Soteria- The Crisis Forge

by Roberto Arcoleo

  “Well, I think the only way to find an answer is to talk to him, but I would not worry about it for now. Sometimes you just have to do what feels right.”

  “I think I love him, MaMa.”

  “Well, my darling, when I eat a delicious piece of flan, I don’t ask where it comes from, I just let it melt in my mouth.”

  “Melt in your mouth?”

  “Yes, especially if it’s warm and it tastes right.”

  Gabriela grew back to normal size, and her mother vanished.

  “I love you, Mark, but… what am I in love with? This is strange, bewildering, and… an awful lot to take in all at once.”

  Mark took Gabriela into his arms and kissed her. “Yes, it is, but we have to hurry because something is coming.”

  “What’s coming?”

  Mark didn’t reply.

  “I need to be alone with you,” said Gabriela. “I want to hold you close to me. You know what, let’s go someplace to be alone. That little hotel… It’s just down the road.”

  “Yes, I know. It’s over there. But we could just walk awhile.”

  They walked slowly towards the hotel. They stopped for a moment and listened to the sea. The ocean waves were crashing against the rocks by the shore. When they reached the hotel, the owner recognized Gabriela and greeted her as an old friend. The sand from the beach was still in her hair, and she shook it out on the marble. When the grains hit the floor, they bounced, and Gabriela heard the music of the harp playing again. The hotel owner smiled.

  As they left the lobby for their room, a parrot in a large wooden cage said to her, “The flan is very good here. You should try some.”

  They made love for hours. Novel to Mark, he basked in desires he never knew.

  As Gabriela rested, Mark thought, it is all this passion within her mind that creates these manifestations. He stared at her naked body stretched across the bed and wondered how there could be such beauty, such gloriously intoxicating beauty. Would he ever again feel this warmth? Time slowed, and each moment rested languidly. He watched Gabriela’s every breath. He listened to the air push through her nostrils and fill her lungs. It was the sound of life, her life, human life. It was music to him. He had only this gift of time, a moment between the moments, but he was both grateful for having them and angry at the thought of losing them. He touched her, and her skin was moist, silky. He moved his fingers lithely over her back; they glided, her sweat glistened. She felt warm. Tender and warm. Was there anything real before this?

  He needed to wake her, but these minutes were so perfect. It was time to go. This reality was a mirage and had to be left in the world of wishes. It was time to return to the bustling life of exhaust fumes and ambitions.

  Gabriela opened her eyes and greeted Mark with a warm smile. “Hello, darling. This is a beautiful night! Shall we go out for dinner?”

  “I’m afraid our time here is done; reality is calling. Your life and mine are waiting for us in New York.”

  “Oh… do we have to?” she said.

  “I am afraid we must,” answered Mark. “You know this is not real. It is a space in between moments, a bend in time. Your husband awaits you, and Jason and I have things to do.”

  “But we just got here! You heard George say he didn’t mind,” she smiled. “Can’t we bend it a bit longer?”

  “I’m afraid not, my love. But we had this time, and hopefully we will have other times even more special,” he said.

  “What do you mean, hopefully?” asked Gabriela. “We are going to be together, right? I will get a divorce if you want me to. Or we can just go on like this, if you would prefer. I will make no demands on you.”

  “Gabriela, it’s not about that. Are you forgetting again that I am not a human being?”

  “Oh yeah. There’s that… But you feel human enough to me. And besides… every relationship has problems.” She smiled. “This is all that matters to me.”

  “You are more than lovable, but you must understand that there are things I cannot control,” said Mark. “Gabriela, we are going back to New York, to reality now, and you’re going home to your life. We can talk more later but believe me when I say I love you.”

  “I like this dream. Let’s just stay here,” she said, fighting back tears. “When will I see you again?”

  “Soon. I will see you soon, but there are things I have to attend to.”

  Gabriela looked at Mark and sensed he was troubled. “Will you be alright? You look troubled. Are you worried?”

  “No, no. I am fine,” he responded. He was shocked that she sensed this from him. He wondered if he had been communicating his concerns to her without being aware of it.

  “Come here and let me hold you. Don’t look so sad. You’re not supposed to worry in my dream.”

  “I know,” responded Mark, “and, I also know that we have more great times ahead.” He knew; however, this might not be true.

  Mark and Gabriela got dressed, but there were no words exchanged. He did not want to reveal what would come next. They stepped out of the hotel room and were hit with the sounds of the streets of New York.

  Gabriela kissed him gently as she took the door handle of a parked taxi. “If you don’t call me tomorrow, I’ll be very angry. And you don’t want to make a Spanish girl angry. Especially one from Barcelona.” She smiled sweetly. Mark smiled back as she got into the cab.

  Gabriela poked her head out of the window and said, laughing, “Let’s do this dreaming thing again. I liked it.”

  Chapter 24: At the Doctor’s Office

  Mark watched the cab drive off. These sensations are wonderful, he thought to himself. He wanted to dive deeper, to explore their meaning. He needed to talk to Dr. Abernathy.

  He found a phone and called the doctor’s office. Martha answered.

  “Hello. Dr. Abernathy’s office!”

