Memorize (Book One)

A Box Full of Memories

At the very end of the cave lay the Travel Pod. These vehicles came in various shapes and sizes, and this one was relatively small, slender, with long, pointed wings. As Aura approached, a soft, blue light started shining from underneath its silhouette, slowly progressing along its wings and upwards toward the command area.

All the members of the troop laid their hands on the Pod, which opened its doors. An awkward moment followed, as if noone really wanted to leave or say anything. Aura took a few steps back, and smiled quietly.

Ananda was the first one to speak.

"Aura, you've been so good to us. I can never  thank you enough. Never... I hope we'll meet again... somehow..."

Aura rested a soothing hand on her shoulder. He knew how to be eloquent without a speech, and Ananda started hurrying inside the Pod, sobbing very softly.

"Old man, we owe you one. We'll never mention you. You'll remain dead for GloCo."

"We will see about that, Arende. You know, GloCo knows everything... Well, maybe not everything now," said Aura, looking sideways at Jay.

"Thank you Aura. Thank you my friend!" answered Arende, patting Aura's shoulder while his voice was growing coarse.

Epos swiftly followed Arende inside the Pod. As he passed Aura, they exchanged an unfathomable look.

"You and your endless benevolence... It will kill you! But you're no better than the rest of them!"

"You are quite right, Epos. But... take care of yourself. Being dead inside is much worse than getting killed."

Epos disappeared furiously into the Pod. Kizuna, Starling and Jay stood there, embarassed.

"Oh I don't like parting! Aura, are you sure... are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Kizuna, I will be fine. I have only one thing to ask you, or maybe two."

"What is it?"

"Take good care of your friends. They are very special people, but they could do with a word of wisdom every now and then."

"I will Aura, I swear!"

"I know you will. But I am less sure about the second thing: every now and then, too, take good care of yourself. Promise you will do that, will you?"

"Oh Aura, I'm going to miss you!"

"Kizuna, good friends never really part."

Kizuna looked down and started walking into the Pod. Then she suddenly rushed back and threw herself into Aura's arms. The hermit held her tightly for a few seconds, then let her go, and she disappeared in an instant.

As Aura took a deep breath, Starling made a step towards him, then froze in his tracks. Father and son looked at each other.

"Starling..."

But Starling had already vanished into the Pod.

"I'm sorry, Aura."

"Do not be sorry for me, Jay. I am just getting what I deserve. That is all. I have been selfish and foolish. Even worse, I have acted as a helping hand in an infamous plot."

"Aura, he will change his mind. I know he will. And I feel we'll meet again, however unlikely it may sound. You've saved and protected us all. And you've helped me more than you can ever imagine. Thank you."

"As I told you already, your friends will follow your lead. Well, most of them. Jay, you will have to be strong, much stronger than you've already been."

"Why do I feel you haven't told me completely everything, Aura?" asked Jay, half smiling.

"Because I have mainly suspicions. Anyway, Jay, there is something that will get you a little further down the road."

"What do you mean?"

"I am sure you will make good use of it." As he said this, Aura made a few steps in the direction of a dark corner and picked something on the ground.

"My memory Box! I... I'd forgotten it!"

"This is where Epos will help you. He will open the box for you. He might even be able to give you some explanations. You see, he, too, has been instrumental in many ways. I reckon the day may come when he decides to make a different choice."

"I fear you see too much good where there's nothing but evil."

"I fear good and evil have come to terms long ago."

Jay looked at the shiny, smooth box. It contained actual, concrete fragments of who he was. Yet he felt as if who he was didn't depend only on that anymore. There was a new sense of freedom running in his veins that almost outweighed the heaviness of the past condensed in Aura's hands.

"You are a man of past and present now," said Aura very slowly, "and above all, you are a man of change. Be very, very careful Jay. GloCo wants you dead, because you are by far the most disturbing agent they could come up with."

"I will get back to Earth, and I'll find what happened to Hera. I'll do my best to protect my friends, and if we reach a safe haven, somewhere, I swear I'll let you know... by all means."

"Never believe those who say you are a freak. In the world we have built, we have forgotten who we really are. But you haven't... Farewell my friend."

Jay took the box and started walking slowly into the Pod. Half-way through the doors, he turned around and took a last look at Aura. Just like a traveller gazes at a grand scenery, knowing he will probably never take a real look at it again.

What he saw wasn't fear or bitterness. It was confidence. Aura stood there, with smiling eyes and a full heart, his white robes floating around him in the uncertain darkness of the cave.

Inside the Pod, silence had settled. Jay crossed Starling's look, and he knew his friend had fallen into a bottomless pit of pain.

Together, they watched the doors slide shut on Aura.

Starling walked towards the command area, lay his hand heavily on the fly pad, and the low, humming sound of the Pod sealed their good byes.