CHAPITRE IV
"My nearest and dearest enemy." Thomas Middleton
Liberty Island. The Bridged-Room. Hours later.
"So, they just agreed?" Olivia demanded, unable to hold her excitement. Anticipation grew with every step she took toward the full-sized round table they've brought over especially for the important meetings the common room would witness in the future.
"Apparently," Broyles replied, "Walternate only needed some more convincing."
"What about the past negotiations? I mean, their main purpose was to convince him, right?"
"Not really, the government showed little interest in working side by side with parallel universes, they were focusing their full attention on encouraging scientific laboratories and research facilities in the hope of fixing the ongoing deterioration. The scheduled negotiations were the best thing they could have offered us after Massive Dynamic's insistence on working with the other side."
"So, what changed?" Olivia asked as she picked one of the wooden chairs and sat on it.
"After Walternate's rejection of three successive negotiation teams, Nina Sharp had asked personally to meet him." Broyles told her with a sly gesture. Nina Sharp.
"Nina Sharp!"
"Yeah." Broyles sighed, placing some folders he'd been holding on the table. He rested his elbows onto it, crossing his fingers. He let out a clear sigh of relief as he added "Nina Sharp." The women may be dark, hiding immeasurable mysteries, but nobody could deny that, whatever her intentions were, she provides much needed help.
Behind them were Walter and Astrid, precipitating to reach the seats.
"It took him three weeks to agree, who said I needed his help anyway?"
"Walter!"
"The Hybrid!" The scientist yelled.
"What?" Astrid squinted at him, puzzled.
"The name." He answered, her face grew more confused. "The room, I named it!" Walter explained, "I was torn between 'The bastard' and 'The hybrid'."
"Oh, That's… Good." Astrid lied then took her seat next to him.
Glad that Walter had finally shared a conversation, Olivia appended, "They're bringing along all the equipments you need, Walter."
Walter didn't answer, because he glimpsed walternate and Brandon heading toward their direction.
They greeted, all remaining professional.
"I have an Idea. And we don't have much time left." Walter broke off, quickly, stealing short glances to where Walternate sat. He literally didn't want to waste time.
It was walternate who answered him. "Let's hear it." His face showed nothing but seriousness.
"Years ago, I devised a small mechanism to plug a hole between the two universes," He shifted his attention to Olivia, "The one we used two years ago… when we split that man… James or Jackson-"
"Jones? David Robert Jones?" Olivia hinted. Walter looked embarrassed as he nodded. Brandonate rolled his eyes.
"I believe I can make certain modifications on that devise, first we need to locate every soft spot," Walter put in plain words. He glared at Brandon, then Walternate as he added, "-on both universes."
Walternate looked amazed; seemingly, he wasn't expecting that his alternate version had achieved that much. Astrid drew a short smirk on her face, she looked proud of the way Walter is handling this. Olivia inhaled as she wetted her lips, because she felt the same as Astrid.
They all drove their attention back to Walternate. He was supposed to say something after all. Indeed, he stated, "We will provide all the information we have about the soft spots, as well as the devises we usually use to detect them. Brandon will help you-"
"Sir, there is much work-" Brandon butted in, just to be silenced by Walternate's voice again, "Brandon would take care of things on my side." Walternate shot him a death glare before he offered, "I'll be assisting Dr Bishop, and I'll be bringing every new piece of data we collect myself."
Olivia felt creepy, because she honestly wanted to thank Brandonate for complaining against showing his ass around here in the future. She was barely containing the urge of putting a bullet between his zombies' eyes. It had taken all her patience to control herself in front of these people, and all her conscious view to be okay with it.
"That's perfect." Broyles approved. He swallowed, apparently waiting for the war of glances between Walternate and Brandonate to settle down. "The devise Dr Bishop has just spoken of is currently being preserved in a company called Massive Dynamic. I will speak with Nina Sharp to hand us the equipment in addition to all the data every scientist they have, had gathered about this. She's currently in an important mission outside the country. She'd be here in a day at last. She's asked me to apologize for she couldn't assist the first meeting between us."
Walternate nodded, "I understand. Send her my sincere salutations."
"I will." Broyles answered.
"Send her mine too." Walter snapped.
"Very well."
Walternate composed himself, ready to leave. "We should get back, I will return shortly to bring along the information we possess."
"We can wait." Olivia agreed.
Unknown place.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Peter raved as two bald guys hold him down. His adrenaline had rushed up and he'd launched himself on the very familiar observer. But, hey, they were expecting it.