  “Hello. This is Mark, the doctor’s new patient. I really need to see him today, if possible.”

  Martha made a strange humming sound, then said, “Well, your appointment is in two days, but it’s your lucky day. I just had a cancellation! Could you be here in an hour?”

  “Yes! Definitely.”

  When Mark arrived at the office, Martha appeared a bit agitated. “Your appointment is in two minutes,” she said sounding annoyed. “I was almost going to cancel you. Please sit, and I will tell him you’re here.” She clicked the button on the intercom. “He’s here.”

  “Okay,” Abernathy replied. “Bring him in.”

  When Mark entered the room, the doctor was not sitting at his desk, as he normally did, but rather was standing behind his chair in the center of the room. Mark could see that Abernathy was uneasy.

  Turning, Abernathy abruptly said to Martha, “Leave us now.” She paused and left with a puzzled expression on her face.

  “So,” said the doctor, “how scared of you should I be?”

  “Scared of me? Oh…” Marked paused. “Jason frightened you?”

  “Well. That might be considered quite an understatement. For God’s sake! Being awoken in the middle of the night by a being that can pick locks with his mind and then tells you that the world may end! Why would anyone be frightened?” His tone was riddled with angry sarcasm.

  “I am sorry he upset you, doctor. I told you he was complicated, and I thought I explained that our presence here on the earth was going to have a large impact.”

  “Well, you didn’t explain him, and yes, let’s just say your brother drove home the point of your mission with a great deal of emphasis,” responded Abernathy.

  “I apologize,” Mark reiterated. “Jason has a flair for the dramatic. I assure you the earth won’t be destroyed, and Jason would never harm you.”

  “Has he harmed others?” Abernathy questioned with intensity.

  “Well… let’s move on,” responded Mark. “I have a lot to talk to you about.”

  “But I would like to dwell on it a bit, if you don’t mind. Has he harmed anyone?” Dr. Abernathy ex
claimed.

  “Listen, Doctor, Jason has, let’s say, forgotten himself from time to time, but I promise you he will not harm you or anyone associated with you. He likes you.”

  “He likes me? Mark, forgive me if I am not reassured by this conversation.”

  “Please, Doctor, I really need your advice. And this is bigger than the both of us. Please do not abandon me.”

  “This is not about me abandoning you, but how can I be expected to help you under an atmosphere of intimidation. I am not sure if I can do this. I am no one’s hero.”

  “But Doctor, who else can I turn to?”

  “Okay… Tell me. What is it you need to talk about? Why did you move up your appointment?”

  “It’s about Gabriela. She is so wonderful. I cannot believe how I feel. I was hoping you could help me understand what I am experiencing.”

  Hesitantly, Abernathy sat down in his chair. “Well, I see you are distressed. Fine. Please proceed… Tell me why this is all so urgent.”

  “I’ve had a glimpse of what humans describe as emotion, but nothing like this. Not in this way. They have been evolving within me, but all of a sudden something has changed. It is as if my very self has sucked me within itself. Then at the same time, I feel as if I were swirling in an eddy. Doctor, I am overwhelmed by my very being. I am both elated and lost, even almost frightened. It’s kind of like it, but… I don’t know… it is like having opposites things pulling at me at the same time. Am I making sense?”

  “Yes, in a way, continue,” responded Abernathy.

  “I don’t mind these sensations, but I’m confused. This is all so new to me. I have no reference within me for these experiences. Do I sound like a child to you? Because I feel like one when I am around her. Is this what you humans call love? I want to know if I am really experiencing love.”

  “Well,” intoned Abernathy as he gave Mark a serious but thoughtful look, “you seem to be experiencing what an adolescent boy might be going through during pubescence when he first develops an attachment towards the girl. It is often a time when emotional development has not kept pace with other aspects of one’s being. It is possible that you are developing the ability to have emotions while being unprepared for the territory and have plunged yourself into the depths not really being ready for the intensity. We humans are also very silly when it comes to these things. I mean corporal emotions, lust, much less what you believe to be love. You should not be overly concerned that you are uncomfortable. Just experience what you are feeling, and as we say, go with the flow.”

  “But if it’s really love, how would I know?” responded Mark.

  “Only time answers that,” replied Abernathy.

  “Doctor, you must understand, if it is really love, it would be historic for my kind. My world has not experienced “love” for thousands of years. If I am truly having these feelings – I mean, real emotions, real love – my people would be experiencing these emotions along with me. For us, this could be revolutionary. It is a kind of awakening from a very deep sleep. It may change my home world. That is, if it is real. How will I know if it is real?” He had raised his voice in his excitement.

  The doctor paused. “So, the significance goes beyond you. This is quite a question then. All I can say is that logic often doesn’t apply to love. It’s almost a need. It’s an irrational thing we have been pondering for as long as humans could ponder. Some scientists dismiss it as a chemical response to stimuli related to reproduction, a state of being we have devised in order to procreate, create the family unit, and continue the species, but for me, that is too mechanistic an answer. There are many novels and plays, and I am sure millions of poems and broken promises as well. But my rule has always been to judge whether the other person means more to you than you mean to yourself.”

