This story does have several gay main characters. If this offends you, go read your bible instead. There will also be incidents of violence and/or sexual situations in various chapters. They are a part of the story. If you don't like them, don't read.
Author's Note - As I mentioned previously, Shaper's War takes place over several thousand years. This story represents the first significant jump from one point in the story line to another. There are many stories in between which I may go back and write someday, but for now I'm concentrating on the main story line.
Unfortunately, there will be many, many characters left behind by these jumps. There will be others that we see continuously. This story also is the first to feature a character based on a 'fan' of these stories. Guess which one it is, and I'll think of something for a prize. :) Seriously though, I do appreciate hearing from you, and hope you continue to enjoy this story as much as I do.
Once again, thanks to Ed for his work in editing this story!
Shapers' War Chapter 3 - New Friends
"So, tell me what you think the importance of these events was," J'Stan said to the bored faces in front of him.
"We're screwed, we just don't know it yet," said the bright-eyed young man in the front row. The rest of the class broke into laughter at that. J'Stan let out a loud sigh and shook his head. His grin belied his feelings and he soon joined the class in their laughter. He sat on the edge of his desk and gave in to a good chuckle, letting the bangs of his long, blond hair fall into his eyes.
"Brief, and to the point as usual, B'rel," J'Stan said when he got the laughter under control. He swung his head to the right, sending his ponytail flying for a moment and he focused his eyes on a student in the back corner. "What do you think, Jenna? Are we so totally screwed?"
"No. I don't," the demure, dark-haired woman said. "We're a lot different than the old-world United States. Immigration has always been a key factor to the strength and growth of Ackeland. Unlike the US, we've never tried to stop it or keep the levels at an artificially low level. We set the bar low enough that most people can get in if they want to, and we assure their loyalty through our education programs."
"Of course you'd say that. You're descended from Margaret Zindel," B'rel said in a jeering tone.
"Hey!" interjected another young man, this one dark haired and smaller than the others. "That's a fallacious argumentation. Trying to diz her argument by tying it to the first immigrant mayor. Just because you're from one of the 'old' families too doesn't mean you have a monopoly on things here."
As more students jumped into the discussion, J'Stan let himself rest back on his desk and did his best to keep his smile of satisfaction from showing. Four months ago, most of the kids in this room wouldn't have even bothered jumping in on the discussion. Caris most definitely wouldn't have dared to criticize B'rel Jindell either. Caris was from one of the poorest families in New Phoenix, while B'rel was from the most powerful.
A moment of concentration showed him that Adam was doing fine with his class, except there the discussion was on the intricacies of land creation and formation. A fascinating subject, but one too full of details for J'Stan to feel comfortable with teaching. Instead he preferred the rough and tumble of History and Considerations. He enjoyed taking these kids and turning on their minds, opening them to new thoughts and concepts through analyzing history.
Today's discussion was focusing on immigration and trade policies of the former United States, a country dead now for almost four hundred years. Yet a country that he remembered well, and still felt some loyalty for. After all, he'd sworn to defend it, and he had until it was no more.
As he listened to the students discuss the pros and cons of the current policy of heavy immigration, J'Stan felt the now-familiar oddness of listening to people discuss decisions he had been a part of, treaties he had negotiated himself. As always, those thoughts brought a strong sadness in him, a longing for his long-dead son Alan. The sadness faded as Adam sent him a surge of love across their bond, pausing in his discussion of new soil aeration. Gods, what a boring subject to teach!
"...so if it weren't for the increases in immigration allowances in 156 A.C. (After Cataclysm), we'd have been forced to make a decision on what to do with thousands of illegal immigrants!" Caris finished heatedly.
"Still, did we have to implement the Free Trade Agreement with the Southern Alliance?" B'rel retorted. "Those damned Australians sat back in the Great Conflict and didn't help us! Why should we provide them with markets for their goods?"
"Don't forget the Zealanders too," Jenna chimed in. Now she was in agreement with B'rel. "They shut their lands to both sides during the conflict, then tried to make everyone forget they existed after that. If it wasn't for Adam Morgan's discovery of them in 224 A.C., they'd still be forgotten!"
"So what?" another student, Homas, asked. "They have a right to live their lives the way they wish to, don't they? At least they are friendly and not shipping us their unwashed masses."
"Enough," J'Stan said quietly, but forcefully. "I can see that you've all been reading your assignments, and preparing your arguments. However, I still will not accept the use of namecalling to make a point. I want all of you to pull up your desk terminals and review the chapter titled `Violence and the Fall of Democracy'. I recommend you downlink them to your hand terminals since the class is over in a few minutes. There will be no free discussion after class today since I have other commitments to attend to. I will make it up this weekend by providing a two hour period on Saturday. Any questions? Good, then attend your terminals and see you on the weekend."
As he finished speaking, he took a moment to make sure they were all pulling up the material on their terminals. As usual, they all were busy setting the machines in their desks to retrieving the data, and transferring it to their small hand terminals. Four hundred years ago, things were done very similarly. Now, technology had once again become commonplace. Seeing things were in order, he concentrated for a moment and left the room, to reappear on the green surface of a moon far away.
Lush green plants surrounded him, and his lungs drew in fresh, oxygen-filled air. The sky above was a strange, reddish hue, and the great sight of Jupiter filled nearly half of it. But this moon of Jupiter now supported plant and insect life instead of ice and volcanoes. Strange what a hundred years had been able to accomplish.
A disturbance in the air, and a strong feeling of love announced the arrival of Adam behind him. Adam wrapped his arms around J'Stan, and J'Stan leaned back into the support of his lover. A few minutes passed as the two just let themselves enjoy the mental and physical closeness.
"After three hundred years, I'm still not the least bit tired of this," Adam said at last.
"Me either, love," J'Stan answered, turning in Adam's embrace to kiss him.
"Enough," Adam said lightly after a few minutes. "I want to see how the redbirds are doing. If they make it here, I'll want to bring in some felines next."
"You and your project," J'Stan teased lightly. "Sometimes I think this is the only way I can get you alone."
"Oh, come off it. Just because you'd rather be wasting time away in front of the television, you have to give me a bad time about my hobbies."
"T.V! I don't watch it much. I'm just fascinated by the things these young ones are coming up with these days."
"Ha! You're just trying not to be an old geezer," Adam quipped while they headed out through the underbrush of Europa.
"Old geezer! I'm not an old geezer. Now, Henry and David, they are old geezers," J'Stan said lightly, then kicked himself mentally.
"I'm worried about them, too," Adam said quietly, stopping to look back at J'Stan. "They've totally cut themselves off from people, like you did after Alan died. It's not healthy. We've lost too many original gifted as it is. I don't want to lose any more, especially them," Adam said worriedly, and it was J'Stan's turn to provide the comfort and support.
