As Anton flew west, he thought back to what he’d heard on the news over the last two hours. Of course, he hadn’t been trying to find the version of himself that had existed here before…well, he could refer to it as the combining, smash-together, or slam fest. Nah, all those references sucked. He guessed he’d refer to the moment everything changed as the Reset.
While he’d been helping look for himself while he possessed Alex. He’d listened to the local news channel. Anton watched as reports came in showing videos of people appearing out of nowhere. Some of the people who appeared were not identifiable, while others who had been reported dead were back. The most famous of which was a singer who had died in a plane crash a year ago. They showed the footage of the plane crashing right after take-off and then switched to the singer appearing in front of the house they owned and finding that they couldn’t walk into the house and that someone else was living there.
As expected, the reports were following that story closely. However, there were so many stories coming in that the reporters had apologized for not being able to keep up. Before Anton had realized it, two hours had passed. In fact, the only thing that brought his attention back to himself was the notification that informed him that he’d depleted all of Alex’s Psychic Energy and Mana. Alex hadn’t had a lot to begin with. He’d only had 4 points of Psychic Energy and 120 points of mana. After 124 minutes, or 2 hours and 4 minutes, Anton had received a warning.
Warning!
Target’s Psychic Energy and Mana have been depleted
Possession will end in 29 minutes.
It was interesting that he could mana from a host to maintain possession when he couldn’t even store mana within his own body. Did that mean that he might be able to utilize magic while possessing someone? Anton brought his thoughts back to what had happened to Alex. It usually required one point of Psychic Energy to maintain Possession when the cost was paid by himself. Now that the skill was powered by the host, that meant that Alex had 29 hit points. Since he hadn’t wanted to kill the guy, he’d released him from Possession. Anton didn’t know why the cost had been changed to come from the host, but he did like the fact that his Psychic Energy would regenerate while he was possessing someone else. With the changes, he could possess someone and return to his Specter form without ever materializing if he really wanted to. It was almost like the demon in the movie “Fallen” with Denzel Washington. Granted, it had been an old movie, but he’d watched it when he was a teen, and how the demon had body hoped…damn, he could do that now.
Thinking of souls, what had the SYSTEM said? He pulled up the notification and reread it.
What happens to Complex Souls after death will not be detailed by the SYSTEM. Individual Creatures must find this out for themselves.
Anton looked down as he flew over Devil’s Lake. It looked like there were a lot of people out and about, but they seemed to be working together to put up tents and set up common areas. It was interesting. Fargo hadn’t been that bad either as he left. There were under 100,000 people in Fargo and Minot only had about 50k when he’d lived there before. The smaller towns would probably be okay for a bit. If a lot of people were showing up in the heavily populated areas, there could be problems, though. Anton wondered how many people had been brought to his Earth. Also, why had The SYSTEM done that?
Anton flew into Minot’s airspace and noticed that, like Fargo, the build-up of people around the Hospital had been organized. Tents and temporary shelters were being put up in a cordon around the hospital. So, the government was responding to the crisis.
Anton flew down to his father’s bunker and waited until the bathroom was empty and released Specter. After he’d materialized in the bathroom he called out, “Don’t shoot, it’s me. I’m back.”
“Anton?” his mother called from the living area, which was just outside the bathroom and to his right.
Anton stepped out to see everyone in the living area. Dad had set that up so there was one area for everyone to gather and watch a movie or sit around and play board or card games if they wanted to. There was another smaller room right next to it that was set up for electronics. He had a computer, and another monitor for people to play console games if they wished. Additionally, there were two much smaller monitors with headphones so the kids could all play games if they wanted. The dining room held a table that could be used for studying, and the kitchen was off the hallway that led back to rooms along the back.
The hydroponics, water pump, filtration for both air and water and everything else the facility might need were in the first and second subbasements below the level he was on. It wasn’t a large facility, but it wasn’t all that small either. Power was supplied from some batteries that were renewed by solar power built into the roof. If the worst happened, there were extra portable solar panels next to the emergency exit that came out over by the airport that could be plugged in after the fallout cleared. Additionally, there was a diesel generator with enough fuel to run for two weeks without needing to be refilled if run constantly. Dad always planned for the worst.
