Disclaimer:
This story is a work of fiction. Characters, events, places and people are all fictitious. If you get offended easily, I'll not advise that you read this story.

Prologue:
King Ospolosis, Ruler of Earth-711, looked on in boredom as his two sons stood side by side in front of him. The older one, Ticelle, heir to the throne, was flanked by the King's right-hand man, Unam the Wise. They were both decked in long flowing royalty garments. Surrounded by the air of shrewd politicians.
On the other side stood two stoic looking men. Their eyes cold and calculating from years of military training. They wore identical military officer uniform: fitted ballistic suit and black boots. The older man, with red lining around his uniform, was the captain of the King's Vanguard and his brother, Fillix. Behind him stood Ticelle's brother, Covin. Thin jawline, olive skin, deep blue eyes. He reminded Ospolosis of his younger self. Or what he might have looked like if tradition didn't dictate that the older son be king and the younger brother be the Vanguard captain.
Unam stepped forward. His frail body shook slightly with each step. He licked his lips. "If I might, Your Highness," his hoarse voice said, glancing at Fillix. "The family of Saz have been very loyal to the palace since the days of your father. They've provided us with high quality military equipment in exchange for little: they request that we lower their taxes and that's all. But to accuse them of treachery is very unwise, Your Highness."
"Nobody is accusing anybody here," Fillix spoke with only the authority of a true soldier and captain. "A messenger bot was intercepted at a police checkpoint in the city, carrying a letter addressed to Draco Saz, confirming payment for equipment bought by The Willow Kreeks, a known threat to the kingdom."
Unam gave the captain a nasty look. It was no secret in the palace that the two didn't see eye to eye since an incident fifteen years ago when the then seventy-six year old Unam was caught having an affair with Fillix's wife while her husband was thought to be dead in a bloody war with a terrorist cell abroad. There were rumours around the palace that old Unam was secretly practicing sorcery and that helped him sleep with beautiful women. It was also said that he was able to serve two kings as a result of sorcery. Of course, Ospolosis found those stories to be farfetched.
"Father!" Tecelle bawled. "I am betrothed to one of their daughters. We love each other. Trying to cut relations with the Saz will ruin my chances of spending the rest of my life with her."
Unam's mouth twitched. "Your Highness, let's handle this diplomatically. Tecelle and I can dig deeper with cunning than the Vanguard can with violence."
"Violence is fed to those who plan on transgressing against the throne," Covin's said for the first time. He was a boy that said little but the steely aura spoke volumes.
"Easy for you to say," Tecelle barked. "What do you know about diplomacy? Arrogant rat."
"Let's find out in the training chamber," Covin replied.
"Are you challenging me? I am the heir to the throne. Never forget that. I will have you punished severely. Guards!"
"Enough!" Unam hoarsed. "Tecelle, you are in the king's presence. The heir is a picture of elegance and sophistication in the kingdom."
"Fillix," Ospolosis addressed his brother. "I want a covert operation. Need I remind you all that what has been discussed in this room remains in this room."
Fillix and Covin bowed in unison and then turned to take their leave.
Ospolosis watched them go.
Tecelle cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for the outburst, father. It was unworthy of my position."
"It was," the King agreed. He turned to face his tall lanky son. The thin nose and lips. The thick brows. There stood a spitting image of the Queen. "Go to your room. I'll summon you later in the day."
Tecelle bowed and left through a side door that led to the inner chambers of the palace. The door hissed quietly behind him as he disappeared in a cloud of vapour from the hydraulic system.
"What disturbs you, Your Highness?" Unam asked.
Ospolosis sighed. "My sons are growing older by the day. Yet Tecelle acts like a child."
"He will soon be ready to be king. We have worked thoroughly on the history books. He's a very cunning diplomat."
"I trust your training, Unam. You trained me and my father before me in the arts of diplomacy and rule."
"It is my honour, Your Highness, to have served the throne for such a long time."
"You paired him with the Saz girl?"
