‹ Prequel: The Company
Returners
A Long Awaited Return.
The sun was beating down on us through the windows, making us all lament the colder months. It was too hot for coffee, even with the air conditioning pelting out cold air. I sighed and wished the day would get more interesting.
“You know what?” Morgan opened his mouth and stopped what he was doing.
“What?” I said, barely opening my mouth. It was that hot.
“There’s somebody on the roof.” I launched myself out of my chair and ran up the stairs, Morgan following my tail. I hit the roof and saw a familiar figure. “Justin!” I screamed.
“Hello you.” Justin replied placidly.
“Justin.” Morgan replied, a little breathlessly.
“We have to talk. Get everybody. I have some news.”
“Jess,” Morgan was on his phone, “Hurry back here, NOW.”
“So, Janto,” Justin said as we walked, “How was the wedding?”
“Peaceful, actually. Mostly because you weren’t there.”
“And Morgan didn’t decide to shoot the bride this time?” Justin smiled.
“Hey, I told you that in confidence!”
“God, at it already children.” I laughed. “Give it a rest!”
“Where’s Jess?” Justin asked as we sat down.
“Out getting some new gear. She wont be too long.” I replied, checking my nails. After more general benter, a piercing scream erupted from the entrance.
“JUSITN!” Jess literally flew across the room and hugged Justin.
“Hullo Jess. Now, were all here, I have some news for all of you. The Company have not been destroyed.” My face dropped.
“But…how can you be certain?” Justin gave me a look.
“So they didn’t originate on Earth?” Janto asked.
“No.” he turned to Janto. “Sha-Rai.”
“It can’t be.” Janto paled
“The rebel factions.” Justin nodded.
“But…that doesn’t make sense, The Company hated Aliens. And religion as a superiority is a purely human belief, is it not?”
“No, Janto. Sha-Rai was destroyed due to the lack of religion you’re people have.”
“Wait…so earth is a refuge for Aliens without religion?” I asked.
“Bingo.”
“Why haven’t we been destroyed yet then?”
“Destruction of a planet is a very time-consuming affair. And the fact is that most humans have religion. If they killed you all, where would they get more followers from?”
“So…who’s behind all of this?”
“Justin,” Janto went even more pale. “It cant be Master Uman.”
“Indeed it is, Janto.”
“Not possible. I killed him with my own hands.” He frowned and shook his head.
“I’m afraid you didn’t.”
“No…no, this isn’t right. I know I did it. I know it. Before I fled…”
“Janto?” I asked.
“Not…not now. I have to go home.”
“Want me to drive you?”
“No…stay here and listen to the rest of what Justin has to say.”
“I love you.” I called with a sigh as he walked out.
-
“Janto?” I called out. The house was totally dark. “Please, where are you?”
“Megan.” He called from the bedroom. Oh, thank god.
“Janto, what’s the matter?”
“Before I fled, I was given one mission. To destroy the Master Uman.” He started to pace. “I wasn’t meant to leave unless he had been destroyed, once and for all. And I failed.”
“But you said you had killed him…”
“I must have been mistaken. I was careless. I just wanted to be saved…and it’s because of me that The Company are still rampant!” He stood at the open window, leaning on the sill.
“Janto,” I put my arms around him. “It’s not your fault. You thought you had killed him.” I kissed his neck. “I tell you what. Put in at the back of your head, for now. I have something that will cheer you up.”
“I…not tonight. I’m sorry.” He gently pulled me off him. “I have to speak to my people.”
“Oh…okay.” I faked a smile. “Don’t be too…be careful, okay?”
“I will.” A smile flitted briefly across his face and he lent in to quickly kiss me. I put my hands on his face and kissed him deeply. Then, he was gone.
-
“Okay Megan, I have something that will cheer you up.” Morgan opened the door, a box full of various liqueur bottles.
“Personal Jesus Christ, you are.”
“Are you going to save me some this time?” He teased.
“Yeah. Tell you what, I’m going to try out some cocktail and mixers recipes. Interested?” We spent the night trying different mixes and bantering away. I ended up getting Morgan drunk, and he passed out on the couch. I pulled a blanket over him and curled up in bed. I totally understood Janto. But it still didn’t make me not want to cry.