The shelter had been built to survive a nuclear blast if it were targeted at the Air Force Base. Luckily, Minot Air Force Base was a little more than 10 miles to the north. If a nuke were targeted at the base, their house would probably be destroyed, but the bunker should survive. If a nuke were targeted at the city of Minot, the bunker might survive, but it wasn’t guaranteed. The bunker was shielded with a half inch of lead, but a blast directly over the city would probably kill them all anyway.
Anton’s thoughts were brought back to his mother as she asked, “That was a bit longer than an hour and a half; what took so long, Anton?”
“It was. I got caught up at the auto store for a bit, helping them look for something and watching the reports that were being released by the local news,” Anton explained.
“A few minutes ago, there was an announcement that the President would be addressing the nation at 7 p.m.,” his dad explained, “That’s about three hours from now.”
“Any idea what he’s going to say?” Anton asked.
“None,” his mother answered. We’ve been discussing what he could possibly tell us, but none of us have any idea. Now go to the stove. There is a pot there with some ramen in it. You need to eat.”
Anton walked into the kitchen. As he passed the electronics room, he saw the older kids on the computers and game consoles. Sara and Jack were on handheld versions that had been created for kids. Anton grabbed a bowl and fork from the cupboard, filled the bowl with the ramen, and walked back to the living area to watch the news with everyone else. Caitlyn was sitting in a recliner opposite the entrance with a weapon close at hand. She could keep an eye on the news and the door, though there was a small monitor that showed what was on the other side of the secret door that led into the airlock that opened into this room.
Anton turned to his father until he noticed that Anton had a question and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Just wondering why you're letting all the kids run down the batteries?” Anton asked.
“That's an easy enough answer. Right now, we're still on city power, and the batteries are fully charged. I don’t know what this emergency is, but I think we’ll be okay, and I’m going to run on the city's power as long as we can. While you were gone, The Mayor contacted the base and asked for assistance in acquiring and setting up portable shelters and cops to house the people who appeared out of nowhere.” His father explained.
“When I flew over town, it looked like the area around the hospital had been cordoned off and was being set up as a makeshift tent city,” Anton said.
Mr. Kendall cleared his throat and then spoke up, “Right now, the plan is for there to be three areas for the extra people that appeared. They’re setting up one near Dakota Bark Park on the southwest side of town. The other area will be Oak Park because it’s naturally defensible with the artificial moat around it, and the last area is near the hospital. Everyone is supposed to reduce travel to essential use only until the nature of the crisis has been determined. Anton, have you seen anything like this, assuming everything you shared with us earlier was true?”
“Not like this exactly. Caitlyn is from a different type of Earth, where things didn’t work out too well for Earth. As for myself, the areas I’ve come across were suddenly flooded with magic, which cut off the power and left people stranded while monsters began spawning all over the globe. There were variations that I ran across as I tried to make my way home. This, “Anton said as he waved his hands around to indicate the world he was in,” was not something I expected. I would have thought monsters would have started spawning by now. I have the ability to use my psychic skills, which should indicate that magic is present, but I haven’t seen anyone use normal magic yet. The other thing that’s different is that the SYSTEM was a lot more descriptive about what it was doing in the past. So far, it has only welcomed everyone,” Anton paused as he waited for an answer from the others in the room.
His father said, “Yes, Son, we’ve all only received only one message.”
“Even me,” Caitlyn offered.
Anton continued, “Besides that first message, I’ve received a couple more notifications, but they are all tied to changes in my abilities and skills. There is nothing from the SYSTEM that could be considered an informational message,”
“That is weird. Back on my Earth, we did receive a lot of SYSTEM messages once they started,” Caitlyn said.
“Exactly,” Anton agreed, “I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but whatever it is, it is different than what I’ve seen before,” Anton agreed.
Anton moved over to one of the empty chairs, pulled up a tray to sit his food on, and sat down to watch the news with his family, friends, and Caitlyn while the children played their video games in the other room.
For the next three hours, they watched the news while Caitlynn shared what living on her Earth had been like. Three hours later, the President made his announcement. When the President entered the Press Room, he was followed by Felix and a woman Anton had never seen before.
“That’s Felix!” Caitlynn exclaimed.
