The Balance of Fate

I remember when violence in music, television and movies was censored. Everyone was certain that kids would become desensitized to it all and it would lead to violence and hatred in everyday life. I was one of the kids who thought, “Seriously, we know the difference between reality and it’s consequences and make believe.” I know I sure did, but I was horribly mistaken. It didn’t stop with kids but even adults got it in their head that a television show or movie was real. They couldn’t differentiate between the actors and their characters, so very desperate to escape what they perceived as their own redundant, boring lives. Within 10 years, more graphic lyrics, scenes and even newscasts were becoming more and more prevalent. With technology, people began to disconnect from one another. It opened the door for the always present yet suppressed “human nature” to begin to rule society, governments, military, you name it yet so many people just couldn’t see how things were getting out of hand. They couldn’t see what evil was happening around them. I remember after witnessing several completely selfish, heartless and extremely cruel acts of people around me that I wrote a poem about how I was certain there were people being born these days without souls. Finally, one day, a little known dictator decided that nuclear weapons weren’t as dangerous as they had been made out to be and really didn’t care about anything except being right and recreating in reality the plot to his favorite television series. He blew up his own country when the weapon malfunctioned and destroyed half the world along with its population. That’s when “they” came. Strangers that were not truly human, not alien, nothing we could explain. They came a few at a time at first through flashes or what I came to see as rifts. What was left of the human race fought disease, radiation poisoning, the loss of the luxuries everyone relied on. The “soulless” prayed on those who could not clearly see this coming but who were truly what humanity used to strive to become, kind, pure and innocent. All they want and do is reach out and help each other. Nonviolent, loving, peaceful, even in the face of this ruined world. The “innocents” never thought about retaliating against their oppressors even when members of their group were murdered. Those of us who could clearly see how humanity was changing for the worst, who saw where the world was headed as years passed right up to the end of our civilization, try to protect the innocents. We call ourselves the “seers”. We know that the innocents must be protected. They are the future of humanity. The soulless have to go but when our work is done, we must also go. Our ability for violence would taint the innocents. However, we are happy to sacrifice ourselves in the end to see humanity reach its true potential.

Now, back to the arrival of the “rift walkers”. They only came to the seers. They all looked human, but had certain “abilities” that were both wondrous and scary. I am currently part of the seers colony. We built a base that was mostly underground in what used to be Canada. The surface is plagued with fallout storms. The only trees to survive the global disaster was throughout this northern area and old Alaska. The world government formed after the disaster and controlled by the hegemonic soulless named this world Alteria. The saying “only the good die young” seemed to be true. The majority of the survivors were of the same mindset as the fools who brought about the end of our civilization. The seers numbered only 424 people and the innocents society only had 7123 and falling since they were actively sought out, killed or imprisoned. So I will begin with the day the rift walker came to me.

