Smiles In The Mountains
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“I’m not sure if I should be happy to see you or sad,” said the man. “You were always my favorite.” He was a tall, thin fellow with long limbs and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that hung over his shoulder blades.
His face had been burned in several places by acid burns he’d received during an earlier life as a member of the Free States’ army. A bandage covered one eye from where it had been removed surgically after being shot out while fighting for freedom against the Empire’s forces on Earth.
He looked at me with eyes like black holes sucking up light. They reminded me of the ones I saw when I first met him years ago; they made my skin crawl because there seemed no way to escape them once their gaze caught hold of you. It wasn’t until later that I realized what those eyes meant: he could read minds, even mine.
The other two men standing behind him also wore similar expressions—the same dead-eyed stares. One held a gun pointed straight at my head, while another stood beside him holding a knife ready to slice open my throat before I knew what hit me.
Both of these thugs were dressed similarly to the man who spoke. All three wore dirty jeans and tattered shirts with rips here and there so that bloodstains would show through easily enough. Their faces were smeared with dirt and grime, but their noses and mouths were cleanly shaven. Even though I couldn’t see any wounds on either of them, I sensed the cuts had healed recently.
They all had the look of people who didn’t have much use for hygiene and took pride in living hard lives without worrying about appearances too much. But then again, maybe they just hadn’t gotten around to washing yet this morning.
“Why are you here?” I asked. My voice sounded weak, almost frightened despite how calm I tried to keep myself.
The man smiled widely. “To kill you, of course!”
My heart pounded faster than ever inside my chest. This must be some sort of nightmare. Maybe I’d fallen asleep and dreamed everything? No, I wouldn’t let something like that happen! Not now, anyway. As soon as I woke up, I would find a way to get rid of these guys. If only I could figure out how…
“But why?” I demanded. “What possible reason do you have for wanting to end my life?”
The man laughed loudly. “Oh, come on, kid. Haven’t you figured it out yet? You’re nothing more than a pawn in our game.”
A cold sweat broke out across my forehead. That name—Pawn. Wasn’t Pawn the nickname given to me by the leaders of the Resistance movement back home? Had they sent these men to finish off what they started? Or perhaps they wanted to take revenge for what happened to the rest of us? Either way, I didn’t want to die. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never.
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll pass on your offer,” I told him. “And since we’ve already established that you can read minds, you know exactly what I mean.”
His smile widened. “I do indeed. And I also know that you won’t make it very far, especially not with someone like me along to help you. So tell me, kid: Why did you really run away from home?”
It was obvious that the question bothered him, but I still refused to answer. Instead, I focused on trying to remember anything else I might have missed. What had I done wrong that led to this situation?
“Look, kid,” he continued. “We both know you’re lying. You ran away because you were afraid to fight. Because deep down, you realize you aren’t good enough to stand up to anyone, least of all us. Am I right?”
I felt my cheeks burn red hot. How dare he say such things about me! I’d never backed down from a challenge in my entire life. Besides, I wasn’t scared of fighting. I hated bullies like this guy, and I’d faced them many times before.
“Don’t worry, kid,” he added. “This is going to be easy. We’ll just put you out of your misery quickly. Then we’ll go ahead and collect your parents.”
I clenched my fists tightly together. There was no way I would allow this to happen. I needed to think of something fast, and I needed to act immediately. The longer I waited, the worse the situation would become. I’d seen that firsthand during my time in the Resistance camp.
Suddenly, I heard a loud thud coming from somewhere outside. An instant later, there was another sound—a scream followed by the unmistakable sounds of shattering glass. Before I could react, the door burst inward and a woman rushed into the room.
She was tall and thin, her long black hair tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a white dress that hugged every curve of her body. Her face was beautiful, but I noticed dark bags under her eyes. From the looks of it, she hadn’t slept well lately.
She stared at the three men standing over me, looking completely shocked. When she finally found the courage to speak, her voice trembled slightly.
“Who are you?” she asked them. “How did you get into my house? Who are you working for?”
The man who claimed to be their leader answered first. “You should know better than anyone, Ms. Kaur. Don’t you recognize us? We’re the ones who captured you last night.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Last night? What are you talking about? It’s been years since I was kidnapped by those bastards!”
He shrugged. “Maybe so, but we’ve got proof. Look at this.” He reached behind his back and pulled out a small device. A moment later, its screen lit up with an image of a young girl wearing glasses.
The woman gasped. “That’s me!”
I looked closer. Sure enough, the picture displayed on the screen showed the same girl who had helped me escape from the Resistance camp. In fact, if I remembered correctly, that was the very same photo used when they announced her death.
