Story # 3.11: Escape to the Fleece Part 2, The Visitor

 

Footsteps echoed through the corridors of the Fleece as a group of people walked past the same security guard station as Pat and the others did just a few hours earlier. On the television, an episode of E.T.s of Antiquity was on, showing images of alien beings depicted on ancient ruins from millennia earlier. The host, a mid-80s former movie star Willem Thatcher, narrated the show, posing whether we would ever truly want to meet an alien.

The group entered the control room of the Fleece, prompting all of the technicians to stand up and face them. The lead person stopped the group and spoke to all the technicians.

"We are with GASON. Where is Pat?"

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

No one in the Artifact Room could move. They could barely breathe. The shock of seeing a being materialize from seemingly nothing was staggering. Only Pat didn't seem surprised. The rest were quite humbled.

Jay and Linda stared at the figure, unsure what to say.

The armed soldiers stood ready in case they needed to open fire. None were sure firing on this being would be of any use.

The being stood before them, towering from the platform of the orb. The orb was now dimmed, revealing the being more fully. The being stood roughly seven feet tall, had large, broad shoulders, and a muscular-looking build. But the form of the being kept phasing in and out. The voice was what shocked them the most. It was mechanical, borderline artificial sounding, but with a deep baritone that made it distinct. When the being spoke, it shook you to your soul, echoing through the chamber. The being stood there, waiting patiently for someone to respond.

"Welcome," Pat said with a customary smile.

The being said nothing in reply.

"What are you?" Jay asked.

For a moment, the being did not speak; it just kept phasing in and out. Finally, it spoke.

"I am what I am."

"What, like God?" Larry asked.

"If you say so," the being replied.

Jay moved away from Linda towards the being. She reached for Jay, trying to stop him, but Jay reassured her and continued forward.

"Why did you come here?" Jay asked.

The being did not answer right away. It stood there, arms hoisted some to the sides, in a defensive posture.

"To reveal the truth."

"What is truth?" asked Pat.

"Yeah, you would ask that wouldn't you?" Linda replied, glaring at Pat.

Pat looked back at her and smiled. Linda looked away, back to Jay and the being.

"Let those who have an ear hear the words I am saying now. I will answer any questions you have, provided they all come from the one who has approached me. Any others responding will be dealt with swiftly and harshly," the being replied.

The person the being was referring to was Jay, who had approached him. No one argued, not even Pat.

"What truth are you going to reveal?"'

"The truth of your world."

"Pat has already told me about this world. What else is there to know?"

"Much more."

Jay thought momentarily, "I've been shifting between realities in my dreams. Are you the cause of that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it was necessary."

"Will it always be necessary?"

"No. Are these the questions you really want to ask?"

"Where do you come from?"

"From a place beyond your comprehension. I have assumed this form because you would never understand my true appearance. That's why I am what I am."

"Do you have a name?"

"Rapha."

"Then welcome, Rapha."

Rapha began moving off the platform and stepping down toward Jay. This movement prompted all the soldiers to take several steps back. Larry, Dr. Blake, Dana, and Linda all moved back. Pat, Britton, and Rob stood firm in their locations. Jay remained where he was, looking up at the being.

Rapha stopped two feet in front of Jay. The being towered over Jay, who was of average height for a human male.

As Jay and Rapha looked at one another, the doors to the Artifact Room opened again. The GASON group walked in with some of the technicians and more guards. When they came around the corner and saw Rapha, they all stopped.

"You said you are here to reveal the truth. Are you going to conquer us as well?" Jay asked.

Rapha did not respond right away. The being stood there phasing some more and finally spoke, "Not all visitors are conquerors. Only your world has ever done that."

"So what then? Are you here to destroy us?"

"If it is necessary."

That remark sent a cold chill through everyone in the room. It was all Britton could stand. She was breathing heavily and becoming eradict. She held up her gun and aimed it at the being. This action caught Rapha's eye. Pat tried to motion for Britton to stop, but it was too late. Rapha was already making a move.

Before Britton could speak, Rapha had taken her ability away. Before Britton could pull the trigger of the gun, Rapha had dismembered the fingers of her hand holding it. Before Britton could scream, Rapha dematerialized her body in bits and pieces, sending them plunging into the orb to an unknown destination. Britton was no more, and Rapha dispatched her quickly.

Jay couldn't believe what he just saw. He moved back slightly from Rapha, who now took notice of him.

"I warned you, only you can respond."

"Did you kill her?"

"She was not a being like you."

"What does that mean?"

"Some of you have been recreated after death. That is not a natural process for your beings. They are easy to find. They will be eliminated when necessary. I will commit no more harm to anyone else, provided you maintain the rules I have laid out."

"So, what is the truth you want to reveal?"

"There are many truths to reveal about your world. But the first one is that we are not your adversary."

"Then who is Rapha?"

"Your adversary stands there."

With that statement, Rapha pointed to the right and looked in that direction. The being was pointing directly at Pat.

With Rapha still pointing, the armed guards raised their weapons and aimed at Pat. The leader of the GASON group looked on and began to smirk. Linda approached Jay and looked on at Pat. Rob turned to face Pat. The whole group was fixated on him.

As Pat stood there, watching what was happening before him, his smile was finally gone. He stood there and said the only thing he could think of at the time.

 "Great."

Story # 3.10: Escape to the Fleece Part 1

 

A group of individuals walked through the corridors of the Fleece, determined in their gaits. As they passed by one security guard, the guard jumped to their feet and watched them pass by. The guard had been watching television before the group walked through. The television showed a documentary about the Sahara Savannah, a lush, green region occupying the northern parts of the Mauritan continent. In what was once known as Africa, the area known as Egypt, now called Alexandria, showed the metropolis of Ramses, formerly Cairo. The ancient Egyptian pyramids were even more in ruins now than the prior civilization of Anderson, SC. Much of the structures collapsed, with the Sphinx head gone and the body overgrown by vegetation. Twelve thousand years had eroded the once grand structures. But that was also due to the civilization's restart after the Zombie Apocalypse. Now, it was time to deal with the situation at hand.

The individuals walking through the corridor were Pat, Jay with Britton still being held hostage, Larry, Dr. Blake, Dana, Mike, Seth, and at least fifty armed soldiers surrounding them all as they progressed towards the Artifact Room. Jay watched Pat closely, not trusting anything he said, even more so now that he discovered Britton. Britton was calm but unnerved at what would happen next. Pat had strong intent in his eyes as he took the group down into the bowels of the Fleece. He pulled out his radio and contacted the control room.

"We will be at the Artifact Room in 5 minutes. Stand by."

The technicians were at a loss in the control room for what to do. GASON was on its way, Pat needed to be apprehended, along with Dr. Trent, and somehow, they had to stop the zombies in the Anderson, SC universe from destroying Linda Trent before it was too late. One technician picked up the radio and replied, "Affirmative. Standing by."

"What are you doing?" another technician asked.

"Let's corner them down there in the Artifact Room. We can seal them off from the rest of the Fleece until GASON arrives."

"Good plan. Now, how will we get that guy's wife back here?"

"I'm working on it."

Then the consoles lit up in the control room. Another power surge formed from the orb, this time much more intense than previous surges. The technicians were now concerned that the Fleece itself was in jeopardy.

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

Linda and Rob were running for their lives. The zombies were pouring into the power station, walking, running, crawling if they had to. The creatures moved like a flood, filling every crevice Linda and Rob passed by en route to the main containment buildings for the nuclear facility.

"Don't look back, lady!"

Rob didn't need to tell Linda twice. She tried to run when she could, having even run half marathons before, but the recent events with Jay left her unable to practice. However, when death is chasing you, that's all the motivation you need to run faster.

The corridors were tight and winding as Linda and Rob ducked around each corner as fast as they could. The horde was gaining quickly, ripping down parts of the walls in their wake. In a long stretch of corridor, Linda and Rob entered; a strong metal door resided at the end. Linda and Rob kicked it into overdrive to make it to the door before the horde overcame them. The horde also picked up pace, only feet away from catching them, before Linda and Rob shot through the doorway and closed the large door.

