Chapter Quote:
"Some secrets are meant to stay secret forever."
~Liane Moriarty

Chapter 25: Deliberation: Part 5

Brett

Interview #9

The Witness

Oured, Osea

10 November 2005

I sat in my car, staring at a rundown insurance building on the north side of Oured. Inside was one of the men I sought.

A supposedly dangerous one.

Hell, I believed it. This was the unsafe side of Oured. You had to have some wits and protection live up here. Like with Zubov, I came packing, my gun in its holster hidden by my jacket.

Speaking of Zubov, I wondered if that creepy devil was nearby. My sources hadn't found this guy while I was in Osea before, but the warehouse Zubov had taken residence in wasn't far from here. Ironic how close some of these people were without any realization.

"Anthony Palmer," I said into my recorder. "Former lieutenant of the Osean Air Defense Force, 8th Air Division, 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. He was missing for some time, along with Captain Bristow of the same unit, since the decisive Battle of Waldreich. Captain Bristow is rumored to be one of the founding members of A World With No Boundaries. Palmer's ties to the captain have led many to believe that he is a high-ranked individual within the group. He currently works for an insurance company based in Oured, the capital city of Osea."

Prepping myself for this next interview, I stepped out into the cold air and entered the building. A single man sat there, a hard expression set on his face. He looked up at me and said, "May I help you?"

"My name is Brett Thompson. Are you Anthony Palmer?"

"I am. Take a seat." He nodded to the chair in front of his desk, and I listened, sitting down wordlessly. I took out my camera and focused it on him. "Where would you like to start?"

"Tell me about your background first."

"Not much to tell there. I was born in 1963 near Akerson Hill, joined the Air Force in the eighties, reached the rank of First Lieutenant because they saw such great potential in me. A good call on their part, considering I broke so many records. They were only just now broken according to some friends I still have at the Academy."

"What was your callsign?"

"Bedivere, after the knight of the Round Table. A few of us who were really close all chose callsigns referring to the times of Arthurian legend. We all thought we were put on this earth for a greater purpose."

"Was Joshua Bristow one of them?"

"Yes. He named himself after Lucan. I'm surprised he didn't try and go for Arthur himself. He has quite the ego, and while I've come to accept my defeat, he hasn't, I think he's still under the illusion he can win. I don't that'll ever change. Bristow sees the Demon Lord as his arch-enemy, and he'll do anything he can to wreak as much havoc as possible to bring him out of hiding. As much as I hate to say, this isn't the last we've seen of Bristow. He'll get out prison. I have no doubt about that."

"You two were one of the few who fought alongside the Demon Lord as both an ally and an enemy. What was that like?"

Palmer scoffed. "Demon Lord was right. Everything he touched fell apart. I thought I was watching magic. When I was in the military, they called me an ace, too. I got medals for my actions on numerous battlefields. I'd never felt fear toward an opponent. The same went for my ideals. I wasn't afraid to take on even an entire country. But when I was fighting him, something felt different. At first, I didn't know what it was. It wasn't until I noticed my hands shaking on the flight stick that I realized… it was fear."

"You felt fear just by watching him fly?" I asked. "Before you even engaged him?"

Palmer nodded. "It's embarrassing, but once I felt that I couldn't fly anymore. I felt guilt toward my companions at the same time."

"How come?"

"I let them down by not being able to fight. I shouldn't have been afraid. I knew this man and how he flew. I'd seen him against the enemy before, and I thought I knew his tactics. But I was wrong. His flying had come a long way the second time we met, and I stood no chance."

"What do you think he's doing now?"

"There's always a war somewhere, and I'm sure he's on some battlefield somewhere fighting even now. He'll always have a place to live," Palmer said. "People like him can never stop fighting. If they do, the truth of what they've done will catch up to them."

"Has that happened to you?" I asked cautiously.

Palmer didn't answer immediately, mulling over his answer. "It did. Once the war ended, I tried to evade the Osean government to avoid being court marshaled. I lasted maybe a couple of years before they found me. There aren't many ways to avoid being court marshaled, but leaving the military is one of them. It was the last thing I wanted to do, and it was a blow to my ego and pride. However, I'd rather be a free man not in the military than a soldier in prison."

