The Portal Effect

Chapter 30

"Harley, I'm sorry." Karen said, trying to come sit down next to me.

"Don't do that. You faked your death, and now you are working with a killer. A man who by all accounts should also be dead." I snapped, getting up and walking away from her. Karen sighed. John said nothing. I assumed he was he to make sure I didn't try to kill Karen as well.

"Would it help if I told you I knew you didn't kill..." Karen tried again.

"No, it wouldn't help. You still make me to be the murderer. Why are you here Karen?" I said venomously.

"Because I wanted to see you." she said, her normal voice coming back to her.

"What, so you can mock me and tell me that you still love me while keeping me here on false charges?" I exclaimed, gripping the ball hard.

"Harley, come on. I am on your side. This is for the best. I know you disagree with what we plan to do, but I want you to know this is for the best! We can save what remains of humanity. All we need to do is get the second Gate working..."

"There's another? I thought the Russian Rift gate was destroyed." I interrupted.

"It was. We managed to make another. And it is almost ready." John supplied.

"Why do you need two, if you're going to another dimension completely?" I asked, intrigued.

"Because the second will act as a backdoor. In case one fails, the second will be ready." Karen responded, her face lighting up some. She seemed happy to not be fighting.

"Karen, you know that it could go bad. What happens when the beasts of that dimension take over? What happens if it all goes wrong?" I asked, looking her dead in the eyes. I could feel so many questions rising up as I spoke but didn't ask.

"We won't let that happen. Riley survived and came back without being taken over." Karen said, sounding like she had a plan.

"He got lucky. He survived because he had been there before. I also think that the beasts ignored him because there was no way for them to use him. If you send people there, and you have the Gate open, the beasts will learn." I warned.

"I see that you still need some convincing. But think on it some. Solace, Conan, and I want to make a better world. And so should you." Karen said slowly. With a last look, she walked out of the room, John close behind her. As the door closed, I threw my tennis ball at it.

I walked to the nearest wall and slid back down, rubbing my head. This was all too much. I wanted it to be over with, this damn nightmare, the Rift Gate, the beasts, and everything else. I wanted to go back to before the Rift Gate mission, before our base exploded. Before Conan came.

My thoughts then turned to him. What was happening to him? The green lines were his veins, I was sure of it. And the only thing I could think of that was close enough to the green he was sporting were the radioactive green eyes of a Breacher. Is that what happened when one possessed you for too long?

I got back up and paced as the day wore on. I was getting really bored, and my tennis ball had been replaced three times already. My morning shift guard even said I bounced too much. Much more than the others.

I took the coin from my pocket and spun it in my fingers a few times. Cody was playing it safe. He hadn't been to see me since day one. I hoped it wouldn't take much longer to get the third meal. I needed to get out of here.

The next day, was a bit long. I also noticed that every so often the lights would flicker as if there were a storm outside affecting the lights severely.

Lunch had been six hours ago, and it was relatively small compared to the other late lunches we got. As I walked, I noticed that the other doors were open, and the rooms empty. Only four were still occupied and guarded. When the guards saw my escort and I, they too opened their doors and led Leo, the Twins, and Nick out.