"No, they met during one of your council meetings. I encouraged the relationship because the Sazs will be of great help to the kingdom in times of war."
Ospolosis nodded. "Something my father lacked during his reign. You're indeed wise, Unam. I remember the days when you took me around the city, teaching me the ways of the flesh."
Unam chuckled. "All kings and princes should have their way with women. For that is what kingdoms are built on."
The king chuckled. "Come on, old man. Let's go grab something to drink. I'm thirsty."
***
"Bro, chill," Yonut said. He had that trademark smirk pasted across his face as he studied Covin. He knew his friend like the back of his hand. They grew up together and did everything together till Covin was drafted to the Royal Vanguard Special Forces while Yonut was posted to the border as Royal Military Immigration Officer. It was the third highest rank given to a Navy officer who was on track to sit on the naval command table some day.
"I'm chilled as always," Covin replied. "How's that mysterious girlfriend of yours?"
"Oh, she's fine," Yonut said quickly. "I was hoping you guys will meet after the annual conference."
Covin nodded. The annual conference was coming up in a few weeks. It was the kingdom's end of year ceremony where all military and civilian top brass came together to celebrate and deliberate on the coming new year. It was also going to be Covin's twentieth birthday. His Vice Captain Pass will be upgraded to a Vice Captain Tag, signalling that he was trained and ready to become Captain.
The two friends walked in silence. They passed through the populated streets of Wendigon, capital of Leo, also known as Earth-711.
711 was one of seven earths inhabited by mankind over the past centuries. It was located on the northern axis of the sun, some 3 sand kilometres (300 million kilometres) away. It was said that a long time ago, people figured out a way to live on other planets. They distributed themselves to those planets and established kingdoms, finding that the system of democracy that worked in the past was flawed. It was replaced by a more solid structure where each planet was divided into ten kingdoms, with the one at the capital reigning supreme over the others who provided support and acted to check the powers of the capital. The Saz kingdom were second only to the throne on Earth-711. Followed by the Asters.
Yonut's watch pinged as they reached a small gate that led back towards the military barracks. It was called Gate Vox as it was claimed that it was at this gate the great Captain Vox fought off The Willow Kreeks two hundred years ago. The war brought disunity among the terrorists and they broke apart.
"Bro, I'll see you later," Yonut said. "Something very important came up."
"Eros Gigamus -See you later."
"Eros Gigamus, brother."
**
Covin was seated in the last booth of the military bar. He watched as some junior officers shot lustful glances at the waitress bot serving customers. He didn't blame them. You couldn't have known it was a bot until you heard the very quiet mechanical sounds coming from her belly. They couldn't, of course. They weren't trained on the level Covin was. They didn't have his instincts, his senses.
Someone tapped his shoulder. The hand was soft and manicured. "Hey bro," Karna said.
Covin sighed. His little sister liked hanging out in the military bar. She claimed one of her friends was a soldier but Covin knew she was lying. He knew she was dating his best friend Yonut, son to one of the kingdom's top officials.
"Why are you alone here?" She asked as she took the seat opposite him.
"I'm busy, actually."
"No, you're not. I heard about your fight with Tecelle."
"It wasn't a fight, Karna. He was just talking the talk like he always does. What are you doing here anyway? Recruits are currently in class, so don't say you're looking for your friend."
"Of course not. I'm just out and about around Gate Vox... I saw you there a few minutes ago."
"Yeah," he said. His phone pinged and he routed the message through his watch. It was a simple message: Check the news.
Covin pressed the power button on the table. A small circle lit up at the nearest corner of the table. He tapped the news tab and another window opened. He selected a random news channel.
He could sense other junior officers turning their attention to the wide screen behind the bar. The whole place was suddenly quiet.
The headlines read: 4 Killed as Unknown Gunmen Storm Checkpoint Zebra.
"That's the palace gates," Karna said.
"Yes," Covin said but his mind was elsewhere. Who would dare launch a head-on attack on the palace in the middle of day? That was the most secure building on Earth-711.