"Don't worry so much," he said as he wrapped his arms around Adam. "We learned that lesson all too well after Erica gave up. It's only when we lose touch with the current world, let ourselves feel like we aren't a part of it, that the longing takes over. We're not going to let our good friends go out like Erica did. I promise you that."
"Thanks, love," Adam said quietly, then pushed himself out of the embrace to point at a bird sitting on a tree branch above them. "Look, that's definitely the first one that hatched last month!"
"Yes!" J'Stan said, joy showing through. "Another successful terraforming project by Adam Morgan. We'll have them lining up by the thousands for the chance to live in another habitat made by you, the greatest Habitat Designer in the world!"
"Shaddup," Adam said through the blush forming on his cheeks. "I just enjoy creating life where there wasn't any."
"And I love helping you do it," J'Stan said with pride in his voice. "So, when we gonna reveal this one?"
"I'm not sure yet," Adam said quietly as he used his abilities to examine the small redbird, and found it very healthy. "It's the first one off-world. I'm not sure yet that people are ready for the idea of living off-world. Besides, the heat generators we've set up in orbit can't provide enough heat for the whole planet yet, and I still haven't figured out how to handle the atmosphere erosion from the pull of Jupiter's gravity. We'll have to solve those things before anyone moves here permanently."
"Fine, then. It stays our secret for now."
"Does everyone think we still go to the moon for sex when we disappear?" Adam asked coyly.
"Yup. I caught B'rel thinking he ought to go sneak a peek before I left," J'Stan said, feeling desire bloom inside him at the gentle smile on Adam's face. That strand of black hair was now falling over Adam's left eye, driving him even more wild.
"Well, I hope that little screen we put up there keeps him diverted,.." Adam began, then reached out and pulled J'Stan to him. "Let's make the most of the moment, shall we?"
Adam forced himself to get to his feet, leaving J'Stan lying on the ground, sound asleep. Neither of them needed sleep, any more than they needed to breathe, but it was one of the things that kept them sane. Too many of their fellow gifted had not kept their sanity. It still worried him. J'Stan was so sensitive. Not many people realized that.
They thought of him as the man who'd first truly realized the extent of their abilities. The man who'd gone insane after losing his lovers to Bjorn. Who'd killed millions the first time he'd tried to kill Bjorn, and who'd caused the deaths of billions the time he'd actually succeeded.
He was also the man who had negotiated the Treaty of Naturalization, as it was now called. He'd served as Ambassador and Director of Immigration for those first forty years, before turning the duties over to his son Tad. Then he'd disappeared for a hundred years, along with Adam. They'd told few people about their journey to other stars. Sometimes Adam didn't believe his own memories about that journey, and he'd been there himself!
Now, they'd both been teachers and Creators for the last hundred years. How Adam loved raising new land out of the ocean, flattening out the hills created by the volcano. Then taking the soil and making it fertile, implanting insects and grubs in it. Followed by plants, and finally animals. Soon followed by eager immigrants, looking for land to settle and live off of.
Looking around his latest creation, he took great pride in this newest habitat. It was by far the hardest, and the one thing that had kept him going lately. Deep inside him, he felt the disconnection growing, the boredom. Who'd have thought living so long could be so boring? He could feel it growing in J'Stan too. Worse, though, was what he had felt the last time he'd visited Henry and David. They were on the brink. Maybe he should bring them here. It might work to renew their interest in the world around them.
His musings were cut short by J'Stan stirring on the carpet of grass they had napped on. The physical stirring was accompanied by a mental stirring, as Adam felt the part of himself that was J'Stan also awaken. He bent down over his lover and gave him a kiss to welcome him back to wakefulness.
"Heya, love," J'Stan said with a smile that made Adam tingle all over.
"You better stop that," Adam said jovially, "or we're gonna end up doing it again like a couple of teenagers."
"Oh, yes, we have to act our age, don't we?" J'Stan said lightly.
"Naw, we just need to be heading back," Adam said, trying not to pay attention to the negative ,feelings the comment caused to swell in him.
"Gods, I did it again, didn't I?" J'Stan said, concern floating across their link.
"Yeah, but I'm overly sensitive about it lately," Adam said as he reached for their discarded clothing.
"Don't be, things will work out," J'Stan said as he too started to dress.
"Sometimes I just feel like the last of the old guard," Adam said quietly when they were both dressed. "All these young ones running all over the place, coming up with new ideas, and racing forward on them without any thought to consequences."
"Sounds like you when we first started your training," J'Stan said with a chuckle.
"Oh sure, bring that up!" Adam laughed, remembering the fireball five hundred feet wide running through that valley. It was a good thing the valley was dead already, with nothing more to burn.
"Seriously, though," Adam continued. "More and more of us are going away like Erica did, and not returning. It seems like every couple of years I turn around and someone else is gone."
"I know," J'Stan said sadly. "But it's a part of life. Everything must come to an end."
"Not us. Not unless we want to."
"But shouldn't we?" J'Stan said quietly, putting voice to something he'd not really let himself look at before. "We grow more hidebound every decade. They're right when they say we hold them back in a lot of things."
"Is that why you won't have anything to do with the Guardians' Board anymore?"
"You know it is. There's no way I can sit on that board without holding things back."
"But when we pull back like that, where does it leave us?" Adam said forlornly.
"We are here, aren't we?" J'Stan asked, looking up at Jupiter overhead. "None of them thought of something like this."
"Maybe we got a few miles left, eh?" Adam said with a smile.
"I think so, I think so. Let's head back." They both winked out from Europa, heading home.
As they reappeared inside their home, J'Stan tensed up at the feeling of a strange presence in the room. As usual, they'd arrived in their living room, just off from the couches. They'd lived in this same home for over three hundred years and knew every centimeter of it by heart. Since it was now pre-dawn in New Phoenix, the room was dark and the only sign of someone being there was a mild disturbance in the air.
"You know, it gets tiring to come home and find someone waiting in the dark," Adam said in a serious tone.
"Well, then, lock your door," said a familiar voice from the shadows of a recliner.
"Ha!" exclaimed J'stan as he recognized the voice from long familiarity. "I haven't locked my door in three hundred years and Ill be damned if I start now!"
"So nice to see you are still perfecting the image of an irascible old coot, father," Tad said with a touch of humor in his voice. At the same time, J'stan could feel Adam's mind reaching out and turning on the lights in the living room. They'd had the place wired for electric lights a century ago, and J'stan still disliked them.
"Why, not even a candle shaped bulb anymore! You are moving forward with the times!" Tad exclaimed as the lights came up.
"Ok, son. Spit it out. This ain't a social call, is it?" J'stan said with more than a touch of irritation in his tone. Tad had a habit of cracking jokes when there was something serious that he didn't want to discuss.
"Well, as much as I'd like to say it is, no. The Board has summoned you, and I get to deliver the message. For some reason they don't think you'll pop me into the middle of the Sewage Reclamation Plant like you did to Paen."