Before the door completely closed, however, one zombie got an arm through, keeping the door from closing. This action allowed another and another arm, leg, and head to push through the crack as the increasing weight of the horde was pushing against Linda and Rob, trying to close the door behind them. 

"We can't hold this for long!"

Rob yelled as he pushed against the door with all his strength. Linda was pushing with all her might, too, but it was getting harder and harder with each second. Soon, the door would burst open, and zombies would overwhelm them. 

"I can't...keep...pushing..." Linda said through gasping breaths and strains, trying to keep the door from coming back open. But it was too late. The zombie horde had piled up so much, with so much weight and bodies, it was only a matter of time before the door ripped off its hinges. Linda and Rob would have to stop pushing and hope for the best or die when the door collapsed with all the zombies on top of it.

Rob looked at Linda, and she looked back at him.

"Thanks for caring, Mrs. Trent."

A tear ran down Linda's cheek, "Thanks for trying to get me home, Rob."

With that, they both let go of the door and darted away from the area. The door burst open, ripping off the hinges. The zombies poured into the containment room. Linda fell to the ground as Rob tried to run away from there with her. Rob was ahead of her but stopped when he saw her fall. He rushed over to her, lay beside her, and embraced her. The zombies took notice of them quickly and darted toward them both. As Linda and Rob embraced, lying on the floor, they closed their eyes and waited for whatever happened next.

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

In the control room of the Fleece, the technicians attempted to stop the zombies but were having a hard time accessing the cancellation program. For whatever reason, the connection was severed. Nothing he pressed seemed to be working.

"Can you stop them?" asked the female technician.

"I can't. It won't override."

Finally, the screens showed the zombies were put in calm mode, but not because of anything the technician attempted. The male technician kept pushing buttons, tapping screens, flipping switches, and trying anything to override the zombies.

"Look, on the screen. They've entered calm mode. You did it!" said the female technician.

"I did?"

They both looked at each other and then back at the screen.

"What sequence did you use?"

The male technician looked back at her, "Panic? I don't know. I didn't stop anything. I was just pressing buttons because nothing worked."

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

Back at the Oconee Nuclear Station, the zombies had stopped. Mere inches from grasping hold of Linda and Rob, the zombies stopped their pursuit, with many lying down flat or standing back up straight, staring off into the distance.

Linda and Rob were still lying there, embraced on the floor with their eyes closed. Rob opened one eye to see the Zombies had all stopped. Then, both opened their eyes, released their guard, and embraced as they stood to their feet, looking at the massive horde directly before them. Linda and Rob began to chuckle as they looked at each other and laughed. Finally, yells of joy came from both of them, knowing the horde had been stopped and they were safe, at least for the moment.

"Someone is looking out for us," Rob said.

"Thank you, Jay," Linda said, smiling.

"How do you know it was Jay?"

"I had to be. There's no other way."

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

The doors to the Artifact Room opened wide for the whole party to enter. Jay saw the massive doors open and chuckled.

"You didn't want us to just walk through it, Pat?"

Pat looked back at Jay, "Not everyone is like you or me, Jay. Let's keep moving."

The group made their way through the chamber. Dr. Blake, Larry, Dana and the others were in awe of what was in front of them. These relics and things they had never seen before were all around them. The head of the Sphinx. A full pyramid from China. Rocks from the Eye of the Sahara. So many things were there from ancient history, but it was only the tip of the iceberg.

Next, they saw cars, planes, and ships they had never seen before or seemed all too familiar. The remains of a rotted, destroyed vessel were sitting there with a pulsating light originating from it headed toward the orb. This ship's name could still be seen slightly through the worn-down paint reading TITANIC, having been raised from the ocean depths some time ago.

The group passed by other artifacts, some from biblical history now. The Ark of the Covenant was clearly seen. Part of the temple wall was standing nearby. The rock from inside the Dome of the Rock was there. More parts of Gobecli Tepe were seen, glowing like the pulsating lights in the cords lining everything. The orb shone more intensely as the group approached it with more sophisticated relics nearby.

A computer system that appeared highly progressively advanced was near the orb but wasn't powering it. It was connected by the cables and cords as well, but it was not functional. The computer system looked years more advanced than today's technology by hundreds of years. There were other futuristic-looking devices near the orb, but one showed a name. It was shaped like a Christmas tree, with multiple pulsating lights and a cord connected to it that was connected to the orb. The name of the device was the Time Displacement Accelerator or TDA.

Pat stopped the group a hundred feet from the orb. The light was so intense it was hard to see. The orb was truly as luminous as a star in this enclosed environment below the confines of the Fleece.

"This is as close as we will get," said Pat.

"Ok, so how do we get my wife back?" Jay asked.

Pat turned to face Jay and moved into a position where both men didn't have to shield their eyes.

"That's up to you, Jay."

"What are you talking about, Pat?"

"You're the only one that can bring her back. You did it before with the zombie. Why couldn't you now?"

"I don't even know how I did that. Come on, Pat, you know you have a way to send people there and bring them back. Now, do it already!"

Pat smiled, "No."

"What do you mean, no, Pat? Do it, or she dies."

Pat buried his pistol into Britton's head, causing her to grimace. The guards hoisted up their weapons, aiming them at Jay.

"Eh, go ahead."

Britton couldn't believe what Pat just said.

"Dude, don't do this," Larry said to Jay.

"He's forcing me to have to. I'm warning you, Pat. No more games."

Jay cocked the trigger on the gun. Britton closed her eyes.

Mike and Seth both get out their guns and aim them at Jay.

Pat stood there smiling at Jay.

Jay glared back.

"Come on, Jay. show me."

Pat stood there with a maniacal smile, tilting his head slightly as he stared at Jay.

This look was the most terrifying one Jay had ever seen from Pat. The look sent a chill down Jay's spine. He finally spoke, "I'm going to count to three."

Pat stood there, unphased.

Jay spoke aloud, "One..."

The guards ready their rifles.

"Two..."

Mike and Seth cocked their guns. Pat was still unphased.

Jay looked intently at Pat; his eyes widened, and he was nervous about what he would be forced to do. Pat could hear Jay's thoughts, as Jay couldn't believe Pat would let Britton die. But Jay and Pat both knew Jay would never pull the trigger.

Jay couldn't do it. He couldn't say three and pull the trigger. He knew Pat wanted him to. So, Jay lowered the gun and eased his grip on Britton.

Britton opened her eyes; some tears had welled up, and she sensed Jay releasing his grip. She grabbed Jay's gun and darted away from him. She turned to face him and aimed the gun at him, standing beside Pat.

Pat laughed and said, "What did I tell you, Britton. He's not so special after all."

Britton smiled, still aiming the gun at Jay.

Jay stood there defeated and awaited whatever would be. He had let down Linda, his family, everything. He did something he never thought he was capable of, threatening another human being with murderous intent. He looked down the barrel at Britton, who was clearly unhappy with him. This might very well be the end for Jay.

"Shoot him, Britton. Shoot him now," Pat said.

With that, Britton pulled the trigger.

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

At the Oconee Nuclear Station, a light began to form behind Linda and Rob near the old reactor. The leftover fuel rods had been sealed, but the light was siphoning energy from the old rods. This siphoning was heating up the rods exponentially at the same time.

Linda turned around, "What is that?"

She put her hand in front of her face to block the ever-growing light from her eyes.

"I think that might be our way home. Your way home, I mean."

"Jay!"

Linda believed Jay had figured out a way to bring her home. The light was getting more intense as more and more energy was absorbed from the fuel rods.

"You're coming with me, Rob."

Rob looked at Linda and smiled. He liked that gesture. Then Rob noticed the increasing heat coming off the old fuel rod location. The area was beginning to glow orange from the heat.

"We better get out of here now!"

Rob pointed to the area past the orb forming. Linda saw the area was now red hot. What neither knew is that the fuel rods were not just heating to the melting point. They were going to explode in a nuclear reaction, essentially a nuclear bomb. They would both be disintegrated soon.

