The Committee for National Security

Chapter 6 - Homecoming

6 Months after expulsion / June 6th, 1980

Late Morning, June 6, 1980

"Detruisez tous, c'est une obligation!"

Frank Klepacki,"Destroy"

George Hebert Walker Bush [United States Government – Central Intelligence Agency Director] United Airlines Flight 1469, SEA (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport) to IAR (Washington Rusk International Airport) — Dated June 6, 1980

Bush kicked back as the flight began passing over Chicago, halfway through the extremely long flight. Having lost sleep since he first came there, Bush finally found the time to sleep on the flight. Lo and behold, four hours later, he woke up, the plane just passing over Chicago. His seat was in the very left of the center seats, with the rest of the Librarians being scrambled nearby while Archer had the honor of getting shunted into first class. Mostly paid for with his own pocket, of course. And the National Guard team returned to their posts, sadly. Not like that would last for long, he mused.

He turned his head to the right to see Roland sleeping on Angela, the robot calmly perusing through the safety brochures over and over again. He never understood why, but it was just Angela being Angela. Roland... Well. It was a miracle he was able to sleep at all considering the blood shed during the raid against the KGB. Then again, he was a Fixer—his world's equivalent of a mercenary—and a Grade 1 at that. High up on the list, if Bush remembered the lecture correctly. He deserved that rest, in all honesty.

He cupped his face and turned to the left, only to see Tiphereth speaking with a flight attendant with the concessions tray. From what he could glean, she was trying to get a soda, but the attendant apparently didn't like that. Hence their dialogue... Which Bush couldn't make out, due to the engine, the sound of a kid crying—something he was fucking thankful for just this once—and other passengers talking loudly.

He glanced behind him to see Netzach falling asleep, having been unfortunately put next to Binah, who looked at his sleeping self with a creepy grin, eyes seemingly dimming. Wincing and mouth morphing into an expression of concern, Bush retracted his head and simply wished Netzach good luck. God, Binah creeped him out. She always seemed to stare deeply at Bush when he wasn't looking, given how when he'd turn around in the airport, Binah seemed to quickly move her head to something else. And one time, when he left the airport bathroom after a five-minute break during the four-hour layover, she ambushed him... and gave him some sweet tea for his troubles. Southern style, too.

He accepted, of course, to no ill side effects. But still, that woman was just... yikes. She could probably have him strangled in his sleep and people would look the other way simply because she was that scary.

He was snapped out of his musing by Gebura, who coughed and tapped on something, causing Bush to focus his attention on her. She had turned around to face Bush, climbing her seat to poke her head out of it, looking at Bush, her scar-covered face seemingly curious about something. "Hey, boss," She addressed Bush, having amusingly copied the phrase from a comic Bush bought her. She complained about not being able to read, so Angela had to step in and help her out. And so did Binah. Bush smiled as the image of the three of them next to an airport comic stand, trying to read... New hires were going along well. "Are you sure there's nothing odd about these... air-playnes?" She struggled pronouncing the word. "Roland told me about Love Town..." Oh, God. Something he didn't know about, and it gave her fears. Fuck. "So I ask Yesod-" Her thumb pops up to point at the seat to her right. "And he says that I'm better off asking you."

"Oh, yeah," He nodded. "Remember how I told you how I flew one of these-? A smaller one, yes, but I still flew."

"Right," She commented, sighing. "Anything odd? What's the Singularity used to power these things?"

"Uhhh..." Bush had no idea, scratching his head as he winced and looked at the safety brochures oncemore. "Well... I guess what you could call odd is how the design philosophy of an airplane shifts depending on the maker—it's not exclusive to the United States-"

"Not exclusive...? Does that mean this is more of a type of... something, then?"

"Yes- This airplane is a type of airplane," He sighed. "I don't know how to say it, but think how a sword is made by two different manufacturers- blacksmiths, workshops, whatever you guys have-"

"Workshops."

