New York

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Five minutes later, we were in New York. I can't tell you how we got there so fast because I didn't understand it myself. One minute – I am flying over Geneva, trying not to fall down, watching a perplexed seagull, hearing a voice in my head, and the next minute – it's sunny outside, we're in New York, standing on the top of Empire State Building.

A flock of tourists passed us and stared at me.

'Wow,' I said, grabbing the rails, feeling like I am going to be sick. 'What about my things? Back in the hotel?'

'These?' asked Kendara and pointed towards my backpack lying next to me.

'Why couldn't you transport us this way?'

'I felt like flying was more fun.'

'It certainly was.'

A silence followed in which I looked at the clouds and the New York City skyline below me.

'Well, at least we've got the photos,' I finally said. 'You saved my job.'

'And you saved the Universe,' said Kendara, patting me on the shoulder like an older brother I never had. 'You know that he was right? Doyle?'

'About what?'

'That we have kids. Where I am from. Not kids, but a kid.'

'Yeah but he said it's too hard for humans to grasp at this stage of our development.'

'Bullshit,' replied Kendara. 'I might as well tell you. Ready?'

'Try me,' I said, looking at his black hair that seemed to never mind traveling a few thousand miles in five minutes.

'You are my kid.'

'What?! You are my real father?'

'Well, not exactly. As Doyle said, there's no me. There's us. And humans are our kids. Or pets. But I think you'd prefer to think of yourself as a kid more than a pet. Is that right?'

I looked down at my feet and noticed that my knees were shaking. The past two days were crazy.

'Yeah, I think I'll have enough of facts for today. I need some sleep.'

'This is why I wanted you to save the world today. Because my job – our job – is not to do everything for you, but to guide you, humans, towards a better future. And one day, you'll join us all.'

'And when will that be?' I asked, thinking of a story I read once by Isaac Asimov, about a planet with two species in it, living side by side. The 'lower' species, as part of its development, was supposed to realise one day, that its actually a child-version of the 'higher' species. And once it realised that, it transformed into the higher one.

'I can't tell you now. Everything in its own time.'

'So why did you lie to me about all those things? Doyle not being who he was?'

'What could I do? Tell you the truth? You think you would come if I did?'

'Maybe,' I said. 'Either way, it was quite a trip.'

'It was. So where are you headed now? Home? Work? Because I've gotta go. I can drop you off somewhere. Teleport you, and all.'

I laughed. 'I think I'll stop by the office.'

'Great!' said Kendara and immediately disappeared.

The Empire State Building, along with the tourists, and the New York City skyline also disappeared. I found myself holding my backpack in a familiar office of The New Observer, right next to my desk.

'Hello, everyone,' I said, and looked around at my fellow journalists, trying to spot the mocking smile of Kendara somewhere. He was nowhere to be seen.

I walked around the floor, peeked in conference rooms, and toilets, but he was nowhere to be found.

'Oh well,' I said out loud.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

'What's that? You back already?'

Looking up, I saw Bobby-the-Belly standing right in front of me. He was holding a paper coffee cup from Starbucks. Vapour was coming out of it. It smelled horrible.

I started laughing.

'Yeah. And there's something I need to tell you, Bob.'

He looked at me suspiciously and raised one eyebrow. 'Don't tell me you forgot to take those photos. Because if you did, you will be out of here in no–'

'No, it's not that. I just want to tell you what I always wanted. Go and fuck yourself in your fat ass.' 

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