“It is,” Anton agreed, waving everyone to silence so they could listen to the President's speech.
President Cruger stepped up the podium and looked into the camera before he started, “Please hold all questions until I’m done. We have a lot to get through. Approximately six hours ago, the world was affected by an event that increased the Earth's population by between 20 and 50%. Luckily, we have some of the best worldwide satellite coverage and analysts on the planet, and we were able to detect and record the sudden appearance of more than 1.4 billion people. We were also lucky that Mr. Felix R. Cutting and Mrs. Angelica Catherine Ellison appeared and were brought to the White House.”
The President paused for a moment to take a sip of water from a glass on the podium and then looked back into the camera. “Both Mr. Cutting and Mrs. Ellison are individuals that appeared out of nowhere, as many others have. I have brought them out here in the hopes that their people will recognize them. A number will appear on the bottom of the screen. If you recognize either Mr. Cutting or Mrs. Ellison, please give the number and give them a call. We are trying to bring everyone together that came from the same place as them. If you are a government leader and do not recognize anyone on this screen, please call the number. We will bring you in and do a conference like this again. I have mobilized the military to prepare locations around the United States where we can temporarily house everyone that just appeared.”
At that point, Anton tuned out what was being said on the television and looked over at Caitlyn, “You’re going to call?” he asked.
“I have to,” Caitlyn responded. He’s from the government I swore allegiance to. If I can help with the transition as everyone acclimates to this world and works for Felix again, I have to.”
“Very well, we can call from upstairs,” Anton said.
They sat and listened to the rest of the speech. The President requested that everyone to remain calm and try to go about their business as usual while also being cognizant that there were a lot of people who might not understand how things worked and to be patient. For now, a limited curfew was in effect nationwide. Underage individuals were not to be out after 8 p.m. and travel should be limited to what was essential. Additionally all grocery stores were to limit how much they sold to a single customer. There was to be no hoarding of food or water. The President assured everyone that even with the increase in population, there was enough food so that everyone would be able to receive food and water daily. The last thing he mentioned was The SYSTEM. At this time the Government had no new information concerning The SYSTEM but information would be shared as it was acquired.
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Anton's father turned down the television as his mother asked, “You’ll be leaving?”
Anton nodded, “We will. I met Felix a little while before we made our way here. I know him. Also, I probably have information about the SYSTEM that no one in this Government has. With the reset to the timeline and the addition of people from alternate timelines, everything everyone would have gone through in two years has been reset. I don’t know why it isn’t exactly the same or why I still have access to my abilities if magic isn’t completely back into the world yet, but still, I might be able to help the President prepare if things start to go the way they did before?”
“Before?” his father asked.
“Technology and magic didn’t get along last time. Of course, things could be different this time, but I wouldn’t count on it. Additionally, monsters started appearing all over the planet while everyone was out of contact with others. Finally, human nature kicked in. A lot of pricks decided it was a good time to create slave camps and harems for themselves.”
“You’re serious,” Mrs. Kendall asked.
“That’s the way it was where I came from also,” Caitlyn offered. Those that we couldn’t boost into orbit that were left behind turned the world into a sort of post-apocalyptic wasteland, at least for the first couple of years. When our people started going back to the surface, we found evidence of the many atrocities committed by the people who had been left behind.”
“I didn’t see any of that,” Anton said.
“You wouldn’t have. That was about ten years before you showed up. Remember, the place I came from was a little farther along year-wise than where we are now. This era is just history to me, almost 100 years in the past,” Caitlyn said.
“So, you did time travel,” Anton’s father said.
“Not exactly. Right now, that doesn’t matter. Dad, do you still have an extra cell phone?”
“I do. You don’t have yours?”
“If my previous self was holding the phone when he disappeared, it disappeared with him. I haven’t had that old phone since I switched it out when I moved to Florida after I left Fargo,” Anton said.
“Why did you leave Fargo?” his mother asked.
“I found out Leslie wasn’t being faithful,” Anton said honestly.
“But you saw her when you just went over to Fargo, didn’t you?”
“Yep,” Anton said, not wanting to discuss how he’d found her.
