Encompassing Reality

by Richard Lord

  Adam winces at the question but nonetheless chooses to answer his daughter. “Your father, with a wake a few miles wide. And Shang-tu is the proper translation.” He looks at Joy matter-of-factly and she doesn’t move for a moment. Adam considers his daughter’s words and thinks back to remember why he translated out the part about being stuck in heavy rains. He thinks the moment through and realizes his daughter has used the English term Xanadu. “You’re married now, aren’t you?” Renfield doesn’t really ask. Adam’s statement is based on observation of the subtle ways in which she has changed.

  Joy looks to Adam, “Although I’ve seen them at work thousands of times, I still underestimate your powers of observation.” Joy cocks her head at him, and then audibly adds the syllable, “Huh.” to the conclusion her mind has come to. Joy smiles and takes Adam’s hand. She clicks them to her destination. As they cross over the rise, from the lake to the ocean Joy disappears, Renfield is met by Kumadri.

  “Welcome back.” She notes his age as he does hers. As they hold each others palms they gaze into each others eyes at the mysteries of what has become of them. “So the dead do rise, Joy was true.” Kumadri bows and whispers to him. Strangely there is no one around to overhear if she spoke out loud, but she does this anyway, “With each new problem your mind expands to encompass it. You work like the universe. I work for you.”

  Joy reappears, reaches out, grabs Adam’s arm and they vanish.

  Then Renfield sees Joy smiling at him. Renfield thinks to himself, “Persistence was right.” Then he looks at a young girl who runs over to Joy. Joy picks her up and the two smile at each other. They giggle in true comfort with each other for a moment and then Joy approaches Adam.

  As she walks towards him bouncing the child in her arms he can hear her whisper “This is grandpa, he’s kind of a jerk, but he has a lot of cool stories.” Then addressing Adam she says, “Dad, meet Destiny.”

  “You don’t remember me, Grandpa. I was there in a time you haven’t lived yet. You are good. In a time you haven’t been yet, you design the lever and something far simpler. That is impressive. You taught me about great foods and how to treat people well.” Destiny holds out her arms towards her grandfather.

  Renfield looks at Joy thinking to her, “She’s too young to know more than I do, and yet you are my daughter and know more than I.” His heart swells and he reaches out to embrace Destiny. While hugging he notes her will is strong for such a young person.

  “You predicted this. It’s evolution. I’m sorry you are always going to be dying. For us to do this does not tax us, but you spent a lot of your attention on healing. I’ve even see you bring back something everyone considered dead. I know your reason. Everyone was upset and disturbing the balance at that moment you considered okay, and then you went into this weird space as you seemed to beg the universe to help you change that reality ad you did. You are still more powerful than us, but you pay the price. In fact, I think the price you pay is not just your actions but the actions of all of your offspring. You made that choice, but you didn’t think you were coming back this time. I remember our conversations about it.” Destiny comments.

  Adam looks over Destiny’s shoulder at her mother and softly, but firmly comments, “That is Brian’s task.”

  “You say that to get through the day, but Brian learned it from you. Absorb all. You two may not get along, but you two are very much alike.” Joy begins to turn and then hears her father’s voice in her head.

  “Who is he, Joy?”

  “Damn it, you can’t focus! Dad, don’t!” Joy responds. “I told you, you will lose. Accept there are things you cannot do! I had to park myself in a tree because you push things too far. What you are thinking isn’t just pushing the envelope, it’s madness!”

  Renfield considers Destiny and thinks directly to Joy. “Look at all you and your mother have created. All you still work to defend! If he is what you say, it’s all at risk. I’ve watched him. I don’t get it yet, but I will.” Renfield runs his hands over Destiny’s hair and over her back to ease her.

  Joy thinks to him, “He goes by many names. He holds many titles. Don’t do this. Side note, even you can’t block her. She hears everything.”

  He looks at Joy and sees Tomorrow in her. Renfield then looks into the eyes of Destiny.