"Yes yes. Now imagine that one sword is lighter and can go faster when swung, while another one is bigger, wider, slower, but also capable of handling tough conditions. Or something like that. Airplanes are like that. Some are lighter and fast, while others are big, beefy, durable, but they're slow and can be hit without missing the broadside," Bush said, Gebura nodding along. "And as for what... Uh, 'Singularity' is powering these things..."

"Is it anything we should be wary of?"

"Not really? Unless you consider environmental damage- Or the potential of being sucked into the engine and shredded- But these engines- yes. Engines- they aren't inherently unsafe. And they're powered by... I think it was jet fuel?"

"...No catches to them, aside from the potential of engine failure? No blood sacrifices, no terrible secrets...?" She seemed to be... rather insistent on finding out if the jet engines on these planes had any terrible dark secrets or drawbacks. Bush waved her off and shook his head.

"Nope. Just the potential for bad design and bad fuel, no inherently evil things..." He sighed. "Why're you asking me this, again?"

"I'll tell you why sometime later," She said. "I would've elaborated on my comment regarding the fucked-up things the Wings did with Singularities during our orientation, but we had to pack up our luggage. No thanks to landing near a City."

Ah, yes. Orientation. Where Bush got a lecture from the rest of his Librarian hires about their world, the amazingness of its technological wonders and amazements... before talking about the oppressive, watchful, and inescapable jackboots of The Head, The Eye, The Claws, and how the average person probably wouldn't make it out of The City alive due to the Outskirts. And while making their way to the airport via bus, he got told all about the horrible things that this... Ayin character did while the leader of the company they were previously employed at, Lobotomy Corporation. All apparently at the behest of the bitch who almost broke his fingers. Just what he needed. A murderous asshole taking orders from the Antichrist. Good lord, this sucked.

Now, on Singularities however... He was indeed supposed to hear from Gebura about that, but it was almost four A.M. at that time and they needed to haul ass before Seattle would raise hell about the Library.

Or, perhaps as the bitch would call it, 'The Tower of Babel.'

Well, on Gebura's concern about the ethics of an airplane... He snickered. After all, this wasn't Lobotomy Corporation anymore. Nor was this their world, which sounded more like hell. This was Earth. This was practically paradise for them, being a super mundane world and all that, with none of their... E.G.O.s, none of their abnormalities... None whatsoever. Whatever things go on in here, it cannot match the City even if it tried... Though, as Bush mused, perhaps with Reagan, it wouldn't be that hard to try. Oh well.

"Well," Bush shrugged. "Just know that whatever's done here on Earth... It's practically child's play compared to your home. These airplanes are just machines made with safety and pure ethics in mind. Nothing more, nothing less. And I'm... you know, the Director," He bragged. "I can back up that claim."

"Well, that's enough for me, then," Gebura commented as she began to go back down. "Wake me up when the trip ends, boss."

"Will do."

Bush looked up to the ceiling of the airplane as Gebura went back to her seat, his mind drifting back to the impromptu orientation that he subjected the Librarians too... And just how easy it was for them to accept his rule. At first, he found that suspicious, but after a conversation with Roland and Angela, it really was because they had nowhere to go and did not want to risk the threat of deportation. They clung to the first person who could keep them sheltered in this fundamentally alien world. No need to draw unnecessary attention to them and repeat history, Roland says.

The atmosphere grew cold as George Bush marched to the Floor of General Works, having decided to give himself a break by reading the stories of the Black Forest once more. The tales of the birds still rang true to his heart, wary that efforts to defend home against monsters can result in one becoming a monster themselves. An important lesson, and so much more contained in the book. One could interpret it as a lesson on nationalism, if he had to gain a political angle. To fan the flames of anger, nationalism, and a desire to destroy imperialism is to accept the inevitable fate of mirroring the imperialists they so despise.

"Perhaps I could publish a book with that lesson," He mused as the thumping of his boots inched closer to the Floor of General Works. "And perhaps, I could frame it from the angle of the Russian Revolution. How, in his desire to destroy autocratic Tsarism, Lenin paved the way for Stalin to become the very Tsar that Russia deposed." That did not sound like a bad idea. It had been a long time since anyone past Fulbright wrote anything sympathetic about Communism. Of course, having been in the CIA, Bush knew more than those kooks at HUAC could ever have known.

