***** Vol.5 Chap.37 The return *****
Frank felt his sub-consciousness seeping through the ventilation ducts passing through the concrete walls of the compound. It did not seem to be heading in any particular direction. Actually he was not really conscious of his surroundings per se, but it was just a kind of awareness, an awareness of where he was going.
He thought he saw a light in the distance. Unconsciously and uncontrollably, his sub-consciousness gravitated towards the distant light. As he approached, he became aware that the light was May-Ling’s sub-consciousness.
The two sub-consciousness entities went side by side intermingling with one another at times, though each was distinctly aware of the other. There were no communications between the two sub-consciousness entities, just a mere awareness of the other’s sub-consciousness.
The two sub-consciousness entities circled around the compound observing the confusion and mayhem below. They passed through walls unhindered. They went through guards and workers and were momentarily aware of their thoughts.
As they visited the frantic people in the compound, the sense was total pandemonium. There was a general consensus that they suffered a sneak attack, but no one had guessed the true goal of the mission. There knew they had seen a crazy lady in the power control room but was not able to locate her.
As to the two ghosts in the machine that they thought they saw in the lab and in the utility control room, no one was talking because there was no trace of the them anywhere. The security guards themselves were beginning to wonder what they saw or if they saw anything at all.
Slowly, their sub-consciousness entities descended into the earth, penetrating the earth’s crust with ease. Clearly, they were not physical or at least possessing anything physical at all. The sub-consciousness entities moved slowly until there was an awareness that they were back at the underground lair where Elijah was.
They became aware that there were two bodies in separate rooms. In one room, there was a perfect body of Frank and in the other a perfect body of May-Ling. Slowly their sub-consciousness entities grew apart as each descended slowly to their respective bodies. The bodies twitched slightly as their sub-consciousness entities entered the bodies.
For a while, Frank was not sure where he was. He clearly remembered sitting in the vent back at the enemy compound trying to escape. He also recalled taking the white pill.
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He looked at his fingers and toes. Everything seemed to be here. He touched the walls and immediately recognized that he was back at the underground lair. But he did not recall coming here; neither did he know how he got here.
He sat up on the bed. He tried to move his hands and fingers and legs and toes. They all seemed to function as if they were his own. He stood up and walked around. He was definitely back at the center.
Deep inside, he felt that he had been given a second chance. He looked around. The room appeared the same as before, except a door existed this time. He wondered if he was back in his room.
In the meantime, May-Ling also woke up. She was equally disoriented. Her last thought was that she was in the freezer. Then she took the white pill. She could not remember anything else after that.
She thought that she must be in Third Heaven and was ready to see The Greatest Buddha. She sat up on her bed and began to meditate. She reviewed her whole life before her and asked for forgiveness whenever she felt that she was short of humanity. She hoped that she would get to see her beloved husband.
Elijah was sitting in front of the control terminal. He saw lights flashing indicating the arrival of Frank and May-Ling. He waited a little and then stood up to go and greet them. He picked up his staff and headed towards Frank’s room. He knocked.
“Frank? This is Elijah.”
“Come in.”
Elijah opened the door but stood outside at the hallway.
“Hello, Frank. How are you feeling?”
“I am feeling surprisingly fine.”
“Am I back at your place?”
Elijah smiled and nodded.
“Would you like to wait for me at the conference room?”
“Sure,” as Frank followed Elijah out of the door.
“Let’s see how the next person is doing.” Elijah said as they headed down to the next door.
“Really? Who?” Frank was inquisitive. He has learned to expect the unexpected now.
Elijah knocked on the door. Frank’s mind was really going now.
Who would this be? Kristin? May-Ling? Someone else?
“May-Ling? This is Elijah.”
“Elijah! Please come in.” May-Ling went to open the door. She was surprised that Frank and Elijah were standing in front of her.
“How are you doing?” Elijah asked
“I am fine.” Then she saw Frank. She raised her hands and pointed to him
“Frank! Frank! So good to see you.”
“You too.”
“How did you get here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Elijah, did you bring us back here again?”
“Not exactly.”
“Kristin? Is Kristin alright?” May-Ling asked.
Elijah smiled. “How about let’s go to the conference room and we can talk there?”
“What about Kristin?”
Without bludgeoning an inch, both Frank and May-Ling asked together.
“I am afraid that Kristin would not be joining us.”
“But …”
Again Frank and May-Ling started to speak, but Elijah held up his hand and stopped them.
“All in good time. Let’s go to the conference room. I have a lot to tell you both.”
They walked silently to the conference room that was just down the hall. They all knew their way now.
Frank and May-Ling were lost in their own thoughts, or random thoughts to be exactly accurate. Both really had no idea not only where they were, but also what they were.
Frank kept moving his hands and fingers to make sure that he was he. Likewise, May-Ling kept looking at her own hand and feeling her face, pinching her cheeks to make sure that she was not in a dream.
“Here we are.”