Advent

by Pthasse Amadeus

  ************

  I felt myself more than I saw myself. I was real and intangible, the world around me was a smoky haze. Beyond this haze I could see the Cosmos and all was present. Where am I? I thought and then I heard a call and felt a presence. Tola... I heard the voice call out to me.

  “My mystery tutor, is that you? Where am I?” I asked.

  “I see you didn't get my message,” He replied, and the brief telephone conversation we had flashed to mind while the memory of the rest of the events that transpired followed.

  “Am I dead?” I asked, oddly uncaring about the answer.

  “No but your thoughts and words are one and the same here. We are in your mind.” Then where is my body I wondered. “Your body is chained to a bed, inside a van, on its way to a holding cell.” I felt the stir of a familiar emotion. “My message was simple, know when to run and know when to fight. You fought on when you should have ran.” As he spoke, I recalled the moment he spoke of: I had just punched one of my attackers into his friends and my exit was clear, but I chose to stay and fight, was that why I was captured? Well why didn't he just tell me that? “You had to discover for yourself the perfection and necessity of balance between the two but in this case you must fight to run so you can fight,” He added sounding a little amused. “I can only guide you, you must make your own choices. Anyway your chains have been weakened, the rest is up to you,” He concluded after taking his time to regain composure.

  Slowly I returned to awareness, I felt the world in motion and there was a deep rumble, with my eyes closed I considered what I remembered. I am Dominican, I finished my solitude and then I met Sheena. She and her friends captured me... My brain felt a little murky, they must have drugged me. I extended my senses listening and feeling; I was in a van and I sensed that there were other vans because of the chatter I heard on the radio. Four people guarded my body but I felt no tension in the atmosphere, it could be because I am not expected to be awake. Good, I have the element of surprise, that's always handy. I felt another deep rumble, it was definitely something heavy; maybe a passing train, we might be near train lines. I brought my attention inwards and considered myself. My gloves were missing, well I guess I will have to make do. I felt a little odd but I could still feel my flow. It was like my own body sang to me in its own rhythm and I knew the drug was leaving my system as surely as I knew my name. It is time...

  “Release me!!!” I roared as I snapped free of the rusty chains like flimsy paper. I could see shock in their eyes and remorse. Too late. Without hesitating I lunged at the one facing me, knocking his head hard on the side of the van and I grabbed his pistol. Promptly starting a mostly one-sided gunfight in the van; I just noticed a shot, which missed me and shattered the window behind, the shooter was quiet after that... All four silent in death. The front of the van however was in chaos and there was a barricade of sorts separating me from them. They panicked, driving recklessly as a result, and the van holding me was dangerously close to the car in front... They are going to crash, I have to get out of here. I climbed through the shattered window and jumped. I leapt clear just as the van previously holding me flipped and collided with the vehicle in front, finishing with a blast. I stood on the bridge for a moment contemplating my actions. I have mixed feelings about this. I turned to see the rest of the convoy arriving with haste, swerving carelessly as men jumped out. I see, they want to play again, well I don't feel like playing right now. From the corner of my eye I caught the glimmer of the clasp securing my case and I could also see a train approaching. I'll have to leave the case, it doesn't have anything important anyway. I thought to myself as I ran towards the side of the bridge. It helps at least that I know they don't want me dead but I can't fight them all, not this time. I vaulted myself over the protective barrier and I heard sounds rushing to me. The train was the loudest and approaching fast but I could hear my pursuers screaming as they ran at me. For a moment it seemed time itself was still and I was suspended in the air, falling into the open coal carriage of the train passing underneath. I landed on it and was quickly carried away from my pursuers.

  In the early hours of a new morning, I lay down in an open field overlooking a large lake. My head propped up by the roots of a big tree at the inner edge of an enclosing forest. I had escaped with my life and freedom... The sounds of the surroundings filled my ears, from the critters that curiously approach, to the birds overhead... All seemed to enjoy living... But what am I to do? I needed to return to my father’s house but the Brethren will definitely be guarding it. I am surely now branded as a terrorist, I can't go to the company since they'd expect that... I have killed many... What will I do...? My thoughts trailed off and I saw an odd sight. Electrical discharge... no this is different, and it seemed to come from nowhere. It concentrated into a ball of electric fire, brighter than the Sun in its light, with hints of patterns and colours. A dark vertical line appeared and opened revealing what looked like a doorway. A figure came from it and crashed into the lake and soon after, the patterned light vanished into the nothing it came from. Without thinking I rose to my feet, making my way to the lake just as a figure walked out. The figure was gold and black, and shone like a precious stone, as it approached I realised it was a golden woman. Her black hair shone in the light, her skin was golden and she wore a suited armour of a Brethren; stranger still that I felt unafraid. She was armed like she was entering battle with a hilt extending above her shoulder. Two pistols on her hip and two large daggers on her waist, and she also carried a backpack. Beads of water rolled off her body as she walked angrily towards me, muttering under her breath.

