A Guided Evolution

Robbie has lived multiple lives throughout eternity and only has a few left before doomsday. He must remember everything and stop the destruction of Earth by any means necessary...

Walking around on his trip always gave Robbie the sensation of being in a fish bowl. The edges of the world seemed to go by faster than the center and he felt like he was floating through life. Each step was a thousand miles in his mind.

            As he sauntered down the street, he saw a shape out of the corner of his eye; a large sign hung from a building, swinging along with the rhythm of his steps. The fluorescent glow of the hand shaped sign drew him in like a bug, creating a sense of wonder and worship in his inebriated mind. It was palm up with a blue eye in the center of it that looked only at him. The closer he came to the hand the more awe �" inspiring it seemed to become. The wafting smell of incense and strawberry lotion made him smile as he opened the door. A woman sat in front of him at a small table behind a beaded curtain. She wore a bandana over her head and her old eyes made her seem gentle and wise. “Hello wanderer,” she said softly. “Care to have your fortune told?” Her voice was scratchy and hurt his ears. “I guess that’s why I’m here,” he said. The woman nodded. “Now then. Place as much as you are willing into the brass bowl,” she said pointing to her left. Robbie turned to see a large statue of some forgotten deity with a brass basin below it. The deity seemed old; a compilation of Buddha, Sheba and Cthulhu. Robbie shuffled over slowly. Into the beat-up basin he placed a ten-dollar bill.

            Once the ten-dollar bill left his sweaty hands, he walked over and pushed the beads out of his way. Through the patchouli fog he could see a small table near the window. The old woman looked at him patiently. Sitting across from her made him feel uneasy, but the glow of the sun came through the window and warmed his soul, allowing him to relax.

            Time seemed to both stretch to eternity and fly by as Robbie sat across from the strange woman. She seemed so familiar as she sat comfortably in her chair with her eyes closed. Then she opened them and reached out, grabbing his hand and tracing the lines of his palm with her bony fingers. Her hands covered his and she peered into his eyes. A warm sensation rose from his hands and became hot. The sensation spread, and he felt a separation from reality as he closed his eyes. No drugs he had taken before gave him this sensation.

            He opened his eyes and saw pictures of animals and men drawn in red paint. They were scattered across the ceiling in no order. He breathed in deeply and smelled strawberries somewhere nearby. Somehow, he knew this was his home. He felt calm as he got up and walked to the mouth of the cave. The light giver had returned, and it would be a great day. A small, hairy body ran into him as he stared at the vast wilderness. He looked down at the little hairy person. The boy rubbed his head and looked up with a scowl. This was his brother. He recognized the shaggy hair, the dark skinny body and most of all the eyes that were two different colors. The boy got up and slammed into him again, head first. This time he grabbed the hairy head and pushed it aside softly. The boy lost his balance and fell. “Stop it, Trib,” he said looming over the shaggy haired boy. “Gosh, Enu,” the kid said rubbing his head. “Father and I are going to the hill. Want to come?” His multicolored eyes became big as he pleaded for his brother to join him. Enu smirked. “A face only our mother could love.”

They walked over to where their father sat on the hill. The man stood up, greeting his boys silently and giving Trib a small rock. He showed Trib how to bowel the rock down the hill. Their father was mute. His voice was taken from him when a large buck attacked and cut his throat. By some miracle, the hunting party had been able to save his life. It was devastating to their mother, who claimed her husband had the voice of a bird. Enu stared at the large scar on his father’s throat and then smiled as Trib let go of his rock. Once again, their father had picked the best rock; it hit the bottom of the hill and slammed into a tree trunk at the edge of the forest. Trib looked devastated, but he was never one to wallow in self-pity.

            As Trib stared at their father’s rock lying mere inches away from his own, he wondered what had made them different. Then a smile came to his face. Enu recognized that smile; Trib had another invention on his mind. His last invention had helped their mother sew their clothes tighter, so they wouldn’t fall off while hunting. This made it easier to use the rest of the fur to make blankets and insulation for the home.

As their father danced silently in victory, Trib ran into the nearby woods, collecting sticks from the ground. Enu watched in confusion as his brother brought more and more items from the edge of the forest. Eventually, he came up with a contraption of rocks and twigs that rolled down the hill with more speed than their father’s rock had. Enu and his father stared at the boy as he picked up his newest invention. Enu shrugged at his father and they both followed as Trib walked toward the family home. Trib ran to his small workspace in the back of the cave and stayed there for the rest of the day. Enu helped his father move wood from the forest. It was tiresome work and they had barely collected enough for the night as the light started to disappear.

Once the light had sunk behind the hills, mother called everyone in for dinner. They sat around the fire as she told stories of the ancient animals that had created their people and the glistening lights that danced with Luna herself. Tonight, she talked of those lights as the smoke from the fire condensed into a small line coming up from the embers. She raised her hands up to the stars in a loving gesture, then folded them in front of her and sat down. “The lights shine down at night to guide us and to remind us our ancestors can still see us. Our family’s essence is stored up there until they are ready to be shared with something else in this world, as the life of a rabbit is shared with that of the grass and the wolf’s life with the elk.” Their father kissed her cheek. He then laid down on the fur and got comfortable. Enu smiled and Trib started to run around the cave, calling to his grandfather who had passed a short time ago. His mother’s face became ragged as she hushed him and sent him off to sleep next to his father. Enu still sat next to the now dead fire, his eyes closed in the bliss of the evening. His mother came to sit next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. “Thank you, mother; I can’t sleep without your stories about our ancestors.” She smiled shyly and pushed a scraggily brown hair out of her face. “Remember to go to the village tomorrow and trade your father’s antlers with the weapon maker.” Her voice was soft, and her words fluttered off her lips. He nodded and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and laid down next to their father. Enu crawled over and joined his family under the warm furs.

           

Enu woke up again, still next to his little brother and still in the cave he was born in. He felt no rush to get moving but did not dally either as he dressed in warmer furs and grabbed the antlers his father kept next to the fire pit. Knife in one hand, antlers in the other, he headed down the hill to the village below.

            The village seemed fast paced and noisy to Enu as he walked through the small arch that marked its border. It was nothing more than a small clump of huts that surrounded one large hut. The large hut backed up to a cliff and Enu watched a few birds swoop into the air and dive down towards the sharp waves below. He tried to fathom why they would want to do such a thing. Outside the huts, people stood at their tables and kept their goods out to trade. The large hut at the center belonged to the eldest in the village; the Shaman. It stood higher than any other and had beautiful flowers surrounding its base. As Enu walked up the road, he greeted people with a warm smile. He avoided the large hut entirely and walked up to the hut of the family’s friend, the weapon maker. The man had been part of the hunting group the day Enu’s father had been hurt by the buck and had been the one to save his life. When he saw Enu, his gray eyes lit up and he called for his son to come out. Enu approached him, keeping his eyes on the table and away from the Shaman who had been staring at him since he entered the village. Before Enu’s father had lost his voice, he had coached Enu on proper interactions with people and how to haggle if needed. Enu had become his father’s voice and together they had made some great bargains in the village. He lifted the antlers up and set them gently on the table.

“Ah, you have been busy,” the man said picking the antlers up and studying them. “I only need a few things whittled from them. We are planning our next hunt soon. You can keep whatever is left.” The man looked at him through slanted eyes. “Your voice is your father’s,” he said proudly. “It will be an honor to make your tools. Tabo!” A young boy came outside and took the antlers. He bowed at Enu, then ran inside again. “They will be ready three days from now,” The weapon maker said. He started to walk back into his hut, waving goodbye to Enu, when they spotted the Shaman walking over, his long robe causing the dirt to fly up behind him. Enu’s stomach dropped; the Shaman made him apprehensive. He remembered his father telling him to be weary of anyone who needed such a long piece of clothing. The man looked outraged, waving his arms around before he had even approached them. “Boy! You! Yes, I know who you are! Your family is in that cave at the top of the hill.” Enu backed away, only able to nod at the man. The Shaman scowled as he stopped in front of Enu. “You wear no totem? You will be cursed before you walk out of this village! Does your family not care about these people?” He gestured to the smaller huts around him. “Your father surely bares the scar of his curse and your brother’s eyes show his demonic nature!” Enu’s confidence returned with the mention of his brother and he moved closer to the old, angry Shaman. “We don’t waste our time with silly things like curses.” The Shaman stood his ground, though his eyes shifted from Enu’s face to his chest. “Of course, you don’t,” he spat. “Your witch mother has you going down the path of old. Ancestors and sharing of spirit; everyone knows people live to avoid demons and serve our Gods. You can never expect to have a happy life if you do not cater to the Gods’ will.” Enu felt anger well up inside him. Though he knew he was strong enough to strike this man down, something told him not to. Instead, he ignored the old man and turned again to the weapon maker. “Thank you for your business,” he said politely with a bow. Then he turned and walked away, hearing the screeching of the old Shaman behind him.

            The days became longer and the weather warmer. With this change, the family stayed outside more often, rummaging through the forest and hunting small game. They had their fires outside now, and at night their mother would use the beautiful night sky in her stories. Enu started to notice that his brother stayed out more frequently. He came back every night and seemed like his old self, so Enu did not worry. Their mother started to notice small things missing from the house: some cloth, a rope, even her pottery stands were gone. Enu was puzzled by the missing pottery stands; they were not easy to carry.

