Life-After (14 page)

“
The beings had no purpose and no direction.” Clara continued. “All they knew was that there was a being more powerful than them and they wanted to achieve a similar power. They knew they could not directly attack the Avatar and searched for a way to gain his power that is where Bain intervened. He taught the Avatar’s creations a means to turn life energy into matter that could be used to construct a structure that could gather life energy, but it would serve a dual purpose.”

I needed a way to get Clara to leave me along. The suit did not have detailed information on the capsule but it was clear that I was outside whatever influence created the reality inside. The more data I read about the structure the more it reminded me of the virtual reality system used by the military. Inside the capsule human souls were experiencing a reality, but according to the other Clara it was not of their choosing. The military had a reason to connect its soldiers to their reality, what I had to find out was who was connecting everyone to theirs and why.

“
The Avatar’s creations with the help of Bain created this space station.” Clara continued. “Bain wanted to use the capsule you see in its center to trap and contain his brother. The creatures discovered this and were able to trap Bain instead. They planned to use Bain’s energy and the life energy found throughout the universe to increase their power. The Avatar discovered this and confronted his creations. They fought against him and would have trapped him as well if Bain had not escaped. Bain had no choice but to save his brother and use the Avatar’s creations betrayal to cover up his own.”

I was able to discover a way to return my energy to the capsule. It would be the only way to get back to the other Clara. There was no way that I could find to remove the energy from within the capsule much less specifically remove Clara’s life energy. All I could hope was that by returning on my own I would not be locked within the reality Clara claimed her and I created. If that was the case then the other Clara could contact me and from there we could find a way to escape.

“
Bain used the Avatar’s creations betrayal to try and convince his brother to stop creating life.” Clara continued. “Instead the Avatar continued trying different methods to create what he hoped would become his children. Over eons the Avatar modified this space station to compensate for the various beings he created. He decided to change the capsule to serve as a containment unit for his creations who died. While most of their life energy would return to the planet or be passed on to another being, the essence of the person, their consciousness if you will, would be sent here and live on within the capsule. Inside this capsule the Avatar allowed its inhabitants to make their own world. In essence they could create their own personal heaven.”

With an escape plan thought out I began to focus on Clara’s story and the Avatar. It was possible all we were to it was food to be slowly fed to it. Our afterlife was nothing but a cage. While we were fed images of a reality we would call heaven it would allow us to remain docile until it was time to be devoured. However, the only problem with my theory was why a powerful god-like being that created life would need to go to such lengths.

“
So within this capsule is all the sentient life energy from the various beings the Avatar has created?” I asked.

“
Yes and the Avatar himself is within the capsule as well.” Clara answered. “When the Avatar created our world he entered the capsule not only to protect himself in his weakened state but also all his creations. He knew his brother had ill intensions and so he wanted to insure that his creations would be safe. Unfortunately it also meant he was unable to prevent any of the atrocities his brother has committed.

Bain is aware of this place and it is why he used containment suits for his creations. The Avatar originally created these suits so his creations could leave the capsule and meet each other. This would come after Bain had lost and we all would be free.”

I had learned what I needed to know. There would be nothing else I could gather from Clara and I had run out of relevant data on the heads up display. There was still a risk that everything I was told by the other Clara was wrong or a lie. It was possible she was lying, manipulating me for some unknown purpose. I could only go with what I felt and the peace I had felt was not natural, it was not real.

“
I need a moment, Clara.” I said. “There’s just so much and then this place…”

“
I understand, David.” Clara said. “There is something I need to do. If you will wait here I will be back shortly. Please, even though I showed you how the suit functions please do not try to leave or touch the controls. Just being outside the containment unit is dangerous enough.”

I nodded and walked towards the edge of the floor looking over the metal railing towards the capsule. Clara walked over and stood near a control panel for her suit. There was a flash of light and the suit went limp. I checked the heads-up display to confirm her suit was empty then made my way over to my suit’s control panel. I began the sequence to return my life energy to the capsule.

I took a final look around the space station going over everything I had learned wondering what I could trust. My sight became blurry. I was being pulled away. Reality once again bled into a golden light; however, something was different. I did not have a feeling of freedom or majestic power. It was a static-like feeling, the same as when I encountered the other Clara. My thoughts turned to the little girl who was killed that started it all. As the golden light faded into darkness a part of me wished I had never tried to save her.

“
David, can you hear me?”

It was Clara’s voice but I could not tell which one it was. Her voice sounded distant as if I was dreaming and she was calling me back to the waking world. Slowly I regained physical feeling as if my body had returned but I could still see nothing.

“
Clara!” I shouted. “I’m here!”

From the darkness I could see a ripple in space form head of me. It reminded me of a stone striking the still waters back at the forest. A tear in space formed from the ripple. Streams of multicolored light poured out from the tear, it was blinding. The static-like feeling grew stronger in intensity. From the tear I could see someone emerge and then I could feel it, it was Clara.

“
David…” Clara said. “You escaped.”

The streams of light continued to pour in covering everything in light. As Clara drew closer I could see she was the one from before. The tear in space expanded out swallowing the darkness. I was surrounded by pure energy, various colors of it danced around me like standing inside a kaleidoscope.

“
It is really you.” Clara gasped. “You escaped!”

It was when Clara ran over wrapping her arms around me tightly that I realized my physical body had returned. I could feel the warmth of her body and even her heart beat. I did not understand what had happened but holding her in my arms felt real.