“So you admit it?” one of the other men said smugly. “Then why haven’t you told anyone about your daughter?”
“Because I’m ashamed of her,” she replied. “She’s weak. She doesn’t deserve to live.”
My heart pounded against my chest as I watched the scene play out. This couldn’t possibly be happening. My father wouldn’t let anyone hurt Mom. Would he?
As I stood there frozen in place, the man holding the device turned toward me. His gaze swept over me once again, lingering on my face for several seconds.
“Well, look at you,” he murmured. “What a waste. If only you weren’t so worthless, maybe we would have kept you alive after all.”
With that, he tossed the device onto the floor and stepped forward. As he drew near, I saw that he was even taller and broader than the others. He grabbed hold of my arm and jerked me to my feet.
“Now then, Ms. Kaur,” he said softly, staring directly into her eyes. “Are you ready to see how much pain your precious little boy has caused you?”
***
For some reason, I didn’t feel any fear. Maybe it was because I knew what was about to happen next. Or perhaps I simply had nothing left inside me. Whatever the case, I remained perfectly calm. But that changed abruptly when the man gripped my shoulder and shoved me into the wall. Pain shot through my head as I slammed against the stone surface, and I nearly lost consciousness.
When I opened my eyes, the man was standing beside me. With his free hand, he pointed at a large mirror hanging above our heads. I glanced up and saw myself reflected there. I was still dressed in my school uniform, which meant I must not have been unconscious for too long.
But everything else was different. My hair was now short and spiky, and I had grown two inches or more. I also appeared older. I realized that I probably looked around twenty-five instead of sixteen, though I couldn’t be sure without checking my birth certificate.
Still gripping my shoulder tightly, the man forced me to turn around and face him. Suddenly, I felt a sharp sting on the side of my neck. Instantly, I fell to my knees.
“Oh, yes,” he whispered. “It seems like you do remember something after all.”
A moment later, I collapsed to the ground.
Moments later, the man returned to the center of the room. He picked up the device lying on the floor and pressed a button, causing the screen to light up again. On the display were four new images: pictures of me, along with three other people. One was another man, while the remaining pair both looked similar to each other. They could have been brothers, except that one had black hair and the other brown.
All three men had dark skin, wore traditional Indian clothing, and sported thick mustaches. The resemblance between them was uncanny.
At least, until I noticed the differences. For example, the man with brown hair had a scar running across his forehead, whereas the other two had no such blemishes. And although the man with the black hair had a muscular build, the other two were far slimmer.
One of the photos was taken indoors, while the other two showed the men outside. All of them had their arms raised high overhead. Their fingers were bound together, and ropes tied around their wrists held them firmly in place.
“These are your sons,” the man explained. “Or rather, these men claim to be your sons. You can tell by looking at them that they don’t resemble you in the slightest. Yet here they stand, claiming to be your children.”
His voice grew louder as he continued speaking. “They say they’re your biological offspring. That means that you abandoned them when you fled India years ago. After all, you never bothered to come back for them after you found out that you’d given birth to boys instead of girls. So how is it possible that your own flesh and blood would try to kill you?”
The man paused before continuing. “Of course, there’s just one problem with their story.”
He took a step forward and leaned down close to my ear. Then, in a low whisper, he spoke those words that would change everything forever…
“You know who really fathered your sons?”
I heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. Turning my head slightly, I saw that someone was coming up the stairs. It wasn’t Dad—it was an unfamiliar woman wearing a white lab coat.
“Who are you?” asked the man.
“Just a researcher,” she replied. “If you’ll excuse us…”
Before I could ask anything further, the man pushed past her and hurriedly exited the room. Before I had time to react, the door swung shut behind him with a loud clack.
My mind went blank for several seconds. When I finally regained control over my thoughts, I turned toward the woman. She stared straight ahead, seemingly uninterested in my presence.
“Where did this guy go?” I demanded.
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about him. He won’t bother you anymore.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because we’ve already finished testing you.”
That caught my attention. “Testing me for what?”
“We wanted to find out if you were telling the truth. We needed to confirm whether you actually remembered being adopted and fleeing your homeland many years ago. As you can see, our tests proved that you were indeed telling the truth. Your memories are genuine. In fact, they’re even more detailed than we originally thought. Which brings us to the question of why you lied in the first place.”
Her response made sense, but I still didn’t understand exactly what she was getting at. “Why should I care about that?”
“Well, it turns out that you weren’t lying. But you were only partially honest.”
“Huh?”
