Sergio

With the doctor appearing hazy and my cheeks damp with tears, I snivel like a child overreacting to a minor cut.

“Take your time to pull yourself back together. I’m certain that it was a very painful procedure,” said the mysterious doctor. “I’ll be back with a sling in a minute.” He left the room.

He manually moved my shoulder back into place. That feeling of your flesh and bones being forced around is not one you ever want to experience. Almost made me forget that he somehow knows my name, even though I haven’t told it to anyone here—almost.

The man comes back and I shoot, “How do you—” sniffle, “—know my name?”

“Ah yes, that.” He began helping me put on the sling. “Slow motions, don’t wanna make the pain worse. As for how I know your name, I think it’s easiest to say I have information on most people in this part of the Earth—and you happen to be a very important person right now. Not sure what you have going on, but it must be big to have the Soul Brothers chasing you down.”

My eyes widen as I shoot up to my feet. “Owwwww!” but I don’t get a word out.

The doctor sits me back down. “Calm down, I won’t hand you over to them. Very few people know that you’re the one they’re after. Even the Soul Brothers have little information on who you actually are.”

I suck in a deep breath to control the pain and ask, “You’re him, ain’t you?”

“Indeed—I am Sergio.” He pauses for a moment, before telling me, “Let’s talk elsewhere.” He helps me up, and says, “I’ll carry your belongings for you.”

“Wait!” I yell, startling him a bit.

“Okay, I guess I will not carry your belongings for you,” he says, slightly taken aback.

“Sorry, I just don’t like people messing with my stuff.” I hope I didn’t sound like an ass, I need a good relationship with this guy.

“It’s quite alright. Follow me.” Sergio leads me out the door after I struggle to pick up the box with the Supernovacide.

“Um, so—”

Sergio cuts me off. “Please wait to ask any questions.”

“Yep, okay. Makes sense.”

Walking down the halls, we turn this way and that, passing many patients, nurses, and other doctors. Most say something along the lines of, “Good evening, sir,” and Sergio responds with either a nod of his head or “Keep up the good work.” His gentle smile seems to put everyone at ease.

We enter a room that looks like an old study. A large leather office chair sits at a wooden desk, with two more leather chairs across from it. Wooden shelves filled with books line the walls. Despite its older appearance, there isn’t a speck of dust and the air smells fresh like lavender.

Sergio makes sure to close the door behind us, giving, what I expect to be, some much-needed privacy. He then walks over to a small pot he has plugged into the wall.

“Care for any tea?” he asks.

“No, I’m good.”

“It’s fantastic tea, though. I’ll make you some anyways.”

I sit down in one of the chairs across from the desk, waiting a few seconds to make sure he doesn’t want to speak first. Then I ask, “I—”

“Do you like sugar or honey?”

“I’m fine with whatever.” Not like I’m gonna be drinking it really anyways.

“I’ll do both then. Not everyday you get to enjoy some fine tea.” As if forgetting something important, he adds, “Oh, and it’s black. I hope you enjoy that kind of tea.”

“Yeah, I’ve had it before.” Although only once or twice.

He pours the tea and stirs the honey and sugar into two teacups. I sit quietly, unsure if I’m allowed to speak. After handing me one of the teacups, he sits down in the office chair across from me.

“Don’t be shy, have a sip. It’s delicious. I know because I made it myself.”

I take a sip, not able to turn down his request. A rich, earthy flavor with a hint of sweetness spreads across my tongue. It’s a strange flavor, but good. “This is… tasty. Thank you.”

“Thank the tea, not me.” Weird, but okay. Finally, Sergio kicks things off. “Me first, then you can go. Okay?”

“Yes sir,” I respond while sipping my tea.

“Fantastic.” He sits up straight, sitting down his tea and clasping his hands in front of him. It’s intimidating being in front of such professionalism, ain’t normal. “No need to reintroduce yourself, I know who you are—Terrance Weathers, son of Mary Weathers, from the southern region, twenty years old, self-made delivery boy who transports goods for any faction that offers a job, and currently on the run from the Soul Brothers for reasons unknown.” Holy shit, I really need a good relationship with this guy. “Let me reintroduce myself, though. My name is Sergio, and I am the chief physician here. This hospital is one of the only fully functioning hospitals to exist, and probably the best on this continent. Now, I am certain you are curious as to how I know so much about you.”

“You can say that twice.”

