43. Forgotten Purpose

Tears welled in his eyes as a familiar voice rushed toward him. His heart was feeling so heavy with him there. He didn't know what to do nor was he able to control himself as the tears covered him.

"Uncle!" cried Sambh, his tone a mixture of relief and longing. The old man's weathered face softened into a tender smile as he replied, "Sambh, it was not a long wait."

A single tear escaped, trailing down his timeworn cheek.

Sambh gently observed, "You have grown old."

The old man chuckled softly, replying, "I didn't realize time had passed so quickly while I waited for you. And now, you are finally here." His voice trembled with both joy and sorrow.

Breaking the gentle mood, Ruchi interjected with a lighthearted tone, "You are one of the richest people in the world, yet I never expected someone of your stature to spend his life waiting for another."

Sambh added, "I have never seen anyone so aged in this city."

Ruchi explained, "They maintain their genes and transplant new ones as they grow old, so they never truly age. You may have even used such means yourself."

The old man's eyes twinkled with bittersweet wisdom as he said, "Seeing you return, Sambh, has made every moment of my life worthwhile. Now, I can die in peace."

Sensing the gravity of the moment, Sambh pressed, "But what truly happened in those lost years? How did we come to be here in this tangled fate?"

The old man sighed deeply and began, "When you were shot, your body lay motionless on the ground. And then, your father appeared—though it wasn't only him. Others, identical in appearance to him, were there. Their faces shone brilliantly, and their white hair gleamed under their pristine white coats. One of them commanded, 'Pick him up and place him in the lab.'"

His voice lowered, haunted by memories as he continued, "They obeyed without hesitation."

Ruchi frowned and interrupted, "But a dying person never lies. How is it that you told Sambh his father was gravely ill in the monastery?"

The old man replied, "I was unaware at that time that thousands of duplicate robots and human replicas of him were being created in the lab." Sambh's brow furrowed with confusion. "Then how was I ever to know my father truly?"

Weismier, the old man's name finally spoken, replied gravely, "When I was arrested by your father, I witnessed thousands of his duplicates being killed—stained with blood and burned away. Among them was one who looked just like you, yet he had long, black hair, was dressed entirely in black, and wore black spectacles."

Sambh's voice trembled as he asked, "Who was he?" Weismier's gaze drifted into the distance before answering, "I have no clear answer, but it must have been you."

"Then what of those creatures?" Sambh demanded, his voice rising with urgency. Before Weismier could answer, Ruchi cut in sharply, "Why did everyone have to time travel and settle at the origin of Earth?"

The old man took a deep breath and said slowly, "It is all due to the situation there."

Weismier continued, his tone laden with a mix of regret and revelation, "There was a colossal invasion in space that affected not only the origin of Earth but the entire universe. It began to burst and collapse, signaling the end of everything. In that moment of utter despair, a grave question arose: How could human life, and all life, possibly survive such devastation? The extinction was so sudden that our entire race had to scramble for immediate alternatives."

A heavy silence enveloped them as the weight of his words sank in. Sambh's eyes searched Weismier's face, trying to decipher hidden truths behind his cryptic explanations.

"You mean to say," he murmured, "that our entire existence was nearly wiped out by this cosmic invasion? And that, in our desperation, time travel was our only hope?"

Weismier nodded solemnly. "Yes, but there is more that remains shrouded in mystery. The duplicates, the lab experiments—these were all desperate measures to preserve what was left of our legacy. Our actions, our decisions in those chaotic moments, determined not only our survival but the very fabric of time itself."

Ruchi's voice grew steadier, yet her eyes betrayed deep worry as she questioned, "And what of the repercussions now? How do these remnants of the past affect our present and our future? Are we merely puppets in a play scripted by fate?"

Sambh's gaze hardened with determination as he replied, "We must uncover the truth, regardless of how deeply it is buried. My heart demands answers, and I will not rest until I understand what really happened."

The old man's weathered face creased with empathy as he added, "Sometimes, the truth is not meant to be easily understood. It is hidden beneath layers of pain, memory, and the scars of time. But remember, every choice you make echoes through eternity. What you do now could either mend the broken timeline or shatter it forever."

Sambh paused, letting the gravity of his words settle in. "Then, what must we do?" He asked softly, glancing at Ruchi, whose eyes mirrored his resolve.

"We must gather all that remains of our lost history. I need to know everything—every secret, every lie, every truth hidden in the shadows of our past."

Ruchi stepped forward, her tone both assertive and compassionate, "We have already begun this journey together. The path is fraught with peril and uncertainty, but together we can piece together the fragments of our history." She squeezed Sambh's hand gently, offering a silent vow of support.

Before anyone could respond further, a sudden gust of wind swept across the seashore, stirring the old man's white hair and rustling the leaves of the nearby trees.

The distant sound of crashing waves mixed with the murmurs of an unseen crowd, as if the universe itself was preparing to divulge its secret.

Weismier's eyes flickered with a mysterious light as he leaned in, whispering voice in his mind.