Another footage on the screen. It showed class-one military tanks storming out of the palace gates, only to turn into raging balls of fire. Figures in matching dark outfits marched towards the gates. They moved slowly, as if weighed down by invisible load.
What was going on?
"Where's Captain Fillix?" Karna was saying. Her hands were shaking as she tapped her phone screen.
"Out on a mission," Covin muttered. He pulled out his encrypted work phone and tapped the screen twice. That sent an instant emergency alert to the vice captains on duty. He stood up and checked his weapon. It was pressurised. "820 override," he called across the bar. That gave him override authority to the nearest bot in sight.
"820 override access granted. Vice Captain Charlie Oscar-"
"Contact military transport and emergency. Tell them to rally to Checkpoint-One ASAP."
The other junior officers were also checking their weapons. All laughter had stopped and they were ready for orders.
"Listen up," Covin said. Part of him wished he was with the better trained Vanguard but he quickly put that thought aside and focused on the task at hand. "Checkpoint-One is under attack by unknown entities. Check your shots before taking them. Do not harm any civilians. On me."
They marched out into the afternoon sun. ETA to target: 5 minutes.
Time since the attack started: 8 minutes.
***
"Vanguard is being pushed back," Vice Captain Akripto yelled amidst the sounds of explosions. "Retreat to the palace grounds."
Covin rose from cover behind a small car. Fired three accurate shots at the three advancing enemies 50 metres away. His bullets bounced off their black suits. One of them let loose on a grenade launcher. The projectile whizzed inches over Covin's head and found a target behind him. The explosion jarred him to the core. His vision blurred as specks of dust and debris filled the air.
It had been 15 minutes since the initial attack and things were looking bleaker by the minute. Swarms of figures clad in black suit approached from all angles. Their disciplined ranks swept slowly across the road, carefully picking their targets and executing with fearsome accuracy. Bus after bus stopped by to put more Vanguard troops on ground but they were cut through like knife through butter and civilians alike. Nobody was spared.
"Shoot the chests," someone shouted.
Covin reloaded and took aim. He fired twice and saw a flash of red as his shots landed in a close grouping right in the middle of the target's chest. He took aim again but he was too late. Laser hot beams tore through his suit and he felt the pain soaring in his chest. He managed to let off a single shot that glanced off the shooter's helmet.
He was suddenly dizzy and aware of the screams around him. His mental discipline was slipping away fast as he bled on the ground. He tried reaching for his weapon a few inches away from his fingertips.
"Don't," the voice behind the approaching figure said. He got to Covin's location and kicked the weapon further away. Explosion cracked in the middle distance. Somewhere in the palace grounds, Covin surmised.
He groaned, aware of the fact that he was quickly losing blood and slowly going into shock.
"Where's your Captain?" the voice boomed. Another dark figure crept up from behind him, walked past to make sure the path ahead was clear.
Covin was vaguely aware that this was all Vanguard training. Every kingdom defended its borders in different ways and this was definitely Vanguard style. He tried to speak, but ended up coughing blood.
The second guy knelt over Covin. "He won't tell you anything," he said to his partner as he retrieved a pistol. The free hand removed his helmet.
Covin pursed his lips. Closed his eyes and waited for the shot that will end him.
Three shots were fired in succession. Two hit him in the chest while the last one entered his throat.
Covin felt the life quickly leaving his body...
*********
Chapter One
**********
A woman's wails filled his ears. He felt tender hands gripping his shoulders hard. On the other side he heard feet shuffling. The sounds seemed to overlap each other, messing with his hearing.
He could hear people speaking in whispers around his head. One of them was a man's voice saying: "I've never seen something like this before."
He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. His eyelids felt so heavy. In fact, his whole body did. His legs ached like never before and there was a bolt of pain on his right side every time he inhaled. His head ached, and it got worse any time he tried recalling what had happened. At one time he was seeing the ground quickly coming up at him. Another time he saw two men looking down at him, both scowling and pointing their guns at his face. Then the headache will become unbearable and he will pass out.
