Fallout (Tales of the Other Universe Book 2)

by J. G. Taschereau

  Dee hung her head in disbelief. After spending days feeling guilty for giving up the search for her master, now she was learning that he had given up on being found. Of course, that was not the case, but the Creator was the only one who knew that. He remained silent, watching Dee as he waited for her to say just the words he was expecting from her.

  “No, I understand. If that’s really what he wants, then I won’t fight it.” She looked like her soul had been ripped out of her and all the happiness she carried with her was lost. “I’ll return to your service.”

  The Creator took a step forward and held Dee in an embrace she did not share. “Thank you for being so understanding, Ms. Gatti. I know this isn’t what you wanted, and I’m sorry to have kept it from you, but I promise that things will only get better from now on. Now that you’re by my side again, you’ll never have another care as long as you live.” Dee didn’t answer, trying to hold back her tears.

  “I’ll be going to speak before the people again soon,” he said, releasing her. “I’m sure Iilil-ja will be making a statement about the incident as well. We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon, so that should give you plenty of time to gather your things and say your goodbyes.”

  Still silent and looking lost in thought, Dee nodded her head. The Creator smiled at her in an attempt to change her mood. When that failed, he waved and turned to leave.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow, Ms. Gatti. Please be ready when I arrive.”

  The Creator disappeared around the corner of the hallway, leaving Dee standing alone. She remained still for some time before shambling over to the wall and sliding down to a seated position. There she sat for a long time, as numbness crept through her body like a poison.

  Adam sighed, affixing his royal stamp to the last of the documents he would being going through that evening. In addition to the deskwork that occupied most of his time, he was obligated earlier to make a speech about the incident in the wilderness to the people in Takuda Central. Given that both he and the Creator had denounced rumors that The Baggins was involved and the release of an autopsy report of two normal men, the majority of the populous accepted Adam’s explanation of the events. The officers in the station and the coroner were both sworn to secrecy by the Creator himself, so Adam wasn’t much worried about them leaking information. The only dissenting opinion left in the matter was that of the Western Liberty Movement, who was attempting to spin Adam’s speech as admittance of deceiving of the people and playing political games. With no evidence to back them up, however, Adam wasn’t worried much. He would let them keep shouting from their soapbox, but he didn’t expect anyone to listen.

  He set the documents aside and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips, accepting that there was no more work he could do for the night. There was much more to be done, but he was exhausted and any further effort on his part would be below his standards. He didn’t bother to look at the clock, but he knew from the darkness outside that it was late. Since the attendant who had been hired to ring the bells ran off after the Autumn Equinox, the bell tower had remained silent and Adam lost track of the hours more easily. Most nights now he just worked until he was too tired to focus. That focus tonight was already shaken from his conversation with the Creator hours earlier. He had managed to get some work done and go through with the disclosure of information to the public, but his mind was still preoccupied.

  Adam set aside the rest of his work and headed for the door. He would likely go straight to bed because the next day would be as long as the one that had just ended. As he gripped the doorknob, a knock came at the door. Adam opened it before the visitor could even lower her hand. On the other side, Dee was surprised that Adam had opened the door so fast and her face reddened as he was already so close to him.

  “Oh, Greg, good evening,” Dee said. Sometime after returning from Kyoto, Dee had made it her mission to find a new name for Adam that would be a fresh start for him and not be associated with violence. She eventually settled on Gregory E.T. Lathane, an anagram of “the angry alter ego,” the translation of Adam’s true name. He appreciated the gesture, but the name didn’t stick around the palace and was never officially adopted. Still, it didn’t stop Dee from referring to Adam by the name and had proved to be something that strengthened the bond between them.

  “Sorry, did I startle you?” he asked.

  “No, it’s ok, I just didn’t expect you to answer so soon,” she said. “Are you going to bed?”

  “I was on my way,” Adam said. “It’s been a long day, and tomorrow will be just as bad.”

