Story # 4.5: The Tormentor

In ancient Sumeria, the Annunaki ruled all. These giants were all-knowing and all-powerful. They could fly, lift immeasurable objects both physically and mentally, and were dead set on ruining the lives of humanity. The ancient city they currently occupied was lit up by energy from the leader, adorned in the necklace Rapha had mentioned. Although this creature's name was Anuk, they were known as The Tormentor. 

The Tormentor was massive. This creature's muscles were bigger than any human could comprehend. The strength it showed was beyond measure, picking up the strongest of humans and devouring them like popcorn from a bucket. The Tormentor had many tattoos on their arms, legs, and torso. Their hair was thick but coarse. Their face was chiseled and scarred. It was anyone's guess where scars on this beast's face may have originated, as no one on Earth could harm it. And when the Tormentor spoke, the sound echoed across the land.

"BRING ME YOUR SACRIFICES!"

The Tormentor yelled across the landscape, prompting other Annunaki to round up humans scurrying across the city's roads. Lights illuminated the ancient city that remained from the ruins of a prior civilization.

The Annunaki arrived unexpectedly after the collapse of the Toba civilization, which was equally as advanced as the Smithville civilization. These beings had been watching human civilizations for centuries, even millennia ago. During the Atlantean civilization, the Atlanteans conquered the Annunaki, which was deemed barbaric. The Annunaki had been subjugated to a remote part of the Milky Way Galaxy, never to threaten humanity again. But after ages of traversing the galaxy to return to Earth, the Annunaki arrived just as human civilization was reeling from the effects of the Toba caldera eruption. All earth defenses and power grids were destroyed, and the governments of that time were helpless due to the devastating impact of the eruption. But through the soot and ash, the Annunaki landed on Earth and immediately destroyed whatever remained of human civilization at that time. Only segments of Earth remained livable, as the Annunaki reigned fire down on humans with our own weapons. The civilization then also possessed nuclear weapons and energy, and the Annunaki obliterated whole cities with our advancements. It was a devastating calamity, reducing the human population from 8.5 billion to barely over 150 million. The survivors that remained were subjugated by the Annunaki as slaves. Their sole purpose was to serve the Annunaki.

When the Annunaki arrived, however, the Tormentor was not among them. Seemingly, out of nowhere, the Tormentor established dominance over the rest of the Annunaki. The Tormentor killed the leader who conquered Earth and established their rule over all. They built the city from the remains of the ancient civilization's capital in what is known as Mesopotamia. The Tormentor did as they pleased there, with all Annunaki and humans obeying. But tonight, everything was going to change.

"BRING THEM TO ME NOW!!"

The Tormentor bellowed these words as his guttural voice drowned out even the loudest screams. The Annunaki rounded up hordes of humans, all running from them like roaches trying to find a hiding place. Amid the crowds stood Jay. Jay looked out of place with his clothing, even in the dream world, but no one noticed with all of their fear and panic. Jay was only fifty yards away from the Tormentor. The Tormentor laughed as the other Annunaki soldiers brought him the latest humans to sacrifice. A deep, terrifying laugh, like the kind a horror movie would present. Jay was trying to figure out how to plant himself in the forefront of the humans being gathered so he could get close enough to the Tormentor to snatch the necklace.

The necklace was a powerful energy source, glowing purple on its center crystal. The other crystals were illuminated in lighter shades of red, green, blue, and yellow, but none as bright as the purple stone in the center. The purple stone allowed for zero-point energy, thus an endless storage supply that could power surrounding electrical devices. There were still remnants of lighting from the prior civilization that had been converted by the Annunaki for use in this newer city they had created. The humans perceived the necklace as magical, but Jay knew it had similarities to the energy sources he had seen at The Fleece. It had an energy force similar to the orb. But how would Jay get close to it? The crowd was pushing him in the wrong direction. The force of the crowd was growing more substantial but for a good reason. Then it happened.

"You! You will be a great sacrifice!"

Jay looked up to see an Annunaki soldier standing over him, snatching him up to put with the captured others. Jay was in. It was a matter of time before he would be taken to the Tormentor.

The group Jay was in was placed in a primitive cage on wheels and hauled over to the location of the Tormentor by another Annunaki soldier. There, the Annunaki soldier dumped the cart of all its human inhabitants, Jay included, as they landed on the ground in a collective thud. Jay looked up as he lay on the ground to see the Tormentor standing directly above him. The Tormentor looked down at the humans that had been gathered. He reached down immediately and grabbed a human female, who began screaming wildly. As the Tormentor hoisted the woman up, her screams grew louder and more intense. Finally, the Tormentor bit her head clean off and began chewing on it. Jay could hear the crunching of her bones from her skull beneath the Tormentor's teeth. Jay looked down and cringed, closing his eyes as he heard the crunching. Then the Tormentor threw the rest of her body in its mouth and devoured her whole being seemingly in an instant. The Tormentor wiped its mouth with its arm and looked down at the humans below.

"Ah, you."

Jay could feel their eyes pressing down on him with an intense look. He looked back up to see the Tormentor staring down at him. 

"I know you."

Jay was shocked. How could it know me? But before Jay could think anymore, the Tormentor snatched him up just as the woman had been. As Jay grew closer to the Tormentor, he ready himself to do one thing, grab the necklace. But before Jay could get close enough to try and grab it, the Tormentor stopped moving Jay towards it and stared at Jay instead. Jay looked at the face of the Tormentor, staring back at him. The Tormentor had a smirk on its face and finally spoke, "I'm going to enjoy this, Jay."

What? How did it know his name?

