Encompassing

by Richard Lord

  Renfield begins to laugh and then moans at the pain of it. “We have to make sure the world is here for them. Understand?”

  “Yeah, Adam. I caught that a long time ago. It’s the only reason I’m in this mess.” Brady retorts.

  Renfield lays back and replies, “Yup, me too. But them also.”

  Brady thinks to himself and begins to chuckle slightly.

  Renfield says, “I heard that. You’re not sorry about the face, you’ve been wanting to do that since you first saw my handsome mug.”

  Brady breaks into full laughter, turns and taps Renfield and says, “Get some rest. It’s not like anything I did you can’t get over. But as a friend, I’ll tell you, you’re not as handsome as you think. Or apparently everyone else thinks too.”

  Renfield laughs at the comment. “There is one thing.” Renfield replies.

  “How about we leave that topic alone. I’m confused, you’re angry and it’s the past in the future.” Brady puts his own head in his hands.

  Renfield sighs, “Well at least your sort of getting this all.”

  Brady laughed again and he heard Christina yell up, “Are you going to come down and get some of this pie?” He turned to look at Renfield to make sure he really was all right.

  Renfield looked up at him and said, “Go on. You do love pie.”

  Brady stood and started towards the door and turned around chuckling, he pointed a finger at Renfield and started to say something then stopped.

  Renfield yelled after him, “You and Christina never get used to it. Your daughter does.”

  Brady stopped cold on the stairs. Suddenly he realized he had never had a father daughter talk with Sara. He wondered, “Is she too old?”

  Renfield yelled, “She’s your daughter dummy!”

  Brady got a look of annoyance on his face and yelled back, “Stop that!”

  Renfield replied, “Stop trying to think against yourself, Brady!”

  Brady pondered and realized Renfield was right. That was exactly what he was doing. Then it occurred to him that he should talk to Illumna too. How, he didn’t know. While Sara was quiet, she could open up, but Illumna was calculating. He wondered if he’d have the ability to communicate his emotions to her. He opened his eyes and Illumna was in front of him.

  “You already have, Grandfather. I do understand. Now come on and get some pie with us. We made it mostly for you, not that we don’t all like it. Well, except for him.” She pointed back up the staircase.

  Brady laughed and said, “OK. Yeah he’s a strange one, huh?”

  Illumna replied, “He’s my father. I can’t answer that.” She puts her fingers jokingly to her lips in a ‘shhh’ manner.

  Brady’s smile went away.

  Illumna said, “I didn’t mean anything bad about him. It’s just that he has a penchant for fun, like Grandma, even with everything in the balance.”

  Brady smiled again and replied, “That’s probably why they get along!”

  Illumna considered this and surprisingly laughed. “I know.” She replied and headed to the kitchen holding Brady’s hand.

  CHAPTER 45

  “We knew the day would die come that he would die. We still wondered about the day he was truly born. Was it physical or spiritual or intellectual?” -- from the book of Jessica

  “He’s healing very slowly.” Christina mentions, now expecting the quick regeneration Renfield does.

  “That’s because he’s thinking, in a very deep mode. Something is troubling him. He’s insistent on continuing this path because it has been more successful but he recognizes the issues and he’s trying to work them out. Time is complicated.” Illumna stated.

  Solstice casts a look at Illumna and thinks to her, “You know he’s blocked us. I think he’s considering…”

  Illumna thinks back, “We both knew he would probably go there. Can you…” She breaks off the thought and blocks her mother simultaneously as sister blocks her own.

  Sara speaks up, “What are you two discussing? I know that look by now.”

  They both look at Sara with a touch of dread on their faces. Then Illumna answers, “He has to not break this timeline, but he has to get all of us back in the right place at the right time so we can be. And then there’s the other concerns.”

  Solstice looks at Brady, “And save your job!” She has a slightly disgusted look on her face.

  Brady clearly realized his job seems like such a small thing to the rest of them, but replies anyway, “Well, If I’m going to keep helping all of you...”

