Sons of Chaos

by Jerry Hart

  That had been in their homeworld, however. This was not their world.

  Being an interdimensional traveler had sounded fun at first, but it lost its appeal the moment the brothers and their team found that they could not find their way home. It had been hard on all of them, but they somehow managed to adapt to their new lives in this strange world. Calvin found that getting drunk usually—

  Claude suddenly realized where his brother was. Therefore, he chose the left fork. It was strange to him as he looked to the area across the chasm. It mirrored his side almost perfectly. Living in the crack of the mountain made Claude feel like mold. Why would the moyans decide to live here rather than on flat land? There was so much of that in this dimension. Why live in the crack of a mountain?

  As he ran down the cobbled path, he marveled at the complexity of the city. There were a few bridges that connected the two sides. There were also many other narrow bridges that crisscrossed the chasm, resulting in interesting, yet confusing, paths. Claude took one such path that took him took a place just above the chasm, between the two sides of the city. The building was small and made of metal and wood. A sign tacked just over the door read “Chelsea’s Bar.”

  It was smoky and gloomy inside, which was not Claude’s ideal atmosphere. Calvin, on the other hand, loved it. This place reminded him of home.

  There was a makeshift pool table with different-colored balls scattered on top. A few moyans were standing around it, holding long sticks that served as cues. They stared at Claude with pity in their icy blue eyes. Their pale translucent skin still gave him the creeps after all these years.

  A bar was set up across from the billiard table, and only one man sat there. Claude walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. When that man turned, Claude felt like he was looking into a mirror. Calvin had a drunken smile on his face, his eyes bloodshot.

  The bartender, a human, walked up to them while wiping down a mug in his hands. “Claude, this is getting ridiculous. You have got to keep a tighter leash on your brother.”

  “I know, Rick. Thank you.”

  Rick looked back at the drunken twin and shook his head. Then he turned and walked away, leaving the brothers alone.

  “Why are you doing this to yourself?” Claude asked. “Why are you doing this to me?”

  “What am I doing?” Calvin burped, and then giggled.

  “You disgust me,” Claude said venomously. “You’re a scientist, and you’re in here drinking your pain away like a coward.”

  That statement seemed to capture the twin’s attention. He sat up straight and tried not to wobble in his stool. “Take that back.” He poked Claude in the chest.

  “Make me.”

  “I’m not going to fight you in this bar—Rick will get really angry and won’t serve me anymore. Let’s take it outside.”

  Calvin stood up and headed for the exit. Claude followed from a safe distance. The moment they were both outside, Calvin spun around and swung a left fist at his brother. He missed and fell to the ground.

  “Good grief,” said Claude, rolling his eyes. “That was disappointing.”

  “You didn’t see it coming, though,” Calvin said. “The element of surprise.”

  “I think the surprise was more on you than me, little brother.”

  “No, you’re my little brother.”

  “Let’s not get into this again.” Claude leaned forward to grab hold of his brother’s hand. Calvin was dangerously close to the edge of the bridge. One wrong step and he would fall into the chasm.

  They both stood, Calvin wobbling dramatically. A chilly wind blew through the area, carrying with it the smell of meat and other food. Claude’s mouth watered. “You hungry?” he asked his brother. “I think you need some food in you.”

  Calvin nodded. And then, suddenly, he fell backward, over the protective railing. Claude screamed as he lunged forward. He just barely made it in time to catch his brother’s hand as he dangled above the large drop. Sharp rocks waited for the drunk man if he fell.

  “Help!” Claude screamed, but no one came in time. Calvin’s hand slipped from his grip, and the man fell.

  He didn’t fall far.

  There were countless beams holding up many of the bridges, and Calvin landed on one of them. Claude climbed over the railing and began his descent toward his brother, who lay on his back.

  “Are you okay?” Claude asked.

  Calvin nodded as he coughed. “Got the wind knocked out of me.”

  Claude stood on the angled beam, staring at his brother. The wind wasn’t as bad down there, but he still feared they would fall if they didn’t return to the bridge above. But they stayed where they were. Calvin looked to his right and stared at the wide-open valley at the bottom of the mountain.

  “I want to go home,” he whispered to Claude. “We don’t belong here.”

  “I know.”

  “It hurts, having the means to return....”

  “But there’s still that one piece of the puzzle missing,” Claude finished. “We should have seen that little problem before leaving our dimension.”

  “But how were we to know the ship wouldn’t return?”

  “We still should have plotted a return coordinate before leaving.” Claude sighed. “Come on, brother, let’s get something to eat.” He helped Calvin to his feet.

  Once they were on the bridge again, Calvin asked, “Where do you suppose Armenus went?”

  “I don’t want to talk about him.”

  “But he took one of our escape pods somewhere. He’s definitely in another dimension—what if he’s in ours?”

  “It’s possible, I suppose.” Claude pondered the idea that the rogue moyan somehow found their home dimension. There were so many out there, and every time Calvin and Claude had tried to travel in their mothership, they ended up in alien worlds. Every time.