“Well, all I can say is don’t worry about it. I have vast amounts of information at my disposal, and that’s all you need to know.” Pausing, Sergio leans forward, his posture making him seem more imposing, “Let us get to the heart of the issue. Why exactly are the Soul Brothers after you?”

I scramble for an answer without telling him what I actually have, “Um, well. You know… reasons.” And I end up with something horrendous.

Sergio’s seriousness breaks and he chuckles, leaning back in his chair and picking back up his tea. “I see, you’re nervous. I understand, it’s hard to trust someone you’ve just met.” He sighs and pauses for a moment to drink some tea. “Alas, I can’t do much for you unless you do trust me. Hopefully you can start, I am not a man who likes to take advantage of people. I am mostly neutral in the war, and I prefer to help all equally. But I don’t like when those who do not wish to participate in the war are forced to. I believe you might be one of those people.” He looks me dead in the eyes, as if forcing his way into my head. “I can help you. Let me help you.”

I decide that I have no choice but to trust him. I get up, making sure to place down my tea carefully, and place my box on his desk. “This—this is what they are after.” Sergio leans over the desk to pick up the box, but I pull it back. “Sorry, can’t let you.”

Sergio leans back, unbothered. “So, what is ‘this?’”

I look deep into his eyes, mustering up as much intensity as possible. “Potentially the end of life on Earth.” Sergio’s eyes bulge and he drops his teacup onto the ground.

“Shit!” he yells, looking at the mess he just made on the floor. But his attention is immediately pulled back to the topic at hand. “Don’t tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“That’s it, isn’t it?”

A little stunned, all I let out is a “Huh?”

“Supernovacide.”

“Uhhh… yes. That is correct.”

“Woah. Alright, quite the problem just walked into my hands. I never knew it was actually real.”

We fall into silence. I’m not sure what I can even say at this point, he already knows everything. Sergio sits, staring at the ground and contemplating. It almost feels like he might be crying over spilled tea more than what I just told him. I decide to wait for him to speak again.

Suddenly he shoots up from his chair and walks over to a bookshelf behind him. He then proceeds to push three seemingly random books into it. I hear a faint click. Sergio pushes the entire shelf back and moves it behind the shelf beside it like a sliding door, revealing an elevator.

“What the hell?”

“Come with me, I’ve got plans for you.” Sounds scary, but I follow, leaving the mess on the floor behind.

We step into the elevator, its fully metallic structure starkly contrasting with the mostly wooden room it hides within. Sergio presses one of many unmarked buttons on the panel. The doors slide shut behind us, taking with them my chances of ever escaping if need be. Yet, despite just meeting him, I trust Sergio. I feel like I can, and I believe following him is the right choice.

I’ve heard of elevators before, but this is my first time actually inside one. Knowing how it works doesn’t make it feel any less weird that in a moment the doors are gonna open up to a completely different place.

And boy is it different.

The elevator stops and the doors slide back open, revealing a massive room the size of multiple large hangars and people everywhere.

“Follow me, and make sure not to get swept away by the crowd.”

Everything around me pulls at my attention. People at shooting ranges fire guns that shoot lightning instead of bullets; others work on all kinds of vehicles—some I recognize, some hover briefly above the ground. And there are more people working together in one place than I’ve ever seen before.

We stop in front of a very serious and militaristic looking man. He has a short, well-kept beard and large, even more well-kept muscles. Very big, very intimidating. Sergio gets close to him and begins talking quietly. With all the action around us, I can’t make out anything he says, but the man nods every few seconds. Despite the man’s size and Sergio’s old age, it is very clear who controls the situation.

Sergio turns back towards me. “Terr, you are to go with this man, he can make sure you stay safe.” He puts his hands on my shoulders and continues, “Keep it safe no matter what. I told him the situation, so you can trust he’ll help you protect it at all costs. What you have is dangerous, and I wish I could hold on to it instead—this isn’t a weight you should have to carry. But I can’t trust anyone who has participated in this war to hold on to it, including me. Please continue to protect us all, and we’ll protect you.”

I don’t even have time to respond—not that I’d know how to—before Sergio turns and walks away, giving a slight wave goodbye.

With nothing else to do, I turn awkwardly towards the man. I hesitate, then say, “Um, good afternoon. I’m Terr or Terrance or whatever else you want to call me… sir.”

He ignores me. “Come with me. We have work to do.”