Mercy
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Rick at first ended up in Florida and built himself a hut to live in close to the beach. He stayed there for about two years before moving yet again. It always happened; each place he lived only told him that he wasn't home. He was alone again and it made him realize that he didn't like it. It reminded him of what Kate had done for him.
Over the years he learned that this species just couldn't stay away from wars. The one Kate and his family had lived through was called the Civil War, the war between the North and the South.
Florida, thankfully, was mostly empty so he didn't have to try very hard to hide. He didn't need to try and explain his arm, eye, ear, or anything else.
Unfortunately he did find that Florida was prone to having very large storms flow over it that were accompanied by very high winds with lots and lots of rain. As warm as it was it was just a little dangerous and uncomfortable for him to live in. Nonetheless he stayed for a very long time.
It wasn't until he watched a railroad line was being built, heading down the length of Florida, that he realized how fragile they were. A hurricane had swept over a good part of the area and washed the train off its tracks, killing a lot of people including railroad workers.
He was learning that they had invented electricity, still relied on steam for transportation, and the area he had been living in that was Texas, was now called the United States of America.
Then another war started and he left Florida to get far far away. He jumped continuously around the Gulf of Mexico until he found himself in Mexico.
In Mexico, mostly by accident, he came upon the site where he would live for the next several hundred years. It was obviously abandoned by the people that built it. The jungle had reclaimed it but he could tell that it used to be a city. It was made from stone and it even had one great pyramid-like building in the very center. It gave him shelter and the area had more than enough food for him to eat. He could hunt and cook and even forage. Even better, no one came there.
The very best thing about his new home was that the pyramid-like structure was really tall and once he had jumped up there, instead of walking the hundreds of steps, he could see for miles. Even if the entire site was filled with jungle. The jungle meant he had lots of wood to use to cook with and with the inner rooms he could avoid all the rain.
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Rick was sitting way up high and looking out. Save for the native wildlife it was peaceful and quiet. That was until he heard a sound that was getting closer and closer.
He had seen several contrails of high flying planes the last few years. The planet had gone from steam to engines to flying with jets. They also had more and more wars.
It was narrow with a tail and had blades at the top and on the end. It even blew over him and didn't stop. "You wouldn't believe this place, Kate," Rick said to himself.
He knew they had cars, trucks, trains that didn't use steam and that they had even sent men to the planet's natural satellite. However, they never went back again.
He also knew that nature was fighting back to what they were doing to the planet. Viruses and diseases that would have been hidden away were now being exposed. And what they were doing was creating ones that hadn't originally existed.
As bad as that was he had learned that they had cracked the atom and that they now had thousands of atomic weapons. More than enough to burn the planet and kill everyone and everything on it.
He would leave if he could but he was trapped. If these people destroyed their planet he would die with them. He hated to think that he was ready to die. Kate and his family were long since gone and it had been a really long time.
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
Rick was laying on the stone and looking up at the night sky. He could see all the stars just like he could back when he had crashed here. "You would love these stars, Kate. You would be amazed at what's out there." Even Rick was betting that he would be amazed. It was more years than he cared to think about later and as fast as this planet was advancing, there were species out there that were already far more advanced even then.
Even his home planet was more advanced than this planet was now. These people couldn't even get off their own planet, let alone out into space, or to another system. This galaxy alone had thousands upon thousands of systems in it, not counting all the other galaxies.
"Would you like to see, Kate? To see what you had never even dreamed of." He had cried enough that he had no more tears to shed. He didn't even notice that he was talking to her by talking to himself.
His home was still nice and peaceful and filled with wildlife to keep him company. He still wasn't killing anyone. He knew that would make Kate happy.
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
Rick had never left his new home after all the years. No one had found his little hideaway. He had walked all of it over the years and while a lot of it was ruins and destroyed, enough of it still existed.
The site featured four main complexes with numerous individual palaces, platforms, and residential structures. There were a number of sacbeob (white stone roads), man-made irrigation canals that actually still worked (though they were clogged with plants), and reservoirs. He had so far counted thirty-two stelae (carved stone markers) and a hieroglyphic stairway.
Kate had liked her little town though his son had loved the stone of Boston. He was betting his son would love this place. It was all stone, everywhere. This ancient city would have been too small for him, but the look of it had him written all over it.
There were carvings everywhere. Most of which meant nothing to him. However it also told him that this place was older than the town of Mercy had ever been.
