Chapter 87: Danger in Cruiser
"Hold on, I just was about to send for you. Take this ring for a sec," James then carelessly threw the ring towards Rigo who hurried to catch it with a surprise over his face, "even if what you are claiming is true, what you were trying to do was to harm Dora not to help her."
Charles hesitated for a moment before he leaned towards James and whispered:
"What if I told you there are many terases agents in this cruiser and they are about to start a riot to control the cruiser and take everyone as hostages?"
The words were thrown like a bomb in the room where James and Rigo thunderstruck in their places horrified from what they just heard.
"Are you sure?" James instantly asked.
"How come you know that?" Rigo demanded.
On the other hand, Charles knew he just used the strongest leverage he had, and also an opportunity he wasted. For him, he was neither on any side, and so he didn't just reveal this shocking secret, he also picked sides.
And that was something he hated himself for doing, as right now he tied his destiny with those in front of him. he sighed as he cleared up his mind and said:
"I didn't come here easily, so I just knew."
"This isn't the answer I'm waiting for," James stressed.
"I know, but this the answer I could reveal right now," Charles said before he looked directly James in the eye, "this is all I can say, and if you want to know more then you should treat me better than that."
James just sighed as he had no time to play around here like this. He waved the syringe in hand with a smile over his face. "You have no option here."
"I have, as I can easily destroy my brain with my own will."
"You can't be this crazy," Rigo interfered.
"If the end result is to lose my sanity, then it's better I do it by my own hands rather than yours. However," he then chuckled as he had finally found the perfect counter over James, "if I did this you won't get anything. So, just cherish what I just told you and show me the respect I deserve."
"Which is?"
Charles walked a couple of steps away from James as he headed towards the door of this room. "A partner and a friend."
James just looked at the back of Charles as he was treading his way to the outside of the room. James was right now stressed by this weird situation, he could use the serum but he felt the threat Charles just issued was true.
"Why should I believe you?" James stopped Charles by asking this.
"Why don't?" Charles turned around as he asked back.
"As someone as sneaky as you, claiming crazy things just this and threatening to destroy his mind by his own will, how can I trust you then?"
Charles wasn't surprised by the doubt and aggressiveness in James' tone, even when Rigo moved from his own to stand between him and the exit of this room.
"I just gave you the evidence you need about my identity and also I gifted you a precious intel, why can't you just let it go and be friends and allies with me?"
James didn't reply back as he just looked at him silently which made Charles sigh. "You know I never imagined you the stubborn type, but let me tell you this: you aren't the only person with special powers in this room."
"What?!" James exclaimed in shock.
"I can explain, but I don't have time to do that. And I can help you a lot in your training, but you don't have the time to waste here. If I guessed it right, then your butler here came to tell you about a crisis, crisis made by Eli."
Rigo's eyes slightly widened while James said:
"Even if what you guessed is true, this is all caused by your intervention. You initially wanted this to happen."
"I admit that, but now I don't want it to happen."
"Why should I trust your words? this moment you are my friend and the next you are stabbing me in the back!"
Charles took a deep breath as he knew it would be hard, real hard to regain James' trust. If he knew things would end up like this, then he would take another approach.
Initially the two had a relationship of trust, from the cruiser of Dora. If he just played his cards right then he would end up in a much better place than here.
"I know your mind is telling you not to trust me, and I can't blame you. Let's see things this way, I know info that you lack, and I'm the only person here who can help you with these issues. So, let's start our collaboration based on mutual benefit, ok?"
Charles' words were somehow acceptable, but James hated the idea of snake free in his own home.
"I can live with that, on condition you will be my own prisoner," James declared his decision.
"I can't accept that, what benefit should I get from it then? Give me something I can live with and this transaction can be done, or else…"
James interrupted him with the wave of the syringe in hand as he approached him. "You don't have many options here."
"As you too."
"I have the knowledge of a breach in my cruiser, and that's enough for me," James said as he was about to bypass Charles.
"But you don't know who they are and what their plans are."
"And I assume you know all that?" James said without pausing for a second from his walk to the outside.
"Yes, I do."
"And you aren't an accomplice to them, you want me to believe that!"
"Because my artifact can help me eavesdrop people's private talk as long as they are nearby. That was how even confined with you in this room I learnt about the presence of Eli outside it listening to our speech. I also knew what she intended to do without leaving my place here."
James paused his walk this time, as the words of Charles held only one meaning. He was really like him, a person with special powers and with a functioning artifact. That artifact could help him read the minds of people around him, which was a scary ability to be honest.
James also realized what Charles said about obtaining a special power was true, and he seemed to be well educated and properly instructed about these powers.
This was something James was desperate for, which made him hesitate. He needed to know more, but he felt a great threat if he couldn't control this hideous person behind him.
This was a tough choice between desires and safety. Rigo read his leader's mind, and he had a perfect solution for that.
"If you are really sincere, then you won't find difficulty in accepting this."
Rigo then waved his hand as a small long wire appeared in his palm. Once Charles saw it, his eyes shone as he muttered:
"The wire of life, how could possibly you…"
Rigo interrupted him as he said, "If you have no problem then you can equip it."
"What is this wire?" James asked as this was the first time he had seen such a thing.
"Let me explain this for you, this is a long lost technology that your precious droids had their hands upon with some fluke. This wire could merge inside my body and get hold of something called the life line. They replace it and thus my life would be under total control of the one who owned it," Charles said while he was nearing Rigo to look closely towards the wire with much interest not fear.
"Strange, this wire is long lost from all the records long time ago," Rigo muttered.
"I have access to some lost knowledge, which is something I could share if you tell me your source."
Charles pointed towards the wire, as his interest was obviously picked by this wire. James didn't know what that wire was made of, but this simple long wire seemed to be like a treasure for Charles.
"I can assure you, no one had this technology but us. That means if you become a good boy and don't mess up, I might reward you by one or two oneday," Rigo said as he took the wire away before adding, '' Now, are you ready to prove your words and show your loyalty to my leader?"
Charles watched with regret the wire being taken away by Rigo's hand as he took a deep breath.
"I have to say, you have a ton of lucky friends to manage to gain these droids' loyalty."
James didn't reply as he just looked at Charles waiting for his decision.
"Ok, I agree with using the wire on me," Charles reluctantly said. He already had tied his destiny with James, so it wouldn't be that bad to be connected deeper with him.
"Good, stretch out your left arm please," Rigo said as Charles extended his left arm where Rigo put the wire over it.
Once the tip of the wire touched the bare skin on Charles' arm, it began to shine strangely with blue light before it melted down. For James who was closely watching the process, the wire melted when it touched Charles arms, however to Rigo and Charles they knew the wire was penetrating the latter's arm and was now delving deeply into his body.
The process wasn't that painful by Charles, but he felt everything happening inside his body. the wire dived deeply towards his heart, where it surrounded the heart and began to shine there. Charles knew there was no way to remove it, not known to him at least, but by the order of the owner of this wire.