“Let me explain. You said that you left your home country because you gave birth to two sons. However, you neglected to mention that you also had a daughter.”
I froze. This was news to me. How could I have forgotten something so important? I knew I had a sister, yet somehow I managed to forget that she existed.
“So where is she?” I asked.
“In the next room,” the scientist answered. “But unfortunately, you won’t get to meet her today. Her condition has worsened since yesterday. If things continue this way, she may die within the week. Sooner or later, she will pass away without ever seeing you.”
I felt a chill run through my body. “Will she…die?”
“Yes. There’s nothing anyone can do to save her now. Not unless you want to take responsibility for her death.”
“Wait!” I shouted. “No! Don’t make me watch her die.”
The woman ignored my pleas. Instead, she walked over to the table and picked up a small glass vial filled with some kind of liquid. “This is a special solution that we developed specifically for you. It contains nanomachines capable of repairing any damage done to the human brain.
Once injected into your bloodstream, it should restore your memory. Of course, there’s always the possibility that it might cause permanent side effects. But we believe that the benefits outweigh the risks.”
“How long does it last?” I asked.
“It depends on the individual. Some people recover almost immediately. Others need months. And then there are others like your sister, whose brains are too damaged to repair themselves. They suffer irreversible mental trauma and eventually lose consciousness altogether. The good news is that such cases are extremely rare. Most patients experience no negative side effects whatsoever.”
I looked at the vial in the scientist’s hands. “Do I really have to drink this stuff?”
“Yes. Otherwise, you won’t remember your life until right before the day you arrived here.”
“And once I’m healed, I’ll be able to leave this place?”
“Unfortunately, that’s impossible. We don’t allow visitors inside the facility. Even if you manage to escape, you wouldn’t stand a chance against our security systems. Besides, we’ve already taken measures to ensure that you can’t survive outside the walls.
Our scientists designed a number of drugs that prevent the spread of disease and keep you alive indefinitely. On top of that, we planted thousands of genetically modified plants around the perimeter of the compound. Their seeds contain a deadly virus that attacks your immune system. Any attempt to eat them would result in immediate death.”
“Then how am I supposed to get out?”
“There’s one other option: suicide. If you decide to end your own life, you’ll never return to Earth.”
I considered the implications for a moment. Suicide seemed like the best alternative. At least then I’d avoid watching my sister die. But I couldn’t bring myself to commit murder. That just wasn’t in my nature.
“If I refuse to drink the potion, you’ll kill my sister anyway, right?”
“Of course. We have no choice. After all, your actions put everyone else at risk. Including yourself.”
“You mean…you’re going to execute me?”
“Not necessarily. We could simply let you live. Perhaps we’ll give you another chance down the line.”
“Another chance to betray me again?” I asked bitterly. “Is that what you’re suggesting?”
“Don’t worry,” the scientist assured me. “Your future prospects look bright from where I’m standing. Just think about it—once you regain your memory, you’ll be able to help us develop new medicines. In time, you could become an invaluable asset to our research team. Who knows? Maybe someday you’ll even be promoted to lead researcher.”
My heart sank as I listened to her words. For someone who claimed not to know anything about me, she certainly had a knack for guessing my thoughts.
“What happens after I regain my memories?” I asked.
“We’ll send you back to your hometown. Then you’ll resume your normal life. No one will suspect that you’re actually a spy. As far as they’re concerned, you’re just another ordinary person living in the suburbs. Your family members won’t learn about your past either.
All they’ll see is a healthy young man returning home from work every day. Meanwhile, you’ll be free to carry out your missions without fear of being discovered by the authorities. You’ll also receive regular reports detailing everything that happened during your absence. Naturally, these reports will only include information that we deem appropriate.”
“Why did you kidnap me in the first place?” I asked. “Didn’t you realize how dangerous it was to expose me to so many different people?”
“That’s correct. However, we didn’t anticipate that you were planning to use the knowledge you gained while working with us to infiltrate the enemy camp. Had we known that we would have been forced to terminate your contract sooner rather than later?”
“So why haven’t you killed me yet?”
The scientist smiled. “Because we still need you. And since you chose to cooperate with us, we decided to spare your life instead.”
“But…”
“Now shut up and drink the potion. Remember, it’s your only hope.”
I took the vial from her hand. I wanted to object but knew better than to argue with her. She was clearly more experienced in dealing with prisoners like me. So I downed the contents of the vial in one gulp and felt something warm trickle down my throat.
It tasted awful, much worse than the medicine I usually drank when I got sick. My stomach churned violently as the liquid made its way into my body. A few seconds later, I began to feel dizzy. Everything went dark.
The End