Encompassing

by Richard Lord

  Renfield sat quietly and looked at his beloved Christina. “Focus.” He said quietly, to no one in particular. Then he stood and moved toward her and requested, “One more time?”

  Christina wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry, but she hugged him and whispered in his ear. “For all time, Ren. All of mine at least. No one should endure all of yours, but I…”

  “Christina, it’s OK to say it. You feel and that is what makes you different from those things. They don’t.” Adam pulls her close to his own body.

  “But do you feel, Ren? I’ve seen them rip pieces of flesh from you and you continue to…be.” Christina trails off and then continues on a different track, “You know, that was a foolish moment, if you didn’t feel you wouldn’t endure this”, she paused searching for a word, “Hell” she finally concluded. “What do you love more than your own life?”

  “That’s easy to answer. She’s laying in my arms right now carrying our future.”

  “What? Ren, am I…?”, she nearly laughed in glee, but this was something she never really had considered. She joined the force without thought of childbirth. She was top in her class and upgraded to pilot. Why would she throw all of that away to…for the greatest moment of her life. She smiled, understanding and asked, “So what is she like?”

  “None of that, girl! Let’s get ready to move.” Renfield clearly choosing not to visit that topic.

  “What are we supposed to do? I haven’t heard you tell anyone that yet. They’re blindly following you, and I guess I am too, but I have more motivation to. What is waiting for us and what are you going to do about it?” Christina watches as Renfield prepares himself mentally. He seems to have a moment where he is simply still and considering. As if the weight of the world is on his shoulders alone. Then she thinks, “Perhaps it is.”

  “Solstice. Name her Solstice to mean a great change in the weather. Of course, if it’s a boy name him after me, but then I will have to live long enough to tell you my real name.” Renfield grins back at Christina.

  “What is your real name? They call you Renfield and ‘other things’ behind your back. Sorry, but it’s true, you are a bit pompous, but I understand why. But they do hate and love you simultaneously. Brady calls you Adam. I don’t mind Ren but when I see your face after I say it, I can tell it isn’t your real name.” Christina makes clear.

  “One more move then one more night. We’ll sleep more, later, if you prefer that to….” Renfield grins. “I am sorry about the arrangements. Filthy sweat stained uniforms does not a proper bedroom make.”

  “Stop! It was kind of them. That you even requested something for us, of such magnitude as this, means a lot to me.” Christina looks away and then back at Renfield. “One more night and then that house in the country. Do tell. What country?”

  “Well aren’t you the clever girl? When they are gone, I’ll change. I won’t be able to…Will you still be infatuated with a mortal?” Renfield’s eyes lower as he asks.

  “It’s not what you can do, Ren. It’s that you do it. That won’t change and that’s why I don’t believe we are going to move into a quiet nook in the country. You’re not going to settle after all of this. One thing I wonder. When my jet was still flight ready, you could have asked Brady to request a lift here. Why didn’t you?”

  “Seasons don’t change in the time of a flight. This is our Solstice. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, but what changes. No one even knew this existed until you pointed it out.”

  “That, my dear, was the problem. It’s everywhere and people don’t know. They use it every day and they don’t know it is learning from them. It’s quite literally the most evil creation of all time and it leads to…”

  “You’re about to go quiet again, aren’t you?” Christina forms a look of frustration on her face.

  “Kiss me. Just kiss me and then we HAVE to move, woman!” Renfield picks up her entire body as he pushes his face as deeply into hers as he can. Just in case.

  “So sudden! You know I’m kissing for two now?”

  “Well then it better be twice as passionate!” Renfield grins, grabs her more tightly and pulls her into him more intensely.

  CHAPTER 23

  “Knowing you can do a thing does not always mean you should.” -- from the book of Brady

  “Ok, start talking, buddy. What the hell is this Queen thing you’re going in to take out?” Brady was dead serious.

  Renfield looked up at him from his crouching position. Brady notes he looks as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. “It’s me. I have to take myself out. The problem is, I know how, I think. It’s why, with such a small force on our side and such a big one on theirs, we lose.”

