Encompassing (26 page)

CHAPTER 69

“Love for the father is designed in us all.  Love for the mother comes from years of watching her suffer from her love of the father.” – from the book of Brian

Time dilation is a strange thing.  It’s useful, but to the person in the dilation everything else seems to move at slow motion while to everyone else it appears that person is moving at speeds that defy logic.  This is relativity at work.  If you have ever been in a car and watched the wheels of another car beside you leave a red light, at some point the wheels on that tire begin to  go from looking like they are moving forward to looking like they are moving backward.  The human eyes and visual cortex is the most complex of all beings on earth.  We evolved to stand up right and use vision as a means of survival instead of relying on our olfactory senses.  Other mammals still gather most of their information about their environment through smell and therefore prefer to be able to easily sniff the ground.  However, as humans we stood up and we evolved to have a lumbar curve so we could see further.  This was our advantage in the savannah.  See through the grass and you can see what is coming towards you from downwind.  It is what made us different.  Then we spread our diet by seeing more things to eat.  That made us taste bad to other animals and probably the only true reason we survived as a species.  It’s easier to avoid threats if nothing wants to eat you.  Unless it’s really hungry.

Renfield moves fast to his 10, but immediately takes on heavy fire.  He avoids most of the shots, but with so many the odds dictate what he knows.  He simply has to hope none hit him squarely in the head.  That would put him down.  Every bullet he can see as if it’s traveling at him slowly, but there are too many to avoid all of them.  Renfield is aware the tactic being used against him is a basic strafe maneuver, but also realizes it’s damned effective, given the scenario.

Renfield realizes as soon as he gets to the hangar door he will be slowed by trying to open it.  He also realizes this will make him a semi-stationary target for too many seconds and he continually tries to envision the best strategy when he gets to it.  He draws a blank at any other concept than simply trying to push that door open hard and fast, which he realizes probably won’t be hard and fast enough.  He begins calming his mind and starts counting the meters between him and that door.  When he gets to 10 meters he begins to focus only on what he has to do on the other side of that door.  There is no other choice.  Renfield considers clicking inside, but he has no frame of reference to make that a viable option.  He realizes he simply has to focus on something other than his moment of weakness.  As he approaches, the door begins to open itself.  His face grows a strange look and he sees the model inside.  Illumna steps out and lays down her own cover fire as Renfield leaps inside and thinks to Solstice, “Click now!”  Get the kids!”.  He turns and looks at Illumna.  Half-angry that she took the risk, half-thankful that she did.  “I’ll assume everyone else is together?”  As he speaks he is struck just below the place where his rib was shattered a year ago.  The pain is intense and he turns.  What he sees takes his breath a second time.  Renfield immediately thinks to everyone else, “I’m in the right place!”  He grins and turns to move quickly while thinking loudly to Illumna, “Go!  Get them out of here!”

Illumna knows the plan.  If they hear from him soon, Solstice will click in and get him home.  If they don’t, they are to change the plan for the next target to adjust for him not being there.  She runs ahead of Renfield instead and thinks back at him, “I’ll do some damage before I click.”

Renfield watches his daughter’s model begin clicking around with extreme accuracy and destroying both the guards and the macabre beings the guards are there to protect.  However, the beings begin to move and click around her.  Adam yells out, “Go, NOW!”

Illumna thinks at her father, “I can help!”

Renfield thinks to his daughter, “Right now you are more of a distraction!  Go!  You understand!”

At that, Illumna clicks back and looks up at her mother.  Then she sheds the model and they all head for the truck.  Brady jumps into the driver’s seat and pushes the pedal hard then eases off realizing he doesn’t want the truck to get stuck in the soft soil.  Once he has the truck up to cruising speed, he pushes his foot hard on the pedal.  They had planned the terrain so he’s happy that the rest of this is all downhill.  The truck picks up extreme momentum and at some point he doesn’t even feel likes he’s driving.  Brady simply feels like he’s on a ride out of his own control and holding on while trying his best to steer.  Then he considers that if he, with a steering wheel to hold on to, can barely keep in his seat, what the bumps must be doing to the others in the back.  He realizes he can’t brake fast, but he knows he has to begin slowing the speed.  He glances over at Angela, who is holding on tightly to the straps.  The look on her face intensifies his resolve to get the truck back under control.  His face cringes at the thought of what must be happening in the back of the truck.  He eases his foot onto the brake but the bouncing of the truck keeps causing his foot to either leave the pedal or push too hard.

