Shattered Realities

Chapter Three

Chapter Three – Dean

The Council, no matter the year, was still as daunting as ever. Six main heads of Eden, each a different faction that makes the community work. Mister Hayes was the second to the left, then another and then my Father, so to speak. The head being George Arvok, the creator of Arvok Mechanics.

"Please state your name," George states firmly from the head seat. I've only had to be in two meetings besides this one and each time was a little better or worse than the last, depends what you did to piss them off.

But I knew the rules on how to answer and act in court. "Dean Greyson."

"Greyson?" A female voice calls out, the last seat on the right. "Any relation to Greg Greyson and Benjamin Greyson?"

I tipped my head slightly, never moving my gaze from the space above Arvok's head. "That is why I asked for the council to be called."

"Well you have our attention, what is it you wished to share with us?" Arvok asked with a hum, his eyes slightly narrowed.

With a deep sigh I knew that in this very second was the calm before the storm, the information was going to cause one big clusterfuck. I let my eyes flick to my father, the face young and care free, there was no stress or the heavy weight that seemed to be on his shoulders.

"In twenty-three years from now, in the year 2035, I was sent back here to save Sarah Hayes. 2012 was a crucial place in time; it was the year a cure was found but Doctor Hayes was killed and her lab work destroyed. In 2030 Arvok Mechanics began to build the Ark, a machine that could punch through time and space. In 2034 they allowed human testing where they could send forth a person and yank them back, they were able to get back to this time and no further without extreme casualties." I began, letting my mission slip past my lips in every detail.

XX

A sound of anger, hurt and frustration escaped my lips as I stormed out of the council hall. The council believed me once I gave them the files with all the old documentation and they compared it to the documents they had now.

The hardest part was explaining who exactly I was; to say that my father took it well was a severe understatement. He threatened to throw me out, throwing out curses the likes I'd never heard from his mouth before.

Even with the old pictures my mother had given me, he wouldn't believe me. Threatened to throw me from Eden or into lockup, trying to claim I was insane. But thankfully Sarah's father was higher up in the chain and then gave his word that what I was saying was true, showing him the image of my past-future-self and his daughter.

"Dean?" Sarah's voice spoke up timidly, concerned more like it, from behind me.

"Leave me be," I grunted as I made my way outside, stopping when a small hand grasped my arm. "I wouldn't do that. Reflexes."

The hand was gone in an instant but Sarah moved to block my path, her face concerned. "They'll come around Dean, they will."

A sigh escaped my lips before I even thought about it. No, I doubted my parents would come around. Greg's reaction was enough for me to know that and all the hate my mother had towards my future-past-self was enough proof to me that they would never come around. Well, they would enough to allow me be around myself and whatnot but...

"I doubt it," I reply softly before pushing past her and into the cool night air.

"Well what are you going to do now?" Sarah asked as she jogged to my side, causing me to sigh and come to a stop once more.

With a shrug I turn my eyes to the starry night sky, at least that hadn't changed since I was sent back here. "I don't know. I was going to see if I could find a bunk in the Barracks. See if they have room for me somewhere on the roster, I'm good at what I do and what I do best is killing the Infected."

"No, wait," she called and once again jogged up to my side.

"Miss Hayes, if you have something to say to me, spit it out otherwise I'm going to the Barracks to see if I can join the Nightwalkers unit," I grunted out, exasperated and doing my best to look anywhere but at her.

"Come stay with me, let's get you settled. Dad wants to speak with you; I want to speak with you," she explained softly in a voice I couldn't ignore and made me question her sanity.

"Look Miss Hayes, I don't think that's a good idea. Just looking at you makes me think of Adam and what I will become. His fate is mine and yours is in my hands, I think it would be best if I am as far away from you as possible," I explained, grasping her shoulders and staring deep into her starburst eyes. "Now let me go to the barracks."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that Dean Greyson, not right yet." Mister Hayes's voice called out. causing me to sigh in defeat; I couldn't ignore him or disobey the man who was responsible for my freedom and vouching for me.

"After our talk I will see how efficient you are. If you really are Ette's son then she would have taught you her tricks and aim, so after that I'll put you on a team." This was a voice I was unfamiliar with, another male, and when turning to face him I instantly recognised him. He was a little younger and a lot less grey and frail, but I remember him from when I was a child, before he died.

"Joe." I greet. "Then we better get this conversation out of the way. Did you plan this?" I ask Sarah as I caught her smirk.

A laugh escaped her lips, tugging a smirk of my own. "Of course."

"Then lead the way Miss Hayes, I bow to your cunning ideas." I chuckle, waving my hand for her to continue onwards to her house.

She chucked a smirk over her shoulder as she did so, "Keep up soldier."

A clap on my back and a hearty chuckle caused me to stumble slightly in surprise. Joseph and Adam shook their heads in amusement as they passed me. With all my training for this mission, I was never prepared for this, for cunning people and Sarah, that woman would be the death of me. Or maybe my saviour.

Who knows, fate is mysterious after all.