CHAPTER 6

"Gavin, are you okay?" Micah asks, walking up beside me. "Your leg is burnt."

I look down, and there are burn marks like how I felt back in there.

"I guess it's not as different as we might have thought, I say.

"Then I guess you'll have to be more careful next time, what the hell happened in there?"

"There was this monster, it shifted out of Andrew's mother's dead body. Both of his parents succumbed to Radical-9, but neither of them exploded."

"Huh, really?"

"His father shot himself in the head and his mother hung herself."

"Maybe it's something inside of the brain that causes the explosive reaction? Maybe that's the makeshift fuse."

"Also, Andrew talked about some sort of monster. It might relate to the thing that burned me, do you know what he'd meant?"

"He...did?"

"Yeah, he was about seventeen or eighteen."

"That's...unexpected."

"How so?"

"Because the Andrew of my time wasn't in any danger when he was that age. He was on track for going to law school. What I'm thinking is that you didn't see the Andrew of this timeline."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you might have found a way to bleed over into the memories of the Andrew of your timeline."

"How is that possible?"

"In a second. Why don't you stand up and catch up with yourself?" He asks, stepping out of the room.

I sit there, beside the pod and basin for a few more minutes, collecting my thoughts and just breathing. Taking in the air and letting it out. When I'm ready I stand up and I take one more look at Andrew inside of the pod.

It isn't just me who has gone through ordeals because of this stupid Radical-9. Once I can fully control it, I need to meet up with him. I feel like we could get through this if we stick together. I place my hand on the treatment pod and then close my eyes.

Once I'm done I turn around and head out of the door, facing ICARUS as Micah rests up against the wall.

"So, you want to hear that story now?" He asks.

I nod my head.

"Okay, so it is actually about one of the projects that Jack had started to ensure his survival. It was called Project Elysium," he explains. "Elysium was the name of a virtual world that Jack had created. He'd built it once he realized that his physical body was decaying and quickly."

"I'd heard about that as well, in one of my visions. It was when Mason had moved over to the eastern branch, right?" I ask.

"Correct. Jack's body couldn't handle being overloaded with Radical-9 so it had begun decaying at ten times the normal rate of a human being. So, in order to sustain his life he had built a virtual world, a world where his mind could rule."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with Andrew?"

"Jack had marketed the world under a guise as a virtual reality video game. This'll be at about 2022 your timeline, as this never occurred in mine. Without a government to stop him, he was free to do what he wanted. He'd gotten ten thousand people to participate in the project unknowingly. People believed it as an escape from the reality of what was at hand. To them, it was just a game."

"He trapped ten thousand people in this world?"

"Yes and your Andrew happened to be one of them."

"What about when I saw him?"

"Mine didn't experience that event. I think you seeing that memory is a side effect of bringing you here. You might have connected with him on a level I never could have to have him borrow that memory."

"But that memory didn't even happen yet in my timeline!" I say.

"To you, of course not. But time isn't a straight line, Gavin. It's more like an ocean. Just because it did not happen to you does not mean it did not happen at all, which it will, and in some ways already has."

"Okay, I think I can make some sense of that."

"There's another."

"Huh?"

"Another one of the ten children that had been trapped in that world," Micah says.

"Really?"

"After David had killed himself Andrew's mother could barely live with the grief. In response, she'd adopted a daughter. One from one of the scientists after she'd been tested on."

"Which scientist?"

"Jack."

"What?!"

"Jack had another daughter after Meg. You might remember the infant that Kate was looking after alongside yourself and Andrew? That's her. He also had a son, too, but he hadn't been born yet. He'd be in 2013."

"That's insane."

"The daughter, Jennifer was adopted while Jack was indisposed because of Radical-9. The son, Samuel, had been killed inside of the virtual world."

"W-Wait. I'm still stuck on Jack having more kids."

"Andrew grew up with an adopted sister that had a power like him. The difference is that she willingly entered the virtual world to save her brother."

"She sounds like she's really brave, then."

"She was. She's dead in this timeline."

"I assumed."

"Not in yours, we need to keep it that way."

"Alright, let's get this started up again. I'm pumped. I'm ready to go," I say.

"Kate's pod still needs to gain a bit more power, so we'll hold off on there for right now," Micah says.