  The brothers walked beneath a rocky arch in the side of the mountain and then took a path that led to a little house much like the others in the city. Claude still couldn’t believe how many of these houses had been built along the mountain’s face. There were even some above him, closer to the peak. There had to be at least two hundred moyans living here.

  “You know what I’ve been thinking?” Calvin asked as Claude set him down on a bed. “I’ve been wondering about that orb he made.”

  “What about it?”

  Calvin lay on his back, both eyes closed and his right forearm draped across his forehead. “From what we do know about it, it leaves a distinctive energy signature.”

  “And?”

  “I’ve been working on something that can track that signature. At least, I think it can. I haven’t tested it yet.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were working on this before?” Claude was intrigued by this. His brother had been working on something the past four years, but he’d never talked about it.

  “Because”—he hiccupped—“I was afraid it wouldn’t work. I had help from Bruce.”

  “That assistant of yours?” Claude asked.

  “Yep. He was a good assistant; too bad Armenus killed him.”

  “Do you think your device can track the orb across dimensions?”

  “Only if the orb was activated as he traveled,” Calvin said quietly. “And I have reason to think it was.” He opened one eye and looked at his brother. Then he smiled.

  Moments later, the two were on their way to the High Seat chamber. Calvin stumbled several times, but Claude managed to help him stay on his feet. There was no doubt the brothers were nervous about going to the moyan council with this discovery; the moyans were still very angry about Armenus’s escape.

  Claude had wanted to speak to any other member of the High Seat besides Armenus’s father—those two might have a cooler head than Demetrius, who was still flaring mad about his son’s treasonous acts. Claude knew for a fact that Demetrius was not in the chamber and hoped the other two Seat members were. That’s where they spent most of their time, for some reason.
r />   It was still dark once the twins reached the chamber. Blue columns lined the rim where no wall existed, and Claude could see the vastness that lay beyond. It was so quiet that he could hear the fluffy snow hit the rim of the chamber, where it collected quickly. He saw snow-covered canyons and the top of what looked like a massive round ship in the valley below. Just in front of him, though, were three high-backed thrones. Two moyans sat in silhouette, the moon backlighting them. Claude couldn’t see their faces, but he knew they were staring at him.

  “Mighty High Seat,” Claude addressed politely in the moyan language, “my brother and I have come to inform you that we may be able to find the treasonous moyan Armenus.”

  He waited. Wind blew through the open chamber, flapping the moyans’ robes as they simply sat there.

  Finally, the one in the front throne said, “Where is he?”

  “A dimension my brother and I have never visited. We have the coordinates and ask your permission to go after him.”

  Another silent pause as the Seat thought about this. Claude saw no reason for them to say no, but he hoped they would want to go about apprehending Armenus peacefully. The moyans weren’t monsters, but they weren’t completely above using violence even when it wasn’t necessary. Claude had faith the High Seat would go the peaceful route.

  The Seat member was about to speak—Claude could see an intake of breath—but before he said a word, another voice spoke from the entrance. “Why was I not informed of this meeting?”

  Claude spun around and saw someone standing in the doorframe. He couldn’t see the speaker’s face, but he knew who it was. “I apologize, Demetrius, but this could not wait.” The twins were in trouble now.

  Demetrius stayed where he was, hands clasped behind his back, his face hidden in shadow. “I approve of this excursion, if the other members do,” he said quietly.

  Claude turned to the other Seat members as they reluctantly agreed. They seemed nervous, for some reason.

  “However,” Demetrius added, “I am going with you.”

  Calvin finally spoke up. “Sir, with all due respect, I don’t think that is a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because,” said Claude, “you are a member of the High Seat, and this mission may be dangerous. We can’t afford to lose you, sir.”

  He hoped he sounded respectful enough. He didn’t understand the need for three Seat members, and they probably could lose one and not be affected, but he didn’t want Demetrius taking his hot temper on the mission.

  “Nonsense,” said Demetrius. “I’m capable of taking care of myself. I’m going; this is my son we’re talking about.”

  Claude sighed. “I apologize, sir. Of course, we would be honored for you to join us. We value your wisdom aboard our ship and on this mission.”

  Demetrius chuckled from the darkness. “You’re an excellent liar, Claude.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Chapter 25. Return of a Titan

  The truth behind the events that transpired on an October night in San Sebastian, Texas, were a mystery to those but a few. For one, there was the SUV that had reportedly been “thrown” at an alleyway in the heart of downtown. Then there were the explosions that rocked Montleroy Estates Condominiums a few blocks away. The body of nineteen-year-old Daniel Hudson had been found there.

  There was also the destruction of a six-level parking garage down the street from the condo. All of this in one night. It was believed all of these events were connected, but it couldn’t be proven.

  But Officer Patrick Fisher tried with all his might to do just that. He stood in front of the hospital morgue, running his fingers through his short brown hair (there were a few grays in there, unfortunately, though he was only twenty-seven) waiting for Douglas Hudson, brother of the deceased. The officer had had the unfortunate task of notifying Mr. Hudson that his brother had been found dead in his condo and that Mr. Hudson would be needed to positively identify the body.

  A young man was walking slowly toward Officer Fisher now, and at that moment, the young officer had practically identified the body himself because the man who was walking toward him now looked exactly like the deceased.