  “Oh, I see,” Dee said, casting her view down. “Well, I won’t bother you then.”

  “Wait, Dee!” Adam called as she turned to leave. “Have you spoken with the Creator?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Earlier today. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “Oh,” Adam said, holding the frame of the door. “So are you really going to go with him?”

  “I have to,” Dee said. “I promised I would serve him, and he’s the Creator Most High after all.”

  “What about the search for your master?”

  Dee clutched her arm. “I’ve been doing some thinking, and I don’t think I’ll be going after him anymore.”

  Adam’s eyes widened. “Really? Why not?”

  “It’s just been so long since he’s been home,” she explained. “It would make sense that if he hasn’t gone back home, maybe he just doesn’t want to go back.”

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Adam said. He realized he shouldn’t have said anything. Encouraging Dee to go after her master would only lead to her wasting her time, or learning the truth about his death. Dee just shook her head.

  “I do know,” she said, gripping her arm tighter. “The Creator told me earlier that he doesn’t want to go home and that’s why I haven’t been able to find him.”

  Adam’s hair bristled and he saw red. He managed to keep his composure, but he was furious. It was bad enough that the Creator was misleading Dee about her master’s whereabouts, but now he had outright lied to her just to keep her in his service. Every fiber of his being shouted at him to speak up, to reveal the Creator’s lie and tell Dee the truth. He looked at her face, hopeless and lost, and opened his mouth to speak.

  But he found that he could not.

  His chest constricted and a quick breath escaped him as Dee looked him in the eyes, her own eyes flashing with emotion.

  “Are you alright, Greg?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” he answered. “Just tired.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m keeping you up.”

  “No, it’s alright. I can spare a few more minutes if it’s for you.”

  A faint smile came to her face for a moment. “Well good. To be honest, I don’t know when I’ll be leaving tomorrow with the Creator, and since you’re going to be so busy, I figured I should come say goodbye now.”

  Adam frowned. He had been thinking about Dee’s going away, but couldn’t bring himself to think about having to say goodbye. What’s more, he couldn’t understand why he was having such a difficult time. He had parted ways with many allies over the centuries, most of whom he had known much longer than Dee. Yet for some reason he found himself struggling now. He couldn’t find the right words to say, if there were any words at all. It was not too late to tell her the truth about her master. But what good would that do her? It wouldn’t stop her from going off with the Creator, from leaving him alone in Magid. If this was really the last time he saw Dee, this would be the only opportunity for her to know. If it were the last time. No, he thought. After all that had happened between Adam and Dee, he knew the Creator would be wary of letting her see him again. This really was the last time he would see her.

  “I don’t know what to say,” he said.

  She smiled, but there was a sadness behind that smile. “It’s alright, I know you’re not always good with your emotions. I figured I’d be doing most of the talking. I just wanted to say that I’m re
ally glad that I got to meet you. I know things were rough at the start, but you’ve grown so much since then. I’m proud of the kind of person you’ve become, and I’m so happy that I was able to share in that journey for at least a little while.”

  Dee stopped, tilting her head to the side and stifling her breath. She inhaled and then looked back at Adam, taking hold of his wrist and showing him the woven bracelet that he had been wearing so long he’d almost forgotten about it. “Do you remember what the character means?” A white stone in the center of the bracelet had a Japanese symbol carved into it, chosen specifically by Dee for Adam in Kyoto.

  “You said it means ‘serenity’,” Adam said.

  Dee smiled, her eyes becoming glassy. “That’s right. I got it for you to remind you that your life is going to be filled with peace now that you’ve found your place in life. I don’t want you to forget that, and I don’t want you to forget me.”

  “I don’t think I will ever forget you, Dee,” Adam said. “Not for all the countless millennia that lay ahead.”

  Her eyes seemed to swell and a smile tried to break loose from her frown. Before the tears came, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. She pulled back. “I’m sorry, I know that probably made you uncomfortable. But, thank you, Greg. For everything. You really are a good man. Don’t ever forget that. Please take care of yourself.”