"What are your feelings towards the Demon Lord?"

"Back then, I saw him as an obstacle that needed to be taken out. I hated him back then. Now, I realize he was fighting on the good side, the side I was originally on, and the side I should've stayed on. I have no hard feelings toward him now."

"Why did you join a World With No Boundaries? Were you one of its founders?" I shifted in my seat, the chair highly uncomfortable. "You seem to regret your participation in it now."

"I was a founder. I should've known better, and I should've left when we planned to use the V2, but Bristow had this way of convincing people that was damn near inescapable. He told me it was the beginning of the end. He said if we succeeded in this mission, there would be no more death from war, and we would all live in harmony because we wouldn't have any borders. I believed him and continued leading the movement."

"And now?"

"Simple. I don't," Palmer said bluntly. "I've had a lot of time to think about what I've done, and I was wrong back then. I let a smooth-talker convince me into doing something I knew- deep down- was wrong."

"Is there anything you think could've changed the outcome of whether or not A World With No Boundaries succeeded?" I inquired.

"If Bristow had managed to convince the Demon Lord to join, the world would've been toast. He and Pixy were unstoppable together." Anthony chuckled humorlessly as a thought occurred to him. "You know, Bristow probably would've nicknamed the Demon Lord 'Arthur' because he was the King we needed. But we only got Pixy, so he became the King."

"Only got Pixy? From what I've heard, he gave the Demon Lord a hell of a time in their final battle."

"I'm not saying Pixy isn't good. He's the only one who could've beaten the Demon Lord, but there was something about the Demon Lord that day. I heard snippets of their conversation over the radio. It sounded like he'd been taunting Pixy, and successfully too. I don't know if that played a part in it or not, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did. Pixy sounded pissed."

"If you crossed paths with the Demon Lord, what would you say to him right now?"

"I'd probably just tell him good job and congratulations." Palmer scratched his chin thoughtfully. "And I'd tell him I'm sorry for what happened with Pixy. It's not easy to lose a brother, and I know they were."

"Did you?"

He nodded solemnly. "Bristow. I lost him to the madness of it all. He's so far gone in believing A World With No Boundaries should exist that there's no hope of ever pulling him back."

His phone rang, and he picked it up. I stopped filming there, pleased with the information I'd collected. I waited until Palmer finished his call before saying, "Thank you for taking the time out of your day to speak with me. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," he replied, shaking my hand. "Good luck with your documentary. I look forward to watching it."

He started to open his mouth again, but shut it, prompting me to ask, "Something on your mind?"

Palmer pursed his lips momentarily. "Have you talked to Bristow yet?"

"Not yet. I talk to him tomorrow."

He shook his head, ever so slightly. "Good luck. And a word of advice? If you want information out of him, appeal to his ego. Make him think this documentary is about him."

Interview #10

The Revolutionary

The Osea Federal Prison of Land Ford

11 November 2005

After a long car ride, and an even longer boat ride, I walked up to the twelve-foot, razor wire fence that outlined the Fort Land Supermax prison. Escorted by two prison guards, they led me through the maze of dark and dingy hallways to a room deep inside the prison. On the way, I recorded the introduction: "Joshua Bristow. Former captain of the Osean Air Defense Force, 8th Air Division, 31st Tactical Fighter Squadron. His actions during the Belkan War are surrounded in mystery, and he is rumored to be one of the founders of A World With No Boundaries. His whereabouts were unknown after the decisive 'Battle of Waldreich.' But several years later, he resurfaced as a leader of a terrorist organization. Today he is serving time in prison."

In an isolated cell, a man with shaggy auburn hair and piercing hazel eyes sat on the edge of his bed, looking at me expectantly. Only a small sliver of light shone down on him. I pulled out my camera and began filming, purposefully keeping the lens just low enough that it cut off his face. I didn't want him getting the fame he wanted, but I also didn't want him to catch onto what I was doing.

With a relaxed smirk, the prisoner said, "You must be here to interview me about my legendary past."

I refrained from rolling my eyes. If I had to play to this man's ego to get answers, then so be it. "Yes, I'm Brett Thompson. You're the famous Joshua Bristow."