  Illumna answers, “You created my mother and therefore me. You’ve garnered enough influence to get him to us. Not only that you planted Solstice’s device. My father is proud of you. He doesn’t want you to suffer a good deed.”

  Solstice tries to think to Illumna, but realizes she isn’t going to listen, so she turns to Christina and explains, “For you to have Illumna, you kind of have to be there or she doesn’t exist. For you to have me Brady has to get the backing of some high level people to get you to come crash a plane on a ridiculous mission. For Dad to make that all happen this time and not affect the timeline is a quandary. Before he shut us out we could hear his concepts as he marked them all off.”

  Sara jumps in, “What do you mean he shut you out?”

  Solstice explained with a wry grin, “He does that.”

  Brady, as a Detective, designed to break down problems asks, “Ok, what are the proposals and the obstacles?”

  Solstice looks at Illumna who enjoys explaining things. Illumna responds, “Well he could make you a hero. He may have died on that mission, but saving his daughter, lost on a hike would be a big win. It would explain everything, but that would change the existing timeline. First Solstice would take me to...”

  Solstice interrupts. “It won’t work, he’d have to change the timeline.”

  Illumna continues as if uninterrupted, “One of us could cease to exist forever, and that would be me.” Illumna explains in her very direct and non-emotional way.

  Solstice again interrupts, “Which he won’t do.”

  Illumna continues again, unabated, “He could go to the place he gets lost in, but then he would have to teach me how to get there so he can pick me up.”

  Solstice abashed, raises her voice and says, “Illumna, he doesn’t even know how he gets there! I don’t know how. How could either of us teach you that?

  Illumna considers for a moment and then says, “He’s been getting stuck there regularly. What if I clicked out with him a few times? I’d remember how to get back.”

  Sara again interrupts while Brady and Christina just turn their heads from one to the other completely lost at what they are discussing. “He has to stop clicking out! Do you know how old he really is? Ok, never mind the question, but I have an idea. He used to tell me stories and I would think, ‘How can anyone do all of that in one lifetime?’ At first it was entertaining and then I realized he was serious and then I saw what he could do and I realized, ‘He hasn’t done it all in just one lifetimes!’ He regenerates so he looks young, but look at him now! It’s catching up to him! He can’t keep doing this!”

  Just as the room goes quiet, Renfield stirs. He mutters, “I have to make more of me, but I’ve got to get the original out of that place. First, I have to get you all back.”

  Brady and Christina stare at Renfield then at Illumna. Receiving only a blank stare from Illumna, finally they both turn to Solstice.

  Solstice says, “That’s hell. He won’t survive it at his age. Not even if he were at his best. I don’t really think many survive that, even if they can all do what he does.” She looks up and to the corner of the ceiling where it meets the walls to avoid eye contact with any of them. Then she tries to continue, “The original him is…Dad is more in touch with ‘himselves’ than he is with any of us.”

  Christina fighting back multiple emotions at what her daughter just said, asks of Solstice, “What does that mean? What is this about ‘himselves’? W
hat, who, where is?” Throwing up her hands in frustration she bluntly asks Solstice the only question she can muster, “Huh?”

  Solstice, just stares into the corner she has chosen as her eyes water, so Illumna points out the simple facts, as usual, “Did you think he didn’t originally think he was giving back to science?”

  Brady asks, “What does that mean?”

  Solstice looks at Illumna and replies for her, “He shared his work with others. Now there is a place where they keep them. They cannot click in or out and they are all quite mad.”

  Christina says, “Well I suppose not being able to use the gift you were given would be cause for anger.” Christina folds her arms bracing herself for where this conversation is going.

  Illumna replies, “No she means mad. There are few left. They’ve eaten each other for survival. They are fed a constant tone that keeps them from clicking or reading each other. Mostly.”

  All look at Illumna in shock except for Solstice whom gives her a look that clearly means, “Shut up! And stop listening to me!”

  Illumna shoots a thought back, “You wouldn’t know if you hadn’t have been listening in on Dad’s thoughts! You also didn’t mention that it’s perimeter based, so…” Illumna quite physically shrugs at Solstice and all in the room note the gesture.

