Chapter 15: Who am I?
"Devon!" Michael called out, hoping that the older man would be able to hear him.
The Englishman spun from the mirror as the phantom Verona vanished. His eyes opened wide as he saw the operative, his sister and his daughter.
"No…! Get away…get away from me!"
Marissa gasped, shocked. "F-Father, it's us…"
He shook his head. "More phantoms, more nightmares…and now they're choosing the ones I hold dear to me."
Michael also looked surprised. "Devon, we're not ghosts or nightmares. Marissa and I came here to save you and ran into Verona on the way."
"To save me…? You're real…?"
"Yeah, we're real. The little munchkin also went and drank some preparatory sedative that was measured for an adult. I don't want to know what'll happen to her. We've got to get you out of here before you die. You understand me? We're in the Bardo!"
The older man looked at the group silently, then said, "You don't think I know where this is…? All of you, get going before you wind up on the other side."
"Not without you, Devon," Michael replied.
"Forget about me."
"No way. It's nowhere near time for you to die yet."
"Michael, you don't understand. I…my entire life…it's been a lie, hasn't it…?"
"Now what kind of bull is that?" the operative asked.
"Watch your language in front of a child, thank you very much," he retorted, almost out of habit, then sighed as he said, "I assume you heard everything…the nightmare and afterwards."
"Yeah, we did," Michael replied, then said, "But Devon, who cares?"
"I do! If they're right…then everything I've known is a complete lie."
"Well, they're not," Verona snapped, "Marissa, you and I were born the same way everyone else was. Regal, you and I grew up the same as other humans."
Devon winced visibly and grumbled, "I told you, I hate being called that!"
Michael chuckled as he said, "Regal?"
"An old nickname…mostly derogatory. Cassa usually used it, because of his…well…"
"Attitude? Demeanor?"
"Close enough," she replied.
"That doesn't change the fact that I still despise being called that," Devon put in.
Michael nodded and said, "Names aside, Verona's right. We're all people."
"That might or might not be true…but Michael, that doesn't answer what I find myself wondering now…Who am I? Am I as I thought I grew up…or has my life been a lie…?"
Michael growled, "That monster Hutchinson…I should have killed him earlier."
That surprised Devon as he mouthed, killed him…?
"That's right, Devon. If Marissa had not called on the comlink when she did, the ringleader of the True Liberty Movement would be in a morgue right not, not a jail."
Marissa peered into a window and gasped.
"Oh no…mom, I see something that's a short distance away! Sometimes it looks like a garden, sometimes like a wasteland."
Michael, Verona and Devon hurried to the window…and the younger man's eyes opened wide. If his knowledge about the Bardo was of any indication, what Marissa saw was the side of Death.
Damn, there isn't much time now, he thought, then said to the older man, "Devon, I can't claim to have all the answers, but I know a man that taught me one thing: It doesn't matter if who you were is a lie or true, who you are now…that's what matters….and you make who you are now."
The Englishman looked at him in surprise.
"That's right. You're the one that taught me that one, more than once. You've got plenty of time to figure out the truth of your heritage for yourself…but only if you come with us now. If we stay here much longer, Marissa and I will both die along with you."
"N-no! I couldn't stand it if you both—"
Michael extended a hand and said to him, "It's up to you, Devon. You can come with us, or not. Find out the truth yourself, or believe what a bunch of sick terrorists and supremacists spout. Live, or die here."
The Englishman peered at the small group, then grasped Michael's hand and stepped towards them.
"Michael…everyone, let's get out of here."
"Yeah…Verona?"
She nodded, then said, "Form a chain by joining hands, focus…then follow me. We must go, now."
The group of four was still and silent for a couple of seconds before they began to move, seemingly within flows of water…or perhaps waves.
"Once we get to a certain point," she said, "The three of you will have to go onwards towards the surface of consciousness. That is what will tax your body's energy. I cannot go with you, since I am already dead."
"We'll do all right," Michael replied, "Thank you…for everything."
"You're the ones that talked Devon into living…I just showed you the way."
After what seemed like a long time, the flows around them stopped…becoming completely still.
Verona turned to Devon and said, "Now you listen to me…sure, I'm your younger sister, but on this, I do know something more than you. You're going to have to find out what the truth is for yourself. On this, there's one thing I want you to promise me."
"What is it?"
"Whatever facts that you find about the heritage and your own path in life, I want you to accept it as such."
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"I will."
She smiled and hugged him, then ruffed Marissa's hair. When she turned to Michael, she shook his hand and said, "So, you are the newest one. Take care of them for me, will you?"
"I would even if you told me not to."
"And do your utmost never to fail in your new purpose."
"You got it," he replied, chuckling at Devon's puzzled look.
"All right…start swimming upwards now. See that glimmer of light? Go towards that," she stated and began to vanish.
"Let's go, guys," Michael said and began swimming, with Marissa beside him. Devon was on the other side of the little girl.
The trio at first started to take a moderate pace, but the more the glimmer of light grew, the faster they found themselves swimming.
