Arith : The Undiscovered Planet

In a dark hallway, two figures stood ; one furious and the other pleading and trembling.

“That was so careless of you! It was supposed to be a swift clean job, without suspicions”.

“I didn’t mean it to happen like that boss, I am very sorry” the voice said trembling.

“What? You made the first mistake of not administering the right dose of the sleeping drugs. That was why he wasn’t deeply asleep”! The boss reprimanded.

“I promise to be careful, I promise… I promise” the shaky voice said.

“Well , Let’s see how you will carry out this last assignment”.

The shaky voice nodded with their head bowed.

*********

Two weeks after the incident, Eric and his aunt went out for dinner. He had lots of things to say to her. The past two weeks were the most trying period if his life. For the first time in his life, he felt death. Why would someone want him dead so desperately ? Why would this someone be his best friend ? What were they hiding ? If they were hoping to silence him, they had no idea that they just made him determined into action. He would never stop till he got to the bottom of this.

Derek his dad had ordered Eric to move in with him . He felt Eric would be more secure in his house.

Eric had told his dad about Zach, the food and how weak he felt after eating it.

“He drugged you son, I’m very sure of it” his dad had said. “He should be arrested”.

Derek was about making some phone calls to his friend who was a cop. But Eric had stopped his dad and said :

“Well, we’re not really sure dad. Could be I was just weak, because I had been feeling weak for the past weeks . I will just have to watch him to be really sure”. Eric said, trying to reassure his dad , but he was suspicious of Zach.

“In that case, I will hire a private detective to watch him”. His dad had concluded.

Presently, he was having dinner with his aunt .

“I’m so glad you’re okay dear. I remembered when your dad called . I was so dismayed . So how is your head now love”?

“I am all right now aunt" Eric said . Although, he was okay, he still had some tingles in his head. Well, he wasn’t planning on sharing that with his aunt.

“What really baffles me is why Zach would do something like that. You’re practically brothers. Everyone love you two together”. She said unhappily.

“I feel so betrayed aunty”.

“Now you know what? Remember the phrase that goes: bring your enemies closer. Do you”?

Eric nodded and she continued:

“Sure that’s the exact thing you will be doing . Do not make him know you’re suspicious of him. Get closer to him. Pretend you know nothing about what happened“.

“That’s what I’m doing already” . He told his aunt how he had gone for class the first day after the ‘incident'. He recalled Zach’s shock.

“I’m sure he was shocked that I was still alive but then he surprised more when he asked what happened to my head. Well I being a master, told him that I had hit my head when I fell. Aunty, could you believe that he had the grace to look sympathetic and innocent? I was really amused. Well two can definitely play the game” he told his aunt.

Aunt Tessy was very proud of him

“That’s right son. Your enemies shouldn’t know how close you are in getting to them and … oh …that reminds me , our space exploration will take place in two weeks”.

“Ooh great aunt, this is unbelievable. What did you say to make them accept”?

“Trust me dear, I told them that I would going for going for construction work on the ISS with my best student and pilot. Some parts of the ISS need amendment and no astronaut is as good as you. Hence they were very glad”.

Eric smiled. It was awkward to listen to these compliments from his aunt.

“Thank you so much for your help” he said.

“The C. S. R didn’t go for their exploit again . Rather, it was postponed to … who knows when. Information reaching us is that they have discovered something extraordinary in space . Well no one knows what it is . So they had to be much more prepared. We are sure to find out when both of us get there.

Eric wasn’t interested in exploits, he was just bent on 'siredanium’, the element which held many secrets. With these thoughts on his mind, he just nodded to whatever his aunt said.