  Doug Hudson, twin brother to Daniel, looked pale and stricken, but his brown hair was slightly longer than Daniel’s.

  “Mr. Hudson?” Patrick extended his hand. “I’m Officer Fisher. I’m sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances.”

  Doug nodded, shook the officer’s hand, but said nothing. Instead, he followed him through the morgue. A medical examiner with short gray hair stood by a table. A body lay on that table, covered with a white sheet.

  “Are you ready?” Patrick asked. Doug nodded.

  The M.E. lifted the sheet. Doug let out an involuntary grunt, nodded when Patrick asked if he was okay, then turned and vomited on the floor.

  It took a minute for Doug to recover, but once he did, he looked back to his brother’s body. Patrick had neglected to mention how Daniel had died, and Doug could see why. He studied Daniel’s upper body. There were four deep holes under his collarbone, as if someone had dug fingers in.

  “Yeah, that’s him,” Doug said to the officer in a choked voice.

  Suddenly Daniel’s eyes, which had been closed, shot open. The attendant sighed and closed them.

  “Sorry,” he said. “They keep doing that.”

  Patrick nodded and took Doug aside. “We’re investigating your brother’s unusual death, and any information you could give us would be helpful.

  “What kind of information?” Doug asked tentatively.

  “Your brother’s condo suffered a lot of damage due to several explosions. We believe that may have been what killed him....” He paused for a moment, then continued: “Was your brother involved in anything that may be considered criminal activity?”

  Doug stared at him with wide eyes, then said, “You think my brother was a terrorist or something?”

  “We don’t know, but we found a lot of explosives and other questionable things when we searched his place.”

  “Like what?”

  “Weapons: guns, crossbows, schematics for...well, we don’t know for what—it looks like a robot or something.”

  Doug shook his head. Patrick thanked him and told him he would keep him informed of his investigation into Daniel’s death. He then escorted the grieving man out of the morgue.

  * * *

  Frank, the M.E., was about to cover up the body when, once again, Daniel’s eyes shot open.

  “Damn it,” he said. “Stay closed.”

  Frank angrily shoved Daniel’s lids closed, then covered him with the sheet. He walked over to a table and grabbed a clipboard. After a quiet moment, a sound made him spin around, nearly dropping the clipboard.

  Daniel was gone, the sheet draping off of the table. Frank froze in place.

  He walked slowly to the table and noticed Daniel’s lying facedown on the floor.

  “Gross,” Frank said, over and over. He reached down and turned the poor dead boy over. What had happened to this kid? Frank had a theory, but it was too crazy to believe.

  He suspected that Daniel had died from internal bleeding and head trauma due to being either dropped from a great height or...being thrown against the ground, from a low height, but at great speed. There was one deep indention in the boy’s right shoulder and four just under his collarbone. There were similar marks on his right arm, which had been bound in a cast. The boy had broken his arm before his death. If someone had indeed dropped poor Mr. Hudson off a building, then the cops would soon find him. They had taken fingerprints from the indentions; it was only a matter of time.

  As Frank angrily reached for the body, Daniel’s hand shot up and grabbed his arm. Those dead eyes looked at the M.E.

  And then good old Frank died of fright.

  * * *

  Daniel looked up at the sudden discomfort he felt. Something was terribly wrong, but he couldn’t tell what. This was the second time in no t
elling how long that he had felt this way. It felt as if he were in two places at once. That couldn’t be, though—he was dead. And now he was in some heavenly place, surrounded by others who had passed on.

  At that moment, he was sitting on a cloud and looking at a beautiful blue waterfall a few yards in front of him. This was a special place he liked to visit often, but it was being spoiled by that annoying tugging. He stood and ran up the step-like clouds until he reached a big, bright hall made from white marble. There were massive golden columns holding up the ceiling high above. Other people wandered around the hall, talking to one another and smiling. Everyone was happy here. Everyone except him.

  Daniel wished he hadn’t died at the hands of Michael, but at least there was someone else here who helped him cope with his situation. And he saw her now. “Alyssa?” he called.

  Alyssa Turner turned away from a grand staircase at the end of the hall and smiled. Her long brown hair went past her shoulders and almost looked to be glowing. Everyone’s hair glowed in this place, but Alyssa’s seemed to do so even more.

  Daniel ran up to her, noticing that he wasn’t the least bit winded from the effort. “I’m feeling it again,” he told her.

  “Are you okay?”

  He nodded. “It just feels like I’m in two places at the same time, you know. When that happens, I find it hard to concentrate.”

  Alyssa tapped her chin as she thought. “Maybe it has something to do with your body in the living world.”

  “Do you think something happened to it?” he asked nervously.

  “I don’t know. Maybe we should talk to Owen’s mom.”

  They ran up the grand staircase, not knowing exactly where to go. They had only visited Seneda Walters once after they’d joined this wondrous place. Daniel knew it wasn’t quite real—it was just a place constructed for meetings by the very first people to lose their human shells in the living world—but it was still beautiful and comforting. Even the clean, white clothes everyone wore weren’t real. Daniel could change his clothes with a thought if he wanted, but he didn’t really care enough.