His mind was snapped out of musing by a loud finger-snap. That was Angela. "Attention, Patron Librarians!" The voice of Angela called out in the distance, calling forward her people in an almost militaristic manner. "I thank you all for gathering here today, and for your patience regarding reconnaissance. With that out of the way, I have an announcement to make," She opened up. "I will be blunt, and I will make this quick. Our situation has evolved. Due to our second expulsion from The City and from the Outskirts, we have been relocated to an unfamiliar location. Most likely, not in the same world as the City," As he finally inched closer, he could hear faint murmuring, only for it to be interrupted by another finger snap. "Silence!" She shouted, the murmurs silencing when her authoritative voice rang out. "As I have stated, we are not in The City anymore, and thus we must adapt. It is presumed that the Head did not desire for us to continue staining their world, it seems."

Roland spoke up. "However, we don't have to worry about repeating history. No need to kill anyone," He chuckled, almost as if not killing people was an alien concept. "Thanks to I, Netz, and Chesed, we have found ourselves support from local authorities," He added, to more murmuring among the Librarians. "Please welcome our new patron backer: Director of Central Intelligence, George Bush."

Showtime.

Bush, almost on cue, finally stepped forth, book on the Black Forest in one hand as the rest of the Library stared at their new employer. "Due to our unique situation," Angela stated as Bush came closer. "We have managed to negotiate a contract with the government running the show. In exchange for sheltering us, we will be working with Director Bush," He smiled as he finally reached the assembly, standing beside Angela and Roland. "He will be addressing you now."

Bush thanked Angela as she and Roland stepped aside, still holding the book. Coughing into his right fist, Bush straightened his face and gave a bright smile. "Hello, one and all," he said. "I am Director Bush, namesake leader of the Central Intelligence Agency. You are free to address me as Bush," He shuffled slightly as he received nothing but Librarians glancing at each other, with those who have not met Bush speaking with others who also didn't. Those who did, like Netzach and Chesed, just kept their mouths shut. The former tired as always, and the latter smiling. "From today onward, I will be your employer following the negotiation of a contract between Angela and I to shelter you all in exchange for employment in the Central Intelligence Agency."

"An astute decision," One of the Patron Librarians spoke up, tone flat and dull as he nodded along. "I am Yesod. Patron Librarian for the Floor of Technological Sciences. I thank you for addressing us, Director."

"I thought it'd be natural to get to know my employees first," Bush gave a sheepish smile as he scratched his neck awkwardly. "Moving that out of the way, yes. Due to our newfound circumstances... You're working with me," He put out, an awkward silence permeating in the air after he finished that sentence. "...Uh. Was it something I said, or...?"

"No."

"I- uh, well okay..." He stammered. "I'm kind of surprised that the lot of you are taking this in relative stride... Well, those that haven't met me, of course-"

"Why should I be surprised?" A young girl spoke up, brownish and with relatively short hair alongside a skirt and long socks. "Oh- I have not introduced myself! I apologize. I am Hod, Patron Librarian-"

"If you want, you can just introduce yourselves by names," He said. "Spare the titles for later."

"E-eh... Right," Hod continued. "I am Hod. As I was saying," She coughed. "I was informed of the change in situation by the soldiers I who supported me in lieu of the Assistant Librarians. The, er... National Guard, were they?"

"Yeah."

"Right. I was informed by them of the change in situation," She said. "I-in fact... I think quite a lot of us were..."

"Ah, yeah," Opened up another one. This time, with longer hair, a journal of a sort, and pants. "I was informed too. I wouldn't have survived without them. I didn't know you sent them, but I'm grateful that you did."

"I was impressed by the rapidness of their response," Yesod added. "I am grateful they were there."