  “He did it again didn't he, didn't he?! ” she screamed angrily at the sky and then her eyes snapped to me, just as quickly as her left hand snapped to its pistol; and with the pistol still in its holster she approached me with a fixed gaze. “Who are you? What is this place?”

  “Err, you're not going to pull that are you?” I asked, she rolled her eyes and snapped the pistol to aim directly at me.

  “Answer my question,“ she commanded.

  “Well if you must know, I am Tola and we are in South America, I think,” I replied. “You're Brethren?”

  “A long time ago, perhaps. Tola, as in Ayotola Johnson?” she asked after a long pause and I nodded in reply wondering how she knew my name. “I see, I am Shade,” she introduced while putting her pistol to bed. She walked towards my tree and dropped heavily to the ground by the roots. I stood motionless taking in this very unusual experience.

  “Shade,” I called as I walked towards her lounging by the tree. She seemed to be unconcerned about the whole thing, definitely not as volatile as before and her gaze was towards the skies. “How do you know me? Where did you come from?” I asked. “What are you?”

  Shade sighed and motioned for me to sit by her with her hand. She looked to be a paradox more so than a thorny rose; beauty, grace, poise, belligerence, strength and death, all these ideas she portrayed in that one simple action.

  “You are my reason for being here, now,” Shade replied. “My journey all began in the age of Aquarius, 21st December 2055 to be exact. I'll never forget that day. It was the day I met him,” she spat out the last sentence with an odd mixture of disgust and admiration. “I also killed my possessed General that day and I never saw either of them again. Since, then I have passed through many worlds and experienced many things. Over time, I have come to see the reason for my experience; there are things that exist that you wouldn't believe. Still, sometimes I wonder, am I nothing more than a pawn, in some elaborate chess piece?”

  “So you are human?” I asked. Shade burst out laughing like I made the best of jokes.

  “Very much so. Never mind my appearance it's all part of my experience. My turn, what is the date?”

  “It's the 2nd of April 2056.” I replied. Shade burst out laughing even harder, as tears rolled down her eyes.

  “What is so funny?” I asked getting a little irritated.

&nbs
p; “Oh... It's nothing... I am finally home and it seems that I have been gone for only a handful of months, if only...” Shade trailed off now more solemn in thought.

  “Why... How did you come to be here?”

  “You ask lot of questions don't you, well I guess it can't be helped,” Shade replied “I actually don't know, it always sort of unfolds with time, maybe my journey has finally ended and I am home. Somehow I don't feel that is the case, last thing I remember was in a different world. I was in a battle leading my allies against our enemy, bodies littered the ground and then I am here, swimming in that lake,” she added pointing to the lake in front of us. Her story is remarkable, I wondered forgetting my own troubles. “Why are you here, Ayotola?” she asked, interrupting my drifting mind, and wrenching it back to reality.

  “Me, I am on the run from some serious trouble. Your people are among those who are after me, I am most likely on the most wanted list. My family even now fights over my dead parent's wealth... I don't know what to do...” I answered “The only thing keeping my alive is this freakish static!” I added with rage, releasing a ball off light as I brought my hands together. “Whoa, weird,” I said as I stared at my hands, it had never done that before.

  “Curious. You are able to use Logos,” Shade said, intensely looking at me. “I see...”

  “What?!” I exclaimed “What do you see?” I asked, rising to my feet as I did so.

  “Calm down, there are things I can't speak of yet, however, believe me when I say there are things that exist beyond the comprehension of our current civilisation, or what you would call reality,” Shade said as she rose to her feet and reached into her backpack.

  I looked away and considered her words, and when I returned my attention to her, I was taken back, Shade had concealed her battle gear with a cloak that looked like an all-weather poncho. She had the hood up and all that was visible was her golden face. She reached back into her bag as she continued: “There are strings and there are wheels and you are caught in between but your destiny awaits you. When I look at you, I feel it and I know that I am here to help you,” she said as she painted her face giving it a bronzer, more human look and then she concealed her nose and mouth. She looked nothing like the creature that walked out of the lake, I was speechless, as I saw this transformation before my eyes; the truth was completely concealed.

  “So where shall we go?” Shade asked.

  “I don't know,” I replied flatly.

  “What don't you know?” Shade asked, persistently.

  “What on Earth is going on?! I don't know why they are really after me. 'Cos if it was just the money I would be dead by now...” I answered, feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of my plight.

  “Would you like to know?”