Brady tries to concentrate but instead he hears Renfield yelling in his head.  “Count!”  Brady realizes the thought being sent out so loudly isn’t meant for him, but he takes the advice anyway.  His mind slows and he focuses on his leg and foot.  The truck slowly comes to a halt and he eases into moving again.  Brady is fairly certain they are far enough away but he wants more distance.  He knows what Renfield is dealing with can’t click to them without the hardware that Sara is holding.  Those beings are no longer human, they are a bastardization of Solstice’s concept.  As he drives, he can’t help but wonder if she will ever see her father again.  He turns to Angela, puts a hand on her knee and smiles.

Angela understanding the gesture turns to smile at Brady.  “I assume you want me to change the topic?  Have you ever thought about horses?”  Brady looks at her and smiles and she continues, “They have big butts, but they can be fun to ride!”  Brady laughs.

CHAPTER 70

“I will go to my grave before I become a slave.  I’m aware of what I am, but every fiber of my soul rejects what was done to my body.” – from the book of Phillip

“Thank you, Solstice.  I had a good time, albeit brief, with the grandchildren.”  Renfield_2 said. “I know your father doesn’t completely trust me.  I am glad that the sanctity of being in nothing forced him to consider me worthy of spending this time with them.”

Solstice thought about that statement.  “You are him separated only by a year of different experiences.  Yours were hyper-non-intense, which is intense for you to go through.  His were hyper-intense, which was comforting to him.  He knows your mental struggle to a greater degree than you think.  When he and you conceived of this ‘experiment’ you both knew it wouldn’t be easy.  You’ve adapted.  You’re like him.  But he knows that you two no longer have the same goals.  He knew it would happen.  You’re now, in his mind, the ‘other’ part of him.”

“I understand, Solstice, it was good to talk with you.  Goodbye.”  Renfield_2 comments.

Solstice pauses.  She begins to ask a question of her own.  Then she realizes her thought was already heard.  At the lack of receiving a reply, she mentions, “I have to come back one more time.  I’m not leaving Brian without a mother!”  Then she clicks.  A few moments later she is back again.  She listens for Renfield_2 to answer her question, but he doesn’t.  She grabs Brian and clicks away again.

Brady turns as Solstice appears in the hotel room.  Christina looks at her daughter and feels relief.  Snifalotapus runs to Christina and brushes his back against her leg for comfort.  Christina kicks him, hard then moves, eyes forward, to indicate she’s listening and steps on it’s head to keep it from distracting her again.  Everyone ignores the cruel gesture, with other more pressing matters at hand.  Angela, however, laughs uncomfortably.  Illumna looks at her sister and thinks to her, “I’m blocked right now, but you can guess what I am thinking.”

One by one, Solstice clicks them all back home.  Then she pauses as Illumna grabs her arm.  “You’re not going without me!”  Illumna is firm.  Solstice understands.  The silence has been deafening to all of them.

Solstice turns to her older sister.  At that Solstice clicks her to the house and then both click apart, back to the center of the lab.  She and Illumna hear deafening racket.  They both scrunch their faces.  “How could it be possible Renfield is still fighting?”, they both wonder.

Solstice nods to Illumna.  “Guess he was right about that too!”  Illumna remembers the lesson.  When noise, light, emotions, or any other stimuli is too much, begin storing the energy.  The common theme is to release emotion, turn off light, get away from sound.  But there are two phases, according to Renfield, storage and release.  Storage is mastery.  Release is for those not yet strong enough to store.  If one stores the free energy, one can learn to release it at will.  Over such a long lifetime, Renfield has stored up much of that.  It was time for him to release when it was beneficial for the whole.

Both of the girls move into models they had left in the lab.  Solstice grabs Illumna and clicks.  Illumna moves first.  She does what she does best.  She uses her model as a knockdown tool first.  Solstice begins to move but she notices how fast the ‘zombies’ are clicking around Illumna.  She begins to regret brining her sister here and considers grabbing her, clicking her out and leaving this to Renfield whom she realizes has more tricks up his sleeve than he let on in all of the time she’s known her father.  Then it comes to her what the issues is and she thinks to her sister quickly, “Close your mind Illumna!”

Illumna thinks back, “I keep thinking Dad said I was a distraction, which means you are too.  How can we co-ordinate if we can’t communicate?”

Solstice thinks in response to her sister, “We just have to trust that we all know and understand each other well enough.”

