The Second Chosen One

by

Salvatore Cutugno

Original title: The Second Chosen One

© 2021 Salvatore Cutugno

Published for the first time in Italy in 2021

Translated into Portuguese in 2023

© 2021 cover by Marzia Cutugno

© Translation by Alessandra Cervetti

Mankind invented the atomic bomb, but no mouse would ever construct a mousetrap - Einstein-

***

Helium, conceived on the beach after a slow dance, is unknowingly destined to save the Earth.

Genre

(Science Fiction)

***

Readers: young adventurers.

Type of reading: flowing, dynamic, simple and immediate.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE

THE GATHERING OF THE IMMORTALS

THE LIFE OF HERMES

THE ENCOUNTER

HELIUM'S JOURNEY

HELIUM WANTS HIS WORLD

MEETING WITH ELISA

THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

THE TRIP TO ARMENIA

THE DINNER

THE RETURN TO IRAN

THE RETURN

PROLOGUE

We are in the 20th century. On the streets you see couples in Fiat 500s whizzing by, car radios blaring the songs of the Beatles, Mina, Gianni Morandi. Some cars stop in isolated places, the windows fog up, the cars move. The human is happy when he meets love and does everything to protect it.

An immortal observes this wonderful climate from his planet and reflects.

In those eighties, one summer evening, something very special happened: a young man wearing a pearl-buttoned silk shirt, which his grandfather had kept since his wedding day, made an impression at the last slow dance. He left the dance floor with her and together, accompanied by the last notes of that song, 'Mandy', they arrived at the seashore. They never imagined how special she would be, that person conceived under a fishing boat. We have not been abandoned. Humans will have a last chance to choose.

THE GATHERING OF THE IMMORTALS

"My Supreme," said the First Councilor, "we are witnessing the destruction of planet Earth according to our cosmic calculations.

However, I do not understand their inhabitants, a people who have always lived in hatred and, to this day, find no peace. Yet, they have abundant water, clean air and their Earth allows them so many mineral resources. Why do they kill each other?"

"They do not live only in hatred, their minds develop a chemical process that you cannot understand, that unites them and makes them unique in their species. This is my only hope for them: that they will ignite that dormant strain of life that will lead them to love their Earth with the same intensity with which they unite to love each other.

"My Supreme, you cannot introduce the eleventh commandment now!"

"That is true, but at that time plastic did not exist, the sea was clean and there was not all that they are creating."

"Love your Earth as yourself. Remember? I suggested that".

"Yes, my First Councillor, but it is not only plastic that worries me, but they are also transforming their magical celestial planet and not protecting it by not seeing the need. They believe that Terra is a bottomless pit."

"Are we going to let them destroy the planet or wait for the human race to die out?" asked the First Counselor.

"Neither, I have asked God, I have already decided: we will still give them a chance, being my direct descendants by the righteous will of the immense Creator. In the wars they experienced, their weapons were in no condition to destroy the planet, and we did not intervene in their nature to kill themselves because, we considered this peculiarity of theirs, on a par with the natural balance of wildlife and its change. As you see the population of earthlings, despite the wars, is much more".

"My Supreme, with all the traps they are inventing, you know better than I that they are close to extinction, but now the planet is also at stake, and it is yours."

"True, but I see hope," replied the Supreme from his chair surrounded by majestic columns, but without being able to take his eyes off those portholes of the future from which he could see the ritual vaulting of all those planets preparing to enter the twentieth century. Their movement symbolised a merry dance, the Earth, unfortunately, was outlined by a single, almost flat line, its beat was like a thud, slow and heavy.

"Do you remember, my Supreme, when they crucified the last bringer of peace?" Repeated the First Councillor to distract him from that image on Earth he could not stop staring at.

"Of course, his example lives on to this day, but there was a mistake, if you remember correctly."

"Which one, my Supreme?"

"We left too much room for interpretation; this, even today, leads to bloody wars, in spite of the gradual evolutionary growth of Man on the planet. Now we must correct this error, for those who, in their development, were able to grasp the right message of peace within its written rules dictated by faith in God".

"But my Supreme, do you not think it is already too late for this intervention?" The First Councilor noticed some long-windedness in the Supreme and wanted to prevent him from touching "keys"

that could not be updated.

"No! Only the minority of the population uses that message of peace to confuse their own kind. Others, despite human evolution, live on the fragile Earth, exploiting it in the present through wilful unconsciousness. Many, however, pray for it not to happen, but despite their prayers, they behave lightly".

"If, their nature is such, let this balance continue, you know we cannot mould the hosts of your planet to our liking," suggested the First Advisor.

"Unfortunately, there is an important piece missing in the commandments and I want to fix it."

