10

Chapter 10 of Disease

Of course, brothers, this is all futile. If the Caucus succeeds in its doings, our single hope will be lost. Not all who go to Valhalla find a pleasant afterlife. I do believe that a soul such as Robert Thurman would not be able to survive in a place such as that. Thurman’s benefactor, in all his glory, would not allow Thurman to dwell peacefully in the realm of his father.

Not even Thor is brave enough for that.

- Excerpts from the funeral of Robert Elijah Thurman

Robert’s eyes flew open, contrary to their previous decisions involving awakening. Maybe because Robert had experienced so much, his body was accustomed to danger happening at every turn.

Or maybe because he heard the voice of his dead daughter.

Robert sat up from his position, barely even noticing the pounding headache that emerged.  He looked around, and nearly choked again in amazement.

He was outside. Legitimately outside. He was out in the open, with hills and rocks all around him.  The sun was shining down on him, and he had to squint and lift up his arm to block it out. The sun? Since when had there ever been sun?

“Robert! Get over here!” He heard a voice say, and he turned towards it just as he felt his arm begin to burn.

Depleted ozone levels, Something, possibly his own thoughts, said in his brain. The sun is much stronger and deadly than the one you’re used to.

He stood up, scanning the surroundings for some kind of shelter.

“Over here!” The voice cried again, and Robert turned to see the doors to a large building jutting out of the side of the mountain. He began running, dodging rocks and mounds that were in his path. His back and shoulders felt like they were on fire, and he quickened his pace. In a few seconds he was there, and he was ushered through the doorway.

“Burst it! Robert, I’m so sorry. You wandered over there and collapsed, and since it was overcast, we just let you rest there. We should have remembered!” The voice said, and it sounded like it was on the verge of tears.

Robert turned to thank his helper, but the words caught in his throat when he saw whom it was. It was Terrence. Good old Terrence, who had been with him since it all started, since the day Jessica died.

“Terrence?” He asked, squinting his eyes. Then they went wide. “Terrence!” He yelled, and he threw his arms around the man in a big bear hug. Terrence lifted his own arms, and awkwardly patted Robert on the back.

“Whoa, calm down there. What’s all this about?” He said, with a bit of embarrassment in his voice.

Robert pulled back and looked at him with puzzlement.

“What are you talking about?” He asked. “Didn’t you escape too?”

Terrence looked at him strangely. “If I hadn’t escaped, those jets would have fried me to bits.” He chuckle a bit. “I think you need a bit more rest.”

Robert continued to stare at him, and his mind tried to comprehend what the man was saying.

“Where am I?” He asked, looking around. “Humor me. Where is this?”

Terrence looked at him a bit, then slowly nodded.

“Come here,” he said gesturing to a room down the hallway. Robert followed him in, and suddenly the memories came crashing back.

The lab. The instruments. The cure to the Burst. The speech. It all happened right here, right in this room.

The jets. The flame jets.

Robert looked around at the seemingly harmless walls, remembering how quickly they had revealed the menacing tubes.

“Is this where it happened?” He asked Terrence, who nodded.

“You should have seen it when we were cleaning. All of the equipment and samples were burnt to a crisp.” He looked down for a minute, as if remembering the terrible moment. “Even Julius was too.”

Robert looked down, remembering the boy. The sweet kid, who had started out in a band of thieves, but quickly realized that science was the way to beat this thing.

Wait, what?

Robert was confused beyond belief. If Julius died during the jets, then how was he alive at the Institution?

Oh right. The switched parts. He thought to himself, remembering what Pontius had told him. He was taken so he could help out on the other side.

But if Robert had woken up, did that mean that the entire Institution was fake?

Robert was excited by the idea that all that nonsense was just in his mind. Gods weren’t real, and there was no secret assembly called the Caeleste. There couldn’t be. Robert knew for himself that this was true.

Ah, but do you really know? Do you really know all of that for sure? If you did, I would be surprised. Not even the gods know that much. Hunt said smugly, as if mocking Robert for even considering the idea that none of it was real.

Robert growled, annoyed at Hunt for ruining his notion, and for introducing himself back into the picture. If Hunt was real, then anything could also be.