  “Wait when you said Queen, I guess my head went to feminine and you’re not very attractive.” Brady jokingly frames Renfield’s face with his hands and then says, “Well, with a bit if lipstick you’d be an ugly one.”

  “What’s in there was female in the future. Now it’s hell bent on destroying everything and starting everything from total extinction up. It learns fast so I have to think faster.”

  “Wait, hold up, that doesn’t make any sense! How is it you then? I’m wondering if you are insane and everything I’ve seen in the past few days is my own hallucinations.” For point, Brady pinched his own arm. “Cacti?” Brady looks at Renfield, half joking, half wondering if that could explain everything they had been through the past few days.

  “I created it. I have to take out. Me.” Renfield looks very sober as he speaks.

  Brady, now sure, from the look on Adam’s face that he can’t explain it away with Cactus Juice, says, “Ok, is it physical or a database or…?”

  “It’s her. I have to be faster this time. I need Jacobs to go in with me.”

  “I told you about his problem. He is the last person you want in a crisis situation, Adam.”

  “Just tell him to take all of his meds before we go, then I’ll know he’ll remain calm no matter what happens.”

  Brady begins to laugh and then looks at Renfield and realizes he is serious and says as even toned as he can muster, “Why?”

  “Brady, by now you trust me. Trust I need him to take all of the meds he brought with him. He’s skittish so he brought extra. I need him to take it, now.”

  “Ok, first, what makes you think he planned to be out here this long and second, I cannot order someone to take medicine in a non-prescribed manner. That’s against the…No, I’m not going to say a word to him and you stay the hell away from him!”

  “Okay, Brady, so this is OUR shot and you won’t let me take it? I will probably be back again, but I’ll be having this argument with a different Brady about a kid who didn’t make it once. He will never be who he is right now, again. You know that, right?”

  Brady looked at Renfield starkly and observantly replies, “You actually need him, don’t you? You’ve planned all of this madness! You really are the creator of the shit we’re in right now! You’re an ass!”

  “Yes, I know. I have to fix it. You do get that, right? I know the other path. If I don’t…”

  “Sir!” Jacobs interrupts and walks over. “I heard. I already took them. I have no idea what Renfield is up to, but I trust you and I can tell you trust him. We don’t know why, but we do too. He’s kept us alive.”

  Brady throws his hands in the air and exclaims, “This is madness! Did anyone stop to think he’s the reason we’re here?” Brady stabs a finger in the air towards Renfield, repeatedly and clearly angry.

  Renfield turning from him towards Jacobs replies, “True. Thank you, Jacobs. Just one question, do you faint at the sight of blood?”

  Jacobs replies, “No, well…” Jacobs thinks about the nature of the question then adds, “Well, I don’t know.”

  Renfield reaches for a steak knife and Brady, now uneasy reaches towards his sidearm. Renfield ignores him and slashes his forearm. Jacobs goes limp. Renfield says to Brady, “Not optimal, but it will have to do. Now is h
e going with me or not?”

  CHAPTER 24

  “I remember him telling me that at some point he saw the world in iterations. Dots of color that moved with every breath and more so with every move of his hand or the flap of a butterflies wings. I thought he was being dramatic. Now I realize he saw the universe doing what the universe does. I wish for that ability. What an amazing level of perception. Yet, I know so few of us will ever see what he saw.” -- from the book of Christina

  “Does it hurt when…I know the answer, I just can’t imagine what you see and why.” Christina dotes over him while pulling off the gauze as requested. “It doesn’t look great yet, but it’s…am I going to lose you?” She blurts out.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I purposefully never moved forward in this timeline. What I see they see. They are her and she is me. Sounds odd, but I don’t have the time to explain. There’s going to be a way down. One of their ways out. That close to her theyshe will want ways to defend quickly, swiftly and without question. While she may want total destruction that does not include herself. Brady will be bait while I get me and Jacobs in. I’ll take it from there.”