"...Alright then," He nodded as he looked over the Librarians. He was familiar with the two standing next to him. Roland and Angela. But he couldn't tell some of the ones in front of him. Some names popped up, like Chesed, Netzach, and Hokma. Those three he met before this meeting. Then Hod introduced herself. But nobody else. "Before we begin," Bush added. "Why don't you introduce yourselves, y'all?"

A woman dressed in black and gold stepped forward, a dull, disinterested expression on her face as she eyed Bush. His eyes widened and a shiver shot down his spine as she made direct eye contact with Bush. Oh God, she was creepy. " Amusingly, m y reputation precedes me even across space and time," She said, giving off a light chuckle as she maintained direct eye contact with Bush . "You may address me as Binah, Director . Be thankful that I have given you the right to do so." She gave him a smug, almost terrifying smile. He nodded just to get her to step aside , with Binah stepping back after introducing herself.

In exchange, stepping forward was a woman whose face was covered in scars, dressed primarily in red with a really long red hairstyle. If people's expressions told stories, then this woman's expression—squinting, eyes moving up and down, and snarling—was someone who was adept at staring people down. "The name's Gebura, Director. Something to never forget about." And before Bush could say anything, she stepped back., just causing Bush to nod instead.

The long-haired brown haired girl with pants stepped forward. "Hello, Director! You can call me Malkuth." She smiled. "You have my full confidence and gratefulness." Bush winced and squinted at her. Somehow, the former sounded insincere. But before he could say anything she stepped bac k. Angela really had a knack for employing people whose baggage was just as heavy as hers, huh? Christ.

He was surprised when he heard a noise, eyes darting around the assembled line of Librarians- "Hey!" The voice shouted, finally drawing his attention to the source- Oh. What the hell? What's a kid doing here?

"No offence, but," Bush snickered as the rest of the Librarians turned to face the teenager who was calling for Bush's attention, and giving him an extremely irritated pout. "Are you sure you're old enough to be a Librarian-" He was about to ask, before she gave him an angry glare.

"I am not a child," She emphasized angrily, crossing her arms in a pout. She was almost goldlike. No, literally. She looked like a banana, with an expression so deadpan and yet so angry that it'd actually shock the living shit out of most teenagers. "Hmph. I am Tiphereth, Patron Librarian of the Floor of Natural Sciences," She said, before squinting and snarling. "And if you dare suggest I am childlike one more time-!"

"Alright, alright, I think I get it," Bush retreated, standing up and cringing at himself, with the two main Librarians—Angela and Roland—simply looking at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry- I just didn't seem to expect someone who looks like a kid to be around here-" He paused, remembering the tales of Angela about how she and the Librarians were trapped in loops of time, causing his words to die in his throat.

"Wait, shit-" He coughed, surprised that he didn't catch that when he looked at Tiphereth. "How old are you guys?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere, with the Librarians all glancing at each other. "Angela spoke of the, uh, time thing-a-majigs back in the old Corporation... Told me how it, uh, screwed up everything. How old are y'all?"

"That..." Hokma opened up. "That is a question that I cannot answer precisely. Yet, my estimates place me around somewhere between the figures of either..." He bit his lip and thought about it. "Thousands or millions," He seemed to raise his eyebrow as Bush's jaw dropped and he began blinking in surprise- There was no way in hell... Fucking hell.

"...Oh." Was all that Bush could get out. "I... I, uh, I see. Moving on," He coughed, before trying to reassert his confidence, a preppy smile on his face and an almost schoolboyish desire to speak with his new coworkers flooding his mind. "Welcome to Earth! Your home for the forseeable future, unfortunately-"

"I consider this an upgrade," Netzach interjected as he drank from a beer can. "Feels less like I'm under a jackboot."

"U-uh, okay, right," He continued. "Well... Let's start off by, uh, introducing me to the world you left behind!" He shrugged. "Consider this an orientation, I suppose...?" He was surprised to see Malkuth sighing and shaking her head first. Then, Hokma looked down, almost- Some kind of guilt in his eyes. Binah chuckled, shaking her head.

