“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“Please bring up historical documents for Anderson Loop 20121221.”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 Kelley responded, “These are the historical documents available on the previous loop.”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."
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