  “What did you mean one more night? Ren, you said, one more night before but you’re going now.”

  “I’ll be back.”

  Moving faster than Jacobs can Renfield begins running zig-zags after ordering Jacobs to run in a straight line. Checking every inch of ground he stops, runs back to Jacobs and points. When they get to the spot intended, he looks at Jacobs. Renfield realizes that even with the meds Jacobs is in great fear. In a calming tone he gives Jacobs the next set of orders, “I’ll go down, but be right behind me.”

  As soon as they get to the bottom the attack is fierce and furious. Renfield turns to see Jacobs fall and as he is fighting for his own life he watches as one of the beasts nearly exsanguinates Jacobs. Then suddenly with a burst of speed, strength and will, he moves, grabs Jacobs and retreats.

  Moving quickly up the hill, shoulder carrying Jacobs, he yells, “I need the chopper pilot, now!” Then in a furious rush he yells that he needs the chopper pilot to pay attention. He starts explaining a fast rotating machine made out of forks and canteens. The chopper pilot, understanding the concept, jumps into action and begins building a centrifuge.

  Brady runs over and looks down at Jacobs and yells, “What did you do? He’s almost dead! What the hell did you do?”

  “Shut up, jam this in my arm, now!” Renfield demands. Brady not sure what to do but angry enough to do anything that hurts Renfield right now grabs the needle and sees it’s a shaft. He slows his hand as it sinks in, He knows he’s supposed to hit a vein.

  “Where is this going?” Brady yells at Adam.

  “In that canteen, hurry!” Renfield replies.

  Without another question and still angry Brady finds a vein and pushes hard into it and then breathes as he watches it fill. “Keep going! Another canteen!” Renfield yells. As the third canteen is filled Brady looks at Adam as if he is insane, but he’s still angry. Then he watches as Renfield finally loses consciousness.

  Brady thinks to himself, “Well, I suppose he is human, sort of.” He knows what to do next and the night is long as everyone waits tensely. Brady realizes he is losing morale as is his team. He kicks at a rock to avoid taking it out on the unconscious man in front of him. He knows that Jacobs’ life depends on him staying focused on the task.

  In the morning Brady walks over to Renfield. “It’s plasma, so it will take him time to heal. What the hell was that all about?”

  “Ants.” Renfield replies and then Christina enters and garners his attention.

  She looks at the man she is so mysteriously in love with so quickly and says in a soft but flowing voice, “We don’t know what you’re doing anymore. One more night with you is not something I want to do now.”

  Renfield nods. “I’m going back in the morning. This time alone. Understand?”

  “No, Ren, I don’t understand. No one does. You’re mad. Today proved that. You risked…”

  Renfield sits up and interrupts her sentence, “What did I risk?” He begins bellowing. “I have no choice or you all don’t live, but none of you can see that. I do wish I could have this last night, but…” He falls silent and Christina leaves.

  CHAPTER 25

  “You.” – English word inscribed in a stone later found in a cave.

  Now that he knows the way in, the travel is faster. Before anyone woke he was at the hole and down in it sniffing for the Queen.

  There was no attack this time. He knew he was close as the chambers got wider. He stopped and felt the ground for a pulse. Then he stood, knocked on the wall of the chamber. Hearing the void on the other side he knew he was in the right place. He pushed the large façade stone aside and entered.

  “Hello, Solstice. Trick or Treat?”

  CHAPTER 26

  “Logic is a system considered logical by the person who decided on the system. To others, it may be madness.” -- from the book of Robert

  “so, you’re back.” Renfield says to Brian as he walks into his office.

  “When have you been?” Brian replies.

  “Tell me when you’ve been, first, Brian. I asked first. Remember?” Renfield looks at Brian knowing that would end that line of questioning because Brian was not going to tell him.

  “So why there and a time when the technology had grown to be make the goal harder?” Brian asked.

