Encompassing

by Richard Lord

  “Yeah, I caught the plan Renfield, but what does this do? You never mentioned that!” Brady looks down at the device and wonders what Renfield has in mind and why it seems to be so important everyone else seems to be on high alert.

  “It will give the world time. They are working on something similar to what Solstice is doing right now. If it comes off as a failure, then they’ll go back to the drawing board and give Solstice the time to finish before they do. For everyone it will take years, but Solstice is smarter. It’s a design she conceived in elementary school, so she understands it better than they can.” Renfield explains.

  “I’d ask what it does, but my larger concern is, once I’m in, how the hell do I get out?” Brady looks at Renfield. After hearing what Illumna said earlier, he wonders if that is even in the plan.

  Renfield hears the thought process and turns to Brady and punches him in the arm. “I love my daughter asshole, so you are getting out!”

  “What happens if I can’t get this in place?” Brady questions.

  “Then Solstice and I will work harder while Illumna works on fixing our errors along the way, but that’s not the optimal plan, it’s Plan B.” Renfield replied, checking the armaments he’s strapped to himself.

  “OK, slow down. Do you always count on your daughters?” Brady looks at Adam with a question he’s been sitting on since he arrived.

  “Yes, they count on me. They want this to work as much as I do.” Renfield retorts.

  “OK, so what’s up with Solstice, not so long ago she was trying to destroy the world and now you trust her?” Brady points out the obvious.

  “Let’s say she was in a bad mood. You know, that time of the millennium.” Renfield looks back at the target.

  “What does that mean? You do realize we’re on foreign soil. Do you have any idea the International ramifications if we get caught?” Brady’s heart rate raises as he begins to consider what he has agreed to.

  “When you arrested me, my file was filled with a lot that was redacted and that’s if most of it even exists anymore. I think I understand International politics, Brady. That’s the reason we’re here!” Renfield stands and yells out, “Now! Move!”

  Brady’s mind hadn’t even finished processing the response, but he understood there was a small window and he began moving. He looked back over his shoulder to see Renfield running directly towards the guards they had just spent so much effort avoiding. He concentrated on his goal but glanced back, one more time. He sees Renfield begin to move extremely fast. He suddenly realizes how Renfield did that. That’s when he saw it, Renfield fell. He turned to run to him, but then he saw something else. Solstice and Illumna grabbed him and then everything went blank.

  The next thing Brady hears is Renfield yell, “Now! Move!” What was happening, he wondered? They were back at their starting position. He tried to make sense of it and looked at Renfield. He didn’t look good, but he had stopped questioning and he started all over again and saw Renfield running again. Same direction, but something was clearly wrong. He wasn’t moving as quickly. Brady started to sweat. Something happened and it wasn’t part of the plan.

  CHAPTER 42

  “Memory doesn’t work as expected.” -- from the book of Solstice

  “What just happened?” Christina asked.

  “Dad.” Illumna replies dryly. “It’s getting worse, but he’ll do it.” Illumna answered.

  It was clear from the look on Christina’s face that she wasn’t accepting that answer.

  Solstice looked up at her mother and shook her head slightly. But in opposite of her gesture she replied, “It’s fine. I have to get back to work.”

  Sara sat silent. She wanted to believe all would be fine, but she knew it wasn’t. By now, Renfield would have clicked all the way out. She knew he must have been using multiple short clicks like Illumna and something went wrong or his mind would not have yelled out for the help of his daughters. She looked at Solstice. She thought to herself, “Space again, it’s harder, but you took Illumna because she could click back shortly. Even those of us who can’t do what the three of you do know when something is wrong.”

  Solstice and Illumna turned to Sara at the same time and both made a “Hrmph” sound. Illumna spoke and said, “Mom, he can do this. Stop worrying. It’s distracting! Why don’t you and Grandmother go get tea?”

  Christina jumped in, “What does that mean?”

  Sara stood and said, “Come on Mom, it’s best we leave them alone. For now.”