"My Supreme, you know you cannot do that!" Replied the First Councillor as firmly as ever. He noticed his inclination towards the table of commandments and absolutely had to prevent it.

"My First Councillor, I will not twist the way Earthlings have interpreted the Faith, what concerns me is the development on weapons of different species, even invisible ones. With them, they seriously threaten the celestial planet, even if it is a minority who use them."

"My Supreme, allow me, and you call that evolution?"

"Unfortunately, yes, but the basis of their nature has remained the same, it is the speed with which they wreak havoc on planet Earth that has changed. That is why I believe that action must be taken: for the deserving and for the very young who, already in their own small way, counteract the selfishness of adults. Alone, they will not succeed'.

"Maybe they will become extinct before they destroy the planet, but it may be the other way around, how are you going to save both of us? My Supreme!" The First Councilor asked.

"As I have done in the past, I will assign Hermes the task of monitoring, for thirty-five years, ten candidates born at midnight 1985. If one with sound moral principles is found, he will be given the task of intervening and countering Evil according to his ideology."

"I know the human nature, it's a bit bizarre! It will be a failure!"

replied the Second Counselor.

"We, by order of the Immense Creator, can do nothing but observe, but I have hope in human feeling! And as of today, none of us will have the power to predict the distant future."

"My Supreme, no one dares challenge the cutting off of powers, we know that this is the price you pay when you decide to intervene, but human feeling is like water, it can take many paths, how can you believe that one human can take the path you desire for the good of the planet and all earthlings?" Suggested the skeptical Second Adviser.

Call me Hermes! Only he will be endowed with special powers for his mission on Earth," retorted the Supreme, without showing that he was irritated by that intervention, but the Second Counselor understood that he wanted to help his direct descendants and any other remark would have been useless.

Hermes, at the behest of the Supreme, descended to Earth in 1976, at 00:30 hours on 19 September, long before the birth of the ten candidates due to a miscalculation on his part. So, he led his Supreme to believe.

On that occasion, many witnesses, in the sky over Tehran, saw a brilliant diamond-shaped light between red, yellow, and orange.

The Mehrebad airbase sent its fighter-bombers to shoot down the

strange phenomenon, but as the pilots activated the missile launch system, it did not work, so they had to return to base. The sighting was also the subject of debate in the United States. According to some scientists, the phenomenon appeared due to the planet Jupiter, which was very bright at the time; others, however, attributed the cause to a meteor, and instrument malfunction and pilot incompetence explained the rest.

THE LIFE OF HERMES

In the beginning, Hermes gained experience working alongside humans as an invisible and gradually, somewhat awkwardly, also as an earthling. When, if need be, he wanted to appear as an ordinary earthling, he wore elegant dark clothes and tennis shoes, lived inside a mutant spaceship, could choose a camper van, a car, a boat, had no limits in his mutation, not even to move at will from one continent to another at the speed of light. Intrigued by the ice-cream, pasta and hot dog, he decided to try them, but he had to buy them, and he equipped himself to do so: the coin appeared in his hand the moment he had to pay, he could not be seen by humans and he wanted to be sure he was handing over the banknote of that nation. In order not to make a mistake, he always asked the cashier but, despite himself, he was in Rome that day.

"I have to pay for a hot dog, what is your currency called?"

"Give me ten sacks," replied the baker from behind the counter.

"Sacks? I don't know sacks I can pay with other coins; I don't have the one you asked for."

"A lout! Do you have these?" repeated the big bald head who was one with his neck and his voice like a trombone, while with his hand, he waved a banknote.

"Those are ten euros! Of course, I have them."

Hermes awkward by the circumstance, opened his hands and ten euros appeared, the baker, to get a better look stretched his body, he looked like a moving mountain as he approached Hermes' hands with his eyes out of his head.

"You fell for it, eh!" replied Hermes jokingly.

"Look at this... he tricked me!". The paninaro quickly pulled himself together, he couldn't explain the trick and let out that snoring-like breath. Hermes walked away thinking, next time he had to be much more careful.

He liked that life as a human, above all he liked spending, he had adapted to that new civilisation different from the one he had lived two thousand years before. He could buy anything, but he betrayed himself a little in his conversations with people he met at random, but also on purpose; it often happened to him that he recalled characters from two thousand years ago, recounting events as if they had happened yesterday. He made yet another gaffe at the café:

"This coffee is excellent, the last one I had was in Galilee and I guarantee there is no comparison. Even Herod would crack with envy'.

The elegant barman stared at him, but without countering. He did not know what to say. Hermes immediately tried to distract him from his awkwardness.

"How much do I pay for coffee?"

