Diana stepped into the room. She almost immediately threw the knife. It hit the wall by Fiona's head with a resounding thunk. Fiona dove into a corner. "What did you do with my sister!" cried Diana, as she pounced on Fiona.
Jonas was standing outside, catching his breath. Peter walked up. "She's not Eve, is she?" Jonas hesitated, and shook his head. "I didn't think so. I knew you'd grieve equally for either of them, so it was mainly Fiona's… I don't know, aura, so to speak. She gives off this vibe of someone who was oblivious, and has now seen far too much. What happened to my sister in law?" Jonas was confused – why wasn't this man, one he had known for four years, why wasn't he grieving, or at least angered? "Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm quite angry with you covering up her identity, but I know you did it for our sake, and whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. Another thing, knowing Eve, she probably ran in to save you, Fiona, Asher, and Lily, at the cost of her own life…" Jonas could see the anguish in Peter's eyes. Jonas put a hand on Peter's shoulder. No words were exchanged, because there were none to exchange. Then, they heard a loud crash from the upstairs window. Jonas suddenly remembered the knife in Diana's hand, the pained, angry expression imprinted on her features. Jonas rushed upstairs, peter at his heels. When they entered the room, they were met with the sight of Diana, standing over Fiona, knife raised. "Diana!" peter grabbed her shoulders. Jonas stepped in front of Diana, and motioned for Fiona to get out of the way. "Let her go." He said to peter. Diana rushed at him. He grabbed the knife, and struggled with her for it. "Diana, if there is anyone you should want to kill, it's me. My return to the community triggered Eve's death. If I had not chosen to go, she would still be alive." he wrested the knife from her grasp. He felt a slight pain in his hand, and looked down. The cut was moderate sized, from where he had grasped the blade of the knife, because he had run out of handle. "This cut is far less than I deserve. However, I can lie to you no longer. It was no choice of any of us that eve should perish. She chose to save us. You've read the letter, I'm sure, so you know she chose this for herself. That she chose me over herself tortures me… rips my soul apart, and always will, but her wishes were that I live. That we all live. Nor was it my choice to have Fiona impersonate Eve. That was Fiona's decision. We agreed upon this path of action, to spare your feelings. You are family to me. I would not have you feel the pain I feel." His voice was stern and strong, and gave the impression of inexorable truth. "If it is what you wish, for what I've done, I will leave, but Fiona is your family – all you have left of Eve. Do not make her come with me. Cherish her. She is a wonderful person. None can replace Eve, but make Fiona a sister as Eve was. Her mother died during the cleansing of the community. She has no family. I ask you not for pity, or sympathy, but for the courtesy one family member would give another, in their time of need. I will go now." He turned, and began the long journey to the door of his only remaining home. "…Jonas?" he turned. "Yes, Diana?" she ran to him and embraced the young man. With the exception of Jonas, everyone wept openly. Jonas had done his crying. He felt dead inside. His life was gone. He had his brother and sister, his surrogate family, and the one he loved, but, the giver was dead, his old home gone, everyone he had known from it was gone, and the only other love he had, the sister who had filled the voids of his life for the past four years, was gone.
