Life-After (29 page)

Flag turned and walked back toward the computer station.

“
It was I who put you in the Alliance school.” Flag continued. “I knew it would be a matter of time before they found me. Your mother named you Vincent Hayden after her father. The name David Zavior was given to you so I could hide you from the Alliance. I planned to watch over you as you grew, but I too was soon discovered by the Alliance. I took my own life before they were able to capture me.”

If Flag’s story was true then everything I remembered after joining the Alliance school was a lie. I remembered Flag experimenting on me as a child, but if he was dead then that was not possible. That would mean everything from that point on including meeting Sara and Clara may not have happened.

This led me back to a theory. It came to me when Flag talked about the anomaly. He said there was another exit on the other side. Richard, posing as Clara, showed me a world different from my own and claimed human’s came from that world. I believed that was partly true. There was another world, just like earth, but it was not in our universe.

“
The life stream…” I stated. “…it leads to an alternate dimension.”

The smile returned to Flag’s face. His eyes brightened. He knew the anomaly was connected to everything. It was why he returned to Naxum Mountain. As Clara said, even in the afterlife anything created within could be used just as it was on our earth. The gateway was there, right below us.

“
You want to know what Richard is and what he is doing.” Flag began. “I believe this afterlife is a convergence of alternate dimensions. Simply put this is the nexus point where all life energy from all realities congregates. We are in the life stream and from this point we can travel to any dimension in existence. Richard is just a being trapped in one of those dimensions and he needs life energy to escape.

What you have been seeing and what we all may have been seeing are alternate versions of our own reality. You believe you lived your life with Sara and were to have a child. That may have happened and is happening. In another alternate dimension you became the savior of the world and lived happily ever after with Sara. In yet another you met Clara and you both died after a meteor attack and invasion from an alien force.”

It was not quite clarity, but it was the closest I had come to it in a long time. It was believed Richard’s power may be limited and now I believed I understood that limit. He could only show and tell me events that occurred in an actual reality.

Every story I was told or witnessed did happen. Unfortunately, what little I knew on alternate dimensions I knew that they could be infinite. It was possible there were millions of alternate realities and Richard had access to them all. I still did not know which reality was mine or why Richard would need to do this to me in order to escape.

“
If Richard needs life energy to escape from whatever dimension he is trapped in why go through all of this?” I asked. “If he can tap into the life stream why not take the energy found there and use it to escape.”

“
It is not just any life energy he is after…” Flag answered. “…it is your life energy. You are human. My tests confirmed that, but you were also born with your life energy fully awakened. This makes you unique. It is possible there are others like you out there and Richard is attempting to reach them all. We cannot assume his main focus is us alone.

However, we can only work within our own existence for now. I stabilized the anomaly and since in this place we are made of pure life energy we can travel through it. When Richard’s attackers first arrived I scanned their energy signature. They are made from his life energy. I used it to track him to his dimension. We must go there and seal him off from the nexus. That is the only way to end this.”

I realized everything was designed to lead me to that point. The goal in the end was to draw me to him. Richard wanted me and knew what to do to bring me to him. Everything else was a distraction. Knowing that changed nothing, Flag was correct. The only way to put an end to everything was to confront Richard, face to face.

“
How do we stop him once we find him?” I asked. “He will be expecting me. It’s what he has wanted from the start.”

“
He will not expect this.” Theed replied.

Theed approached the crystal hanging above the coffin-shaped capsule and slowly removed it. He turned back towards us and showed it to me.

“
Within this crystal is the energy source used to create the shield my father attempted to place around the anomaly. I designed it to interact with your life energy, David. When your father enraged his life energy signature changed. Its power was magnified a hundred times. When we pass though the gateway this crystal will absorb some of the life energy within there. When we arrive on the other side you must unleash your red life energy and allow the crystal to absorb it.”

“
A bomb...” Clara said. “That’s why you needed David, to become a living bomb?”

I understood what Flag planned to do. When his father activated the shield it reacted with the life energy from the anomaly creating a massive explosion. With a mixture of the gateways life energy and my enhanced red colored life energy the resulting reaction would lead to an explosion a thousand times more powerful than what occurred before.

“
I’ll do whatever it takes to end this.” I said and turned towards Clara. “If this is what I am to do…”

“
There is no need for dramatics.” Flag interrupted. “The crystal will not detonate right away. First, you release your red life energy. This will destabilize the gateway. It is possible in your enraged state you may not be able to react quickly enough or lose concentration similar to when Clara retrieved you. This is why Clara and I will be accompanying you.

We will leave the crystal behind and if need be pull you back through the gateway. Regardless of how powerful Richard may be his power is still life energy based. Any attack he makes on the crystal will only amplify its power. We will have enough time to escape. The gateway will close before the detonation and once its energy is unleashed Richard will lose access to the life stream.”

I wanted to ask him what would happen after that. Then I realized, dead means dead. The one constant was that my human body had died and all that remained was my soul. All I could hope for was that with Richard unable to interfere any longer we would all finally be at peace.

Flag returned to the computer station and began running scans on the crystal. Clara took my hand and held it within hers. She was shaking. I pulled her to my chest and wrapped my arms around her. Knowing that there was a reality out there was Clara and I were in love made me feel better inside. Perhaps I was missing the point. It did not matter what happened in another reality. What mattered was how I felt in the here and now.

“
I promise no matter what happens we will make it back together.” I said to Clara. “No one else will suffer as we have.”