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

The orb in the Artifact Room began pulsating. All of the other artifact cords began pulsating faster. The pulsations were growing in intensity. Pat and the group did not notice the intensity immediately, but the pulsation did one thing no one expected. The bullet fired at Jay stopped inches from his head. The pulsations had triggered a cascading effect, pulling on the fabric of everything in the room, including objects and people. The bullet fell harmlessly to the ground. Britton watched it fall and then looked back up at Jay, a shocked look on her face. Jay just stared back at her and Pat. Then, the orb's light brightens intensely, blindingly. The guards, Mike and Seth, all lowered their weapons to hold up a hand to cover their eyes. Pat just turned towards the light and stared at it as Britton shielded herself. Jay shielded his eyes and tried to look in that direction but to no avail. They couldn't see what was about to happen.

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

The fuel rods were becoming critical at the station. Rob focused back on the orb and saw an opening. He grabbed Linda's arm and yelled, "Let's go!"

Linda and Rob ran for the orb as the fuel rods because of a breakdown. They charged headlong into the envelope in the center of the orb. The zombies took notice of the orb and looked into the light but offered no movement towards it. From the zombies' point of view, they saw Linda and Rob diving head first through the orb light just as a fire ignited behind the orb and encompassed it. Finally, the orb light dissipated, and all the zombies saw was a bright flash of light. 

In the distance, away from Keowee Toxaway Nuclear Station, near Clemson, a mushroom cloud could be seen rising above the horizon. The concussion wave rolled up Highway 123 and 93, ripping through the remains of the former college town. The stadium crumbled in areas from the blast wave and began to collapse. The buildings, like Tillman Hall, erupted when the blast wave hit. Sikes Hall, Cooper Library, Edwards Hall, and Hendrix Student Center were all destroyed, crumbling remains of their once grand design. This incident marked the end of an era as the twelve thousand-year-old civilization came to a close with no more connection to the current-day Smithville universe. 

The zombies that had taken notice of the blast stood there looking at the mushroom cloud rising higher and higher into the grayish sky. As they watched the cloud rise, they all began to fall. All of the zombies, everywhere on this Earth, fell to the ground. Their connection determined by the Fleece had been severed for good, and their lives were mercifully over. This ending would allow a new world to begin again. The Smithville world.

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

Linda and Rob dove through the orb and plummeted to the ground before Jay. The orb's light diminished greatly, and the pulsations stopped. Everyone in the room could let down their guard to see Linda and Rob lying before them.

Linda looked up at everyone in the room, and finally, her eyes found Jay.

"Linda?"

"Jay!"

Linda sprang up to her feet and rushed over to Jay. They embraced and then kissed passionately. Jay knew instantly that this was his Linda.

Britton stared on, still confused by what had happened and now somewhat annoyed at what she saw.

Rob began to stand up as Pat looked at him. Rob looked at Pat, his dad, and then looked away to Jay and Linda.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're alive!"

Jay was holding Linda tightly. They looked at each other, Linda smiling brightly.

"I knew you would get us out there, Jay. I just knew it."

Jay knew he had done nothing but wondered how they got away, "How did you get out of there?"

"Someone created this orb over there. All the energy from the power plant," said Rob.

"An orb?" Jay asked.

"Yes, this big orb opened up, and we jumped through it. You must have opened it up for us."

"I didn't do anything, Linda. I was right here, but I couldn't do anything."

"Well, I don't understand. Who did?" asked Linda.

"I believe they did," Pat said. He was looking up at the area in front of the orb.

Jay and Linda looked up, as did Rob and everyone else in the room.

Standing in front of the orb was a figure. The light from the orb shrouded them in darkness, so only a silhouette could be seen. Additionally, the being was semi-transparent, as you could see through it in some places. Parts of its body were shifting in and out of space and time as they stood there looking out across the room.

The being had a human-like form but was decidedly not human-looking. There were no facial features apparent, no discernable look about them. Just a being of some kind.

Finally, they spoke, "I guess you are wondering why I've called you all here tonight?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Story # 3.9: Jay is the Man

 

Jay was stunned, silent for a moment.

He approached Larry and put his hands on the man's shoulders. Larry greeted that gesture with a smirk.

"I'm real, man."

"I can't believe it! Larry, you're fine."

"It's about time you said that," Larry's comment prompted a laugh from everyone else in the room.

Along with Linda and the kids, surrounding Larry and Jay were Dr. Blake and the two detectives, Mike and Seth, and Pat, along with one security guard.

"You're always a dirtbag," Jay said, laughing and lightly shoving Larry.

"I'm glad you're all right too, man. You gave us a scare yourself."

"Yeah, I'm fine now."

Pat walked up behind Jay and slapped his hand on Jay's shoulder, "He's more than fine. He's ready to roll. Jay, these are two of my associates, Mike and Seth. They'll work with Dr. Blake to assist you with our recent discussions."

Jay looked over at Mike and Seth and nodded. He looked back slightly at Pat, glaring to some degree but still playing along as best as he could.

"That's good to know, Pat."

"Say, man, you wanna go grab something to eat? I'm starving, and your kids look like they could eat too. Are you not feeding them again?"

"Oh, hush, man. Yeah, I could eat for sure."

"Why don't we all go eat together and discuss a few things about what's next here at the Fleece," Pat chimed in with his patented smile.

"That sounds good to me," Larry replied.

"Let me go change right quick. Why don't the kids go down there with you and Linda? I'll be down in just a few minutes."

"We'll see you down there, man," Larry patted Jay's shoulder and the others in the room began exiting.

Linda was following close behind, pushing the kids forward toward the door. Jay went towards the back bedroom to change clothes. As the children walked through the door, Linda motioned for Larry to hold up for a second.

"Why don't you take the kids on down? I'll be down in just a few minutes with Jay."

"I gotcha, just need a little...alone time," Larry smiled.

Linda slapped Larry on the chest, prompting a laugh from him. He exited with the kids as Linda closed the door behind them. Linda let out a sigh, standing next to the closed door. She had her eyes closed for a moment and gathered herself. She was tired. Tending to the kids was exhausting.

After righting herself, she turned around and saw Jay standing directly before her. She was startled and gasped.

"Honey, what are you doing?" Linda laughed sheepishly.

Jay just stood there, looking at her. He was trying to see how this person was faking being his wife. But after all Pat had just told Jay, he knew this place was one big lie. It was now or never to find out who was playing his wife.

"You know, you've done pretty good so far," Jay said.

Linda looked at him funny, "So far at what, honey?"

"You've called me every name in the book I can think of over the years. What are some of my favorites? You remember them, right?"

Linda laughed, "What are you talking about, Jay? Of course, I remember them."

"Well, name a few."

"What?"

"Come on, name of few of the pet names you have for me," Jay was smiling and picking at Linda, poking her in the sides and stomach.

"Jay, I don't wanna do this right now, honey."

Jay still smiled and picked at her, "That's just it."

Linda was smiling, looking at him as they moved toward the kitchen. 

Jay suddenly lost the smile and stared at Linda, "You've never called me honey."

Linda's smile faded away.

"Not one time, until recently. Why?"

Linda laughed nervously, "You can't be serious? You're questioning the pet names I have for you?"

"That was never a pet name for me. You should know that if you are my wife."

"What? Have you lost your mind, Jay?"

"Who are you?"

"Stop this, Jay! This isn't funny."

"I'm not joking, lady. Who are you?"

Jay grabbed her arm tightly, squeezing it until Linda grimaced.

"Jay, you're hurting me!"

"Who are you?"

"Let go of me, now!"

"I'll let go when you tell me who you really are."

"I'm Linda Trent, your wife!"

"No, you're not!"

Jay shoved her into the island in the kitchen. When Linda hit the island, she stepped awkwardly and tripped over a toy on the floor. This action caused her to fall to the ground, hitting hard on the left side of her neck. Jay stood over her, watching her every move. He was convinced this woman was not his wife. He was going to find out now.

