Beyond Armageddon: Book 03 - Parallels

by Anthony DeCosmo

  Of course, more people would wonder, who is this man? He resembles their Trevor Stone. Perhaps he would let them believe he was a resurrection, or maybe he would share the story of his own world to more than the select units Nina said knew his true origins. Only time would tell how to handle that thorny issue, but he would choose whatever solution would best serve the cause of victory.

  After returning the armada of vehicles to the motor pool, Trevor, Nina, and Johnny slipped into a sedan to return to their dormitory. As they drove along the dimly-lit streets, Trevor's mind turned from the long term to more immediate concerns.

  "I expect to hear from The Committee soon."

  Nina, driving the car, answered, "We could hide you for a while. I know some places you could stay where they won't find you, at least until we think of something."

  Trevor glanced at Reverend Johnny. His friend rode in silence, staring out at the passing scenery. Trevor felt him seethe with disapproval.

  He ignored the Rev for the moment and said to Nina, "I'm not hiding. Let them come and get me. If they want a confrontation on this, I'll give it to them; nice and loud and for the whole city to hear."

  "They're cowards, Trevor, but they're not stupid. I'd be surprised if they allow you any sort of platform. But honestly, they're probably so shocked at this that it'll take them a day or two to figure out what to do. "

  He did not respond directly to her. Instead, he waved at the city around them and said, "Look at this. Everything is dark. It's like a big tomb around here."

  "Regulations," she said. "After dark The Committee must authorize any external lighting. They don't want to attract attention."

  "That has to change. No more defeatism. That's what today was about."

  That finally drew Reverend Johnny into the conversation.

  "Today was about reversing defeatism, is that what you are saying?"

  Trevor replied, "I suppose you don’t approve of the warning I left behind. I did it for a reason."

  "Yes, of course. I’m sure you have lots of reasons for all that you are doing here. Justification is in great supply, I see."

  "I did what I had to do. What I always do. You see how things are here, Rev. You see these people with their backs against the wall. If we don’t strike back, we’ll be dead."

  "No, Trevor. If THEY don’t strike back they will be dead. This is their world, not ours. We are interlopers. We should not be here."

  Trevor ignored the substance of Johnny’s rebuttal and repeated, "I did what I had to do."

  The other man seized on that idea. "You always do what you have to do, don’t you?"

  "Yes."

  "Today was no different. Brutal. But no different. Right?"

  "That’s right, Rev," Stone looked out the window as if he wanted nothing more to do with the conversation he started. "I did what had to be done for the sake of all of us."

  Nina jumped in, "Our boys needed to see something like that today, you know?"

  Johnny ignored her. "And you feel no remorse over today’s carnage? Not a hint of guilt?"

  "Why should I? They’re aliens."

  "Yes, of course, they threatened humanity."

  "Yes."

  "They could have overrun us."

  "That’s right."

  "So you had to hang their bodies from crosses."

  A military vehicle passed going in the opposite direction. Its heavy engine rumbled through the cabin of the sedan as it trucked by.

  "It was…it was a warning."

  "Right. A warning to all those who would oppose Trevor Stone."

  Trevor’s eyes grew wide and he shot, "How dare you! Those were alien bastards who were one good attack away from wiping mankind off this planet! Can’t you understand that?"

  "I understand how much pleasure you took in your work today. Look at you; you’re still covered in blood. Your hands are red. You have not even paused to wash them. You enjoyed it, Trevor. You enjoyed killing them without mercy."

  "How many of our enemies did you slaughter without mercy, Reverend? If I recall correctly, you’ve had your own uses for crucifixes in the past."

  Johnny did not stumble. Nina’s eyes glanced in the rearview mirror and studied the Reverend apprehensively.

  "Yes. I have taken great misery to my enemies. I have visited death to them in countless ways. I have been overcome with blood rage on many occasions."

  "You see. No different."