  Instantly they were on a cliff. As Renfield looked from it, he saw two huge armies marching towards each other. He could tell by their increasing cadence they did not intend to hold a peace accord. He looked across and saw his daughter from another vantage point, even though she was next to him now. He realized this was not her first time here. Then he saw a man appear in the middle of both armies. As they came together, in battle, the man began to move extremely fast. He was slaying both sides of the conflict. The blood on the ground became immense, as happens in battle, but not usually so fast. Renfield thought it was like watching something in fast forward, but the two opposing sides were moving at normal speed in their attempts to take him out whilst simultaneously, each other. Renfield noted the man did it without clicking. Over his shoulder he said, “Yeah, that’s him. Not sure how I’m taking that out, but I’m not changing my mind.” Then he drew his eyes away from the carnage and noted Destiny’s presence. Looking up at Joy he said, “How did you click both of us with you?”

  “I didn’t.” Joy looks at Destiny. Renfield turns to face Destiny and as realization came over his face he thought of Tomorrow.

  CHAPTER 42

  “If everything is nothing and nothing is the one, the conclusion would be that nothing is everything.” -- from the Book of Brian

  “It’s interesting to finally meet you, Mr. Renfield?” Brady pauses.

  Renfield jumps at that moment. “Stop me from becoming me.”

  Detective Brady looked at him, clearly shocked, but regaining composure he said, “That’s not how interrogations work, Adam.” He put down his coffee and reviewed the file.

  Adam clicked out of the cuffs and next to him and whispered in his ear. “Yeah, this isn’t you’re grandfather’s interrogation. I’m more than serious.”

  “Adam, did you think I didn’t know who you are. I’ve been waiting for you to do this one more time. You’ve shown your hand now. Now it’s mine to control.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, sir. You are me. I am you. So this side of me is taking control.” Adam clicks to the cameras in the room taking them out on by one.

  Brady laughs at the gesture, “You already know I cut the feed before we came in here. It’s just you and me and if you kill me Tomorrow never exists.”

  Adam’s mind reels with that deafening reality but he thinks deep and pushes his thought through time. “Sara, Brian and Persistence. They have to…” For a moment he wonders if the thought could be heard that way, but then he hears her.

  “You keep telling me this. I understand.” Sara responds.

  Adam looks down at Brady, “My friend, you’ve played well. You’re a notable adversary.” Then he clicks to the left of Brady and snaps his neck. He kneels to the body and whispers into Brady’s ear knowing there are at least eight minutes until thought stops. “That is for Sara. Your own daughter. It’s what she wants to say to you.” Then Adam moves quickly and secures Brady’s head. Then, at the rapidly breathing man under him, he whispers, “Today you don’t die. You suffer for what you have done to my family. I’ve one thing left to do.” With his own hand he punches Brady in the arm that pulled the trigger. Then he looks down at Brady, “That was actually the only thing she asked me to do. She’s kind.” He looks down at the Brady breathing rapidly and says, “You sir, don’t have the ability to traverse time. You may have pieced it all together from echoes and that’s impressive. But you’re not going to be able to speak to tell anyone and you certainly won’t be able to write anything down, ever again. They will come in and find you. They will try their best to keep you alive. You will suffer for what you and your wife did to my loved ones.” Then he grins at Brady. “I once thought
we could be friends.”

  Renfield clicks back to Destiny. He notices she is older, but ignores the fact. He is used to that sort of thing by now. Renfield informs her, “It’s done. Your grandmother wouldn’t have wanted to see it anyway. Tell me more about that guy.” His finger points over the cliff to the battlefield at the spot he last saw the man, but he doesn’t turn his head to look at the scene below. “What he does is something I need to be ready for.”

  As Destiny’s hand raises and points at what just moments ago was a battlefield, Renfield notes that there isn’t much left of the bones. He realizes he clicked back much later. He realized she had known when he would arrive. Then he thinks to her, “Will you tell me who he is?”

  While watching Destiny seemingly prepare for something after waiting so long he heard her reply, “You know who he is. You just don’t want to face that reality.”

  In his mind, he considers her statement. Then he hears a familiar person in his head as the air bursts with interruption and the skycrawler lands. His heart swells.