  And so we began our journey to know... We crossed the waters into the North American Union, seat of the New World Order, no one looked at Shade any more than they would have looked at any other person. We were on board a high-speed train towards Olympus, a city and a mega-corporation. If it exists, I will find evidence of the truth there. I know that they'll be waiting, but now I have a friend. Shade sat by me resting her eyes, it was a wonder we hadn't been spotted and attacked yet. The train stopped at Olympus city and as we walked into the main hall, I glanced at the screens. With each second that passed I wondered if I would see my face on the screen and it made me nervous. I felt reassured as I remembered that I had a very well seasoned soldier as a friend, and together we walked the hallway, passing through the unguarded exit. I wonder what happened to Tim Sinclair, last I saw of him was in the papers and he was in trouble with the law like me.

  “Something is wrong,” Shade whispered to me.

  “It's fine we made it here didn't we? I need to grab a paper from that store, can you call us a cab?” I replied. Shade nodded and walked towards the main doors, while I took a right through a short tunnel to the shops. I walked to the newspaper vending machine, deposited a coin and grabbed a paper. I glanced at it... 'What has Sinclair got to declare' the front page read. I turned around and slowly lifted my head to see two big men wearing shades facing me.

  “Ok...” I trailed off. They looked at each other and I looked around finding others closing in on me. Not again!! The two in front reached for me, I ducked and dove between them rolling the paper into a tube along the way. I got up and sharply kicked one to fall clumsily on the other but now I needed to bail. I started to make my way to the right, a short cut to the exit.

  “Damn...” Was all I could say as I saw that most of the people at the station were coming at me. What the hell?! Are they all agents or am I in a really bad zombie film. I turned and bolted the other way; I don't know and I don't want to know. An enemy stood in my path, I stabbed at him with my newspaper, smashing his shades... His eyes were missing, just empty eye sockets. No freaking way?! They are...

  “Drones!” I screamed as I ran. No way they were sending these mindless H-type Drones after me. This technology is way beyond illegal. I exited the tunnel and found surrounding me a mass of these creatures. Ok, I guess I need to fight my way out... I centred myself, took a stance and observed. Those I had knocked down got back up, slowly but seemingly unaffected. I heard a commotion to my right towards the main exit. Then I saw her, fully covered in her black cloak wielding a metal pole, she leapt into the air throwing a few of those things off her. I ran to help her swinging and poking repeatedly with my newspaper, until we were back to back. We need a plan. I looked at the now tattered paper... Well I guess I'll never know what Sinclair had to declare... the thought brought a smirk to my face. Newspapers and their slogans, at least I know now they can be a pretty good weapon but I had a better weapon. I dropped the paper and lifted my fists. It's time to believe, I need my gift to save my life.

  “Tola these creatures are not human,” Shade observed.

  “Excellent observation!” I replied. “They are laboratory cultured beings, you can think of them as drones, executing specific commands.”

  “That is one side of the coin,” Shade replied “There are thin filaments reaching out from them, it reminds me of my General. Either ways we can't fight them all.”

  “Another great observation,” I replied as I blocked incoming attacks. I placed my palm on the chest of one attacker, centre... release. I saw a flicker of light and I felt a powerful force propel my victim into those behind him. They really were clumsy and that gave me an idea. I looked over to Shade and found her fighting off the creatures easily with nothing but grace and a metal pole. I fought my way towards her new position and then I saw the flashing red and blue outside the main entrance. Shade and I found ourselves back to back once again.

  “Shade, the cops are outside maybe we should introduce them to our friends,” I said to her “By the way, is it just me or are they not as big as before?” I added, as I looked around and observed our attackers.

  “And faster,” Shade answered keeping her eyes on her enemy, holding steady her beaten and bent pole. “I think with less mass its controllers can move it more freely, we definitely need to get out of here.”

  “I need your help. First we have to get a little closer, just round the corner. So its a straight line,” I told her. “Then I need a bit of time.”

  Shade turned her head to look at me, I could tell that she was smiling because her eyes smiled. The enemy began another attack and we fought hard, as they got faster and remarkably stronger. I surrounded my fist with my static and my legs felt light with it, my movements were sure, precise and swift. Each attack a knockdown, giving myself space to inch round the corner. I knew Shade played her part, I wouldn't have survived this long if she wasn't here. It's time... That was when I heard a metallic sound cut through the room. I looked up to see Shade wielding her large daggers.

  “Hurry they are getting much stronger,” She said and her voice carried to me. A huge mass of them stood between us and the main doors. I stood and centred myself, feeling the rhythm within, the pulse of my mind. I let it
fall into resonance with the pulse of my body. My whole being resonated and I felt tingles all around me, I could feel the rhythm and flow of Shade's attackers as well as I could feel hers. I felt something else, something malicious, quickly and without thinking I surrounded myself with my static, pulling light to myself; instinctively protecting myself from the dark force. I regained control and stopped filling myself with this mysterious energy, this static of mine. I knew I had now within me, a lot of that energy. I stepped forward with one foot as I lifted both arms and pushed out from my chest, with that motion came a flicker of light-like discharge from my hands and an immense force. Shade jumped out of the line of fire with good time to spare and the wave of force hit the creatures carrying them through the main doors. The sonic boom that followed was almost deafening.