“You know what?” Morgan opened his mouth and stopped what he was doing.
“What?” I said, barely opening my mouth. It was that hot.
“There’s somebody on the roof.” I launched myself out of my chair and ran up the stairs, Morgan following my tail. I hit the roof and saw a familiar figure. “Justin!” I screamed.
“Hello you.” Justin replied placidly.
“Justin.” Morgan replied, a little breathlessly.
“We have to talk. Get everybody. I have some news.”
“Jess,” Morgan was on his phone, “Hurry back here, NOW.”
“So, Janto,” Justin said as we walked, “How was the wedding?”
“Peaceful, actually. Mostly because you weren’t there.”
“And Morgan didn’t decide to shoot the bride this time?” Justin smiled.
“Hey, I told you that in confidence!”
“God, at it already children.” I laughed. “Give it a rest!”
“Where’s Jess?” Justin asked as we sat down.
“Out getting some new gear. She wont be too long.” I replied, checking my nails. After more general benter, a piercing scream erupted from the entrance.
“JUSITN!” Jess literally flew across the room and hugged Justin.
“Hullo Jess. Now, were all here, I have some news for all of you. The Company have not been destroyed.” My face dropped.
“But…how can you be certain?” Justin gave me a look.
“So they didn’t originate on Earth?” Janto asked.
“No.” he turned to Janto. “Sha-Rai.”
“It can’t be.” Janto paled
“The rebel factions.” Justin nodded.
“But…that doesn’t make sense, The Company hated Aliens. And religion as a superiority is a purely human belief, is it not?”
“No, Janto. Sha-Rai was destroyed due to the lack of religion you’re people have.”
“Wait…so earth is a refuge for Aliens without religion?” I asked.
“Bingo.”
“Why haven’t we been destroyed yet then?”
“Destruction of a planet is a very time-consuming affair. And the fact is that most humans have religion. If they killed you all, where would they get more followers from?”
“So…who’s behind all of this?”
“Justin,” Janto went even more pale. “It cant be Master Uman.”
“Indeed it is, Janto.”
“Not possible. I killed him with my own hands.” He frowned and shook his head.
“I’m afraid you didn’t.”
“No…no, this isn’t right. I know I did it. I know it. Before I fled…”
“Janto?” I asked.
“Not…not now. I have to go home.”
“Want me to drive you?”
“No…stay here and listen to the rest of what Justin has to say.”
“I love you.” I called with a sigh as he walked out.
-
“Janto?” I called out. The house was totally dark. “Please, where are you?”
“Megan.” He called from the bedroom. Oh, thank god.
“Janto, what’s the matter?”
“Before I fled, I was given one mission. To destroy the Master Uman.” He started to pace. “I wasn’t meant to leave unless he had been destroyed, once and for all. And I failed.”
“But you said you had killed him…”
“I must have been mistaken. I was careless. I just wanted to be saved…and it’s because of me that The Company are still rampant!” He stood at the open window, leaning on the sill.
“Janto,” I put my arms around him. “It’s not your fault. You thought you had killed him.” I kissed his neck. “I tell you what. Put in at the back of your head, for now. I have something that will cheer you up.”
“I…not tonight. I’m sorry.” He gently pulled me off him. “I have to speak to my people.”
“Oh…okay.” I faked a smile. “Don’t be too…be careful, okay?”
“I will.” A smile flitted briefly across his face and he lent in to quickly kiss me. I put my hands on his face and kissed him deeply. Then, he was gone.
-
“Okay Megan, I have something that will cheer you up.” Morgan opened the door, a box full of various liqueur bottles.
“Personal Jesus Christ, you are.”
“Are you going to save me some this time?” He teased.
“Yeah. Tell you what, I’m going to try out some cocktail and mixers recipes. Interested?” We spent the night trying different mixes and bantering away. I ended up getting Morgan drunk, and he passed out on the couch. I pulled a blanket over him and curled up in bed. I totally understood Janto. But it still didn’t make me not want to cry.