They sat on the sofa together, no one saying anything, everyone lost in their own thoughts, memories, and grief. The telephone rang, the second time today, and they were about to let it go once again, when Jonas' gut told him to pick it up. He lifted the phone, put it to his ear. Silence. He was about to put the phone down, when he heard it, or rather, saw, heard, and felt it. "Hello, receiver of memory. This is Collette Sheele. Do not attempt to respond. This is a memory that can be received by the receiver alone. The community lives. As does your Eve. If you do not believe me, contemplate this. It was I who set the bomb in the meeting house off. I did it in hopes that someone would realize the current danger. I was hoping that person would be you. I have yet to know if I was right. If it is not you, I, along with your community, Eve, and the giver, will be destroyed. Yes, I said the giver. I know very little about the actual secondary project, but according to the project history, the abilities of the giver and receiver were a series of fortunate genetic anomalies, that allowed the community to be further tested in their self preservation of mind." A flash of visual memory came into existence. He witnessed the birth of a blue eyed child. "This child, is Alexander. Not the one you knew – the first one. The first giver, or, rather, the first with the potential. The scientists of the infrastructure performed certain studies on the child – the gene for blue eyes had been long ago completely removed. There was no chance, with the exception of genetic evolution, of a child being born with blue eyes. It was also evident that this Alexander, at birth, stored within his mind some great secret. After much study, they came up with the theory of genetic memory. They introduced the child to a "trigger" of sorts. The test performed was the murder of Alexander's close friend, Rosemary. This is no coincidence. Alexander never told you, but the original memory from his predecessor was why he named his daughter. Now how, you wonder, was Alexander able to name his daughter? The giver does, or rather did have a considerable amount more authority than anyone else in any of the communities. One of our people came in, and, with a weapon none had seen before – a gun, killed Rosemary. It triggered all of the memories stored in Alexander, and he, the first of the community ever to do so, experienced emotion. He cried. Over years of being considered mad by the people, one small boy trusted him. One small, blue eyed boy, named Jonas. Once again, no coincidence. Every hundred years, they name one light eyed child Alexander, and the light eyed male of the next generation Jonas. One day, Alexander decided to convey the events of a simple memory, one of snow, to his young friend. Rather than hearing the speaking of the memory, scoffing, and believing Alexander mad to think such thoughts, when Alexander put his hand on Jonas', Jonas was amazed to feel the cold of snow on his eyelids. When he explained to his friend what had happened, Alexander and Jonas went on a mission to open the eyes of the people. When Alexander died, he had kept the most awful and painful memories to himself, sparing his friend. He never realized the extreme consequences of his actions, in that those memories passed to the community, and, with the help of Jonas, finally did open their eyes. Jonas recognized the fear in the people, and took the memories back. The communities realized the importance of having someone to contain those memories, and the giver-receiver chain was set up. As I said, I haven't much knowledge in that part of the program. I work with human psychology. I was a lead research scientist for the community project, but, I know little on the genetic research aspect. Apparently, the infrastructure realized the potential for the giver to possess infinite knowledge of the universe's past, through a different type of memory, called atomic memory. I know little else on the subject. I do know, that this research was vital, but could only be performed directly while the community still functioned. Therein lay the next problem. Alexander's death made the entire project moot, and the only way to salvage it was to shut it down, and try to rebuild the giver's genetic memory using the memories he left with the community. Time grows short. I can tell you little more." a flash of memory directions to get to the infrastructure passed through Jonas. The memory took him inside, and to the exact chamber where Sheele would be kept. "your next question is probably why you should trust me. Well, you're just going to have to, if you want your friends back alive and well. And, just as an ultimatum, know that the infrastructure needs you, Lily, Asher, Gabe, Fiona, peter, and Diana. You five are the last uncaptured members of the community. Without your apprehension, the project is incomplete. You also represent much danger to the workings of the outside world, should you ever teach the world the truth. The infrastructure will hunt you to the ends of the earth and beyond. You will forever be running. It is only a matter of time now, until they find you, as I did. Your only hope is to shut them down completely. I've given you the means to succeed. It is now up to you what you do with them." The memory ended, and was succeeded by a dial tone. The message was obviously sent. Jonas hung up the phone. His grimly determined look drew the attention of all those in the room. He looked over what had become his family. His brother, Gabe, now no more than five. He would be alone. Cryosealed in a cold room. What would his thoughts be, when they used his "potential" DNA to resurrect the giver? When they cut him open to see what made him tick. Jonas cringed with rage. They would not do that to his brother. He would not let it happen. Peter, Diana. They were his link to a now dead world. More than that, for four years, they had been like an uncle and aunt to him. Asher, his best friend. He could not see Asher as anything but alive, kicking, and being a clown. And Fiona… Fiona. He would never let anyone or anything harm her. A little voice in his head corrected this statement. He had let harm come to Eve. It had been his fault. Eve! There was still a chance to save her now! He could save them all. His blood sister, Katherine, his new family. He could, no. he would save them. He would put an end to the infrastructure. 'what are you thinking! You're no hero!' said his head, but his heart spoke first. With all eyes on him. He spoke. "there's still a chance to save eve. I'm taking it. Come along at your own risk."