His fingers twitched. He felt those same tender hands holding his left hand.
The wailing had stopped. The woman's voice spoke softly but he couldn't figure out what she was saying. He had the impression that she was talking to someone else in the room. He still couldn't open his eyes to see, nor move any part of his body. His mind also seemed to fail him when he tried to focus. It felt as if a huge block was placed on his brain, restricting his thoughts and actions. He couldn't even tell who he was.
Something cold touched his chest. It stayed there for a very long time. Everyone was quiet for a while until someone said something. It was the same man's voice that spoke. "His heart is fine. Breathing is fine. His wounds are recovering well."
"Thank you doctor," a new voice said. It was also a man but had a slight edge to it. "Any idea when we will be discharged?"
"At this time, I cannot say for sure. He's yet to move a muscle, his eyes are still closed. Let's just give his body time to heal itself."
The tender hands squeezed his arm. "We're right here, sweetheart."
Something clicked in his head. The voice. It sounded familiar yet not so familiar. Suddenly his mind was racing. Blurry pictures shuffled around in his mind at very high speeds. Like going through the pages of a colouring book.
The chest pain was the first to come. His breathing became shallow. The headache crept in after that and the block in his brain hardened. He felt his arms and legs twitching and his heart fluttered. The wailing started again and hands were holding him. People were screaming. Shouting.
Then everything went black and quiet.
*****
It felt like a very long time before he could hear again. The chest pain had subsided and he could feel his legs. He was able to wriggle his toes. He could even feel the warmth from the cloth draped over him from the waist downwards. His eyes still felt heavy but he knew he was feeling better.
*****
More time has passed. He could now move his arms. He could twist and turn on the bed. The block in his head was softening. He could see the pictures clearer now. They were that of a man and a woman with a little boy between them. He could also see the scowling faces that stared down at him.
******
The barrel of the old rifle felt heavy and cold in his hands. It was different from the carbon fibre ones he was trained with. This one felt heavy and lethargic.
He was lying on wet ground under tall grass. The air was cold. So cold it felt as if he was inhaling tiny pins. His clothes were soggy from days of wetness. He used his elbows and feet to push through the mud in a low crawl till he reached a small pool in the grass. He knew it would be there and was prepared to dive into it. He felt much safer in there as he kept his heavy rifle clear of the water. Eyes constantly searched for possible threats.
Something moved swiftly to the left.
He brought his rifle to bare, eyes instinctively zeroed in on the iron sights, finger firmly on the trigger.
The target appeared. The picture of a little boy holding a gun...
"Covin," a voice in his ear said. "Make a decision."
*******
The tender hands were squeezing his again. This time around he was able to open his eyes. The light was so blinding he had to shield them.
"Are you all right?" The woman asked softly. "Can you talk?"
"Yes," Covin managed. His throat felt so dry. His voice sounded weak.
"Here," it was the new man's voice. "Drink some water."
Covin allowed himself a sip from a bottle while his eyes got used to his environment. His body felt dull, lacking the sharpness he was used to.
He looked around. Saw the room's wooden door. The white painting and light which he had only ever seen in books. The ancient medical equipment. The bed.
Then he saw the faces staring back at him.
"Who are you guys?"
The woman looked late twenties. The man was older. Maybe mid forties. Flecks of white hair protruded on his head and beard. None of them were wearing royal uniforms or anything that resembled that of any of the kingdoms.
The woman swallowed and looked innocently at the man then back at Covin. "We're your parents, sweetheart."
*******

Corrected

*******
"W-what do you mean?" Covin said. He was vaguely aware that they resembled the man and woman picture in his mind. "I am the son of King Ospolosis of Earth-711."
"What are you saying, Danny?" The woman's smile was fading. The man's face was a veil of confusion. The woman looked at the man. "Say something."
"Where is Earth-711 son?" The man finally said.
"That's where I'm from," Covin replied. "Where are you from?"
"We're from Earth, sweetheart," the woman said. "Just like you."
"Where's my suit?"
"What suit?"