But before Jay could say anything, the Tormentor shoved Jay entirely in his mouth. Jay, however, dove downward a bit and wrapped his hands around the Tormentor's throat. This caught the Tormentor off guard as Jay pulled on the necklace with all his might. Jay pulled and pulled and finally heard a snap. However, it wasn't the necklace; one of Jay's legs had been bitten in two. The agony of the pain was so intense that Jay forgot for a second what he was doing, then grabbed for the necklace again. Just then, the Tormentor bit down into Jay's other leg, and Jay could feel the crunching of his own bones. As Jay screamed in agony, he felt a clasp give, and then another and another. The Tormentor took what was left of Jay and shoved him into its disgusting, wretched mouth. All Jay could feel was the beast's tongue and teeth as this creature's jaw clamped down to consume him. Finally, Jay saw nothing but black.

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

"What's happening to him?!?"

Linda yelled as Dr. Blake tried to stabilize Jay in some way back at the Artifact Room of the Fleece. 

"His vitals are all over the place!" Dr. Blake yelled as he continued to try to help Jay.

"Dr. Blake, he could seize!" Dana shouted.

By this time, Larry had joined the group and held his hands on his head, worried about his friend. "Can you wake him up?"

"I'm trying," Dr. Blake replied.

Then, finally, Jay sprung awake on his own and bellowed out a loud, terrifying scream. Everyone else, including some of the elite guards, screamed and lurched backward. Jay flung an object across the room away from him and fell onto the ground.

"It's over. He's fully awake now," Dr. Blake said, shutting down the system.

"You don't say," Larry replied sarcastically.

Dr. Kelley came over to Jay along with Linda and Dana.

"Dr. Trent, are you okay?" asked Dr. Kelley.

Jay was panting and trying to catch his breath. Finally, he spoke, "I am now."

"What was happening?" Linda asked.

Jay took one big breath and then looked around the room. He sighed in relief when he saw the object lying on the ground. Jay then began to chuckle and laugh.

"I was being eaten. That's what happened," Jay said.

"Eaten? Eaten by what? A shark?" Larry asked.

"I wish. A shark would have been better. This was something else."

"What was it, Dr. Trent?" Dr. Kelley asked.

"Some beast of a man, they called him the Tormentor."

Dr. Kelley leaned back some, "From the Annunaki?"

"Yes. And I had to retrieve that over there."

Dr. Kelley looked toward the object Jay had thrown, and guards now surrounded it. The guards moved so Dr. Kelley could see. Jay had retrieved the necklace before the Tormentor finished eating him.

"You stole the Tormentor's necklace, Dr. Trent?"

"That I did, Dr. Kelley."

Dr. Kelley turned back to Jay and looked at him. For a change, Dr. Kelley was almost smiling.

"That is unbelievable," Dr. Kelley said.

"Rapha told me we needed it. So, there it is. What for, I don't know. Hopefully, he'll tell me next time."

Linda spoke up with this statement from Jay, "Next time? No, Jay! This is too dangerous. You were almost having a seizure here."

"I don't know if that would be advisable, Jay. You could have died here, even while in the dream," Dr. Blake said.

"Take some time, Dr. Trent, and then we'll begin again," Dr. Kelley said.

"Okay. You've got it," Jay replied.

"Okay? Have you lost your mind, Jay?" Linda couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Linda, I said I have to do this. I'm the only one that can. Rapha is there. He is helping me. I have to trust that."

"No! No, I'm not going to watch you die."

"Linda, I'm still here. Rest assured, Rapha is protecting me. Just please trust me on this."

Linda was shaking her head but did not want to listen to any of this. But Jay kissed her on the cheek as she pulled away slightly. He then walked past her to grab some water nearby. Linda just stared at him, angry and terrified all at once. She didn't want her husband to die for whatever was happening, not even for everyone else on Earth. Linda just wanted her family back together again. But she could see in Jay's eyes his determination to understand what this was all for and that he would never quit. Although she was scared, she was also proud but would selfishly never share those thoughts.

They all stood in the Artifact Room, clamoring over what had occurred. Food was brought in quickly to allow Jay to eat before he would return to the dreams again. He had been asleep for four hours before his violent arousal took place. Once he recovered from this dream, he would start again right away. This is a mission from Rapha to help save humanity from extinction. Where Jay would go next was anyone's guess. But Jay hadn't shared one small detail, but a remarkable detail. The Tormentor knew Jay's name, and Jay had to discover why that was the case.

Pat sat in the interrogation room, where Seth and Michael guarded him. He tapped one of his fingers on the table as if patiently waiting for whatever happened next. Finally, Pat looked slightly towards the wall behind Seth and Michael and thought, "One down."

Story # 4.4: Time and Time Again.

"I won't physically be traveling through time, Linda. This isn't Spaceman From Pluto. I don't have a car that will take me there."

Jay said this, consoling his worried wife as he held her in his arms, loving on her.

Linda wanted all of this to end. She was so tired of the constant worry about what was coming next that this ordeal had created.

"I knew it would be up to you, but it doesn't change how I feel."

She pulled away from him and looked up at him and into his eyes.

"I don't trust any of these people here. Not this place. Not this group. Especially not him."

"I know you don't. I don't either. But for some reason, this being chose me. I have to trust that."

Linda laid her head on Jay's chest.

"I wish I could go with you."

Jay pulled her away, "That's actually a good thing you can't. I need someone I can trust here. Especially because of who you have been with lately."

Linda looked toward Rob, who was standing there watching people work on the apparatus that would house Jay. Linda looked back to Jay.

"He is Pat's son but also helped save my life."

Jay sighed, "But can you trust him despite that?"

Linda was silent momentarily, then replied, "I don't know."

"And that's the reason I need you here. If he is Pat's son, that means we have two people here we absolutely cannot trust."

Linda nodded in agreement with Jay.