"One euro."

Hermes spun around....

" Voilà! Here's one euro."

"That's the great thing about my job, every day I meet all kinds of people," said that barman with a sympathetic laugh.

Hermes was content to play the part of not being taken seriously by mortals, those nine years on Earth had flown by quickly. By the thirtieth of April 1985, only a few hours remained until the birth of the ten candidates. From that moment on, everything would change.

He had the highest esteem in the Supreme and he absolutely did not want to disappoint him. Fond of Italy, he decided to remain there until the birth of the candidates. Nine months earlier, he had chosen duly married pregnant women, all from different walks of life: heads of state, managers, and ordinary people from all over the world, chosen at random from his portal of the future. All would give birth at midnight Italian time. He waited serenely seated in a pub in Milan, next to him, many ordinary people sitting at tables. In his hand he held what looked like an ordinary tablet, but he could see the whole world in the future too, but not more than a year from his real time. Suddenly, at midnight on the dot, ten squares lit up on the screen simultaneously, in each one a newborn baby, all ten began to cry, the emotion of the mothers astonished even Hermes, and that hot dog that had just arrived, he just couldn't start it.

He secretly monitored the growth until the age of thirty-five.

Eventually, among the potential candidates, the son of a farmer born in Gala, a small hamlet of a municipality in the province of Messina, Italy, stood out. He was gifted with an intelligence that distinguished him throughout his development and the moral principles required to be the destined for the mission on Earth.

He reported this young man's path to the Supreme and, together, they sifted through his past. The others were excluded, because they committed errors such as deception and avarice, so the judgement on them was not lenient.

The chosen one, Helium Sacci, attended a football school at Don Bosco's Salesian Oratory in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto during his adolescence. Known for his skills as a footballer, he was allowed to play for important teams, so he managed to put some money aside to enroll in university. Despite this, he went off course due to fees, and was forced to help his father in the countryside, so as to speed up his only income. Eventually, however, Helium managed to graduate with a degree in nuclear engineering with 110 cum laude.

Throughout his life, he sided with breeders and farmers to make the government aware of the 'Made in Italy' issue and demanded that Italian products be promoted. He did not get anything, from the Italian state, but, for the mere fact of having given voice, he became a point of reference in his country. Even the mayor, who was about to be reappointed as mayor, supported him for his political

endeavours, but only when he considered him a possible political opponent. Other politicians took their cue from his reasoned criticism of the country and gained ascendancy in politics with the usual long-nosed promises.

Helium cannot afford designer clothes but has good taste and takes care of his appearance. He is tall, athletic and has an honest character; his stubble is always a little unkempt. Aware that he has a good influence, he takes advantage of it a little with women.

Women, in fact, are a weakness for him and he aims high. He succeeds at this to the detriment of his social rank which, in his country, forms a natural selective preclusion by the usually well-to-do.

THE ENCOUNTER

One hot August morning, while Helium was busy feeding the sheep, a distinguished-looking man approached him.

"Helium, you have been chosen to save the earth from evil, do you accept?"

He did not even notice the person's approach; taken aback, he turned his head and tried to disguise his astonishment by frowning as if annoyed.

"Can we talk about this again after the sheep have eaten? At least, I'll save them first."

"No kidding, Helium, I'm not here to waste time. It took me thirty-five years, to choose one of you. I selected ten people, all born in 1985 at a certain time, and you are among them. You have excelled in your course. If you want, I will tell you what you are worth'.

Helium remained cynical: he looked at him and smiled, confident that he could handle that unusual encounter. "Tell me!

Who am I? Since you have been watching me for thirty-five years...".

Hermes began to speak, but he did not want to give him the satisfaction of listening, so he continued with his work. He certainly did not expect to hear those details of his past, but Hermes went deeper and deeper. Too much, for a stranger. After telling him that

he graduated from university at the age of thirty-three, he gave him the coup de grace.

'In the morning, when you look in the mirror, you wonder which girl to go out with in the evening. Is that enough for you, or should I move on?"

"Yes, move on," he replied, displaying indifference out of his own personal pride. Then, he suddenly stopped working and added:

'I don't know whether I should get nervous or stand here and listen to you, but I want to see how far you go. Then, you will tell me what is the real purpose of your visit to my house! And I don't want to hear any bullshit, OK?"

Hermes continued and went on, turning to some intimate nuances of his character.

Helios, after all, feeling flattered, remained silent in front of him with his arms crossed; now, he listened to him in amazement. He told him about his past and current financial circumstances, and finally even mentioned Michela, the last girl he had dated.