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
It was the year 2412. This planet had somehow avoided killing itself and everyone that lived on it. They had managed to send a small expedition group to a planet within their system. Every four years they sent a large supply train of ships. It would still be generations before they ever got past that planet but maybe one day.
What worried him a little was that they still couldn't get past having wars. They had even used a few nuclear devices, but it was only a few. He was betting whoever had used them had gotten what they wanted out of it and then calmer heads prevailed.
Now what happened to these people when far more advanced ships and people found them would be interesting.
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
Rick was resting at night one more time and looking up at the stars. He had seen modern helicopters actually hovering over this space a few days ago. Someone had clearly found his home. He was betting someday soon a group would show up to survey what was here and he would lose his home yet again. He didn't know where he would go after this.
"It isn't a small town anymore, Kate. I don't think you would like this place now."
Then he got an alert on his eye. It wasn't a jet from this planet and it was traveling exceptionally fast. It had come from space and while he didn't know who it was he decided to risk it and sent out a high gain signal.
This planet had yet to discover this range of signal so whoever it was would be surprised to hear it, he was certain. He stood up to watch it.
Sure enough it slowed significantly, adjusted course, and headed right for him. If they decided to attack maybe his life would finally be over. He truly was ready to die. He had lived long enough and was ready.
Instead it stopped right over him about twenty feet above him. It was perfectly smooth and it was round. Well, flat and round, and he hadn't seen a design like it.
"Identify!" a voice that he actually understood suddenly sounded out.
"Richard Rodgers. Karla Special Forces. Unit number 49," Rick bellowed out and up to whatever it was or whoever it was.
"Standby," the voice ordered and he just stood there, looking up at it. He could shoot it and blow a hole in it. But what would that gain him? Besides Kate would never forgive him if he did.
"Standby for transport."
"Alright." Just what did that mean? This thing looked like a cross between a fighter and a search ship. Fast, agile, and armed. Perfect for reconnaissance duty. Get in and get out fast.
Then suddenly he literally began to fall apart and he screamed until darkness took him. It was nothing like what he could do.
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
Rick had no idea where he was. Nothing looked familiar though he could tell he was in a small room. He was also on a bed which had him getting up. His room had an opening so he walked to it and hit a wall of energy that forced him back.
He saw a head raise up and then back down. Looking around his room had almost nothing. There was a sink, a toilet-looking like device, his bed, and nothing else. Even the light for his space came from outside of the energy wall.
Once again he was tempted to raise his arm and blow a hole in something to get out. But he didn't. Kate wouldn't like it, so he waited.
He didn't have long to wait when someone that looked like his race or Kate's showed up and they were wearing a uniform.
"Richard Rodgers. Chosen for augmentation for the war of 2122. Listed as lost but not killed. It's been a long time, Rodgers. To be precise, it's been 617 years. I'm told you were found on a minor planet halfway down a minor arm in a different system. Care to tell me how you came to be there?"
"And you are?" Rick inquired before he answered any questions.
"I am Admiral Jerry Typhos. I command the home station of the 12th fleet stationed at Karla. I was informed of your existence one year and two months before you were brought here."
Rick tried to think. "One year and two months?" He didn't think he was that far away. And he didn't even remember coming here. He was on Earth then suddenly he was here.
"You were found by the Titan Corporation based in the Delphi system. They were doing a survey of that system when they got your signal. They completed their survey before taking you to the Camus system where you were downloaded. The chip that held you was then transferred several times before being brought here. My apologies for the delay. It was outside of my jurisdiction." It wasn't until he reached Karla space that Rick came under his jurisdiction.
"My chip?" That didn't make any sense to him either.
"Your body was broken down into energy then stored in a memory chip. Once your chip reached us, we reintegrated you and placed you in a security cell. Now, Rodgers." The admiral had told him all he was going to tell him for now until he had answers.
Rick proceeded to tell him pretty much everything including Kate and his children.
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Rick had been removed from his security cell and given a room that he had been in for a week thus far. They fed him and cleaned his room every two days.
Today, though, he was being escorted by what he was told was a Karla Marine. He had armor that covered his entire body. He also had a very interesting weapon that he kept at the ready but was relaxed.
Rick found himself in an office. "Admiral."
"Please have a seat, Rodgers. We have a lot to discuss." He motioned for Rick to sit as he himself sat behind a desk.
