Mardi le 21 avril …la suite et totalité du chapitre 5 de UN CRI DANS LA DUNE.
LE SECRET
Quand on a découvert la clef de l'ADN afin de guérir les plus grandes maladies, mais surtout afin de programmer les cerveaux naissants, j'ai béni les temps où je suis né. D’une part, l’espoir était grand de refaire un monde meilleur, sans maladie et sans infirmité accablant de pauvres victimes. D’autre part, il y avait ceux qui voulaient utiliser la génétique uniquement pour créer l’armée parfaite, le soldat parfait, l’étudiant parfait. C'est là que je t'ai appelé Antoine, alors que ton père «fédératif», lui, insistait pour t'appeler ASTER OO9. Mon cher Antoine, tes parents biologiques sont encore vivants aujourd'hui. Il t’appartiendra un jour de les retrouver car ils t’aimaient beaucoup. Il te faudra alors attendre l’âge de consulter la mémoire universelle stockée dans le DDI (Disque dur international). Tout ce que je peux t’affirmer, c’est que tes parents t’aimaient tant que les autorités fédératives ont senti le besoin de les envoyer quelque part, loin de toi, afin que tes belles qualités puissent être mises au service de leur pouvoir quand tu auras atteint ta maturité. Tes parents t'ont été enlevés pour les besoins de l'équilibre de la fédération. Si on m'a laissé auprès de toi, c'est parce que ce vieillard, un peu fou, est inoffensif à ta formation; du moins, c'est ce qu'ils pensent.
Au moment où l'enfant allait s’exprimer, le vieux Tancrède toussa violemment, se plia en deux, puis se coucha par terre sur le sable grisâtre. Antoine tenta de le soulever, et l'appuya sur sa poitrine de jeune enfant. Adossé à la paroi ruisselante de la petite caverne, il pouvait supporter sans trop de mal, le corps amaigri de son grand-père, légèrement affaissé dans ses bras. Celui-ci n’avait plus que la peau et les os, un corps vieux et fini, meurtri par l’usure du temps, les épreuves et la maladie. La respiration du vieux Tancrède n'était plus qu'un râle. Il regarda son petit-fils habillé de son scaphandre protecteur et lui murmura d'une voix à peine audible:
- N'oublie pas, le sable d'or, les étoiles, le chant des oiseaux, la mer émeraude...
Antoine le secoua violemment. De toute l'énergie de ses dix ans, il essaya de tirer son grand-père hors de la caverne. Les forces lui manquèrent et il reprit sa posture première, en caressant doucement le visage de son compagnon. Dans sa tête d'enfant, il ne se reconnaissait plus, de même qu'il ne savait pourquoi il caressait instinctivement, d'un geste spontané, le visage de son meilleur ami. La seule chose qu’il constatait, c’était ce sentiment de désespoir qui l’enveloppait.
Pour la première fois de sa jeune vie, il commençait vraiment à comprendre le sens du mot : «ami» même si cette notion lui semblait quelque peu nébuleuse. Une boule montait dans sa gorge. Il la combattait de toutes ses forces, mais plus il la combattait, plus il perdait du terrain. Pris d’une douleur sourde et impalpable à l'intérieur de son scaphandre, il cria de tous ses poumons: GRAND-PÈRE, NE MEURS PAS, NE ME QUITTE PAS. L’équilibre thermostatique de sa combinaison protectrice ne suffisait pas à endiguer la révolte de toutes ses cellules corporelles maintenant en ébullition. La sueur envahissait son scaphandre, la buée embrouillait sa visière... et sans savoir l’origine de ces mots, au moment où une larme coula sur ses joues, il dit :
- GRAND-PÈRE, JE T’AIME.
Tancrède ouvrit péniblement les yeux, colla sa tête sur la poitrine du petit qui le serrait tendrement, puis il ferma les paupières une dernière fois, alors que sur ses lèvres se dessinait un drôle de sourire.
*(…à suivre jeudi prochain le 23 avril)…prenez soin de vous toutes et tous. GG
English version
Tuesday April 21st… all the chapter 5 of A SCREAM IN THE DUNE.
The Secret
“When they discovered the key of DNA in order to cure most of the world’s greatest diseases, but especially in order to program new born brains, I blessed the time when I was born. On one hand, hope was high and we again dreamed of making a better world. A world free of desease and without infirmity overpowering poor victims. Unfortunately, there were those that wanted to use the genetic science only to create a perfect army, a perfect soldier, a perfect student. It is then that I called you “Tony,” fighting against your federative father who insisted on calling you ASTER 009. My dear Tony, your biological parents are still alive today. You have the sacred duty to find them, as soon as you are a little older and able to consult the universe data that was hidden somewhere in the mastermind of the universal IHDM. All I can tell you is they loved you so much that the Federation had to transfer them somewhere else in order to be able to put you in the service of the present power. You were taken away from them for the needs of the Federation. If they have left me near you it is because they thought that the old man I am, even a little insane as they think, would be unoffensive to your education, the education standards of the Federation. At least that is what they think.”
At the time the child was going to say something, the old Albert coughed violently, bent down and lay on the ground. Tony tried to lift him and pressed him to his young child’s chest. Leaning against the wall of the small cave, Tony could support, without too much effort, the skinny body of his grandfather, totally collapsed in his small arms. The old man was almost nothing but skin and bones, a soul captive of a body, worn by challenges, diseases and the length of time. The breathing of the old man was nothing more than a frail whisper. He looked at his little boy, equipped with his protective filtersuit and said to him, on a barely audible voice “Do not forget the golden sand, the stars, the songs of the birds, the emerald sea . . .”
Tony shook him violently. With all the energy of his ten years’ he tried to drag his grandfather out of the cave. When his own strength failed him, he sat back where he was, gently caressing with his glove the face of his friend. In his child’s mind, he could no longer recognize himself; neither did he know why he felt the need to caress his grandfather’s cheeks. The only thing he knew was that he was feeling desperate.
For the first time in his young life, he was starting to understand the true meaning of the word “friend”, although he was not even sure of that. The only thing he knew was that he couldn’t let his grandfather die like this. He didn’t want him to die. He didn’t want him to go away. He was feeling his throat tightening and a strange emotion was reaching into his mind. The more he tried to fight it, the stronger it became and, in a kind of panic mixed with abandon, with all the power of his lungs, he cried “Pappy, Pappy, please don’t die, please don’t leave me.” The thermostatic balance of his protective suit was no longer functioning. It could not withstand the revolt of all his body’s cells, now at a boiling state. Sweat was invading his filtersuit, and his visor was almost entirely covered with mist. Without knowing where the words were coming from, at the moment when tears ran down his cheeks, he screamed: “Pappy, I LOVE YOU!”
Painfully, Albert opened his old and tired eyes, rested his head on the chest of the young child who was tenderly holding him, and then, for the last time, he closed his eyelids, while on his lips a beautiful smile suddenly appeared.
* (… To be continued next Thursday April 23rd)… take care of all of you. GG
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