"Um, actually that was me," Adam said, cheeks going slightly red. For some reason that sight tempted J'stan to grab him and take another quick jaunt back to Europa. `That would probably be more fun than going to see the Guardians' Board,' Adam sent privately.
"Should have known that it would have been you," Tad laughed briefly. "But, if you don't mind, can we go now? They've already been waiting for several hours until you got back, and I think they're getting impatient."
"Son, if they can't wait on two old men for a little bit, it's their problem. C'mon, let's go," J'stan said irritably. The two of them followed Tad out and down the street towards the city offices. Once more J'stan was struck by how much had changed.
His home was the only one within a few miles. All the others had been torn down to make way for new buildings, all of them almost big enough to be called skyscrapers. The farther downtown they moved, the taller the buildings got. Where there had once been a farmers' market now stood a strip mall. It just made him, and Adam, more depressed every time they went down here. Which is why they didn't go down here unless they had to.
The streets around them were filled with people walking back and forth, going about their daily business. New Phoenix was the hub of many businesses and the government administration for Ackeland. In the past hundred years, growth had been huge and it was continuing to increase. Most of the political debate of the day reminded J'stan of the latter part of the 20th Century, and was a source of much apprehension.
They finally made their way through the crowds to the Ackeland Administrative Offices Building. During their walk here, the three of them were the only ones dressed in the Guardian's uniform, but that changed when they reached their destination. The brown and white uniforms were interspersed frequently among the regular clothes of the Administrative Offices regular employees.
The huge lobby was light and airy as they made their way through the bustle of people. A quick ride up a series of escalators (installed in the last few decades) dropped them off on the fifth floor. Here, the hallways they went down were paneled in warm mahogany wood. Tad led them through a maze of corridors, broken by offices every few feet. Most of them were filled with civilian support staff, but a few had men and women in the Guardians' uniforms. Most of them nodded at J'stan and Adam when they saw the group passing by. After all, they had been teachers for most of them at school.
The corridor they were in ended with a large door with glass panes on either side. As they entered the doorway, they found themselves in an over-sized lobby for the Office of the Head Guardian. A handsome young man sat at the large reception counter. He was dressed in a suit and smiled as they entered.
"Guardian Ackeman, it is good to see you again. I assume these are Guardians J'stan and Morgan?" he said in a melodic voice.
"Yes, Richard. They've come as requested," Tad answered.
"Very good, sir. I'll inform Head Guardian Barris that you are here, please have a seat," Richard said. As the three of them picked chairs in the lobby, J'stan shook his head. Over four hundred years had passed since the old world had ended, and bureaucracy was alive and well once more.
They'd sat there for perhaps fifteen minutes, sharing jokes with each other mentally, when a Guardian appeared from the passageway behind the counter. He quickly made his way to the three, who rose from their chairs to shake his hand. He had a smile plastered on his face and made sure his handshake with J'stan was firm.
"J'stan, Adam, I'm glad you could finally make it. Would you mind following me, please?" he said and led them off down the passageway he had come from. "I'm sorry for the short notice in summoning you here, but we have a potential situation that we felt needed your expertise."
"Stefan, it must be pretty urgent to bother us on the weekends. You know how much we enjoy relaxing,." J'stan told Stefan Barris.
"Apologies, Elder," Stefan Barris said with a hint of laughter.
"Grrrrr," Adam growled. "You just love tweaking us, don't you?"
"Well, I do seem to remember endless hours under instruction from the both of you," Stefan said with another bit of humor in his voice. "It's only fair I return the favor of all the teasing I got. I do believe it was you, J'stan, who lectured so well on fairness."
"And what was it I said?" J'stan asked, trying to add some levity to his voice.
"Fair doesn't exist."
"Damn, you were listening. Good thing since you're now the Head Guardian."
"Well, we're here, please have a seat," Stefan said, changing the subject as they reached a small conference room. There were three people sitting at the table already, one Guardian and two strangers. Both strangers were dressed in green and yellow outfits that looked designed to blend in more with some exotic landscape than anything else.
All three came to their feet as J'stan entered the room behind Stefan. Both of the strangers were gifted, he could tell that immediately. The one closest to him across the table appeared older, in his mid-thirties physically, while the other appeared much younger, his mid-twenties. Of course physical appearance didn't mean much to the gifted. True, there were wrinkle lines around J'Stan's eyes now, but they would vanish with a thought. Physical appearance for them, and him, was little more than a reflection of how they saw themselves.
Once everyone was standing around the table, Stefan Barris paused dramatically for introductions. "Guardian J'stan, Guardian Morgan, I would like to introduce you to the envoys of the Southern Alliance, Bester Morris and Samuel Crowley. Gentlemen, Adam here is the best Guardian-Creator we have, and is uniquely suited to helping with the problem you have presented."
"G'day!" the older one, Samuel Crowley, said in a thick accent. "It's a privilege to meet ya, Guardian Morgan. We've got a little bitty problem that we're a hoping you might be able to help fix."
Everyone was sitting down in their chairs while the envoy was speaking. When he finished, J'stan leaned back in his chair and smiled. It'd been hundreds of years since he heard the Australian accent, but still found it a little exciting. It was also nice not being the one everyone was coming to for help. A nice role reversal from the past that helped keep things interesting.
"I'll be glad to help if I can, Mr. Crowley. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Adam said.
"That is something my compatriot here should be explaining. Mr. Morris was special assistance to the Lord Designer, Deeza McPhearson. He was present when things went wrong and was at the site recently enough to give you an accurate idea of how things currently stand."
"Well, it began about fifteen years ago,." the younger man began, and his accent was subtly different. `New Zealander!' popped into J'Stan's mind, and he felt the stirrings of jealousy inside Adam.
"Deeza, excuse me, Lord McPhearson had learned of your terraforming techniques a few centuries ago and had finally collected enough information to begin experimenting, " Bester continued, his voice gaining more volume and control as he continued.
"Fifteen years ago we reached a point where we were ready to begin the formation of a new island off the North coast of what is left of Australia. With much smaller landmasses, but a similar population, we are very much overcrowded."
"Most of the information we have on your techniques was obtained through, mutual friends in the Shapers' Federation,." Bester continued, his voice now steady, "I think it was incomplete, some steps missing. We thought we'd worked everything out, but it started to go wrong almost from the beginning."
"We had a lot of problems in the beginning, too," Adam interrupted. "We were so used to our powers being perfect, we forgot what can happen when you mix natural forces in. Starting something with the ability can be disastrous if you don't guide it correctly."
"Something our sources didn't pass on to us," Bester Morris said sardonically. "We found a good, strong lava flow off the coast, only a few hundred feet below the ocean floor. Lord McPhearson, she led the team which did the initial breaking. The volcanic reaction was much stronger than we expected, but we thought that was all to the good. Then, when the time came to cap the flow, we thought we'd done it right."
