A New Order

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I am,” Oliver replied. “I was talking about our dad.”

  “Our Dad?” Frank asked. “Our dad as in our dad. You’re my brother.”

  “What?” Oliver asked. “No. Our Dad.”

  “Henry is your brother?” Frank asked.

  “Frank, my dad died a long time ago,” Henry said. “Thanks for bringing that up.”

  “You guys are funny. Our dad.” Oliver pointed to Dean then himself.

  Dean’s eyes widened.

  “William’s your father?” Frank asked shocked.

  “Um, yeah.”

  “Are you adopted?” Frank quizzed.

  “No!” Oliver laughed out his answer. “Frank, why are you acting like you don’t know this.”

  “Pretend I don’t …” Frank winked. “Pretend I don’t have a clue. Did William have another wife.”

  “Not that I know of. We have the same mother and father,” Oliver said. “And they say Dean is the one who drinks and forgets.”

  “You know, Frank,” Henry said. “I can see it. Look at his eyes, they’re green, they have the same nose and face. I can see the resemblance.”

  “But he’s Chinese or Asian. I can see it,” Frank said.

  Oliver smiled. “I am not. Okay I am. Sort of. Dad had a great great grandfather who was Asian and it came out in me. So they say. I have to go. I won’t say anything to my father.” He walked to the door.

  Henry looked at Dean. “Is that possible. Could it come out in him?”

  “I guess.” Dean said. “My mom was older when she had him then. Is that right?”

  “Right. I was a menopause baby.” Oliver said as he grabbed the door. “We know the story. They wanted to call me Elvis because I was conceived in Vegas. Or so the story goes. Gross to think about. Anyhow, I have to go. Later.” He left and the door closed.

  Frank stared at the door.

  “This can’t be right,” Dean said. “My dad’s alive and I have a brother.”

  “It’s cool, Dean,” Henry said. “It really is.”

  “He can’t be my brother.”

  “He says he is. Bet if we look around, we find pictures,” Henry said. “I think it’s really cool.”

  “Oh!” Frank blurted out.

  Dean looked at him. “What?”

  “Oh!”

  “What?”

  “Oh. Oh.!” Frank snapped his finger. “Oh my God!”

  “What!” Dean yelled.

  “Vegas. He was conceived in Vegas. Vegas, Dean.”

  “Okay.”

  “He’s got to be what? Like Twenty-five. I may be slow at times, but I fucking got this,” Frank said. “His great grandfather or whatever isn’t fucking Asian. His father is.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dean asked.

  “Vegas. Twenty-five years ago.” Frank turned to Henry. “Who was the woman you spent the day with.”

  “Frank.” Henry laughed. “What are you saying.”

  “Oh my God,” Dean spoke in shock. “No.”

  “No what?” Henry asked. “What are you guys saying?”

  “What was her name?” Frank asked. “The woman.”

  “It was Barbara.”

  “Uh!” Dean shrieked and rushed to Henry. “My mother’s name was Barbara.”

  “No. No. No,” Henry shook his head and stepped back. “Barbara wasn’t your mom. I swear. I have seen pictures of your mom.” He nervously pulled out his phone. “I’ll show you. I’ll prove it to you. I have pictures. Your mom had blonde hair. This woman had brown. She was not your mom. See?” he showed him the phone.

  “That’s my mom!” Dean saw the picture.

  Frank laughed. “Oh my God, Henry’s the father of your brother.”

  “I’m killing you,” Dean charged for Henry.

  Before Dean could grab him, Henry slipped by and raced out of the house. Dean wasted no time and took off after him.

  “Man.” Frank walked over and shut the door. “This is so good. And he says I was the one that screwed up time. Ha.” Shaking his head, Frank laughed a little. “Speaking of good.” He then walked back toward the kitchen.

  He could have followed Dean and Henry, but he figured he’d let them work it out. In the meantime, he’d process what he just heard while stealing a little of that concoction William had cooking in the crockpot.