  Christina shot back, “What? No, I don’t want tea, I want explanations!”

  The other three women looked at each other. Sara, not able to hear, but being used to being heard shot back to Solstice and Illumna, through her own thoughts, “She can’t remember. Don’t make her! Get on with your work and let me deal with my mother!”

  The two younger girls looked at each other and decided for all their abilities, they couldn’t compare to the way Sara fixed things.

  Christina noted the quick interchange and asked, “Why can’t I do that?”

  Sara began to answer but Solstice interjected, “For you, it hasn’t been long. You’ll get it and that will make all of this easier, as long as Dad doesn’t…when he finishes this first part. We really do all love you. You’re the only one he has the patience to deal with when he’s misunderstood. I’m sure you figured out he has little patience for almost everything else. I remember all of the years with you and with him. You keep him grounded, even if you were a pilot. He needs you. That I know. One day he’ll…” Solstice trails off.

  Illumna and Sara both give her a scolding look.

  “I need to get back to work. So who’s on the building task?” Solstice asks.

  Illumna responds, “I can do that. If I remember, the materials you need are in there. I’ll need help getting in there.”

  Christina looks over at a door she simply hadn’t paid any attention to. It was clearly disguised, but when she went to look at it, it was extremely fortified. She thinks for a few moments and then says, “I can help with that! AFTER I have tea with my daughter. As for my other daughter”, she looks at Solstice, reaches down and hugs her, “You keep working, I’m young and learning, but some things I’m beginning to understand.”

  Solstice looks up as if a ghost is speaking to her and responds, “Some things you should not have to. I have little doubt you have a plan to get around Dad’s machination. You do when you know it’s right. On that, I almost failed us.”

  Christina gazes down at the daughter whom is the same person she is currently carrying inside her and wonders what causes the looks she gets from her. Then she turns to Illumna, kisses her forehead and take Sara’s hand for the tea being offered.

  As they ascend the stairs Christina looks at Sara and asks, “Why does she look at me that way? I went down to help.”

  Sara looks deeply at her mother’s worry lines. While young, they were the ones she remembers years from now. “Solstice might love you more than any of us can imagine. You are what makes her work so hard.”

  Christina looks at Sara as if she’s crazy, “She tried to kill me, not too long ago, so I don’t see it.”

  Sara pushes Christina gently from behind, urging her to the tea. “She wouldn’t have. She just gets confused and that leads to her being angry.”

  “What is she confused about?” Christina stops.

  “Well tea for one, didn’t you notice she doesn’t drink it?” At that Sara laughed at her own joke and Christina smiled too and they continued their ascent. Sara adds, “Strange that she will try coffee every now and again, but always ends up pouring it out.”

  Christina turns to Sara and laughs at the fact that they both noticed the same.

  CHAPTER 43

  “Deal with the current problem, but do not lose focus on the other problems.” -- from the book of Brian

  Once Brady was in the room, he understood what all of this was about. He couldn’t help but be shocked, yet again. His mind reeled,
“My god! I had no idea this was going on! And we used to fear nuclear weapons, this is far worse!” He scanned the room, mouth open in awe while a shiver went up his spine. He quickly noted the place where he was to place the device, but then he thought, “This is all on film! Someone is watching this room!” He started scanning for cameras, but he didn’t see any. Brady ran to place the device, despite his concerns. Immediately Illumna grabbed him and they vanished in what they all referred to as a ‘click’.

  They were next to Renfield. He was laughing but obviously in pain. He looked at Illumna, “Where’s Solstice.” Illumna knew the only reason he would need her right now is if something was wrong. She thought out to her sister and Solstice was there and then none of them were.

  Solstice kissed her father on the head and said, “You need to keep more medical supplies around! How are we supposed to patch all of that up?”

  Renfield started to laugh but the pain was too much and he laid back and instead replied, “You need to be more creative, girl.”