  Brady, again thinking this through from a logical perspective asks, “So how could he click in if his original one is in this ‘place’? Better yet, how the hell would he get back out?”

  Illumna begins to answer and Christina looks at Illumna and asks, “So he’s not the original Renfield?”

  “He is. He clicked in where he already was. Whenever we do that we make copies.” Illumna explained.

  Renfield sits up, “It’s physics vs. quantum physics. In physics, all the science fiction stories go. Heisenberg theorized what I’ll shorten into fuzzy mechanics. It’s wrong, but it’s a start and that is how Niels Bohr figured out quantum mechanics. In simplified terms a thing is, is not or is both. Like Schrödinger’s cat. Therefore, unlike in science fiction bad things don’t go wrong if you are in the same space area as yourself at the same space time area. All that happens is that there are now two.”

  Brady, not one for physics, exclaims, “Huh?”

  Renfield goes on, “I am here now. If I move in space and time back to this moment...” Suddenly Renfield was next to himself. And both in unison laugh and say, “Now there’s a party trick!”

  Renfield_1 says, “Don’t try this at home without adult supervision!”

  Renfield_2 says, “However, note that this makes things infinitely more complicated, so it’s not recommended for children under the age of 13.”

  Both grin. Solstice rolls her eyes, and both Renfield’s can hear Illumna think, “That’s the kind of stuff I want to learn!”

  Sara attempts to hide her smile while Brady’s eyes are bulging out of his sockets at what he just saw and Christina thinks to herself, “Why couldn’t I find a less complex man to fall in love with?”

  Both Renfields turn to Christina and in unison answer, “Because you’d get bored. You’re a sky pilot!”

  Christina, obviously not satisfied with that answers asks bluntly, “So which one of you do I marry?”

  The Renfields look at each other. They heard the thought before she said it out loud, but they were trying to distract it. However, Christina asked and they both feel they owe her the answer. In unison, they answer, “The one that survives.”

  Renfiled_1 adds, “We are each other as you are for us. But, that happened a long time ago.” Satisfied at his answer he begins to draw out his plan again.

  Christina stops his hand, “You both can click back. I know you’re both the same person, but which one do I love so much I would marry?”

  Renfield_1 sets down the pen. He looks at Christina with admiration he has never felt towards anyone but Sara and for many different reasons.

  At that thought, Sara steps in and calmly says, “Mom, if you marry for love, then does it matter?”

  Christina whirls around at her own daughter and says, “Don’t you care which one is your lover?”

  Solstice, in Illumna’s own tone says, “I care which one is my father, but clearly they realize one of them is about to die and they don’t know which. Now would be a good time to give them a break.”

  Brady remains silent. He knows the missions he’s lead and why he had so much pull at the top, but no moment compared to this. An entire family planning out which dies and which lives and not just one of them. He considered, “It’s so much easier when it’s just people you rally to a cause.” He turned back and wished he had something to add to ease the moment, but he found himself blank.

  Sara, breaking the tension announced, “They are both my father and both your husband! They are the same! Why can’t you see that? Sure, as time goes by they will become different, in their own ways, but they don’t have time, so for now they are the same!”

  Renfiled_2 looks up and says, “Except!” He raises a finger in protest and adds, “I’m better looking!”

  Again, in unison, both Renfield’s grin.

  Illumna turned to Christina and giggles, “See, Grandmother? They both grin a lot!”

  CHAPTER 46

  “When nothing makes sense, it’s obvious you’ve missed something.” -- from the book of Brian

  Renfiled_1 gathers everyone around the table. “OK here’s the plan…”

  Renfiled_2 says, “That’s my line!”

  They grin at each other and everyone in the room rolls their eyes. Solstice suppresses a smile. Clearly everyone else is learning from her.

  Renfield_1 stops and turns around and looks at all of the faces watching him and he can’t help but comment, “Did you ever wonder why the colors of the planet change with the seasons?”

  Solstice knows all too well this is about to bring on a speech, but she listens. Brady answers, “It’s science, pretty much. It gets cold, leaves turn brown, it gets warm and leaves begin to grow. Where are you going with this?”