            Weeks passed before Enu saw Trib before dinner. One evening he spotted two flat objects on a round stand coming slowly towards the cave. He recognized them at once; mother’s pottery stands. He motioned to his father and they both ran to meet the boy. His shaggy hair poked over the contraption as he pushed it up the hill, smiling through the dirt and sweat. Enu got to him first. “What are you up to now Trib?” Enu asked. Their father came up behind him, pointing at the machine and shaking his head. Trib caught his breath, then presented the machine. “It makes moving animals and wood much easier! I have tried it on rabbits, birds and ground squirrels. I’m sure it could hold up to some larger kills.” Enu stood studying his brother’s invention. “Have you a name for it?” he asked, feeling too uneducated to ask any other questions. Trib’s smile fell. “Well…no. But I’m sure it will work for us! It could make father’s back feel better and save yours.” He hit Enu’s arm, then pulled his invention closer. “I couldn’t find anything to attach to the front to pull.” “That’ll come in time,” Enu said going to the back. He motioned to his father and the two of them pushed the invention up the hill. Their mother was apprehensive of this new machine. She became cross about her pottery stands and it took almost all night for Trib and Enu to calm her down. Enu promised he would help Trib collect some clay and make her new ones before the days became colder.

            At first, the contraption was a pain; Enu and his father tried to hunt with it, but every time it scared away everything they worked so hard to track. Their father became frustrated, but Enu worked with him to make it better. Trib was not much for hunting big game; he was not old enough for it, so they came up with a compromise. They would drag the kill to the machine and load it up. The family could hunt more each day as they stacked elk after elk on top of Trib’s genius machine. They came home with more meat then their mother could prepare.

Everyone in the village enjoyed this new machine Trib had built; the boys asked him questions of how it worked, and the old ladies gawked at the pottery stands that now sank into the mud under the weight of animal carcasses and fur. There was only a small few who did not engage with the family’s fortune; and they sat in the shade of their large hut in the center of the village. The Shaman’s scowl grew harsher every day as he crossed his arms and stared at the young boy and his family. Enu made sure to keep an eye on him, taking his father’s suspicion to heart.

            The family soon learned to use Trib’s machine for more than just hunting, calling it the roller. Despite their mother’s despair over her lost pottery tools, she was happy to see Trib stand tall as he pulled the roller behind him with the handle he had made from wood and rope. Enu felt happy about his brother’s pride, but he couldn’t stop worrying about those in the village who didn’t like the change.

            “Please take it father. It will help us carry everything down at once. You won’t have to keep walking up and down the hill for all of the goods,” Trib urged excitedly. His father had been hesitant to pull the roller himself, but he knew his son was right. The family had had an amazing hunting season and there were a lot of materials to trade with everyone in the village. Their father finally smiled and nodded. Trib’s smile almost cut his face in half. He grabbed his grass hat and bow and ran out of the cave, wheeling his roller up to the house. He began to load it with all their goods: antlers, furs, leftover meats, and bones. His father just shook his head, took his knife and slowly put it on his belt, then motioned for Enu to follow him. They rolled down to the village, Trib leading the way with his bow over his chest.

            Enu became uneasy as they walked through the arch. His gaze went to the larger hut in the middle of the village as he wondered what sort of reaction they would get from the Shaman today. As they rolled up to their family friend, Enu could see the Shaman sitting under the trees in his robes. His followers got up slowly, looking around his large body to see the machine that had rolled in again, packed high with goods. Enu stood by his father and spoke to their friend about the deals they could make. The man seemed delighted, but uneasy. His eyes moved from the machine to Enu and then to the large hut. Trib’s face poked over the counter and he smiled at the man’s son, showing off his pride and joy. When the young boy saw it, he was astonished. He started asking Trib the same questions as the other kids; how it worked, why he made it and how he made it. More people came over to listen to Trib tell his story again. Enu felt his stomach turn as he saw the Shaman quickly rise from his spot. He and his followers hurried over, pushing away interested villagers and standing in front of Trib. He grabbed the boy by the shoulders and started to shake him.

“You made this boy?! This shape that sits underneath animal flesh, do you know what this is!” Trib shook his head as tears rolled down his cheeks. The crowd parted as Enu pulled a sharpened tool from his belt. The Shaman ignored the gesture and forced Trib’s head to look up to the sky. “The Light God, boy! You have desecrated the Light God’s symbol. You must pay for your arrogance with your life!” The Shaman dragged the boy behind him as they walked toward the large hut. “Let him go Shaman!” Enu demanded, tightening his grip on his antler knife. His voice boomed over the chattering villagers. The whole place went silent. Trib cried out to his brother, tears running down his face as the man dragged him on his heels. The Shaman ignored Enu and tied a rope around the boy’s hands. Then he dragged him around to the back of the big hut toward the cliff.

“Shaman please,” their friend called from behind his counter. “Not now Fal. This boy must pay with his life, so the Light God will continue to rise above the sea.” Enu dove for the man now, with his sharp tool pointed at the man’s chest. The Shaman’s followers grabbed Enu’s sleeves and held him and his father back. Enu fought them violently, shouting threats and obscenities at the Shaman as he dragged Trib closer to the cliff. As strong as he was, Enu couldn’t keep the fat servants off him. Trib was silent as he submitted to the Shaman. “I am sorry sir. I don’t want the light to go away,” he said softly. “Then pay the price young one, so that your family may see the next light.” Trib looked at his machine, then back at the Shaman and finally at the ground. The whole village watched as the boy stared into the ocean. The Shaman used soft words now. “My boy, you may jump on your own, or I can have someone throw you. Whatever makes it easiest.” Enu scowled at the man. His brother should not have to make that choice; the boy was only ten winters old. Enu thought about the things his brother would not make, the sadness his family would feel every time they looked at any of his great inventions. Then he thought of mother, of her face when she learned her son was dead. He could not see that face; he had hated seeing it when father was hurt. No, this would not happen. Not to his little brother. He sent all his strength to his legs and pushed the fat followers off him. Before anyone could stop him, he pushed Trib toward their father, and tackled the Shaman toward the cliff. Their bodies collided and Enu felt the wind pushing his hair away from his face. He felt as if he could see the future. His brother would become an amazing inventor and make the world a better place; perhaps he could give father his voice back some day. Enu couldn’t imagine how, but his brother would be the one to figure it out. Enu moved the Shaman underneath him so we would strike the rocks that stuck out of the sea. Then he felt the cold of the water and the warmth of blood as his consciousness slipped away.              

Enu breathed in deeply as his eyes opened. He was in front of his family’s cave, but it looked as it did when he was 7 winters old. The albino saber tooth skin his father had collected was no longer at the entrance of the cave. The grass underneath his feet felt softer than it had before, and the sky seemed a bit bluer than normal for this time of year. He listened for the birds and the rustling of the trees but did not find them. In fact, he found no noise at all. The only sound he found was his own feet shifting in the grass. Then he heard another pair of feet. He looked up and grabbed at his hip, expecting to take up his knife, but there was nothing there. His mind raced as he searched for a weapon. He saw a foggy image start to come toward him. He had never seen a spirit and he scrambled to prepare for the moment. He sank to his knees and waited. The figure became clear and he saw it was a man, dressed in strange clothes that covered every part of him but his head and hands. The man approached him and stopped, tucking his hands into holes on the sides of his clothing. He was tall and handsome, with bright yellow hair and starry blue eyes. He smiled at Enu, looking relaxed and unafraid. Enu stood now and relaxed, fascinated by the color of the man’s hair and clothes. One long piece of fabric hung from his neck and it was bright orange like the flowers down the hill. His other coverings were white as the clouds.

They were silent for a long time, the man letting Enu study his odd features. Enu played with the man’s hair and the strange fabric that fell over his belly. The man chuckled as Enu flapped his orange tie back and forth. “We are running out of time,” he said as he gently took Enu’s hand into his own. Enu jumped back, ready to attack when he realized the mysterious being spoke in his tongue. “I am Shamash, the light giver,” he said valiantly. Enu was again mystified. They couldn’t be any more different, but this spirit had learned his speech. “You saved the first inventor in your people’s history. Now let me give you a destiny…” 

Patchouli flowed through Robbie’s nostrils as his eyes fluttered open. Coming back to reality felt like being dragged vertically from the bottom of a ten-foot-deep swimming pool. He sat up and rubbed his eyes as his memory came back to him slowly. When he was fully awake, he looked at the woman standing above him. She stared in disbelief with the expression of fantastic horror on her face. His eyes became wide and he got up and ran out. “Wait!” He heard behind him as he swung the door open. He took off down the street, feeling the chill of the night air nipping at his ears. “Enu…!” Her voice trailed off as he turned a corner. Then he slowed to a walk and finally fell into an alley close to the apartment. It had been noon when he went in there. Why had he stayed there for so long? Why did he feel so confused about the simplest things that went on around him; cars zooming by, streetlights buzzing, dogs barking; none of it made sense to him. He got up from the ground and walked home.

He locked the door behind him and sunk to the floor. He could feel his high dropping; he became irritated at the woman in the shop. Why had she let him be there that long? He started to shiver as an immense pain spread from the center of his soul and traveled through his whole body before resting in his head. He thought about what would be next and was not surprised to feel himself start to sweat through his clothes.