Linda started picking herself up off the ground and back on her feet. She turned around to face Jay. She was mumbling something, but Jay's attention was diverted to the side of Linda's neck. A flap of skin that hadn't looked that way before was sticking out on the left side of her neck. Jay reached for it and grabbed it.

This action by Jay made Linda stop talking immediately. She looked at his arm and then back at Jay, "What are you doing?"

Jay began pulling on the skin, which stretched and ripped away from Linda's neck. Linda grabbed his arm, trying to stop him, but Jay shoved her into the island again and pinning her left arm behind her as he held her right arm to the side.

"Stay still. This will only take a second," Jay said, staring at Linda's face.

She glared back at him.

Jay grabbed a chunk of the skin and began pulling hard. Linda grimaced, but as she did, her face began to contort. Jay saw this and saw that other skin was showing beneath the skin he was gripping. The skin pulled away rapidly from Linda's face, distorting her complexion. Finally, the whole face and hair ripped away completely, pulling the woman to the side.

Jay stared in awe at the woman before him. Instead of his blonde-headed wife, a beautiful woman with brunette hair rose slowly to face him. He looked at her and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Britton?"

Now leaning against the island was Britton, his former colleague at the school. "Hi, Jay."

Jay's mind was racing. He had so many questions, but only one mattered right now.

"Where is my wife, Britton?"

"She's not here. Not anymore."

"Where was she taken?"

"She was taken nowhere, Jay."

"Then where is she?"

"When is she is the better phrase."

Jay realized with that statement from Britton that his wife was in the other place. Jay walked away from Britton and sat down on the chair nearby. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked back up at Britton, who hadn't budged an inch.

"You sent my wife to that hell hole world? That destroyed civilization of the past?"

"I didn't. He did."

"Yeah, I figured. But you've been pretending to be Linda. Why?"

"Because it's all part of the plan."

"What plan?"

"His plan."

"Do you know anything without him?"

"He keeps us all on a very tight, short leash."

"Yeah. I imagine he does."

Britton was slowly moving her arm still behind her, between her and the island, trying to reach for the small firearm she had stuffed in the back of her pants. She kept it just in case Jay ever found out who she was so she could hold him at bay.

Jay was looking down at the floor, rubbing his temples. While he did this, Britton moved more quickly to get the gun before Jay looked up. But as soon as Britton grabbed the handle, Jay hopped off the chair and raced over to grab her left arm. He struggled with her as she revealed the gun in her left hand. Britton was strong, but Jay was stronger and pried the weapon from her hand. Once he had the gun, he held it up to Britton's head. Britton stared back at Jay, nervous about what he might do.

"So what do we do now?" Britton asked.

"I'm sure your boss already knows something. There's no way he wouldn't.

You're quite right, Jay.

Jay heard that thought in his head. He then grabbed hold of Britton and held her in front of him, blocking his body from the line of sight. The door to Jay's living quarters sprang open. Two heavily armed security guards walked in with their rifles aimed at Jay. After they entered, Pat walked in, always smiling.

"Oh, Jay. I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this."

"Where is my wife, Pat?"

"I'm pretty sure Britton just told you, Jay."

"Then how do we get her back?"

"I wish I knew."

"Liar! That's all you do is lie! I want my wife back now!"

"Well, I guess you've forgotten one thing, Jay. I have your kids with me. Those are your kids, even you know that."

Larry walked up and into the room, "Jay? Man, what the hell are you doing? Britton? What is going on?"

"Not to worry, Larry. Everything will be explained in due time."

"Give me my kids back and take me to my wife, Pat."

"Or else what, Jay? This entire living quarter is surrounded by elite security forces at my command. You need to put down that gun so we can handle this more appropriately."

"I'm not letting her go until I learn where my wife is. Besides, you still need me, remember?"

With that statement, Jay turned the gun on himself. Pat looked startled and raised his hand to persuade Jay to stop.

"Lower your weapons."

Pat ordered the two guards beside him to stand down. The guards complied.

Jay, still holding the gun up to his own head, stood there waiting for a reply from Pat. Pat glared at Jay, trying to read his mind. Jay was blocking his thoughts and keeping information away from him.

Pat began to smile, "Ok, Jay. You want to see your wife again? You'll need to follow me back down to the Artifact Room."

"Yeah, I figured that thing had something to do with it. After you. I insist."

Pat smiled at Jay, chuckled at bit, then turned and exited the room. The two guards followed close behind, their guns aimed at Jay again. Jay now held the gun on Britton again, and proceeded to walk out of the room. Larry stood there stunned.

"Jay, I don't know what is happening, but this is crazy, man."

"Just follow me, Larry. Bring the kids, too. You need to see this place below."

Jay exited the room with Britton held close to him with the gun up aimed at her. Armed guards were on either side of the door as he walked out. At least five on either side. In front of him were more guards, another ten to either side of Pat. Pat turned back around to look at Jay holding Britton.

"Let's go, Jay. Time is of the essence."

"I'm pretty sure we have all the time in the world, Pat."

"Maybe," Pat replied to Jay, turning to walk down the corridor.

Pat led the way back to access the Artifact Room. Holding Britton close with the gun in hand, Jay followed, along with the armed guards, Larry, the kids, Dr. Blake, Seth and Mike. They were all headed to the final showdown between Jay and Pat.

One thing was for sure: Jay would either see Linda again or die trying.

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

URGENT COMMUNICATION

The screen lit up in red before the technician sitting in the control room. When they saw this, they clicked the link to access the message.

PRIORITY MESSAGE

PATE COMPROMISED. PAT ASSAILANT. DETAIN PAT AND JAY TRENT. PROTECT TRENT FAMILY AT ALL COSTS. GASON ON THE WAY.

The technician had to read the message again. He couldn't believe what he just read. Gason group is on the way? Detain Pat? Pate Compromised? What is going on? Protect Trent fam...

With that last thought, the technician looked at another screen. The flashing light was still going off where the zombies had been activated. He knew the zombies were headed for the power plant where Linda and Rob were currently. The goal for the zombies was to kill both of them. He had one final thought.

Oh no...

Story # 3.8: Linda Gone Wild

 

Linda and Rob walked down Rochester Highway alongside the nuclear power station. The ruins of this once great civilization were everpresent. Linda looked around at the dead trees lining the area. The polluted water gave off a sense of radiation in the air and the ground. These conditions couldn't be good for her or Rob, as they were the only living things remaining.

Occasionally, they would pass a zombie, standing or walking around aimlessly. This post-apocalyptic world was nothing like what she had imagined. Completely bereft of humans, no resistance. This world, in an odd way, was safer than her own, except when the zombies had a purpose. So far, they served no purpose.

Linda and Rob reached the outskirts of the power plant and headed towards the main facility. The containment buildings appeared intact, but substantial age was apparent on the outside of the buildings. Scarring from damage was visible. Dead trees and foliage were on the roof and hanging down. From its looks, at least to Linda, the building had been abandoned, perhaps before the events.

"It was abandoned and shut down right before the bombs started dropping," Rob said as they entered the tourist area of the plant.

"What for?"

"So the plant wouldn't meltdown. It could still run if we could figure out how to make it work."

"What do you mean this plant doesn't work?"

Rob turned to face Linda, "Of course now, why would it?"

"I thought you said we could find a way to get help here? To find a way back to my world?"

"I said we need a powerful energy source. I never said anything about it working."

Linda threw her arms up and looked around the interior of the building that once hummed with life. She had no idea what they would do now.

"So, you literally just brought us here on a maybe?"

Rob smiled, "Maybe."

Linda stared at him.

"Come on, let's go this way."

"For what purpose, Rob. This place doesn't even work."

"We'll see if we can find something that does."

Linda and Rob passed through the plant corridors and came upon the open door to the facility's main control room. Linda shined the flashlight she had into the dark room. There were no bodies, just an empty room where everything had been left terminated. Only cobwebs and some dust remained. The plant looked like it had been shut down for eons.