"Okay, then. I'll go through that one," I say, pointing to the door right in front of me. He nods his head.

"That person you won't actually recognize based on looks." "Who is it?"

"It's Grace's father in there."

"Her…father? Why him?"

"It's kind of an interesting story. You were put in contact with his daughter by mistake. The automaton I'd sent back, the Meg automaton had a set of rules implanted into her memory banks. She had to grab specific individuals related who were to help explain things in my absence, as I could not travel there myself. He was supposed to explain all of this Radical-9 business and help you learn about your power. Something went wrong when I'd sent her back and she misinterpreted the mission. So, instead of grabbing Bryan Jackson, she grabbed Grace," Micah explains.

"And were you initially trying to bring Mason in with him?" I ask.

"No, I wanted to bring Thomas in. His medical expertise would help you come to terms with your condition in a way his uncle could not."

"I have a question," I ask.

"Go ahead."

"How would have Grace's father explained anything to me? How is he related to this?"

"Her father worked as a yellow journalist, remember? He was actually Jeanne Armando's boss from the Republic Plaza, if you also remember that."

"He was the one that assigned Jeanne to the undercover work."

"He'd been working to bring to light the events that had happened there in the Republic Plaza, starting even with the army which had done weapons testing the year before even the scientists got hold of the place."

"Okay, and so I'll be traveling back to see him through there?"

"Yeah, he might know something about Jack that we don't. Are you sure you're ready to jump back into this so quick?"

"I'm positive."

"Alright then, head on in," Micah says.

~...~

I walk up to the door and grab a hold of the handle. I open the door and walk inside and I see the familiar treatment pod and basin. The treatment pod has "Bryan Jackson" written on it. Inside the small window I can see an old face. Wrinkles are amidst his plump red nose and mouth and he looks like he's on his deathbed. Hell, with Radical-9 existing he may as well be. His hair is short and gray, he looks to be well above seventy years old, maybe even eighty.

"You ready in there?" Micah asks me.

"Yep!"

"Okay, I'm starting it up!"

ICARUS begins to hum and I crane myself over the basin. My vision goes black, but this feels…different. The feeling of falling is absent. All that happens is that everything around me goes black for a second and then in another second it is filled with color. I think I'm finally getting some control over my power.

I'm standing on an asphalt road, snow piles up in patches around me and skeletal trees surround me on my right and my left. Behind me, I can also see that there are more trees off into the distance. The road leads directly into the heart of the forest. In front of me I see a solitary house. Its faded green paint has turned into a sort of gray-blue mixture.

It is completely silent, not even the wind is making a sound. Everything seems to be holding its breath. I begin to walk up to the house, each step I take it seems to jump ten feet backwards. I blink and then I'm there in a second.

No. Within a fraction of a second.

I stare at the hard wood door for a moment and I hesitate for another before I think about knocking on it. What if I'm invisible again and my knocks aren't heard? What if I'm not invisible, but nobody's home?

I shake my head and put my closed fist up to the door, but as soon as I do I feel a tinge of cold metal press against the back of my head.

"What do ye' think yer doin' here, boy?" A Texan accent drawls out behind me.

"Wh-What?" I say, nervously.

"I want ya' ta tell me who you are! Either you do, or I blow your brains to kingdom come!"

"I…I'm Nathan Den-" The gun is shoved harder against my head and I cringe with pain.

"No, I don't think you understand. I know you ain't no Denning. I've been researching you and your buddies and I know an alias when I hear one. You don't exist." the voice says.

"You…you've been researching me?"

"You and yer little sciencey folks. I know something is up. You all messed up, didn't ya?"

Me visiting the past through Kate's memories changed how he researched? Interesting.

I turn around slowly and I see the younger face of Bryan Jackson. He now bears a thick brown mustache and his plump red nose is as jolly as Santa's himself. I don't see any familial resemblance between him and Grace. In his hands I see he is carrying a double-barreled shotgun.

"Okay, I'll explain if you put the gun down, please."

"An' how can I be sure I can trust ya?"

"Because I…I have answers, but I need to ask a few questions as well."

"What kinds of questions?"

"I'll tell you if you please just put down the gun. I'm not here to cause any trouble."

Bryan hesitates slightly, but then he lowers the gun. "Alright. We'll talk, but if I get answers that I don't like, I'll bangity-bang without a second thought," he says, play-shooting with the gun.