He sat on the floor, withering in pain, but enjoying the punishment he knew he deserved. The anniversary was coming soon, and he saw no other way to celebrate it than rolling on the floor in agony. His vengeful spirit was alive and ready to act. Through squinted eyes he looked over at the desk in the corner of the room. His fingers clawed at the carpet as he dragged his body toward the rickety wooden chair in front of his desk. As he slid into it, he held his side and stared at his beautiful computer; one of the things he could never sell. This year’s letter had to go out to that man, reminding him of why he was in prison in the first place. Despite his pain, Robbie smiled as he thought of what to type. His fingers got busy on the keyboard:

 

 

Hello A*****e,

 

Yep, it is that time of year again when I make you remember their faces. I hope you are being treated extra awful this year because I want to see you as miserable as humanly possible. To celebrate, I have a surprise for you that tops last year’s for sure. Let’s just say the friendships you think you have in that pit are about to be tested. Don’t worry, you’ll know what I mean in a day or two. Happy anniversary to the biggest piece of trash in human history. Try to survive until next year. J

            Love always

                        Robbie

He laughed out loud like a crazy person as he sent the letter, and then made his banking transfers from his computer. His body ached everywhere, but he sat back with his head in his hands and eventually fell asleep.

Light filled the small apartment as Kathy walked in juggling boxes and bags. Her glasses slipped down her nose as she reached for the door and almost dropped everything. She could see her brother sleeping at the computer and tried to be quiet, but her foot slipped, and the door slammed shut. Robbie woke with a jump and then glared at her for a moment. “Sorry,” she said in a small voice. His glare softened, and he lifted his body out of the chair, walking toward Kathy. He slumped onto one of the kitchen chairs.

“How much did you spend this time?” Kathy asked putting her bags, purse and phone on the counter. “Enough to get the job done,” he rasped. The counter buzzed and he grabbed at the phone before it could fall. “It’s Jason,” he said in a dull voice throwing Kathy’s phone into her hands. She jiggled it around before it landed lopsided in her palm and then swiped her finger across the screen. “Hi sweetie,” she said with a fake uplifted tone. “No, I just got home. I was talking to…no he isn’t, he’s here.” She turned away from Robbie as he slumped further into the chair. “I don’t need you to come over. Everything is fine, it’s just…it’s the anniversary of…ok, I love you too.” Robbie heard the click of the phone as she hung up. Then she sighed and stretched. “How was your day?” she asked sitting next to him and pushing her glasses back up her nose. “Do you really want to know? You’re not worried I’ll kill you while high or something?” Kathy sighed again, and the smile oozed off her face. “He wants to make sure I’m ok. You should be happy I have a guy who cares.” “Not when said guy thinks your own brother is going to hurt you. He shouldn’t even call you today.” “Robbie please. I’ll make us some tea and we’ll talk like normal people. I genuinely want to know how your day was.” She got up, ruffled his hair and walked into the kitchen. Robbie heard a ding from his computer and walked over to it. There was an email for a job request in his inbox. He rolled his eyes and stared at the subject line of the email, thinking about the job he had taken before his family died...

 

It was a warm day as Robbie walked through the large glass doors that seemed too clean for a regular Thursday afternoon. He held his briefcase tight in his hands as he walked through the countless hallways. The security guard led him to a dimly lit conference room and then shut the door behind him without a word. He was alone for a moment. Then a booming voice came through the door. “Mr. Williams, thank you for coming to our office,” the man said with a plastic smile. He held his hand in front of him and Robbie took it with an uneasy grin on his face. “It’s my job,” he said quietly. “Fantastic. We have a very important contract coming in that is quite essential to the success of our business and we need to be certain it is…secured. The reviews said you were the best security consultant.” Robbie nodded. “Yes sir, I am more than qualified.” “Good because this is an important client for us. Loosing them would lead to some serious ramifications for everyone involved.” He smiled from ear to ear as his teeth glistened in the dim light, but his eyes were wild and made Robbie feel the need to look away. “You will be compensated fairly once we feel comfortable with your work.” Robbie gulped and nodded graciously. “Now come with me.”

Robbie followed the man into the server room and set up his computer. The man left him as he zipped up his coat and then plugged into the main frame. He crossed his legs and set his computer down on his knees as he accessed the servers with the special login he had received.

His first step when working a job was to find out how much trust his temporary account had been given. He had an insatiable curiosity for the companies he secured and this one was no different. He slowly became frustrated as he back searched his login and found that all his actions were being reported to a handful of people. He chuckled to himself as he worked around their safeguards by using an alternate login. “I see what you have set up here,” he muttered. He updated the security to his standards using a custom program he had used many times before. He smiled at a job well done and proceeded to test his work. Once he received the reports back, he logged out and disconnected his computer.  

He came back through the lobby, feeling victorious and ready to see the huge check come into his account. He shook the plastic-faced man’s hand and walked out the glass door with his head held high.     

Later that night Robbie was sitting in his favorite chair in front of his favorite computer and playing his favorite game. He had his huge headphones on that cancelled out any noise. His animated character shuffled around the virtual world collecting resources and picking fights with the other characters. Robbie burst out laughing after slaughtering an elf who said he was compensating for something by toting around his huge sword. Then his bedroom door swung open and his mother walked in and knocked off his headphones. “What the hell,” he said rubbing his ears. She shut the door and gave him her best mom look. “Watch your mouth,” she said crossing her arms. He closed his mouth and sat up straight. “Sorry,” he said flatly. “It’s time to go to bed,” she said turning off the monitor. “I had a huge job today mom,” he said getting up and undoing his bed. She sat in his office chair and swiveled from side to side. “I was hoping to add it to the pot so to speak.” His mother stopped and stared at him. “Robbie, we’re fine. Your brother just needs a few more sessions.” She hugged him and kissed his forehead before slipping out of the room.

Robbie started to sleep when he heard his computer turn back on. Then he heard the ding of his email app. Too excited to sleep, he hopped out of bed, expecting to see a confirmation email about his last job. But it was just an automated report from his custom program. He couldn’t remember what small job he had done recently that would have contained his snooping program. Then his stomach dropped to his feet when he realized he had had one job today; he forgot he had left that feature on. He considered deleting the email, but his eyes read the report faster than his mind could stop them. The business man with the plastic smile would never know; what harm could he do now? Robbie tentatively clicked the letter button to open the suspect file. There were documents that said things like rejected hypothesis, IRB charges and illegal protocols. Robbie looked for the name of the hacker and after hours of connecting ties, he found a man named Alex Hobs. He searched the name and found a picture of a reporter from a well-known financial journal. As he tried to understand what this man’s goal might be, another ding sounded from his computer. This time it was an email his program had picked up. Again, he couldn’t hold back his snoopy nature. He opened the email and saw Alex Hobs in the subject line. The email was from someone named Mr. Patterson and had been sent to an encrypted email address. The recipient’s name made no sense, but Mr. Paterson’s message was clear; he wanted Alex dead.

Robbie’s stomach fell again as he put the whole puzzle together. The company he had just secured was doing illegal experiments and Alex was trying to get to the truth. They knew about him, thanks to Robbie, and had sent out some sort of hit. Robbie was frantic. He wanted to delete everything, stop the program and hide under the covers, but if this company was doing something illegal, he had to stop it and warn Alex. He looked from his bed to the door. Maybe he could find this guy before it was too late. He easily found the man’s work email and sent an encrypted email that said, “Talk tomorrow, 16^th street.” Then he sat back, nervously awaiting a reply he didn’t think would come for several hours. As he stared at his standard mountain desktop image, a third ding sounded. It was another email and all it said was “OK.” Was this Alex trying to get through to him? Or was it the company trying to set a trap for him? Should he go or not? Robbie fell asleep at his computer trying to decide what he should do.

“Breakfast!” a sweet yet angry voice from downstairs screamed. Robbie woke up with his heart pounding in his ears. He sat up and moved his neck from side to side. He knew his mother would come up if he didn’t come down and have a piece of toast. He threw on some fresh work clothes and ran downstairs.

The whole family was sitting at the table starring at Robbie as he bounded loudly down the stairs. His mother shook her head at him. “You were up all night playing that game, weren’t you?” she said shaking a spoon at him and getting eggs all over his sister. Kathy fussed about her hair and then glared at Robbie. “It’s a good game,” Robbie said shrugging and grabbing some bread to put into the toaster. “I just cleaned over there Rob, don’t make a mess,” his dad said flipping the paper and taking a sip of his tea. Robbie took care not to leave one crumb on the counter after his toast came out. His father had tried to instill the importance of a clean house to his three children and went so far as to stop cleaning for a month to see which one would crack. Unfortunately, his plan backfired because he couldn’t stand how dirty everything was. Kathy had helped him and was slowly incorporating the clean gene into her personality. Robbie looked over at his brother and rolled his eyes. Gavin laughed and then was promptly hit on the shoulder by his sister. Robbie snorted with laughter and looked down at his toast. His smile faded as he remembered his appointment downtown. The toast popped in his face and made him jump. Then he looked back at his family and took a deep breath.

“I’m going in earlier today, so I better just…” Everyone stopped and stared at him with curious eyes. Gavin was the first to speak up. “Well you shouldn’t be late I guess,” he said winking at Robbie. “Gavin, please eat something,” their mother persisted. His brother’s smile faded, and he looked down at his plate. Gavin had been battling with bulimia for some time and hated when his mother brought it up. Robbie snuck out before he could hear the conversation he had heard so many times before. He had to warn Alex.

