Lack

Chapter I

The westerly wind rocked the fishing boats anchored in the harbor, then rushed inland, passing with a soft murmur through the streets of the town situated on a narrow strip of land between the Baltic Sea and the Bay of Gdańsk. A chubby moon peered curiously into the windows of the houses, its rays playing on the walls and faces of sleeping people.

As is often the case in a small town, everyone knew each other. The men were fishermen, often going out to sea for several weeks at a time, while the women looked after the home and raised the children. This division of roles had long been established, and no one dreamed of changing anything. Besides, reality didn't provoke any changes. The lack of other work besides fishing meant that women and men were confined to their respective occupations.

Five friends lived close together in single-family houses – three boys and two girls. They were second-year students at the local middle school. They had been a "clique" since kindergarten, and they had attended the same class at school. They spent all their free time together, trying to organize their time. It was difficult, because life usually went on at its own uninterrupted pace, far from the hustle and bustle of the big city. In fact, each day was similar to the one before, and nothing extraordinary could be expected. But in just a few hours, something was about to happen that would change the lives of the five friends.

It was almost midnight. The residents were fast asleep, recuperating after an exhausting day. Only one house, or rather a small room upstairs, had a light on. Piotrek tossed and turned in his bed, unable to fall asleep. The whistling of the wind through the invisible cracks disturbed him. Even counting sheep didn't help, as thoughts related to the day's events swirled in his head. Because it was also one of those special days that came around once a year – his birthday. Preparations had been underway since morning, his mother baking cakes and preparing delicious sandwiches. Piotrek even vacuumed his room. Around 4 p.m., the invited guests arrived. Michał Pruski, a tall, blond boy with a passion for astronomy, even had a telescope on his balcony. Since they lived in a housing estate outside the city, he could gaze at the sky in the evenings, searching for stray comets. He believed that one day he would spot an alien ship.

Next came Konrad Bogacki, the tallest of the five, a basketball player on the school team. By the age of 15, he was already 185 cm tall, and everyone wondered if he would ever exceed two meters. His close-cropped hair stood out like a hedgehog's quills. Whenever he appeared, the house would erupt into a frenzy. He was everywhere, never sitting still for a moment. Besides basketball, he had another passion – computers, or rather, games. He would spend all day in front of a screen, shooting virtual monsters. Because of this, he didn't excel in school, despite being very talented.

The last to appear were Basia Parol and Ala Borus. Basia, a beautiful, tall girl with long blond hair and dark eyes, was the object of all the boys' affections. She also enjoyed computer games, especially strategy and adventure games, but not only that. History, especially ancient history, and biology were also among her interests. Her knowledge of these subjects extended far beyond the school curriculum. She had long had clear plans for her future. She dreamed of becoming a biogeneticist.

Ala – slightly shorter than Basia – the only brunette in the group, with close-cropped hair, was very calm and kind. A scientist of sorts. She had a talent for learning foreign languages. Learning them came easily to her. She already knew English, German, and Latin. As if that weren't enough, nature also endowed her with the ability to quickly analyze problems and find the simplest solution to difficult situations.

Among them, Piotrek looked older. Perhaps this was due to his glasses. His fringe parted to the sides above his high forehead, revealing large, intelligent, brown eyes. He had a rare ability to capture the attention of his listeners. He spoke beautifully and engagingly. He had such extensive knowledge that one could discuss any topic with him. He was a very good student, advancing from class to class with a red stripe on his report card. Of all his subjects, he loved mathematics the most, and he saw it as his future. But he also had one flaw – he was very shy around girls. While he felt comfortable around Ania or Basia and his shyness wasn't obvious, it was worse with other girls. Piotrek also had a secret no one knew about. He was in love with Ala. He enjoyed spending time with her and talking about various topics. Perhaps it was because they were both academic types and attracted to each other. Besides, Ala seemed to like him too. But Piotrek would never dare tell her about his feelings, and he probably never would.

The fun began in earnest when Piotrek opened all his presents. He received a soccer ball, puzzles, books, and a special sweatshirt from his parents, but the biggest hit was the huge box Piotrek received from his aunt. It turned out to be a computer game. Its title—"Antidotum"—was strange and mysterious, promising great excitement. But his mother wouldn't let anyone sit at the computer, as it was supposed to be a fun and enjoyable name day for everyone, not just one player. So the children invented various games and activities, both indoors and outdoors. Time flew by. Everyone agreed to play the new game tomorrow. And so, thinking about the events of the day and dreaming of a new game, Piotrek finally fell asleep.

The next day he woke up at eight. He quickly jumped out of bed, went to wash up, and then ate the breakfast his mother had left on the table for him before going to the store. He was in a hurry because the children were due to arrive around ten. He checked his watch—only an hour had passed, so he still had some time. He didn't want to start the game himself, because he'd promised the others he'd wait for them. And Piotrek always kept his word. So he turned on the TV to watch a movie. But he didn't get to watch it for long, because the doorbell rang in the room. It was Michał.