"So, what are we looking for, Rob?"

Rob panned around the room, looking at the walls, floor, ceiling, everywhere. He just shrugged.

Linda was exasperated by this action. She rubbed her forehead as a headache was beginning. Rob could be maddening at times.

"Did you ever see your dad use this facility for anything? Ever?"

"The only time my dad ever brought me here was to visit the tour area. I've never been in this part of this building before."

"But something had to make you want to come here besides a power source, Rob. Some reason other than sheer curiosity? We walked a long way just to get here. Now you're telling me it was all for nothing?"

Linda knocked some equipment off the counter nearby with her flashlight. She held her head in her hands as she leaned against the console.

"Lady, I'm still a kid, remember."

Linda looked up and supported her head with her hands resting under her chin.

"Yeah, you're just a kid. I followed a kid up here for no reason."

As Linda said that, she looked around the room, and one console caught her eye. She stood up straight and shined the flashlight on the console.

"What is that?" she asked.

"What is what?" asked Rob.

Linda slowly moved toward the console. Rob now took notice of what she was looking at in the distance.

As Linda got closer, Rob could see the console more clearly.

"Huh? Atomic clock. A real one, especially since we're at a nuclear power plant."

"It's displaying the time and date."

"That must have been the date and time the plant was shut down."

On the console, the display showed:

TIME: 17:58:57 DATE: MONTH 12 DAY 21 YEAR 2012

"Well, that confirms your story, I suppose," Linda said, somewhat defeated.

"Yeah, yeah, lady."

Next to the console were a few buttons. One button, when pressed, illuminated the console. The numbers and letters were the only active lights in the room. This button also made the button Linda pressed, and the other buttons beneath it light up.

"Oh look, something does still work," Rob said sarcastically. "Press another button. Maybe the whole plant will start working."

Rob was smiling a bit. Linda ignored him.

However, Linda did notice the button underneath reset the clock and date to the current time. Linda pressed it and watched the numbers shift dramatically until a new date and time emerged.

Linda stood there, shining her flashlight on the console. She couldn't believe what she was reading. 

"How long ago did you say all of this happened?" She asked Rob, still staring at the console.

Rob looked at her, "I don't know, exactly. A while ago."

Linda stood there looking at the console, her eyes wide. The atomic clock keeps an accurate record of the true elapsed time and remains under power despite a lack of energy generated by the plant. All the clock did was reset to the current date and time that was now visible. The console now read:

TIME: 14:15:29 DATE: MONTH 10 DAY 23 YEAR 2323

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

A light on a console at The Fleece lit up and flashed repeatedly. It made no sound but was blinking over and over. Momentarily, the light was unnoticed because of how busy everyone was at that time. The light kept flashing while one of the control workers sat back down in front of it. He was turned away, however, dealing with another issue another control worker was working on.

"Have you tried rerouting it?" the control worker in front of the light asked.

"We did. We've tried that several times now. The coupling isn't the issue. We're not..."

The control worker stopped talking and looked past the man sitting as she saw the light blinking.

"Hey, that light is flashing."

The control worker spun around to see the light flashing on the console. He knew instantly this was an important light.

"Oh man!" He picked up a phone and pressed a button.

A person on the other end of the phone answered.

"Sir, the red light for Toxaway is flashing. Someone is in there."

There was a pause for a moment. The reply then came, "You know what to do."

"Yes, sir."

The control worker hung up the phone and pressed the button underneath the flashing light. 

"Wait, what are you doing, " the female control worker asked.

The male control worker looked up at her, "Time to release the hounds."

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

Back outside of Keo-wee Toxaway, the zombies wandering aimlessly suddenly became aroused. They hand an intent in their dead eyes. One facing away from the power plant turned and looked directly at the plant. The creature began making its way to the power plant, followed by another and another. Zombies from all around the area began moving toward the power plant. They were funneling in from Clemson, Pickens, Greenville, Anderson, and the entire upstate of South Carolina. Some would take longer than others, but a massive horde of undead were journeying to the abandoned power plant. There could only be one reason.

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

Linda grabbed Rob by his shirt and pulled him toward her.

"Easy!" he yelled.

"YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW!!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"This clock says all that has happened here was over three hundred years ago. I knew you've been lying to me this whole time. Now you're lying to me about you. Who are you? What are you?"

"That clock has to be wrong, lady!"

"STOP LYING TO ME!!"

Linda pushed Rob backward toward the console behind him and reared her arm back to hit him with the flashlight.

"STOP IT!!! ALL RIGHT, LADY!"

Linda stopped her arm in place and stood there looking at Rob.

"All right! Yes, I do know a lot more about this place. And yes, that clock is right."

"How? How can you be over 300 hundred years old? You still look like a child, for crying out loud."

"I've stayed in this state because I chose to. But I'm a lot older than 300, ok."

"How old are you," Linda asked as she relaxed her posture.

Rob sighed momentarily, then responded, "I'm about 600,000 years old."

Linda's eyes widened, "There's no way."

Rob laughed, "Oh yes, there is when you're Pat's son. He's been here a lot longer than me."

After that statement, Linda and Rob hear a moan echoing from outside. Linda moved toward the doorway and passed Rob. They heard another, then another, and another. They both knew what was approaching.

"And we're out of time. He knows we're here," Rob said.

"Oh, he does now?"

"Yes, and he's going to make sure we die here."

Linda turned to face Rob, "If he knows, so will Jay. And Jay is going to get us out of here."

Story # 3.7: GASON

Pat sat across from Jay in a room similar to the original room where he, his wife, Larry, Dr. Blake, and Dana sat when they first arrived at the Fleece. As usual, Pat had his customary smile on his face.

Jay held his head in his hands as he leaned over on the table. He was still processing everything he had just seen and heard in what Pat called the Artifact Room.

"So, what is going through your mind, Jay?"

Jay looked up at Pat, "You can't read it?"

Pat laughed a little, "Not at the moment. No. I'd like to hear it instead."

Pat smiled.

"You've told me everything I've ever been taught about history is a lie. That an advanced civilization did in fact exist twelve thousand years ago and has been destroyed. Some large glowing orb powers everything here. And somehow I'm the key to all of this, and you want to know what I'm thinking?"

Pat continued to smile, "I can take a guess."

Jay leaned back in his chair and inhaled deeply, letting out a long exhale. He tapped his fingers on the table in front of him and then tried to determine what his next questions would be.

"Ok, what happened to that civilization twelve thousand years ago, Pat?"

"Well, they grew complacent, much like today's society. They thought they were superior in every way, and then disaster struck."

"Don't tell me, a great flood?"

"No, a virus. SARS-CoV-3, to be exact, or as I've called it, the Zombie Plague."

"That world died of an actual zombie apocalypse?"

"Oh yes. Much worse than any movie or television show could depict. Everyone was infected in the world. It spread like wildfire until everyone on Earth had perished. Over seven billion people, gone in a very short time."

"Where did the virus come from?"

Pat thought for a minute, "From what I've understood, it was lying dormant in the ice. Once glaciers began melting, other things buried in the ice for eons were eventually released. There was no stopping it, no cure."

Jay sighed and asked, "So, where did all the artifacts come from?"

"We found those over time, Jay. Just like any other artifact. However, these were brought here for safekeeping."

"You mean to hide them from the public?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, I suppose."

"You said there was no deception here, Pat."

"There isn't Jay. We aren't hiding these things to deceive people. We're researching them. Trying to understand what happened so many years ago."

"For what purpose?"

"To see if anything like that could happen again."

"Has it? Has it ever happened again in our history?"

"That depends, Jay."

"Depends on what? Either it has happened again, or it hasn't. We would know in our time if it had happened again."

"Would you?"

Jay looked at Pat, confused.

"What do you mean, Pat?"

"Like I said, humans have been doing this civilization dance for a long time. Would you care to know how long?"

Jay was intrigued and terrified at the same time.

"Why not."

"Come with me, Jay. There's someone I want you to meet."

