43. Motto

Inspector Ramon was confused, it was the first time he encountered someone whose fingerprints were not in the universal database. The measely chap in the interrogation was looking weird with his old film camera. From the footage from the party he had gatecrashed, it was clear he didn’t know difference between Claypot for Biriyani and a finger bowl. But one who’s outside biometrics database? That was stuff of pre-Modi era, not in 2050.

Ramon looked at the torn gift parcel ceased. Camera footage showed the suspect was escaping the party with the stolen gift

The suspect was looking at his watch hand very frequently, like he was late for something, but the weird part was he didn’t have a watch.

Ramon entered the interrogation chamber. “Inspector Ramon, Welcome. You can call me Goku” greeted the suspect with a smile.

Ramon was taken aback that he knew his name. “Sorry for putting you into discomfort, I forgot to switch off my conversation assist” he twitched his eyes, like he was trying to turn off something.

“So what gave me up? I should have paid more attention to my Behavioral History classes” Goku continued

“You look like an odd ball, don’t you know?” Ramon tried to act normal.

“It was my table habits right? I forgot that you guys don’t use finger bowl before food” he intervened

“And your camera, who uses a film camera nowadays?” Ramon said

“Am not able to distinguish between your devices. All of’em look same to me.” He said “If you come to our party with a gadget you’ll be mocked ‘who uses a device nowadays’”

Ramon had it enough “No more fun stuff, what were you doing in Minister Rohan’s party?” he questioned

“It was his son’s birthday” Goku answered

“He’s eight years old, Am sure you are not his bench mate”

“Definitely not, he’s our Premier” replied Goku

“You really want me to believe that you are from future and Rohan’s son is the Premier of your country?” asked Ramon

“Our country, Mr.Ramon. He’s our country’s Premier since 2081, for the past 15 years” said Goku  

“Assuming what you say is true, do you expect me to believe that you came here just to click a selfie with him and steel a souveneir?”

“Never, he’s a mass murderer, and time travel is not yet so common place, it’s still in research phase” said Goku. “I want to change our past for the good”

“By stealing a gift that’s of no use?”

“The photo frame quote presented by Premier’s uncle became his motto ‘For the Greater Good’” said Goku

“So is this like an iteration? You change a small thing each time; see how your time has changed, until you get desired result.” Ramon questioned

“Unfortunately no. You can’t travel time more than once, you actually die within hours of time travel” said Goku

“So how many hours you’re left with?”

“Minutes” replied Goku

“Then why not just kill him?”

“What’s the difference between him and me? If killing thousands for good of millions is wrong, killing one for good of thousands is equally wrong,” said Goku

Ramon got a call from forensics “That weirdo had swapped the gift, nothing harmful, it’s a photo frame with a quote” a detective informed.

Ramon heard a ‘poof’. He turned to find Goku disappear in front of his eyes.

Startled, he asked the detective on call “What was the quote?”

The detective replied “Every Individual counts”