Chapter 100

Plots Within Plots

The moment I saw her laying on the emergency room bed, my breath froze in my chest. My entire body constricted as I just saw the pain, she was in. Even though she was in a coma, it was clear that there was a struggle going on, under the surface of her skin. She was battling something, but her mind and body could not seem to win.

Seeing her, I forgot almost everything. I forgot where I was, how I got there. In that moment all that mattered was her. I ran to her side, at least that is the only thing I can call that. One second, I was at the door to her room. Then the next, I was by her side.

BOOM! BOOM! RUMBLE!

The ground was shaking from the apparent war that had started going on outside. I was marginally aware of the explosions, but for the moment, the only thing that mattered was Jess.

I knew this wasn’t my Jess, there were subtle differences. My Jess had a slightly darker tan, no doubt from being in the light more recently. My Jess also had a few slightly darker freckles due to the same sun tanning. But she was Jess, for that there was no doubt. I grabbed her hand, and instantly began checking her vitals with my Healing-X. Immediately it was apparent that what I had heard was correct, she was healthy. Beyond healthy. From a physical standpoint she was the picture of health.

That just meant that there was one reason that could have started this whole event. Her mind.

Focusing on her mind, I felt a surge of nerves. This was my first real time using the power, Mind Heal. The last time I even tried to use the power, I felt a backlash of pain from my own mind. That alone was enough to make me stop. The reason why I stopped on myself, well I would like to say it was due to not wanting my personality to change. That I thought I was a perfectly well-adjusted person. But those were just excuses.

I was frightened of what I would find. Also, there was a bit of truth about being afraid of what I might turn into, but that was really a minor concern. Once you open Pandora’s box, there is no putting back the monsters that come forth. Funny, only now when I think about it, do I realize the true irony of the whole parable. The fact that at the time, Hope was a monster. The fact that it being at the bottom of the box, almost implies that it was the first monster that was meant to be sealed away. That Hope when left unchecked is a monster that is responsible for more misdeeds and destructive actions than any of the other monsters.

Focus! I yell at myself mentally.

Then with that I take in a deep breath, then let it out.

Mind Heal.

At once I feel a mental connection to Jess’ mind. Well, this Jess’ mind. I am at her core, at her very being. I really wish I had practiced at least once, or wish I knew what I was doing here. Here in her mind, I can see everything.

I can see the memories. I can see the faint traces of where the different time loops have merged. Each time loop has their own separate stream of memories that have been compressed. At least I think they are compressed, but then I look further into her past, to see her memories as a child and I see the error of my thoughts. The earlies childhood memories have been compressed until they are little more than a minor clip. Parts of the past that can be summarized in one five-minute montage. Her first day drawing. The first time she went to a live concert where she fell in love with the violinist.

Seeing the violinist, I know something is wrong. The face is all distorted, and blurry. But even more so, I see the face of my brother super imposed on the image. Well not my brother, I must remind myself, but Wizard me’s brother from this universe. It is faint, like a smudge has been added to the original. I focus on the image and imagine wiping away the smudge. After a few seconds, the imposed image of my brother’s face is removed. Then, staring back at me is someone who looks an awful lot like me.

“Uncle Lou?” I ask, suddenly wondering about my uncle who had been gone for years.

Then a deeper fear strikes me, since I look so much like him, will I become him? I remember the intense desire to leave when the trees began bombarding me with thoughts. Shaking my head, I continue.

I find signs of memories either being overridden with the face of my brother, well the Chet Goldman from this universe. It is probably best that I get a degree of separation early. I can’t become too attached, this isn’t my universe, and as much as I’d hate to say it, this isn’t my Jess. No, I am merely an observer here. A traveling physician, and I need to be mindful of that.

With that, I continue, finding more memories that were sealed away. A quick glance shows that these were intimate memories of Jess and her former lovers, up to and including me, well noodle armed me. But a quick glance shows that they are all still intact, so I move on.

The more I look the more I see differences in attentions. Older memories were either sealed or had a faint glossy coat on them to change them. This was a rather smart ambiance to show the aging of memories in the mind. The further back you went, the harder certain details were to make out.

The newer memories however were altered very forcefully. If the older memories only needed to add a thin layer of slime; and yes, anything with my brother’s face on it could be considered slime, up to and including his own body. The newer memories were more forcefully changed, I guess it is the fact that new memories are stronger and harder to manipulate, as such the changes looked like they were burnt in. Almost as if he first tried to glue his own ugly mug over a more childlike version of my own face. Then super heat them until the corners melted and was left with nothing but his face super imposed over stick boy’s body.

These took time to erase and fix.

I spent hours just fixing the memories, but finally I felt confident that all the altered memories were fixed. Then came the hard part, finding the embedded memory commands. This is tough as we all have our own personal commands that we have. Get up, get dressed, go to formation. Those were the key for any Academy Cadet. Those were clearly ones she was ingraining in her own mind. Then from there, I could see other commands and desires in there.