Pat left the room, leaving the door to the room open for Jay. Jay got up slowly and then began to follow Pat down the corridor.

Pat didn't do his customary talk as they walked down the hallway. He guided Jay through the passageways, quickly stopping at a door. He opened the door and then invited Jay to walk through.

The room was dark and gray with a desk and monitors sitting on it. Behind the desk was another table with more monitors. The chair was turned with the back facing them and the occupant watching the monitors on the back table. After Jay entered the room, Pat walked in and shut the door behind him. The man in the chair heard the door close and then turned his chair around to face Jay and Pat.

"Hello, Jay. I'm Pate. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Pate was the same man Pat had spoken with earlier about Jay, who was well-kept. He sat there in his suit and tie, his hair slicked back and hands locked together as he leaned against the table.

"Hello," Jay replied.

"I felt it was time for the two of you to meet," said Pat, smiling as usual.

"Certainly," replied Pate.

"So what are we here for, Pat?" Jay asked, looking over at him.

"My colleague Pate," Pat said, approaching Pate's desk, "Is about to let you in on a bit more about history."

"I am? But you're the historian here, Pat."

"That may be true, but I'm sure you have something to offer about history, don't you."

"I have a question for you both," Jay said, moving towards the desk.

Pate and Pat looked at him.

"Pat told me about what happened to the civilization in the past, twelve thousand years ago."

"Did he now," replied Pate, looking over at Pat.

"Yeah. He said everyone was killed by a virus, and you've all been researching what happened here at the Fleece."

"Ok," replied Pate.

"But then he said this has happened again. I wanted to know when?"

Pate sat there quietly, staring at Jay.

Pat looked over at Pate, waiting for an answer.

Jay stood there looking at both Pat and Pate.

Pate looked over at Pat. Pat smiled at him. Pate looked back over at Jay.

"The person you should be asking about all of this is Pat, Jay."

"Ok, then why did you bring me here to talk to him, Pat?" Jay asked.

"Because, Pate reports back to the Jason group I've told you about."

"Jason, with a G, right?" asked Jay.

Pate turned his head and looked at Pat.

"That's the one, Jay. He can tell you all about the extensive research endeavors undertaken for the last, what is it, two thousand years, attempting to understand what has happened to our past."

"Is the Jason group covering things up?" Jay asked of Pate.

Pate looked at Jay, "No. We wouldn't know how."

"What do you mean?"

"Again, Pat would be better to talk to about this."

"Why? If you are part of the Jason group, why can't you just tell me?"

"This wasn't part of phase two, Pat."

"Phase two? What is phase two?" Jay asked.

"Phase two is letting you know the nature of this reality, all of it. But what Pate can't tell you is every last detail about it. Because he doesn't know," Pat replied.

"What does that mean? What is the nature of this reality?" asked Jay.

Pat sat on the side of Pate's desk and cleared his throat. Pate watched on with both men.

"Jay, have you ever seen Star Battle?"

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, it's everything. Have you seen it, Jay?"

"Who hasn't? That's one of the most popular movie franchises in history."

"Yes, in your world's history. But twelve thousand years ago, it was called Star Wars. And twelve thousand years before that, Star Conflict. And before that, Galactic Warfare. And so on and so on, and so on. That same film franchise has been made at least fifty times throughout human history, all by separate civilizations spanning hundreds of thousands of years. All of those films involve similar plot points, characters, and places, all because they are inspired by something real."

Jay was holding his breath.

"It's our history, this world. Once upon a time, the human race was a thriving, intergalactic community. What might be called a Kardeshev Type III civilization. Very similar to what you see in those movies. All originated here on Earth."

"Ok," was all Jay said.

"That civilization existed for thousands of years until one day, it collapsed under its own weight. It destroyed itself. When that happened, civilization had to start up all over again."

"How long ago was this, Pat?" asked Jay.

"On this time scale, about three million years ago."

"So, three million years ago, we were a space-faring race?"

"Yes, Jay. Isn't that amazing?" Pat smiled.

Pate did nothing.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Why wouldn't you? You're the one shifting between realities in dreams."

Jay walked around the room a little, his arms crossed in front of him. "That just seems ridiculous. It's a movie."

"Jay, has it ever occurred to you that movies are inspired by facts? These writers, actors, and producers receive inspiration from somewhere that they believe is their own. Selfishly, might I add. But what it really is, the universe is trying to tell them something about who they are. For the past three million years, humans have repeatedly tried to get back to that level, without much success."

"Why? Wait, you said fifty times that movie has been made? There's been fifty iterations of civilization since this super advanced ancient civilization?"

"Exactly."

"That we have no knowledge of?"

"Correct, for the general population, I should say."

"Civilizations like ours today?"

"Yes."

"What happened to them?"

"Well, they've all been wiped out by various catastrophes."

"What kind of catastrophes?"

"You mentioned one, a great flood. Nuclear war. Famine. Plague. Malthusian trap. Ice ages. Comet strikes. Artificial Intelligence. You name it, it's happened and has caused civilization to revert back to the stone age every time."

Jay didn't know what to think, "So, basically every sixty thousand years, civilization dies and starts again?"

"Basically. Plato was close, he said every six thousand years, but he was off just a tiny bit," said Pat, smiling.

Jay ran his hands through his hair and held them on his head.

"And all that stuff is proof it all existed? The stuff near the orb?" Jay asked.

"Most of that 'stuff,' as you call it, is primarily from twelve thousand years ago. We have a few things from civilizations before that, but much of that has been lost to time, geology, and destruction."

Jay was exasperated, "How do you know all this, Pat?"

Pate looked at Pat, "Yeah, that's a good question."

Pat looked over at Pate with no smile on his face. He then cracked a smile and chuckled a bit.

"All in due time, Jay. How about we discuss this some more in your living quarters, with your family?"

Jay rubbed his face and looked at Pat. Jay still had so many questions, but going back to see his kids was something he really wanted to do.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Pat opened the door to the office, and a security guard was standing by. "Please escort Jay back to his quarters. I'll be there shortly."

Jay exited the room and proceeded down the corridor, the security personnel beside him.

Pat turned back to Pate, who was still sitting behind the desk.

"That went well," Pate said, looking at Pat.

Pat turned to face Pate, "You know, that last comment wasn't the best."

"Sorry, just stating the obvious I suppose."

"Well, it's all good. Maybe next time, it will be better."

Pate wondered, next time?

With that thought, Pat pulled a pistol from under his suit coat, with a silencer on the end. He aimed the weapon at Pate and pulled the trigger. Two shots hit Pate in the chest to either side of his sternum. The final shot hit Pate squarely between the eyes. Pate was now lying limp in the chair, deceased.

"Good-bye, Pate." Pat smiled, putting the gun away and closing the door behind him.

After the door shut, a bright purple light came on in the room. The light was highly intense, so intense it could dry out the moisture in a room, including the human body.

Pate's body began to dry out quickly, and as it did, various parts began to puff outward like fluffed-up bread. His body then crumbled and collapsed to the floor in pieces. No blood, no tissues, just crumbs. Robotic droids then entered the room and began to dispose of the remains and cart them off to the incinerator to be destroyed. No trace of Pate would be left as the room slowly dismantled.

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

Jay walked up to his door, a lot on his mind.

Pat is serious. This world isn't what it seems. I already know this, though, because of Linda. I have to be careful.

Jay cleared his mind as he unlatched his door before Pat could arrive and enter the room. What he saw made him stop in his tracks when he walked in.

Standing before Jay was Linda, who turned around to smile at him. In front of her stood Larry, alive and well.

"Larry! It's so good to see you again," Pat said as he came up behind Jay.

Jay couldn't believe what he was seeing. His best friend was alive despite a mortal wound.

Story # 3.6: Rob...in Hood.

Linda and Rob walked a desolate road on the outskirts of Oconee County in South Carolina. A zombie was present every ten to twenty feet as they walked the road. The zombies stood there, some swaying and others walking in a circle. The zombies were dormant and posed no threat to Linda or Rob. Besides, if they were a threat, Linda would have already attracted attention as she spoke about the story Rob had just told her.