For weeks, he'd been lingering, longing for the moment he'd meet one of his captors, picturing them in his mystified mind, formulating questions along with insults. At this moment, his memory wouldn't cooperate, his vocal chords would only wail; "Son of a bitch!"
"You could call me September." The familiar Observer said, coldly. His wall-like calmness was driving Peter crazy. "You seem upset."
"Yeah, Thanks, that's exactly how I feel!"
September glared, dipping his head to one side upon Peter's frantic struggling to free himself. "You shouldn't be angry. The plan had succeeded."
"Wha-What the hell is wrong with you, BASTARD?" Peter was furious now; this September has to be the biggest son of a bitch he'd ever encountered; he was telling him not to feel angry after all they had done to him. He's not human; you can't expect him to think like us. He shut his eyes, feeling a surge of panic as he wondered what the hell could have happened to Walter and Olivia.
"They are fine." September informed, his eyes never leaving Peter's side.
"What?"
"The others, they are fine."
Peter couldn't describe the liberation his heart has felt at the news. He was so relieved it took him a while to realize that September had just read his thoughts. His stomach twisted suddenly as he recalled that this bald idiotic may be defining 'fine' quite differently. "Where are they? What… What happened to them? In Liberty Island, what happened?" September maintained studying him. "ANSWER ME YOU FERAL!" Peter barked again, feeling his whole body coiling up. September put his black suitcase on the ground, pulled out some small machinery pieces, and embarked assembling them together. "Can I see them?" Peter tried again. The Observers holding him loosened their grip because he decided to stop struggling, it was futile anyway.
"You can watch them."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You should calm down."
"FUCK YOU!"
"They had agreed to work together. After three weeks. They have started yesterday. Congratulations."
Screw you. Peter clenched his teeth; the way those creatures talk was making him feel as if a clamp was tightened around his every nerve, he was using his best willpower to contain his rage right about now.
So, he was here for… Three weeks? It sounded like a month. Curious, he queried, "Three weeks? It had been only three weeks?" Not that it made him feel any better.
"No. It had been thirty two days. Here, time runs quite differently."
"Wait, what?" Peter's stomach clasped. "What do you mean 'HERE'?"
Where was he?
"This is our world. Our home. Welcome, Peter."
"WHAT?" Peter huffed; every bit of his body invigorated a hasty pain. His throbbing hands resumed trembling, "Are you fucking CRAZY?"
"No." September answered, simply. "We have created this world. What do you call it?" He cocked up his head, seemingly trying to remember. "A wormhole. There is a wormhole in your universe. It leads here. A link between our two worlds." He finished, his hand grabbing at the small now assembled devise.
This would explain the unspeakable feelings that had been choking Peter, eating away at his body from the moment he'd woken up here. No wonder why he'd believed there were no signs of nature around here. Nature definitely can't reach this place. Olivia and Walter must be so far away too. "Okay, that's enough, can I go back now?" Peter sniped, hopeful, his heart beating fast.
"You shouldn't say that."
"I shouldn't say what?"
"You will never get back to your world. You have served your purpose. The others do not remember you anymore. For them, you have never existed. I brought you here myself. You must help us accomplish our great plan."
The twisting in Peter's stomach grew more uncomfortable. "What the fuck? What plan? What do you mean they don't remember? Like you FUCKING know them!"
"Your first part of the plan is to observe them."
Observe? An Observer was asking him to observe, were they …? "Observe them? You mean… Become like you?" Peter asked. Bile formed in his throat at the mere thought of it.
"You have a sense of humor. Humans cannot become like us. They do not merit it."
"Well, I'm flattered. Whatever your wistful plan is, you can both go to hell."
"I must show you something. Stop talking."
"Make me!"
"I won't have to. Peter." September drove his attention to the devise at hand. It was a small circular tool, dark blue colored with yellow buttons. It looked like a control of some kind. He pushed one of the buttons. Peter knocked his eyebrows in amazement as the wall facing him started liquefying, until it resembled to a horizontal gray sea. When every motion stopped, it was as if the material wasn't rigid anymore.
In a matter of seconds, colors began shaping on the gray surface. They bought him a TV? A picture formed, finally. And, it was the last one Peter expected to see.