Puzzled, Helium lowered his gaze. "Who is this man so interested in my life? Where does he come from? Is he Michela's father? Maybe, it's a joke. No, it's not possible, my friends don't know these things about me. Michela, then, I hardly know her”

He did not lose heart; although annoyed, he wanted to get to the bottom of it. In a visibly unnerved tone, he applied his

commendable patience and asked: "I understand that you have come all this way to tell me what I did, but you still haven't said why!"

"I can tell you more," he replied calmly, heedless of Helium's wrath. "And I can amaze you with things you can't even imagine, representing your most intimate life journey, but I am cautious, I know you too well in this too. Let me introduce myself? I assure you that, afterwards, you will have your answers'.

Hermes' tone of voice changed: the distinguished man became authoritative and resolute. Helium, although still skeptical, felt like an open book in front of this man, and as a reserved person, he was a little embarrassed, but decided to listen to him.

"I am Hermes, from the galaxy of Faith. It is called xy77. Our planet is J1133-XY; you humans can compare it to your sun in size.

There are no mountains or trees, it contains no flora or fauna, but we can imagine everything, both past and future, and everything will materialise before us in the same way as you, today, experience your Earth, which is the first obligatory passage to come and live in eternity, also with your descendants, our sinless Home. In our own way".

"You have said true things, about me, and you have succeeded in intriguing me. We all imagine that beyond death there is something, but don't you think you are exaggerating?" he replied, feeling diminished in his intelligence.

"I have the privilege of finally talking to you and you have the earthly privilege of communicating with me. Listen to me!"

Hermes continued with his monologue, tried to be more cautious to appear credible and prevented Helios from giving up listening to him. Then, when he saw him ready to take in the rest, he continued.

"Now, I want you to know an important detail: those who have done wrong will have no light, those who have not done wrong will be able to realise with their thoughts what I have told you, including the evolution of Man and the planet, and you will experience eternal joy amidst green mountains, the sea, huge trees, beautiful waterfalls, streams and lots of sunshine. You can also imagine the climate, the rain, the wind, all the other natural elements of the Earth. You will no longer have to worry about eating or drinking, just imagine, and you will have everything, and more, that you have ever dreamed of in your short time on Earth."

"Wow! If it's true what you say, I'll be the first man on the planet to know what we get beyond death! But can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead, but I don't think I'll be able to answer it."

"I just want to know how you guys travel through space; can you tell me?".

"All I can tell you is that we use space-time conduits. Some of you have come close to it, but your Earth matter ended first; others, try to go around it. The explanation is simple, and the answer lies in

your nature: every day you are in contact with this space-time conduit, however, you are not allowed to understand the process in order to put it into practice as you please".

"I get it, you are referring to Einstein and, after death, there is no going back," Elio interrupted him.

"Listen: that's all I can tell you; I was tasked with observing you and choosing a person at the behest of the Supreme. That person is you. You will have a great responsibility. If you accept, you will be equipped with a high-powered technological spacecraft that will make you invincible during your mission and you will travel the world to unearth the evil that is afflicting humanity. It will be easy for you to detect and counter it, thanks to the power I will give you through the spacecraft. We already know of your moral qualities; you have a good chance of remaining that way. What you are is the essence needed to succeed in your mission as a simple, ordinary earthling. Have faith. If you accept, I will provide you with proof of me. All you have to do is follow me, you will be convinced.

Incredulous, Helium listened to the man who managed to confuse him. He had never been a dreamer, but, struck by his words, he felt involved and decided to follow him. They set off.

Near a forest, not far from his enclosure, Hermes astonished him the most. A vehicle the size of a caravan with the appearance of a tank appeared.

"How did you get up here in this heavy vehicle? The place is not suitable for transit," said Helium.

"This is nothing, get ready," replied Hermes.

The mighty vehicle suddenly turned into a majestic helicopter.

Helium opened his eyes wide and stepped back.

"But... did he drug me without my noticing, or is this really from another planet?"

"Do you see it? It's called TR-4B. If you want, you can sympathetically call her Caravel. She will take you wherever you want, you can interact with her, and you will be amazed when you see what she can do. And only for you.

He touched his forehead, and, for the first time, Elio was speechless. Then, looking more and more bewildered, he asked:

"But who are you, God? And you have chosen me...".

"I am not your God! He is far greater than I and anyone else, even the Supreme, the one who sent me to you. But I repeat, I have the task of giving you a chance to save planet Earth from Evil. This will be your great task.

Hermes explained that, in the distant past, they made other similar interventions, but those peoples were too far behind, evolutionarily speaking, and failed to pass on the right meaning to the generations. Only pyramids remained, he explained.

Then, he added: "After another intervention, the peoples were able to pass on the message of peace into the future."