Robbie arrived at 16^th street and walked up and down the large block trying to spot Alex. He tried to look casual as he roamed the street and reminded himself to stop his program so nothing could be linked back to him. As he passed the fancy boutique for the fourth time he spotted Alex at the clock tower. He walked over slowly and then tapped the reporter on the shoulder. Alex jumped and turned around to face Robbie. The man looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His suit was wrinkled beyond the help of an iron and he had heavy bags under his eyes. “What do you want from me?” Alex hollered reaching for Robbie’s neck. “Wait, Mr. Hobs,” Robbie yelled back grabbing the man’s hands. “I sent you the email to come here. I have to tell you something important.” Alex stopped. “I stumbled into something deep kid,” he said. Robbie looked around and then sat next to him, trying to seem nonchalant. “I just wanted to see a real story come out. But this is…so much worse.” Robbie wanted to get more out of him but became paranoid as the minutes went by. “They want to kill you,” Robbie whispered in the man’s ear. Alex’s face went blank and he stared at Robbie for a long while. “I knew digging this deep would only bring me skeletons.” He sighed and then looked around suspiciously. “I’m getting out of here.” With that he ran from the corner and disappeared. Robbie felt a strange sense of accomplishment and smiled to himself as he slunk away from the scene and headed to work.

Through the work day, Robbie felt relaxed and enjoyed the warm feeling from saving a man’s life. His day was pleasant as he talked to multiple clients about his job and his company. Then he packed up his stuff and hopped into his small car, bobbing his head to his music as he headed home.

Robbie parked his car in the driveway and went through the garage whistling. His tune fell when he walked into the kitchen and saw his mother lying on the floor. Her eyes were open, and her pink cardigan was stained with blood. Robbie stared at her lifeless body. “Dad!” he yelled as he started to run through the house. He tripped over his brother’s sick and skinny body in the dining room and saw bullet holes in his chest. Gavin’s lifeless eyes stared back at him and Robbie slowly understood what this was. "Dad! Kathy!” he yelled again as tears stung his dry eyes. His father was lying in the living room with a bullet wound in his head. Robbie covered his mouth and tried not to throw up. “Kathy!” he yelled desperately. He ran upstairs and searched each room; his sister wasn’t there. Once he came to his room, he stopped and stared at his computer. He wanted to crush it when he heard another ding. Through his tears and rage, he slammed his password into the keyboard and stared at his email. There was one unread message and it was from his last job. He imagined the plastic business man sitting at the computer and typing this threatening email.

The email explained how they had found his custom program and were ready to give him 48 hours to take it down until they found out where he had gone that morning. He explained how Alex had been killed three minutes after he had walked away from the clock tower and how Robbie’s family had to pay for his curiosity. The last line gave Robbie permission to call the cops. They would find the killer easily and send him to jail. The company would of course deny knowing the man. Robbie read it three times before he heard Kathy’s screams from downstairs…

 

 

Kathy’s teapot screamed on the stove and Robbie came back from his memory trip. He looked away from the computer, ignoring the job request entirely. He sat with his sister at their small table and talked about the strange psychic shop and his vision while she sliced up strawberries for him. “When I woke up it was night time and it took me a moment to figure out who I was.” Kathy stared at Robbie for a moment. “So now what?” she said raising her eyebrows and bringing the fruit and tea over to the table. “What do you mean?” Robbie said dumbfounded. Kathy looked at him with intense eyes as they started to water. Then she sighed and picked her cup back up again. “I just want you to stop hurting yourself.” “I know,” Robbie said softly. “It helps me get their faces out of my head. It’s my fault they’re dead after all.” Kathy patted his shoulder. “It’s that man’s fault,” she said angrily. “I can still hear your scream,” he said. “Try to sleep Rob,” Kathy said sipping the last of her tea. She took it to the sink and walked toward her bedroom. Robbie grabbed the bowl of strawberries and dragged his feet to his own room.

He buried his head in his hands and felt his headache pound like a hammer on the top of his head. He knew he would start withdrawals soon and decided he needed another dose. He pulled out his cellphone and hit number 4.

“Randy, its Rob. I need…more and soon. How much for the usual?” the voice on the other end was nasally and Robbie could picture his greasy orange hair swaying as he talked. “Oh, hey Rob! My best customer. You don’t sound so good.” “Randy, please. I can meet you in a few hours anywhere you’d like. I just need more.” Randy scoffed on the other end. “Alright, alright. Meet you in an hour at the old factory.” Robbie hung up, sneering at the man through the phone. He could feel his headache getting worse and grabbed his wallet. Then he sat in the dark hallway waiting for Kathy’s bedroom light to go out. Her routine had become longer after they moved into this small apartment. He wanted to make it better for her but knew she didn’t take any of his promises seriously anymore. Kathy’s light went out an hour later and Robbie slowly got up, grabbed his keys and snuck out the front door.

Randy’s orange hair clashed with the multi colored walls of the abandoned factory. Robbie shivered as he walked through the maze of decaying concrete. There were a few lights dancing in the distance from homeless people seeking shelter. Randy walked up to him with a nasty grin. Without a word, Robbie handed him all the cash he had on him and then Randy smashed two white packets into Robbie’s palm. He smiled again, and Robbie tried not to stare at the black stains. He liked to think he was different from this low life whom he was buying illegal drugs from. At least he had a job and a home and some sort of family. He shoved the two packets into his pocket. “Thanks Randy,” he said nodding and then walked away. Randy muttered something as he turned the corner; he didn’t want to know what it was.

Robbie snuck back into the apartment and locked himself in his room. His favorite thing was to turn on his music, take his hit and slowly feel the drug take over every inch of his body. He turned on his phone, put in his headphones and readied his pipe. It tasted so sweet; at least Randy had sold him his favorite. He felt the rush as the particle entered his lungs and filled his body. He took a few more hits and relaxed into his pillow as his bedroom walls blurred with ancient brink walls.  

Enkidu was awoken by his King and remembered the long journey they had ahead of them. King Gilgamesh had become restless in the past few months and felt the need to conquer the great cedar forest to the east of his kingdom of Uruk. Enkidu had run through the forest with the animals before they had rejected him, so he knew it well and was happy to escort the Demi-God King through it.

It wasn’t long before they reached the edge of the cedar forest. Each tree Enkidu passed seemed familiar as he remembered the wolf pack that had raised him. He had passed these trees as he raced his sister to the front of the pack. Gilgamesh looked back occasionally to see Enkidu floating behind him on the rocks and staring up at the trees like they were old friends. “I didn’t realize how well you knew this place,” the King said stopping at a fallen log. Enkidu’s smile grew. “I remember it fondly. I had a pack of wolves I ran with. They were the closest thing I had to family. That was before…” Enkidu’s smile dropped as he remembered his youth before he met Gilgamesh. “I’m sorry that was taken from you,” Gilgamesh said sitting down on the log. His friend joined him. “I have a new family now, and I intended to make sure you don’t die out here. Your role as King is too important.” Gilgamesh nodded and then hopped up, punched Enkidu in the arm and ran through the trees like a child. Enkidu rubbed his arm and rolled his eyes as he followed.

They found a small indent in the side of a hill next to a huge cedar tree to stay in. It was far enough into the forest that Gilgamesh decided to make it their base of operations. Before setting everything down, Gilgamesh walked through the cave with a torch. Enkidu caught a familiar scent as they walked through. “My king, there is something in-.” Before he could finish, they heard a growl. Gilgamesh swept the light through the cave until it landed on a wolf with two pups at her sides. She snarled once she saw them and tried to pounce. Instead she staggered and whined, licked her back leg and then resumed snarling at the two men. Enkidu looked at her leg. She was bleeding from what looked like a bite and her hair was standing on end as she pushed her pups behind her. Then he stared into her eyes and smiled. “You know me,” he said quietly, sinking down to all fours and inching closer to her. “Enkidu no,” Gilgamesh cried grabbing him back. His swift movements startled the wolf and she began to howl and bark. “Its alright my King,” Enkidu said from the ground. “We come from the same pack; she is my wolf sister.”

The men lit a fire and huddled together in the cave, ignoring the continuous snarling of the wolf. It took a while for her to calm down, but she eventually stopped snarling and started to lick her wounds while keeping her pups behind her. Enkidu’s heart sank as he watched her. There was a time when he could pick her up and balance her on his shoulder. Now, after the harlot had brought him to the ways of man, his sister rejected him just like the rest of the beasts. “I don’t understand something,” Gilgamesh said staring at the wolf. “Why does she not treat you like her brother?” Enkidu sighed. “I let them change me. After laying with the harlot, my sister was the first to back away from me. The rest of the pack did the same and soon no animal would come near me. I still don’t understand why.” Enkidu felt a single tear escape his eye and wiped it away in embarrassment. Gilgamesh reached over and patted him on the shoulder. “Perhaps the God’s made it this way so we could be together and defeat Humbaba,” he said happily. Enkidu smiled and patted his hand.   

The pups whimpered as the night went on. Their mother scowled at them and then looked back at the men. “They’re hungry,” Enkidu said with an irritated tone. Gilgamesh smiled and ran out into the twilight. Enkidu stared after him, shook his head and went back to watching his sister tend to her wound. He wondered what could have hurt her. If he could just get closer, he could fix it. He bent down and inched his way toward her like he had done with the adults in his pack so long ago. She hadn’t noticed him move. He crawled on his belly, coming closer and closer to her. One of the pups noticed him and put his own head to the ground. He wiggled his butt and pounced on his mother’s back, ready to play with Enkidu. His mother howled with surprise and then looked up to see Enkidu inches from her feet. She panicked and started snarling louder than before while kicking at his head and spinning around until she could show him her teeth. She nipped the side of his arm before he could pull it back. Enkidu shouted in frustration. “Fine! Die for all I care! I was only trying to help!” He sat on the log and bandaged his wound.

