The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination - Tommy Lasorda
It had been another three days and true to his word the general had gotten clearance for Mobius to see the mysterious asteroid. Mobius stood in front of the mirror, his new uniform and rank feeling alien to him. He never cared about his own rank, it never mattered. Back then all that mattered was making Erusea pay for what they took from him.
"How much time has passed there?" he asked his reflection, "Are they still fighting the harvest or is the battle long over? Did they win?" he shook his head, "No, of course they won. The Peksis is here, that's proof that it wasn't a dream, proof that it was all real, I can go back to Meia".
It was time; turning away from the mirror Mobius left his quarters and returned to the main section of the base where the four-star general was waiting for him. Mobius didn't catch his name at first, but now he saw it, "Garsus" Mobius smiled at the thought of the Nirvana's Helmsman as a general.
"Have you finished reading your personnel file?" General Garsus asked him, "Do you remember anything about yourself?"
Mobius nodded, "Yeah, I remember everything now".
The General nodded stopping at a humvee, "Good, so you remember where you grew up, your mission count and total kills".
Mobius nodded again opening the door on the passenger side, "Everything".
Garsus got in the driver's seat and started the humvee, "That is good to hear. There are a lot of people that will be happy to hear your back".
"I'm surprised that hasn't gotten out yet" Mobius admitted, "A hero soldier that suddenly vanished being found almost a year later. That's the kind of thing that makes headlines".
"It certainly is, but we wanted to keep it quiet to give you time to collect yourself, to come to terms with everything".
"I appreciate that Sir" Mobius said, "And my apologies".
"Don't worry about it Colonel. Hell after this I expect to not see you again for a few months, I figured you're going to want a vacation".
"There was a time when I would have said no to that" Mobius admitted, "But now I think I can really relax".
"Find a nice girl while you're at it" Garsus told him, "Now that the war is over you should go live life a bit. I know after you lost your family it seemed like it might have been over, but now you've got your future back".
"Almost" Mobius thought.
Arriving at a hangar at the far end of the base Mobius and General Garsus got out and made their way to a C-130 transport that would take them to the research facility where the mysterious asteroid was being held. As they boarded the transport Mobius stopped for a moment, this was his chance to go back home, but this was also his last chance to see Earth, to see his sister.
"Is something wrong Colonel?" Garsus asked.
"Actually Sir" Mobius began, "Is it possible to put this off for a day?"
"Having second thoughts?"
Mobius shook his head, "I haven't been to my home town since joining the Air Force. I want to see it again".
"That will take some time, but we can do that. The nearest Air Force base is a few cities away from your old town. I'll also have to notify the research facility there's been a change in our plan and arrival".
"I'd consider this one a personal favor Sir" Mobius told him.
"Alright I'll tell the pilot, lets get strapped in".
The C-130 took off from the runway and half a day later they landed at another base from there Mobius made the rest of the trip alone transferring to a helicopter that would take him to a civilian airport. He landed at an airport in the city next to his home town from there he would drive alone back to his home town, Nasuno, it took another three hours, but he made it as the moon took its place in the sky. Mobius was happy to see most of the town had been repaired, it looked normal again. Driving through the streets Mobius could still hear the whistle of the falling bombs that day, not that he would ever be able to forget, the earthquakes the bombs caused when they went off, the people screaming as they fled for any kind of cover.
He stopped outside town hall, it had been completely rebuilt. He remembered the Erusians used it as their HQ after they took control of the town, he also remembered how many soldiers he killed here. There was a memorial in the courtyard, dedicated to all the ones who died in the attack and the subsequent occupation, what used to be a population of around six hundred became four. Even now thinking about it still caused his anger and hate to swell, he would never be able to forgive Erusea for their actions, even a hundred years in the future he still hated them.
A few people began staring at him, he never changed out of his uniform, not that a soldier standing in front of a memorial wall stood out, but he did appear out of the blue. Taking one last breath he slapped his heels together and squared his shoulders before raising his hand to his temple, saluting the fallen. He recognized many of the names some of them he knew personally, friends from college, a store owner he was friends with, a boss from a part-time job, even a girl he had dated once, then there was his family.
Lowering his arm he returned to his car in silence, some of the people that had looked at him began whispering amongst themselves. A few of them he heard, one woman thought she recognized him, but could not place a name while another merely wondered why he was here, the war had been over for almost a year. For Mobius however, that war would never be over he would always remember it and always carry the weight of it with him.
He drove to the cemetery next; the name had changed since he had been gone. Walking amongst the graves he still remembered the exact number of people who died that day and the ones who died since the occupation, 241, from the first bomb to Nasuno's liberation. Finding the grave he wanted to see he slowly sat down, crossing his legs and leaning forward.