"It's just you and me, Seymour." Jay smiled after saying that.

Linda smiled, loving that nickname from Jay she had known for years. "Do you know how long you will be in this dream?"

"I don't know. We'll have to see. But just be patient, and whatever I bring back with me, just be ready."

"For what, exactly?"

"Anything."

That last statement from Jay did nothing to help Linda's feelings.

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

Pat sat in the interrogation room alone. Still a smile on his face. Even in the midst of chaos, Pat never broke his smile. It was like he thought of himself as invincible.

The door opening to the room grabbed Pat's attention. He assumed a guard was checking on him to do a bathroom or meal break. But instead, in walked Jay alone.

"Ah, Jay. So good to see you again."

"Likewise," Jay replied.

"Did you enjoy your time with Rapha? I'm sure it was...dreamy."

Jay pulled out the chair on the other side of the table away from Pat as the door closed behind him. He sat down, got comfortable, and looked directly at Pat.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" Pat asked, smiling as usual.

"Tell me about the time machine."

Pat began to chuckle and looked down. He had a good laugh and looked back up again at Jay. Jay was not amused.

"Time machine? That's cute, Jay."

"You opened a doorway to Anderson of the past, and you put my wife there. Why and how are all I want to know."

"Well, the why should be obvious, to get rid of a distraction. The how is much more complicated."

"My wife is not a distraction."

Pat leaned on the table, interlocking his fingers, "Oh yes, she is."

"Maybe to you and whatever it is you want, but not to me."

"You want it too, Jay. Just remember that."

"I want my life back."

"What life? A family and kids with a dead-end career? You were made for more than that, and deep down, you know it."

"They are my life."

"Really? I thought you were the way, the truth, and the life? You really don't know your full purpose here, do you, Jay?"

Jay was intrigued, but all he wanted was answers from Pat. Pat, in his customary way, did circles around his speech of whatever truth he might know.

"I know I brought something back once from a dream. From Anderson. The zombie. If I can do that, I can do it again," Jay said calmly.

"Yes, indeed you did. But I can assure you, Jay, the only time traveling that has ever gone on here was broken the minute Rapha appeared. I'm not even sure if your abilities can be used now because you were connected to that world, too. But you certainly are welcome to try whatever your team of researchers and the GASONs can concoct. As far as a time machine, well, that's never existed. Not even in the advanced civilizations of the past."

Jay knew he couldn't trust what Pat was saying. It almost felt like a waste of time. But Jay did have some truths of his own to share.

"Pat," Jay said, leaning in over the table. "I know what the Fleece is. Where it's been and what it can do."

Pat smiled, "Oh, really. How great for you."

"What I don't know is how you know so much about everything. Where do you come from?"

"That, my dear boy, is for me to know and you to find out."

Pat smiled.

Jay leaned back in his chair again, "I'm going to bring back whatever I need to make sure we deal with you once and for all."

Pat continued to smile and leaned back in his chair, "Good luck with that. In the meantime, I'll just be waiting for your triumphant return."

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

"Did you get anything?" asked Dr. Kelley of Jay.

"No. About what I would have expected."

"That's about what I expected. He's never been forthcoming about himself or how he does some things he does."

"He says there is no time machine of any kind. Not even in the past."

"Right. Well, we know he never opened the portal to the Anderson loop. What we don't know is how he sustained it once something did. The fact it collapsed when Rapha was here implies..."

"Rapha was behind it," Jay interrupted.

"Exactly," replied Dr. Kelley.

"Then I need to convene with Rapha."

"Can you still?"

Jay looked at Dr. Kelley, "I think it's possible in my dreams."

"Well, then let's get started."

Jay reclined in the chair as Dr. Blake, Dana, and other Fleece personnel prepped him for sleep.

"Ok, Jay. We're going to do this like at Crimson."

"You mean Clemson?"

"What?"

"My wife said the same university over there was Clemson."

"And what is Clemson?"

"Beats me, but who knows what I'll encounter next in these other places."

"Just keep that in mind, Jay. We don't know what those other worlds will be like. You brought a zombie back from that one. Who knows what might be waiting."

Dr. Kelley interjected, "That's why the strike force is here."

Dr. Kelley motioned toward the men in heavy body armor, with weapons, standing by.

"Sounds good to me," Jay replied.

Dr. Blake put the electrodes on Jay's head. "After this, it's dreamland. You ready?"

Jay thought for a minute, "Nope."

"All right, let's go then."

Dr. Blake stepped aside from Jay. The recliner Jay was in was within the artifact room, in the same location where Rapha had interacted with Jay earlier. The team wanted to provide the same circumstances Jay had experienced previously in the hopes of helping him sync up with another loop. 

Linda stood beside Dana, who gave her a reassuring side hug as they both watched Jay drift off to sleep. Jay was at least getting real sleep this time, compared to previous shifts between realities. There was no more swapping consciousness with Rob. Finally, after a few minutes, Dr. Blake indicated Jay was fully asleep and later going into REM sleep.

"Now, we wait," Dr. Blake said as the team stood nearby. Dr. Blake, Linda, Dana, and Dr. Kelley stood behind a console, where Dr. Blake pressed a button labeled shroud. In a few minutes, an impenetrable encasing shielded the team from Jay's location. They could see through a view window but were now protected from anything else that occurred. After Dr. Blake's last encounter with one of Jay's dreams, he insisted on the extra protection. The elite special forces soldiers readied their weapons but kept the safeties on for now. They all watched intently as Jay slept. 

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

Jay didn't see anything at first. He was dead to the world, asleep. No thoughts permeated his mind. Although he as sound asleep, he currently wasn't dreaming. If Jay had been aware of anything, he would have felt like this was the greatest sleep of his life. Pitch-black darkness. No sounds. The ecstacy of nothingness.