"Oh, Director," Binah spoke, causing Bush to freeze up and dart his head towards her instantly. "I never took you for an individual interested in tales of suffering and regret."

"...I'm still not happy with that Man after he left me to die like that..."

"It is with deep regret that I must say that going down this path of topic will not bring you any happy insight into the Library. Alas, it is only a tale of despair and neglect, under the whims of whatever Gods created The City."

"Well," Bush sheepishly tried to take control of the situation as the rest of the Librarians started to talk about their situations back at home- Looks like he chinked the wrong piece of armor, unfortunately. "Let's start off slow. Uh... I want to hear about these Wings that I've heard about-"

"Would you like to know about singularities as well, then?" Gebura asked, blowing smoke after taking a drag from her cigarette. Bush mentally prepared himself for there to be some sort of smell, only to be surprised when he smelled nothing from Gebura.

"Uh," Bush checked his watch, cursing when he realized it was almost four A.M. "Perhaps some other time," He looked at the rest of the Librarians as Gebura scoffed and took another drag from her cigarette. "So... What's so notable about these wings, anyway?" Before anyone said anything, he raised his finger. "Make it quick. We've got an hour until we're discovered." That caused them to stiffen up and nod, before Angela stepped forward, calling Hokma's attention. Seems like the two of them were going to discuss something. Better leave them be until then.

Meanwhile, Roland scratched his head, face uncomfortable as he heaved an awkward sigh. "Where would I begin..." Roland sighed. "See- the Wings are, well, officially they're the Wings of the World. They're... If memory serves me correct, twenty-something corporations that dot the City. They're pretty alright... On the surface that is," He glanced at Angela. "See, Angela's corporation—L. Corp—or Lobotomy Corporation, managed things with energy." Oh. She used to work for a Corporation? Well, shit. And it was energy too. Guess he and Angela shared a lot in common then. He'd love to hear the tales of the Library, though. He didn't get a chance to. Not today, at least. "However, underneath it... It extracted that energy through torturing monsters that couldn't be killed, and occasionally broke free..."

Oh.

"A-and not to mention, the other corporations aren't so better," Malkuth added. "There was this company, W. Corp. They provided extraordinarily fast transportation.." Oh. That sounded nice. But, given her tone... "...Only the downside was that you would be stuck in limbo for a good thousand years, driven insane by an inability to die. And then, you would be restored back to your original form after their clean-up crew entered the train."

"There are quite a lot of ethically dubious things in the closets of the Wings, Director," Yesod added. "For example, it is known that one of the Wings around a certain district is able to produce excellent medicine. However, this medicine is made by forcing an abnormality to witness atrocities that bring it to tears."

"To say that the City is a wondrous place is not inaccurate," Hokma mused. "But to say that it is truly ethical is a critical error of judgment, unfortunately. No great things come without sacrifice, so say many of the Wing CEOs."

Splendid. This fucking sucked. He sighed, clicking his tongue and closing his eyes in embarrassment. He didn't mean to talk about the wrong thing. He raised his hand, silently telling the Librarians to cease their discussions. God, he was so sorry for breaking off the wrong chip in this topic. Christ alive . "I suppose that's enough for today," He mused. Jesus, it felt like torture hearing the things he heard. Medicine that comes from forcing someone to witness torture. Trains that drive you insane for millennia. And energy that comes from monsters that you cannot kill. What the hell was wrong with their home? "My apologies for bringing it up-"

"My my," Binah interjected followed by a small chuckle, causing Bush to panic as he turned to face her and in turn receiving a slight grin from the terrifying woman. "It seems the Director has not yet steeled himself to the City," She chuckled once more. "Fret not, my dear Director. More shall come, as the City is not a place of happiness."

Blinking twice, Bush nodded, if only to get her to stop being so goddamn creepy in front of him. "...Uh. Duly noted." Was all he could say, with Binah giving a curt smile and silence in return. He then looked back at the Librarians . "Now, the lot of you are dismissed," He said, receiving nods in response, before he turned his eyes over to Angela, who was still talking about something with Hokma . "I'll go speak with Angela now." He said as the assembled Librarians dispersed.