"My ballistic suit and Vice Captain Pass."
"I'm getting the doctor," the man said, abruptly leaving the room.
The woman placed those tender hands on his arm again. "You had a bad fall, sweetheart. You must have hit your brain and got brain damage or something-"
"No!" Covin snapped. He jerked away from the woman and tried getting off the bed. His body felt surprisingly weak. He made a dash for the door just as it was cracked open. The man was back, accompanied by a tall dark man in white overalls. He grabbed Covin by the arm. Covin tried wretching himself free using a technique he learnt in basic training.
It didn't work.
The second man grabbed Covin by the legs and he was easily manhandled back to the bed while he screamed: "Unhand me!" "You'll pay for this insubordination with your lives, I promise you just that!" "I am ranking officer of the Royal Vanguard Special Forces! Show some respect!"
The dark man used something to pierce Covin's skin. He felt cold liquid flowing through his arms and slowly advanced to his chest. He felt his body relaxing against his will. He unsuccessfully tried to maintain mind discipline. The voices around him sounded farther and farther away. His vision blurred fast. The last thing he remembered was Yonut's scowl as he held Covin at gun point.
************
Chapter Two
*************
Covin opened his eyes. The room was dark and cold. He was shirtless. His muscles spasmed from the cold. His tired mind told him that his hands were tied behind him. For some reason, he expected it.
The lights suddenly came on, almost dizzying him. He coughed. He saw that he was in a plain white room. It had no windows, nothing. Facing him on the other side of the wall was a big black door.
"Are you cold?" A voice asked from behind him. Male. Indifferent.
Covin managed a nod. He was trying his best to control the shivering. His bare feet felt numb.
"We have fibre sheets behind that door," the voice said. "But if you want me to help you, you're going to have to help me too. Do we have a deal?"
Covin thought about it.
"Yes."
"Good man," the voice said. He brought out a small mapping device from his person. The kind of device used by the Kreeks to plot maps. He showed it to Covin before punching in a few coordinates. "You were caught operating illegally in our territory. Right here..." Again, he showed Covin a location.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Covin began, trying to remember his cover story. "I'm a journalist. I work for 712 News. Call my superiors to confirm."
"We have your teammates in our custody, Lieutenant Covin. It wouldn't bode well for them if you continue lying to us."
Covin tried hard to keep up the charade but it was a difficult thing to do while trying to keep warm. "Please, we're journalists."
"He's not ready to talk," the man said out loud.
Covin began to hear the sound of struggle behind the black door. He identified his teammates Sith's voice begging for mercy. That immediately followed by the screams of a suffering man.
"Why are you doing this?" Covid blurted.
"I asked for your help. You refused."
Just then, Covin's body shuddered violently as a bucket of cold water was dumped over him. It was so cold he fell on the ground, shivering. Teeth clattering...
**
"Good morning sweetheart," the woman said. She had been staring at Covin while he slept. "Bad dreams?"
He shook his head. Then, "Where is everyone else?"
"Your dad has gone to work," she said. "Doctor said we can go home later in the day, so he's decided to go to the office this morning."
Covin looked at her. Underneath the strain, she was beautiful. Her hair was tied behind her head, her thin facial features reminded him of his mum the Queen. A look at her long well kept hands reminded him of Karna. He wondered how they were doing now and whether they were still looking for him. Wondered what will happen when the Vanguard arrived to take him home. Whether the dark man or this woman will try stopping them.
As a soldier, his emotions were ironed out of him. He only knew to complete his mission by all means necessary. The things he had done for the kingdom was between him and his weapon. Nothing more. He was a willing weapon, shielding the kingdom from its enemies both within and outside their borders.
Covin sighed. "What does he do for work?"
"You mean your dad? He supplies oil for the government."
"Government?"
"Yes," she said patiently. "The Nigerian government. Eastron has become a very important state in the country, helping to keep the economy afloat."
"Oil? Nigeria? I've never heard of those things before."
The woman sighed. It took her a whole hour to explain those things to Covin.