But then a light began to faintly show. At this moment, Jay began to dream. He was dreaming about when he and his wife and kids were at the park. The kids were playing on the playground as they looked on. With them were Jay's parents. They were so filled with joy. Then Jay saw someone else beside him. It was his grandmother. She looked over at Jay and smiled at him. Jay smiled back as he glanced back over at his children. But then a thought went through Jay's mind. His grandmother has been dead for years. So, he looked back again, and now she was directly beside him, sitting on the wall next to the playground.

"Hello, Jay. It is I, Rapha."

Jay looked at her and knew the voice was not his grandmother's. He knew it was Rapha.

"You are wise to believe we can converse through dreams."

"Why did you disappear, Rapha?"

"Because I can only be with you a little while. Where I go, you cannot come. But I am always with you."

"Always with me?"

"Yes. In your dreams. We have spoken here before in dreams."

"When the zombies overran me?"

"Yes."

"So, what are we doing in this dream?"

"This is part of your consciousness. We are reliving a moment from your past but with elements of the present."

"My grandmother has been dead for years."

"Yes. But she meant a lot to you."

"That she did."

"You will need those feelings to help you on this journey you are about to begin."

"And where is this journey taking me?"

"Let me show you."

With that, Jay no longer saw the park or his family. Instead, he was in a totally different place. The land was jungle-like, with a massive river flowing nearby. He saw lights in the distance, what looked like a city of some kind. But then he saw something he had not expected.

"Rapha. What are those?"

"Those beings once enslaved humans. They are quite powerful."

"They are huge! They're like..."

"Giants. Yes."

"Where are we?"

"From your perspective, this time existed twenty-seven thousand years ago. They were called the Annunaki."

"That one in the middle of them, they seem like the leader."

"They are, Jay."

Jay saw the leader pick up multiple human beings like they were dolls. Then, the leader ate each of the humans, almost in one bite.

"What?!"

Rapha spoke up, "He is The Tormentor and the first step in your journey to saving your species."

"What do I have to do with him? Recruit him?"

"No, you must get his necklace and bring it back with you."

Jay looked at the elaborate and large necklace around The Tormentor's neck. He knew instantly this was going to be quite a struggle. He only had one thing to say, "Well, that's just great."

Story # 4.3: Where is the Fleece?

Jay moved fast through the corridors of the Fleece, headed for the main control room. When he arrived, those in the room were somewhat astonished to see him.

"Dr. Trent, we weren't expecting..." started Dr. Kelley.

Dr. Blake, Dana, Larry, and other members of the Fleece staff were present. The elite security forces were also present. Linda had stepped out to tend to the kids. Mike and Seth were still holding Pat in the interrogation room.

"Where are we?" Jay interrupted.

"I beg your pardon?" Dr. Kelley asked.

"Where is the Fleece?"

"I'm not sure that is relevant..."

Jay moved closer to Kelley, being more insistent, "Where is the Fleece located?"

"Dude, is everything ok?" Larry asked.

"Why do you want to know the location of the Fleece?" asked Dr. Kelley.

"Because we've never been told," Jay replied.

"He's right, we've never been told exactly where we are in this place," added Dr. Blake.

"I'd like to know, too," Dana replied.

Dr. Kelley looked at them all before speaking, "Very well."

Dr. Kelley turned to face the main view screen, "Computer, pull up the mapped location of the Fleece."

The computer displays a topographical map of the region where the Fleece currently resides, with a marker indicating the exact position. As the map was completed, the computer spoke.

"The Fleece is currently located at 27.9881° N latitude, 86.9250° E longitude, in the Mahalangur region of the Hamelah Mountains."

"What? The Hamelah Mountains? In Hindia?" Larry spoke up.

"We're located at Mount Sagarmatha? The largest mountain in the world." Dr. Blake said.

Dr. Kelley stared at the screen, then said, "Yes."

"We're on the other side of the planet, and you're just now telling us this?" Larry was fuming.

"It wasn't necessary to tell you until now."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there, Dr. Kelley," Jay asked.

"There always is. What do you want to know, Dr. Trent?"

"I know this place has been here for a long time."

"Yes, that it has."

"How long?" Larry asked.

"It's been here through all the loops, all the way back to the Atlanteans, right?" Jay addressed Dr. Kelley.

"Atlanteans? What?" Larry said.

"Just listen for now, Larry," Jay said, looking at him.

Larry raised his hands and moved to another part of the room. Linda walked back into the control room at that moment.

"Yes, Dr. Trent, the Fleece has existed for millions of years, residing in this location deep under the mountain, which has had many names at this point in history. Mount Everest. Mount Bengal. Mount Mahal. Depending on which loop you want to address it by."

"We'll go with this loop for now. What is the true purpose of the Fleece?"

"The Fleece serves as a research facility to preserve the history and future of humanity. Being buried deep underground allows us to use geothermal power to maintain operations outside the superstructure underneath that go undetected by anyone attempting to climb the summit."

"So, no one else knows we are here. No one else on the planet."

"Correct, and we will keep it that way for as long as possible."

"Why?"

"Because no one outside here would understand this place or why it is needed."

"How do you know? Have you ever even tried?"

"Someone has tried before, and it caused one of the loops to cease."

Jay thought for a minute, "Which loop, there's been fifty."

"Fifty?" asked Dr. Kelley.

"Yes, do you not know that?"

"There's only been ten, Dr. Trent."

"Ten. That's not what Pat said."

"And do you really believe Pat?"

Dr. Kelley looked at Jay and stared at him.

Jay knew Dr. Kelley had a point there.

"He's told us all of this, Jay," Linda spoke up and approached both men. "There's been ten loops throughout history that led to where we are today. But like Jay asked, which loop was ended by learning of the Fleece."