  “What do you mean? Are you asking if I would die for her?”

  “Well, I don’t think that should ever be asked of one, but if you are talking about the intensity of the feeling, then, yes, that you would sacrifice anything for her.”

  “I think I understand. Thank you for your help, doctor.”

  “Wait a minute! It is not all so simple! There is a lot to comprehend, here!”

  “Yes, I can see that. But this is enough for me to think about for a while, and I really have to talk to Jason.”

  “Mark, why don’t you just try to slow down a bit?”

  “I wish I could, Doctor, but there is so much to think about, and I am afraid that things are going to start to speed up soon. I have to talk to Jason, and we only really get a few moments together.”

  “Yes, you said that, but I do not completely understand. So at least, before you run off, can I ask you again about Jason?”

  “Yes… Of course.”

  “Well, has he ever harmed anyone?”

  Mark paused, for he did not want to frighten the doctor.

  “He will never harm you, Doctor.”

  “Yes, you said that, but before he left, he handed me a diamond.” The doctor went to his desk and revealed the gigantic stone. “He gave me this after he nearly frightened me to death, a kind of compensation for having terrorized me, I think. Then he told me not to show it to anyone.”

  “He was just expressing his gratitude to you. But yes, showing a diamond like that might raise a lot of questions. I will have $100,000 sent to your bank to compensate you for your time. Is that enough?”

  “At my usual rate of $70 an hour you would be paying me for more than 1,400 hours in advance. That’s ridiculous.”

  “Well, I am grateful, and money is just paper to me.”

  “Listen, Mark. You are being evasive. What I really want to know is if Jason has a history of harming people.”

  Mark spoke with a whisper, hesitating, “Well there were some people.”

  “Some people? What do you mean by some people? How many people? And what has he done?”

  “Well, he has killed eleven people,” Mark said in a burst.

  “Oh, great! Just great! And I am not to be concerned?”

  “You don’t have to worry. They were evil people, and they were given justice. You aren’t an evil person, and I will never, I mean never, allow harm to come to you or anyone you are close to. I swear by that.”

  “Well, thank you for your continued reassurance, Mark. I appreciate your care. But your brother scares me.”

  “I understand,” responded Mark. “But please, don’t be afraid.”

  “I am not sure how that is possible, Mark. He kills people. How could I not be concerned? I know our conversations are important to you, and therefore maybe my species, so I guess there is no escape for me at this point. Well, anyway, can you tell me how he killed these people?”

  Mark answered. “He just stops their hearts when he wants to be merciful, but if he gets angry, people’s innards end up all over the streets.”

  “Well… At least he does it with pizazz…” responded Abernathy.

  Chapter 25: Seeing Him Standing There

  Mark hurried through the streets hoping to have a few moments to communicate with Jason. He wanted to tell Jason not to frighten Dr. Abernathy again. He rushed up the stairs to their apartment, and when he opened the door, he froze in shock.

  There, standing in front of him, was Jason.

  For a moment, they just stared at each other in amazement. His brother had just left the portal for the first time without his presence. They simultaneously thought: How could this be possible? They were there together at last.

  “Jason!”

  Jason answered, “Hello, Mark.”

  Mark took Jason’s hand and held it between both of his. They felt a sense of knowing.

  “There are more differences between us than I expected! This is so exciting. I can’t wait to hear you play music at The Dom, hear your group, hang out together. You can meet Gabriela, and we can all go out, and…”

  “Slow down, Mark,” responded Jason. “I don’t think we should do that just yet. Let’s proceed careful
ly. They are preparing us for something. Do you sense it? They have just given us a bit more – almost a tease. They have a plan. They wanted us to see reality in our own special way. They wanted us to have different strengths and different needs and desires. It’s all a part of a larger scheme.”

  “Do you know what our task is?” asked Mark.

  “I still only know that we are expected to save the earth, but I’m starting to sense we may be in real danger.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know, but I can’t shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen.”

  “We have a right to know what is needed of us. It’s not fair of them to keep us in the dark.”

  “They must have their reasons.”

  “Their reasons? Who cares about their reasons? We’re the ones with the mission. I want to know what is going on. I will ask them when I am in the portal.”

  “Yes, we have a right to know, but do not anger them. They are much more powerful than we are, and compared to them, well, I fear we are no match.”

  Mark felt the portal forming. “They are calling me, Jason.”

  “Good luck, and I’ll see you tomorrow. We may have more time then.”

  “Yes, tomorrow,” Mark replied, as he dissolved into the portal, leaving Jason watching.

  Jason had a million thoughts running through his mind, but most pressing was the purpose of his life. He could only ponder what that plan would be. He felt helplessly feeble, and despite all his power, sorely inadequate.

  He needed to get out, to be with people. He needed a distraction. He needed his music. He needed his band.

  Jason left for the club. The band was not supposed to play that night, but he knew the stage was always open to him if he wanted it.

  When he arrived at the club, the band was nowhere to be seen. He pushed his way through the crowd, looking for a sign of them. Then, over his shoulder, Helena appeared.

  “Jason, thank God you are here. Everyone is upstairs! Gary overdosed. Please, come quick!”