  TWELVE

  Bertha Callahan was obsessed with that tiny tablet or, Dandle as she called it. Not only was she able to read, she video chatted with Lars. She wanted to talk to Tigger but he was too far out of range. She was so obsessed Mike swore she hadn’t looked up from it all day.

  Mike was annoyed with it. At least she was getting her reports done. Although she failed to attend the meeting with Stewart.

  They wanted to give the troops a holiday. Time off, like Fourth of July, even though they missed it by a few days. It was something that had planned to do, even open up a route west to mark Beginnings as a vacation spot.

  That was out of the question until the bacteria was conquered.

  He felt good about giving them something normal. Although Mike world never go as far as Beginnings.

  To him they were just absurd at times. They were a quirky and odd bunch, bringing back things from a past long gone and not even bringing them back the way they were.

  He and Stewart decided the holiday would be good to go in a week and they sent out memos accordingly.

  Details to follow.

  They talked about having trains run a special holiday schedule, taking troops to destinations rather then training areas. He wished he could give them more.

  He and Stewart took the meeting to ‘The Pub’ where they both nursed the latest rage, The Hottie, a spicy moonshine that no one had yet to gulp.

  “What about a tour?” Stewart suggested.

  “A tour?”

  “Yes.”

  “Like a tour bus?”

  “Exactly. We can do the train or a bus. Train is better. More efficient.”

  “Where the hell would they go? What would they tour?”

  “Famous landmarks now overgrown. Things like that.”

  “Who would want to see that?”

  “Me.” Stewart shrugged, then sipped his drink. He cringed facially showing how that the new spicy drink was hard to tolerate. “When James Slagel was on our side.”

  “Unknowingly.”

  “Yes. But … he is like his family. He spent a great deal of time refurbishing an amusement park.”

  “Are you shitting me?”

  “Nope. He refurbished a lot of things. Nuclear subs. A smaller ship. He was the one that trained our navy. Or did. I wish he was back.” He lifted the drink then set it down. “I can’t handle this.”

  “Here.” Mike took the drink and downed it.

  “Oh my God, didn’t that burn your throat.”

  “Yeah, but I liked it. So anyhow … what about … getting James back here. Or Jimmy as he goes by.”

  “For good?” Stewart asked

  “At least to double check his ship and sub. That needs checked and while he is here, have him show off that amusement park. I am sure the troops would like that. Maybe fire up the ship. We have a lot of men and women who have been busting their asses getting ready for the war.”

  “That’s a great idea. But Beginnings has that bacteria.”

  “They also have a very short quarantine window. I’ll speak to Lars. Get him here under the guise of something other than a recreation guide and …”

  “Chief Manis,” a young man called his name with urgency. “Is your radio off?”

  Mike lifted his radio. “Shit it’s dead. What’s wrong.”

  “You’re needed at radar. That’s all I got.”

  After saying another, “Shit” Mike looked at Stewart, “We may not have to worry about that holiday.” He finished his own drink and with Stewart behind him, took of out of the Pub.

  Mike kept thinking the whole two block walk there that this was it, the invasion that had be
en predicted and it was getting pinged by their radar instead of the sophisticated scanning systems.

  “What is it?” Mike asked, rushing in with Stewart. “What do we got?” His eyes scanned the radar. “I’m not seeing anything.”

  “It’s not there,” the radar operator said. “It’s here.” He handed the microphone to Mike. “You ready. San Luis Brazil.”

  “For real?” Mike asked, when the operator nodded, Mike said. “Anyone speak Portuguese.”

  “You don’t need to,”

  Mike depressed the button. “This is Mike Manis, Chief Operator Caceres Society United States. With whom am I speaking?”

  Static

  “Oh, hey there Mike. Boy it’s good to hear someone speak perfect English. My name is Corbin Bonaziski, I’m from Memphis.”

  “What are you doing in Brazil.”

  “I was kind of stuck here when things went down. Been trying forever to get a radio working. We’ve been calling out for weeks. Anyhow I was asking your guy, any chance you guys got a boat or something. Because I really want to come home.”