He pointed a finger at me. "I like you. You used 'famous' instead of 'infamous.' So tell me, what would you like to know?"

"Start from the beginning of your career," I instructed. I wanted to get this interview over as quickly as possible. Not only was this place giving me the creeps, but so was Bristow. He didn't make much eye contact with me, at least. He kept his attention on his ring.

"I was born in Oured and grew up with an abusive father and no mother. I read a lot to keep my mind occupied from the horrors of my childhood. It was an escape. The first time I read about fighter pilots, I fell in love, and I made sure I had the perfect grades and all the skills required to get into the Osean Air Force Academy. I did so flawlessly, set records at school, and broke the record for fastest ascendant to captain. It took me only three years. I was twenty-five. They assigned me as leader of the Wizard Squadron, and that's when my life really began."

"As a leader of a World With No Boundaries?"

"Yes. It was at this time that I met Anthony Palmer and Anton Kupchenko. I knew Anthony because we were both stationed at the same base near the Belka border. It was at a pub we met Anton. We started talking, started having drinks, and the more we got to know each other, the more the plan formed. Of course, it was I who created the entire thing from scratch. Anton and Palmer were my right-hand men."

I doubt that's what they'd say. I thought. This man has an ego the size of Osea itself.

"What happened after the war? How long did you evade capture?" I asked.

"I stayed hidden for about five years before they found me. I got a court-martial and ended up here." Bristow glanced up at the small window at the top of his cell. "This darkness and that little window are my entire world now. I'm actually rather fond of it. The darkness envelops me in a borderless world, a world with no boundaries."

"How do you feel about the Demon Lord stopping A World With No Boundaries?" I wanted to elicit a response other than the cool, collectedness Bristow was showing me. His narcissism and arrogance made me suspect he had a hidden side to him, one that was much angrier and explosive than anyone knew. If this did happen, at least I had guards and a cell to protect me.

Bristow shook his head. "He was not the reason we were unable to change the world. No matter what the desired outcome is, the world can still change as long as people expand their knowledge and desire change. Today's world has already changed from what it was back then."

"They're trying to sign arms' reductions and nuclear ban test treaties. How do you feel about that?"

"It's a lie," Bristow scoffed. "Countries will do it in secret. Or secret organizations. There will always be someone trying to beat everyone else as long as borders exist. Until we live in a borderless society, war will always be around, and innocent lives will suffer. Fathers will bury their sons, instead of sons burying their fathers. Tell me something: do you think that's right? That fathers must bury their sons?"

"No, I don't. But if their sons sign up for the military, they're also willingly and knowingly entering a profession in which they could die. It's their choice."

"It shouldn't be a choice. We shouldn't even have to have militaries to fight other countries. We should all be united. But there are power-hungry people in this world who refuse to let that happen."

"On the contrary, giving one person to rule the entire world seems like too much power for one person."

"Not one person. A group. They will convene and make decisions for the world. They will do what is best for the people."

"What's best for some people isn't what's best for others. It's why we have a voting system. You vote for who is going to help you the most. Would that voting system continue in this borderless world of yours?" I asked.

"No. We can't afford to let bad people influence the citizens. It will be a select group of people who I know have the best interests of the people at heart."

"Would one of those people be you?"

"Absolutely. I'd be the one choosing them."

"Who would you choose? Anthony Palmer?"

"Nice try, kid, but I won't say. I can't afford to have them imprisoned alongside me. I need them free, so when I get out of here, we can reconvene and set out to do our work." For the first time, I saw Bristow scowled. "As for Mr. Palmer, no, I would not choose him. He abandoned us after he was shot down. He let the Demon Lord defeat him."

"You didn't?"

"Absolutely not," he declared. "I have the intention of finding him again, whoever he may be, and I will fight him again. This time, I will win."

"When are you supposed to get out of here?"

"They say I have two life sentences since it was my idea for the V2. So what I was going to destroy a city with it? Better a few hundred thousand than a few million like I could have!" Bristow shook his head. "The destruction caused by my weapons still wouldn't have been as bad as what Belka did to their own people. But does that matter? No. They can't see the big picture here."