Anton’s father noticed the look in his eyes and interrupted his mother before she could make this more awkward, “If you and Caitlyn are going to make the call, go ahead. I’ll go get the spare phone and bring it to you,”
“Thanks, Dad,” Anton said as Caitlyn and he moved to the bunker exit and cycled through the airlock into the basement. Anton led Caitlyn upstairs, picked up the landline, and handed it to Caitlyn. Most people didn’t have a hardline in the house, but his father had kept one just in case. He dialed the number that had been on the television and handed the telephone to Caitlyn as he said, “Your turn.”
Anton watched as Caitlyn spoke into the phone. She answered a few questions, listened for a moment, and then hung up just as his Dad stepped into the kitchen where the phone had been hanging. Anton accepted the cell phone his father gave him, “Both of my numbers are preprogrammed into the phone,”
“Thanks, Dad,” Anton said before he turned to Caitlyn to find out what she’d been told.
“We’re supposed to make our way to Minot AFB. They’ll have someone waiting for us and then fly us to Washington DC,” Caitlyn explained.
“Us,” Anton asked.
“Yes, I was specifically asked if you were with me. I told them yes.”
“So, they have their memories too, then?” Anton stated.
“Looks like it,” Caitlyn agreed
“Dad, think you can take us to the base?”
“I think perhaps I’ll just let you two take the minivan. There is a field opposite the front gate. Just park the minivan there with the keys locked inside, and I’ll stop by and pick it up when I’m able,” His father explained.
“If you’re sure?” Anton asked.
“I’m sure. Now, let's head back down so you can say goodbye to everyone.”
Fifteen minutes later, Anton drove the minivan north on Highway 83, parked in the field, and followed Caitlyn to the front grate. While they’d driven north, Caitlyn had handed everything but a knife back to Anton. He’d stored the phone his dad had given him and everything Caitlyn had given him in his inventory.
As they approached the barricades that forced vehicles to slow down, one of the guards stepped out, “IDs?”
Caitlyn handed over her Identification badge, which she pulled out of one of her pockets. “I’m Caitlyn Sheppard; you should be expecting me,”
The Guard called her name over his shoulder, and a second guard stepped out, “Sub-Commander Sheppard?”
“That’s me?”
“Who do you have with you?”
Caitlyn looked at Anton and indicated that he should answer, “Anthony Thomson.”
The second guard looked at his list, frowned, and then asked, “Is your nickname Anton?”
“Yes,” Anton affirmed.
“Very well, you’re both on the list. If you’d allow a quick weapons pat down and then follow Seargent Blair,” the first guard asked.
Caitlyn and Anton walked up to the gate and allowed them to pat them down for weapons. When they found the Sub-Commanders knife, they handed it back to her. You can keep the knife; we’re just looking for firearms at this point.”
Caitlyn nodded. They were both led to a vehicle by Seargent Blair and driven further into the base. They stayed on the road they were on, took one left, and pulled up to a gate. The gate opened, and they were driven out onto the runway where a Learjet with Air Force markings sat, “That’s your ride,” Seargent Blair said as the vehicle came to a stop. Just as Anton was about to ask a question, he continued, “There’s a lieutenant on the plane who is supposed to let you know what’s going on. Have a safe trip.”
Caitlyn and Anton shrugged, exited the vehicle, and walked to the boarding steps that led up to the fuselage door. As they entered the aircraft, a young female 2nd Lieutenant said, “Please take a seat anywhere you’d like. It’s just the three of us and the flight crew. We will be underway shortly.
Caitlyn moved to the back of the plane and sat in a seat close to a window on the right side of the plane. Anton sat across from her on the left. Shortly was as soon as the door was closed, and the lieutenant knocked on the door to the cockpit twice. Before she’d even made it to her seat, the Learjet began taxing.
Five minutes later, the Learjet was rising into the sky and turning South and East, heading for Washington, DC.
When the Lieutenant stood and moved up to them, Anton asked, “Excuse me, Lieutenant, why are we receiving special treatment?”
“I’ve been ordered to get you to Washington D.C. as quickly as possible. I was not giving any information as to why, other than the order comes from the top. Now, would either of you like a drink or something to eat? We have some alcoholic beverages, as this aircraft normally ferries around Senior Officers and government officials.”
