The Final Obstacle (Flash Fiction)
"Thalassa used to be a paradise before the two powers decided that the archipelago wasn't big enough for the both of them."
Author’s note: This is a submission for an Iron Age Media prompt: The Academic.
By Michael P. Marpaung
“Dr. Gibson, surely you see that you are our best hope against the final obstacle?” he told me.
I shook my head at the man in front of me. Wallace was a sharply dressed man, just like me. We even had the same top hat, though he lacked my goggles. This was to be expected: I was a scientist; he a diplomat.
Though calling him a diplomat was somewhat of a stretch; he was more of a manipulator for the Commonwealth of Theia. His job was to talk people into doing the Commonwealth’s bidding for them.
And I was his target. The war between the Commonwealth of Theia and the Melian Republic had been going on for as long as I could remember. And I was no spring chicken.
Thalassa used to be a paradise before the two powers decided that the archipelago wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Warships after warships were sent against one another; amphibious invasions of islands were made. So many lives lost. And no one was happy.
Except for the fishes.
“I’m not interested,” I told him.
“You are making a big mistake, Gerard,” Wallace said threateningly.
I was beginning to regret bringing this guy on my ship; him and his two cronies. Wallace had told me that they were just his servants, but I knew better. His threat was not just in his words.
At the moment, we were sitting in the guest room of my ship. But I was far from being in control.
It was amazing how one night could change everything in your life. That night was when I discovered the Brahmastra all those years ago. It was a chance encounter; I was just a young scientist doing R&D for the Commonwealth. My life changed when that meteorite fell near my ship. But the Brahmastra was no mere meteorite, it was a weapon from the sky. The explosion made by one fistful of it could cause greater damage than the most powerful warship either side could produce.
And so, the Commonwealth tasked me to produce the most powerful bomb; one that could destroy a whole fleet. And I would have.
Except that the Melian Republic caught on to what the Commonwealth was doing. The next few years, there was a great tug-of-war for my services between the two warring powers.
This was only possible as my loyalty towards the Commonwealth had been waning. My home village was destroyed in an attempt to deny the Republic any semblance of victory.
Following this, I found myself changing allegiances between the Republic and the Commonwealth. There was only one constant in my life, my wife Jane. The courtship between Jane and I was a strange one. I’d rather keep the details sparse. But she told that she’d go wherever I go. We were inseparable from that point on, our two children being proof of that.
Her assurance had spurred me to leave Thalassa. And yet, the Commonwealth had caught on to me. But if they thought that they had me, then they were sorely mistaken. My wife and children were counting on me, after all.
Speaking of my lovely wife, here she came. She brought with her four cups of tea, I managed to pick up the leaves from a nearby island. Jane carefully put one cup for me, and the rest she gave to Wallace and his cronies.
“Why don’t we take a drink first,” I offered genially.
And we drank. It was a really good brew, and everyone finished their cups.
“Did you enjoy the drink, gentlemen?” I asked warmly. “Jane here brew the best tea.”
The two cronies nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, my wife smiled at me in embarrassment. Everyone was happy, except for Wallace.
“I implore you to reconsider, Doctor,” Wallace said. Once more, he was threatening me, but I was not intimidated.
“I told you before, I am not interested,” I responded.
“The Brahmastra is the only way we can destroy the seawalls of Melian Island!” Wallace exclaimed. “Once the final obstacle is removed, we can destroy the Republic. End the war!”
“The Melians told me the same thing.”
I could tell that Wallace was angry now. But if there were any doubts, that was removed when he pointed a gun at me. His cronies also followed suit.
“I had hoped that we can be peaceful about this, but you left me no choice, Dr. Gibson,” Wallace said.
“Peace, sir,” I said to Wallace. “Need I remind you that you are my guest?”
“Bah!” the diplomat spat before he pointed his gun at Jane. “You will go with me, or your wifey gets it!”
I couldn’t help but feel concerned for my wife. Deep down though, I knew that there was nothing to worry about.
Before I said anything in response, Wallace dropped down. Dead. His gun fell down to the table. His two cronies tried to check on their boss out of concern but soon they dropped dead too.
I smiled at Jane, grateful for her handiwork. I knew that she had spiked their tea with ratchun powder; a colorless, odorless, and tasteless poisonous powder native to the northern islands of Thalassa. Wallace and his cronies never saw it coming.
“You really brew the best tea, darling,” I said lovingly.
In response, Jane gave me a quick kiss.
I knew that Wallace’s ship only came with him and his cronies, that was how ‘diplomats’ in Thalassa travel.
Much as I wanted to loot their ship, I knew that we had little time. It wouldn’t be long before the Commonwealth realized what had happened to their men. We needed to go, now.
As for the three bodies, I dumped them to the sea. Theirs wouldn’t be the first to be eaten by the fishes.
With the final obstacle taken care of, there was nothing to prevent us from reaching the Atlas Continent. There, neither the Republic nor the Commonwealth could pursue us.