CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
"This is a surprise," he says.
I can't stop staring at him. He's wearing a white jacket with sleeves and collar lined with silver braiding. I've been ambushed. Hit by a truck transporting pounds of explosives. My brain feels like a grape being squashed between two fingers.
"You don't have to be afraid to talk," the future me says. "I don't bite. Not any more than you did at that age, anyhow."
"You're not me!" I shout. "This is some trick. You're messing with my mind! I would never choose the wrong side."
"You're right. But this is the right side, buddy. That's exactly why we're here."
"Don't call me that!"
There's no way. I would never. I'm not the bad guy. Maybe in my dark moments I've always thought I was, but I'm not. I know I'm not. I learned that more than ever from my visits from Bud, Estelle, Alanna, and Leyla. There's no way.
I try shielding myself from the possibilities that this is actually me, but a voice whispering in the deepest parts of my mind is telling me that I'm not really that surprised. Like Dakota said, she felt she was always fated for a life of doom. I related to her when she shared that with me. So why would this be such a surprise?
NO! I refuse to believe it. This is not me!
Norrek sighs. "Please try and drill some common sense into him," he tells the future me. "After all, you do remember how defiant and hardheaded you always were, don't you? I'm sure you can find some way to get to him. You do, after all, know him much better than I do."
"This is a lie. I don't believe it. He's not me. You're not me."
The man studies the Peace Hunter emblem for several moments, then gives me a serious look. "This is us, Gavin. This is who we become. Deal with it."
He says this with so much conviction that it's difficult for me not to believe him. He continues, "This is a better world. You will come to believe in it. Trust me. Let go and give in. There's no going back." But this time, I swear I catch the corner of his right eye twitching.
I could be wrong because the room is darkly lit ... but if he did, that's my twitch. Which means he is me! But that's the twitch I get when I'm lying. Is he trying to send me a message? What is he trying to say?
I glance over at Norrek, who is watching us calmly, and turn back to face my future self. "And why is this world such a better place? Tell me how this is better. What changes it all for you? Help me understand. Since, you know, you know me soo well."
"When you give in, the people you love stop getting hurt by you. You're separated from them, but they're finally at peace. They're free to live their lives without our interference or our causing them any harm. You know that's all we've ever wanted."
I can't read him. How can I not read myself? Is he being serious or not?
"I don't believe you," I say.
"Oh, really, enough of this already!" Norrek shouts. He grabs my wrist and twirls me around. Then he pulls out a thin sheet of clear metal, the size of a credit card. There's an image of a bolt of electricity over the top surface that throbs in yellow light. "We've wasted enough time already."
My future self grabs my hands and pins them behind me. "I'm sorry," I hear him whisper in my ear. Norrek slaps the metal sheet over my mouth. I feel the metal burn against my lips, fusing with the skin around my mouth. I try to shout, but nothing at all comes out.
"You can try to scream and shout, but it'll be useless," Norrek informs me. "This lovely device is a Mute Card. It blocks any attempt to make a sound. I'd like you to try and speak your chant now." He smirks. "We'll keep you here until we decide how we can ensure that you will not interfere with our future. But don't be frightened. We will accommodate you well and treat you as one of our very own. I do hope you understand." He leans over and gives me a kiss on the forehead. "Please understand that this is for your own sake, my friend. I would never deliberately harm you. But I think you also know that I am no stranger to doing anything necessary to ensure that peace prevails."
I twist and wiggle like I'm in a straitjacket, trying to force my future self to release me. I try to tear the metal card from my mouth, but it's fused to my skin. I want to scream from the pain that the pulling creates, but it's like being underwater and unable to breathe.
Norrek watches me looking amused. Then he cracks a grin. "Are we done yet? Or can we proceed?"
My fear switches on my adrenaline. I lunge at him, but before I make contact, he pulls a small pen from the pocket of his coat, thrusts out his hand and presses down on a small, yellow button. It sends a current of electricity that sears my face. My skin feels like it's bubbling with blisters, as if it may just melt right off my bones. I drop to my knees.
"I recommend that you not try anything like that again. It hurts, doesn't it? Oh, but don't worry. As I said, I would never do anything to deliberately harm you. You see, there's no actual electricity being transmitted. The Mute Card only manipulates your brain. Tricks it into believing you are being hurt." He lets out a short chuckle. "Forgive me. Saying that aloud, I realize that mental pain may very well hurt even more than actual pain. Oh, well. We learn something new every day, don't we?"
My future self crouches over me. "It's all in your head. Just breathe."
It's like I've bobbed for apples in the flames of the sun. The pain is unbearable, so bad that I don't believe either of them when they say it's not actually happening. It's too real.
Please stop! Please! I beg. But only I can hear it. I'm rolling around on the ground, clutching at my face.
"Norrek, enough," future me snaps. "I think he gets the point."
"Oh, very well," Norrek concedes. He clicks the pen again and the pain subsides. I pat at my face, feeling pure relief that the burning has stopped.
"I take it that you will be wise enough not to try that again." Norrek turns and walks toward the elevator pod. "Follow me, boy. Allow me to show you your room."