He merely stated that Man, from the 20th century onwards, triggered the hourglass of Earth's destruction. He reported nothing more to Helium but, seeing him lost in his gaze, going against his principles, he gave him a clue for his mission.

"Know that, on Earth, there are mortals who have respect for nature and would like to live it peacefully, while others oppose it with chemical weapons, climate and bacteriological experiments, and proliferation of viruses and wars. Whether Good or Evil will win, that will always depend on you, on your short passage on your Earth."

Helium felt a chill; only then did he begin to conceive the idea that he was dealing with someone special. He did not even have time to give himself an explanation: shaking his head, he decided to postpone his thoughts until later. Was it reality or was it a hallucination? On instinct, he decided to agree.

'Look, I'm in, but can you tell me how I'm going to put fuel on this Caravel? From the size of it I think it consumes a shitload!

Besides, how am I going to get around the world without money or fuel?"

"You don't have to worry about that. The Caravel doesn't need refuelling because it doesn't use combustion, it is itself that reproduces energy through various magnetic thrusters that convert it into electricity. You may be able to fly, but of one thing I must warn you: when you transform it into an aircraft, a vessel or vice versa,

you must not let anyone see you. If that happened, it would compromise your mission and the safety of your planet. No one must know about your mission, no one except you. You see, the reason is simple: you are not prepared for this technology, you are not prepared for extraterrestrials. If you were to provide proof of our existence, chaos would ensue and there would be no hope for Earth. Do you understand now?"

"Yes, yes, I understand. If it's true what you say, it's only fair that we don't know, we'd all go into a tailspin."

"We, from up there, are rooting for you. By the will of the Supreme, we are not allowed to see in advance the outcome of your mission or what you will do to keep the planet alive. As for the money, you tell me what the consistency must be, for this detail has escaped me."

"He was able to make a spaceship appear before my eyes; he will also be capable of who knows how many other things! If I'm dreaming, then... we'll see."

For the first time in his life, he felt so involved that he could dream of mountains of money and beautiful women. He wanted to shoot his mouth off, adopting a strategy.

"Money is made by working, but it is for living, not for saving the world. If I have to go to different countries around the world, I need a lot of money, and my modest job does not allow me to meet expenses beyond family needs."

"Are there other methods?" answered Hermes.

This is where Helium wanted to take him, with his moderate shamelessness.

"Yes, of course! There are lotteries, the football pools, and many other bets. These are the other methods of making money, and if you win you become a millionaire'.

"I'm interested, when is the next bet?" asked Hermes.

"Every week, you can participate in many millionaire bets, even more than one a week!"

"Choose the name of the game and see you in a week."

Helium became electrified. "Ah! For that, you're spoilt for choice, anyway, I'll show you one of the many betting companies."

He took out his mobile phone, and enthusiastically showed him several apps. "See, football, lotteries, lotto numbers... There's one that pays a fortune if you get one of the many number combinations right. It's not easy, you know, to guess them out of the thousands of combinations!"

"What are the combinations for?" asked Hermes.

"To have a better chance of winning. All you have to do is get five or six numbers right, and you become filthy rich."

"I see, very interesting! You've simplified everything for me, it's no problem for me to guess the next winning numbers, and since I understand that you'll need money for your mission, I can do it, it's

all about betting, I see no harm in it. In the game, you win, and you lose, so, you will win and others won't. Nothing supernatural'.

"Absolutely not, nothing supernatural, many win," Helium replied, his eyes shining. He hoped he was awake, that it was not all the result of a strange trick of his mind.

"So," said Hermes, "tell me the name of the game you want to bet on, and you will win for the mission."

Confused among the many valid bets to play on, he finally decided to bet on the superenalotto game, and informed him that the nearest draw would be Saturday at 8pm.

"Good," he said, after taking note of Helium's wishes. "These numbers will come out: play them. Then, you will leave on your mission. No one will be able to tell you what to do. Everything will depend only on you. Bye, Helium, I will see you soon. He turned his back and disappeared with his ship. Helium, after making a confused note of the numbers received on his mobile phone, looked up and no longer saw Hermes.

"How did he disappear?"

He looked for him, looked around... but nothing, he had disappeared without giving Helium time to understand what he was alluding to. He decided to walk home at a brisk pace, with a thousand thoughts, but with one goal in mind: to throw fresh water on himself. Finally, home, the feeling of water gliding over his skin was confirmation that he had not been daydreaming.

At lunchtime, he sat down at the table with his father, his mother and little Matilde, who looked at her big brother for attention.

His own silence weighed on him. Feeling watched, he tried to hide his emotions, but his mother's voice interrupted his turmoil.