"U-Understood," I say.

"Now, why don't you head on inside, you were planning on it anyway, I reckon?"

"U-Uh, yeah, sure."

Bryan steps in front of me and opens the door and then steps inside. I follow him in.

"So, son. How did you manage to just poof into this here secluded forest here?"

"What?"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't tell no-one, but I did see you. You just magically arrived. One second you're not here and then the next you are."

"I…I didn't…I was just, uh, walking through the woods and got lost," I lie.

"No, it don't work like that, son. This area is federally protected, I'm in one of those witness-protection program things."

"Are you supposed to tell me that?"

"Well, I reckon if I thought you'd spill the beans I could just shoot you right now. So, you going to answer my question? Ain't no way some city slick is wandering through these kinds of forests."

"Can you answer how you know about me, or about any of this?" I begin asking.

"Well, I was on the runnin' list to be one of them science folk."

"You what now?"

"Now, I know what yer thinkin', "This man from the oaks ain't no science typical."

I take a moment to try and decrypt his drawl.

"Aren't you a reporter?" I say, remembering one talk with Grace.

"I used to be…wait a darn moment. How do you know that?"

"It kind of connects to how I came here. Is the reason you aren't anymore because of what got you into witness protection?"

"Yeah."

"Does it have to deal with you knowing something that…you shouldn't?"

"Depends, what does it mean to you?"

"You were right. I'm not really Nathan Denning, but I'm not really one of those scientists either. I'm working to find out what happened there and a part of what happened had…it had given me the ability to…as you put it 'poof into existence here'."

"I knew there was something up," Bryan says.

"Can you tell me what year it is right now? It's kind of important," I say.

"It's 2013, son." 2013, that's the year that the government collapses.

But the way he talks about it, it's like it hasn't happened yet. Or he hasn't heard about it.

"One more question, how long have you been here without updates on anything?" I ask.

"Oh, I don't remember too well, it's been a bit. I'd been sent here because I'd uncovered something about a virus that you scientists had made, something about samples from space?"

"Yes, it's real. It's all real and-do you know where your kid are?"

"How do you know about my kid?"

"It's a long story, but do you know where she is?" I ask, again.

"There was some…people in suits that took them for a walk a bit ago."

"How long ago?" I look over Bryan's shoulder and see a letter resting on the mantle. What I can make of it, it seems to be something like a fancy eviction notice. It's dated 2011.

"Bryan, are you even supposed to be here?" I ask.

Bryan's eyes turn wide momentarily and then he looks at me with renewed interest.

"Hello and who are you?" His accent completely gone.

"What?"

Bryan looks at me with his head cocked and an inquisitive look on his face. "Why are you in my house?"

"Bryan, you need to listen to me, there ar-"

"H-How do you know my name? How did you get into my house? Where is my Grace?!"Bryan asks, his eyes beginning to bug out.

I take a step backwards and hold my arms up in front of me.

"Bryan, it's okay. I'm not here to-"

"No! You're not going to take me away! Give back what you took!" Bryan yells, raising the shotgun into the air.

I jump back and scramble out of the house. I hear one blast go off, but I don't turn around to see what it'd hit. I practically jump through the front door, almost tripping over myself.

"Hey, uh, Micah! This is a great time for you to stop ICARUS again and find a way to get me out of here!" I call out, running.

I keep on running until I'm at the end of the street, where I believe I'm safe from Bryan and that's where I feel the dizziness begin to creep in. It is then that I drop.

My eyes open fast. I'm lying in a dense forest. It is heavily fortified with full-grown trees at every corner and lush with other kinds of greenery. It seems to be a totally different time than the last one. I blink my eyes slowly and rise to my feet. The earth begins shaking and I'm thrown off of my feet. I look up and then I realize the sky is different. It's a deep black and then I look around me to notice that I'm surrounded by darkness.

The darkness begins shifting among me and then shapes rise into view. The darkness to my right forms into something I notice is quite familiar, it shifts into ICARUS. It all comes into focus slowly. I see a blurred figure standing in front of me.

"Micah, th-thanks for the save back there. He had a gun and-" I stop when I notice that something is wrong, terribly wrong. The figure standing before me isn't Micah at all.

I'm standing face to face with Jack Adata.