  “Your mother was smart, Brian. Like you. The answer seems obvious to me.” Renfield lowers a brow and looks at Brian inquisitively.

  “I knew you would say that.” Brian uncrosses his legs and removes himself from the chair he is sitting in. “See”, he continues, objects go, but only one person can take one person at a time, so…”

  “You’re wrong.” Renfield snaps as he heads to his chair and looks at Brian with a look because Brian. having sat in it, annoyed him.

  “I didn’t even finish!” Brian snaps back.

  “You’re thinking I am responsible? I am, but not like you think.” Renfield becomes visibly upset.

  “If I’m doing what you are doing, how does either of us know the result?” Brian asks. Then as he asks, he realizes the answer. His brow lowers as he notices something and adds, “You don’t look well. How can that be?”

  “Am I being interrogated or do you have some questions?” Renfield retorts.

  Brian looks at Renfield and walks towards him, “What’s the difference?”

  “That was a question. Now I’ve answered it.” Renfield replies.

  “You act like you don’t like me coming here, but I know you do because you think I will eventually answer your question.” Brian circles the front of Renfield’s desk in a repeating arc as he then asks, “Isn’t that interrogation?”

  “It’s only interrogation if you get answers otherwise it’s badgering. Questions aren’t asked at a chess table.” Renfield looks up at Brian trying again to hear what Brian is thinking. He knows the chances are slim. Brian has clearly learned, which was a clue, in and of itself. “In this case, which of us is the witness being badgered?”

  “No it’s not and you know that. The definition of badgering is asking a leading question in order to supplant a concept in the jury’s mind.” Brian stops and looks at Adam.

  Renfield replies, “We’ve both seen a lot of things. Right now I’m tired.”

  Brian locks his eyes on Renfield then audibly states, “You just figured out something or you wouldn’t have ended the conversation.” Then he vanishes.

  CHAPTER 27

  “Right and wrong are not simple choices. There is clear wrong and there is clear right. What is in the middle is mud. For eternity the sea ill encroach on the land and the land will send in it’s mountains, as troops to defend itself and via rain, recruited from the sea itself, land will erode into the sea.” -- from the book of Brian

  “Dad? How did you get in here? I’ll kill you! Look at all I have accomplished!”

&
nbsp; “Solstice, you started that sentence with ‘Dad’. You’re angry, but you don’t want to kill me because you know I love you more than all the lives I’ve had to endure to get back to you.”

  “You’re wrong, father, I will bring this nest down upon you!”

  Renfield knew she was sick and slow from the poisoning via Jacobs. He knew it was chancy but he decided to take his time. He then responded, “Ok, so I’m at a disadvantage. I’m on your turf. Do you understand why I’m here?”

  “I learned from you, how to absorb, take in and gain. I am more powerful than you were.” Solstice replied, although she was aware something was wrong with her and was wondering why.

  “Solstice. Do you know what year this is? You’re about to be born. Right now your mother is above us growing you. You do understand your next plan of action will destroy the world. I know you think it will solidify you as the ultimate conqueror, but it leaves you with nothing to conquer. I know you. You are the only mind faster than my own and you want to show that. Don’t you think it was hard for me and that I wanted to show it? However, we exist to shepherd those who cannot do what we do, not to destroy them. I know people do bad things. I wish it weren’t so. However, most of the time they don’t know they are doing bad things, Solstice. Change this, because that would be a more ‘true’ way to use the power you had and garnered.”

  “What? Why would I care. Why are you giving me a speech? You were foolish not to strike immediately and now you’ll die a fool!” He sees the machination before him reel up, fighting off the effects of the tranquilizers clearly fed to her by her creations.

  Renfield lowered his head, accepting that she may be right. He did not want to fail again, but of course it was possible. Then he looked up and said, “How many timelines did it take you to find this day? Then how many did it take you to create what you have? On this day your mother has rejected me because I chose you over her and made some risky moves. You’ve seen what you’ve done before. You’ve sent the beasts after me every time I come here. Why?”