Just when it seemed that they were very close to the light, and with it, the surface, they heard a little voice that was fading.
"Ohhh…Michael…fa..ther…he…lp…"
Devon looked down and saw that Marissa had not only stopped swimming upwards…but that she was also sinking.
"Rissie!"
He quickly started swimming back down, to try and catch the little girl…and as he did, he saw Michael going back down with him.
"We'll both help her," was the only thing he said, which the Englishman agreed with.
Both the adults reached the sinking child and took hold of an arm.
"I'm…slow…ing…you…"
"No way," Michael replied at the same time that Devon said, "Never, Rissie."
Without another word, the three people began to swim back upwards…and although it took a little longer, all of them emerged into the surface of light.
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Rodrigo was looking at Ursa Major's nose and sighed a breath of relief when, after a sharp drop, it began to rise steadily into the sky until it was at the same position as it had always been. After the movement stopped, the star began to regain the sparkle and light it had before its owner fell into a coma.
You've done it, amigos, he thought, then heard Laura exclaim, "They're waking up!" At the same time, they heard two groans behind him.
When the Mexican turned, he saw Michael, Devon and Marissa stirring…then a moment later, they opened their eyes.
As he hurried to the bedside, he heard the Englishman ask a bit weakly, "Wh…where am I…?"
"You're at the hospital, Devon. It's been 2 days since you were found at the abandoned blood bank. It's night now."
He tried to sit up and winced, which caused the Mexican to stop him at first, then help Devon sit up slowly.
"Man, what a headache," they heard Michael murmur as he sat up slowly as well.
"M…Michael…? Did you and Rissie really go into—"
"Yeah, we did," he replied, "Rodrigo and I were originally going to…but she grabbed one of the cups and drank it before anyone could take it from her. Don't know if she was being gutsy or crazy."
Devon nodded, partly astounded at her actions, partly touched by the lengths she and Michael would go to save his life.
Michael stood up and slowly walked over to the chair where the little girl was still sitting.
The Englishman put his hand on the operative's shoulder and managed to squeeze it a bit and smile quietly.
"I'll…need some help in searching for the truth," he said quietly.
"I'll help ya," was the answer, then Michael's breath caught in his throat as he looked into Marissa's face.
"D…Devon, Rodrigo! Something's happened to her!"
The Mexican hurried over and looked at her, then began to speak in Spanish in a low tone.
"Michael…? What's wrong with her…?"
Michael quickly picked up the little girl from her seat and set her down on the hospital bed, so that Devon could see.
"Oh my g—Rissie…how did she get like this? Poppet?"
Although she was breathing it was shallow. Her eyes were open, yet they seemed to be lightless and glazed over.
"Poppet, talk to me!"
There was not even the faintest semblance of a response; she seemed to not be aware of anything around her.
"Marissa hasn't slept much at all since the day you were kidnapped, Devon," Michael said, "Remember what Verona said: swimming the rest of the way taxes the body. When she drank the cupful, it was made for an adult…and she was going on sheer willpower."
"I remember…close to the surface, she called for help and began to sink. We went back and caught her, then swam the rest of the way."
Michael nodded, then watched as Rodrigo examined her.
"Senores, that was when the last of her strength gave out. If you had not caught her and carried her the rest of the way, Marissita would be dead now. As it is, I don't know which would have been better."
Michael glared at him as Devon asked, "Just what do you mean? Is she…as she seems right now?"
"I'm afraid so, Senor Miles. She isn't aware of anything at all, not even us talking. This is much worse than a simple coma, because…at least in a coma, you're still alive. No, this is a state that is worse than death."
Michael and Devon took in the meaning of the Mexican's explanation in silence. After a moment, the Englishman asked in a quiet, yet desperate tone, "Is there anything that can be done?"
Rodrigo looked right at Devon, debating whether to say yes or no.
Michael saw this and said, "Rodrigo, if I'm to carry out my duty, we need to know."
The Mexican nodded, sighing, then said, "Yes…you are." He then looked right at the two other adults before he explained, "You know, Devon, how the morning sunrise has some healing qualities, whether she dances or not…?"
"Yes," he replied, although Michael looked slightly confused before he nodded.
"I've heard of it often, and only witnessed it four times, but there is a chance that the music that only certain people can hear then can do one of two things, one of which is to restore her. She would still be weak and exhausted, but at least she would be all right. It depends on fate as well as her spirit."
"Sounds like it might work," Michael said, then paused before asking in a wary tone, "Wait a minute. You said it could do one of two things. What's the other one?"
"Yes, I want to know," Devon agreed.
Rodrigo took a deep breath before he said, "The other thing that could happen…is that the sunrise music may only heal her enough to die."
Michael and the Englishman were silent for a long moment before they looked at each other, then nodded.
"Let's do this," the operative stated.
"If there's a chance it will restore her, I'll take it. She would do no less, I know that now," Devon added.
Rodrigo nodded and said, "I will be by in the garden in the morning, just before dawn."
The Englishman agreed and added, "And if I have to, I'll sneak her outside!"