  Mike lowered the microphone and looked at Stewart. “I’ll get a hold of Jimmy Slagel. Maybe a rescue mission is exactly the type of vacation the guys need.” Mike lifted the radio. “Yeah, Corbin. We’re gonna see what we can do to bring you back.”

  THIRTEEN

  It didn’t take for him to read her mind or for Frank to even hear from anyone, he knew the second he saw Ellen that she was sick.

  In all the years that he had known her, he couldn’t recall her looking so frail, so pale as she did standing on the other side of the window in the quarantine ward.

  Frank was strong. He didn’t want her to look at him and see worry or concern. He needed her to hold on.

  Dean on the other hand was devastated. Frank wanted to just pull him aside and yell at him to get it together.

  After clearing his throat of emotions, Frank asked. “Where are you in this?””

  “The bacterial stage,” Ellen replied. “I’m close to transitioning.”

  “What does that mean?” Frank asked Dean.

  “It means she is close to going viral. If she goes viral, that means …”

  “I know what that means,” Frank said. “I know. It won’t happen.”

  “Frank.” Ellen said. “Listen, I am well aware of what can happen.”

  “Are you aware they are testing the antibiotics?” Frank asked.

  Ellen nodded. “I am. I also know the farther along I am the harder it is going to be to turn it around.”

  “Well, they will,” Frank said confidently. “It’s a matter of hours, maybe a day until they go get them. We have a meeting with everyone about the plan to get the antibiotics.”

  “I know,” Ellen said. “I’m hopeful. I’m working in here. I have a set up. I’m not Dean…” she looked at Dean. “I’m trying.”

  “Dean.” Frank nudged him.

  “El, I will beat this,”

  “He will, El,” Frank stated. “If anyone can, he can.”

  “I know. I haven’t given up hope. Dean?” She called for him “Look at me.”

  Dean raised his eyes.

  “I know you have problems. I know this. But I need you to focus,” she said. “I need you to focus.”

  “With everything I am, I will,” Dean said.

  Frank knew the look on Ellen’s face. She wasn’t convinced in Dean’s words. What had happened in the time line for her to loose so much faith in Dean. That had never happened.

  “Do you trust me?” Frank asked her.

  “Of course.”

  “Then trust this,” Frank said. “Dean will do this. Not the Dean that’s been pissing around, making everyone angry, the Dean you know and trust. He will do this. I give you my word, El, my word that this man in front of you will give everything he has. No distractions. Nothing. You have my word.”

  Ellen nodded.

  “If I have to stay by him every hour of the day, I will,” Frank said. “I can do that, you know, I’m unemployed.”

  She gave a passive smile, that was all, telling Frank and Dean she had to go back to work.

  There was a somber feel when they left the ward and made their way to the first floor.

  “You are gonna work on this, right Dean?” Frank stopped Dean right before the lab.

  “Yeah, I am. I have been focusing so much on the bacteria, beating it before it transitions, I think I need to focus on the virus. It is so contagious, Frank,” Dean said.

  “She can’t get the virus, Dean, we have to stop her from getting the virus. That virus kills.”

  “I know. I will do my best. But I have a plan B.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’d rather not say, but can you trust me on it. Ellen will not die. I can promise that.”

  “You can promise that?”

  Dean nodded.

  “Then how can I not trust you.”

  “Let’s go into the lab, I have some stuff I was working on there on the computer,” Dean said. “We have an hour to kill before our meeting.”

  “Hopefully, Henry will figure things out.”

  “Yeah,” Dean said with a sigh. “Hopefully. I need to know why everyone is like this with me,” he said as he walked into he clinic.

  “Maybe because you let everyone down .. always,” Lars said.

  Dean glanced at Frank and mouthed the words, “I hate him.”

  “In what way?” Frank asked, Lars. “Give me an example of how he lets people down.”