"If it were not for your father, the sheep would have had nothing to eat today. What did you do this morning?"

"Nothing, mother. Unfortunately, a friend arrived who had a problem with his computer, so, I went to his house. I thought I would do it right away, but I lost time. I promise it won't happen again."

"It's not a disaster that you left, but at least you could have said so."

His mother's voice comforted him. He didn't need any more confirmation: something inexplicable had happened to him, and he couldn't wait to go and play those numbers in the superenalotto game. He finished his lunch with shaking legs, gave his sister a kiss and prepared to leave the house, but then changed his mind: he lay down on the bed and thought about what had happened. Emotion enveloped him and he felt exhausted, as if he had just returned from a day of intense work. He tossed and turned in bed without being able to rest, he went to the bathroom several times... then he realised that there would be time for bed: it was time for him to go out and play those numbers.

He took the family car, instead of the bicycle, and went to play them at a distant betting shop, so that no one would recognise him.

Finally, after fifty kilometres, he double-parked, handed over the numbers with excitement running high and, managing to hide his fervour, paid the two euros for the bet to the tobacconist and carefully kept the receipt.

In the three days before the draw, many certainties and a thousand doubts invaded his mind. He went to the place several times and sought contact with that individual, but nothing. Finally, the long-awaited Saturday arrived, the day of the draw. 8 p.m. was approaching, and his self-restraint was of no use: he began to tremble.

"I must calm down".

He listened to music, but his mind was elsewhere, and the minutes seemed never to pass. He picked up the mobile phone.

"Mum, I'm going to be a little late tonight, I think after nine o'clock".

She turned everything off suddenly: Internet connection, mobile phone, Android car radio and let the time pass.

The darkness was advancing; he got out of the car to take a leak next to a tree, then got back in, turned on the stereo and checked the draw: to his amazement, he realised that he had won! Incredulous,

he made sure that the piece of paper in his hand had been stamped, but everything was in his favour: he just had to collect his millionaire's winnings. He took his face in his hands; suddenly, he felt exhausted. He was exhausted, happy and without strength, as after an orgasm. He began to think about the future, about his sister Matilda, about his parents.

He hurried home, trying to figure out what to say to his parents, and vowed to himself to find the strength not to reveal anything of what had happened.

Arriving home, Elio opened the door and greeted Matilde. As usual, his mother was there waiting for him with dinner ready, covered by a tablecloth. She had no appetite, but started nibbling anyway, just to make something.

At one point, he said to her: 'You know, Mum, I have a chance to join a group of American engineers employed by a rich entrepreneur. He will pay us handsomely if we work for him. It won't be forever, but it's good to start. One month's pay will be equal to ten years' pay for an average salaryman living in Italy."

"That's wonderful!" mum replied, hugging him.

Matilde also rejoiced, jumping on her big brother. Despite her thirteen years of age, she was aware of her parents' financial conditions, which is why she never demanded anything frivolous; on the contrary, she always helped her mother look for used books on the internet for school.

"I knew you were going to be someone, in your field, and I'm glad to see you accomplished. Now, I understand that strange air you've been wearing for a while," Mom said.

'You know how these things go: as you taught me, you don't sell the skin of the bear, before you've killed it, and so I preferred to keep it quiet, but... yes, there was already something in the air. Now that I am sure, I am happy to give you this news."

"Peppino, come down!" the woman shouted to her husband. As she continued calling him, she started to climb the wooden stairs; the sound her hooves made was reminiscent of a drum roll in celebration. Beaming with joy, she woke her husband and told him the news.

He leapt out of bed and descended the stairs as fast as he could; he wanted to hear the good news directly from his son, then said:

'Elio, you are a deserving boy, no one knows your worth better than we do. I hope this is the beginning of a long career, and I bet that one day people will talk about you. You see, I have remained a farmer because life has not given me time to realise otherwise.

When I married your mother, we were very young, and you were already in her belly.

Our youth ended that hot summer evening in 1984, when we danced our last slow dance, and we still remain attached to that song that united us: 'Mandy'. We listened to it all the time, even

without understanding the words. Sorry, I got carried away... with that, I want to tell you that I wouldn't go back. Your mother and I are very close, and you, you filled our existence. I'm telling you this not because you're my son, but because I recognise how valuable you are, so when you have to go, don't think about us, you've done enough already. We will be fine."

"Dad, I... I know all about you and Grandpa's silk shirt, which you still keep! It was hard, but you managed to carry on with dignity and courage. What I have told you is only a half-truth because I don't know how it will end, but I guarantee that from now on, your life will take a real turn for the better. I have already thought of everything, I will take an advance and send you money to pay a helper. I will leave as soon as I receive an e-mail that I am waiting for."