Sitting in my small room, I was reading a book about how to infiltrate and gain the trust of others. Basically, how to become a spy. Our leaders, Philip, Rosa, Dimitri and Hannah believe I can infiltrate Alteria’s government, sabotage their efforts, and assassinate the Supreme Authority, Michael Bantura and his council. I believe my response upon the vote was “You’ve got to be kidding.” Followed by “Why me?”. Dimitri pulled me aside and told me that I was a natural at gaining trust and unfortunately Michael and I had teamed up initially after the disaster to try to organize refugees fleeing the uninhabitable areas of the earth. Michael pleaded with me to be his right hand but I watched as he murdered anyone who were gentle, wanted a leadership that would ban violence and encourage helping one another. Especially anyone who accepted people who believed differently. He began calling them the corrupters. He had a way of acting and saying things that made him likable, seem compassionate, charismatic, and he put his ideas forward as a reasonable “only logical course of action” to rule what remains of humanity. I listened to him and everything he said made sense however I could “see” his act, how it would only benefit himself and his likeminded followers. He played people perfectly and absolutely no one would listen to my fears until Dimitri came along. He told me I was a seer and he brought me to this place where I fit in. He saved me. I was by Michael’s side for 5 years. He was obsessed with getting me to join him. Now, he actively has been looking for his “lost soulmate” and he doesn’t say that in a romantic way but he believes I am the only person who he can trust and who completely understands his vision. Yes, I played along like a coward while simultaneously running rescue missions to save the innocents he sought or imprisoned. Then when he sent me beyond the Authority’s gates, I ran away with Dimitri. I understood why I’m perfect for the mission, but I was terrified. To walk right back into what Michael created and pretend to be exactly what he whole heartedly thought I was, sabotage their security and kill him and his council! I wasn’t afraid for my life as much as I was afraid I would fail because it would mean the end of any hope for making humanity what it should be. A selfless, peaceful people who encouraged hope and loved all believing in peace coexistence. Who currently never saw this disaster coming certain that all people were the same and would correct their mistakes. I loved them so much for their constant love of all but it was getting them slaughtered. Everything hinged on the total destruction of the city of the Authority. Wiping out the soulless and then the seers had to remove ourselves far from the innocents and never have contact with them again. So as I set the book down and thought on this burden, a tear in the air that looked like a lightning bolt appeared and out came a man. Any rational person would have run or got their gun. I just stood up. The rift closed as fast as it appeared and the man looked straight into my eyes and his eyes lit up a beautiful blue light and he reached out with a glowing hand saying “Jessica, I know your burden. I am Caldin and I’ve come to help you.” Of course I stepped back, tripped on the chair and landed on my hindquarters. He reached out to touch me with that glowing hand and then my fear kicked in and I slid away to the wall. He seemed to suddenly sense my fear and his hand and eyes became normal. “I swear I’m not going to hurt you”’ he said then crouched down in front of me and stared straight into my eyes then simply tilted his head innocently. Again any rational person would have began questioning him such as “Who or what are you?” or “Where did you come from?” but I just stared back. Suddenly a feeling that I know him and always have known him came over me. Being a seer I believed he was causing it so my first words to Caldin was “Stop influencing my mind.” He smiled and replied “You have become everything I knew you would be and I am not in your head. If I was, you would know. It would be painful and destroy your brain erasing all you are and leaving you a biological shell.” He reached out his hand to help me up. No glow but what he said made me wary of his touch and I struggled to my feet without his assistance. I was backed against a wall and he came closer. Way too close and finally I struck out. Those eyes and hands lit up again and he grabbed my wrist. I was paralyzed in place. My head exploded as his voice in my mind commanded me to back against the wall and nothing I could muster was able to disobey. Then he took a locket out of his pocket. It looked antique, shaped like a heart and he placed it around my neck. Again the pain in my head came as he commanded that I never take it off and not to open it until I am sitting in the council with Michael and I knew the command implanted in my mind could not be disobeyed. He kept holding my wrist and the glowing once again stopped. He had to catch me as he released my mind. I was covered in sweat and weak. “You, my dear, are a fighter. Never have I encountered a person who could subconsciously fight me like that and I’m so sorry that I had to hurt you to get through your barriers.” He picked me up and put me on my bed. Then held my hand until I caught my breath. “Why” I struggled to find my voice but only managed a whisper. “Why are you doing this to me?” Caldin suddenly looked sad and leaned uncomfortably close to me. “To restore the path of humanity, and I know you want that as well, you must do as I say or disaster will come to what is left of this world and I’m so sorry, but I, no...we, do not have time to explain and convince you. I have placed commands in your mind preventing you from telling certain other people about me, that locket and an explanation that it was a long lost family heirloom, as well as an inability to remove it. Trying will cause you great pain because I could see you would try. You are, after all, not a trusting soul and would rebel against being unable to be in control of your path.” He reached for my forehead and I trembled knowing that I am completely at his mercy. As he touched my head he leaned down so his face was so very close to mine. A tear fell from my eye. I knew what was about to happen even though I couldn’t explain why and pleaded, “Please, don’t do this.” He truly looked sympathetic as his hands and eyes began their terrible glow, he bent in and kissed my cheek whispering “I do love you and somewhere in your heart you know I have no choice.” Then, my head exploded in pain again and I couldn’t even scream out. In my mind he placed the plan or maybe he broke some barrier as if the knowledge of how to succeed at my mission was always there, but either way, I began to lose track of time, where I was, then who I was as pain consumed me. Finally, I lost consciousness.

I have no idea how long I was unconscious but when I opened my eyes, Caldin was still there beside me. “It’s time.” He said. (This is to be continued.)