"My loop," a young voice from behind them echoed in the room. In walked Rob to the control room. "My loop was the one that ended because of people learning about the Fleece."

"Yes, that is correct," replied Dr. Kelley.

"His loop, the Anderson loop. Why?"

"Because of Rob, Dr. Trent. He escaped from the Fleece and began informing people about the nature of this facility. Because of that, the SARS-CoV-3 virus was released."

Jay had to take that in for a moment.

"So, this place deliberately destroyed an entire civilization?" Larry asked.

"Yes, it was unfortunate, but it was done."

Jay walked around and then looked back at Dr. Kelley, "By who?"

"My dad," Rob spoke up.

Everyone in the room looked at Rob except Linda and Dr. Kelley.

"Your dad? Who is your dad?" Dr. Blake asked.

"Who do you think. Dr. Blake?" replied Dr. Kelley.

"Pat? Are you kidding me? This is some Star Battle BS," Larry said.

"Why would Pat want to destroy that world to continue hiding the Fleece?" Jay asked of Dr. Kelley.

Dr. Kelley finally looked at Jay. Jay could tell the answer from the look on Dr. Kelley's face. He said what the man was thinking.

"You don't know, do you?" Jay asked.

Dr. Kelley gave no response.

Jay looked over at Rob, "Do you know?"

Rob looked at Jay, "I always thought it was to get rid of me. But I don't know anything beyond that."

"Well, I think I have some idea."

Jay walked over toward the computer.

"Dr. Kelley, you said there have been ten loops. You're sure about that?"

Dr. Kelley had the computer bring up the timeline he had shown to the others when Jay was with Rapha.

"These are the loops we have factual proof of, some of which are in the Artifact Room and some in documents. As I said, we have no evidence of anything beyond the ten loops, and much of our ancient relics are from the Anderson loop."

"Right. But I think Rapha is trying to get us to piece a puzzle together. You are saying the Fleece has always been under this mountain?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"But when Rapha showed me the Atlantean civilization, the images I saw flashing before me put the Fleece somewhere else. It was part of a massive city in the Saharan Savannah."

"The Saharan Savannah? How?"

"I don't know, I just know it was there and even above ground then. It was just part of that world."

"You're suggesting the Fleece can move?"

"Yes. I think the orb allows for it. I believe the orb channels a pathway through space and time. You saw what happened with Linda and Rob. They came through time to the present day from the Anderson loop. There was a connection to those other worlds allowing something to go there and for it to come here too."

"Fascinating, Dr. Trent. We've never considered that possibility about the orb before. That it can act as a conduit to another world. If what you're saying is true, then it might be possible for us to go to these other loops."

"Exactly!"

"The purpose being?" Dr. Blake asked.

"The purpose is to discover what is causing these civilization extinctions," Jay replied.

"So, if the orb can do that, how do we get there?" Dana asked.

"We would have to have some way to harness a loop to go there. A catalyst," Jay said, leaning against the consoles.

"What would be the catalyst, Jay?" Larry asked.

Linda looked over at Jay. She didn't like the thought going through her mind at that moment. But finally, Jay confirmed her fears.

"I believe it's me. I'm the catalyst."

After Jay said this, all eyes were on him as they pondered the greatest mystery. For many millennia, something was wreaking havoc on humanity, and for the first time, these people might be able to find out how and why. Would this be the team that can stop the civilization loops from happening?

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 Savanna, 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 Assimilator 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."

Jay 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 got 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 to the left 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 readied 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 brightened intensely, blindingly. The guards, and 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 began to 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 into pieces 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 world. 

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 of 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 # 4.2: The Dream of Adam and Eve...

"So, after years of research, beginning in 1949, Cuvier's challenge had an answer: Yes, indeed the cataclysms do happen. And the last one, 6,500 years ago, was Noah's Flood!

All right. So they happen. What is it that happens each time? The challenge was really two-fold: Find the process - what happens in a cataclysm; and the trigger - what causes a cataclysm to start?"

Except from The Adam and Eve Story by Chan Thomas, Anderson Loop 1966 A.D./C.E. Link to document.

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

Jay was in his quarters with Linda, huddled together in a loving pose. Their heads touched ever so slightly as both pondered what was to come.

"What do you think will happen?" Linda asked as she leaned back to look Jay in the eyes.

"Rapha said I'll be sleeping and dreaming. It might be my best sleep in a long time."

"Can you really trust this thing? What if it kills you, Jay?"

"He won't. I know it."

"So, it's a he now?"

"I'm just speculating there, but I trust this being with all my heart, Linda."

Linda looked down, worried immensely for her husband. Jay took his hand and nuzzled it next to her chin, slowly lifting her head to meet his gaze.

He could see the worry in Linda's eyes. He tried to calm her, "I will be back, Linda. I'm not done here yet."

Linda wanted to believe him, but so many doubts crept through her mind. She had almost lost Jay once to a dream world. Then, she almost lost him to death. Then again, she almost lost him by being separated from him in another world where she nearly died. Now, Jay was purposely going to put his life into this creature's hands and hope for the best? It was truly more than she could take. Selfishly, Linda didn't want him to do it because they had been too far apart. But she knew Jay had to do it if only once more, to understand what was happening.

"Just promise me when you return, you're not someone else this time, ok?"

Jay chuckled, "I promise."