He stopped musing about orientation then and there. As for what Angela and Hokma were discussing, it turns out they were musing about what the Librarians can do. Apparently, as he learned later, the Librarians are not necessarily real people. They're, so to say, 'extensions' of Angela's... 'E.G.O.' if he was able to remember it correctly. And said E.G.O. was none other than the Library. He pressed his fist against his cheek as he began musing about the explanation he received after orientation.

Bush began to nod as Hokma explained him the principles of the Library and E.G.O. to him. Such a thing genuinely amazed him- To think that you could literally get yourself a uniquely tailored piece of equipment through emotional turbulence... Almost made him wonder how much it would take to break a person and get them to manifest their E.G.O.

"So what you're telling me is that she can manifest and de-manifest this Library at will?" Bush asked. "And that my new hires are, uh, literally just constructs made of this... 'Light' stuff?" He had a hard time comprehending what he was told, exactly. This massive, towering and looming Library... could also be folded into somewhere by a woman not even a quarter its size. And his new employees? Literally just reconstructions that could be reconfigured at will. In fact, that was what got him the most. The people that he owed his life to... Were nothing more than extensions of someone's superpower. That... scared him. To think that he could've spilled information to someone who was nothing more than a phony. A literal voodoo doll.

Terrifying.

"Yes. However, that is not relevant to our immediate discussion as of now," Bush nodded as Hokma tried to steer the conversation back to what they were originally saying. "What I am discussing here is the risk of us being demanifested if Angela chose to... in simpler words, 'pocket' the Library."

"And I'm still wondering if it applies to Roland's limbs," Angela mused. "What's the likely percentage that his limbs disappear if I demanifest the Library?"

"As far as I know? Very unlikely," Hokma shook his head. "However, I would exercise caution regarding demanifesting the Library..."

"...Even when we risk discovery by the local population," Angela sighed. "My two options are not satisfactory." Yikes. Angela turned to Bush, arms crossed with an intrigued expression on her face. "Director Bush, how much time do we have until activity in this area reaches its all-time high?"

Bush checked his watch again. It was 4:40 AM. "Twenty minutes," He said. "I'd advise you get to the National Guar-"

"There is no need to remind me," Angela said. "I will simply do it myself." She said as she snapped her fingers, then disappeared in just a flash. Bush blinked twice, before looking at Hokma, who shook his head.

"Due to the status of the Library as an extension of her E.G.O., she can manipulate it to how she sees fit," Oh. So he was effectively living in her world. Joyous news. "Not only that, but she is able to move around rapidly in what you could describe as teleportation," Hokma seemed to never slow down, even as Bush's eyes kept widening. "And fret not about them not receiving the message. Angela is, within the Library, omniscient. She hears everything within the Library." Now that just- Bush's eyes widened.

Shit. There really was no escaping her, huh? A part of him wanted to sigh in relief, while another one was regretting the signage of the contract with Angela. Goddamnit. He just needed people to run tasks for him while the rest of the Central Intelligence Agency was tied up with cleaning up Ford's mess! But, fuck, he didn't expect to get a machine-god, a goddamn assassin, and multiple... 'people' who were little but extensions of someone's goddamn superpower. Yet... Jesus. Bush just straightened himself and gave a calm nod to Hokma. "That is interesting- So nothing escapes her eyes or ears in the Library?"

"No. It is almost impossible to truly escape her vision and her hearing when you are in the Library."

"...Oookay," Bush nodded. "Duly noted. Really, duly noted."

In just a moment, a loud finger-snap sounded behind him, causing Bush to turn around and see Angela, a smirk on her face. "I have requested your Agent Archer and his National Guard compatriots to evacuate from the premises for the time being," She said. "Now then," She turned to Hokma. "Any ideas on how to deal with the demanifestation problem?"

