The Core: The Dark Enemy

45. Symptoms of Insanity

Heading home after everything felt anticlimactic in a way that bothered me. The barrier no longer pulsed on and off explosively. It had either lost power while I had been inside or the City had observed the death of the Fold and shut it down on its own.

Either way, the silence was eerie.

My swarm was right where I had left it, waiting. While I had been gone, more had arrived, and by the time I crossed the original barrier line I had almost all of my clothes back on. Images and information flashed through my head as we shared what had happened while we were apart. The swarm had completed its research on the Tube vessels, and much of the dimensional holes had been mapped. Only a few had yet to return.

Once we were caught up, my swarm drew my attention to the massive pillar that had once acted as a barrier to keep the Fold contained. The suggestion it offered was simple. They might be repurposed and turned into a defensive structure for my solar system.

"Fine," I said. "Do what you want. Just leave me some shorts, ok?"

The swarm seemed to laugh as it separated from me and went to work.

The memory of the ghostlike voices still lingered at the back of my thoughts, and I was suddenly very eager to get home. Things like that did not just happen without a reason, and I did not like not knowing what it was.

Returning to my dimension was fast as I flew through the tunnels at break neck speed. I had nothing to keep me back. I had won. I could almost imagine myself as a returning hero, flying back to my solar system, golden cape flowing behind me, landing in my hometown to cheering crowds.

The reality of my situation made me laugh bitterly as I exited the sun. Here I was, a lone half naked human dressed only in shorts no larger than swimming trunks, heading straight back into all the problems that had piled up while I was gone.

Dozens of starships were waiting for me, parked beyond the massive LOW vessel's position. An alien human diving headlong into a star and taking no damage had apparently made the rounds in the news and more ships had shown up to cover the development.

I slowed, already anticipating the confrontation. The arguments. The demands. The inevitable attempt to detain me again.

I adjusted my posture, set my stance, and prepared myself to push through if I had to. Nothing happened.

Whoever was at the helm of the LOW vessel either understood the situation far better than I expected, or had decided I wasn't worth the trouble. At some unseen signal, the ships shifted, clearing a straight, unobstructed path through their formation.

I passed through without interference, my preparation dissolving into something faintly uncomfortable as I glanced at them over my shoulder while speeding away.

Do you ever get that feeling while driving, when you notice a police car following you closely for a while? The feeling when they simply pull away without turning on their lights, when you swear by the sweat on the back of your neck that you could feel their fingers itching to press the button and pull you over?

That was what I felt now.

They didn't hail me, block me, or try anything to stop me. They just watched me fly right on by, every eye following me.

Mighty alien races with populations in the countless trillions watched me pass them by.

After a bit, I let it go. There were enough explanations that didn't involve me losing my grip on reality, and I chose the most reasonable one. Command decisions get made all the time. Someone assessed the situation and stood down. That was all.