"So, you're telling me that this world we are in is the actual past?"

Rob rolled his eyes. He turned back to look at Linda, "Why don't you yell louder? Maybe the zombies will want to hear all about it. Oh wait, they already know because they were all people once and died."

Linda looked at the zombies they were passing by. She could see their clothing, all tattered and ruined now. The dead bodies gasping for breath that would never come. Eyes glazed over like a milky substance hung heavy in them. Former humans, left to suffer a terrifying fate.

"What happened to them, Rob?"

Rob continued walking ahead down the road, "Some virus. Uh, I'm trying to remember. SARS something. It spread so fast no one had time to name it. But it killed everyone."

"Everyone?"

Rob stopped and turned to her, "Everyone."

Rob turned back around and continued walking ahead. 

"How did you make it, Rob?"

Rob didn't reply for a long stretch of the hike and then finally spoke, "Because of my dad."

"He's a great humanitarian, your dad. Leave one boy alive here while billions of lives end."

"He left me here assuming I would die too. He had no intention of saving me or my mom."

"He left you both here to die?"

"Isn't that what I just said, lady."

"So, you had to watch your mom become one of these things?"

"Yes."

Rob's lower lip quivered a bit with that question from Linda.

"That must have been hard?"

"Listen, lady, I don't want to stroll down memory lane with you about this. We still have a long way to go on this hike. The power plant is still many miles away near Lake Keowee. It's almost dark so we're going to have to stop somewhere for shelter for the night."

"Anywhere you want to stop in particular?"

Rob had an idea.

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

The fences around the stadium had been torn down for some time. Zombies were strewn throughout the surrounding campus, leaving the stadium empty. Linda and Rob decided to rest in parts of the stadium they had fortified just in case any zombies came near.

"That door is pretty strong, that should hold with this in front of it," said Rob.

"Lovely accommodations. Sleeping in a restroom."

"What do you want from me, lady? A five-star hotel?"

"Anything will work where we can rest."

Linda and Rob settled in the flicker of a candle lighting the once bustling restroom of a stadium that had been filled with thousands of people.

"So, this place was the home of the Clemson Tigers, huh?"

Rob replied, "Yeah. Pretty good football team right before all of this happened."

"Did your mom and dad bring you here to watch them play?"

"We weren't your average family, lady. I have never been to this stadium. Just watched on TV when I could."

"Right," Linda replied, rolling her eyes and looking away momentarily. She was still processing some of what Rob had told her about being in the past rather than an alternate reality. At least he had finally volunteered some more information, but Linda knew he still wasn't telling her everything.

"So, what makes you think we'll find them at this Keowee-Toxaway, as you called it?"

Rob shrugged, "Seems like a good place to me."

"Meaning you don't know, or you don't want to tell me?"

"I've taken you this far, haven't I?"

"Why can't you just tell me what is going on? You told me we are in the past. Why dangle that little nugget out there and not explain it more? If someone were watching us right now, wouldn't they have already sent the zombies for us? Just talk to me, Rob. I want to understand."

Rob shook his head, "You won't understand."

Linda leaned in towards him, looking dead at his face, "Try me."

Rob stared back at her. He could see the determination in her eyes. All she wanted was to get back to her husband. Rob could see her faith shining bright. 

"You remind me a lot of my mom."

Linda continued to look at him. She rested her posture, waiting for Rob to continue.

"I think we'll find them there. At the power plant."

"Why is that, Rob?"

"Because you need a source of power. A lot of power. A nuclear power plant would seem like the most likely place."

"So, that's how your dad accesses this world?"

"He doesn't access this world. Remember, he left me here."

"Ok, but what makes you think we can access anything in my world from this power plant? For the time device, since you said we're in the past?"

"There's no time device. This isn't Back to the Future, lady."

Linda looked at him, puzzled, "What is Back to the Future?"

"You don't know what that movie is?"

"It's a movie?"

"Yes, a popular one in my world. That never came out in your world?"

"I don't know. When did it come out?"

"In this world, from when my dad left, it would have been almost thirty years earlier."

"Wait, a movie about time travel from thirty years ago? Did it have a kid in it? An old scientist?"

"Yes! Doc and..."

"Matty!" Linda said, finishing Rob's statement.

"No, Marty." 

"I'm pretty sure it was Matty."

"No, it's Marty."

"Anyway, Matty and Doc were in Spaceman from Pluto. It came out in 1985, so about 27 years ago in my time.".

"Wow! What a name. It doesn't say anything about the movie."

"I think that's why it was such a big hit. It surprised people. But the premise sounds the same as the one you're talking about. A kid goes back in time in a time machine his scientist friend invents. He has to set things right though as he messed things up in the past with his mom and dad or his own existence will end."

"Yeah, that's Back to the Future."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Odd that the same exact movie would be made in two different times. Just under different names."

"Yeah, or just a coincidence."

"Maybe. Maybe a remake. Maybe remaking films transcends space and time."

They both laughed.

Linda asked the next question, bugging her, "So, how far in the past are we? I mean, the remains of this world remind me a lot of my world, just less destroyed."

Rob looked down, "A long time ago."

"How long, Rob?"

"Long enough to be forgotten."

"I don't understand."

"My dad wasn't that forthcoming with things sometimes. He kept a lot of things secret."

"But you had to see something, Rob. All kids snoop on their parents."

"Believe me, you didn't want to snoop on him. Ever."

"You have to know how long, Rob. Come on, let me in a little."

Rob sighed, "From what I remember my dad talking about, it's been thousands of years."

Linda looked stunned, "Thousands?"

"Yeah. Tens of thousands."

"How? Why?"

"I don't know why, but I do know he said once that it had to."

"Had to?"

"Yes."

"Had to for what?"

"So we could start again."

"So who could start again?"

"Us. Humans. He said if it didn't happen, all of us would die for good."

"You mean become extinct?"

"Something like that."

"So, someone did survive here besides you?"

"No, they were people he knew about in the new world. Your world. They were protected from the disaster, this virus. The virus never happened to them. Or they were immune one. But they would start the new world after this one faded away."

"Did you ever see these people?"

"No. I just knew he left to be with them, and that was it."

"He left you here on your own."

"Yes."

"How long have you been on your own now?"

"I lost count. It didn't matter anymore after a while."

Linda looked down at the floor, tapping it with her finger. She looked back up to Rob, a sadness having fallen over her. She felt sorry for Rob now. Before, she had hated him for what he was doing to her husband. But now, she could see him for who he truly was. Rob was a victim of an abuser. A story as old as time itself. She looked back up at Rob as they made eye contact.

"I'm so sorry, Rob."

She felt the genuineness in his eyes and truly felt compassion for him now. Rob could see that compassion and tears began to well up in his eyes. Linda could see this, and Rob lunged forward to hug her before she could react. He began weeping as she wrapped her arms around him. They sat in the quiet darkness of the dimly lit room, waiting for the next day to approach on their journey home.

Story # 3.5 Pat Riot...

"So, where are we going now, Pat?"

Jay asked Pat as they walked down a corridor of the Fleece leading to the main control room.

Pat had his ever-present smile on, walking slightly ahead of Jay. As they passed through the corridor, the sterile white of the facility showed through, with a person passing by occasionally.

Jay would look at the people passing and the things they were carrying, unsure of what some items were from his vantage point.

"How are things going with you and Linda, Jay?"

Jay looked back at Pat, knowing fully that the Linda he'd been with the last few days was not his wife. But he was still playing along, trying to decipher how to find his Linda.

"We're fine. Everything's fine."

Pat chuckled, "That's not the word on the street."

Pat and Jay turned another corner as they came to the main control room entrance. They entered the control room, which seemed to be bustling that day.

"Man, this place is busy today," Jay said, looking around the room.

"Yes, we're quite busy right now. There was a power surge in the central hub of the Fleece, requiring system resets and maintenance."