  Dee stepped back, turning around and hiding her face. Adam reached his hand out to her but pulled it back. He knew it would do no good to say anything else to her. After that, there was nothing else to say.

  “Goodbye, Dee,” he said.

  “Goodbye,” she answered. Her voice was weak and tired, her words forced. With a sharp exhale she started to walk away without looking back. She didn’t want him to see her crying and waited until she was around the corner before letting the tears flow freely. She crouched over, stifling her sobs, and found she was losing the strength to stand. Once more she found herself sliding down to the floor, lost to painful sadness, having had to say goodbye now to two men that she had grown to love.

  In the doorframe of his office, oblivious to Dee around the corner, Adam found he couldn’t move either. The tightness in his chest returned and a dull pain took over. He gripped the doorframe tighter, his head feeling light and the world around him losing a sense of realness. He tried to realize what had just happened, a truth he had dreaded all day that was now manifested: Dee was gone. The pain in his chest, one he had not felt in four decades, he now understood was the terrible pain of loss.

  Chapter 5

  Attack on Takuda Central

  Sunlight fell across Adam’s face, stirring him from a sound sleep. He clenched his eyelids tighter, hoping in his state of half slumber that he might ignore the call of morning and sleep for just a bit longer. After a few minutes he realized that this was impossible and opened his eyes to the new day. He groaned and rolled over, thinking that maybe if he covered his eyes he could just go back to sleep. Even if he could have, he knew that he shouldn’t. By the time the sun reached his bedroom, it meant he had a little over an hour to get ready and start attending to his daily tasks.

  Some mornings he had set extra time aside to share a light breakfast with Dee. He might still be able to do so if she hadn’t already left. Thinking back on the night before, he decided against it. Trying to see her again would only make their final parting that much worse. He imagined she was probably busy anyway getting the last of her things packed and ready before the Creator returned. Under the covers, Adam scowled as he thought of his other half. The Creator had no right to manipulate Dee for his own benefit, and Adam would be sure to give him a piece of his mind when they next met.

  Adam sighed, accepting that he couldn’t stay in bed any longer. He rose, stretching his limbs out and walking over to the window beside his desk. He looked out over the palace courtyard at the trees lining the walkway as they shed their brilliant leaves. In the morning light, the warm colors of the autumn leaves made it seem as if the trees were aflame. A light breeze blew, and more leaves floated off like embers to the grass below.

  He yawned. It was only morning but he was still exhausted and wanted nothing more than to rest. Now more than ever, he knew, there was little time for rest. The Creator was right about one thing: there was much work that needed to be done to fix the country. Adam would need to renew his desire to make things right and carry the country back to its former glory. It would all start today with his first step, and he just had to take it. By himself.

  Adam frowned, turning from the window. He looked down to his desk where he picked up his familiar sunglasses that fit snugly over the bridge of his nose. The dark lenses didn’t cover his eyes much at all, but they were never meant to serve a practical purpose for him. Since the moment he first picked them up, they had served as a symbol of his will to command without fear. He had changed much since that day, but his need to be a strong commander was even more prevalent now. Failure wasn’t an option.

  Beside the glasses sat another familiar totem that Adam made sure to acknowledge each day: the skull which had belonged to the anger-riddled part of him he cast out nine months earlier. It had been left for him after their final battle and Adam had kept it in secret, even from Dee. If anything was a motivation for him not to fail and fall back onto old ways, it was this symbol of mortality, proof that even the supposedly immortal Legends could in fact die. Every day he vowed he would be better than the man he used to be, so that he would never end up like the dry, empty skull.

  Adam took his time sorting through his clothes, deciding to take the opportunity to be lazy while he could. He wouldn’t bother with a shower this morning, especially since he expected to be stuck in his office doing paperwork all day. Adam picked out a rather ordinary outfit and started getting dressed, trying to keep his mind from wandering back to thoughts he wanted to avoid. Before he could finish buttoning his shirt, a hurried knocking came at his bedroom door.