"What do you plan on doing about it?"

"I'll get out one day, I'm sure of it. I have those on the outside already working on my release. I'll restart my previous activities and try and bring peace to the world. That is why I was put here on earth."

"Do you have any other plans besides that?"

"There are some people who need to pay for their misdeeds against me and A World With No Boundaries. There are some I need to convince to come back."

"Who are they?"

"I'm sure I could convince Pixy to come back. As long as he's not in touch with the Demon Lord, he shouldn't be too hard. I gave him something to fight for back then, and I can give him something to fight for now. Palmer, I'm not sure what I want to do with him yet. You know, he hasn't even tried to come visit me once? I'm allowed correspondence with friends and family in the form of letters. That's it. Not a single one has been from him. The only excuse I'll take when I see him next is that he's been running our organization until my return, keeping it going. Otherwise, he'll have to pay."

"What about the Demon Lord?"

Bristow shook his head. "He's too much of a wild card. I wouldn't trust to have him on my side. He's also the only one who could convince Pixy to turn back to his side, and I wouldn't put it past the Demon Lord to join us just to do that exact thing and then leave. He saw Pixy as a brother. They might as well have been from the same parents. Besides, I'm pretty sure the Demon Lord hated me. I'm honored. I'm the only one he truly hated."

"Five minutes," a guard warned.

"You're the first person I've talked to other than Thing One and Thing Two here," Bristow remarked. "It's nice to talk to someone who can understand my point of view of things, who understands my end goal."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I'd need to make a disclaimer at the end of this video to make sure people knew I most certainly did not understand him. I needed to change the topic of conversation to what I really came here for.

"I've been told mercenaries fight for pride, strength, and money. What do you think the Demon Lord fought for?"

"I think he loved the thrill of the fight. If you're not fighting for a country, and when you could've retired halfway through the war, what's left to fight for? I think he wanted to see who could beat him if anyone could. If we faced each other again, I know I could. I know all his tactics now. I'll get another chance someday."

I highly doubt that.

"If you could say anything to the Demon Lord, what would it be?"

"Right now? Hmm…" Bristow fiddled with his thumbs. "I'd say see you in the next war. It's coming in the next few years, mark my words, and A World With No Boundaries will resurface. We might be under a different name, and we may not be as in your face, but we'll play a part."

"Time's up!" the guard announced.

"I hope to speak to you again sometime," Bristow called out as the guards escorted me away.

I waved goodbye to keep up appearances, but the moment I was out of earshot, I pulled my camera back out. Hitting record, I said, "I'd like to put it on the record that I never have and never will agree with Bristow's views for a borderless world, nor do I agree with the ideals of a World With No Boundaries. I was following Anthony Palmer's advice on getting him to talk."

With that done, I exited the prison and was brought back to the mainland. From here, I only had three more interviews to conduct, and I set out for the next as soon as my foot hit solid ground.

Interview #11

The Guardian

Holtz Public Cemetery, Belka

14 November 2005

A golden glow had cast itself over the small town of Holtz as I walked into the Holtz Public Cemetery. I walked past rows and rows of headstones, some with flowers, some without. I scanned name after name, looking for my next person of interest, my camera catching every moment of the surreal situation.

I found him in front of a magnificent monument in the middle of the cemetery.

I knelt down in front of him and pulled out my recorder, saying, "Anton Kupchenko. Thought to be head director of A World With No Boundaries. Former member of the Belkan Air Force 18th Air Division, 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron. In his glory days, he was a Belkan ace, and later became head of their department of weapons development and technology. But the military sent him back out on the front lines as a commander. In March of 1995, he suddenly disappeared along with his platoon and was never accounted for after that. The Belkan Air Force announced that he died in combat. Several months after that, his corpse was found close to the Belkan border. The whole story is still shrouded in mystery."

I shut off my recorder and stared at the headstone, reading the words engraved on it: The gate to the new world has been opened. My soul shall be the wind that enters the gate. When the sleeping king awakes, my body, too, shall surely rise.

