Eunoia by R. J. Johnson

Author:R. J. Johnson [Johnson, R. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781520427560
Amazon: 1520427565
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: 2017-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

Alex sat up, screaming inside the Channel. The burning feeling in his lungs had felt so real, and the sensation of death was right behind him.

It took him a few minutes to remember where he was now, the memories of his former life beginning to fade like a bad dream.

He swallowed several times, shaking his head, trying to regain perspective of his life, but found it incredibly difficult to cut off his feelings of dread and love for Emily and his family.

“It wasn’t real…” he repeated to himself. “It wasn’t real. She is still alive and back on Earth.”

Despite repeating the mantra that Emily was still very much alive, he couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom.

“Did you see what you needed to see?”

The voice came from the shadows of his room. Alex looked over in terror at the Patron who scuttled forward. It took him a moment to remember the Patrons and what they looked like.

“She’s dead,” Alex said incredulous. “Why would you program the simulation to end like that?”

The Patron clicked his mandibles together, “I did no such thing. I set the parameters of the simulation to mimic your life as it would have occurred without discovering the stones and setting you on a path toward a confrontation with Kline.”

“Kline won because I got married?” Alex asked, sounding confused.

“You were not available to stop him from collecting the twelve stones in time to prevent our star from exploding,” the Patron answered as if this would have been obvious to an infant.

Alex blinked several times, looking back over at the Patron. He was playing a different game than the rest. What was it?

“Why did you encourage me to see that?” Alex demanded. “You couldn’t just let me live a simple life?”

“What life is simple?” the Patron asked. “You wanted to see what it meant to live a life with Emily, I showed you what happened. Your planet is on a course with destiny. I can’t interfere with that any more than you can.”

“Why not?” Alex exploded. “I want to see what happens in a full life lived with her.”

“You didn’t live a full life with her?” The Patron asked, almost accusingly. “What were you doing every day?”

“Ten years is not a full life!”

“It is for some people,” the Patron reminded him. “Some never get to experience a love like you had with Emily, let alone for ten years and two children.”

Alex felt his throat catch. His children. They had died along with him in that simulation, although, they weren’t real. Were they? Did it matter? The love he still felt for those children burned hotter than ever before.

Alex felt defeated at this. After all, he had forsaken this life. Whatever time he was able to get, he should have been grateful for.

“Reset the simulation,” Alex growled. “I want to go back in.”

“Is that wise?”

“Does it matter?” Alex asked. “What else am I going to do with my time here?”

The Patrons clicked his mandibles together and withdrew another vial. “All you need to do is drink this.

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