"I suppose," Trevor said, "some things are best left unspoken."
"This is true. But here we are in what is apparently a duplicate world; a duplicate universe. The same in many ways and yet different in its subtleties. Imagine if told of a parallel universe a few years ago how we would have reacted. That revelation would have been enough to question all of what we know; our place in the universe, our faith, our science. But here I stand not in awe of this incredible truth, but in complete acceptance. Why is that?"
Trevor answered, "Because you’ve seen so much already. Because monsters and aliens are real. When you’re fighting for your life it is easy to set aside the larger picture and focus on the 'what' and not the 'why' because the 'why' might just drive you crazy."
"Yes, indeed. But for those who follow you, Trevor, there is a greater truth. We have fought the vile beasts and glimpsed Hell. These things point to powerful, all-encompassing forces. Yet, we are not afraid of these powers. Do you know why? Because of you. Partly because you are a master general, partly because you have taken the burden of our survival on your shoulders so as to keep that burden from crushing us. But most important, you are a man in tune with the powers. I suppose you could say, when the Gods convene to weave their plans, they save a seat for you at the table. I know that no matter how small we seem, we are in fact giants. We have to be; otherwise the universe wouldn’t be going to such trouble to destroy us."
Trevor considered.
A seat at the table.
A quick knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Nina Forest walked inside.
"Sorry leaving you alone for a while like that, but I had a couple of things to take care of. I promise you’ll have my complete attention from here on in."
"I see," Trevor responded as she joined them at the window.
"Beautiful, isn’t it," she gestured to the view although her words were probably sarcastic.
"Sad," Trevor corrected. "I see a city that is barely alive."
"Barely alive is better than dead. I mean, I’ll take it, you know?"
"Tell us, my dear, what events conspired to lead to these dismal circumstances?"
"How far back do you want me to go?"
"Let me start," Trevor said. "Alien invasion, monsters, end of civilization. The Trevor Stone of this world becomes the leader and you win some fights, build up an army, save a lot of people, and start conquering territory. How am I doing?"
"That about sums it up. Until the really big battle."
"I’ll guess. The battle of five armies."
"Actually, there were seven armies."
Johnny laughed. "That would explain much."
"I mean, the big battle sort of put a damper on things but, still, we were in good shape. Lots of cities. Factories. In some spots it was almost like a regular life, you know?"
He led, "Then..?"
Her head bowed and Trevor could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes.
"Then you were killed. I mean, then our Trevor died in battle."
She gathered her thoughts. "Trevor was a great warrior. He won battles that we never thought we’d win. He was the glue holding us together. He kept the army officers in line and loyal; he kept the civilian leaders in their place. I mean, he made sure we worked toward the same goal, you know?"
Reverend Johnny assured, "I know."
"So what happened after…after I died?"
She sighed. "At first, chaos. Without Trevor at the top, the chain of command broke apart. Some officers tried to take over and some…some people actually killed each other. It was, like, almost a civil war. It went on for a while until we lost cities and armies because we were too busy fighting with ourselves. That’s when people negotiated. In the end, a group of administrators took over. We call them The Committee."
Trevor posed the next question, "How long has it been like this?"
"Like this? You—I mean, our Trevor—died two years ago. We’ve been losing ground even since. Things are bad. This is it. This is the last city. Do you understand? Twenty thousand people are all we have left. We’re desperate."
Trevor saw the mark of that desperation in her eyes. His heart sank. How could it not? Maybe she was not the Nina he knew, but she looked like her; sounded like her.
Nonetheless, he said, "I’m sorry, but I’m your prisoner, remember? You dragged me here. I have my own world to worry about. I don’t belong here."
"Your world is fine," she shot as that desperation turned to defensiveness. "Your armies are on the march. What were you doing? Were you leading them in the battlefield?"
Trevor remembered the maps and push pins and casualty reports. Maybe he had already been a prisoner and just did not know it.
"We are about to be wiped off the Earth. Does that matter? Do you want to see me die?"
"What I want is to go home. To be with my people," his words sounded hollow.
"You can make a difference here, Trevor."
Reverend Johnny asked, "Miss, you said your version of Trevor Stone died two years ago. Certainly your people know this; there is a statue in your courtyard. Therefore, they can not be fooled into believing he is still alive. Or am I mistaken?"
"Yes, everyone knows our Emperor is dead. Part of the problem is that our people saw him as more than a man; more than a leader. He was touched by greatness, we all knew this. When he was alive," her eyes grew vacant as she remembered. "When he was alive we knew we couldn’t be defeated. But when he died…"
Trevor finished for her, "When he died, it proved that you weren't invincible."
"But this is not your Trevor who stands before you," the Reverend pointed out.
"No," Trevor agreed. "I’m not. But her people could see…could see another Trevor from another universe; another world. To them it might be a sort of resurrection."
Johnny shifted uneasily at the reference to 'resurrection.'
"Yes, that’s right," Nina encouraged. "If only to see you. To have you walk among our troops. Then, maybe my people would be encouraged again."