“Nice speech, sis.  There are far more of these things than I imagined!  I can’t keep up and I have the fastest pace.”  Illumna thinks to her sister.

“Turn off Illumna!  They are using your mind to focus on your movements.  They might not be as fast as you, but there are too many for you to let them get a clue as to what you are doing next.”  Solstice pleads in her mind with her sister.

“You haven’t shut off and I’ve seen how many you’ve taken out.”  Illumna quips back, in her mind.

“I don’t want to block until you do.  Please do it now, Illumna.  We’re not even working together.  I can see Dad from up here and he looks pretty angry.  I’m guessing it’s more at you and I than at these ‘zombies’!”  Solstice replies in thought and then turns as two more come at her.  Then she thinks out to her sister, “These are not models and different from my AI units.  These were people.  They remember how to think, even if they are on remote control.  They can anticipate our moves in different ways than my AI does and you’re giving them the advantage of tapping into your thoughts, Illumna.  Go into block mode.”

Illumna thinks one last thought back to Solstice, “Are we really going to go with ‘zombies’ for what we call them?”  Then Illumna goes silent and Solstice can tell she’s put her mind unavailable.

Solstice starts moving fast while she thinks to herself, “She wanted the comfort of knowing she isn’t alone, plus she can’t click back home without me or Dad.”  Solstice realizes she has made a mistake in bringing Illumna here.  She clicks around trying to follow her sister and taking out attackers as she goes, but Illumna is too fast.  Then she catches her arm as Illumna crosses her path and she clicks them home.

Illumna screams in anger, “Why did you do that Solstice!  You tricked me!”

“No, I didn’t!  I saved your life and mine and hopefully Dad’s.  He’s right.  It’s a good plan and we need to realize that and sit on our hands and wait.  We certainly helped increase his odds while we were there, but we can’t go back.  One or both of us will die and we are distracting him, just like you said.  That means our help increases the chance he never makes it out.  Do you understand?”

Illumna angry and frustrated clicks to the lab.  Even though she is still blocking her mind, Solstice knows where she would go and clicks in behind her sister.

“Illumna.  We have to have faith in him.  If we don’t, how can he have faith in himself?”  Solstice says.

Then Illumna’s face goes slack as the gravity of her sister’s words hits pay dirt with her.  She unblocks her mind and thinks to her sister.  “Fine.  Then lets eat.”  They both click to the kitchen and begin finding random foods to satisfy them while they wait.

Solstice looks at her sister and Illumna looks back at her, “How about popcorn and a movie?”  Illumna says.

Solstice laughs, “I hate popcorn and you know that!  I hate the kernel pieces!  They get stuck everywhere in your mouth!  Tongue and throat, teeth!  It’s gross.”

“Very telling, sis.”  Illumna rolls her eyes at her younger sibling. “Well, now I know what one Johnson didn’t get.”  Illumna replies.

“Pop the corn!  I’ll eat it.  I know how to spit.” Solstice snaps back at her.  The two giggle at each other, but while the microwave runs Solstice begins staring at the wall and doesn’t move for so long it makes Illumna worry.

“Solstice!  Are you ok?”  Illumna raises her voice to be sure to get her sisters attention.

Solstice turns to her slowly.  Illumna holds her breath and feels her heartbeat rise wondering what is coming next.  “Besides the next target, what will life be like if he’s not here?”  Solstice say to Illumna.  Just then the microwave beeps.

Illumna looks at her sister.  “Which movie did you want to watch?  I’m thinking a romance!”  Both of them click to the few DVD’s they have and Illumna pulls one out, clicks to the Blu-Ray player and loads it while reaching up and turning on the TV.

Solstice yells at her sister, “That’s not fair!  What did you choose?”

Illumna clicks besides her sister on the couch and grabs a handful of popcorn and stuffs it in her mouth while responding, “I don’t know.  It had a guy and a girl kissing on the cover so I picked it.”  Solstice laughs at her sister.  The movie begins.  Illumna adds, “Also you can move through time, so there’s that.”  The movie starts with a gentleman speaking to a lady of his desire and they watch intently.

A few minutes into the movie, Solstice says to her sister, “He wouldn’t just be angry, he’d be let down.  This timeline is one he’s proud of.  We’d be robbing him of that if we changed this one.  I don’t want to do that to him.”

Illumna, engrossed in the movie until the comment from her sister sits up, grabs the remote and hits pause then turns to looks at Solstice.  “Would you rather he’d be dead?  Gone forever!”