No more chocolates, unless Kyle, no Chet, is being an asshole.

There it is. I saw the first sign of manipulation in her core being.

With this as my base line, I could then start to see more and more signs of where Jess’ mental commands went. I kept it solid, as I began hunting down more and more of these rogue batches of code that were within Jess’ mind. To my defense, this was a different mental resonance, and thus slightly harder to pick out. At least, they were harder to pick out at first. But as I got used to it, finding the glowing signs of this type of psychic resonance became easier and easier.

Then finally I found the command that started the whole coma.

You will devote yourself fully to Chet Goldman. Going out of your way to greet him every day with a smile, wishing nothing more than to please him thoroughly every day. You cannot live without Chet Goldman’s approval.

That was it, the entire command just felt sleazy. But I think it was that last part of the command that really set this whole coma in motion. Looking at the command it was sloppy, far sloppier than the other commands that were written. I almost wonder if Chet wanted this to be found. Or rather, I wondered if the Celestial puppet master that was piloting Chet wanted this to be found.

It was at this point that I realized how powerful mind manipulation was or could be. I mean the command literally meant she would die or be forced into a coma if she couldn’t get Chet Goldman’s approval, or if he died. Then, an even more nauseating thought filled my mind. What if he put it there as a contingency plan, one last Fuck You to his brother. A brother who would surely go out of his way to kill Chet, or maybe insurance that in the case Chet met an untimely demise he would suffer for his actions.

The entire thing was sickening.

Still, I kept the base code for the moment. For the moment it was the only thing letting me work within her mind freely. I went through her memories a few more times. I found a few items here and there that needed to be fixed up, a few odd and end commands that made no sense. Then I found the ultimate command that sent a shiver down my back.

When the last Herald falls, you will gladly sacrifice yourself as the conduit for power against the Behemoth. You will not tell Kyle Goldman about this, nor will you show any signs of what your combined powers are doing to you. This will be your final sacrifice and showing of love to Kyle Goldman.

“What the fuck?”

I tried to remove that command, but it was different than the others. First the handwriting was too bubbly, too flowing, then there was the fact that this one glowed with a golden light. Seeing that light, I felt my own memories come flooding back. Memories of how baubles using the same glowing light shone brightly, then how I was powerless to act against those commands.

This was bullshit.

No, this was beyond bullshit.

Then I thought back to the alternate universe, the one where Alien Jess and I fought the Behemoth. I remember her also looking a bit weaker. At the time I chalked it up to her having been recently impaled, but what if there was more to it than just that? What if there was a reason my Healing took so long to work on her?

At that, I feel a slight simmer of anger welling up inside of me.

“Is that really the fucked-up future that awaits me?” I mutter to myself.

Badump. Badump.

I know if I still had my wings they would be vibrating violently right now. It is probably good that I managed to change that part of my body. Otherwise, I would likely have to deal with quite a few questions.

I do one last look around and see that only the two commands still stand. The one that was easily noticeable about not being able to live without Chet Goldman. Then the other darker command that was hidden in a dark recess of Jess’ mind.

One I can easily remove, almost too easy now that I know what that bastard of a Celestial was capable of. Then the other, the one written in golden power that I can’t even fathom moving.

“FUCK!”

I can’t do it. I can’t bring her back, just to let her commit suicide to a Behemoth. I would never forgive myself if I let this happen. I take one last look at the bubbly script of the second command, the permanent command that is etched in Celestial power.

When the last Herald falls, you will gladly sacrifice yourself as the conduit for power against the Behemoth. You will not tell Kyle Goldman about this, nor will you show any signs of what your combined powers are doing to you. This will be your final sacrifice and showing of love to Kyle Goldman.

That is when I realize why the writing seems so familiar. That is Jess’s handwriting. The bastard mind controlled her and made her write the command with her own hands. This was a failsafe, a way to make sure I couldn’t just get rid of this command by exposing the last Chet Goldman as a Celestial puppeteer.

This meant I was down to one last option to fix this. One last option to correct all this bullshit.

Releasing Jess’ hand, I open my eyes.

Gasps.

A lot of people look at me. Wizard me looks to be the most expecting.

I just shake my head. Then turning to Rayquel, I demand. “Take me to the general.”

“But you haven’t fixed her yet.”

“And I won’t.” Then I paused, as I remember I met the general multiple times in my past loops. Focusing on my residual psychic resonance on her, I decided to let my own self out.

Total Recall.

Poof.

I was in the hospital room with a still comatose Jess one second. Then in another wing entirely with the General.

“So, you have come to save the day after all.” General Tigran, of the fourteenth universe begins.

“Shut it!” I demand, as I stare at the General who is clearly wasting away before my eyes. My mind is still trying to go through everything I can to unfuck this situation, but I keep coming up with little more than I originally planned to do.