  All of them were wrapping and stinting and Illumna inquired, “What bones did we miss?”

  Solstice laughed for the first time in a while and replied for Renfield, “Lots of them. Keep looking for…”

  Christina wasn’t laughing and looked at Sara, “Is this what you mean? I should have gone!”

  Brady interrupted, “Illumna, if you could get in there so easily, why the hell was I even part of this?”

  Solstice whipped around and with fury answered, “My sister is backup! Aren’t you some great cop or something? Not to mention…”

  Sara jumped in, “It’s OK. Or going to be. Right, Adam?”

  Renfield was completely unconscious, Brady pressed on. “What we just did will cause an International incident. They’ll know I was in there, they most likely saw where I placed that device and simply remove it. What was the point in all of this? And now look at him! Why?”

  Christina spoke sternly, “Obviously my husband”, she paused at saying that out loud, it felt strange, but true, “knows what he’s doing Brady. And I think it’s time you and I go have a talk.” She began walking away but turned to look at him and gesture with her eyes that he should follow.

  As Brady turns to follow, looking unwilling, Illumna thinks to her sister, “Solstice, he’s worse. You have to stay here and finish. You’ll end up like him. We can’t do this if you both die.”

  Solstice looked at her and thinks back, “If he dies you don’t exist. You may be my older sister, but that happens later. I can’t be the only one.” With that she begins looking for more of her father’s broken bones and Illumna stares at her sister understanding.

  CHAPTER 44

  “I have regrets. Sometimes that seems okay. I’m not sure how to feel. I regret that.” -- from the book of Brady

  The girls take a break to eat. Renfield was unconscious and they knew he would be for a while. Brady, returns from his talk with Christina, enters the room, runs over and punches Renfield’s unconscious face as hard as he can.

  “You son of a bitch!” Brady continues punching as hard as he could.

  Renfield wakes and stares at him, as he falls off the bed. “What?”

  “I talked to Christina and that was before you and I ever met! What’s your damned issue?” Brady is yelling loudly and everyone begins moving quickly except Renfield.

  With blood running down his face, Renfield looks up at Brady and asks, “Can I quote Shakespeare?”

  Brady begins the onslaught again and then Sara grabs his arm and he stops Brady pauses, but remains poised for another blow. Slowly Brady semi-relaxes. Illumna states plainly, “He may be broken but he could have killed you, Brady. Don’t ever forget that.”

  Solstice thinks quickly to Illumna, “Don’t say things like that.”

  Illumna thinks back, “But it’s true.” Then adds, “My way annoys you, but it is my way.”

  Solstice ignores her sister and raises her voice, “Brady, it’s complicated! Stop or I will kill you!”

  Brady pauses from the sheer insanity of his actions an turns to look at Solstice. Sizing her up, he understands it is best, for his own survival, that he listen to whatever damned explanation comes next.

  “Are you an idiot! He could have changed it a long time ago! He didn’t. For YOUR daughter and…”

  “And me.” Illumna cuts in. She turns to look at Solstice and grins.

  Solstice thinks at her, “Really? How inappropriate can you be, Illumna?”

  Brady looks down at Renfield. The weight of the situation just beginning to settle in. “So how does this all turn out, Adam?”

  “I’ll start by beating you in the face one day, but besides that?” Renfield shoots back.

  “Yeah, besides that. I’m, going to lose my job, there’s no longer any question about that and you are dead to the world, so how do you raise your family?”

  “Did I mention I have a map and a plan?” Renfield pulls himself to the bed, stands and flops back in it looking suddenly relaxed.

  “Ok, let’s see the map and the plan, asshole!” Brady was still angry but trying to calm himself again. He also knew what Illumna said was true. Renfield could have killed him, even in his state. If he hadn’t Solstice certainly would have. He knew her anger well enough to know she would swat him like a fly. However, what didn’t make sense to him is why she didn’t.