"When you have to go, go quietly, don't think about the rest,"

said Mum, her eyes still shining.

The next day, Sunday, the 1 p.m. news reported the news of the superenalotto win. Helium was having lunch with his loved ones.

"It's two hundred million euro, the winnings realised in Messina with a two-euro bet. It has been over two years since the last millionaire win".

"But what do they have to do with all that money?" exclaimed Elio's mother.

He barely kept his silence. Electrified, he continued eating the baked pasta, then took a sip of wine. His gaze was fixed on little Matilde; he seemed to be making a promise to himself.

The next ten days were happy ones for Helium: he went to a notary in Palermo, about two hundred kilometres from his home; he opened a bank account in Palermo; and he bought a red and white bicycle for Matilde. When he saw it, complete with a pink bow inside the cellophane, he hugged his big brother and, after two laps, took it to his room and put it next to his bed.

In the village, Helium continued to behave normally. After about twenty days, he began to lose hope: "What if that man had had second thoughts? Perhaps, he no longer needed him.

It was not so, in fact, the next morning, while he was busy shepherding sheep milk, a voice caught his attention.

"Do you know that you can no longer play the same bet?"

Hermes asked him in a quiet voice.

"Welcome back," Helium replied. "I don't know how to thank you for what you did for me."

"It is I who must thank you first. What I did for you is part of the evil of humanity, and you managed your emotions well by just buying a bicycle. Others, in your place, would have used money to

gain power. Not everyone knows how to handle such earthly privileges."

"I am a humble person, and I promise that I will not fail in the task you intend to entrust me with. However, could you give me more numbers for next Saturday?"

"No, you would attract attention. Also, you will no longer be called just Helium, but should the need arise to make other bets, you will have a different name, I will provide you with all the necessary documents. Now, I will explain to you the details I left out before'.

Hermes sat down on a stone in the shade and invited Helium to do the same; he explained that, thanks to his power, he would be able to live anywhere in the world without arousing suspicion.

"These are your documents: passports, identity cards, property contracts for every house and keys. You, for the locals, are 'one of them', you have always lived in the countries where I gave you residence, they will know you. It is up to you to behave as if you have always lived in the various places”.

Helium looked into Hermes' eyes with the desire not to disappoint him. He caught in his gaze a promise of commitment. He saw him ready, but warned him: "If you fail, the Caravel will be immediately destroyed. As you know, it cannot fall into the hands of the military, even the good ones."

"If they steal it from me?"

"Impossible, you will figure it out for yourself."

"I thought it over and realised that you won't be able to interfere to give me support... I don't know where to start," Helium replied.

"We are the ones who are asking you for help, you cannot ask others. You will have what you need to do. Do you understand the concept?"

"Yes."

Hermes was satisfied, convinced that Helios was the right mortal to change the fate of the planet. He took him back into the woods. Inside the spacecraft, Elio came face to face with high-tech instrumentation. He also marvelled at the practical furnishings, ready to meet the needs of a human. He noticed a washing machine, a retractable kitchen, a large bed, and utensils for every eventuality.

‘Who are we? Are there others like us? It is fortunate that we do not know of the existence of such powerful individuals, it is already difficult to live in peace among ourselves, let alone...'.

He roused himself from those thoughts; he knew he had a very important mission: to bring Goodness back to Earth.

HELIUM'S JOURNEY

That morning seemed to be like any other, but not for Helium.

He said goodbye to his parents, while little Matilde could not stop crying. Her only consolation was the playstation that her big brother would give her.

Some friends offered to accompany him to the train station; he took the train and got off at the next station, as arranged with Hermes. He took with him a good supply of cash and a strange contraption that Hermes had given him.

He exited the railway station, and, among the parked cars, he saw a silver and gold caravan. He looked around for Hermes, but, not seeing him, he activated the opening control by means of that strange object, pulled a handle and, in front of him, a mirror cylinder appeared. The time had come to board.

He sat down at the wheel and his Caravel set off without him doing anything. He felt some tension mixed with fear, but tried to relax: he had to trust Hermes; everything corresponded to his instructions. From now on, however, he would be alone.

After about five hours, he decided to stop at a large supermarket.

He bought clothes and everything he needed to live on, with the pleasant feeling he had never experienced before of spending without regard.

He waited for the night by the sea, far from prying eyes; suddenly, the Caravella set off on its own and plunged into the dark waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and disappeared into the mystery of the depths of the sea. Helios did nothing to turn the Caravel into a vessel, for as soon as it touched the water of the sea, it took the form of a giant missile. Hermes had thought of everything.