“Robert? You okay?” Terrence asked, putting his hand on Robert’s shoulder. Robert sighed, patting Terrence on the back,

“I’m just shocked at how close we were, and how quickly it was taken away from us.”

Terrence nodded looking at the empty room. All of the equipment was gone, and all that was there were gray walls and floor. It was dreary, and it matched the mood of the men.

“Do you remember what happened afterwards?” Robert asked, turning to look at his companion. Terrence shook his head.

“The last thing I remember is Julius pushing past me and pressing the alarm bell.” He turned away, tears falling down his rough cheeks. “Why’d I let the little Burst pat me?” He half screamed, half sobbed. “I’m the reason we’re in this mess! If I had been a little stronger, we would have the cure right now!”  He slammed his fist into one of the charred walls, pulling it away to reveal blood on his knuckles and a large dent in the wall.

Robert ran over and pulled Terrence away, but the big man just collapsed onto the floor, sobbing like a little boy.

“Why, Robert?” He asked repeatedly, looking through his tears at the Man. “Why did Omnipotence make me so weak?”

Robert looked at him, puzzled at Terrence’s statement.

“What’d you say?” He asked. “Who made you weak?”

“Why did God make me so weak?” Terrence repeated, a slight bit of anger creeping into his despairing voice.

Robert started at the change in the statement, and he pondered it. Why did Terrence spout a completely random name, and then pretend to not have used it?

Excellent question, Mr. Thurman. Maybe his reach has extended further than I had imagined, Hunt said gravely. Robert could almost picture the dark look on the man’s face.

You know who’s behind this? Robert responded, anger rising in his throat because of Hunts penchant for keeping him in the dark.

Well, obviously. I am- Hunt said, then stopped for a split second. Nevermind. Just know that you will be hearing that name over and over again.

And who exactly is behind that name? Robert asked, annoyed even more by Hunt’s riddles.

Not a who, Mr. Thurman. A what. A what is behind that name. The Caucus will seek to impede you in every aspect of your efforts, and will not stop until they have succeeded or are excised from the Universe.

How will they try to stop me? Robert thought, already anxious from the prospect of facing yet another mysterious foe.

That I cannot say, Mr. Thurman. Certain things forbid me, just as they forbade Pontius and Avram.

Robert growled, and kicked at the wall next to him. He was absolutely sick and tired of being ignorant of the affairs that he was fighting against. He needed to know all of the variables, so he could come up with a viable solution.

Terrence spoke up from his seat on the floor.

“So, what do we do now?” He asked. Robert looked at him with sadness in his eyes.

“I have absolutely no clue.” He mumbled while he shuffled his feet nervously to cement the accuracy of his words. He really had no idea.

You have now seen the reality of your situation, Mr. Thurman. Hunt said. I hope you realize that you cannot afford to mope around like this weak specimen here. You have work to do. The cure must be retrieved, or else the world shall be lost.

How the hail am I supposed to do that? Robert screamed in his mind, slamming his fists against the wall in sheer exhaustion, his anger and frustration merging with his massive amounts of fatigue. This facility was the largest collection of scientific equipment and research in the world! Where else am I supposed to develop the cure now?

Oh, but how do you know that this was the largest in the world, or even this country? Did some weak little bird inform you of this stupidity, Mr. Thurman? Think. You know of one other place that will allow you to develop this cure.

Robert did think, with his eyes shut tight, pouring all of his emotion into finding one more spot in which to start his work anew. He needed this cure, just like he needed water or food. He craved it as such, imagining all of the things that would be good in the world if he made it. He imagined being able to stop running and settle down, being at peace with his faults and hardships. Where in the world could he find a place that would give him that?

His eyes flew open.

No. He thought, anguish clouding his emotions, draining the blood from his face and making his hands clammy and sweaty. Not there.

Oh yes, Hunt replied, with a sick sort of glee. There. It has always been there. The first place you left is now going to be your haven. The question is, are you going to able to handle it?

Absolutely, Robert replied adamantly. I would do anything to save this world. After Jessica and Elaine, it’s all I have left.