  “Ok here’s the thing, its’ all in my head and you just beat on it, so not really in the mood to tell ya.” Renfield started to chuckle, but his ribs were in extreme pain, so he just looked up at Brady and grinned instead.

  Brady raised a fist, but again considered many factors. He looked at Christina whom had been unexpectedly silent. “Do you understand this nonsense?”

  “No”, she replied, “but I understand him. I believe him and I know why you’re angry. I should have told you about Sara years ago, but you know how it is for women on the force.”

  “Women on the force? Have you gone mad, she’s my daughter and you should have told me!” Brady is lit up like a blaze again.

  “Would you have received all of those promotions if people knew?” Christina replied. People tend to pick at weakness perceived. Sara would have become objectified. You and I would be the ‘in thing’ to remark on. So we stayed friends. Illumna told me about Renfield and his anger over it. She explained.” Christina was searching for words.

  “Time is a confusing thing.” Announced Illumna. “He has two reasons not to teach me how to make bigger clicks. One is he doesn’t want me to get confused. The other is he doesn’t want what happened to him and my sister happen to me.”

  Solstice turned to Illumna and began to think a thought to her, but her thoughts changed at that moment.

  Brady looked at Sara for an explanation of what he thought he had seen several times.

  Sara, still holding her father’s arm, lightly, as Brady asked, “Do they really…?” He left the sentence to dangle.

  Sara said, “Yes. Sometimes they are even like one. When it’s necessary.” Sara explains.

  “Can they hear me? I mean, you know, when I don’t speak.” Brady was being flippant, but it was something he’d been wondering for a while.

  Illumna answers, “My sister heard you coming. Dad knows how to confuse his thoughts so that she couldn’t be sure it was him. But when she heard you, she knew it was. He planned for it. That’s why Mom and I had to come.”

  “Okay.” Brady takes a breath and then continues, “What is he? Some sort of super genius”

  Illumna begins to respond, but she gets the thought from Solstice and stops. Solstice explains, “The way all of this works is understanding that everything is everything. The more you understand that the deeper you go into everything. So, for instance, deoxyribonucleic acid is a chain of sequences of basic amino acids, but the result can be profoundly different. Just as an atom is made of different protons and electrons, just as the galaxy spins the way it does because of the unique position of stars and planets. I
t’s true of all things.”

  “Slow down, what?” Brady replies.

  “It’s about interaction of things. Heat is the way we measure interaction. Well, we don’t know it is scientifically, but he figured it out.” Solstice continues.

  “In the absence of heat things that exist go to their true form and cannot interact.” Illumna adds.

  “Illumna, there is no true absence of heat. There is only less of it.” Solstice reminds her.

  Illumna continues, “So that is where he goes. It hurts. A lot, and he has to remain focused with the inability to react or be reacted to.”

  Solstice again thinks at Illumna, “Your learning, but he can hear you and he’ll…”

  Brady looks at the two of them and says, “OK, so basically if he can do it, any of us can?”

  Solstice and Illumna answer at once, “No.”

  Illumna begins to explain, yet Solstice again thinks to her, “You are too dry, this requires my grey.”

  Illumna looks at her sister knowing she is better at grey and her own talent is in absolutes.

  Brady asks, “Why not, it’s just science, right?”

  Then Solstice does the unexpected and thinks to Illumna, “You explain.”

  Illumna, taking a cue from her sister says, “Define science. What is known or the things not known yet? What should be included?”

  Brady, not understanding the question begins to ask for clarification.

  Renfield sits up, “Are you two done now?”

  Both answer in unison, “Yes, Dad.” and leave the room. Solstice taking Sara’s hand and Illumna taking Christina’s.

  Brady thinks to himself, “I just want out of this madness!” He sits down on the edge of the bed Adam is laying in.

  Renfield puts a hand on Brady’s back. “That’s the woman you once loved, her daughters, your daughter and your grandchild. You’re in the right place, but slightly out of time. At least you know it.”

  Brady turns and looks down at Renfield, “Aren’t we always?”