"Which technique did you use?" Adam asked, intrigued.
"Rapid cooling of lava from crater cone to the base layer," was the answer from Bester Morris.
"Mr. Morris, did you divert lava flow through auxiliary channels below the initial base layer?"
"Please, call me Bester. And I think I see where we went wrong. No, we didn't. About a week later, the volcano blew unexpectedly. We had a team on the new island beginning the process of sculpting the lava flows into habitable shapes, one of the first explosions happened right below them. Lord McPhearson was with that team. She died instantly. She didn't have time to shield herself, and neither did anyone on the team," Bester finished, choking back a sob as grief filled his face.
"I take it you were close to her?" J'Stan asked quietly.
"Well, I'd worked with her for a long time, and she was like a mother to me. She was my trainer back before the Cataclysm. I miss her a lot."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Bester," Adam said quietly. "But there is still more we need to discuss. How long ago was this?"
"About a month. We've tried everything we can think of to stop the volcanic reaction, but we haven't been successful. Worse than that, the eruption is out of control. We can't adjust the flow of dust and ash too much or it'd head into the Shaper Federation, and they'd have a legitimate complaint against us. Instead it's been hitting our own lands. Our gifted, even the Council of Lords, has been spending most of their time dissipating the clouds so there is little damage. We can't keep it up much longer. We need your help in stopping it."
"I can't think of a better person to help you out than Guardian Morgan," Stefan said when he noticed both J'Stan and Adam lost in thought. He'd gotten to know the sight of their two brains churning as one over a problem over the years .
"That's why we were authorized to come here," Sam Crowley spoke up. "The High Lord himself authorized our mission, and authorized us to make whatever concessions were necessary."
"Not something most diplomats would use as an opening move," Tad said quietly.
"We're not here as diplomats, or negotiators, Guardian Ackeman," Crowley retorted. "We have a big problem and we need help. When the Free Trade Agreement was signed, your people said that you hoped it was a beginning. They claimed that unlike the Shaper Federation, you weren't looking to expand to our area, that you didn't want dominion over us. Since then all your actions have supported that claim. It's time to see just how true those words were."
"A very good point, Mr. Crowley.." J'Stan said as both he and Adam finished thinking about the problems facing them. "I have very fond memories of all my dealings with Aussies, and Kiwis too. Your decisions for neutrality during the conflict immediately preceding the Cataclysm was a respectable one. Ackeland has always been about rebuilding what was lost, and providing a better way of life for everyone. Respect for differences in others is a central part of that. I think that Adam and I can provide the help you need, without any price tag other than your consideration if we ever ask for help from you."
"Just consideration? Not demand?" Crowley said firmly.
"Consideration, is that not correct, Stefan?"
"Yes, of course, Guardian. Your words still carry great weight with those of us in the leadership of Ackeland. If that's what you want to be the conditions of your assistance, then that's fine with us."
"Good," J'Stan said forcefully. The sense of apathy was gone for the moment, and this new, interesting problem was dragging him into it very quickly.
"Ahem," Crowley said. "I don't want to sound ungrateful for your help, Guardian J'Stan, but I do have one request. It might be best for everyone if the team that accompanies Guardian Morgan did not include you. Don't get me wrong, if you insist on going, we will consent. But, well, there's no easy way to say this.
"We are well aware of your past, and your original name. The High Lord, and several senior members of the Council of Lords, lost family members in Sydney. None of them came here for the treaty negotiations because they harbour a lot of anger towards you. Seeing you there, in their land could cause them a lot of pain."
"Of course," J'Stan said, taken aback. Memories of summoning a tidal wave that submerged the beautiful city sprang up in his memory, and Adam's mental support was all that kept the tears in his eyes from flowing. "I wish I could take that back, but it's impossible."
"No one doubts that, sir," Bester Morris said. "But knowing that and accepting it are two different things. The High Lord has been growing more and more reminiscent lately, and it's brought back a lot of feelings from that time in him."
"So, Guardian Morgan, how long before you have your team together?" Stefan asked.
"I can have most of them ready by tomorrow," Adam said quietly, providing mental encouragement to J'Stan at the same time. "But I'd like to get a couple of people that haven't been too active lately. They helped me when we started this business, and their knowledge and experience would be a tremendous help."
"Just let me know if there's any resources you need from the Guardians' Board," Stefan finished. "Gentlemen, I expect you'll want to inform your Council that help is on the way. Shall we expect you this time tomorrow?"
"Yes, that'll be perfect," Sam Crowley said, the words rolling off his tongue as he and Bester stood to leave. "Thanks again, Guardians J'Stan, Morgan, for being so understanding."
"Until tomorrow, then," Adam said as the men left.
It was a late night for Adam. He had to get in contact with some of the best support staff, and work with them on rotating current assignments until he had the team he wanted, except for two people. The sun had been down for hours when he made his way home from the Administration Building. He could feel J'Stan at home, with nothing to do, brooding away. As the day passed, and Adam got busier and busier, J'Stan was getting more melancholy.
Adam made his way into their house, almost like a hole between the tall buildings that surrounded it. Shades of past years when the house was surrounded by similar homes, wafted through his brain. Long conversations lasting for days had taken place here, their extended family drifting in and out during those talks. So many of them were gone. The Ephemerals, Alan, Elen, Margaret, all twenty of Erica's adopted children. Even some of the Gifted were gone, like Erica.
His good mood evaporated as he entered the home, and J'Stan's feelings combined with his resulted in a massive surge of depression. It took him a few moments to dig out of it, and head back to their room. The house had many bedrooms, and now all but one were unoccupied. The bed where J'Stan lay, looking at the ceiling, was the original one they had built with their own hands in the first days of New Phoenix. A random thought reminded him of the antique dealer who had offered three million credits for it. Like they needed more money.
"I still say we should have sold it," J'Stan said. When they were together, their thoughts really were almost as one.
"What would we have done with the credits, eh?" Adam said as he snuggled up close to J'Stan on the bed.
"Given them to the orphanage?" J'Stan said.
"They've already got more than they need to take care of every kid there for the next thousand years!" Adam growled. "So does every other service organization we've ever heard of. And we still have a few billion left over that just sits there, earning interest."
"I hate money," J'Stan said. "We never should have let them reinstitute it."
"We had to," Adam reminded J'Stan. That particular discussion had lasted for three months in the living room. He didn't want to even hear the words `Socialistic, Capitalistic, Agrarian, or Barter' again.
"Ok, I get the hint," J'Stan said, a bit of mirth creeping into his voice. "But all I have to say is I still prefer Barter."
"ARRRGGGH!" Adam groaned loudly, then let his laughter fill their dark room.
"So, it seems like you got everything set for tomorrow," J'Stan said when their laughter died down.