  "I agree, Trevor. No different. What I saw today was as horrific as the vengeance I visited upon those who killed my family. Congratulations, you were able to summon such darkness for your victims even without losing your wife and daughter. Why, it seemed second nature to you."

  Trevor did not know how to answer Johnny. He did not know why he felt an overwhelming desire to find—

  --justification—

  --an answer.

  "I did what I had to do."

  "Yes, yes, I’ve heard that excuse already, Mr. Stone. Tell me, now that you have shown how far you feel you have to go, tell me how more than a year of retrospect has played on your conscience. Tell me how you feel about New Winnabow."

  "How I…how I feel about…what does that have to do with anything?"

  The Major asked, "Who’s New Winnabow?"

  "Trevor Stone unleashed an army of his personal avenging demons onto a town that interfered with our military plans; a town of human beings who had refused passage to our forces on the grounds that they were pacifists. Trevor labored to reach an agreement, but when they showed their stubborn pride he visited great destruction unto them."

  Trevor ringed his hands.

  Nina said, "Sounds to me like it was justified. You have to do what needs to be done. It’s a war and all, you know?"

  "I am not surprised by your opinion on the matter. And indeed, Ms. Forest, I share your evaluation to some degree. But for my friend Trevor Stone, it was a decision he did not make lightly. It was a decision that struck a blow to his very soul. He never—"

  "They deserved it."

  Silence for a moment, and then he went on, "They were stubborn. They were unreasonable."

  Trevor stared out the window at the hiding city.

  "You must feel a great burden lifted from your shoulders. In some ways, I am thankful for that," Reverend Johnny spoke soft to his friend and leader.

  "What? What do you mean by that?"

  "You have been absorbed in guilt ever since you made that decision. But now, now you are absolving yourself of that guilt. Throwing away your conscience makes things easier, of that I am sure."

  "You’re talking nonsense."

  "I second that," Nina added.

  The Reverend spoke in barely a whisper; a whisper laced with sadness, as if Johnny spoke of a deceased friend. "This world is having a strange effect on you, Trevor. It is bringing out a side of you that you had previously kept in a cage. I remember when you were saddened by the idea that your life would be one of killing and destruction. Now it seems as if you are embracing your fate with welcoming arms."

  "Reverend, I’m trying to remember that we’re friends. I think—"

  "We’re here," Nina interrupted as she pulled the sedan to the curb outside the hotel.

  "Trevor," Nina turned in her seat to speak. Johnny grunted, opened the side door, and left his friend and the Major alone inside the car.

  "Here," Nina handed Stone a key card. "This is for the penthouse on the top floor. It was…it was your room at one time."

  "You mean his room. The other Trevor."

  She nodded. "It’s yours now. That is, for as long as you’re here. You’ll find some clothes that should fit you. Try them on."

  "Clothes? I figured I’d shower and change into a new battle suit. Seems like that’s all I’ll be wearing for a long time."

  His tone suggested that perhaps the Reverend’s words had scored a hit or two in Trevor’s psyche. Nina did not seem comfortable with that.

  "Hey, no, we’re not all about fighting around h
ere. Put something sharp on. After what happened today, well, it’s party time."

  "Party time? Is that your way of saying The Committee will be sending someone over to arrest me?"

  She shook her head. "I told you, they move real slow. And they’re cowards. I don’t know…after what happened today I don’t know if they’ll have the balls to stand up to you. The most they’ll do is send you a memo."

  "I guess I’m making more impressions, huh?"

  She smiled. "Just put something cool on. When you’re ready, c’mon down to the front entrance. I’ll have a car waiting for you."

  "A…party?" He was not sure she had been serious.

  "Yeah. I mean, I told you, the Trevor Stone I remember fought hard and partied hard. I got to believe you guys had a lot more in common."

  "A lot…more? What have we had in common so far?"

  Her deadpan stare served answer enough.

  Trevor got out of the car. The sedan pulled away.