"Hi!" he said as he entered. "Did you turn on the game?

" "No, what are you doing? I promised I wouldn't turn it on without you. Come on, let's watch TV; the others will probably be here soon. "

He wasn't mistaken. Less than ten minutes later, the bell rang again. This time, it was Konrad.

"How are you?" he shouted in greeting. "Are everyone here yet?

" "The girls aren't here yet," Piotrek replied. "They're probably getting dressed up, combing their hair, and putting on tons of makeup.

" "Maybe we should start without them?" he asked uncertainly.

"Come on, that wouldn't be fair.

" "Okay, okay, I was kidding. Do we have anything to drink?"

"Oh, I didn't buy anything, and there's nothing left from last night's party," Piotrek said in a worried voice. Will water be enough for you?

"Okay, give me some water. How about we run to the store and buy something? This is going to be a long meeting. I have..." he started rummaging through his pockets, "five zlotys.

" "Michał," Piotrek shouted, "do you have any money?

" "I have five zlotys," he replied.

"Okay. Then go to the store with Konrad and buy something to eat. I'll give you five zlotys too."

The boys quickly finished their shopping. On their way back, they met the girls. They all went into the house together.

"Hi Piotrek, hi Michał," they greeted politely.

"Hi," they replied.

"You girls look great," Konrad remarked.

"Thank you very much, you're a gentleman, as always.

" "Listen, stop exchanging pleasantries," Piotrek said, "now that we're all here, there's no point in delaying. Let's open the box."

What they saw when they opened the box was so incredible it took their breath away. Neither of them had ever seen anything like it. It was pure fantasy. On top lay a booklet with the program's operating instructions, beneath it a box containing a disk, and deeper inside—something they couldn't believe. They were five magnificent helmets, shimmering in the light, wrapped in some kind of cables. They wore tinted glasses on the front, but much thicker than sunglasses. With trembling hands, they reached inside and pulled out this marvel. Neither of them had been able to utter a word for a long time. Even Konrad, who always had something to say, remained silent. Piotrek was the first to swallow.

"Listen," he said, "this is shocking. My aunt has outdone herself. I knew she was a respectable woman, but something like this? I think we should sit down and read the instructions. We'll see what this marvel is.

Everyone obediently sat down on the rug near Piotrek, and he began reading. From what they had read in the instructions, it appeared that this was a game that utilized virtual space. Five players could play simultaneously. Each of them took a real part in the unfolding action. This was not a game for the faint of heart, the weak, or the faint of heart. The action took place on Earth and in space. The disc, once inserted into the computer, did not start immediately. The game would start when all players put on their helmets and simultaneously pressed the red buttons located near the goggles. The company guaranteed several hours of wonderful fun.

When Piotrek finished reading, the children looked at each other. They were visibly a little unsure, but curiosity got the better of them. They stood up and each carefully placed the helmet on their heads. Piotrek turned on the computer. The wires running from the helmets connected at one end to a single plug. He plugged it into the computer socket. Simultaneously, they pressed the red buttons.

A cry of horror escaped the children's lips. And that was all that could be heard. In the next instant, every cell in their bodies disintegrated into atoms, and these, in turn, by some invisible, powerful force, were focused into beams of light, racing at incredible speed toward the computer monitor. A second later, a terrifying silence fell upon the room; everything seemed to be in its proper place, except for the children.

*************

The beams of light traveled through the narrow subspace tunnel at tremendous speed. At its end, a light was visible, initially small and very faint, but gradually grew brighter. The rays broke into hundreds of tiny dots and sped toward him.

*********

Nestor rose slowly from his chair. His yellow, withered face betrayed his tension. Everyone present in the chamber of the highest chamber of the planet Zinaria fell silent, waiting for his words.

"The solution to our problem is nearing completion. Yesterday, our scientists connected our planet to Earth via a subspace channel."

A murmur of satisfaction rose from the assembled group. He silenced them with a gesture.

"Our scanners have finally found a planet inhabited by beings with a very high neutron field. Now we wait for them to activate the game, which will open the channel. One moment," he put his hand to his ear, which held a small earpiece, "I've just received a message that we're connected. I suggest we adjourn the meeting for today, as I must go to the observatory." With that, he moved toward the door, which opened before him, then closed silently.

The assembled group was also leaving the room. Their faces and animated gestures betrayed great excitement. The long-awaited being with a high neutron field had finally been found—on Earth, and it will be with them soon, helping them destroy the hated Peers."

Dusk was slowly falling on the planet Zinaria. Two suns were setting below the western horizon. In a dozen or so hours, a new day will dawn, giving them new hope for survival.