  “Who is it?” he called as he fastened the last of the buttons.

  “It’s Miko,” the attendant called. “You’re needed out here right away.” There was an unusual energy in her voice that Adam had never heard from her before. It was caused by panic.

  Adam hurried to the door and pulled it open. Miko was alone and appeared anxious. “What is it?” he asked her.

  “There’s been a bombing in the city,” she explained. “A lot of people have been hurt, and it seems like it’s turned into a hostage situation. A group of gunmen reportedly captured a number of government workers and is holding them prisoner.”

  “Damn it all,” Adam cursed. This was the last thing he needed today. “Have they made demands?”

  “No, not yet. Police are surrounding the building, but those involved seem to be heavily armed. The police are cautious to proceed so that they don’t risk themselves or the hostages.”

  Adam was about to respond when the sound of an explosion in the distance rang out. The hallway trembled from the shockwave of the nearby blast. Adam cursed again and ran to the south facing window of his living chambers. He could see fresh black smoke pouring out from a building about half a mile from the palace. Beyond that, the faint cloud of smoke from the first bombing lingered in the air.

  “Where are the hostages being held?” Adam asked.

  “Somewhere in the Stock Exchange Central Building,” Miko said.

  Before Miko could finish her sentence, Adam already rushed to the far wall and reached for the broadsword mounted there. The sword, with its elaborate golden guard and handle, was the Sword of Magid, presented to Adam by Master M in Kyoto. It was meant to be held by Magid’s king, and this would be the first chance for Adam to use it to defend his country.

  “Tell all of the guards to remain on high alert,” he commanded Miko. “Keep the palace locked down until I get back. No one in or out, and start a thorough search of the premises.”

  “You’re going down there yourself?” Miko asked.

  “If the police are worried
about casualties on their side, there’s no one better to send in than me.” He slipped on his shoes and was out the door before Miko could give a response. Adam hurried down the back stairwell to the entrance to the courtyard. From there it was a short run to the main gate, where he repeated his instructions for Miko to the guards on duty before heading towards the direction of the rising smoke.

  Already there was a growing panic in the streets. People were fleeing from the direction of the second explosion, which judging by the distance was likely one of the national banking centers. First the stock exchange and then a banking headquarters were targeted, Adam thought. Whoever was responsible was going after buildings crucial to keeping Magid’s economy together. The economy was already weak, and a disruption like this would be a severe blow to the recovery effort. On top of that, such a brazen attack to the capital city would destroy any sense of security people had in the government’s ability to control the radical dissenters in the country. That was all the more reason for Adam to handle the incident himself. Not only was he the most capable of doing so, but for the king to save the city and restore order would be a huge symbolic victory for Adam that would help restore his image as well as make the people more receptive of his recovery plans.

  That was more of a long term plan. At the moment, all he was focused on was stopping the attack on his city. The streets were chaotic as people fled from the finance district and sought sanctuary as they anticipated a third explosion. Adam ran past the crowds to ground zero where he found black smoke still pouring out of what remained of the side of the bank magnate’s headquarters. The east facing wall of the building was blown away, exposing the support beams and bare skeleton of the tall structure. Thankfully it seemed that the extent of the damage was just to that side and was not enough to threaten the structural integrity.

  Adam paused at the base of the building, looking up for any sign of the bombers. He could see survivors on higher floors waving their arms to attract rescuers, along with the bodies of those who were too close to the explosion. Part of Adam wanted to go into the building to rescue the survivors there, but with the number of people in the building it might take hours to get them all. Meanwhile, there were hostages being held at gunpoint by the perpetrators of the attack in a standoff situation that could result in a loss of life at any minute. He had no choice, and turned his back on the smoking bank and the people trapped inside to continue on his way to the stock exchange.