  He surveyed the city without lights. The only illumination nearby came from a small band of soft bulbs outside the main entrance to the tall hostel. Johnny stood near that entrance, his eyes staring into the distance.

  Trevor approached his friend and tried to paint on a big smile.

  "Hey, yeah, there’s a party tonight, praise the Lord."

  "A party? I shall pass, Trevor. I do not feel in the mood to celebrate."

  "Jesus Christ, Johnny, will you just let it go. Will you just give me a break?"

  "I love you, Trevor," Johnny said it frankly. "You gave my post-apocalyptic life direction and allowed me to contribute to mankind’s salvation, but that salvation is a world away. This place is not where we belong. I fear it is a world where you in particular do not belong."

  Trevor realized he could not be angry with Johnny. At least not for long.

  He absently rubbed the penthouse key card between two fingers as he collected his thoughts. "There are answers here, Rev. I can almost…I can almost see them. Like images behind stained glass. They’re there. I just need more time to make them out."

  "Are you sure of that, Trevor? Are you sure you think there are answers here? Or is that just another excuse to remain? Another excuse not to find a way home."

  "These people are human beings like us. The same species. The same bodies. A different Earth but still, their Earth. Their home! You would have me leave them to die when I might be able to help?"

  "Yes! You have responsibilities to your people back home, Trevor. To your son. To Shepherd and Stonewall and our Jon Brewer! What is happening without you back home? Maybe the lesson here is that you are an important symbol, even if you’re stuck behind that desk you hate so much."

  Trevor shook his head, "I might be able to find out why I failed here."

  "You can’t undo that failure! It’s not your fault that some other man that looked like you made choices different from the ones you made. This is one place—one Earth—where you are not responsible."

  Stone insisted, "I can make a difference here. I can feel it."

  Johnny paused, huffed, and with a sharp edge in his voice berated, "Yes, it is so simple and easy for you here. Why, I think you prefer having your back against the wall. Just like it was for us in the early days, kill or be killed. So simple. Why, you can justify just about anything when you are fighting for your very survival. But Trevor, you are fooling yourself. Your responsibilities back home may not be as simple, but they are as real."

  Stone deflected, "I can’t leave these people. I can’t abandon them."

  The Reverend scolded, "I know why you can not leave them. You have everything you want right here. You can lead the battles from the front lines like Alexander the Great. And all the time you think you have the woman who was stolen from you. But, Trevor, she is not who you think she is. She is an echo of the Nina you knew."

  Trevor pinched his nose and bit his lip.

  Johnny pushed, "You know that, don’t you? That’s why you indulge your passions so intensely. You are hoping that the physical will take you to the places your heart cannot go with her, because you do not love this woman, you only wish you did."

  "It’s been a rough day," Trevor jumped. "For both of us. Tomorrow morning…tomorrow I’m going to wake up and forget we had this conversation. In the mean time," Trevor wagged the key in the air. "I’ll be staying in the penthouse. You’ve got the room to yourself."

  "Ah, I see. No doubt this world’s Emperor’s old room? Why Trevor, you’re just sliding right into his life very nicely. Must be a good fit."

  Stone refused to take the bait. He had had enough fighting for the day. Nina was right; it was time to blow off some steam.

  "Good night, Johnny. I’ll see you tomorrow."

  "I suppose so."

  Trevor walked inside the main entrance. Reverend Johnny waited behind. He craned his neck to stare at the sky. The stars blinked on and off as strands of clouds passed over head.

  He waited for several long moments as if hoping the crisp February night breeze would cleanse away his foul mood.

  "Reverend?"

  He looked to the shadows. He did not need to see her face to know it was Ashley.

  Johnny made sure no one watched and joined her in the darkness.

  "Ms. Trump."

  "Actually, it’s Corporal."

  Johnny answered, "I fear, Corporal, that I am not affording Trevor the protection I had assured you. This place has a grasp on him."

  She did not seem surprised.