After she had finished, he asked, "You use to call me Danny. Why?"
"That's your name..."
He nodded. "Can you get me... something to look at myself in?" He was consciously putting effort to avoid using words that confused the woman. First rule of survival was to familiarise yourself with the kingdom you are operating in.
"There's a mirror in the bathroom. Give me a minute."
She came back holding something that wasn't much bigger than the plates used on Earth-711. She held it to Covin's face.
Covin couldn't recognise the face he was looking at. It was that of a young brown-skinned guy with scratchy beard on his face. Thin jawline, and a very slender frame. His hair was curly, his brows thin. The only thing that had the slightest semblance to his real self were the calculating deep eyes. He touched his face, also aware of his weak arms and soft palms.
He couldn't believe it.
"How old am I?" He asked finally.
"You'll be nineteen in three weeks."
"What do I do for work?"
"You're in your second year in the university."
University. That struck a cord. And as if untangling ropes, the block in his mind started lifting. The university was a kind of school used centuries ago. Details of its structure started forming in his mind.
"What happened to me? Why was I brought here?"
The woman took a deep breath as she collected the mirror. When she spoke, there was a strain in her voice: "You jumped off the highest building in the university."
"Why would I do something like that?"
There was an abrupt pause. "That's a question I've been asking myself over and over again for the past two months. You tried killing yourself, sweetheart."
"I've been here for two months?"
She nodded affirmatively.
Covin's tactically trained mind started piecing the clues together. The original owner of this body actually killed himself. Covin was killed in the Checkpoint One siege and for some reason he was put into this body. "What year are we in?"
"Two thousand and twenty three..."
Centuries ago!
Covin sat back and relaxed. He realised that the might be here for a while and he's going to have to get comfortable with his new family.
**
The dark man was smiling as he took Covin's blood pressure.
"I've never in my twenty three years of work seen something like this before," he said.
"That's why you're seeing it now," Covin replied. "We learn everyday, right?"
The man gave Covin a quick glance. His gaze shifted to the woman, who simply chuckled.
"What?"
"You used to be very quiet, Danny," the woman explained. "You barely ever spoke to us in the house, too."
It looked like Danny lived a sad life, Covin thought. I lived a life dedicated to serving a single purpose: the kingdom. I never had a life outside that. Maybe that's why Tecelle hated me so much.
Maybe that's why Yunot betrayed me.
For the first time in a very long time, Covin felt emotional pain. He made a mental note to use this second opportunity to live well.
I remember the look on Yunot's eyes when he shot me.
***
By the time they got home that evening, Covin had taken in his new environment. Because he didn't have any maps of this in his head, he reminded himself to calibrate his inner compass as soon as he could.
Throughout the trip home, he carefully analysed every object he saw and matched it with the large database in his mind. Knowledge accrued from years of military training, studying military tactics from thousands of years ago, learning how the people of that time lived. If he saw things he didn't understand, he asked the woman and she took her time to explain. She was a very good teacher. He wondered why her son would want to kill himself.
Eastron was a capitalist state located in the southwest, sandwiched between Oyo and Ogun state on the west. It was so small it only had a few towns, Sulouh being the capital. There were a lot of tall buildings around. She explained that the east side of town was reserved for the lower class, who couldn't afford the high prices in town.
They travelled in the opposite direction of the sun, hit a junction and turned right. Covin was still getting used to seeing the outdated modes of transportation that these people used. Their cars still had tyres, there weren't any bots in sight, and they still used traffic lights.
They hit a gate down the road and the woman produced a remote control from her bag. It beeped and the gate slid open.
The house was two storeys high. Covin was aware that it looked bigger and better than a lot of the other houses he'd seen in town.
"This is Pine Avenue," she explained. "It's where most of the top government officials stay. They like staying away from all the noise in the city."
"Some things never change," Covin wondered.
They stopped at the entrance of the house where a barrel-chested guy stood waiting for them. "Welcome home ma'am," he said as the woman stepped out of the car. "How are you feeling, Danny?" He winked.