Gilgamesh returned sometime later with a handful of dead rodents. His smile outstretched his face as he handed Enkidu the carcasses. Enkidu looked up at him with a somber expression. Gilgamesh’s smile faded as he saw Enkidu’s bandaged arm. His blood soaked through the fabric now and had dyed the side of Enkidu’s clothes red. “What happened?” Gilgamesh asked as he took Enkidu’s arm and rebandaged it. “She bit me while I was trying to look at her leg. How could she do that to me?” Enkidu said as his lower lip quivered. Gilgamesh tied the bandage tight. “She’s just afraid. We can at least make sure the pups are fed.” He grabbed the rodents and carefully approached the wolf on his knees. He came as close as she would let him and dropped his kill in front of her. She folded her ears back, but this time she didn’t growl or snarl. The pups yipped happily as they jumped from behind her and tore into the rats. They were so close Gilgamesh could have patted their heads. Instead he backed away and joined Enkidu next to the fire.

For the next few days the men went out to survey their surroundings. To conquer the forest, they would have to defeat the guardian Humbaba who dwelled in the middle of it. They fed the puppies and made their plans to attack the guardian. Enkidu’s sister began to sink into their symbiotic relationship and held her head and ears up as the men dropped off small animals for her and the pups.

After a few days, Enkidu forgave her and tried to win her affection again; this time he would use the pups. They became more adventurous and started following the men around as they organized their resources. The few times Gilgamesh allowed for breaks, Enkidu would attempt to wrestle with the pups.

One morning while they played, one of the pups pounced on Enkidu. He was surprised and hollered slightly as the pup’s razor teeth bit into his neck. The mother jumped up as best she could and nipped at Enkidu’s leg. “Alright, alright,” he said rolling away from the puppy. “No harm done.” Gilgamesh laughed as he came back into the cave. “Thanks for the help,” Enkidu said sarcastically. Gilgamesh stopped laughing and shook his head. “Relax, its just a pup,” he said smiling and throwing carcasses at the wolves. Then he set a handful of strawberries in Enkidu’s lap. Enkidu smiled at his favorite fruit and rubbed his hands together before gingerly biting into the sweet flesh. “Besides, she loves you too much to let you die. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I can see it in her eyes,” Gilgamesh said. Enkidu smiled and looked over at his sister. She tried to get comfortable while her pups curled up next to her. “We must speak of our trek to come my friend,” Gilgamesh said seriously. “Tomorrow we must head toward the heart of the forest where Humbaba resides. Its time to talk strategy.” They talked for most of the night about how the forest narrows as the trees compact to form large clusters. Once they had decided a strategy, Enkidu convinced Gilgamesh to sleep.      

Enkidu laid there in the dark cave, tossing and turning as his dreams ran wild in his head. He found himself in his meadow on a warm summer day. He was about to run down to the stream to meet his pack, when a man stepped in front of him. Enkidu knew him to be the God of the sun, Shamash. His hair was a fiery red and blew with the wind like a flame. He was dressed in a gold and white robe with velvet ropes tied around his waist and modest sandals on his feet. He smiled warmly at Enkidu. “My boy,” Shamash said touching Enkidu’s shoulder. “You have been so important to this journey. But I must deliver an unfortunate truth.” Enkidu listened carefully. “Gilgamesh is a relentless force with the power to do great things. You have become a point of focus for him. Now once again I must ask for your sacrifice in assuring that this will always be.” Enkidu found his voice. “Of course, my Lord. Anything to serve you and my King.” Shamash’s smile warmed the whole valley.

Enkidu woke up clutching at air. His breath was heavy, and he just wanted to talk to his friend. He saw Gilgamesh on the wolves’ side of the cave. His back was to Enkidu and he was on his knees. Enkidu had never seen him so vulnerable. “My Lord?” Enkidu said quietly, getting up and touching Gilgamesh’s shoulder. Gilgamesh slowly turned to him with sad eyes. Enkidu peered over to see his sister laying still on the ground. He could smell the difference. The pups pawed at her gently and then looked up at the men. Enkidu sighed and picked up the wolf. One of the pups growled and snarled, but Gilgamesh disciplined him quickly. They followed Enkidu out of the cave as he laid the wolf under a fallen limb. The men covered her with leaves and the pups howled softly to themselves. Gilgamesh put a hand on Enkidu’s shoulder and pulled him to his feet. “We have to go,” he said leading him down the path. The pups followed them.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu fought valiantly against Humbaba and finally vanquished the beast. They were met with hostility from Enlil and other Gods but beat back their monsters as well. Enkidu was elated to see Gilgamesh conquer the region for his people.

When they came home, Enkidu dreamed again of Shamash. He was within a council of gods as Enlil, god of the air, screamed for the death of Gilgamesh. “He is the reason the human race is doomed! How are we supposed to save them if they keep destroying our equipment! I say one life is not as important as the rest of society. He should be struck down, Anu. Enkidu will have to find another inventor!” Heads turned to Anu, who sat in silence as he stroked his beard. Then Anu spoke. “Enkidu will lay down his life once again for the good of the species. Gilgamesh will mourn, but he will be a better king in the end.” Shamash stood forcefully from his seat. “We can’t expect them to be perfect! Enkidu went through so much in his last life to sacrifice himself for his brother Trib! It’s cruel to do this to him again.” Anu looked at Shamash with patience in his eyes. “You know we have to keep on track Shamash. Enkidu is our only hope to convince the Federation the humans can be saved. He will live out his purpose and make Gilgamesh a good king.” Anu turned to Enlil. “Calm yourself. Gilgamesh is the only king we can use in this period.” Shamash sat back in his chair angrily grinding his teeth.

Enkidu woke up gasping for breath. He told Gilgamesh about his dream and cried in his arms, letting himself feel the fear of death. When he felt the first cough, he laid on his bed and let the sickness hit him. Sometimes Gilgamesh would watch over him until neither of them could stand it anymore. The pups had become beautiful wolves and now laid next to Enkidu’s bed. When Enkidu was alone with his thoughts he grew angry and bitter. He called on Shamash to curse the trapper and the harlot who had taken him away from his pack. One night, Shamash appeared and sat next to Enkidu’s bed as he cried from pain. “I wish to curse the trapper and the harlot,” he breathed. “I want the trapper to have empty traps and be shamed by his village for wanting to change me. I want the harlot to be stripped of her beautiful clothes and forced to lay with the worst drunks in all of Uruk!” Shamash sat quietly as Enkidu yelled in agony, trying not to show his remorse. Once Enkidu was done, Shamash spoke. “Why do you curse these people? Yes, they took you from your home and treasures, but they gave you purpose and love and companionship. Once he has grieved fully, your King will lift his country up and become the most successful society in the world. They will create technology that will be used for thousands of years into the future. So, thank the harlot and the trapper my son. They have made your Gilgamesh whole and you have given him the care to become the first, great King.” Enkidu sighed and wiped sweat from his brow and cheeks. He closed his eyes and thought of the trapper and the harlot. Their faces smiled at him and he remembered the lessons they had taught him and the fierce faith they had instilled onto him.  

“Bless you my friends, may you be happy and successful through your ventures. Harlot, you will be loved by kings and gods alike, and have everything you desire. Thank you for your gift.” Enkidu gasped for breath. Shamash disappeared as Gilgamesh stomped up the tower. He replaced Shamash at Enkidu’s side and held his hand tight. The pups were on their hind legs next to Gilgamesh with their front paws resting on the side of Enkidu’s bed. With a raspy voice Enkidu said, “My brother. I’m sorry I have to leave in shame. If I had just been a little worse on the battlefield I could have died a hero.” Gilgamesh laughed sadly and hid his face. “Nonsense, you will be honored as a king along side me and I will make the people of Uruk mourn you.” Enkidu clung to his friend’s hands and closed his eyes.

Robbie woke up with tears in his eyes. He felt a pain in his stomach and tried not to scream. Then the pain slowly faded and was gone. He grasped for a hand he knew had been there, but his fingers fell on cold satin sheets. He couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He threw his headphones off and sobbed into his pillow.

The next morning, Robbie became obsessive as he searched through history, trying to connect with the stories that had flashed before his eyes. He saw the name Gilgamesh across browser pages and had found all the books he could from local libraries. Ignoring emails for potential jobs, Robbie snuck out of the house in the early morning and headed toward the library.

He searched through the books of Mesopotamian and Sumerian cultures, learning all the wonderful things that had come from their civilization that people still used. He couldn’t help but smile as he read about the people and the culture. He read through the history after Enkidu’s death as civilizations seemed to grow from Uruk. Robbie stopped on the story of Alexandria. There were pictures of statues that he recognized and artist renderings of life in the ancient city. In the middle of the city, he smiled at the large building. The caption under the picture read “The Library of Alexandria.” Robbie read on as the book listed the history of the library. At the end of the timeline was the Civil war and the destruction of the library. He felt a hint of anger as he read about the fire. Julius Caesar had been chased back to the city by rebels and decided to set his own ships ablaze to stop them from entering the ports. The library had caught fire and all of Alexander the Great’s collections burned with the marvelous building. Robbie felt like he could see the flames and feel the heat as the city’s most important structure burned to the ground. He closed the book.