"Or maybe we should leave right now and return home," Johnny proposed. "As you have said, Miss, the death of your Trevor was the beginning of your destruction. His disappearance from our world could be the commencement of our own annihilation."
Nina turned away and looked out the window. She did not answer Johnny but Trevor spoke for her. That angry tone returned to his voice, directed at the woman who had spirited him away from his world.
"We can’t go back, Reverend. At least not the way we came, isn’t that right, Nina? You somehow tricked someone—or I should say, some thing—out of its transport ship or whatever. I got a feeling you know whatever trick you used won’t work twice."
"I’ll find a way to get you home," she insisted without facing him. "I just need time."
"I look out that window," Trevor tapped the glass, "and I see a people who are running out of time."
Nina clasped her hands and struggled with words; struggled to hold back anger, frustration, and fear. "The attacks are coming every few days. We beat them back but each time we lose people; each time our supplies drain further. I…we…don’t know what to do. So I tried this. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same, to save your people."
She made a point with which he could not argue. Besides, now that he was here, could he walk away? Was there a connection between humanity’s fate on his world and elsewhere?
"You moved across universes. What made you think to do that and how did you do it?"
She sighed as if such a discussion only wasted time.
"Trevor—our Trevor—I think he knew about the whole multi-dimension stuff. He knew a lot of things he never shared with me. He was secretive about some things, you know?"
Reverend Johnny answered, "We know."
"So anyway, after he died and things started to fall apart we got a tip about the Nyx and their nest. About what it was capable of doing. That got us thinking; if there’s another Earth with another Trevor who’s doing better, then m
aybe he could help us." She wringed her hands, cast her eyes down. "I wanted our leader back. I wanted…I wanted Trevor back."
Trevor heard more than mere loyalty for a leader in her words.
Johnny, however, kept the conversation on track. "So you managed to get a hold of this Nyx’s equipment? Can we not do that again?"
"No. We always knew it was a one-shot deal. But, hey, we’ll find another way home."
"Wait a second," Trevor interrupted. "How many, um. Wait, how to phrase this? How many different ‘worlds’ are there?"
Reverend Johnny tried to answer, "I have heard suggestions of an infinite number of parallel universes from theorists back in the days before the invasion. One would imagine—"
"Eight."
"Eight?" The men echoed in unison.
"Eight different universes; eight different Earths at war."
"What made you decide on, well, me from my world?"
"Look, this wasn’t a cruise. Time was not on our side, you know? I mean, I got kind of lucky. It just so happened you were doing pretty good. Your people weren’t going to miss you much. With all the success you had, well, I’m hoping The Committee won’t kill me over this."
Surprised, Trevor asked, "What do you mean?"
She curled her lip and admitted, "Well, The Committee wasn’t really a big fan of this mission. They’re all about conserving resources. For them, we’re on the defensive now and we’re going to stay that way. We lost some people doing this, spent a lot of valuable fuel and ammunition, and I really can’t show them any results, you know?"
"You do have me," he stated the obvious.
"Yes, but you’re not sounding too cooperative. I told The Committee..," she stopped and bit her lip again.
"You told them what?"
Johnny answered for her, "She told them that you would stay and fight for them. That you would do it for her."
She did not want to answer, but after several seconds of the men staring at her she said, "Listen, I’ll get you home. I promise. And I’m sorry about stealing you away like this. But we’re dying here; it’s just a matter of time unless something changes. You can’t tell me that you don’t care what happens. We’re human beings, just like you."
Trevor’s mind raced. He thought of a hundred reasons why he should walk away from this alternate reality and find a way home. He found a hundred more to stay and help.
In his mind, two facts stood out. First, he had no way home. Not yet. If he was going to find a way home it would be with the help of these people.
Second, he stood two feet from Nina Forest, talking to her without the cold distance of stolen memories. Yes, a part of him tingled excitedly, like an eighth grade kid finding out the girl he held a crush for would be sitting next to him in Algebra class.
"Trevor, I don’t know the big picture. I’ll bet you know more about that than I do. But we’re connected even if we’re from different universes. You want to draw my blood and test it? I’m not going to rip off a mask and actually be a big lizard or something. I mean, there’s no parasite controlling my body. I’m not an android; I have veins and a heart and lungs like you.
"Kidnapping you…luring you was not nice. I can see why you’re angry and I would be in your place, too. Especially to be brought here, where humanity is doomed. I only ask a few days of your time. See what we’re doing, maybe you can show us a way out of our bind. Maybe you can inspire our people."
Reverend Johnny spoke in a deep but low tone, like a teacher trying to get through to a student, "You only ask that he saves the people of this planet. Mr. Stone is busy trying to save the people of our Earth. Two worlds is a tall request for one man."
Trevor gazed out the window. The last streaks of sun flickered off the buildings like embers of a fire smoldering away. He reached for the metal shutters and considered. Could he refuse her?
"I don't like being here. I'm not happy about it. But now I know there are eight different Earths facing invasion; eight places where humanity is under siege. Why? What's the grand plan at work here? If I can understand that plan, then maybe we can defeat it; for the sake of every person fighting and dying on those worlds. You said your Trevor knew of these Nyx things that allowed you to jump universes? What if he was on the trail of the answer?"