Covin gave him a curt nod as he passed by. He heard the woman briefing the guy about his memory loss and how to handle her son's new personality.
The door opened as he approached. A young lady dressed in shorts and a casual shirt smiled and bowed kindly at Covin. "Welcome back home, Dan." She proceeded to go do the same to the woman, congratulating her for her son's miraculous escape from the claws of death.
Covin stepped into the house. It was big, with high ceilings and a lot of both natural and artificial lighting. Fashionable ornaments hung from the ceiling and the floor was adorned by what he could tell were expensive rugs. The building had a natural smell to it. The sitting room was well furnished. He identified the ivory tables and cupboards, the big screen that hung on the far wall.
"Home sweet home," the woman said as she entered. "Ella, take Danny to his room and make him comfortable. Danny, in case you don't remember, this is Emmanuella, your maid."
"Yes ma," Ella said. Danny followed her upstairs and through the first door on the right.
The first room was a miniature version of the one downstairs but without the ornaments hanging on the wall. A door on the other side of the room led to the bedroom chamber. It had a big bed, with a table sitting beside it. There was a medium-sized screen sitting on it with a chair propped nearby.
"Oracle," the girl said. "Blinds."
The curtains quietly slid open, letting in the afternoon sun.
"Air-conditioning set low," a robotic voice said over the speakers set in the corners of the room.
Nice touch, Covin approved. I could get used to this.
He glanced at Emmanuella. She was around 170 centimetres tall, 60 kilogrammes more or less. Her dark skin glowed in the afternoon sun.
"How old are you again?" He asked.
"I'm twenty five, sir," she said with a smile. He had the impression that she felt sorry for him.
"Was I so weak and fragile?" He thought out loud.
Emmanuella looked at him in surprise. "No, sir. You're not."
He knew she was lying. He'd seen how everyone looked at him at the hospital. And how his parents treated him.
Covin walked around the room, paying attention to the books on the bedside table and the screen near it. "What's this?"
"That's your desktop, sir."
He shook his head. There was a phone sitting near it. It was no bigger than his encrypted phone back on Earth-711.
"That will be all for now," he said. "Can I call you Ella?"
"Y-yes sir," she said.
"Call me Dan."
"I'll be in my room next door. If you need anything just call my phone." He sensed her bowing before leaving the room, closing the door silently behind her.
Covin tapped the phone screen. It lit up. He kicked off his shoes and sat on the bed, checking out the phone as he did so. It had an apple logo at the back, three cameras, and felt slick. Almost as good as the ones in Leo. It was coloured blue and felt stylish.
He pressed the power button and the screen lit up and went directly to the home screen. It recognised his face ID.
He dropped the phone and moved over to the desktop. It took him a while to locate the power for this one. The screen lit up and a small box appeared: PASSWORD.
Damn, he thought. His trained eyes drifted towards the books on the table. There were three of them, stacked on top of each other. He picked up the first one. It said 'Volume 2'. Browsing through the first few pages, he realised that he was reading a diary. It painted the story of a sad person. A lost teenager.
The next book was Volume 1. The first page contained passwords. The rest were more sob stories.
Volume 3 had just a few pages. It spoke of a promise made to someone called Benjamin and how a girl named Veronica decided to end their relationship. On that same day, the writer decided to jump off a building.
"What a weak man," Covin muttered. He flicked through the book some more and a picture fell out. It was the picture that flashes through his mind back at the hospital. The picture of the two adults and a child. He placed them on the table and turned back to the computer. Typed in the password.
The screen was cluttered with files. Covin clicked on one of them. School work.
He clicked on a green logo that was named WhatsApp. Social media. He checked off the few messages. They all basically said the same thing, asking about his health. He checked his profile. It was so basic. No profile picture.
That afternoon, Covin made up his mind to break away from the sorry state of Danny's life and the hardened life of Covin. It had gotten both persons killed.
He decided to be a new person. But first he will have to find out about this new world he found himself in.
**************