“
Clara, I’m sorry.” I said. “I wanted to be with you so badly I allowed…”

Clara pressed her lips against mine dissolving any need for an apology with a kiss. Holding Clara in my arms I closed my eyes wanting to hold that moment forever. Everything else was cast aside. All that mattered was I had finally found what I was looking for.

“
David, we need leave here.” Clara said. “How were you able to escape?”

“
I asked her to show me the Avatar.” I answered. “She showed me the space station, the containment suits, everything.”

Clara pulled away and stared at me. I could see she was puzzled by my words. I thought about everything the other Clara had told me and shown me and by the expression on Clara’s face it was clear she knew nothing of it. It was more than confusion, she was concerned. Clara had changed. I could see it in her eyes.

“
Space station…?” Clara questioned. “This doesn’t make any sense. Why would they remove you from...?”

“
Clara, what is it?” I asked.

Clara turn away from me and began walking forward. Turning back toward me her eyes darted around as if she was searching for something. I could see the look of panic in her eyes. I knew the look well. It was how a solider would look when they were led into a trap.

“
What are you looking for?” I asked. “What is this place?”

“
The life stream...” Clara answered. “Our life energy is trapped within this containment unit, but there are different, several different compartments, different life energy signatures. It’s not just humans here David, everything, all of creation is hear. We learned to cross over to some of the other compartments. This is done by traveling through the life stream. It is the life energy used to create our realities. Like a program code or a data stream.”

I understood what the static-like feeling represented. For Clara to entered the reality created for me she had to break her way in. Transitioning from on reality to another had a distinct feeling I became aware of that soon after meeting the first Clara. However, as I had seen when my thoughts focused on sadness or pain, I could affect my reality altering it. If someone was to force their way in they would need to disrupt the life energy to tear open a hole. A tear would destabilize the life energy and since we were all life energy beings the change would be noticeable to us in the form of a distortion or a discharge. It was a similar principal to an energy shield.

“
The barrier holding you within that world was immensely strong.” Clara continued. “We had to use every bit of our power just to open the smallest window. That was why you saw me like that before. I wasn’t fully there just a projection because I could not fully pass through. It is also why I vanished. Here in the life stream you can see me as I am, but, it doesn’t make sense. The opening I used to come here is gone, but that’s impossible unless…”

“…
Unless you’re not in the life stream.”

In an instant the multicolor spectrum of light vanished leaving us in total darkness. The voice came from behind me. I turned to follow it but could not see anything in the darkness. From the dark void I could see a glowing red figure in the distance walking toward us. Clara grabbed hold of my arm pulling me toward her. I could not see Clara’s face but could feel her body shaking. Both she and I heard the voice and we both knew who it was.

“
It is quite telling of your species that when given an option of eternal happiness you fight against it unable to accept it.”

I watched as the woman who I believed was Clara slowly approached us. A dark red aura surrounded her body. Her eyes glowed deep crimson. The expression of disgust on her face was reinforced by an energy resonating from her body. I had never believed in pure evil before, but it was exactly what it felt like.

“
Happiness, peace, is that what you called what you did to me, to us?” I shouted. “What about Clara, what happiness did you give her?”

The being before me did not answer. The aura surrounding its body glowed brighter as her body changed to pure energy. It’s shaped change slowly from pure energy to a different physical body. As its face formed a chill ran through my body. Clara’s grip tightened on my arm. She was just as shocked as I was to see the man standing before us.

“
No… it’s impossible!” Clara screamed. “You can’t be Richard.”

“
I have been many things.” Richard said coldly. “The human you knew as Richard was just one of them. To answer your question, David, I gave Clara what I tried to give all of God’s creatures, peace.”

I did not want to hear anymore. I rushed forward wanting nothing more than to kill him. His eyes looked toward the ground as if disappointed by my actions. My body froze in place. Clara screamed reaching out to me. Richard raised his hand in the air. The same aura surrounding his body engulfed Clara’s ripping her from the ground into the air.

“
I gave you what you wanted, both of you.” Richard said. “Clara could not accept it and tore herself from the world I created for her. She does not even remember it, the damage to her soul can never be repaired, she is now just like the others in her little group, and they are nothing more than damaged good’s to be discarded.

As for you, David, I hoped you would be different, but sadly, I was mistaken. You could have had anything you wanted, but because of your past you just could not embrace happiness. You could not accept peace. Now, you have nothing.”

“
You can tell yourself that, but I know what you are after.” I yelled. “Your story about the Avatar, it was partly true, wasn’t it? It needs us, doesn’t it? You need human souls for this God of yours.”

Richard looked silently at me for a moment as if surprised by my deduction. I could see I had some of it right, but it was more than just that. There was something I was missing, but it was clear there was nothing I could do. My body could not move; Clara was in a similar state. Richard was in complete control.

“
What you need to know is that there was a war between two beings of unspeakable power.” Richard began. “I was tasked with preparing your world to be sacrificed. Your entire planet was to be used to sustain my Lord during his next encounter. I visited your world because I wanted to understand how a being of flesh and bone could contain such high levels of life energy. I came to care for one of your kind during my time there and when she died I learned where your true power came from.

I discovered what happened to your life energy when you died and created a way to save the essence of your being and still serve my lord. I created this place so that the woman I loved and all the beings from her world could live on. All I asked in return was for your unused life energy to be given over to my Lord.