"Pray tell, what answer?" Johnny's voice carried an aggravated edge as he saw where Trevor's reasoning led.
"The answer to the question of 'why'?" He then narrowed his eyes at Nina and said, "Do you agree that we must return to our world? Do you promise to help us find a way home?"
She nodded.
"Okay then," he pulled the shutters closed. "Take me to The Committee."
---
Nina gave the two men plain brown coveralls, matching the outfits worn by maintenance workers and non-combat personnel. She made sure Trevor wore a cap that fit snug over his head, hoping to hide his identity, for the time being.
She wore a short tan leather jacket over her black battle suit. Trevor and Johnny received a couple of windbreakers that were not adequate against the cold but would have to do for now because heavy jackets were in short supply.
The elevator took them to the first floor where they stopped at a security station just inside the heavy glass doors of the main entrance. Nina spoke to the military policeman there. Trevor believed her words may have actually awoken that man.
"We need ground transportation to the Operations Center."
That guard grabbed a phone and made a call but his eyes kept glancing at the familiar-looking man in the brown coveralls and cap. Trevor tried not to make eye contact.
Nina took him aside and said, "Most people have to walk around the city. Fuel is a luxury. Most of the traffic you see on the streets is military convoys, supply runs, or VIPs."
The guard hung up the phone and said, "Major Forest, transportation is on its way."
"Major Forest?" Trevor repeated her rank. "How good for you."
"What am I," she paused, stepped closer to him, and then whispered into his ear. "What am I on your world?"
"Captain. But honestly, you could be whatever you wanted. My Nina chose to stay a field operative. She was—is—most at home doing something dangerous."
She smiled. "I see that’s at least one more thing I have in common with her."
A vehicle arrived at the main entrance. Nina led the group outside into a blast of cold wind howling along the wide and dark empty street.
Trevor gave the sedan a quick look over. He saw a variety of styles from his home world: a touch of 50's flare with covered wheel wells, chrome trim, and a very aerodynamic profile.
He slipped into the rear seat with Johnny. Nina sat in the front passenger side. She told the soldier at the wheel their destination and off they went.
The engine rumbled to life and the driver steered them along the lonely streets. A few vehicles—mainly trucks and armored cars—traveled the roads. Trevor saw many parked vehicles, most of which had deteriorated to skeletons, probably farmed for parts.
He asked, "What do you use for fuel?"
"Ethanol mixtures with gasoline for our vehicles, processed from oil. Some of our buildings and facilities use solar power, coal, and wood although we do have a nuclear reactor but it's tough to keep up and running due to a lack of parts and skilled technicians."
Reverend Johnny joined the conversation, "Tell me, have you adapted any alien technology for your uses?"
She shook her head. "Not much. Honestly, we always did well living off the resources we produced. But ever since things started going bad we’ve had less land to mine or drill. I mean, we send out scavenger parties who do strip mining, dig wells, that sort of thing, you know? But those are hit and miss operations. Seems we are always low on supplies."
Trevor said, "On my world, we’ve adapted alien technology to serve our purposes. There’s a sort of irony using their stuff against them."
"He means he gets a kick out of it, praise the Lord."
"I’ll bet," Nina turne
d in her seat to face them and smiled.
"What about laws and regulations and an economy and all that?" Trevor asked cautiously.
The Major chuckled. "Laws? Regulations? An economy? We don’t really have time for that shit. We’re trying to stay alive, Trevor. Maybe you guys have the extra time to start playing politics but we don’t."
Johnny suggested smartly, "He’ll get a kick out of that, too."
"The Committee does handle a lot of administrative stuff," she conceded. "I mean, there are rules and all that. They’re always passing rules. They love to shuffle paper and crap like that. The rest of us are busy fighting and dying."
The car passed a series of small buildings. A couple of those looked to be vacant stores. One big red sign suggested an active night club.
"What about money?"
"Money? Yeah, sure, and I own stocks, too," she laughed then grew more serious. "Sorry. It’s just that, well, it sounds like you guys are living the high life back there. Guess the war’s over, huh?"
After a moment of silence, Trevor mumbled, "I have much more to do."
"We get credits to use on luxuries. Sometimes you can trade credits to get out of a tour of duty on the front lines. Whatever. Most people use the credits to party or trade up a food card or something like that."
"But not you, Miss?"
She shook her head, "I’ve got things pretty good, I guess. Being a Major and all."
"Hmmm…and being so close to your former Emperor, no doubt?" Johnny suggested.
Trevor moved to another subject, "What about kids? Families? Civilians? How do they live around here?"
"There are no civilians, not like you think. A civilian for us is someone who doesn’t fight in the front lines; techs, support people. You see, everyone fights or supports the fight. If you’re not a front line soldier, you’re working a couple of different shit jobs. If you don’t contribute, you don’t eat. Get it?"
Johnny jumped in, "But there are men and women here. Surely there are children."
Beyond Armageddon: Book 03 - Parallels Page 13