Peter's heart hammered frantically at the slow moving sight in front of him. His lips parted, but he didn't talk. He couldn't say a word. The screen showed Olivia, sitting with Walter, sharing a conversation, on a table most likely inside the bridge-room in Liberty Island. Was he dreaming? His mouth remained open for a while, before he launched himself forward. He needed to touch their faces, just to make sure they were really there. The observers didn't stop him, so he reached his fingers to feel what appeared on the screen. His eyes narrowed as his hand penetrated the surface. With a wide perplexed, questioning look on his face, he turned his head to where September stood motionlessly studying him.
"It is a Window to the place where the others will be congregating. It will allow you to see them, better yet, be with them while they work." There was something about 'be with them' that sent a refreshing feeling through Peter's veins. He shot September one last, quick, glance before he stepped through the so-called window, his limbs quivering as his mind danced with varied sentiments.
"They won't see you. They cannot remember you. You never existed, for them." He heard September rasping behind him. Yeah, whatever!
Liberty Island. The Bridged-room.
Peter was in the bridge room; he came out of another watery wall behind him. He was only steps away from where Olivia and Walter sat. His family. They hadn't changed a lot. They seemed a bit tired; they were saving the universe.
"Okay, Broyles left to make some phone calls. Astrid is bringing food." He heard Olivia say. He couldn't force himself to look away as a flicker of a smile crossed her lips, her eyes grinned in response until her eyelids fell down and she let them rest for an instant, eyelashes flattening against her rosy cheeks as she curled her lips.
It took him moments to remember how to smile.
Although it had been a long time, Walter looked well; his father had been handling this quite courageously. It made his heartbeats pace madly in lawless joy. He kept gawking for a while, savoring the moment. His eyes watering as he let out shivery exhalations. Bliss overwhelmed him.
"You did good Walter!" Olivia added.
"Walter! Olivia!" Peter called, smiling widely. "I'm back!"
"I don't think so," Walter frowned.
"Come on Walter, it's me!"
"I couldn't remember the name of that James guy!" Walter said. Walter was answering Olivia. What's wrong?
Weird. Not that he wanted to ask much, but he could tell that they acted as if he wasn't there. Was he?
Yes, it seems so real…
Olivia patted Walter's shoulder, "Walter, It doesn't matter; you've just proved to be brilliant, we are so proud of you!" She purred.
"Guys. I'm here !" He sighed. Baffled, he hobbled toward them, and tried again. And once more. This time touching Walter's shoulder, hugging him then Olivia. He felt it, but he received no reaction, at all. He tried again before September's words struck him. They don't remember you. They won't see you…
"Walter… Olivia?" He whispered, breathing swiftly. It was as if every fine feeling inside him had just vaporized. September. The son of a bitch. What have you done?
He hurried toward the watery wall. Once in front of it, he heard Walter muffling, "You are a great person, Agent Dunham. If I ever had a son, I wouldn't hesitate having him marry you. I would ask him to wear my purple tuxedo too!"
You never existed, for them…
Tears of bitter disappointment streamed down, wiping away those of instant elation as he squeezed his eyes shut, plunging back through the liquefied wall.
The Observers home world, Peter's cell. Hours after Peter left.
Peter opened his eyes; he was laying on the ground, back inside the discomfiting room, the magic wall that had allowed him to travel to Liberty Island and back was still activated, but the images faded, it was now just about a gray liquefied wall. September was coolly watching him.
"Okay, explain to me what the hell is happening here YOU FUCKING SON OF A BALD BITCH!" Peter shrieked, standing up in a heartbeat. Spikes of fury and desperation radiated through him. Haze formed around his vision. He needed answers.
"The portal you've just used to travel and meet the others, it is a devise. The DW, aka Dissipation Window; it transfers consciousness, energy, to the room in the Liberty Island. Your body remained here the whole time. Unconscious." September notified. Peter couldn't remember a time he'd felt that confused. So, he'd just been on Liberty Island, but he hadn't really been there; only his consciousness? "Exactly." September agreed.
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"You are wearing shoes." Well, yeah, September has to point that out for Peter was too puzzled to notice they had made him wear new shoes while he was out of it. The thought rapidly struck him. His body was here, all the time. But, of course, why would they allow him to hang around freely? It's not like they were softhearted or something. "We have devised the Dissipation Window for you. To watch the people you knew, daily, until the day comes." September added. They wanted him to spend time with his beloved ones. That particular information frightened him, because he knew, from painful experiences, that those beings do nothing out of pity.
"I appreciate your concern, but which day are we talking about here?"
"The day we will put you in the machine."
"WHAT? For what?"