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"This will work?" Rick asked yet again since this time there was an extra doctor. He hated doctors with a passion since they were the ones that had made him this way; he couldn't help himself.
"We have already downloaded the one you call Kate from your system. As I'm sure you were told, she is 99.9997 complete which is amazing given that your system wasn't meant to be used like that. You and she are very lucky.
"We cannot undo what was done to you all those years ago. It's permanent, I'm afraid. This is the only viable option. Downloading you into this computer is a precaution. If we encounter a problem transferring you out of the computer we will have a chance to abort the procedure and try again.
"If your Kate can last this long in your system, you and she can wait lifetimes until we try again if necessary." It was everything Rick had already been told. It was what had gotten him this far.
If it really didn't work then maybe it would kill him and his suffering would finally be over.
They had Rick lie down and he watched as he was plugged in. "Try to relax and not move. Do not resist because you will want to. Once we reach a certain percentage we will be unable to stop. We will be committed."
Rick had already told them that if that happened they should just erase him and let him die.
"Relax. Keep relaxing." They were monitoring his brain function and he was too active. Once he reached a minimum they started the process.
Rick saw a bright light that looked like a tunnel that he was racing through at a speed that boggled even his mind. It seemed to last almost forever even if he had been informed it would only last 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
"Doctor?" one asked the other.
"He's holding at 99.99999 percent. We're good to go for the second phase," she responded.
"Doctor?" He asked a third one who was monitoring his own screens.
"Ready. We are holding at 20 years, 3 months and 12 days as requested," was the answer.
"Rodgers, can you hear me?" one of them inquired.
"Yes." Rick didn't see anything at all. It wasn't that it was black; it was all white. And there was literally nothing to see. Nothing to focus on.
"We are ready to start phase two. Like last time I need you to relax. Try not to think of anything and just let it happen."
From Rick's point of view he could do that since there wasn't much to do anyway.
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
It was two weeks later and Rick was still trying to get used to all the changes. It was something he'd never thought would happen. He actually looked just like he had when he'd entered the Academy.
Today he was back in the room that had made him who or what he was today.
He was standing next to the computer and not that far away from the body that was in a tank. He watched as a doctor pointed at him.
"Kate, can you hear me?" Rick gave her a moment. "Kate?"
"Rick?" It didn't sound like her but she knew his name. "I can't see you, where are you?" Rick knew what she was seeing, that it was pretty much nothing.
"I know." Then Rick questioned her. "How do you feel?"
"I can't see you. I can't see annnythiing." Kate was beginning to cry.
"I know, I know but you will. I need you to relax." Much like him she needed to reach a minimum on a doctor's screen.
"Where are you? Pleeeasse!" Kate was still crying.
"Please, my love, I need you to relax. The more you relax the sooner you will see me."
"Promise?"
Rick could still hear her crying. "Yes, my love, I promise. …Just relax. I know it's scary but it won't be soon. …Relax, Kate." Rick saw the doctor waving at him to get her to calm down even more. "That's it, just keep relaxing and don't worry about not being able to see anything. That will change soon." Rick watched the doctors. They were finally happy and the transfer started.
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
Rick had watched her being removed from the tank and taken away. He was escorted back to his room where he was forced to wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.
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Rick answered his door and saw the doctor, "This way, please," and followed her to a room where he saw Kate in a hospital bed. "Oh, Kate!" Rick ran his hand through her hair. He could tell that she was breathing so she was alive. He was immediately joined by the doctor.
"Her transfer was just as successful as yours was. She was initially forced to sleep just like you were. She will wake up on her own soon. Our only real difficulty was creating a viable clone using the tiny amount of DNA that you provided.
"You were easy since we could obtain any amount of DNA that we needed. I'll be back after she wakes up." The doctor left him. That gave Rick a chance to look over what he could see of her. She looked just like he remembered her. Back when he first met her almost.
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"Where are we going?" Kate still didn't recognize anything. It had taken a lot of explaining from Rick to even begin to understand how she had gotten here.
She had died but she wasn't dead. Something about her body being a copy of the one she did have. And if that wasn't enough, the arm she was holding onto as they walked used to be a weapon, but now it wasn't.
His arm had changed, his eye had changed, his ear had changed. He wasn't bald and his spine wasn't metal. She had found that out the second she'd made love to him.
