cryptic message hardly made any sense, but Sarvi was glad that the onlookers' gathering was thinning as they walked.”
“And you are going to tell me that you have a gut feeling that they are right around that corner,” Akash tried his hand on sarcasm knowing quite well that it wouldn’t even make a scratch on Radhika’s titanium encapsulated resolve.
“We’ll see,” Radhika had this feeling that they would get to those individuals.
Akash turned in front of Radhika and walked backwards, “Radhika, let’s get the chopper. We will be able to get a better view of..” and the next thing he knew was bumping backwards into someone at the corner. He realized it was a lady from the voice and was apologetic even as he turned.
“I am sorr… damn your gut,” Akash was starting at two people wearing a pricey looking semi-metallic jumpsuit. “It’s 39 degrees. Don’t you’ll have lighter clothes?”
“39 degrees to what?” Sarvi asked as Olyint helped her up.
“He means the ambient temperature, not direction,” Olyint explained. “You are the law-upholders of this planet.”
“Law, what?” Akash smiled.
“Who are you? Where are you from?” Radhika looked straight at Olyint.
“I am Olyint, Superior Commander of the third Arlenian force. It is the biggest force of the Arlenian sector.”
“You mean Arlington? As in the United States?” Akash enquired. “That explains the bolt of lightning. Some new technology, I guess.”
Nobody spoke. Everyone was trying to make sense of the other.
“We are after Zarqui, the Commander of the fifth Arlenian force. He has to be apprehended,” Sarvi spoke.
“Who is Zarqui? Radhika was confused but could hardly miss the fact that while the individuals looked like humans, there were some peculiar yet consistent features on both. The eyebrows turning inwards towards the edge of the eye, the nose having a pierced hole, the earlobes drooping and their voice always starting with an echo, were few that she observed.
“As I said, the Commander of the fifth…”
“Zarqui…” Olyint said while pulling out a weapon of some sort from his arm panel.
“Is that what I think it is?” Radhika looked at Akash.
Akash pulled out his service pistol from the back, “Don’t move. Drop what’s in your hand.”
That spurred Sarvi into action, and she pulled out a similar-looking device but pointed it at Akash, “Pace back law-upholder. Don’t try my hand.”
Before Radhika could move, Sarvi kicked Akash’s pistol and pointed the device at Radhika. Olyint was looking straight at Akash.
“Zarqui, I won’t hesitate to shed your life. Stay still,” Olyint said.
That’s when all of them realized that he wasn’t even talking to them.
Sarvi turned her device to the same spot as Olyint once she realized what was going on. Radhika and Akash slowly turned. They saw a man dressed much as any other Indian. Only Radhika noticed that the peculiar features were exact for this man too. Akash saw his opportunity and lunged at Olyint and pushed him at Sarvi. As they lost balance, he picked up his gun only to face Sarvi’s kick landing on his stomach. Akash couldn’t believe her fiercely fast reflexes. The metallic boot and its impact caused Akash to lose a couple of breaths.
“Do you even know what you just did," Olyint yelled while Radhika instinctively looked at the other man. He was gone. A human couldn't have run so fast out of sight in the long narrow alley. Akash was crouched on the ground while the local cops reached the spot. More guns were pointing at the two individuals than the two devices of Olyint and Sarvi.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
