Chasing Demons

Chapter 1

The invasion

It had been a whole year since I got the message; James Black is MIA we are sorry for your loss, but we cannot spend more time looking for him. It was a long letter full of platitudes, but that was the essence. Just we give up your brother is gone, deal with it. I was not just dealing with it my room was filled with scattered papers, empty beer cans, and an old newspaper with the headline; "Invasion of New York, have humanity finally found aliens?" James was so pissed when it happened five years ago, the invasion, and some nasty green monsters just showed up in the middle of New York and started attacking civilians. It was a bloodbath and an estimated 3000 people died. I still pass by the memorial that was erected on my way to work. James signed up for the military shortly after, I tried to tell him it was too soon, his girlfriend had just died doing the attack, but he was out for blood and nothing I could say could convince him. He only stayed long enough to show up for her burial.

A couple of months went by before I even got news about if he was still alive or not, but after that, we started writing letters regularly to each other. But about 12 months ago the letters just stopped at first I thought he was stuck in enemy territory and not able to get any letters through, but as the months went by it became clear to me something was wrong. I tried contacting the military branch that had been set up here in New York more than once, but they could tell me nothing. Then that fucking letter showed up today. I had feared news like that for a while, but that letter was a slap in the face. Did they even care about James? How long had they even bothered to look for him before just giving up? Had they even been looking for him at all?

Our mother passed away when I was very young and my father was worse than absent. It had just been us two for years, sometimes James would find a lady, but it never lasted long. Until he met Alice, Alice she was a kind soul and just what my brother had needed to break open his hard shell. It sucked seeing my comrade less, but I could not stay bitter about it, seeing how happy he had become, and then the invasion happened and everything went to hell. I passed back and forth in my apartment stewing in my anger at the situation. The helplessness of it all was the fucking worse, what the hell could I do stuck here on earth? The only way I could look for James was on the other side and only military and affiliated were allowed to visit. I was neither and saying I wanted to go play detective would not cut it that was for sure. Frustrated I kicked a can, this was getting me nowhere I needed a plan.

Only military people could go to the other world, well, the answer was simple I would just have to join the military somehow. Conscripting would be tough as I was not the pinnacle of male physiques and might just be turned down, so many had enlisted after the attack on New York that they could afford to be rather picky on applicants. I had a background in communication and journalism not that my degree had ever landed me any good work, but it was there. Still, I knew the competition would be cut-throat I needed a way in, an advantage that others would not have. I sat down thinking over my options and reached only one shitty conclusion; I would have to call my sperm donor.

Nielson Black had a lot of sway in the arms industry, and I knew he talked with higher-up members of the military regularly. He might be my ticket in, but there was no way he would do me a favor like that without demanding something demining in turn. The man had abandoned my brother and me for years until he suddenly decided to show up a few years after my mother's death. At that point, James was already an adult and had adopted me. Needless to say, he was not my favorite person. But I needed a position and he was my best bet at getting one, so I could search for James. I checked the fridge to conclude I was all out of alcohol before giving in and dialing up the number. I felt very pathetic as I pleaded with him. "Of course, I can help you my son, but perhaps we should meet up and talk about this?" I am not your son I wanted to snap back, but instead replied "sure, where would like to meet, dad?"

We ended up at a fancy restaurant, and I wasted no time starting to drink the expensive wine like water. Honestly, it was rude of me that wine was too good to slurp down like that, but I was not ready to deal with this man sober. We talked for a bit mostly about stocks and nothing topics like the weather, and then he finally decided to get to the main topic, when we reached the desert. It had been a few hours by then, and I was more than dome with this whole meeting. "I think I should be able to land you a position as a counselor, there will be an interview, but it should not be something you cannot pass, "he assured me. I nodded and refrained from reminding him I did great while taking my degree. This was for James, and for my brother, I would swallow my pride and let this man be condescending. That would be a reoccurring line for me to repeat in my head as I landed my position and now had to deal with sore officers and rumors of me not earning my position among the soldier and other workers.