I like your confidence, Mr. Thurman, for you will need it. You may find that some of your greatest trials have not been in your past, but now lie in your future,  with The Caucus patiently waiting for you to walk into their gaping jaws. I hope you can find a bottomless well of courage, for nothing less can confirm your victory. Hunt cackled, and then Robert felt his presence dissipate.

“You can hear him too?” Terrence asked reverently, gaping at Robert, who was still leaning against the wall.
“What?” Robert replied, pushing away from the concrete and sitting next to Terrence.

“Him. The Voice in your head. The Helper Who Does Not. The Insane God.” Terrence shuddered. “I’ve heard all of those names given to him. He speaks in your mind, giving you assistance but never really helping you. He speaks to me everyday, and he’s the one who told me that Julius would assist us the most in our research yesterday.” Terrence’s eyes narrowed, and he slammed his head against the wall in anger. “That’s the one I can never forgive him for.”

Robert stared down at the tormented man, and inspiration broke through the grey clouds of despair. His eyes widened, and a smile twitched on his lips as he realized the truth in Hunt’s words.

“Terrence, Julius may have helped us.” He said excitedly, pulling the reluctant Terrence to his feet. “Because of his actions, we have to go back to the one place that we can devise a cure from.” He stared Terrence in the eye, determined to take this path. “Back to the place where our story began.”

“You don’t mean…”

“I do.”

Terrence shuddered violently, sitting back down and putting his head between his knees. Robert sat down next to him, awkwardly patting his back in a gesture of sympathy. Terrence looked up at Robert, and they both spoke the name at the same time.

“ Diffusion Laboratories.”

* * *

As Robert and the intruders passed through the threshold of Diffusion Labs, Robert’s former workplace, Robert felt a primal fear that he was leaving a place of safety to go to a place of danger. His instincts screamed at him, telling him not to try this kind of stunt; yet Robert ignored them, focusing on the plan at hand.

Somehow, someway, he was going to have to get rid of these men. And it would probably be violent.

“So, doctor man, where we goin’?” The southern man asked, his speech muffled by a scarf he had wrapped around his face to protect it from the deadly rain. “Keep in mind, if we don’t like what we see…” He trailed off. He didn’t have to say what would come next. his firm arm around Jessica was enough of a message to keep Robert in line.

“Oh, don’t worry.” Robert quickly replied, feigning docility. “You’ll love it. Trust me, it’s to die for.”

The southern man snorted and spit, a wad of phlegm shooting of his mouth to land on a clump of damp soil and join with dying grass.

“You think I didn’t catch that, doctor man?” He asked, looking at Robert with one eyebrow raised. “ ‘It’s to die for.’ If you’re tryin’ to pull a once-over on us, you might want to watch your words a bit more carefully. We see through hidden threats like a hawk through the air.”

Robert mentally kicked himself, cursing that he let something slip. He hadn’t been watching his words at all.

“Hey Darnell, is this it?” Julius yelled, gesturing to a run-down former little bookstore. The southern man, Darnell, looked at Robert questioningly. Robert didn’t say anything, just nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on the gun in Darnell’s hand that was furtively pointed at him. Julius grinned, and turned to the door and began banging the rusted lock with the butt of his rifle. Robert cringed with every strike, knowing it was bringing them one step closer to finding his stash.

The lock shattered, and Julius opened the door with a shove, entering the dusty store and becoming shrouded in the darkness within. One of the unnamed thugs, bald and bulgy, followed him in, waving the rest to follow. Darnell pulled down his scarf and flashed Robert a grin.

“Well, doctor man, if this goes well, we might be seeing a lot less of each other. What a shame. We were getting along just fine.” He teased, tightening his grip on Jessica to accent his words. Robert flinched when Jessica whimpered. Darnell cackled, then dragged her through the door. Robert followed.

The gloom swallowed them up, making it virtually impossible to see through the suffocating darkness. The dust only made the darkness seem even more tangible, a thickness added to the air.

“Hey Darnell! I found some generators over here attached to some light fixtures? You want me to light them up?” Another one of the men called, his deep, gravelly voice cutting through the gloom.

“You really have to ask, Geoff?” Darnell shouted back, sarcasm oozing from his speech. A second later, the lights blinked on, dimly illuminating the carnage they had walked into. Robert gasped, the sound echoing across the abandoned room. This was not how he had left his store.