  Destiny says, “I’m going with her. We have to fix your errors.”

  Renfield begins to think to both of them but he blocks his mind instead as he watches Destiny strap in to the body that was once his daughter. His lips mouth, “Illumna” in question, but he thinks out to both of them, “Time is confusing.”

  In chorus, they think back, “Not once you understand it.”

  Renfield grins. He thinks to himself, “They make an interesting duo of cold and calculating.” He watches as his granddaughter dons a uniform that is inside cockpit. He laughs at how her hair dangles wildly from the helm she adorns. To Illumna he thinks out, “How did you survive.”

  “I don’t. Umm, didn’t. Joy told me when to be.” Illumna responds.

  “So you’re doubled?” Renfield asks his daughter.

  “Dad, I realize the other me is dead, so not really. I have no memory of that. I came here by going backwards and then forward to when Joy told me to be here and what I was to do.” Illumna explains.

  “She clicked you?” Adam asks.

  “The first part, yes. I learned the second part myself. I had plenty of time where she took me. I hear Mom is doing some pretty interesting things. In two times, actually. I didn’t know you two had been lovers in two different times. Joy explained.” Illumna thinks back to her father.

  “Yes, your Mom is a pretty amazing woman. She gave me very interesting daughters. I love you, Illumna, take care of my granddaughter.” Then he hears his daughter’s form take flight and watches as she begins heading straight up at extreme velocity.

  Destiny relaxes as she feels the thrust and waits as they escape the planet’s gravity. Wondering where Illumna has planned on taking them, she searches Illumna’s mind and begins to understand the plan.

  Renfield’s mind thinks out for resolution to it all. Then suddenly he is in a house he recognizes. He looks up and his heart skips a few beats while he chokes back his emotions. Then he bounds to his daughter, “Solstice!”

  She turns to him and replies, as he grabs her in a huge hug, “Umm, hey Dad?” She appreciates the attention, but she tries to navigate away since she doesn’t know what it’s about. “So, for a pretty ruthless killer, you’re in a good mood today.”

  Renfield composes himself and responds, “Keep eating that junk and you’ll get slow.”

  “When have you been?” Solstice asks of her father.

  “I’ve been here and I’ve been there and I’ve been in between.” Renfield, overwhelmed to see her again takes her into his arms and hugs her again.

  “Dad, you’re acting weird. You smell odd and those clothes, ugh. Plus, I’m pregnant, so be careful with me.” Solstice moves to the counter, but she knows her father knows something that is bothering him and that bothers her. She searches his mind. He has it closed tightly, but she hears something then turns to ask, “When did you see Illumna last?”

  Renfield, not at all caught off guard by the question said, “She was doing some gardening.”

  Solstice, not believing that response said, “Okay, well tell her I said ‘Hey’ the next time you see her. Whenever that is.” Then she turns away and begins slicing a tomato. “So much for not changing the timeline. You obviously have.”

  “It wasn’t me, but that’s a long story.” Renfield says as he tosses her an apple.

  Solstice instinctively catches it. As she takes a bite she says, “You’re not looking well. That can’t be good, Dad.”

  “I’m happy now. I’ve one more thing to do.” Renfield replies. Then he thinks to her, “Why didn’t you ever tell me about Tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow?” Solstice searches his mind although he is very good at blocking it, but she knows her father well and gets a clue. “Sara? She’s our sister, Dad. She may not be your daughter, but what does she have to do with anything?”

  “I see. Your mind is as sharp as ever, Solstice. Now I understand what she did not - when she said it.” Adam looks at the spot by the table that he doesn’t want to think about.

  “When was that?” Solstice stops and looks at her father trying to hear more.

  “Just don’t tell Sara I was ever here. As in never. Understood?” Renfield says with finality.

  Solstice knows what is coming next and she runs towards her father while begging, “Don’t click. I know what it does to you and...” Solstice watches her father’s grin as he disappears. She decides she can’t change him. She had seen his face. She knew had recently killed someone he had considered for a while but didn’t do all of the other times. She considers he was trying to subtly change something.