"Hey Claire" he said then looking to the adjacent graves, "Mom, dad. It's been a long time. The war is over, has been for a while sorry I didn't come by sooner I was…" he chuckled, "Believe it or not I was thrown into the future. I…I did some pretty bad things, I killed a lot of people, bad people, but I still killed them even tortured a few. I'm sure at the time I was just extremely lucky, but I managed to help ISAF liberate the town and after that I joined the Air Force which is why I was gone for so long. I helped fight the war and again believe it or not I'm actually the reason it turned in our favor, of course I had a lot of people helping me, but nothing ever truly seemed to be an obstacle to me".
He leaned back using his arms to hold himself up, "I fought in a lot of battles, one of the youngest fighter pilots in the Air Force and I somehow became the best. The old me would have had a massive ego boost out of that" he chuckled again, "I'm sure that's the point where Claire would have hit me again and called my annoying. After what was meant to be my final mission something happened, an asteroid fell from the sky and my fighter was engulfed in this light. Next thing I know I'm in space, freaking space".
He looked up at the night sky and recounted his travels with the crew of the Nirvana. Hours passed, as he told his story to the graves of his family laughing a few times and holding back tears at other points. He told them everything, the separation of the sexes, the difference in technology even the vanguard combining with the dreads. Then he told them about the people he met, Barnette and Jura, Duelo and Bart, Magno and BC, the bridge crew, Parfet, Dita and Hibiki and Paiway, then finally Meia.
"I had resigned myself to the life of a soldier in a way" he admitted, "None of you would have recognized me. I was cold, sarcastic, cut off from everything and everyone. The only reason I continued to fight was for my own sake, but then I met someone. At first I treated her the same as I treated everyone else, I didn't want anything to do with her, she was a good pilot they all were and after fighting alongside them for a while I guess I did develop some form of attachment to them not that I ever admitted it".
He sat back up and faced the graves again, "Her name is Meia, and she is kind of like me. She lost her parents and fell into a dark place after it. At some point honestly I don't even remember how it happened, but at some point I became used to her presence and tolerated her more and more. Eventually I felt, connected to her I enjoyed being around her. I don't even know where to begin describing her, she's amazing. I feel happy when I'm with her, more than happy I…I love her, her birthday is June tenth, just like yours Claire. You would like her, all of you would, I haven't even known her for a whole year yet and we've been together for roughly half that time. I asked her to marry me when we finished off the harvest, she said yes, it may be a little weird since we haven't been together for that long, but honestly I can't imagine my life without her".
He heaved a sigh, "That's why I'm trying to go back. I'll never be able to see you guys again, I really wish I could. I wish I could come back here whenever I wanted even though I'm only talking to myself here. If I could somehow go back and save you before the bombs came, or if there was just someway to introduce her to you guys. I know you would love her as much as I do. Even still, there is a part of me that wishes I could stay, that wishes I could have the three of you back especially you Claire".
"I would give anything to make it back to Meia, but at the same time I would give anything to have you back. Maybe I'm being greedy and asking too much of life, but having you back and getting to be with Meia, my life would be perfect then".
He looked up to the sky again, the moon was lingering in the horizon, in another few hours it would set and morning would come, he could see the edge of the sun's light cresting on the other side.
"I love you all" he said at last, "But this is goodbye".
Standing up he dusted at his pants and rear trying to remove the dirt stains that had set. He hesitated for a moment not wanting to pull his eyes away from the graves, but fighting against himself he turned away and left. Returning to his car, he left Nasuno and returned to the city and the airport, there he would rest until General Garsus sent a chopper for him. Part of him didn't like the special treatment he was getting, but if it got him closer to returning to Meia he would deal with it.
"Have you settled everything?" General Garsus asked him when he returned to the military base.
Mobius nodded, "Yes Sir, thank you".
Garsus nodded, "Not a problem, now let's head out our researchers are anxious to hear what you have to say about this thing".
"It's called the Peksis" Mobius told him.
"And how do you know that?" the general asked.
"You said some of the salvage team said they heard a voice in their head when they touched it or got to close right?" Mobius waited for him to nod, "The voice, its sounds like an echo, but you can hear it clearly almost like its ethereal".
"Damn" Garsus said, "That's spot on. I take it you heard that voice to?"
Mobius nodded, "In a way. I heard it when I lost control of my fighter, and I heard it a lot while I was out. I kept hearing that name, Peksis Pragma and, well this may sound insane, but I think it might be a living thing".
"You're right that does sound insane" the general replied, "It's a big glowing rock".
"One that's not of this world" Mobius reminded him.
"So you're saying it's an alien life form?" the general cracked a smile, "Should we break out the strobe lights and start flickering Morse code into the skies?"
"Not that kind of alien General" Mobius told him, "But it is a living thing. I just have a strong feeling about that, and I think I may have a way of proving it".