"The machine will merge the two universes. It will create a new world. Our World."
What? No… "This is nonsense; I've already used the machine, I can control it. I have created the bridge, it's all done. Get over it!"
"Yes, you have, because you used the machine while being in a conscious state. It was also a part of the plan. You can control it, only if you were awake."
Peter wanted to say "theoretically, that's likely to be true." But instead he said, "You're bluffing."
"The machine has its own consciousness. You have a special connection to it, that is, the two of you together form one conscious being. When you are unconscious, or confused, the machine takes over the control. It uses its own consciousness." Peter snapped his jaw shut, his eyelids fluttered. September's words smacked him like a bad reminder. Yes, he could feel it. The first time He'd touched the machine, when he'd been unable to recognize himself anymore, he'd felt it. When he'd been weaponized, he'd heard its voice, deep inside, calling at him.
"I can provide an example." September hinted. But Peter already knew.
"The shapeshifters." Peter whispered, so quietly he hated how it sounded. He loathed that memory, and the way he'd felt. He detested September for making him feel this vulnerable, and himself for allowing September to make him feel that way.
"Indeed. Those five shapeshifters had orders from the parallel universe to cooperate and disassemble the machine on your side, in order to render it useless. The machine was protecting itself, through you. You killed them, for the machine to feel safe."
Peter had been used to kill those shapeshifters in order to protect the machine. September didn't need to put it that way, but September didn't need to do many unkind things. However, what September did or didn't hadn't forbid Peter from wishing that, perhaps one day, the ground would open up and swallow him, along with the ugly machine, all together. He now had a scary idea on what the observer's plan is about, but he needed more details, as if it would make him feel more comfortable.
"So when I enter the machine unconscious, what would it do?" He asked then immediately shut his eyes; he was afraid of an already guessed answer.
"It will use its automatic function."
"Which is…?"
"It will join the two universes together. Every being on both sides will be wiped out. A new world will be created. Our World. Peter."
"THAT'S your brainless FUCKING plan?"
"Undeniably. We will finally achieve our big triumph. You are still going to have to help us, by watching."
Goats would fly before Peter could believe what his ears had just heard, let alone help the bald bastard. The wacky was asking for his help.
"Help you extinguish every being on both universes, why not, when hell freezes!"
"We do not require your volition. The others you knew, they will be working inside that room. In front of you, you will observe nevertheless."
September seemed determined; he believed what he was saying. Their plan had definitely took big measuring before it came to this stage, hence, Peter had to ask, "Why watch them anyway?"
"The machine must recognize you as a Peter from the present time. You are important. We could have brought another timeline's Peter, except, it wouldn't work. You should witness the last events before we put you in the machine." September contemplated, all while remaining indifferent when he added, "You must be missing the others anyway. Humans are fragile. When you become convinced that it is too late, no matter how you try. You will watch them, to say goodbye." He kept studying Peter. Peter wished his eyes would blow out. Peter wishes many things…
"No, Walter will figure out something." His so confident tone masked his fear. His shaken voice cheated away that awful sensation even as he added. "He will… Find out about your stupid plan."
"I do not believe so." September assured.
"You said there is a wormhole that leads here, I'm sure Walter will work on closing it." Peter blurted out, quietly. He figured he was trying to convince himself too, and it felt creepy.
"Yes he will, which is why we would use the machine before it happens. The others will close all the soft spots by a certain order. One by one, it is a determined path. The last one to be plugged is the wormhole that directs to here. We will wait until they serve their purposes, by fixing all the other problems, after that we will initiate the last part of our plan. Before they would have the chance to close the wormhole to this world, they will cease to exist."
"Why didn't you use the machine before now, why wait till that moment, it's not like you don't have all the ingredients already?" Peter voiced his thoughts. He soon realized how desperate they sounded.
"We are not ready yet. The two universes must be fully healed. Habitable. That way we will obtain the new intact world we deserve and have been longing for. For centuries."
"What about this world, you said it is connected to ours, wouldn't it be destroyed once you collide the two universes?"
"This world. It is something we created ourselves. A shelter. We'd associated it only to your universe. It doesn't exist on other realities. You may call it an addition. When the two universes collide, all the additions, on both sides, will be destroyed, but not after a short time that will be enough for us to relocate to our new world once it's created."
"You are dreaming."
"We don't dream, we know all but logic."