  Not sure if he is in the right time at the right place, Renfield thinks to himself, “If I had stayed I would have changed too much. I miss Solstice. I wonder if she realizes she is why all of this began. I hope not.”

  He smells at the air and a familiar scent of a familiar woman enters his senses on every level. He looks over. Tomorrow is beside him. Renfield reaches for her and climbs above her while pulling away what little she has between them. She welcomes him with a smile, wondering at the sudden passion. She grabs at his back and crosses her legs around him to pull him into her deeper. He wonders which time this is, but he is nary to complain about the circumstance. As he feels her buttocks tremble below him he realizes that he and Tomorrow are about to bring Joy who will create their Destiny.

  As Tomorrow and Renfield relax into each other they both sense it and click to opposite vantage points. She can hear him thinking fast, “The Hunter, that’s us before now.” She knew as soon as he appeared that Renfield had been clicking time again, but she ignored it. She realized he had specifically said he couldn’t travel into the future anymore. But at that moment she got that he could travel into his past if the future was his past. Then she understood how he did what he did. She clicked.

  Adam clicked to the Hunter as Tomorrow appeared and took out one of its knees. Renfield took out its other knee when it turned to grab Tomorrow.

  Tomorrow could hear Adam think, “They must have evolved to hunting in packs.”

  She thinks back to him, “What does that mean?” Then she hears a loud sound nearby.

  Renfield, knowing what the sound was ignored it. Then he leaped on the Hunter’s back and shoved his hand in its mouth so it couldn’t bite at her. He could feel it bite down hard on his hand and the blood start pumping into its mouth as it began sucking at the arteries. Tomorrow clicked again and wondered why Adam did not. She fell on it with the maximum velocity of 128 feet up with a branch in her hand and bashed it in the skull. Adam winced as it bit down harder on his hand. He could hear Tomorrow thinking to him to click, but he knew he shouldn’t. This other hunter would change too much if it lived and he had to love long enough to try his best to keep it from surviving. Ignoring the extreme pain he reached around and pushed his fingers, from his other hand, through its eye socket. It turned allowing Renfield leverage to push further. He grabbed at the base of its brain. The one
area he knew was exposed to the spine and then he pulled hard. The Hunter fell, but remained twitching in some odd way.

  Tomorrow breathed in relief, but then looked at Adam, “You’ve over-clicked.” Tomorrow said. Noting that he could have clicked out of that and trying to figure out what to do for his arm.

  “I’ve yet begun to click.” Adam replied and then grinned at her. He was obviously in pain, but he was shrugging the major damage off as a scratch for her benefit.

  “Whatever, Adam. So what’s all this I heard your mind scream about Joy and Destiny?” She looked down at the body of the Hunter and thought about how insane the world was that such a thing could be made from a human. She turned and said, “If we do ever get pregnant, how about we name her Eternity, or if it’s a boy I suppose Ethan?”

  Renfield grinned. “I suspect you will remember our Joy.”

  Taking in the leaves on each tree around her, she listened and then said, “I am pregnant aren’t I? You know?”

  But there was no one there to hear her question. She made a “Pfttt” sound as she rolled her eyes because she had grown used to him doing that. Then she noted something inscribed on the tree in front of her. It was old and almost grown over, but she could still make out the heart with an arrow through it. Inside the heart it said, “Renfield loves Tomorrow*” She looked for the side note because it was obvious that the asterisk was carved into the bark at a different time. She read, the words, “I’ll see you soon, Sara.”

  She clicks in time to watch a skycrawler nip a hawk’s wing. She watches as the hawk with the injured wing flies over her head. Looking at one cliff she sees herself with Renfield. To the other she sees Brian with Phillip. Then she turns and sees a woman looking at two young adults as the female punches the male in the arm and then they follow the woman. She realizes who the woman is. She smiles understanding why Adam had brought her here so long ago. Loopholes, as he had said. Adam knew how to get around Stephen’s defenses all along. Then concentrating hard on the hardest lesson Renfield had ever taught her, Tomorrow disappears.