Chapter 6: Ephemeral Truths
Back In Seattle, In Nathan's House...
Nathan and Brent were shocked by the President's announcement, and Jenny, being mostly confused, couldn't quite grasp the implications of the enlistment.
"Bro, what the actual fuck, are they seriously going to force us to fight those things? We're going to freaking die, nah man," Brent exclaimed, his frustration and fear evident.
"Calm down, Brent. Uncle Fred will find a way to help us, as long as we're taken to his workplace. What's it again, uhm, McChord, I think? Yeah, that's about right. As long as we go there, he'll find a way to pull some strings," Nathan reassured.
Hearing that, Brent calmed down somewhat. He went upstairs and woke his mom up, explaining the President's speech. Knowing she would begin a tirade in worry, he quickly explained, "Hey, Mom, don't worry, look at me. Nathan says Uncle Fred can help us out, so stay calm. You know what happens when you stress out." Nodding, she sat back down on the bed and tried to regulate her breathing while muttering, "They won't take my baby from me, none of them, I won't let them."
Leaving her to rest, Brent went back downstairs where Nathan and Jenny seemed to be having a conversation. Suddenly, Nathan felt a pang in his head and started to get drowsy, confused. He tried to shake off the feeling and then started hearing things as a purple aura wafted off of him in waves.
"-ow level gate, I plan on being reckless."
"I expected nothing less from the number three spark in the world."
He saw strange images of people he had never met but felt like he was familiar and intimate with each one of them. Then, the world went dark.
He stood in a world of darkness, the ground below him looked like a pool of pure darkness and coldness, how he always imagined hell to be. "Hello, is there anyone here?" he called to the darkness but got no response. He spotted a light in the distance and rushed toward it. It enveloped him and transported him to a strange place. Trees were around, and a cold pavement beneath his feet led to a familiar scene.
A rift, identical to the ones that opened up in Seattle and around the world, hovered slightly above the ground. There were two figures in front of it. One was a middle-aged man with a calculating air about him, black hair that looked over-gelled, and cold, detached eyes with a cruel smile. The other figure seemed awfully familiar, dark skin that practically glowed, a head full of gray hair that strangely added charm to his figure instead of a look of age, in his late twenties, lean and athletic with a build that hid power in it. Nathan couldn't make out his face; it was blurred or something.
He lay on the cold floor with water below him, unable to see signs of rainfall or how the water came about. 'Why do I feel like I know this person, and why the heck is he on the floor, is he retarded?' Squinting his eyes, he saw a dagger in the middle-aged man's hand, dripping with a red viscous fluid. 'I'm an idiot, that's blood, he stabbed him, he killed someone. What do I do? If he turns around, he's gonna spot me.' For some unknown reason, looking at the man lying in a pool of his blood sparked intense rage in Nathan. Before he knew it, he found himself running toward the assailant, but his hand and body just phased through him.
'Is this some kind of seance, has this already happened? Which means this isn't my real body, and I should be safe back in my living room.' Deciding to just spectate and not interfere, he stood aside.
He took a closer look at the man bleeding out, and his jaw dropped. Mouth agape with shock and confusion, staring at the middle-aged man with a look of pure unbridled rage and hatred, was himself, Nathan. He was certain of it, absolutely sure, even though he had gray hair and a mature look, devilishly handsome. He couldn't see the person's face, but he knew it was himself. Putting aside his confusion and questions, he listened with a puzzled look on his face, trying to glean a useful piece of information from their conversation.
"-to lose such an asset, for what it's worth."
He saw his future self emanate the same purple aura that he awakened the previous day. He seemed to be speaking to himself, but Nathan inexplicably knew exactly what he was doing. 'He's trying to send a message, a warning to the past, to me.'
"I don't have much time. Don't reveal your power, and beware of the IACC."