Peter's legs quitted lifting his now weighted corpse. He dropped to his knees, resting his aching palms on the ground. He had all the answers now. They told him everything. It made his limbs tremble. His heart reacted as if a sharp sword had just penetrated itself in the center of it. They were planning God knows how long for this. It made him feel sick. He had helped them, thinking he was saving both universes. It made him feel sicker. "Silly bald creatures… Your thick plan will never work." He croaked.
"You don't understand. Peter. Our Plan has already worked. In a short time, the others will heal both worlds. You will see by yourself. Then your turn will come. The machine will create our eternal shelter. You, Walter, Olivia, Had helped us a lot. Thank you. "
Whenever there is life, there is hope. "They will remember me, somebody will remember me. I'll be out of here. And, you'll be so dead."
"You'd better hope no one does. If one of the others starts to remember, we would take care of it."
"WHAT?" Peter picked up his head swiftly. "Screw you, you can't kill them! You NEED them!"
"I can't kill Walter. I can kill Olivia. You should consider this as a warning too. If you try to communicate with them, we will certainly notice that, it will do you no good, we will quickly fix the mistake, and you will lose Olivia."
Peter dropped his head again, staring at the deaf floor. The mere sight revolted him, so he squeezed his eyes shut. Why does it have to be this way? How did things suddenly become so fucked up?
They'd taken him out of the picture, weakened him, screwed up with his mind until his sanity threatened to remain undefined to him. He figured it wasn't a coincidence. They'd planned it all. Walter, Olivia, Walternate… were now working to fix both universes, just to offer two healed worlds in a gold platter for those jerks, those very jerks that would use his body to kill every human being, on both worlds. He'd been used to hate the fact that his body might be able to destroy one universe. He now hated every part of his body, knowing he would have done better to humanity if he'd indeed never existed.
Still, there is always hope.
"There's gotta be another way." He murmured, curling his hands into fists.
"You always use that sentence. I have watched you for a long time, Peter. You badly believe in hope. However, I think it is too late, now."
"Fuck you."
"You are feeling unwell. You should be proud instead. You will be the last of your kind. The machine will protect you. You should enjoy your last days with the others, before you start a new life." With that, September brought his foot up hard it connected itself with Peter's stomach, choking the air out of his lungs.
"What the fuck did you do that for?" Peter screeched, panting, gasping for much needed air.
"You thought about escaping." September informed. The bastard had just read his thoughts. What kind of enemy was he exactly up against? How are they to fight them?
"Oh, really, thanks for letting me know." He muttered miserably. His sarcasm hadn't impressed September who just walked away. Peter braced himself, groaning in pain. Strangely appreciating it. Pain is good. Pain reminded him that he still existed, and that alone, would have him try everything, no matter how desperate.
They hadn't closed back the automatic wall from where September had shown up; they'd replaced it with an invisible shield. They apparently decided to offer him company from now on, to watch him. Beyond the removed wall, there was a very short corridor, at the end of which Peter glimpsed a metallic yellow door. They locked it, after that they disappeared.
Moments later, September came back. Another figure stood beside him, staring.
It wasn't seeing September smiling that stunned Peter where he sat, for it sickened him to the gut, it was realizing who the other familiar figure was.
Peter revised his idea about surprises not occurring around this place-the observer's home world.
Liberty Island, The bridged-room. Three hours later.
After a long wait, Olivia saw Walternate rushing in. He looked irritated. Brandonate came back too. She wondered why. Son of a Bitch.
They came close in a matter of seconds; she could now have a good look on Walternate's face. It reminded her of the one he'd shot her, months ago, when she'd broken in the tank room while being stuck on the other universe and had tried to deliver a message to the other side before they'd stopped her.
That look had scared her. Now, it frightened her. Something was wrong. Definitely.
"THIS IS YOUR DOING!" he shouted at Walter who looked terrified as he mumbled, "I… what..? … What are you talking about?"
"Hey, please calm down and tell us what happened?" Olivia tried. Walternate behaved as if she hadn't just spoken. He addressed Walter, once more, "A virus had infected our systems, all of them, a very powerful virus. We've lost everything!"
"Oh my God!" Astrid muttered.
"The virus is foreign to our database. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?" Walternate fired off, silence and shocked faces were momentarily exchanged before he snorted and stormed out. Brandonate shot them a disgusted look then followed his Secretary.
Walter stood astounded. Astrid patted his shoulder. Broyles shut his eyes, sighing, dropping his head forward.
Olivia felt guilty for feeling comfortable earlier.
TBC...
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.