"You've definitely earned a peek at this thing; just don't go making me look like a fool for vouching for you".
Their transport landed at the research facility and Mobius followed the general into the lower levels. They had to be at least a third of a mile underground just judging from the length of the elevator ride, when they stepped out into the depths of the facility Mobius saw what was going on. It wasn't just some research facility; it was also a construction and testing site. They were building ships, massive rockets that could house people, people that could live on them.
"A colonization ship?" Mobius muttered.
"What was that?" the general yelled, barely able to hear him over the noise of the ship's construction.
"I asked what the hell it was for" Mobius yelled back.
"Right now nothing" the general told him, "But sometime in the future, maybe a few generations from now, it'll be a ship that allows us to travel deep into space. To see if there are other words that we can inhabit".
"The final frontier huh?" Mobius asked him.
"Honestly I don't think it's a good idea" the general admitted, "But I am curious to know if it would work, not that I'd ever get to see it".
"Yeah" Mobius agreed, "Something like that would probably be after my time as well".
Garsus patted his shoulder, "Let's get going they're waiting for us".
Mobius followed the general down another few levels before finally coming to a large bunker door. Inside Mobius saw it, in a massive chamber, the Peksis far bigger than what it was like back on the Nirvana. A group of researchers and another general approached them as Mobius walked over to the railing, gazing out at the Peksis.
"Hey there Peksis" he said quietly as the researchers and general tried greeting him.
The Peksis, reacting to Mobius' voice lit up and a loud hum echoed through the room.
"What the hell did it do?" Garsus asked.
"I'm not sure" one of the researchers admitted, "It's never done that before".
"It's been a while" Mobius said, "So this is what you used to look like?"
Again the Peksis glowed and hummed.
"Is he communicating with it?" one of the researchers asked.
Another rushed to Mobius' side, "Sir how are you doing that?"
"It reacts to emotions" Mobius told them, "We've met before".
Mobius walked around the edge of the chamber, the others following behind him. He stopped at a catwalk that crossed the center of the chamber and walked across until he stood mere meters away from the Peksis.
"Why did you take me there in the first place?" he asked it, "Was it just dumb luck that you passed by me at the time, or did you sense something in me?"
"You were the first being I encountered here" the Peksis answered in his head, its voice was different than he remembered, "I sensed your presence for a short period after my arrival, then you vanished".
Mobius nodded, "I don't know how you did it, but you threw me into the future, a little over a hundred years. I got caught up in another war, you were there to, well part of you was. You helped me and a lot of other people fight a terrible enemy".
"You said part of me was there? What happened?"
"I think you separated into two parts" Mobius told it, "I'm not sure if it was by your choice or by an outside force. I never thanked you in the future for all the help you gave me and the others, but I did appreciate it, there were times when you were the sole reason we survived".
"And somehow you have returned to this time".
Mobius nodded, "I think that was you as well, the future you. I was about to be hit with an attack that no doubt would have killed me, but you saved me and brought me back here. I'm grateful that you saved my life, but I want…no I need to go back".
"To a time of war, a time you almost died in?"
"I know it is a little confusing for you right now, but one day you will come to understand how humans think. There's someone important to me there and I need to get back to her. So I'm asking, begging you if there is anything you can do I need you to send me back".
Mobius looked over at the group of researchers and General Garsus, "Thank you General, for everything. Treat this thing well, it's not just an energy source, it's alive".
Climbing up the railing Mobius jumped off diving toward the Peksis, forcing his eyes to stay open as the familiar light swallowed him.
"You wish to return" the voice of the Peksis echoed around him.
Mobius opened his eyes; he was surrounded by the blue-green light of the Peksis. He could see flashes of his memories play around him. He turned, on one side he was talking to Jura not long after meeting her, next to it he was training the pilots that would become Eclipse squadron and behind him were memories of his time with ISAF. Everywhere he looked were memories of his life leading up to this point.
"I have to go back" Mobius answered.
"You wish to return" the Peksis said again, "But you wish to stay as well".
"Wish to stay?" Mobius muttered, "You mean while I was visiting my family's graves. No I don't want to stay here at this point in time; I wish I could go back and do something to save them from the bombs, especially Claire".
"You would give anything to save her?" the Peksis asked, "This is the love you humans spoke of. Sacrificing anything even yourselves for another".
"Yes" Mobius answered, "I want to go back to Meia, but at the same time I would love to see Claire again, even if it was just for a day, even a few minutes".
"To change the past, change what has made you into who you are and hold on to the future you have built for yourself. You ask for conflicting outcomes".
Mobius lowered his head, "I know. Humans are selfish like that I'm no different in the end".
"But you seek these things to bring peace to a tortured heart?"
"Yeah" Mobius admitted, "In a perfect world I would have Meia and my sister back. But life isn't perfect, no matter how hard we try".
