On the one side was the future of Humanity as a whole. If he gave up THE KEY, things would be different for the human race. Human race as he knew it would cease to exist in a few generations. If he did not give up THE KEY, he and Anita might become fugitives for the rest of their living years. The future of the Human race was now in the palm of Martin's hand. And it was in the form of a One Terabyte Flash drive.
Martin looked at Anita.She was driving.She did not look back at him.She had a somber look on her face. At That moment Martin realized that somehow the Universe had chosen him to undergo the ordeal that he had suffered. It was for him to choose whether mankind lived or died. It was him from the beginning and it was for him to decide in the end where humanity would go.
They came over a bridge. It was deserted, as it would be at that time in the night. Midway through the bridge Martin said "Stop". Anita braked hard and brought the Jeep to an abrupt halt. Martin took the heavy wrench from under his seat and stepped out of the Jeep.Anita too came near him. He had the wrench in one hand and Anita's hand in the other.Martin was limping, his leg was still numb. They both walked to the railing of the bridge. Anita followed him without question.
The Potomac flowed below the bridge, as it always did. It was a chilly early morning, too early to be called morning. The light on the horizon was not yet visible. But one could make out that it was the east as it was lighter than the west.Dawn would break soon. And people would come out to lead their daily lives.Normal people would go on with their day to day existence. Not knowing or even bothering what lay ahead for them or for Humanity. Maybe that is what made them, and kept them, Human.
Martin placed the flash drive on the flat of the railing. He looked at Anita. Tears welled up in Anita's beautiful eyes. She said "I trust you Martin. I trust you". Martin gave the wrench to Anita and nodded his head.Anita took the wrench.A deep powerful emotion welled up inside her.It was a mixture of pain,suffering, loss, sadness and despair.
“Yaaa!” She screamed, swinging the wrench hard with all her might and smashed the flash drive in one blow.She continued doing so a couple of times until Martin restrained her and took the wrench from her. She knelt down weeping inconsolably. Martin calmly went up to the smashed pieces. He collected all the shattered pieces in the palm of his hand. Then he scattered them over the Potomac, the hundreds of shattered pieces lost to humanity forever.
Martin helped Anita stand up. She rested her head on his shoulder. Limping, he walked her to the Jeep and seated her.
They drove away leaving behind a thin wisp of black smoke which disappeared into the vanishing night.
-THE END-
[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]
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