“A Jack and Coke if you have it,” Anton said
“Orange Juice if you have it, water if you do not,” Caitlyn said.
“Very good, and food?”
“I just ate. I’m good for now,” Caitlyn said.
“Me too,” Anton added.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks then,” the Lieutenant said as she made her way to the small galley. A few minutes later, she returned with their drinks: “Our flight time should be just about 3 hours. If you need a refill or you get hungry, just let me know.”
Caitlyn and Anton nodded as the Lieutenant returned to her seat. Caitlyn looked at Anton and said, “If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to close my eyes and take a nap for a bit.”
Anton nodded, picked up his drink, took a sip, and set it back down in the holder set into the window panel for drinks. Maybe he should take a nap, too? Anton leaned back and closed his eyes.
What felt like a moment later, Anton was roused by a change in the sound of the engines. The light outside the plane had changed, which indicated that he’d been asleep for a little longer than a moment. It was, in fact, a couple of hours later. The sky was full of the pinks and reds of the sunset, which cast long arcs across the ground below.
Anton looked at the clock above the cockpit door, which showed two times. The first had the word “Origin” with “19:34” below it. To the right was the word “Local” with “20:34” under it. Caitlyn had left her seat and must have gone to the lavatory behind them. The Lieutenant was still at the front of the plane in a seat that allowed her to keep an eye on them and also keep an eye on the cockpit door.
A moment later, Caitlyn retook her seat and looked over at Anton, “While you were out, the Lieutenant came back and let me know we’d be landing soon. If you need to use the bathroom, I’d do so now.”
Anton shrugged, “I’m good,” When Caitlyn looked at him questioningly, he added, “It’s not something I’ve had to worry about since events changed me.”
“You don’t use the bathroom,” Caitlyn asked.
“Nope,” Anton shrugged.
“Must be nice,” Caitlyn muttered as she turned to look out the runway at the lights below them.
They were both interrupted when the Captain’s voice called out, “This is the Captain; we’ve started our descent. I’ll be turning on the fasten seatbelt light in about five minutes. If you need to use the bathroom or would like to stretch your legs, I suggest you do so now.”
The plane landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington D.C. and taxied to a small hanger at the north end of the runway. The Lieutenant led them outside to where a couple of men in black suits waited. Caitlyn and Anton were both searched. This time, the knife Caitlyn had was taken as the woman who kept it said, “I’ll get this back to you after your meeting.”
Caitlyn merely nodded before they were led into the small hangar that had been converted into a makeshift sleeping and living area. Anton saw The President, Felix, and Mrs. Ellison sitting at a table talking with Secret Service personnel, keeping everyone away as they were led up to the table. There were also guards stationed all around the out skirts of the hanger including three different snipers that he noticed.
Felix looked over, noticed Caitlyn and Anton, and smiled, “Caitlyn, It’s so good to see you. And Anton, How are you?”
Caitlyn nodded to Felix and said, “Sir,” then looked at Anton to indicate it was his turn.
“I’m fine, how are you doing? I don’t understand precisely how you are here, but I do know who you are.”
“How delightful. Please, both of you, take a seat. We have a lot to talk about,” Felix said.
Both Caitlyn and Anton sat opposite the three as the President spoke, “Felix here has informed me that Caitlyn is known to him as one of his military Sub-Commanders, which would be equivalent to our 04’s or Major rank. You, Anton, are somewhat of an enigma. We have information about you and your current whereabouts. Still, we also have indirect information about your disappearance from Fargo, North Dakota, and your reappearance in Minot,” The President explained as a monitor showed Caitlyn and Anton suddenly appearing in the street in front of his father’s house.
“It looks like the neighbor's camera was working just fine,” Anton Commented.
“It does appear so. Where exactly are you from, Anton?” President Cruiger asked.
“I’m from Minot originally, though I met Felix a bit ago…”
Anton’s attention was drawn to the hanger doors, where he noticed a disturbance.
“Anton?” President Cruiger asked.