"If I may-" Bush interjected. "You say that they're extensions of your, uh, superpower- your E.G.O., right?" He asked, scratching his head sheepishly. Angela gave him a nod, intrigued by the Director's potential solution, while Hokma just glanced his way and waited his theoretical solution to the conundrum of demanifestation. "So, here's what I'm proposing-" He said, raising a finger. "Why don't we take the Librarians outside, and then demanifest the Library there?" Angela's eyebrows continued raising at that.

"An interesting proposal, Director," She said. "I am interested in your hypothetical result. What do you think is most likely to happen should I do exactly as you direct?" Bush let out a deep breath as she continued staring at him.

"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking," He crossed his arms. "If the Librarians are inside the Library, then it's likely they'll demanifest with it, you get what I mean?"

"Right."

"So what I've been thinking is that, uh, if you evacuate them outside- then only the Library itself will demanifest, which leaves the Librarians untouched-" He rubbed his chin a few times as he continued thinking. "Which means that they're free to do whatever. Though, this comes with an interesting question-"

"What happens should a Librarian fall while the Library is demanifested, yes," Hokma finished his sentence for him. "It is highly likely that they will be remanifested should the Library be remanifested as well, but we are not certain that will be the exact result."

"What other way to know than to do some field testing?" Bush shrugged.

"The risk of permanent death is there, but it's very miniscule," Hokma said. "However, what I am concerned about is its toll on Angela. It is highly likely that remanifesting a Librarian would... In simpler words, take a chunk of her Light, and we have no clue on how long it will take for her to restore said Light."

"...What's Light?" Bush asked-

"The collected manifestation of human emotions, written knowledge, and other, more complicated variables that are manifested in the form of its namesake, Light," Angela explained for Bush, who simply nodded along. She was powered by the manifestation of emotions and knowledge? That was... Simultaneously terrifying yet intriguing. In fact- This whole thing was interesting. It raised many questions about his own religion. Did... Did God take into account the creation of Angela's world?

Yet... There was no way. There was no way that God would have been responsible- So who the hell was that bitch? She sure claimed to be of Lord God, but something didn't add up. Angela knew of her and just who she was. Roland also knew of her and just who she was. So... Shit. It made sense. She's most likely a manifestation of light that's... Oh God, no.

His eyes widened at the realization as to why and how she was able to say the things she said. She was a literal manifestation of human knowledge and emotions given a form and shape. He almost wanted to hit himself. It made sense! Goddamnit!

It was also highly likely that she was pretending to be Holy to other people as well- Oh no. Bush balled his fists as soon as he thought of that, a snarl on his face. He shook his head and exhaled. No time for getting mad right now. But, still. Shit. It was likely that she was going to deceive the crazies who made up Reagan's voter base.

"-However, I am willing to test Bush's hypothesis immediately," Angela said as Bush finally snapped out of his thoughts, turning around to gauge his response. "Director Bush, your thoughts on this?"

"U-uh-wuh?" Bush asked. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that," He said. "But if this is about testing my hypothesis on the whole manifesting and de-manifesting thing... Sure."

"Duly noted, honorable Director," Angela stated with a smirk as Bush rolled his eyes, an unamused expression on his face. Can it with the faux-submission, Angela. He was almost tempted to reprimand her, stopping if only because he remembered Angela could quite literally have him torn apart in the Library. "I will begin the evacuation this instant."

"Right," Bush sighed. "Carry on, then. It's time we get this show on the road."

Bush was once again snapped out of his flashbacks as the plane entered turbulence, shocking him out of his musing and flashbacks. Grunting, shaking his head, and tightening his grip on his seats, he looked back to his right to get a glance at Roland and Angela. Those two lovebirds seemed to still be doing the same things as earlier. Nothing ever changes, he supposed.

He checked his watch. Another few hours until he reached Seattle.

Well, at the very least. Bush's theory about only the Library demanifesting and the Librarians not being affected by it turned out to be true.

But there was no time to dwell on it, as Bush positioned himself to sleep on the plane again.

Langley, here we come.