  "It’s not your fault. This is a cursed place. Thebes…" she glanced around at the tall, dark buildings. "…it feels more like a grave every day."

  "Well perhaps it will bring you some solace to know that Trevor beat back an attack from the Chaktaw today and wiped out their entire force. It was, admittedly, a bold move that will alleviate some of the pressure on your city."

  "That’s why I’m here. Word of the victory is spreading through the ranks. The Committee is held up in the Operations Center trying to decide what to do."

  "Do you fear for Trevor’s life?"

  "No. I don’t think they’re going to do anything. They sense that the officers are turning against them. It didn’t take much. I mean, it shouldn’t take much. I don’t know, I just don’t know," confusion chased away her words.

  "I’m sorry," Johnny put a consoling arm around her shoulder. "I forget how difficult this must be for you."

  She took a deep breath. "Now I’m going to show you how difficult it really is, Reverend. If they find out I’ve talked to you, I would be in trouble. But what I do now, well, when they find out they will kill me. But there are some of us who no longer believe in this great cause."

  "The great cause? The war you mean?"

  "When our Trevor died, there was a civil war."

  Johnny knew that. "Yes. From the power vacuum that ensued."

  "It wasn’t only about leadership. It was about this war. It was about whether or not it should still be fought at all. Some of us have grown weary of this crusade. We want it ended."

  "That does not sound possible, my dear. I’m afraid the invaders did not come seeking peace, they came only to bring destruction."

  She hesitated. His words obviously struck a cord.

  "Reverend Johnny, I’m going to tell you something. You’re not going to believe it, so I’m going to show you. Then you’ll believe. Maybe it’s the only way you can save your friend. Maybe it’s the only way I can keep the same mistakes of cruelty and inhumanity from happening again. Maybe it’s…maybe it’s the only way I can help the Ashley of your world; and her son."

  She produced a handful of items from her jacket pocket.

  "This is the ignition key to a small ground vehicle. You’ll find it parked around the corner. As far as any one is concerned it was requisitioned by the Second Logistics regiment. Take it. When you’re done, park it where you found it and lock the keys inside."

  "I can not fathom why I should need a car."

  She held
up a combination security badge and key card. The photo was of another black man but with a beard, perhaps a slight resemblance to Johnny but by no means his doppelganger.

  "This key opens a maintenance entrance on the south side of Building One Dash One in the industrial sector. It looks like a big cathedral. You’ll find a map inside the car that will get you there. I’m guessing you can be sneaky. Take a look around."

  "Please tell, Ms. Ashley. What am I looking for?"

  Her eyes glazed and she spoke with a sense of doomed resolve.

  "You are looking for the truth. The truth about the legacy of our Trevor Stone."

  ---

  Trevor found the penthouse in good order and recently cleaned. Before rifling through his twin's belongings, he took a hot—warm—shower, finally scrubbing away the blood of his enemies. Away it went in a whirlpool down the drain.

  After drying off and slipping into a robe, he let his curiosity guide him from room to room. However, he found almost no personal belongings. In fact, he did not find any signs of his old self until he found a box of photographs. The pictures showed him—that is, the other Trevor—posing with soldiers on the battlefield during better days.

  The other Trevor was identical. Same hair, same build. Looking at the photos gave him the weirdest feeling. The feeling of seeing things he should remember, but did not.

  As he dug deeper, he found other photos hidden at the bottom of the collection. They were pictures of Trevor and Nina.

  Explicit pictures.

  Had it not been his face on the body of the man in the pictures, Trevor would have felt himself a peeping Tom. Instead, he found himself intrigued by the lengths to which his other self and the Nina of this world had gone to…well…to get to the physical places they wanted to be.

  With the penthouse so orderly and thoroughly cleaned, he found it hard to believe these photographs had been left behind by accident. He wondered if Nina wanted him to find them.

  Regardless, he turned his attention to the closet, flipping through the clothes inside. Eventually he found slacks and a shirt that straddled the line between casual and formal.