He had explained that he was a copy just like she was. He was 20 years old and she was 19. Or at least her body was.
She had to admit that when she looked at herself she looked different than she remembered.
"I have a surprise." Rick kept holding her hand and continued walking.
Kate saw people dressed in clothes she didn't recognize though even the clothes she was wearing were different. She was still adjusting to something called a bra. It didn't look like anything she had ever seen. It was form fitting and it lifted her breasts up. Even the panties she was wearing looked and initially felt tight but now she couldn't feel either of them.
"Another one?" She had already had more surprises than she could take. If she didn't have hold of Rick she would already be screaming. He was the only reason she was still sane.
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There was a man in a uniform waiting for them. "Rodgers, two to transport," Rick told him.
"Yes, sir. Identification, please?" He scanned Rick's wrist and walked them through the door.
"Keep your eyes open and hold onto me," Rick warned her.
There was only one window and this guy was sitting in front of it. Suddenly they were in the air and Kate squeezed Rick's arm. This was impossible! Then it got worse. Everything went black. "BABE!?" She had no idea where she was.
"You know we're on Karla, right?" Rick asked her and watched her nod. "The planet you were on is very far away. This blackness is space. The place that's between planets."
"That Christmas globe." Kate understood now. "Where are we going?"
"Well…it's been 617 years and Karla never registered me as being dead. So I've been paid for my…service for 617 years. Plus a little interest." His pay had been earning interest. But Karla kept most of the interest since they were the ones that had placed it in that account.
"I used part of it to buy us something." He had already spent part of the money to buy them clothes, food, and other things and have it all delivered. He still had money left over.
"What is that!?" Kate pointed out the window since suddenly some sunlight lit up something it looked like they were headed for.
"I bought us a home. One that travels through space," Rick explained.
Kate stared at it. It was white with a little blue and a little light brown. One end was narrow and tall. Then as it got longer, it got wider. The brown was up front on top and the blue was farther back and on top and on this side.
Rick tried again. "It's a ship. One that we can use to go from place to place and live in."
|)(| O |)(| O |)(|
They soon walked though the airlock and went inside as their ride left them. They stepped into a large room that had glass on the ceiling and glass on two sides high up. In the middle were two sofas, two chairs, and a table in the center. On either end of the table were tubes that were aquariums that had fish swimming around in them.
Rick watched Kate walk over to them, run a hand across the sofa, and look at the fish. She had never seen anything like it.
Next she saw the flight chair where Rick would sit to fly them from place to place. Down the stairs on one side she was shown the kitchen and a place to eat. Continuing through a hallway she was shown their bedroom, bathroom, and another bedroom with its own bathroom. There was an office area, something called a TV room, and some exercise equipment, and a medical unit.
Back upstairs he walked her to the other end. "The engines are behind these panels. You don't need to worry about that." Then he opened a door at the end and all she saw was blackness.
"That is space." He pointed out that they were outside the ship and exposed to space. Kate watched him walk to the end and poke something that shimmered. She did what he had just done and felt resistance. "BABE!" She had now spotted something else.
"That's Karla as seen from space." She was looking down on a planet from space.
"What do we do?" This place was bigger than the place she had called home above the restaurant. Plus if it wasn't Rick telling her all this she would have just shut down.
"We travel from planet to planet and explore and live." What he hadn't yet explained was that thanks to the medical bay they were both going to live to be about 150 years old. Or three times longer than Kate had the first time. Maybe if they cloned themselves and downloaded their minds again they might live another 150 years. Cloning still had its problems so once or twice was about it.
If Kate could get pregnant the last time she could get pregnant this time. They could start another family and live their lives as they traveled through space. They might even go visit Earth.
Kate was still coming to terms with all that had happened. The fact that she had died but wasn't dead. That her children had died hundreds of years ago. That she was where her husband had been born.
"There's one more thing that we need to do before we leave." He was planning on flying over to the space station so they could accomplish that small thing.
"What's that?" Kate wasn't sure she could take much more. None of this was familiar and it was a little overwhelming.
"Get married." Rick dropped down on one knee to propose again. "Kate, you know I love you more than anything. Will you marry me…again?"
Trembling, Kate smiled and began crying. The man she loved most, who now looked different, wanted to marry her again. Kate covered her mouth with both hands and while crying, nodded. She so wanted to be married to him. Again and again and if necessary, again.