He checked out a few more books on BC history and walked back to the apartment. As he turned the key and opened the door he was met by Kathy’s boyfriend. “What’s up Jason?” he said walking past the large man and putting his bag next to the couch. He sat down and saw Kathy facing him. She hugged him tightly and soaked his shoulder with tears. Jason came over and gently pulled her back. Robbie felt confused and stared at them suspiciously. “What’s wrong?” “Robbie,” Kathy said gathering herself again. “I found a pipe in your room and I need to know where you were this morning.” Robbie’s jaw fell. “You went through my room?” he said standing up. Jason stood in front of him and folded his arms. “Sit down and listen,” he said. Robbie hesitated for a moment and then sat down. “I was at the library. Look.” He grabbed his bag and pulled out the books he had checked out on ancient cultures. Jason grabbed the bag from his hand and began to look through all the pockets. “Hey, stop it. That’s mine!” Robbie yelled dropping the books and diving for his bag. Jason avoided him and pulled a small baggie from the pocket in the back. “Do they have illegal drugs at the library just laying out there for anyone to take?” Jason yelled back dangling the bag of heroin in front of Robbie. Kathy gasped. “Ok, ok,” Robbie sighed. “I realize I have a problem. But I need that now, I think it might help me remember something important.” Jason scoffed. “Kathy, you know what we have to do.” Robbie looked over at his sister.  “What is he talking about?” he asked. Kathy stood up and wiped away more tears. “I think…we think its time for you to get clean. I don’t know how long this has been going on but…I packed some stuff and we are taking you to a facility.” Robbie looked from his sister to Jason. “You can’t! I need to figure out what’s going on. I need to remember everything…” Robbie stopped when he realized they had no idea what he was talking about. “You have to come voluntarily,” Kathy said grabbing the suitcase she had packed. Her face was so somber it made Robbie’s stomach turn. In his sister’s face he could see every person he had cared about through his possible past lives. Whether they were real or not, he felt a need to honor them. Slouching, Robbie picked up his suitcase. Jason led them down the stairs and into the car.

“Don’t you worry miss, we will take good care of your brother,” an old volunteer said as they filled out the paperwork. Robbie didn’t trust him at all. He was an abnormally thin man with small blue eyes and a mousy nose that pointed toward the floor. He wore a brown suit with a yellow dress shirt that hadn’t been pressed at all and a blue tie with white strips. His beady eyes stared at Robbie as his sister handed him the clip board. “He’s all yours,” Jason said with a devious smile. Kathy hugged Robbie, and they walked out the door. The volunteer turned back to Robbie. “Alright, lets get you into your room and then the nurse will explain the program to you.”

As Robbie followed the man through the hallway, he observed the other residents of the center, saying “Yes,” and “Ah,” to give the impression that he was listening. A young woman watched him while he walked by. She wasn’t scary or crazy; she just seemed lost. Robbie wondered how many people had used their addiction to experience the kinds of things he had experienced. He wasn’t sure he was re-living his past lives, but if he was then he had work to do.

The man stopped in front of a hospital room disguised as a cozy bedroom. There was a twin bed in the middle that had been dressed up as a fancy hotel bed. In the corner was a couch and TV. Robbie looked around for any cameras but didn’t see anything obvious. His shoes clicked on the tile as he followed the volunteer into the room and set his suitcase on the bed. “You’re a very lucky young man,” the man said twirling his hands around the room. “You don’t have any roommates, just a quiet space to call your own while you stay here. Next is an introduction to the program so get settled and I will send the nurse over in about an hour.” He walked out, closing the door behind him. “Wow, way to make the drug addict feel right at home,” Robbie muttered as he sat next to his pillow. He tried to process the anger he was feeling toward Jason and Kathy. Couldn’t they just understand what he was going through? If Kathy had just listened to him instead of involving her idiot boyfriend, everything would have been fine. Then he saw Shamash’s face through Enkidu’s eyes and felt a drive he hadn’t felt in a long time. He hopped off the bed, opened the door and ran down the hall.

The only time Robbie had paid attention to the tour was when the man showed the library facilities. The room hadn’t been big. In fact, Robbie had been a little disappointed when he first saw it but at least there were books here. The “library” had white walls with few bookshelves. Robbie sauntered over and started looking at the books, hoping to find something history related to strike his memory. “Boy, get your butt over here!” he turned to see an extremely petite African American woman in scrubs staring daggers at him. He looked around to see if she was looking at someone else and then pointed at his chest. “Yes you, come on. You have a session and I will not have you messing up my perfect schedule.” At first, he was annoyed, but found he was smiling at how cute she was. He followed her back down the hall.

She delivered him to a red room with maroon couches and bookshelves with pretend books. A man sat in a large chair in front of the couch. He had a tired look on his face and didn’t get up when Robbie entered the room. “Thank you,” Robbie said politely to the nurse flashing a smile at her. She nodded, and Robbie caught a small smile appear on her strong face as she closed the door. “Have a seat Robbie,” the counselor said with a harsh tone. Robbie silently sat down on the couch.

“Nothing about my childhood would make me want to do this ok?” Robbie muttered slumping down on the couch. The counselor let a small huff escape his lips and took his glasses off. “Son, your sister reported an increase in your late-night ventures the past few weeks. She also mentioned the anniversary of your parents’ and brother’s deaths.” Robbie exhaled sharply. Thank goodness Kathy hadn’t told them about the letters he sent to the prison every year. “I made my peace with that, it isn’t what this is about!” “Then what is it about Rob?” Robbie paused for a moment and then chose to ignore the shortened version of his name. “Do you really want to know? It sounds crazy.” The counselor’s eyebrows went up and he tilted his head. “Indulge me,” he said.

Robbie played with his belt as he talked. “You can’t diagnosis me the first day, you don’t have enough information. So, don’t call me schizophrenic or bipolar. I believe I am on Earth to…do something. The drugs help me to remember what I have to do.” Robbie cringed at his own words. The counselor wrote something down on a blank sheet. “How does the drug help you remember?” he said without looking up. Robbie swallowed and stared at a small brown stain on the otherwise flawless carpet. “I see…my past lives. Each one taught me something and I think I’m supposed to carry each lesson into the future, but Shamash hasn’t said anything in this life yet.” There was a long pause and the room was quiet as the counselor stared at him. “So, Shamash is…?” “My guide. He tells me what I should do next… most of the time.” The counselor leaned forward. “Robbie. Is it possible that these…fantastic ideas are just the product of an overactive imagination fueled by heroine?” Robbie stared at the counselor with a dark look in his eyes. “Of course, that’s a possibility, don’t you understand how I feel? I looked up my past and it all made sense! I just need one more hit to know for sure.” The counselor gave him a smug smile. “I see,” he said getting up and putting his clipboard on his desk. “I think that’s enough for today.” He opened the door and motioned for Robbie to stand. Feeling confused and defeated, Robbie walked out the door and was greeted by the nurse from earlier. “Martha will show you back to your room.” With that, the counselor closed the door.

Martha walked with Robbie, explaining how lucky he was to be in a relaxed program, with minimal supervision. “Don’t you go wandering off again. If you try anything you will move to the more serious program and we’ll watch your every move.” Talking about the program sparked something in his memory from that morning and he smiled innocently. “Th-thank you for all your help,” he said shyly. “I was actually feeling a little sick and I remember the volunteer told me about the treatments for withdrawal. I was wondering if I could…have some Methadone now? To stave off the withdrawal symptoms.” Martha looked at him with suspicious eyes. “I’ll go talk to your doctor. He’ll examine you before you get anything.” She slammed the door behind her. Robbie smirked as his plan unfolded in his mind. He ran around the room quietly to raise his temperature and get him sweating. Then he rubbed hot water on his face to turn it red. As he heard the footsteps of fancy shoes coming his way he panicked. He knew he could fake everything but the nausea at this point. Robbie looked at the door and then at the toilet next to him. He grimaced, but knew he had to do this. He stuck his finger down his throat and gagged until he felt his stomach lurch forward. As the doctor walked into the room, Robbie threw up repeatedly until his stomach was empty.

Once Martha had him cleaned up, the doctor quickly examined him and told her to get his Methadone right away. Robbie took it and pretended to swallow. He panicked when Martha told him to open his mouth, but she seemed satisfied and left him alone. Robbie stored the pill in his sunglass case and set it on the bathroom counter.

Over the next few weeks Robbie played his charade every time the doctors gave him his medicine. He was careful to take just enough to stave off any real withdrawal symptoms. Once he felt like he had enough, he took his case and left his room. As he walked down the hall with pride in his heart, a chill came over his body. “Really? Now it’s a real withdrawal?” he muttered as he felt his pores start to sweat. He had been so focused on his mission that he had stored everything from the last two days. He paid attention to his breathing and walked calmly toward the patio. Since he was part of a low security program, he could have free time as he pleased. He knew he couldn’t take all this medication and have his trip with everyone here. His stomach would be pumped, and his status would jump up to clinically insane. He scanned the place for an idea of where to hide or escape. As the chills started to move around his body, he spotted a low side of the fence that sat at the entrance of a small yet thick forest of aspens. He could swallow the pills, hop the fence and disappear into the trees before anyone could stop him.

