2.
Night was particularly cruel to me. I was given a nice room, much nicer than I thought they might have here, but it was deadly isolated and quiet. I couldn’t sleep, or silence my thoughts. In the end I gave up and just sat there on the chair next to the wall where the window is supposed to be, until exhaustion knocked me down, which gave me all too much time to think and wonder. Was it really me they wanted here? And if so, why? I knew that morning would answer all my questions, one way or another, but it’s the human nature to be restless and impatient. It occurred to me I have no idea what the Weepers look like. Are they even human? Do they have huge teeth and a huge horn growing out of their head?
I laughed out loud and regretted it immediately. The room barely had any furniture in it, and these metal walls just dispersed the sound of my laughter into a weird feeling in my stomach. The air felt heavy as I lye back on my bed. Finally, after awhile my eyelids gave in and I fell asleep.
– Good morning, Mr. Frintz – a voice echoed in the room, reality mixing with the weird dreams I had. It took me a minute or two to figure out where, or who I am. I slowly sat up in the bed, allowing the reality to sink in.
– Mr. Frintz? – Someone tried again. I looked up; a young soldier stood by the doors, perfect and proud as only kids in uniforms can be.
– You’re expected in the briefing room, sir – he added when he was sure I’m aware of his presence.
– Give me a minute – I said – I’ll be right out.
He nodded and disappeared, doors closing quietly behind him, briefly revealing two more soldiers standing outside. Did I have two guards in front of my room all night? Were the protecting me, or the Weepers?
I washed my face in the small sink. Cold water made me feel much better instantly, and my stomach started growling, warning me I haven’t eaten since yesterday’s lunch, which is always a good sign. Then it occurred to me why I didn’t sleep well – I was excited. I am going to meet the Weepers. Why else would I be brought here? By now they would realize the mistake, if there was any. No, for some reason, I was the person they wanted. I had no idea why, or who wanted me here, but I’m here now and I might as well soak in as much as I can. My hunger for new things and new questions finally awaken, I was ready. I opened the doors and nodded to the young soldier still waiting for me.
– I’m ready – I said – take me there.
3.
I am Anandriell, the Third of my kind, and I can’t make a simple decision as this. Should I reveal myself to the human? Will it alter the course of events I want to… need to set in motion? My heart tells me it won’t, that it is the best thing to do in the current situation, but my tradition reasons against it. Humans are unpredictable and impulsive; they can’t be trusted, not really, not with such big secrets. Not when everything depends on it.
He is right here in front of me, but he will not see me unless I choose to reveal my presence. I can feel his thoughts stirring within his mind. He is confused, but so curious at the same time; the very attribute that brought him to my attention in the first place. That and his words, the way he writes; so much love and wonder in his words. My teachers were always more than eager to point out my love for human art forms as my greatest weakness, but Mother thought quite the opposite, and they would never dare say anything against her. I watched the human race for close to ten thousand years now, and never stopped admiring their potential, but their ability to express their emotions through art was the one thing that set them apart from all the other life forms we have been monitoring. There were some attempts in one form or the other over the last hundred million years since the Order was restored, but nothing quite so elaborate, so diverse and sensitive as what the humans did. They managed to bridge all their flaws and short-sightedness in those moments of Creation and somehow unknowingly tapped into the Great Void, if only to find inspiration, the right words, images, strokes…
And this man here in front of me was special, among the sea of others over the last millennia. He didn’t know it, and that was a big part of how it seamed to work, but I have to reveal truths to him about his race that my own dared but to whisper; and predict how it will affect him and the ability he is unaware of at the moment. It wasn’t a simple matter of making the choice – it had to be the right choice. For both of our specie’s, it had to be the right choice.
I looked at him now, visually only, without touching into his mind, and he seamed to normal, so human. How can so much depend on the two of us? How did it come to this? It felt wrong that the Great Races would allow things to come to this point, but we played with the fate of the Universe, and the Universe played back. We lost.
The human stopped pacing around and looked at me. Could he see me? No, of course not. And yet, his attention was fully focused in my direction. I tapped into his mind. No, he wasn’t sure what he is feeling, but he feels drawn toward my direction. That in itself is incredible.
My mind made up, I revealed myself.
.
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