Not much was known about the legendary fighter pilot, but I was determined to change that. Somehow, one of my sources discovered Kupchenko had a girlfriend at the time of his death. She was tried at court for being tied to A World With No Boundaries but was found not guilty. There are still some who believe she did, but there wasn't sufficient evidence then, and to my knowledge, there still isn't.

"Brett Thompson?" A woman asked, approaching from behind.

I turned around and nodded. "Yes. Are you Muriel Lehmann?"

"I am. I apologize for being late. I got stuck in traffic." She knelt down next to me, careful to avoid getting dirt on her dress. She placed a bouquet of flowers in front of his headstone. "I met Anton just before he became a pilot. He was so dedicated to his profession, but it wasn't just to flying. He was dedicated to Belka and helping them achieve their goals. Anton could work in any position they put him in."

"Oh?" I queried.

"The Belkans moved him to the weapons and technology research department. That was in the late seventies. He was the chief engineer for Project Pendragon. He used to tell me all about it, but he only ever called it by that name. I never realized it was the same weapon used in the last battle between the Demon Lord and Solo Wing Pixy until I was tried at court for my potential involvement."

"What did Anton say about the Demon Lord?"

"Not much, but I know he kept track of his movements religiously. I thought it was for his part in the Belkan Air Force. Since the Demon Lord was a mercenary, I figured Anton was keeping track of him in case he ever had to face him. I never realized until it was too late that he was keeping track of the Demon Lord for A World With No Boundaries. Anton was trying to find the man's weakness, but he couldn't find any."

"What about Pixy?"

"Anton asked Bristow to convince Pixy to come to their side. Anton called Pixy the King and believed him to be the one to help them win the war. He adored Pixy and thought him to be the greatest pilot on earth. If he only knew the Demon Lord shot him down…"

"What was Anton like?"

Muriel smiled softly. "Anton loved his country. Anyone who met him could see that straight away. He always wore some form of clothing with the Belkan flag or colors on it. Some even called him fanatical. He was stern and honor-bound. Everything he did, he did in the name of honor for his country. However, Anton was always kind to me and others around him. Children adored him. Quite a few joined the military because of his influence. I've gotten to see them grow up and become fearsome pilots themselves."

"He sounds rather charming."

"Oh, he was. Even if you didn't agree with Anton, I don't think I ever met anyone who hated him. Many of his friends joked that he should've become a politician, but he refused. Anton hated politicians and politics. He always doubted the authenticity of the politicians and couldn't bring himself to believe that they could establish international diplomacy simply through peace talks. I guess that could insinuate that Anton believed international diplomacy couldn't be reached without physical combat. I also believe his strong moral code wouldn't let him become a politician. Even if something was right, if it went against his belief or moral code, he couldn't do it."

"Did you ever suspect he was doing something illicit?"

"Sometimes," she admitted, fiddling with her necklace. "But whenever I'd ask him about it, Anton would always remove any fear or doubts I had with just a few words. Anton never wanted me involved. Whether that was because he didn't want me to be, or because he wanted to protect me from it all, I don't know. I stopped asking, and if I must be honest with myself, I turned a blind eye to it all. I didn't want to believe he could be doing anything he wasn't supposed to be. Maybe if I had said something, he'd still be alive today."

"Did he ever say anything about the Demon Lord's identity?" I asked, wondering if any of the aces knew about it. I figured Pixy and PJ did considering how close they were to him but did the others?

"No. Anton said he was young, though. Young and brash. He thought he could use that knowledge against the Demon Lord, but his tactic didn't pan out well. Somehow, the Demon Lord best him." Muriel stood up, and I followed suit. "I wish I could tell you more about him, but anything regarding the war and the Demon Lord, he kept me mostly in the dark. It's just stuff I observed and put together, and the few things he did tell me."

"I greatly appreciate your time and input, Miss Lehmann," I said. "Any information about the aces the Demon Lord faced, and the Demon Lord himself, I'll take."

We strolled back to the entrance in silence, both deep in our own thoughts. We bade each other goodbye once we reached our cars, and I stopped recording.

Starting up my car, I realized my time with this documentary was almost over. I had two interviews left, and they were the most important ones.

The Demon Lord's two brothers.