Robbie meandered over to the low spot of the fence and walked around, pretending to marvel at the forest. Once he saw the orderly turn around he popped open his sunglass case and threw all the pills into his mouth. Swallowing the fowl tasting medicine dryly he jumped he fence. He heard shouting and running from behind him, but he was already deep into the aspens. The pills broke down surprisingly fast in his stomach and his withdrawal symptoms started to fade. He felt healthy again as he raced through the trees and hopped over boulders as he ran up the slope. He could still hear voices behind him and wasn’t going to stop until he found somewhere to hide. Then the rush went away, and his body felt heavy. His vision flashed from the forest to a laboratory as he ran. Before he completely lost focus, he found a small cave created by two slanted rocks. He pushed himself through and then let himself go into the vision.

Oscar stood behind Thomas Edison as he presented yet another idea to the staff. He wondered where the man came up with everything. There had been some talk about Edison stealing people’s ideas and some had even asked if Oscar would stop working for him all together. He didn’t care where the ideas came from, he just wanted to be paid for his services as a body guard. This morning had started the same way as Edison described his latest ideas about energy. After the presentation, Oscar followed him into his study. He usually had his cup of coffee and read the paper at this point. This morning he saw something that made him choke on his first sip. “That arrogant boy,” he said sharply, slamming his cup on the table. Oscar didn’t ask. “I take him under my wing, show him how to create inventions worthy of the next era and he goes behind my back. Look at this Mr. Jones.” Edison threw the newspaper into Oscar’s face. It showed a picture of a young man who was advertising some new electric system that would compete with Edison’s. The inventor ripped the paper away again and then gave Oscar a crazy smile. “Can I hire you for something…more? It would have to do with my protection and the protection of my entire company. You would be doing a great service to the whole of mankind!” “I don’t care about mankind,” Oscar said flatly. “As long as I get paid the right amount for the work.” “Ah,” Edison said bringing his arms down. “Think of this job as a bonus. I will pay you an extra grand to take care of this small problem for me.” Oscar shrugged his shoulders. “I need you to get rid of Nikola Tesla by any means necessary. His whole scheme will ruin me.” “Again, don’t care,” Oscar said standing up straight and putting his jacket on. He was used to this kind of work and one scrawny scientist wasn’t any different from his other kills. “I’ll bring proof.” With that, he walked out of the office.

Oscar lit a cigarette as he walked down the alley. He had gathered information from a store clerk and was headed to Tesla’s small apartment. As he popped out of the alley and started to cross the street, he heard the honking of a car. He looked over just in time to see a strange looking man grab him and knock him to the ground. The car’s brakes squealed, and the driver shouted out some profanity at them. Then the tires spun, and the man sped down the street. Oscar was ready to yell at his rescuer for getting his suit dirty when he saw how strange the man’s face was. He seemed very old, but the wrinkles on his face didn’t fall the way they should have, and he was very pale but didn’t appear to be ill. He smiled at Oscar. “You sure keep me on my toes,” he said brushing off his pants. “I didn’t ask for your help old man!” Oscar yelled brushing off his own clothes. He started to walk away when the old man yelled after him.

“You must not do this Oscar Jones. Nikola is your assignment in this life!” Oscar turned around slowly, stunned at what he had heard. He felt for his gun. “How do you know my name?” He yelled back frantically. The man appeared in front of him as if by magic and touched Oscar’s head. “I know you have had dreams of your past lives, but we must move faster.” The old man’s eyes glistened with a black depth that reminded Oscar of the night sky.  Then he closed his starry eyes and Oscar’s mind raced with images of clay wheels, cedar forests and giant libraries. He stepped back from the man and recognized Shamash. He kneeled and said, “My lord.”

The apartment was in a smaller and more poor part of town, but Oscar had no problem walking through the slums to find his target. He knocked on the beige door and took a deep breath as it opened. The room smelled like artificial strawberries and it gave Oscar a sense of confidence. A man of about 35 stood in front of him with dark eyes and a dark handlebar mustache. “Nikola Tesla,” Oscar said standing to attention. “I was sent here to kill you by Thomas Edison, but I know my purpose now and I want to be your bodyguard.” Tesla’s eyebrows shot up and he looked around the hall and then back to Oscar. “Why would you change your mind?” he asked suspiciously. Oscar shrugged. “Divine intervention.” Tesla nodded and grabbed Oscar’s collar, dragging him into the small apartment.

Inside was a museum of drawings and small wooden models. Oscar couldn’t help but smile at all the ideas Tesla had been able to capture from his mind. He felt the urge to protect all these inventions and his job for this life was sealed.

     Oscar watched over Tesla as he brought inventions to life year after year. He had such a tact for bringing the versatility of his inventions to the public and stayed ahead of Edison throughout the years. He lost the battle of electricity with Edison, but he moved on quickly with Oscar watching over him. Oscar had stopped a few assassins who came after Tesla and knew they went back to Edison with the news of his betrayal. The hit men stopped within a few years and Oscar was able to conjure up a friendship with the Serbian �" American scientist. Tesla turned out to be so open minded that Oscar shared his mission and explained how important Tesla was to mankind. The scientist simply smiled and continued his work. Oscar made sure Tesla ate and slept. Tesla would shout when he saw the creation in his head. Then they would run to the store and buy everything he needed to build his models and prototypes.

One morning, after hours of laboring, Tesla looked over at Oscar’s chair. “Two more gears and it will be finished.” Oscar looked over and smiled. “Great. Where to?” Tesla grabbed his coat excitedly, measured his prototype one more time and then pulled Oscar out of his chair. “To the clocksmith my friend!” Then he bound down the stairs and waited next to the car. Oscar rolled his eyes, grabbed his own coat.

Tesla was bouncing in his seat as they pulled up to the clock shop. He got out before Oscar had completely stopped. They walked into the store and Tesla strolled up to the man and set his hands on the counter.  The owner was short with a gold watch dangling from a hairy arm. He stared suspiciously at the men through thick eyebrows. “I’ve heard of you from the other vendors and I don’t want to be associated.” Tesla’s eyes dropped. “All I need are a few gears. I see you have a pile right there, may I just sift through them?” The shop owner glared at Tesla and then looked up at Oscar. “You seem to be a normal kind of person. Tell me, is he trustworthy?” Oscar looked at the man with serious eyes. “Sir, he will change the world and all he asks for are two gears.” The man looked flustered as he searched for something else to look at. Tesla was walking around the shop now, inspecting all the clocks and spare parts. “Tell him to stop snooping around. Look, I don’t want to be associated with this sort of madness.” Oscar’s eyes narrowed, and he considered violence, but Tesla was so close to finishing his most important invention. “I understand sir. I can’t understand half the things he says and I’m around him all day.” Oscar looked back at Tesla, who stared at him with hurt eyes. He shook his head toward the spare parts and Tesla smiled, then pretended to be inspecting a small clock on display. “Honestly, I don’t know how you stand it. In my day, things were simple and now there’s an invention every day.” Oscar nodded, waiting for Tesla to give him a sign.

After a few minutes of the most boring conversation, Oscar heard Tesla boast behind him in his ring leader voice. “I am so sorry to make you uncomfortable sir!” he shouted taking off his hat and bowing. “We will leave your fine establishment and take our business elsewhere. Come along Oscar, the car is waiting.” Oscar fought back a smile. “Of course, sir!” He shook the man’s hand and they walked out the door with heads held high.

After they had driven a few blocks away, the adrenaline wore off and Tesla panicked. “I just broke the law to build my invention!” he shouted as he jingled the gears in his pocket. “Why would I do that? We could be arrested and then nothing will ever be completed and my whole life’s work will be ruined!” “You have to calm down,” Oscar said chuckling. They pulled up to the apartments and Tesla ran up the stairs and waited impatiently at the door. Once Oscar was on the same floor, they walked into the small apartment and locked the door. “There will be cops here any minute.” “Nikola, calm down. Boy, the things I could tell you about my past lives that would make your skin crawl. Petty theft is nothing.” Tesla stopped and looked at his body guard. “L-like what?” “Never mind. What’s important is you get your wireless boat working and show it off to the world. As long as I’m here, you will succeed.”

Tesla used his stolen gears to finish the boat. He debuted it at Madison Square Gardens, using his ring leader voice to sell his invention, which lead to important war victories and trips to space. Oscar’s job was done. He laid in a hospital bed waiting for an old friend to drop by. The skinny frame of Nikola Tesla came in and smiled. Oscar took a deep breath and handed him a small book. “This is one of the most important books in my life. Please keep it safe.” “How?” Tesla said flipping through the pages. Drawings of massive buildings, towering cedar trees and small huts in a circle filled the book. “These are my lives,” Oscar said coughing. “I found it in an old museum and now I’m asking you to hide it for me.” Tesla smiled. “Can you finally tell me who you are? You’re an extraterrestrial, aren’t you?” Oscar gave him a stern look “Nikola,” he said shaking his head. “I’m sorry,” the inventor laughed. “Tell me what to do.”

Tesla built a secret room for Oscar and placed the book and other treasures inside. The key would be kept somewhere safe and once Oscar remembered this life, he would be able to reach it.

Robbie opened his eyes but couldn’t see anything. He tried to remember where he was. Then his current life came back to him and he bolted from the cave, running toward the city.