"Central hub, huh? I thought this was the central hub," Jay said as he looked around the room at the other workers checking readouts and consoles.

Pat turned and looked at Jay. He smiled at him, "Not hardly."

Jay turned back, looking around the room with Jay, watching the consoles gleam with information as the personnel attempted to analyze what had occurred.

"So, what is the word on the street, Pat? About me and Linda?"

Pat turned to Jay again, smiling still, "The word is there's no joy in Mudville."

Jay nodded, "You could say that."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Jay. It happens over time in someone's marriage. You lose the spark, that magic that initially brought you together. I'm sure it will be fine soon."

Jay couldn't think what he wanted because he knew Pat had read his thoughts. He couldn't let Pat on that he knew the Linda he was with was not his wife. He could tell Pat was digging for information to see if Jay had figured it out.

"Yeah, hopefully, " was all Jay replied.

"But one thing we have been working on Jay, is determining exactly what is causing you to shift into that alternate reality when you dream. We think the surge might have had something to do with it."

"Really? Where did the surge come from?" Jay asked very curiously.

Pat turned back to Jay again, no smile this time, but instead a look of curiosity himself. "Perhaps it's time to show you where."

Jay looked at Pat.

"I think you're ready for it now, Jay."

Pat turned and walked past Jay, motioning for him to follow. They exited the control room and headed back down the corridor. This time, they went into a side door that took them down into the bowels of the Fleece. They descended the stairs, and it seemed like multiple stories. The stairway went on forever.

Jay thought, How deep does this place go?

Pat replied, "As far as needed, Jay."

After exiting the stairs, they passed through a labyrinth of passages made of steel, pipes, girders, and rails; they came upon a sealed door. No window, no handle. No signs. Just a metal door with solid walls to either side stretching as far as Jay could see.

Pat stopped in front of the door momentarily and turned to face Jay. He smiled again.

"Prepare to be amazed, Jay."

Jay stood there stone-faced but was curious about what was behind the door.

Suddenly, Pat turned back around, facing the door, and then he walked through the door and vanished.

Jay was stunned. He couldn't believe what he just saw. Jay approached the door and touched it. It was solid as a rock or as the steel it was made of. But when Pat walked through, it looked like water, a liquid. He had never seen anything like it, except maybe in the movies.

Where did he just go? Jay thought.

I'm on the other side, Jay. Just pass through.

Jay heard Pat's words in his own mind. That always bothered Jay when Pat did that, but he was still reeling from what he had just seen.

Jay didn't know what to do and asked, How?

Imagine walking through the door, and it will happen. Pat said this in Jay's mind, waiting for him to pass through the door.

Jay didn't know what to think. But he had seen many unbelievable things in the days and weeks prior. This was no different. Jay decided he was going through that door.

Jay looked ahead of him at the door and thought, I'm going through the door. With that, he pressed his left hand against the door and saw something he had never seen before. His hand started sinking into the door itself. His fingers vanished, and his hand followed up to his forearm. Wide-eyed, he made the ultimate leap and sent his whole body through at once.

On the other side, Pat caught him as Jay lunged through the door. Pat smiled at him and then said, "Welcome to the central hub of the Fleece. It's what powers everything here."

Jay looked out across the room in awe. The room was massive. The room itself had to be the size of a dome stadium underneath the confines of the massive structure of the Fleece. In the center of the room was a bright light surrounded by objects. Some Jay could discern, some he could only see silhouettes. All the objects were on various levels inside the room. Some were closer to the ceiling, harder to make out, but many were at ground level with Jay and Pat. That was the astonishing thing, the objects Jay could make out surrounding the light.

In front of Jay was a row of aircraft, which was very old compared to today's aircraft, but Jay could not determine where they were from. He had never seen anything like them before. He just knew they were aircraft. The aircraft in question was the squadron of Flight 19, lost in the Bermuda Triangle.

Roughly two hundred feet away rested an object Jay had seen before. The military had nicknamed the craft "Tic Tac." The craft was oblong-shaped, smooth, with no discernable edges. It had a sleek, chrome appearance and hung just above the ground beside the prop planes. No gear was holding it up. It was just suspended in midair, inches from the ground.

Jay had seen the videos taken by military aircraft of this object and knew it had been classified as an Unknown Aerial Occurrence (UAO). He couldn't believe he was looking directly at the object from the obscure videos. But what Jay was seeing was only the tip of the iceberg.

"Jay, follow me."

Pat motioned for Jay to follow along a path to their left. Jay's mouth hung open as he looked around the room at what he saw. In front of him were artifacts of all kinds. Some he knew, some he had never seen before in his life. Jay looked down at the pathway Pat was following and saw these large cables glowing like the light in the center of the room, only much dimly. The lights were pulsating periodically. He saw that the cables were originating from all of the structures in the room. 

The cables ran alongside the path and lit the way for them, but what they were connected to was beyond imagining.

"What are all these things? What is this place?" Jay asked.

"These are artifacts, Jay. Some have been here for a very long time."

Jay continued looking around the room at all of the artifacts. He saw futuristic cars. He saw statues of a man he didn't recognize but, in fact, was a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Another was one of the Easter Island statues. He saw a trident sticking up from a stone structure. Behind that structure was a temple resembling something from the city of Atlantis, which Plato once wrote about. There were ancient relics, like Egyptian sarcophaguses. There were pieces of what once had been the Georgia Guidestones. A tall rock structure, formerly a piece of Stone Henge, had a large section of the center chiseled out. From each structure, the cables originated and lined the path leading to the glowing bright light in the center.

"Artifacts? Artifacts from what?" Jay was mesmerized.

Pat stopped and turned to look at him. "Artifacts from our past, Jay."

Jay looked back at Pat, and then a car along the path caught his eye. The car looked familiar to Jay, like something he had seen at work.

"That car is from the past?" Jay said, pointing at the vehicle.

Pat looked at the vehicle and back to Jay, "Oh yes." He smiled at Jay. 

"What, from last week, Pat?"

Jay knew that it was a modern-day car called an Ergo. But the vehicle instead had a letter "T" on the front, the symbol of a Tesla, an original prototype. "It's not what you're thinking, Jay."

"That car..."

"That car is over twelve thousand years old, Jay."

"What?" Jay couldn't believe what he was hearing. Twelve thousand years old? How?

Jay started laughing, "Is this some sort of joke, Pat? Wait, am I dreaming again?"

Pat smirked and walked over to Jay. He pinched Jay on the wrist very hard, making Jay grimace in pain and grab his arm.

"Does it feel like you're dreaming?" Pat asked.

Jay was taken aback by this and looked around the room again.

"I don't understand, Pat. What does this have to do with my shifting to an alternate reality in my dreams?"

"Jay, you are not shifting to an alternate reality in your dreams. You shift to the past. Our past, thousands of years back into the history of our world."

"What are you talking about, Pat? That's crazy!"

"Every time you sleep at night, Jay, you visit the past. A place that existed twelve thousand years ago."

"Twelve thousand years ago? That place, Anderson, South Carolina, existed twelve thousand years ago? The city I saw destroyed by a bomb?"

"Yes, it did. This civilization now calls that town Smithville."

"What do you mean this civilization?"

"The civilization you live in today, Jay. Humans have been doing this civilization dance for a long time. They exist, and then they end. Exist and then end. It's part of the process of life on this planet, Jay. It's been going on for a long time."

"How long, Pat?"

"As long as humans have existed on the earth."

Jay was speechless, standing in a room set up as an homage to an ancient dead civilization, some as advanced as humans are today. Some are even more advanced. It was like a dream come true and a nightmare all at once.

"There's a lot of human history you and many other humans don't know about. And it starts right there." Pat pointed to the brightly shining orb in the center of the room.

"That sphere not only powers the Fleece, it shows us everything and is partly responsible for your shifting in dreams.'

Jay stared at the orb. It pulsated just like the cables. 

"You said it surged the other day?"

Pat looked back at Jay, "Yes, it did."

"Why?"

"That's what I need you to help me figure out."