“
David…” Clara whispered. “I…”

An explosion from above rocked the facility. We were nearly a mile below the earth and I could feel it shake the very foundation. I grabbed hold of Clara and turned to Flag who was holding on to the computer console for support. In the distance I could hear the elevator doors open. I looked at Clara making sure she was ok and then ran towards the hallway. As I did Kyle and Kim came around the corner. They were both bloodied and covered in dirt holding their weapons.

“
Whatever your plan is Flag, we have to do it now!” Kyle shouted. “Richard sent an army after us and this time I don’t think…”

Kyle was cut short by another explosion directly above us. Flashes of light began to appear all around the laboratory. As the light faded I could not believe what I was seeing. Containment suits, the same as used by the alien attackers surrounded us with their weapons trained on us. Kyle tossed me a weapon then drew down on the closest one to us.

“
The only way out of here is though them.” Kyle said. “I hope to God you are as good as everyone thinks you are.”

18

With the Global War lasting as long as it did it was not a strange occurrence to have retried soldiers return to duty. The Alliance military was desperate for recruits even as the tide was turning in its favor. A returning solider knew he or she would receive the full benefits package and it would be extended to their family. Many returned knowing they would die. To them, all that mattered was that their loved ones would be well cared for.

Returning soldiers were honored in the corps. Those who retained their rank were highly trained and skilled. I often wondered how could someone who had known peace could return to field. I once asked an older solider who had been away for over ten years how could just come back and return to the killing. He told me in his mind he never left. When he put on the uniform and held his weapon in his hand it was as if not a day had passed.

“
It’s just a part of you. No, it’s who you are.” He said.

The suits opened fired upon us. Instinct kicked in. The familiar sound of their energy weapons returned me to my training, my roots. Nothing else in that moment mattered. Survival was paramount, but I also knew that there were only two trained soldiers among us.

“
Clara, Flag! Move toward the computer station!” I yelled. “Duck underneath and wait for our signal!”

The suits were firing randomly. Their weapons seemed less powerful doing only minor damage to whatever they struck. Unfortunately, our weapons were almost useless against them. Both Kyle and my own weapon used conventional bullets which did nothing to their armored containment suits.

“
They’re trying to capture us!” Kyle yelled. “There’s no way they would miss us in this room while surrounding us.”

“
Then we have to use that to our advantage!” I shouted.

It was then I noticed the grenades strapped across Kyle’s chest. I made my way over to him and Kim and pointed toward two suits on the opposite end of the room. I knew we needed to make our way back to the elevator, but they would be expecting that.

“
David.” Flag called to me. “If we can make it to the anomaly we will be safe. The distortion it gives off prevents them from transporting themselves down there.”

“
Kyle, throw one of your grenades toward the back center.” I said. “They want me. I know it. I’ll charge towards the blast drawing the others from the hallway. You take the rest and head towards the elevator. I’ll double-back and follow you.”

Kyle nodded. The suits continued firing holding their position. It was clear they wanted to keep us pinned. I prepared to make my move. Kyle removed a single grenade and pulled the pin ready to throw it. Then there was a flash of light that covered the entire room. It was blinding and I could feel a wave on energy pass through me. At first I believed it was flash grenade fired to disorient us. As my vision cleared I could see a distortion forming in the center of the room. It hung in the air in front of the large standing capsule.

“
What the hell is that thing?” Kyle yelled.

“
Another anomaly..!” Flag shouted. “Another gateway is opening.”

Bright flashing light pulsed from the tear opening in space. The suits continued firing keeping us pinned and I realized why. They were holding us where we were for whatever was to come from the tear. It was coming for us.

“
Kyle, do it now!” I screamed out.

Kyle threw the grenade across the room. As it sailed across the anomaly the grenade was drawn into it. A second wave of energy fired out from the tear. As it passed through me I screamed out in pain falling to my knees. My body felt as if it was burning from the inside out. I could hear the screams of the others. I forced myself to my feet and stumbled over to Clara and Flag’s location.

“
We have to get to the elevator.” I screamed out. “Come on!”

I reached out my hand grabbing hold of Clara. Kyle stood and began firing at each suit drawing their attention. The tear began to expand and I could feel a presence approaching. The static-like feeling was returning as if whatever was coming through was tearing its way through reality itself. Its energy was massive, overpowering.

“
Kyle, focus on the suit near the hallway!” I yelled.

Kyle pulled another grenade from the chest and threw it towards the hallway. The blast buckled the legs of the suit. It felt to its side with a thunderous crash but continued firing. Kyle rushed the suit unloading his weapon into its head. I followed close behind him ducking to avoid the incoming fire. The suits began to move, they were closing in on us.

“
It’s clear!” Kyle shouted. “We need to cover…”

Kyle went silent and raised his weapon toward me. I had no time to react as he opened fire. The bullets whizzed inches from my head. I turned quickly to see two of the suits directly behind me. Kyle motioned to Kim to stay as he charged toward me. I pushed Clara and Flag forward and turned firing my weapon.

Our combined fire destroyed the two suits pursuing us. As the suits fell they were pulled into the expanding tear. Another pulse fired out this one much stronger than before. I lost control of my body. In an instant I could not see or hear. The energy coursed through my body, it felt as if it was taking over. The tear was drawing me in. I felt it pulling me toward it.

Then I felt someone grab my shoulder. As my vision returned I could see Kyle dragging me towards the hallway. Kim was next to him firing his weapon, providing cover. Clara and Flag were at the end of the hallway waiting for us at the elevator. We were halfway to them when I heard Kim scream out.