  Renfield_1 replies, “But why do orange things mature when the leaves are orange on other trees? For instance a pumpkin and a tree are both plants, but one grows on a vine the other builds a trunk. Basically, the same design, but why are they in sync with each other, as far as color? Why do leaves clear in the winter so that everything around is white and shown off and everything else seems to agree not to grow. Are the plants aware not to block the landscape? Why in spring is there such green, and then in summer green and blues and purples and…? Well you get the point.”

  Brady starts to speak, but Illumna chimes in, “I don’t think any of us are getting your point, Dad.”

  “OK, how does a harmony begin? How does a band form a song? How does one thing melt when exposed to heat yet another seems unaffected? Vibration, tone, heat, love of the original one. That is what the original one felt. How does nothing become something and react and set off a chain reaction that creates a universe so vast? At the instant nothing yearned for something else, it created love. That was the reaction. The reaction considered the scenario and…”

  Solstice interrupted, “I’ve seen your diagrams of the beginning or the universe. I don’t think their wrong, they explain the relevance of the pyramids of Earth. I’ve watched you study round and I’ve watched you study daisies. Still how does this relate?”

  Renfield_1 looks at Brady, “You got a penny?”

  Brady while reaching into his pocket retorts, “Hell yeah, penny for your thoughts!” Then he produces a penny which Renfield_1 grabs and slams on the table.

  “THERE! What do you all see?”

  They all look at him as if he’s lost his mind, but they know better so they think instead, but they aren’t sure which direction they should be thinking in and they aren’t sure they understand the point that is before them. Solstice answers first, “I see Lincoln’s head.”

  Renfield_1 stands and yells, “Yes!” He reaches out to hug his daughter.

/>   Just then Illumna mentions, “But on the other side is his memorial”

  Renfield_1 emotionally pulls Illumna into the hug. “Yes, but how do you know that?”

  Illumna says, “I understand. Because I’ve seen the other side I inherently know what it is. Like the moment of singularity in a black hole. Everything becomes the original one, briefly and then it is on the other side. That’s how we travel the way we do.”

  Sara smiles at her daughter and Renfield_1 looks at her in admiration and then at Solstice. Solstice gives him a disapproving return look and then says, “You do realize what you’re doing? Never mind, of course you do, or think you do.” Every other person besides Renfield_2 and Illumna begin shifting their gaze to other objects in the room. The look on Renfield_1’s face is so tight jawed it could crack ten walnuts.

  “Solstice think!” Renfield_2 blurted out. Illumna perked up knowing she was about to get a glimpse into what she had always wanted to understand.

  Renfield_1 continued, “So if the original one, geometrically, is a point and represents no dimensions and the reaction is another point which has perspective on the original one, thus creating the 1st dimension, again, speaking in simple geometry, and the consideration is a 3rd point that has perspective on both of the pre-existing points, than we have interaction, a plane. Geometrically speaking, the 2nd dimension. So we draw a conclusion, which is yet another point. When the lines are drawn on, it looks like a pyramid. So now it’s in 3D! At least to us. Time is the result of the conclusion, but is time the same for me as it is for all of you? Is time for any of you the same? For one of you time might fly by if you’re having a good time, for the next it may seem endless if you are waiting to see a doctor and all the magazines are old.”

  Christina looks at Renfield_1 oddly. She grasps the concept, but where is he going with this, she wonders to herself, “Did the plan just change.”

  Solstice hearing the thought turns to Renfield_2 and asks, “Did he just change plans at the last moment?”

  Renfield_2 looks at her and grins, “We both did. There is no space-time continuum as we have been led to believe. It all makes sense when you understand the basic flaw in Heisenberg’s principle. Granted we look at clocks with the Hawthorne principle in mind. But when we observe the clock we are re-synching to what we are taught is the real time. But for each of us time moves differently. ‘Collaborative Reality’. Solstice, Illumna, you both inherently know this. It’s what allows you two to do what you do. But you re-sync with a general consortium of what time is after each of your ‘adventures’”