He stopped at Tesla’s old apartment which had been converted into a psychic shop. He walked in and saw the same woman who had helped him remember his first life. She smiled at him. “You’re back,” she said in a mysterious voice. “I am, and I know what I’m supposed to do, but I need a key first and I bet you know where it is.” The woman blushed and then opened a drawer behind her. “My great grandfather made me promise I would keep this safe. Before I give it to you, can you tell me what it unlocks?” Robbie smiled and gently took the key from her. “I’ll show you.”

They drove down to the cemetery where Oscar had been buried. Robbie was so elated, he thought he might not even need drugs anymore. He had been right and now that he had the knowledge of his past lives he was ready to start another mission. They found Oscar’s grave and Robbie broke it open. In place of a casket lay a flight of stairs that descended into the Earth. The fortune teller gasped as she followed Robbie’s flashlight into the grave.

Robbie stopped at a door and used the key to unlock it. When he opened it, he found a small room that lit up with Tesla’s first vision of alternating current. Robbie smiled at the memories as he looked for his journal. Inside of the room were news clippings, scrolls and books from many different eras. On top of a small bookcase he found a leather - bound notebook and flipped through it. The words were in different languages, but he could understand them all. On the last page he found a note from Nikola.

 

Dear Oscar,

            I don’t know what your name is now, but I know you will find this all the same. It’s a few weeks after your passing and I found out you left everything to me. I appreciate the sentiment and miss you greatly. I am indebted to you and will probably die without seeing what’s to come of my “wonderful inventions” as you always said. I hope you were right about these multiple lives or I will feel like a crazy man for doing all this. See you on the other side.

                       Your dearest friend,

                                   Nikola Tesla

 

On the back of the letter was an account number for a local bank. “Oh Tesla,” Robbie whispered as he put the journal into his bag. He looked back at the fortune teller and then hugged her. “Thank you for everything,” he said. “Now, I have a job to do.”

            Robbie went to the bank, changed his name around and sent a money order to Kathy and Jason. He didn’t plan on seeing them again. He went out and bought a new suit and then paid off the center he had escaped from. “Alright Shamash,” Robbie said one night once he was settled in his new apartment. “Show me what I need to do.” He waited for a long time for a vision or a hint. When nothing happened, Robbie opened his eyes. “Ok,” he said shaking his head. He leaned back on his new bed and turned on the TV. There was a documentary on robotics and the history of biotechnology over the last thirty years. He smiled when he saw some of the faces he recognized from the past. It gave him hope to think that all his work over the last 10,000 years had been good. “In the Years to Come,” came across the screen and the camera flashed to a lab and a nerdy looking woman. She had messy blonde hair and looked like she hadn’t slept for days. Her glasses were crooked on her face, but she was still charming. She talked to the reviewer quietly and explained her experiments in detail.

            “We’ve been able to perfect the new nano technology that will um…replace the need for cell phones and other electronics.” “So, you’re saying we’ll be able to use this technology to do everything our cell phones do now?” The woman’s eyes dropped for a moment, but she gathered herself again and smiled. “Yes, that is one way to look at it, but these machines are more than that. We are hoping they will lead to cures for certain diseases. We’ll be able to download data about our own bodies to understand more on the physiological level.” The interviewer laughed nervously. “That sounds great too. Entertainment and health.” The screen went black and some inspirational quote came onto the TV, but Robbie wasn’t paying attention. He was already looking up the scientist. He couldn’t say how, but he knew this was his next mission. Once he found her lab, he called for a meeting with her and her sponsors. He planned to insert himself in as an investor. With the amount of money he was proposing to donate, he was bumped to the top of the list.

            The next day Robbie dressed in his best suit and walked through the city. He stopped for a coffee and admired the beauty of this world. With the best memories of his past lives rolling through his head, he finally appreciated everything that had developed. He could see Trib’s face in every wheel that passed, Gilgamesh’s eyes circling through every clock and Nikola’s mind in the toys and inventions all around him. He felt alive and ready to complete this mission to see what would come next. He pushed open the sliding door that lead to the lab and smiled at the receptionist. “I have an appointment with Samantha Moore,” he said flashing a dazzling smile. The young woman smiled flirtatiously and picked up the phone. A moment later a tall woman with dirty blonde hair and a lab coat came down the stairs. She was more organized than he had seen her in the documentary. “It’s very nice to meet you finally,” she said enthusiastically and held out her hand. Robbie shook it firmly. “I was about to say the same thing. I’d love to see your work.” “Of course,” Dr. Moore said. She led Robbie to the elevator and hit the button marked 10.

            They came to the top and Dr. Moore showed him the lab. He was impressed by the work they had done and knew this was where he was supposed to be. “I want you to meet a few of our other sponsors,” she said as they exited the lab. They walked into a dim lit conference room and Dr. Moore had Robbie sit at the table. Across from him was another man with a blue suit, blonde hair and a huge plastic smile. Robbie’s stomach dropped as he stared at the man he had worked for all those years ago. Suddenly he understood what had happened back then. They were in the same laboratory that Alex Hobs was murdered over. Panic set in as Robbie’s mind raced with questions. Does he remember who I am and what I did? Was this just a rouse to get me here so he could finish me off? The man sat back in his chair and once Dr. Moore sat down, he began to speak. “Sir, your generosity will help this project soar and help people around the world with their debilitating diseases.” Robbie stared at his lips as he talked. The plastic man went on and on about diligence and the hard-working men and women of the future. Robbie came to the conclusion that the man didn’t remember him as the lonely security consultant and with that he sunk into his role as an investor. He remembered seeing Samantha’s face on the documentary and feeling he had to protect her and her work. That meant keeping this man alive because he was another investor and Robbie knew the lab would fail without him. He had made his choice to save mankind and so Robbie smiled his best plastic smile back.

            Working with Sam made it easy to forget about the pain he felt from supporting the one man he had sworn he would kill if given the chance. She was funny, smart and wanted her research to help people. Robbie smiled every time she danced with excitement when an assay worked. She had made the breakthroughs she needed for moving around tissue rejection of the Nano technology. When he was alone in his large apartment, he couldn’t help but scream into his pillow. He needed some way to cope with staring at the plastic man’s face every day.

            One night, Robbie was screaming into his pillow and picturing the faces of his family as they laid in a pool of blood. It hurt so bad he threw the pillow at the door. His old bag dropped from a hanger and a small baggie jumped out of the side pocket. He stared at it for a long time. He thought about how he had come to this place and realized he owed it all to the small baggie on the floor. “If I could just remember again,” he said climbing off the bed. “Maybe there was another life I missed that could help me push through this one.” He took the small bag in his hand, twirling it around in his fingers. He remembered Kathy holding his pipe up and panicked. There was no other way to take the drug. He ran into the bathroom, heated the powder and then grabbed a syringe from the cabinet. The he sat on the floor, tied a string around his arm and plunged the needle into his vein. He waited. When nothing happened, he panicked. Perhaps he had forgotten the dose he had used before. He adjusted his dose and plunged the needle in again. This happened multiple times until he felt dizzy. He fell onto the hardwood floor and twitched for a moment before lying still.

 

He woke up in a damply lit place that felt cold and hollow. He tried to remember what he was doing here. Before he could recall anything, a woman in beige rags leaned over him and shook him violently. “Wake up!” she shouted. Her eyes were light blue, and her teeth looked black. There were deep scars all over her face and she may have been missing part of her ear. He sat up and looked at her, trying not to take in the awful smell that seemed to surround him. “Where am I?” he finally said with a voice he didn’t recognize. She pointed at someone. “He said you would wake up and need to talk to him,” she said keeping her bright eyes on him. He stood up and walked over to a man in a white robe who sat on a rock in the dark.

As he approached, he realized the white robed figure was not a man, but a dark skinned being whose eyes looked like they were made from the essence of the universe itself. They stared at each other for a while. A flash of recognition came through his mind and he saw a white suit in the green grasses of his stone age home and the starry eyes of a man who saved him from a speeding car. “It’s you,” he said dropping to his knees. “You were the creature with the strange clothes and the old man with the starry eyes.” The figure nodded and struggled to stand. “Yes, I was all of them. It became difficult to aid you after your species stopped believing in gods.” He snapped his fingers and an image of fire appeared on the top of his head. His white robe was clean, and he wore a cord around his waist. “Now, I am sure you remember my name. What would you have me call you?” He thought for a moment. “Robbie please. You are… Shamash.” The creature nodded regally. “So, where are we?” Robbie asked looking around the room. Shamash sighed. “We are underground. Despite all our efforts to stop them, the Federation came and attempted to eradicate humanity. Anu and Enlil died trying to stop them; two of the six who came to help your world. Truth be told you did the most work of us all.” Robbie’s heart dropped. “That means…all my lives didn’t change a thing,” he uttered sadly. Shamash limped over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “That’s not true. Close your eyes and focus.” He made Robbie face him and put a long dark hand over his eyes. “Feel them around you. How many are in this cave right now?” Robbie took a deep breath and listened. He felt emotions crash through his mind, but he had no reason for them. As he concentrated harder he could see the glow of each person in the cave as they projected their emotions into space. “There are 110 in this cave,” Robbie said as if in a trance. Shamash smiled. “Very good. Your species is now programed for empathy. This was what we wanted to show the Federation.” Robbie felt pride as he opened his eyes. For a moment he swore he saw a plastic smile across Shamash’s face and tried to place it. Then the image vanished, and the old starry-eyed creature stared back at him. “Now, it is your turn to lead them.” Robbie turned and walked toward his people.

Author's Note

I submitted this for L Ron Hubbard's Writer's of the Future contest. What do you think of the concept?