"Yet you fight to try and make it so"
Mobius nodded, "Yeah, humans are pretty damn stubborn on top of selfish. Isn't that what makes us interesting though?"
"I have learned a lot from you and the others. You have shown me many things, fear, courage, joy, sadness. Hate and love, yet I still find humans strange".
"Even we don't understand ourselves most of the time" Mobius admitted, "But we try, at times".
"Many from both times call you a hero. For a long time you showed dislike of the term, denied it and admitted to acts that would label you as the opposite, yet you still garnered the admiration and respect of so many. Do you see yourself as a hero?"
"No" Mobius answered, "I made jokes, about how great I am, but that was to mess with Meia. I may be seen as a hero to many, but I don't see myself as one".
"And what of Meia and Claire? Surely you are a hero to them?"
"I'm happy they both held me in such a regard, but at the end of the day I don't want to be a hero. I just want to be happy and having them with me is the only way that can happen".
"You are in pain, yet you are not injured. You are lonely?"
"Something like that. When you love someone like this and you're away from them for so long, it hurts especially when that person is the only thing that gives your life meaning".
The sea of light around him grew brighter for a moment and Mobius covered his eyes, when the light returned to its normal state there was a doorway on either side of him.
"What is this?" Mobius asked staring at the doorways of light.
"A choice" the Peksis answered, "To your left is a door that will return you to the past, to the day your home town was destroyed. You can go back and save Claire. To your right will return you to the future, at the spot of the final battle with the harvest fleet, but I only have enough energy to take you to one".
"I could have Claire back?" he stammered turning to the left doorway. He reached his hand toward the space of white light, "I could go back and save her?"
"But you will lose the chance to return to Meia".
"Why?" Mobius asked looking up at the light and raising his voice, "Why would you give me a choice like this?"
"I confess it is for my own selfish desire. I am curious to see which you will choose. Out of all of the Nirvana, all of the humans I have encountered, you are the most interesting."
"So this is a test?" Mobius asked restraining the urge to yell, "You are going to give me a choice like this just to satisfy your own curiosity?"
"It is too much?" the Peksis asked, "Is the choice impossible to make?"
"Of course it is" Mobius finally yelled, "You're basically asking me to throw one away. I either have to let go of the chance to save my sister or walk away from a life with Meia. It doesn't matter which I choose I'll lose someone that's too important to me".
"And yet you have looked more at the left door, at the past than you have at the right. You seem to prefer the option to save your sister".
"Because she died for no reason" Mobius yelled, "There was no justification for her death, it shouldn't have happened, it wasn't right, it wasn't fair".
"But you said life wasn't fair. How is her death unfair? What of the others who died that day?"
"I don't care about them" Mobius said quietly, "Sure some of them were my friends, but…Claire was more important to me. She wasn't just my sister she was my best friend".
"But you cannot make the choice to save her?"
"Stop" Mobius said falling to his knees, unable to hold back his tears, crying for the first time in ages, "I would give my life to bring her back" he sobbed, "But I can't live without Meia".
"But you can live without Claire?"
"Stop it" Mobius cried, "This isn't a choice I can make. I love them both I can't let either of them go".
"So the choice truly is impossible then?" the Peksis asked sounding disappointed.
Mobius looked at the door to the past again then to the future, "Tell me something. If I were to go back, if I chose to save Claire. Meia and the others, would they still win? In the end, would they survive, would they win if I didn't return?"
"I do not know" the Peksis answered, "I am sorry".
Running his hand over his face, wiping his eyes Mobius stood up, he looked between the two doors fighting with himself unable to decide which door to chose. Save his sister at the cost of the woman he loved, or return to Meia and lose Claire again. The mere thought of the choice was tearing him apart, but to actually choose one over the other was too much. He could feel his heart, his body, his life being crushed as he looked between the two doors.
"Would you like for me to choose?" the Peksis asked.
Mobius wished the Peksis was a person, or at least had a physical form in front of him. He wanted to hit it, hard. He wanted to knock it to the floor, cause it to bleed for doing this to him. He tried not to blame it, it still didn't understand humans very well, but this was torture for him.
The Peksis apologized again, "I am sorry, I had assumed this would cause you pain. I understand that you hate me for this".
"I don't hate you" Mobius told it, "I'm furious, I'm pissed and honestly I really want to hit you right now. I want to kick your ass, but I can't bring myself to hate you. I'm just as mad at myself as I am at you, for not being able to let go".
"Would you life for me to choose for you?"
"No" Mobius said standing up and turning to one of the doors, "I've made my choice".
Approaching the door of his choice Mobius closed his eyes, hating himself for his choice as he stepped through again being swallowed by the bluish green light of the Peksis.
It's easy to make up your mind, but to convince your heart is the hard part - Unknown