"Except for the last two members of the team," Adam said quietly.
"Do you really think they'll go?"
"It depends on how convincing we are."
"We?"
"Yes, we. If you hadn't tuned out what I was thinking so you could wallow in the mental mud, you would know I want your help with them," Adam said softly into J'Stan's chest.
"Trying to find something for the retired war-horse to do, eh?" J'Stan said. Adam could feel the self-deprecation flowing through his lover at the comment.
Adam looked up into J'Stan's eyes and said firmly, "You are not a retired war-horse. You are needed, and valued. Look at how Stefan looks up to you. Look at how they need me. What you, and they, need are projects to keep you busy. Instead of worrying about being a hidebound old coot, you need to be looking forward and making things happen."
"So you say, love, so you say," J'Stan murmured, but Adam could feel the wheels turning in that mind he loved so well.
"Enough talk," Adam said as he placed his head back down on J'Stan's chest, moving his tongue in long practiced motions. "Let's have some fun since I don't know how long this will take."
"Ahhh, somehow I can't find the will to say no," J'Stan said, pleasure driving out of the negative thoughts he'd been dwelling on all day.
The rest of the night passed quickly for them, and they slept a little when they were done. For the first time in ages, Adam was woken from his sleep earlier than he expected. J'Stan was having a dream! Neither of them had dreamed in ages, but now J'Stan was. A moment of concentration let Adam see the dream.
It wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare. J'Stan was reliving that first chase of Bjorn. Cities destroyed, millions died, over and over again. It kept looping back to the point where Bjorn had attacked J'Stan and the twins in San Francisco. Their blasted bodies were nothing compared to the mental pain of their deaths while bonded to J'Stan. He truly had been insane at that time.
A mental nudge from Adam moved J'Stan out of the dream and into normal sleep. Yet, Adam did not rejoin him in sleep. Carefully warding his thoughts in case J'Stan woke up, Adam mulled over the realization he'd had from J'Stan's dream. The only reason J'Stan had not ended his existence was his fear of Adam's reaction to losing him.
At first, he felt fear at the thought of losing J'Stan. The man was his life. Eighty years he'd waited for J'Stan to see that what he felt for him was not a childhood crush. Eighty years to overcome J'Stan's fear of another relationship. He'd never known any other lover, never shared his body with anyone else, never desired anyone else.
Now J'Stan wanted to end that life! But not for any reason that Adam could think of as valid. The man was bored, at a loss for new things. That was not reason enough. Still, the same feelings had dragged others down, and threatened still more friends. He had to think of something to stop this before it got worse.
A stirring beside him warned that J'Stan was approaching consciousness. He quickly moved onto thinking of the work ahead, letting his recent thoughts drift down under the ward where J'Stan would not find them unless he looked. Three hundred years had taught both of them a little of what was needed when two people were bonded so closely.
A kiss good morning, and the two of them prepared for the day ahead in a conventional way. They showered together, and got dressed in fresh uniforms. Brown corduroy pants and white linen shirts, the age old uniform of Guardians. A brief resentment from J'Stan marred the morning slightly. He was still upset over the decision fifty years ago that made the Guardians title for Gifted only.
When they were dressed, they looked each other in the face, both trying to summon courage for the brief trip they were about to make. It was going to be tough. It was going to be an emotional morning, followed by a parting, however brief. The first time either had spent any time apart from each other in decades.
"You ready?" Adam said. Their first verbal words of the day.
"Yes," J'Stan said edgily. "I still don't know what good you think I will do."
"Just be there," Adam said. "If nothing else, having you there will help me."
"Ok, let's go," J'Stan said, and they winked out together.
A moment later, they appeared side by side on the edge of a mountain plateau. The view here was incredible. Snow capped peaks marked volcanoes that had formed on the day of the cataclysm. Dormant now through the work of Henry Sells, David Baxter, and Adam, they still stood as reminders of a day when billions died. Three hundred years had brought changes though. Mountain pines now studded the mountain walls, and their sharp eyes could see wildlife roaming through the new forests.
A deep breath next to him brought a smile to Adam's face. J'Stan always took that deep breath when they were in the mountains. He enjoyed the fresh pine scent, with the tang of snow on the air. When Adam turned to look at his lover, his smile grew wider as he noticed the wrinkle lines around the eyes and mouth were gone. Here was the man he remembered longing for all those first decades of life. Then something different happened. J'Stan started to blur a little and he grew shorter, his hair turning an almost platinum blond. Within seconds, he was the fifteen year old boy he'd first seen in those first days after the Cataclysm.
J'Stan stooped down and gathered some of the light dusting of snow off the ground. Adam stared curiously at him since he couldn't tell what his lover was doing through their bond. Then he jerked back as J'Stan stood quickly, loosing a ball of snow that hit Adam square in the face. Laughing, he reshaped himself so that he too, was fifteen again, and chased J'Stan around the clearing. Time seemed to stop while they played, the cares of the world momentarily forgotten.
Adam noticed two figures standing in the doorway of the log cabin which occupied the middle of the clearing. The sight brought his play to an end, and he returned his body to the age of twenty-five with a second's thought. A surge of trepidation from J'Stan let him know that his lover was just as sobered as he by the sight.
For centuries, David had sported gray streaks through each side of his dark hair. Henry had likewise sported salt and pepper hair. Now both of them had hair totally white. Their appearance was that of men in their eighties. The sight was a shock to Adam and J'Stan.
"I was wondering who was disturbing our peace," Henry Sells said. His once powerful frame was shrunken in age and the sight made Adam quiver inside.
"Should have known it was these rapscallions," David said, his voice was reedy with age.
"It's your fault for choosing such an idyllic location to retire to," J'Stan said lightly.
"We were hoping it'd keep the tourists away," Henry said, his tone odd.
"Actually, it makes me want to grab a snowboard," Adam said.
"How would you know what a snowboard is?" Henry quipped.
"I'm stuck with Wild Boy's memories, remember?" Adam said, trying to lighten the mood. "For some reason he always loved snowboarding."
"I can see him plowing through all the poor skiers now!" David said, a hint of laughter in his voice. Adam wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but some of the wrinkles around David's eyes seemed to smooth away.
"It was only the once, I swear!" J'Stan said through laughter, holding his right hand up as if swearing an oath.
"Well, since you're here, why don't you come in," Henry said, his tone still saying he didn't appreciate the interruption.
It was a few minutes before all four were seated in the main room of the cabin. A fire was going in the fireplace, and the rustic setting was reminding Adam of the early days of New Phoenix. His own feeling of displacement loomed large for a moment, before he pushed it back down. After some small talk, he shared with the older couple the reason for their visit.
"So," he continued after telling them of yesterday's meeting, "I need your help. Both of you were heavily involved in our first attempts, and are better than me at dealing with unexpected events."