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

Jay walked through the doors of the Artifact Room and made his way over toward the orb. In front of the orb awaited Rapha and a portable fold-out examine chair/table for Jay. No one else was allowed to be present after bringing the equipment down to the room. However, monitoring was still going to take place with an electromagnetic sensing device, which Dr. Blake and the technicians from the Fleece left attached to the underside of the table. This device detects the human body's electromagnetic energy, allowing for monitoring of vital signs, electrical impulses in the brain, and stimuli reactions. The team at the Fleece would be able to sense what was happening to Jay at all times and also see if they could detect anything about Rapha. So far, no detection devices within the Artifact Room had identified any trace of Rapha's existence, meaning his being was both existent and non-existent within this reality simultaneously. Surely impossible, but it's happening nonetheless.

Jay was not nervous as he approached Rapha and the resting station. He was borderline excited about the possibilities that awaited. As excited as the first person to stand on the precipice of an unknown land or an astronaut first stepping on the moon. Jay stopped before Rapha and looked up at the towering being.

"Are you ready, emissary?"

"Yes," was all Jay replied.

"Then let us begin. Take your seat."

Jay slid onto the chair from the side. It was quite comfortable despite the situation he was in. He reclined into the seat, leaning back as Rapha stood beside him. Rapha did not touch Jay but continued standing there as Jay readied himself for whatever was next.

"Now take a deep breath and exhale deeply. Then close your eyes."

Jay did as Rapha asked and closed his eyes. What Jay didn't realize was how quickly he would fall asleep. He was sleeping almost instantly after breathing and closing his eyes. Darkness consumed his entire field of gaze, with the faith hue of light coming through his eyelids from the orb nearby. He felt himself drift away to sleep as if sedated under anesthesia. Quickly, he was in REM sleep, where dreams began to happen.

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

Jay could feel illumination all around him, like daylight. Soon, he saw images of a park he was in somewhere. He could feel the grass under his bare feet, thick and lush. He could sense the air going by in a breeze, with a crisp autumn-like feel. It felt like early October to him. The sky was perfectly blue, not a cloud in it. After taking in what he was sensing, he closed his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again, the park was bustling with activity. People everywhere. Kids playing. Couples eating at a picnic. Dogs playing catch and fetch. In the distance, he saw towering structures that clearly were buildings. But these buildings were like nothing he had ever seen in his world. Some of the buildings stood two hundred to three hundred stories high. Objects glided around them in organized patterns, much like cars following a road on the ground. Other plane-like vehicles were moving through the sky effortlessly, some climbing high into the stratosphere as if they were leaving the bounds of Earth.

As Jay watched all this happening, a voice began to speak only to him.

"Welcome to the past, Jay."

Rapha spoke to Jay, but no one around him could hear. Jay wasn't even sure if other people could see him.

"This is the past? Not a dream?"

"You are still dreaming, but I can show you what your world has been through this dream."

"This is my world. I don't recognize anything. These people are strangely dressed. I don't recognize the buildings."

"You are in the midst of the capital city of the Atlantean civilization over three million years ago."

Jay looked around at the inhabitants of the park. They were wearing clothes that looked flowing, like gowns, but could mold to the shape of their body when needed. Digital displays could be seen around the park, addressing aspects of the civilization in other parts of the world.

"What is the name of this city?"

Rapha replied, "This is Atlantis. It is located in what you call the Saharan Savanna."

"Atlantis? It was real."

"Yes, as real as any other city you have ever seen in your own world."

"I don't understand. If this was here millions of years ago, what happened?"

"Destruction, Jay."

"Destruction? What like a war?"

"In a way."

"What war, though? This place seems peaceful and harmonious. It's like a utopia."

Then Jay saw something he hadn't expected. Emerging through the trees was a reptilian creature with large protruding horns on the nose and forehead. As the beast walked on all fours, Jay recognized it immediately from pictures he had seen.

"That's a Tricerpod! They were interacting with Reptopods?"

"Yes. These creatures were part of this society. You call them Reptopods. Other civilizations called them Dinosaurs, Scalibirds, but the Atlanteans called them dragons."

The Tricerpod, also known as a Triceratops, moved across the open field with a rider on top. Children ran alongside it, playing and enjoying the creature. The creature seemed as happy about them being there as they were about it being present.

"This world is unbelievable. What happened to them?"

The image Jay was seeing shifted to showing the entire planet from orbit. Space stations, satellites, and mega structures could seen. A massive elevator propelling people from the planet's surface to the orbiting space station above grabbed Jay's attention. He saw vessels carrying people moving around in the space near the stations. Then, after a bright flash, the vessels would streak away faster than Jay could comprehend. 

"This civilization thrived for millions of years, achieving great wonders. They settled planets and other bodies throughout your system and continued to expand outward into your surrounding galaxy. Their numbers were vast. They encountered new worlds and other civilizations across the galaxy."

"Extra-terrestrials? These people interacted with otherworldly beings?"

"Yes. It was a peaceful coexistence with knowledge sharing to help all civilizations grow and thrive. There were no wars. No disease. No sadness. People here still died, but they could live for thousands of years. Their reach was limitless."

"So how did this end?"

"Your world had a sentinel. A being that would guard the most sacred of knowledge for all time. This sentinel resided in one place in your world. A place your world refers to as the cradle of civilization. This place housed the garden, where ripe trees blossomed. Where all souls flourished. From this place originated an entity you are quite familiar with now. Back then, they called it the home. In your world, it's called..."

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

Jay sprang back to life with gasping breaths. He was breathing in air as quickly as he could. A light sweat was glistening on his forehead. He looked to where Rapha should be, but no one was there. Jay was disconnected from Rapha, but Rapha appeared to be gone. But Jay received the message clearly.

As Rapha had said, the place in the garden millions of years ago was a location Jay was quite familiar with.

Jay said the name out loud, "The Fleece."

The Fleece had been there millions of years ago. It was at the center of what had destroyed the Atlanteans. Now, Jay had to figure out the rest of what Rapha was suggesting about the Fleece before it was too late for him and his civilization.