Solstice retorts, “No!  But he would and you know that!  It would be dishonorable.”

“Screw him and his honor!  He’s done things that aren’t so honorable!”  Illumna’s voice raises even louder.

“Illumna, he always tries.  What’s his saying, ‘Each night go to sleep and pray you wake a better man than you were the day before and eventually you’ll reach perfection. Keep taking steps toward the top of that mountain.’  He’s right.  There are fine lines and everyone’s idea of moral behavior is different.  ‘Define your own and don’t judge someone else’s unless you’re about to marry them.’  He’s right!”

Illumna thinks back to her fathers sayings.  She looks at Solstice who replies to her sister’s look quickly, “NO!  We are NOT going back!  Watch lover boy and think about something else.”

Illumna clicks to the restroom.  She returns and says to her sister, “Let’s go check on the kids.”

Solstice replies, “They’re sleeping peacefully.  Why would we wake them?”

Illumna looks at her sister for a while.  She studies her hard lined face and wonders how old her sister really is.  After a few seconds of watching Solstice eat popcorn, she reaches down for the remote and hits play.  She looks at the guy in the movie and thinks to herself that she doesn’t have anyone in her life.  Her sister turns to her and says, “Nor do I.  One day, perhaps.  On this timeline.”  Illumna imagines that and looks back at her sister.  Her sister leans to the side and she turns quickly.

“Solstice!  You can be pretty gross sometimes!”  Illumna yells while avoiding the assault.

“Apparently you’ve never had to hear you when you sleep!”  Solstice retorts.

Illumna looks back at Solstice.  “What?”

Solstice replies, “You heard me.  I’ve had to hear you a lot!”  They both giggle as the first kiss begins in the movie.  Then they both focus on the moment.  When the ‘video perfect world’s most passionate kiss‘ is over, Solstice asks Illumna, “Is it hard to have a shadow of him around?”

Illumna sits quietly then turns and looks at Solstice, “Can you be quiet, he’s wooing her!”  She reaches down for the remote again and turns up the volume.

Solstice leans again and Illumna looks at her though narrowed eyes, leans herself squeezes her face in concentration then looks frustrated at her lack of ammunition to fight back.  She sits up and looks at her sister then she smiles and leans again.  They both laugh as the puppy model runs into the room tongue out and tail wagging.

Solstice looks at her sister and grins. “I see the name is fitting.”

Illumna chuckles then looks down between her legs at the puppy model looking at her.  As she reaches down to pet its head a tear falls from her eye onto the model.  Solstice puts an arm around her sister as she turns to her and asks, “Do you miss him?”  She turns her eyes back to the puppy model.

Solstice aware of whom she means replies, “It was two nights, but yes, I do.  When I look at Brian I can’t help but wonder.  That’s why I know how you feel.  I’m sorry, Illumna.”

Illumna looks back up at her sister and says, “Well, there is one thing I have learned.  Love is timeless. It doesn’t matter if it’s two nights or two centuries.  You felt for him.  He felt for you.  I don’t know what made them both try to kill us later.  I suspect Dad has some theories, but if he knew for sure he would have told us.  At least you got more boobage out of the deal!”  In synchronicity they both look down at their chests and than at each other.

Solstice laughs and replies to her sister, “Yeah.  I guess so.  So does that mean more chances at that?”, she asks Illumna while pointing to the screen.  The fellow in the movie is embraced in another kiss with his beloved.

Illumna snorts, “Of course!  Guys like that!”, she replies while holding a finger pointing at her sisters breast progression while pregnant.  She looks back at the TV and announces to her sister, “I’ll use my wit!”

Solstice watching the scene asks Illumna, “Do guys like that too?”

Illumna thinks for a few moments and then replies, “I don’t know.  You do realize we both have kids but neither of us knows much about guys.  Just what we see in these movies.”

Solstice considers that thought and concludes her sister is correct.  Then Solstice remarks, “I don’t think girls who have normal lives know much more than us about guys.  I think guys know even less about girls.  I think that mystery keeps the sexy because a relationship is about breaking down the mysteries and becoming one.”

Illumna looks back at her sister briefly then back at the screen.  “Whatever.  That’s deep.”

“I think about the same things you do ‘Miss Encyclopedia’.  It’s not like I don’t hear what you’re thinking sometimes.  It’s embarrassing to me when I realize you can hear what I am thinking.”