"We used to be," Henry said. "But we're old now. Our reflexes aren't what they used to be."
"EXCUSES!" J'Stan exclaimed. "You're no more old than you want to be. We all know that."
"Fine!" David barked. "We're old because we feel old. Your needing us doesn't change that."
"We have a duty to those without our abilities. The world is a much more dangerous place than a few years ago. If we stand aside and do nothing, every death caused by our idleness is our fault," J'Stan quoted from a class he'd attended over four hundred years ago.
"Quoting me won't do you any good," Henry said, his tone sharp.
"Why not?" Adam asked.
"The world is a different place than it was then. We aren't needed anymore," David said.
"You're wrong," Adam said.
"Why? Why are they wrong? Why are we needed?" J'Stan said quietly, shocking Adam to the core. The bond between them was silent, full privacy mode. For the first time in ages, Adam felt alone for a moment. He stared at the three older men and his mind raced.
He hadn't even been born when these three had met. They'd all been in their thirties or forties when the Event had happened, changing the world. Adam had been born years after the Event, and was only a teenager during the Cataclysm, which had ended that world forever. Between the Event and the Cataclysm, a period now referred to as the Collapse, these three men had been part of the attempt to hold the old world together.
"Experience, first," Adam said at last. "All of us have experience which only time brings. This problem being faced by our Southern friends is a prime example of the dangers associated with a lack of experience."
"So, you're here to take care of it, and there are probably a few people on your team who could accomplish this task."
"Possibly, but could they do it with the skill and lower risk if you help? Your presence alone reduces the risk greatly," Adam said.
"But the job would still get done," David said softly.
"What if someone died? What if you could have prevented it?" Adam asked.
"I've given up being the world's Keeper," Henry said.
"As have I,." J'Stan said.
"You could no more give it up than an Ephemeral could stop breathing," Adam said.
"We have!" David said firmly.
"You mean that if there was a family living nearby, and their son fell down a slope, you wouldn't help?" Adam asked.
"Of course we would!" Henry nearly shouted. "We're not monsters to let some kid die."
"What's the difference?" Adam asked quietly.
"I think you should be teaching my classes," J'Stan chuckled.
"You're right, there is no difference. But we're tired," Henry said sadly.
"And not wanted," David added.
"That was forty years ago!" Adam exclaimed, referring to the disagreement which had led to a schism between the older gifted and the younger. "We had forgotten something. We had forgotten the importance of getting to know the people we are working for, protecting. We had let them become total strangers, and us distant figures to them."
"But how do we deal with the pain when they die so quickly?" David whispered.
"I don't know, I don't know," Adam said. "But we can't let that stop us. We are needed as much now as we were right after the Cataclysm."
"When I lost April, Tyler, Kali. My parents before that. It hurt a lot," J'Stan said, voice distant as he remembered the pain. "Jason and Curtis were worse. But I continued. There were still things left for me to do, people who needed me, wanted me." As he said the last, he reached out for Adam's hand and the curtain between their minds was thrown aside. Adam could feel the pain there, but the joy too. As one, they reached out to their old friends and pulled them into a rapport, sharing these feelings with them.
Hours passed like that, as all four shared experiences and feelings, working things out. When they were done, it was decided that Henry and David would be accompanying Adam on the mission. Gone were the old men who had met them at the door. Back now were the young, strong forms of Henry Sells and David Baxter from the first time J'Stan had met them. Right down to the military haircuts.
"Let's do this!" Henry said, breaking the moment.
"Wakey, Wakey," said a heavily accented voice just millimetres from Adam's ear. Then a soft kiss followed the voice.
"I'm married," Adam said softly. Opening one eye to look at Bester. The man's plain appearance was attractive in its own way, but then again the most beautiful specimen would only be second place to J'Stan. At least for Adam.
"So am I," said Bester as he took the seat next to Adam. The cabin resembled an airliner from the old world, but was the passenger cabin on an oversized balloon. `Blimp' came a name from one of J'Stan's memories.
"So, why the kiss?" Adam said, turning to look at the man.
"Because you're too adorable. My twin and I are currently in relationships with another set of twins, and they are both blonds. Your dark hair just seemed exotic. Sorry, won't happen again," Bester said softly.
"Twins?" Adam asked, his curiosity aroused.
"Well, Jerod and I are true twins," Bester said, a smile on his face. "We were born after the cataclysm, both of us gifted. One day we'll be on the Council of Lords ourselves. The twins we're seeing, well, they aren't really twins. But they look alike. Word is they were sired by twin brothers and ended up looking like twins themselves. They were part of that breeding program the Yanks were doing. Well, to be honest, everyone was doing it, but they came from the Yank program."
"Really?" Adam said. "Two of my best friends were from that program too. They're J'Stan's kids, too."
"Bet that made the dinner table weird," Bester laughed.
"Sometimes. One of them, Tad, is with the team in back."
"What about the other?"
Grief swelled for a moment in Adam before he answered. "She left us a while ago. She raised a lot of kids and seeing them grow old and die finally got to her."
"I'm sorry," Bester said, his voice showing real concern. "We've had a few go the same way here too. It's sad."
"Yes, it is," Adam said, looking out the small oval window at the water below. The smoke was clearing now and he could see the edges of the new island ahead. "Looks like we're almost there."
"That's why I was waking you," Bester said. "We'll be touching down to offload everyone and the equipment you brought. Are you sure there should be so many ungifted with us?"
"Yes, they all have duties which help us out, and have become necessary," Adam answered. "Besides, if things go bad, each gifted on the team grabs an ungifted and teleports them to safety. No real risk."
"Oh, ok. Say, Jer is bringing Frank and Kelly out tomorrow, by teleport. They're part of the team but were occupied with some problems down south today. I'll make sure to introduce ya."
"I'd like that," Adam said pleasantly. The idea of being around couples while his lover was elsewhere seemed a drag, but Bester was so eager to please he couldn't say no. "I'd better check in with Henry and David to make sure they're all set."
"Catch ya later," Bester said as he rose and headed forward to the cockpit. Adam headed back to the aft section where his friends were busy working with the technicians who were setting up the equipment. He missed the landing of the balloon, er blimp, since he was busy helping to calibrate some machines.
They offloaded all the equipment and shelters quickly. As soon as they were done, the blimp lifted off and headed back to its homeport. Under Henry and David's direction, the camp was set up quickly and efficiently. Hiding his smile, Adam went with Bester to get a better look at the still erupting volcano. Occasional tremors shook the ground, and red flows of magma meandered down the sides of the crest. The spot they were camping in had been cooled the day before by a team David led. A barrier at the far end of the small valley kept more lava from flowing through the camp.