  Lars chuckled sarcastically. “You are his biggest enabler. I will not tell you how he disappointed only to have you counteract each incident with a defense for him. I won’t. He needs to get on the ball. I thank you gentlemen for bringing back the samples. As I hope you know, and I’m not sure you do because you haven’t been around, they work. We will defeat the bacteria. The virus on the other hand is another beast.”

  “I’ll beat it,” Dean said. “I’m working on it.”

  “Hmm.” Lars hummed. “The only effort I have seen since Robbie passed away was the B cells. That was a stroke of genius on your part. Still wondering who you killed to get the spleen. But I won’t push on that positive. Other than that .. nothing.”

  “Bull,” Dean snapped and turned on the computer. “I have been working on it. Granted the bacteria took more precedence because if we beat that we didn’t have to worry about the virus. But I have been working on it. I ran at least two dozen tests to …” Dean clicked away on the computer.

  “To what?” Frank asked. “Did you forget?”

  “It’s not here,” Dean said.

  “What’s not there?” asked Frank.

  “My results. They aren’t here.”

  “Maybe another computer?” Frank suggested.

  “They’re all networked, It’s one file.”

  “Then what about your Dean notebooks. The logs you keep that no one can understand.”

  Dean snapped his finger. “You are right. Thank you.” He walked over to the center counter and opened up the drawer. “Where is it?” he shuffled through. “It’s not here.” He then pulled out every single drawer moving around the lab. “Where the hell is my book?”

  “Dean,” Lars called to him. “Stop.”

  “No. Someone moved my stuff.” Dean charged to the back room and grunted so loudly it sounded like a scream. “Where the hell are all my log books? What the fuck!” he flew from the back room and swung a point at Lars. “You did this. You moved my stuff! You took over.”

  Calmly, Lars replied. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “Bullshit!”

  “Dean, calm down,” Frank said. “Let me help.”

  “No! I can’t believe he took my stuff. He probably erased my files.” He returned to the computer.

  “I did no such thing,” Lars defended. “Were you drinking today.”

  “Yes,” Frank answered.

  “Frank!” Dean screamed, staring at the screen. �
�Stop telling people that and where is it? If you didn’t erase my fucking…” his fingers slammed hard on the keys. “Research. Then where is it.”

  Catherine’s voice calmly replied. “Because you never did it.”

  “What?” Dean spun and looked to her. “I did.”

  “Okay, then let me rephrase that.” She said. “You did. The Dean in this time line … did not.”

  Lars sang out in surprise. “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “What they went back, did they change time?”

  Catherine folded her arms. “Yes, it wasn’t on purpose. Pure accident. Lars, I have been saying it for years. I even told you the other day when they come back they will be different.”

  “But you were very vague,” Lars defended. “And not once did you mention time travel. What’s different?”

  Catherine shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure.”

  Frank asked. “Then can you help? Can you help us sort through what is different and what is not.”

  “And the whys of it,” Dean said. “If you can. Because I am so lost. This Dean here and now … is not me. Help us.”

  Catherine walked over and shut the door.

  FOURTEEN

  “Where do you want to begin?” Catherine asked.

  “Let’s start with you,” Dean said, holding a pen and notebook in his hand. “We know how it changed with you.”

  “Hard to say not knowing what your original time line is,” Catherine replied. “I brought the tincture to you.”

  “So the vials didn’t break.”

  “Good Heavens no. Why?” Catherine asked. “Did they get broken in your time.”

  “The accident. When you died. All but one broke and I had to make a synthetic.”

  “Well, you still had to make a synthetic. We produced that in Ashtonville.”

  “Taylor,” Frank said. “Ellen’s daughter.”

  “Ah,” Catherine smiled then the smile dropped from her face. “We had high hope. The initial doses worked so well on those in the earliest stages.”

  “She still died?” Frank asked.

  Catherine nodded. “Sadly. I wasn’t there. I was on the road. Carl and I took off with doses looking for the most rural of rural towns, hoping we could find those sick and in early stages.”