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You can decide what you wish to do with the 50,000 words. Do you want it to evolve into a novel or just some exciting story series or something that you like? You decide.

So, a words/day rate of 1,700 should take you over the 50,000 words mark in thirty days. There are rewards too.

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Prompt

*** Today's Maynia Prompt: leather satchel***

*** Today's Daily Freewrite Prompt: water tower***

Writers can choose to use one of the prompts, both the prompts or not use the prompt at all. It is all up to you!

I wish to make this into a sci-fi novel. Let's see how it progresses! 😊

The Galactic Interceptors - Day 11

Continued from Day 10. You can read it here.

Mangrove Marshes, Khargar, Mumbai

The water tower at a distance was the only structure nearby for Akash to wave to someone. But then water towers in the afternoon would have no reason to have people around. Rest of the high rises were too far even to notice the three among the mangroves.

"Now, clear this for me," Akash said, "were you toying with us to get Sarvi out, or you really intend to converse with her?" Not that Akash could have done much even if Zarqui planned to toy with them.

"What do you think you, dim-intelligent human?" Sarvi's new adjective formation took Akash some time to relate. Again, it hardly made any difference if Zarqui planned to do away with them.

Zarqui let Sarvi's hand go, "attempt to move, and I will come down hard," with that warning, he pulled his leather satchel in front. Sarvi stayed in the same position and Akash, by now, knew not to try his luck with Zarqui's pace. It only made more sense when another alien from the same planet did not attempt to challenge the order.

Then Zarqui did something unthinkable. He opened the satchel and pulled out a bottle of Coke and gulped it down in microseconds. "This is good, Akash."

Akash nodded as if that was the compliment that he was waiting for. Though, he wondered if Zarqui paid for the Coke from wherever he got it or just stole it with his pace. And like many things in life, Akash was least bothered to clarify that point.

"Ahhh," Zarqui quenched his alien thirst, "Sarvi, let's start from the beginning. Where were you when Arkan was permanently desynthesized?"

"Far from you desynthesizing him," Sarvi was defiant.

"So, you did not see it," Zarqui put the empty Coke bottle back in the handbag, "who told you that I desynthesized him?"

"Everybody knew it was you, traitor."

"Who told you?" Zarqui's tone stressed more than usual.

"Commander was the first person to let me know."

"Olyint. Why am I not surprised?"

"Where was Olyint when I was desynthesizing Arkan?"

"Witnessing it," Sarvi said but momentarily slowed down as if something about the event stood out. As if she even knew the next question.

"And, he did not stop me nor attempted synthesizing?" Zarqui reached his satchel again. Out came another Coke bottle. Akash wondered how many he would have stolen.

"Maybe, he came there too late to stop you," but Sarvi's defiant voice had mellowed down. Akash realized that Zarqui did keep his word. He wanted to converse, indeed.

"The hopper," Zarqui looked at Sarvi, "if I was suspected of desynthesizing, then how did I gain access to a hopper."

"Just like how you got access to those Coke bottles," Akash suggested.

"You do not know Arlenian laws nor its working, so refrain from speaking," Zarqui said. Akash took it as a friendly note, though Zarqui's tone did not seem that way.

"As per law, the first instance of a criminal desynthesizing comes to notice, all technology and access are automatically prevented to the criminal," Sarvi explained.

"That's me in this case."

"There are many possibilities, Zarqui. You could just be building a situation to prove your innocence."

"And I don't have to prove any of my innocence to you."

"But wait, let's assume for a moment that Zarqui is indeed speaking the truth, so…"

"What is truth?" Sarvi asked.

"Stating the situation as it is," Zarqui explained.

"So, you are also one of the elders." Akash surmised, "mind-jagging, hey."

Both of them ignored Akash's observation and stayed focused on each other.

"I am not certain about gaining access, but once you gained access, you tricked us with your hop path," Sarvi said.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"I studied the hopper paths once I reached the neighbouring planet. You even stopped in between to change a hopper and then masked the paths to mislead us."

"I did not start from Arlenium in the hopper in the first place," Zarqui baffled both Sarvi and Akash. "I was put in the hopper, and the path was pre-fed. Don't you understand Sarvi? I was not in my senses. That's the only way the hopper could have started after I was declared a criminal. I couldn't have done it."

Sarvi stood staring at Zarqui while she was furiously processing what Zarqui said. "So, who put you in the hopper?"

"I don't know, but I analyzed it and here is what I think. The one who put me in the hopper would be the only one who would know my escape hopper. Others wouldn't because the hopper wouldn't have had my signature. They couldn't have tracked me."

"Oh yeah, if he couldn't start the hopper as a criminal, it would have been someone else," Akash could make sense of the situation.

"And I believe that someone else also followed me," Zarqui.

"You don't mean, Olyint, do you?" Sarvi appeared sceptical. "He can't. He is an elder."

"Then, who am I?"

Sarvi stood up for the first time since they started discussing. "So, what are you saying?"

"Olyint is somehow involved."

"No, no, I don't think that is the case," Sarvi said.

"That is something we need Olyint to clarify," Zarqui said, "and I haven't stopped suspecting him."

"Isn't Arkan like Olyint's brother or something?" Akash asked.

"Yes, he is," Sarvi said.

"You suspect Olyint having desynthesized his brother?" Akash asked.

"If she could suspect me of having done that to an innocent elder, then I could suspect too."

"Your planet is weird," Akash said and instantly felt the hypocrisy in his statement. Earth was no better, he knew. Surprisingly, neither of them said anything. Few moments passed, and Zarqui opened the satchel to pull out another Coke. Akash thought that Zarqui could be having an entire shop inside his satchel.

"So, what do we do now?" Sarvi walked towards her weapon. Akash hoped that she wasn't planning anything stupid. She picked it up and put it back in her clutch. Akash breathed easy.

"Get some answers from Olyint."

"What kind of answers?" Sarvi asked. Zarqui's voice was muffled under loud sirens approaching them. It was a police Innova with the blue lights and blaring siren. Radhika was seated in the front passenger seat. For the life of it, Akash couldn't figure out why she needed the siren.

"All well?" Radhika smiled as she got down.

"Couldn't have been better," Akash said, "I think we should be on our way back." Zarqui and Sarvi agreed.

Zarqui joined Radhika in the Innova while Akash and Sarvi walked back. Neither spoke as they reached the roadblock.

"You remember when I asked Olyint earlier about the incident on your planet," Akash looked at Sarvi.

"Yes, and he was unhappy."

"I wouldn't call it unhappy. He was wild," Akash said, "and that makes me suspect him."

"You can. I won't," Sarvi replied, "I can't."

"Even if Zarqui is right?"

"If he is right."

Image Courtesy: Pixabay