The vessel crossed the underwater mountains with impressive speed, Helium was almost breathless, as if he were on a rollercoaster, although he saw nothing, as he could not turn on his headlights. After an hour, his hands were aching from gripping the steering wheel. Finally, the rocket slowed down and emerged in the middle of the sea; he heard the roar of water sliding off the vessel's sides.

The Caravel floated for a while at the mercy of the sea as if it were thinking, but then took on the shape of a huge black triangular aircraft.

Its flight lasted as long as the blink of an eye: it was still dark when it landed in the desert of Iran. On the spot, the Caravel transformed again: it became a fearsome sand-coloured rubberized tank, of the type used by the military, only slightly larger. Helium noticed nothing; only in the darkness of the desert did he begin to realise how much the Caravel could help him in his mission. He

also realised that he had tasted the privilege of the space-time duct.

“Why am I in Iran?”.

This question soon left him; he set to work practising the powerful machine until late in the morning, still full of amazement at its potential; he felt symbiotic with it.

“The Caravel and I are one, a single person”.

After this thought, he was a little scared.

'Who am I? Who have I been, in the past, to deserve the fate of the world?’.

Helium was not slow to realise that his task would also be to dose these powers well so as not to look like an alien in everyone's eyes. He had to be able to reconcile the sacred and the profane when necessary.

For each citizenship he acquired by the will of Hermes, he raised a flag, including the European one, and set off in his Caravel under the desert sun, continuing to ponder. After a while, his mind cleared and he wished to himself that he could persuade evil by converting it into good, even to moderate effect. He gave the first order to the Caravel, and this time it was not for practice.

Something had triggered in Helium's mind.

"I want to hear any telephone conversation between the President of the United States and the head of the Secret Service.

A celestial light flashed on the control panel, then a metallic voice answered: "The president is being intercepted, but he is talking to his daughter. To obtain the requested dialogue, you must wait until they talk to each other".

After an hour, he heard another announcement and immediately realised that he had the president of the United States live! He listened to the conversation with astonished attention. There was talk of an armed plot against America by Iranian terrorists with military bases in the city of Shiraz. From the conversation, it emerged that the Jihadists would recruit more martyrs, and, in the afternoon, Islamic leaders would travel to Hamadan to convince them to make the ultimate sacrifice. This was enough for him: he immediately set off and decided to travel to Hamadan in his ship.

That very afternoon he passed through that city with the flags on the Caravel, including that of Iran. He stopped in the square, in the middle of an anti-government protest, and, with the help of a translator, spoke from the inside. His voice was instantly translated into the local language, and through powerful loudspeakers, he told them: 'People of Hamadan! I am the new Prophet. Much confusion has been made over the years! The true message of Allah is peace, not war. Do not believe those who expose you to war against other countries or to extreme sacrifice! This is a lie! Those who tell you otherwise have power interests!

There is only one God, you are free to pray and express gratitude to your God without anyone interfering with your ideas.

The purpose of my visit is to remind you that you are free, not submissive. This is the correct interpretation of your religion.

The people scattered, believing there would be an attack soon.

Then, little by little, they drew closer. Helium saw the faces contracted in fear. A man in civilian clothes came forward. He was carrying a shoulder-fired missile, ready to shoot down the Caravel, but suddenly the man dematerialised and disappeared. On the ground, only his weapons remained.

The Caravel slowly moved away, no one dared approach it again. Before he could leave the city, a small army, led by a high-ranking military officer, stopped him. Helium identified him by his powerful instruments: he was a man who had been sowing death and destruction for years. A true leader dedicated to evil. He decided not to kill him so as not to give his people reason to unite and take revenge against the West and decided on another strategy: with a tractor beam, he drew him towards himself and made him bend over in prayer.

Through the loudspeakers, he said: "I want you to sow peace, not war. Do not exploit your people for your own insane purposes of power, deluding them that it is the will of who knows what God!

You, now, should die a martyr's death, as you have always

preached, but you will not, so withdraw your men or you will die a fool's death first.

The man stood up trembling, not even realising his involuntary submission. His terror was clear for all to see. He ordered his men to let that tank pass. The high-ranking officer did not sacrifice himself at the behest of Allah, as he had always boasted, but preferred his life. By his action, refusing a martyr's death, he set an unmistakable example to his soldiers, who were hoping for an attack.

Helium travelled through other villages of all religions, preached to them to continue to love their God in peace, inviting them not to impose their religious convictions on others. He impressed the faithful and told them that every human being should be free to believe what he or she wants to believe.

Word spread quickly: a new Muhammad had come with the purpose of uniting peoples. Fundamentalist and autonomous Jihad leaders could no longer get new recruits. Those already radicalised began to reconsider. The first internal