Still, the heat and sulfur smell was bad. The ungifted members of the team were wearing special breathers designed for this situation. The gifted had no need of the special devices. The rest of the day was spent setting up sensors, including some on the very edge of the crater. Adam did these himself with Tad. Their gift shielded them from the lava they waded through before the sensors were set. That night, while the ungifted slept, the gifted members of the team logged the readings from the sensors and planned their approach to the problem. The morning would be the time for their first changes.
The magnitude of the problem facing them grew more apparent with each new reading. The flow that had been tapped by the late Deeza McPhearson was a strong one. It would never have been chosen by Adam or his compatriots. It was too strong, too wild. Options were discussed, and a plan of action developed that would have to be implemented in careful stages. The next day was going to be a busy one.
Dawn had come, and the sun was peeking over the horizon. With the ash in the air it was a hazy red affair, and Adam was glad his gift filtered the gunk out of the air. He was inside the main tent, sharing the plan with the ungifted members of his team. Henry had set up a shield around the tent to allow the people to eat in peace. All eight of them still complained about the taste of ash in everything.
A rustle at the entrance, and brief whiff of sulfur wafted in with the people who came in. Adam had his back towards them, but knew it would be Bester and his guests. They were here to observe, and as long as they didn't get in the way, Adam would tolerate them. He finished his briefing before turning around and receiving the biggest shock of his life.
Standing there were Bester and his twin, Jerod. They looked so much alike that only his familiarity with Bester's mind let him tell them apart. But it was the men behind them that caused him to hyperventilate. He could feel his shock echoed by David and Henry behind him. On the other side of the world, J'Stan stopped in the middle of a lecture and groaned aloud at what he was seeing from Adam. It took all their willpower to keep J'Stan from teleporting there immediately.
"It can't be," Adam whispered into the room, voicing both his and J'Stan's thoughts.
"I know they're good looking, Adam, but aren't you overreacting a bit?" Bester said, a puzzled look on his face.
"Do, do you know who your fathers were?" Adam asked the two blond young men in a hoarse whisper.
"No," said the blond twin on the left. "We never found out." Thankfully his voice had an accent, offsetting the remembered voices of Jason and Curtis.
"Why?" said the other twin.
"Your appearance," David began, then stopped, unable to continue.
"You resemble twin brothers who were very close to us, and to a good friend," Henry finished for his lover.
Excitement lit the young faces before them, and Adam felt his heart flutter. He'd never met the twins. They'd died before he was born, but J'Stan's memories were his, and the love J'Stan had felt for them, and the pain of their death was a part of him too. The look of excitement was exactly the same as that time they'd ambushed J'Stan in the training room, making love for hours. With a groan, Adam slid to the floor of the tent unconscious. In his classrom back in New Phoenix, J'Stan did the same.
He was out only a few minutes, but for Adam it felt like hours as he came around. He could feel J'Stan reviving too, surrounded by B'rel and others in the classroom. Here, Adam was surrounded by Tad, David, and Henry. And the twins.
"I take it you are Frank, and Kelly?" Adam said, taking note of the nod from each at their names. "I'm sorry, guys. It's just that, well, I guess you're gonna have to hear the whole story to understand."
"Please?" asked Frank. "We've wanted to know about our sires for a long time."
While J'Stan dismissed his students and concentrated on Adam's viewpoint, Adam told the story of Jason and Curtis Parker. Henry and David joined in at various times, but the morning was almost over before they were done. Everyone listened raptly, since it was a story no one there had ever heard told by those that were there.
Tears filled all the eyes there as they reached the death of Jason and Curtis. Sighs filled the room, and the tears flowed freely down the faces of Frank and Kelly. Behind them, Bester and his brother Jerod held their shoulders comfortingly. David and Henry had a hand on Adam's shoulder, and a mental hand on J'Stan's. Tad, after a quick mental check with Adam, chose that moment to go to his father.
"So, they were a direct part of the Cataclysm?" Frank said at last.
"No more than anyone else involved in it," Henry said sadly.
"We all miss them a lot," David said.
"Thank..." Kelly began but was interrupted by a violent tremor. The tent began to collapse, but was held up by a thought from Adam. The ungifted on the team quickly put their breathers on and headed for the flap. Everyone got out of the tent, and Adam let it collapse. The technicians went to their stations and began to call out readings. It soon became apparent a second breach was forming nearby, and another volcano was about to break through the crust beneath the ocean.
Adam, Henry, and David were not going to be enough to handle this. A quick mental check showed Tad had his hands full with a grieving J'Stan. They needed help. When they explained the situation to Bester and the others, they all volunteered immediately. Adam took Bester and Frank with him. David took Kelly, and Henry took Jerod. Each group formed a temporary link between them, and left for the key points.
David and Kelly appeared in the cone of the current volcano, preparing to cap it by freezing the lava in it. Henry and Jerod were on the bottom of the ocean, above the point where a new volcano was about to break through. They were preparing to reinforce the crust and divert some of the lava flow through a channel they'd create. Adam, with Bester and Frank, appeared far underground, at the source of this extremely strong lava flow. Theirs was the hardest part, to divert a large part of the flow so that it would no longer cause so much pressure on the weakened crust.
The heat here was unbearable, and there was no air to breathe. They stood on a ledge above the flow of magma, where they should have been incinerated in a second. Only Adam's confidence protected them. Through the temporary link, he could feel the fear, the sense of impending doom that the two felt. Then he felt wonder from them. Wonder at his confidence.
'This is what we are,' he told them mind to mind.
'I never really understood,' Frank answered.
'Me either,' Bester added.
'Neither did I, until I followed J'Stan to the moon,' Adam said metnally, as he reached out and received confirmation that everyone was ready. At his signal, they began. Together with Bester and Frank, he carved a new conduit, diverting the flow back into the core. As it grew in size, more and more of the magma was diverted, decreasing the pressure on the land above.
Simultaneously, Henry led his team's effort to keep the magma from erupting above the crust. He hardened the rock, and cooled the upper layers of the magma flow, causing more pressure further down the conduit, which increased the eruptions at the current volcano. There, David guided the magma flows to maximize new land formation. Then he began cooling the magma at the source, not at the top of the volcano as had been tried before.
Hours passed as they worked slowly, and the force of the magma flow lessened. Soon it would be ready for the active volcano to be fully capped. Success was almost in reach when disaster struck, and struck hard. The conduit Adam had been forming hit a pocket of...something. It felt similar to an old nuclear stockpile Adam had helped disarm years ago. Whatever it was exploded with a force that quadrupled the force of the magma flow back up the conduit. It took all of Adam's abilities to safeguard his team before it hit them.
Unfortunately, Henry didn't react in time. The force of the magma broke through his defenses and erupted through the crust. The depths of the oceans became a raging inferno as the magma pushed upward, vaporizing water all over. More water rushed in to fill the void, only to be vaporized. Magma cooled by the water formed rock, only to be pushed upward by fresh magma. Within minutes an explosion of immense proportions blew through the surface of the ocean, throwing fragrments of volcanic rock thousands of feet in the air.