Anton ignored the President and focused on the shimmer, which no one else seemed to notice. Anton wasn’t sure what he was looking at, but it definitely didn’t belong. He reached out with his other senses. He couldn’t hear anything, and the scents he’d noticed upon arriving hadn’t changed. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to have a physical presence, nor was anyone else reacting to it. If he didn’t know better, it almost looked like something invisible was pushing against a translucent barrier that only he could see. Could it be someone or something in an alternate dimension that he was able to notice because of his unique abilities?
While Anton thought about the origin of the moving shimmer, it made its way closer to the President, Felix, and Mrs. Ellison. Anton watched as the shimmer seemed to stretch around an object that looked a lot like the barrel of a gun that was pointing at the back of the President’s head when he acted. In less than a half second, Anton had moved and was diving across the table to put himself between the President and the weapon.
As Anton flew across the table, he saw Caitlyn reacting in slow motion as she moved toward Felix. Anton placed his hand over the barrel of the gun, which caused a man-sized person to appear behind the President. Later, he’d check his notifications and learn that his natural immunity to magic had negated the magic the individual was using to cross dimensions. Anton turned the gun to the side just a bit while he kept his body in front of the barrel as the assassin became completely visible and pulled the trigger.
The bullet exploded through his hand and into his body as he held onto the gun and reached out with his other hand to grab the attacker with his left hand. He didn’t want to show all of his abilities, so he chose to hold the attacker immobile for the long seconds it took the Secret Service to react. While he stood still, holding the cloaked person in front of him, Secret Service Agents crashed into the President while Caitlyn crashed into Felix. A Secret Service Agent near Mrs. Ellison covered her with his body by putting himself between where the President had been sitting and Mrs. Ellison to thwart any secondary attacks from the President’s attacker, which proved unnecessary.
Anton had just enough time to notice the President on the ground at his feet with Secret Service lying before him as the cloaked figure’s head exploded, and he felt two bullets strike his head. Anton could have survived the first shot; he was sure of it. It had been a smaller caliber weapon that his Damage Resistance and hit points could have withstood. The second shot, however, had been from directly behind him and was most likely a 50-caliber bullet. He knew this because he saw the mess the bullet made of his body and the body of the attacker as he automatically assumed his Specter Form when the bullet killed his body, and he was left looking down on it. The bullet had traveled through his head and the chest of the attacker. The force of the attack had flung both of them away from the President, who was wedged under the table with Secret Service Agents.
Anton watched as his body disintegrated, and Caitlynn helped Felix to his feet as the Secret Service did the same for the President and Mrs. Ellison. Anton activated Manifest.
A shot rang out, which did not affect his incorporeal body. Anton ignored what was going on in the physical world and bent down to look at the dead attacker. Anton activated Spectral Hand so he could lift the hood away from the mess that was the attacker's head and take a look. While he couldn’t tell what the individual had looked like before the first sniper put a bullet through his head. The .50 caliber sniper round had made a huge hole in the assassin's chest. Anton looked at the mess that was what was left of the attacker's head. His eyes were drawn to the one thing that identified the individual as nonhuman. The pointed ears on each side of what was left of its skull
The one thing that sucked about his Manifest ability was his inability to hear or communicate with others in the material world. He did have Telepathy, though. Anton turned to Caitlyn and pointed to his head and then to her head. Caitlynn nodded. Anton activated Telepathy,
“Caitlynn, could you please inform the President that I’m going to reappear? I’d really appreciate it if the Secret Service wouldn’t shoot me again,” Anton sent.
“On it,” Caitlynn sent back.
Anton watched as Caitlyn told the President what was going on and then waved at Anton. The President looked like he yelled out a command Anton couldn’t hear and gave Anton a thumbs up as Caitlyn sent through their telepathic link, “You’re good to go.”
Anton, with Manifest still active, floated over by Caitlyn and deactivated Manifest and Specter. As his body reformed, Anton watched as everyone around him watched with interest. One second, he was semi-translucent; the next, he was solid. Anton looked around slowly until he met the eyes of the sniper with the 50-caliber weapon and winked before he turned back to the President, “Have to admit that was a nice bit of shooting by your snipers, Mr. President. I didn’t think normal weapons could hurt me anymore, but it would seem that a .50 caliber bullet to the back of the skull could still give me a splitting headache.
Caitlyn sighed,
Felix laughed
The other expressions he saw from those who had heard him were a little harder to interpret.