  “Let's Go!!!!” I screamed as I ran towards the exit I had made.

  I felt drained and it seemed that my previous action had taken a lot from me but I knew I was not safe in the midst of these drones. So Shade and I ran through the path I had just created, drones behind and cops in front; it seemed I had to leave one mess for another. I pushed the thought from my mind and focused simply on my survival. I began to hear the sounds of police vessels floating outside almost as clearly as I heard screams of rage behind me. Shade and I jumped and cleared the threshold, the drones following closely behind us and as our feet touched the ground the cops opened fire.

  Time seemed to slow as Shade and I stood facing our fate, and I welcomed it, even though I had questions I still needed answered my death would grant me peace. Then I realised that time had indeed slowed and come to a stop and the projectiles remained suspended mid air. Suddenly the scene changed, like we had teleported and around us was a green meadow with a solitary tree ahead.

  “What's going on?” I asked Shade, hoping she had some explanation and I was disappointed to see her shake her head. She had put away her daggers and now held an odd looking blade in her hands, looking cautiously at her new surroundings. Then I saw a figure walking towards us from behind the tree, dressed in a black suit. I looked to Shade to find her gaze fixed on the newcomer. As the figure approached I recognised him, it was Tim, my old friend. I motioned to welcome him but I was stopped by Shade's outstretched arm. I brushed it aside and smiled as I said:

  “Tim long time! What are you doing here?” I asked, hoping to get some sort of explanation.

  “Tola, it has been sometime,” Tim replied with a smile. “I saw what you were going through on the CCTV, so I used an experimental technology to bring you here.”

  “I see, well, thanks,” I replied.

  “You see, I've been meaning to arrange a meeting with you...” Tim began.

  “Cut the crap Maget, I know what you are,” Shade said with disgust in her voice and her blade raised.

  “Shade...” I started.

  “He is not your friend, not anymore,” She interrupted. “This is the same aura that was controlling those drones and the same that possessed my General.” Tim smiled and casually strolled closer.

  “My, my, aren't you miss know it all,” Tim said to Shade and she removed her black cloak revealing her black body armour and golden skin, I saw recognition in Tim's eyes.

  “You,” Tim said turning completely serious.

  “What's going on here?” I asked.

  “Your friend Tim has been possessed by a being from the Orion Confederation. He is no longer the person you remembered,” Shade replied.

  “Orion Confederation?” I asked.

  “They are sixth dimensional beings, jealous of creation and of humanity, they are vile and disruptive, and that is why we call them Magets,” Shade explained.

  “Haha, do not let your ego deceive you, we simply wish to help you,” Tim replied.

  “That's right, by wiping us out in every fabric of existence and destroying our planet?” Shade retorted.

  “Precisely,” Tim replied with a smile. “It is the best help the we can offer,” he added then looking to me he said: “I am Nuru, ferryman to the underworld, but I am still the Tim Sinclair that you remember. Do not resist my friend Tola, this is for your own good.”

  “Tola, don't let him enter your mind, fight it!” Shade said to me and I realised that I was unable to move and I suspected the same was true for Shade. “They can be defeated I have done it before with the help of a Traveller, the same Traveller that sent me to find you,” Shade continued. “You must be a real danger for them to play their hand the way that they have and I have no doubt they killed your parents. Fight it! You have a destiny, I can see it even if I don't understand it but I'm sure they do, so don't let them take control of you,” Shade added and Nuru waved his hand and instantly Shade dropped to the ground. So this is the cause of all this... My folks, everything and now they want to possess me... I fought the mental violation clearing and centring my thoughts. I forced my static throughout my body, knowing it would purge Nuru's influence, but I didn't know how I knew.

  I felt the restraint release, even as we both stumbled back and I could feel the energy surging through my body. I looked around and I saw the illusion for what it was; we had never left Olympus, we had just shifted into some kind of pocket reality. I began to understand where my abilities came from, who my teacher really was... I looked to Shade and knew what Nuru had done, and I also knew how to correct it, and with just the thought I felt her returning to consciousness. As she rose she looked at me in a way that she had never before, the energy began to flow more hurriedly. I could feel it rushing as my awareness began to expand, I saw through the fabric and I saw the universal truth. I am one and I am all...

  “Fool! I will not let you awaken!!” I heard Nuru shout and I saw him launch a bolt of energy at me. As it hit me I felt a searing pain, even as this new energy mingled with mine, my immediate surroundings became a distant dream and my being felt so much pain. The energy that flow through me from within persisted, but it felt like Nuru had tried to plug the fount from where the energy came and it caused me a lot of pain.