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."

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.