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 # 4.1: Answers?

Dr. Blake was walking the corridors of the now bustling Fleece. There were people everywhere, thanks to GASON. All manner of tech support, security, engineers, and so on. The once seemingly hidden location was a booming metropolis all its own. Dana walked alongside Dr. Blake as they approached the control room of the Fleece.

“How do you feel about all of this?” Dana asked.

“I don’t know. I’m still processing what happened the other day. But right now, I’m hoping for some answers.”

Upon entering the control room, members of the GASON group and technicians from the Fleece were there. An armed team of infantry was also present. They appeared to be an elite special unit from the decal on their shoulders. Dana had once dated a man in the armed forces, so he told her about them and his unrealized dreams of becoming one.

As Dr. Blake and Dana entered the room, a man from GASON turned around to greet them.

“Ah, Dr. Blake, Dana, thank you for joining us. I was about to explain some things.”

Larry, Mike, and Seth stood by as they looked at the main video screen on the wall before them. The man from GASON went up to the console and began entering codes. The computer then spoke.

“Prepare for full body identification scan.”

The man from GASON stood there with his arms to his sides as a bright red laser scan engulfed his body and disappeared.

“Security access granted. Welcome Dr. Leonard Kelley.”

“Please bring up historical documents for Anderson Loop 20121221.”

The screen began to fill with documents, images, and videos. Dr. Blake could hardly take it all in. The amount of information available was overwhelming. Dr. Blake asked the most logical question, “Dr. Kelley, what is this?”

Dr. Kelley responded, “These are the historical documents available on the previous loop.”

“Loop? What do you mean loop?” Larry asked.

“Apologies, we refer to these repeat civilizations as loops because whatever happened in the previous loop seems to be made manifest again. You may have heard it as a historical recurrence.”

Larry looked at Dr. Kelley, “Yeah, I’ve heard of that, but it’s referring to historical patterns that seem to mimic themselves somewhat. It’s similar but not exactly the same.”

“Right, and it’s the same situation here. Take the schematic of Anderson, South Carolina, circa 2012 A.D. or C.E. There is the full topographical map of the city before the plague. Now let’s overlay the city of Smithville, South Augustina over Anderson.”

The computer overlayed the two maps and showed the statistical result. The cities were 97.1% matched for topography, population density, and other factors. A virtual carbon copy of the same city thousands of years apart.

Mike spoke up, “Wow.”

“But it’s not an exact match. Look at some of the variation in locations, the topography changes,” Dana added.

“True, but almost every map of cities today corresponds to a similar variation, within a 3% difference. That’s pretty significant,” Dr. Kelley replied.

“So, you’re saying our civilization rebuilt an old one directly over it? Almost identical to the last?” Dr. Blake said, mesmerized but still trying to sound logical.

“Yes.”

“How? How long ago was this civilization in existence?”

“I’m so glad you asked, doctor. We located a calendar from that time, which was still accurate. They referred to their calendar as the Gregorian Calendar. Based on our best calculations, the plague wiping out humans occurred in 2012, with the final destruction of their ruins in 2333, meaning for us the year would currently be 15,989 A.D. or C.E. from that civilizations record.”

Everyone looked at Dr. Kelley. 

“This civilization existed thirteen thousand years ago?” asked Larry.

“Give or take a year, yes,” Dr. Kelley replied.

Dr. Blake grabbed his hair and pulled on it, a nervous tic. He looked down at the floor as he did this, then asked more questions. "So, a civilization very similar to ours ended thirteen thousand years ago due to some type of zombie plague, based on the dead person walking we've encountered. And our civilization continued after that. But you said loops. Was there more than one loop?"

Dr. Kelley pulled up more documents, and a timeline appeared on the main screen. Different points along the line were highlighted as significant events. "All told, there have been ten loops throughout human history. The first ended three million years ago with the end of the Atlantean Civilization. Atlantis was considered a KL-type three civilization. They were super advanced, traversing the galaxy with colonies on multiple exoplanets in other star systems. We don't know what caused that civilization to end, but it was nearly one million years before the next civilization came into being. The next civilization was a KL-type two, destroyed one hundred thousand years later by a gamma-ray burst occurring only 50 light-years away. That is conjecture, though, as we don't have a record of a GRB that close in history. But it took roughly eight hundred thousand years for the next civilization to arise, becoming another KL-type two civilization. This civilization had colonies on Aries, or what other prior civilizations called Mars, but the two planets went to war. They annihilated one another in an interplanetary thermonuclear war around nine hundred thousand years ago. About one hundred thousand years later, a KL-type 1.5 civilization arose but died fifty thousand years later because of a Malthusian Catastrophe. What happened there is that the population exceeded resources to a degree that they could not be supported. Famine, plague, war, and death ensued, and eventually, the population dropped rapidly."

They were all entranced to listen to Dr. Kelley talk about this timeline. He continued on.

"The fifth civilization was a KL-type 1.2 that lasted one hundred thousand years and was destroyed when the Wonderland caldera erupted. This caldera has also been called Roche Jaune, Burning Mountain, and Yellowstone. Following recovery from that destruction, the next civilization was KL-type 1, roughly fifty thousand years later. This civilization lasted one hundred fifty thousand years but was destroyed by a severe period during the ice age. The next civilization, number seven, began roughly two hundred thousand years ago and grew to a KL-type 0.9 before collapsing due to the Toba Eruption eighty-eight thousand years ago. After that, the Annunaki civilization arose twenty-five thousand years later and lasted twenty-eight thousand years until it was destroyed in a massive flood generated by a comet. This civilization was the most primitive as a KL-type 0.5. The civilization seemed to have a massive slave population. Following the flood twenty-five thousand years ago, the Anderson civilization arose as a KL-type 0.7 and was obviously destroyed by a zombie plague twelve thousand years later. Finally, that leads to today, number ten, a KL-type 0.8 civilization on the brink of its demise."