There was blood covering nearly every surface, coating every object. Robert could now smell the horrible stench of decay and death, a rank odor that caused his stomach to churn. A few of Darnell’s henchman fell to their knees, retching and coughing at the sight of it. The blood drained out of Jessica’s face, and she began to sob quietly. Darnell looked at her.

“Oh please,” He grumbled. “It’s just a bit of blood! You’re gonna be seeing a lot more than that if you don’t shut up!”

“Hey!” Robert yelled, not caring that Darnell was right next to him when he did.

Darnell spun towards him, leveling his gun at Robert, who quickly shrunk back, regretting his words. Darnell’s smile had dropped, and his lips were a thin line on his mouth.

“That’s right, doctor man.” He growled, gesturing for Robert to step back even further. His lips twitched when Robert complied. “That’s right. Don’t you go forgetting who’s in charge here. The difference is that I have a big gun, and you don’t”

Robert said nothing, but he glowered at Darnell. The man suddenly laughed, slapping his knee comically. “But you have a little fight in you. That’s good.” His smile dropped. “Means I’ll have more fun killing you.”

He walked away to inspect the rest of the hop, dragging the silently crying Jessica with him. Robert felt a pinnacle of rage build up, warming his body from his head to his toes. He wanted to murder Darnell, slowly and relishing every little aspect of the deed.

Even that kind of death is too good for him. He thought, following Darnell and the group further into the recesses of the shop.

The incompetence of Darnell’s minions astounded Robert greatly. They seemed to do nothing without first consulting Darnell on the matter, be it open a door or even ask to go the bathroom. They were like puppy dogs, whining at every little hardship and asking for anything.

On second thought, more like high school students. Robert corrected, chuckling to himself. Darnell shot Robert a glare, but said nothing.

Eventually, after wading through aisled full of blood and assorted viscera, the group came to a black door situated in the very back of the shop, cold, ebony, and unassuming. On it, a phrase had been written in crimson blood.

I HAVE SEEN THE FACE OF GOD, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN SATISFIED.

All of the men looked at the grotesque and cryptic message with confusion, their minds spinning over the meaning of it, until Jessica cried out while peeking through a crack in the wood.

“It’s empty!” She yelled, her face going so pale she appeared to be on the verge of death. The unnamed man growled and slammed his gun into the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. She slumped to the ground with a large bump already growing on the back of her head.

NOW.

Robert thrust his elbow out, slamming it into Darnell’s nose. An ungodly crack sounded, and blood gushed out of the man’s now smashed olfactory tracts. He collapsed to the ground with a dazed look etched into his features. Robert snatched his gun as he fell, spun it around to point at the still surprised unnamed minion, and fired a volley in his direction. Two bullets ripped through his stomach while another took him between the eyes, tearing through his brain and exiting out the back with a spray of blood and bone. The man staggered backward from the force of the projectiles, then fell to the ground in a pool of blood. He twitched twice, and lay still.

Robert spun around again, leveling the rifle at Julius, who put his hands up.

“Robert, wait!” He pleaded, tears streaming down his face. He was shaking from fright. “You have to know who I am!”

“I already know who and what you are.” Robert answered coldly. “You, my friend, are dead.”

He fired a single shot to Julius’ chest, and Julius flew backward into the wall, cracking the rotting wood in the process. He slumped against the ground, breathing heavily as black blood flowed out of the wound.

Robert walked slowly over and knelt down next to him, anger turning to pity as he looked at the man’s broken body and listened to his words. Julius reached a bloody and up and pulled Robert close, whispering into his ear.

“Be strong.” He said quietly, his breaths becoming more and more ragged. “Don’t give in to them.” A small noise sounded from the front.  Julius looked over to the entrance to the store, and his eyebrows furrowed as he saw something that was not supposed to be there.

“Robert?” He whispered, an intense tone of confusion identifiable in his hoarse voice. His head jerked back to look at the man kneeling next to him, and his eyes widened. “NO…” He said forcefully, his words nearly indecipherable from the coarseness of his voice. As he said this word, the light in his eyes went out, and he slumped down to the floor.

Robert looked towards the entrance, but the man who had stood there was already gone.