The maelstrom was too much for Henry. He lost his concentration, as did Jerod. The mental screams of the two men filled the minds of all the gifted within thousands of miles as their bodies were incinerated. In the mouth of the active volcano, David screamed in pain as the bond he shared with Henry was ripped apart. Kelly took over the control of the link protecting them both, teleporting them to safety at the camp.
Far beneath the surface, Adam discovered that the bond between gifted twins was just as strong. The pain that Bester was shrieking brought back dark echoes of the deaths of Curtis and Jason. Which brought back more memories from J'Stan, of the first death of the twins. Hope streaked through the temporary bond from Bester, and before Adam could say anything, Bester disappeared.
Adam cast out with his mind for Bester and found him on the island, at the camp. A second's thought brought him and Frank there too. Bester was kneeling next to David, whispering urgently. He must have felt Adam's arrival, because he turned and a bar of light shot from his upturned hand. Adam's shield caught it in time, deflecting it into the air. Before he could do more, a sharp CRACK! filled the air and the two disappeared.
The force of the magma flow lessened. Soon it would be ready for the active volcano to be fully capped. Success was almost in reach. A ripple in the link with Bester distracted Adam momentarily. Bester had changed, subtly, and Adam realized why when sudden knowledge of what was about to happen, and what Bester had done, flooded through him, and through to J'Stan. Quickly, Adam stopped shaping new conduit, and diverted it around the dangerous area he could now sense, thanks to Bester's time travel. Another hour passed before the magma flow was reduced to safe levels.
Angrily he grabbed the other two through the link and teleported to the island. The camp was gone. A bluish-grey mist covered the camp site, and swirled around them, seeking a way in. Adam could actually feel it pushing at him, seeking a weakness to break through Another thought took him and the other two to the top of the volcano where David and Kelly were just finishing off the cool down of the volcano.
He filled David in on what had happened, and they looked down the slope of the volcano. The island was covered now with the mist, and it was growing, spreading over the water and heading up the slopes of the volcano. Henry and Jerod appeared next to them, and Bester ran to his brother, embracing him. David informed Henry and Jerod on what had happened, including his decision to travel backwards in time.
"What do we do now?" Henry asked aloud, shaken by David's decision to risk this. Guilt filled him when he realized that all the ungifted at the camp were dead, because David and Bester had broken time to save him. Well, him and Jerod.
"I'm not sure," Adam said, watching the mist expand and remembering the hunger he'd felt as it sought to break his shield.
"Get J'Stan here, NOW!" David ordered, and Adam sent a plea across the bond to his lover.
Seconds passed before J'Stan appeared on the edge of the now dormant volcano. His first sight of Kelly and Frank brought a look of pain, and longing, to his face. Adam had to force down the jealousy he felt at this, but he felt the same feelings he saw on J'Stan's face. After a moment's pause, J'Stan turned to Bester.
"If we survive this, I never want to see your face again. I know you knew about my warnings on time travel."
"But, but..." Bester began, still clinging to his brother.
"No. Not another word. Go home, we'll fix the damage you've done here," J'Stan said coldly, his anger ruling. Both Bester and Jerod winked out, going somewhere else. J'Stan looked at David a moment before calling words forth.
"I didn't break the rule about time travel to save Jason and Curtis again. Don't you think I wanted to? Don't you think I would rather have saved them then seek revenge? What if we can't fix this?"
"We can fix it." David said. "You did it last time, you'll do it this time. Henry's too important to me."
J'Stan turned away in anger, and looked at the remaining twins and motioned them closer.
"Your fathers were two of the best people I've ever known. They would have been proud of both of you. Now, I need you to go back to the Council of Lords and share with them what's happened. If we don't succeed here, I suggest they get with the Ackeland Guardians' Board. Tell them to open vault 3128 in the archives. There is a tape in there with instructions from me on what I know about handling this situation. That vault won't open unless I'm dead. Go, NOW!" he told them. They both hugged him, causing tears to fall from his eyes, then disappeared on the errand he had set for them.
"Well, it seems you might have been right. We might be getting to old for this." J'Stan said to David and Henry.
"Let's discuss that later," Henry barked. "Look, the mist has almost doubled while we stood here."
"I know," J'Stan said. "It grows quickly, and hungers for something."
"Life," Adam whispered. "It hungers for life of any kind. It grows stronger with each one it takes."
"Yes," J'Stan said, remembering another camp, and other dead.
"How do we proceed?" David asked.
"Last time, the twins and I worked together, linked. They held the mist off while I repaired the hole that is in the middle of it. But it feels...stronger this time. I don't know if we're strong enough."
"We have to be," Adam said quietly. "I'll link with Henry and David, we'll hold it off you as we make our way to the hole. Then you fix it. >From your memories, the mist dies when the hole is fixed." And that way J'Stan would not be linked directly to David. There was too much anger there at the moment.
"Ok, " J'Stan agreed tentatively. "Let's do it." Adam joined his mind with David and Henry in a long familiar embrace. Through him, they were now bonded with J'Stan. As a group, they made their way down the slope to the edge of the mist. The wall the three formed pushed the mist around them, like a bubble of safety. Time passed as they made their way across the island, towards something only J'Stan could sense.
Finally they reached the edge of the camp. Their equipment was still here, but everything organic had been eaten by the mist. Here, the mist was strongest, and pushed aggressively at the barrier. Soon all three holding the mist back were sweating, straining with the efforts. At last, J'Stan reached the hole. It was bigger than the last one he faced. At least twice as large.
Forming the mental 'needle and thread' he had used last time, he began sewing up the rift in reality. He had barely started when he felt the rift, the hole, fighting his sealing. A few threads popped out and he realized he just wasn't strong enough. Failure swelled in him and nearly incapacitated him.
With a quick warning to David and Henry, Adam stepped out of the link holding the mist back and joined his strength with J'Stan. Together they started over. This time the repair was holding. But the mist was growing stronger, and without Adam's help, pushing in on them. When J'Stan and Adam reached the last eighth of the rift, a tendril of the mist broke through their barrier and hit Henry in the head, dissolving it instantly.
Henry's death rocked all of them, and sent David into a catatonic shock. Adam and J'Stan finished the last of the sealing just in time to reinforce the barrier David had dropped. Around them, the mist turned harmless and began to be burned away by the sun. David wrapped his arms around the remains of Henry's body, crying out in pain.
Kneeling next to their grieving friend, J'Stan and Adam joined their grief to David's and howled at the unfairness of it all. Time seemed to pause for them while they grieved. When their screaming ended, David stood up and looked at J'Stan for a long moment before he disappeared.
"What now?" Adam asked softly.
"We go on" J'Stan said softly as he concentrated and summoned golden fire to cremate the body of his old friend, and former commander.
Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!