"Demise? Our civilization is going to end?" Dana asked.

Dr. Kelley turned and looked at her, "Yes."

"By what means?" Dr. Blake asked.

"Well, put it simply, we've reached the limit of the human species," Dr. Kelley replied.

This comment shook Dr. Blake, "Are you referring to the doomsday argument?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"What's the doomsday argument?" Seth asked.

"We've calculated the number of humans that can exist anywhere in history. Each rising civilization had a minimum of one hundred billion humans that lived during that time. The maximum number calculated is 1.2 trillion humans can exist. Currently, we are at 1.2 trillion humans that have existed today."

They all looked at the screen, which showed the population figure based on the prevalence of the human species occupying the galaxy.

"So, when this loop ends, so does the human race?" Dana asked.

Dr. Kelley turned and looked at them all, "Unfortunately, yes."

"Can we stop it?" asked Larry.

Dr. Kelley turned to face them, "That's the real question we need to answer, and Pat is the only one who can."

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

Pat sat alone in the same room Jay and his people sat in weeks earlier upon their arrival at the Fleece. He sat there, occasionally chuckling to himself. The ever-present smile always showing on his face. He tapped his fingers on the table before him, waiting for whatever was next.

His attention was grabbed by the door unlocking and opening up. In walked four security guards, the elite special forces members, along with Mike, Seth, and Dr. Kelley. It was clear to Pat what was about to happen next.

"Hello there, gentleman," Pat said with a smile.

"Save the pleasantries. We're here for answers," Dr. Kelley said.

"I'm sure you are."

"So, I have a question," spoke up Seth.

"Shoot," Pat replied, still smiling.

"How does it feel to have the shoe on the other foot?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't put my shoes on backward."

Seth chuckled, "You like being cute, don't you?"

"I've been told that on occasion."

"Were you being cute when you had your guy kill my partner and I?"

"And me."

"Answer the question, Pat. Enough games," Dr. Kelley spoke up.

"On the contrary, Leo, this is the perfect time for a game, don't you think?"

"Why is that, Pat?"

"Well, you're sitting there next to two technically dead men, part of a civilization that has died so many times I've honestly lost count at this point, in the only place in the world that has access to that lost history where no one could possibly find it except for those that need to know. They are controlled by a group of elitist, self-righteous scientists who think they have it all figured out until something reminds them of how small they really are. I think it's a great time for a game, don't you? Perhaps chess?"

"When is the doomsday effect supposed to happen?"

"How should I know?"

"Because you set it into motion. When you came to us, you used us to start it. So, when?"

"What would Jesus say, doctor..."

"Stop that! Right now. Enough, Pat. Stop the games, the lies, the deceit."

"There is no..."

"Deception, yes, we've heard," Mike chimed in.

"You listen? That's good, Mike," Pat said, smiling.

Dr. Kelley, Seth, and Mike sat there looking at Pat, who was still smiling at them, a big toothy grin.

Pat finally spoke, "Listen, gentleman, I would love to tell you how and when the world will end. But I can't. No one can. Not even the Rapha you just met. Where is Rapha, by the way?"

"Don't you know? Can't you read thoughts?" Seth asked.

"Ah, you've been doing your homework, Seth."

"Answer his question," Dr. Kelley stared at Pat, emotionless.

"Sadly, I can't at the moment. Not Rapha nor Jay. Where are they?"

"That's for us to know and you to answer the questions," Mike said.

"Well then, I guess we may all be here until doomsday," Pat said, smiling big that time.

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

Jay was alone in the Artifact Room with Rapha. He sat at a table before the being, his arms to his sides, staring at the creature. Rapha was still phasing in and out of space-time. Rapha looked around the room at the artifacts before kneeling to speak directly to Jay.

Jay was not nervous or scared, just calm. Completely and utterly calm. It was as if Jay was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing for the first time in his life. He was at ease and relaxed, more than he had ever been before. Linda and the kids were safe. His friend Larry was alive at the moment, in some state. The world seemed safe, for now. Even being in the presence of Rapha made Jay calm.

"These things in this room are meant to deceive you," Rapha spoke, the beings shifting to a sitting position before Jay.

"How so? Pat says they are part of ancient history," Jay replied, somewhat confused.

"That is his ploy, manipulate information to deceive from the truth."

"In what way? By hiding it from everyone?"

"By showing it to you in the first place."

"Why?"

"He lies in plain sight. It's the easiest form of deception. Twisting the truth to confuse you."

"He claims never to deceive."

"The best way to deceive is to deny deception."

"By tricking you."

"Yes."

"So, everything Pat does is a trick?"

"Yes."

"For what purpose? What's the ultimate goal for Pat? For all these civilizations? For all this chaos and deception?"

"He has been doing it a long time now. Persecuting. Accusing. Tormenting. He will continue to do it until the end."

"What does it have to do with me and my dreams?"

"You are an emissary."

"An emissary, like a messenger?"

"Yes. A task master."

"To stop Pat?"

"Yes."

"How? How do I stop someone like him? You said he's been doing this for a long time now. How could I stop him?"

"To answer that, I'll have to show you."

"Show me?"

"Yes. You will need to sleep. Do you trust me?"

Jay didn't know what other choice he had. But deep down, he trusted Rapha with his soul. As he stared at this being, he couldn't help but wonder if he was being fooled again. Pat smiled at him and admitted no deception, and Jay was listening to him implicitly. Was Jay about to make the same mistake again?

"The decision is yours, emissary."

"I accept, Rapha."

"Then we will begin."