Life Finds a Way

Chapter 27

Clarissa opened her eyes to the sight of wisps of lifestream surrounding her. She had been pulled here enough times now that she was no longer disoriented at the sight of it. That didn't mean her state of mind was at ease. She knew this was only a temporary reprieve and was fighting to keep her panic controlled. She could barely keep herself calm enough to be respectful when Minerva appeared. "Minerva! Do you know what is going on? Why do they think I'm someone from Gaia and more than that, how can I possibly convince them I'm not?"

Minerva's voice was soothing when she answered. "Calm yourself child, this is not enough to make you fail. You have done well so far."

Clarissa made an effort to calm some but was still spinning from her recent ordeal. "I'm glad you think so but that still doesn't tell me what's going on or what I should do about it."

Clarissa felt her anxiety spike when Minerva sounded almost hesitant when she next spoke. "I cannot guide your actions. It must be up to you to make your own path. I can however, give you information." She paused before continuing. "I have told you already that this is a universe parallel to your own. Although decisions have been different in this universe, there are some that remained the same. You may or may not encounter them, but there are many people here that are counterparts to people in your own universe. Clarise Williams was your counterpart here."

Minerva stopped at that point to allow Clarissa to speak. When she saw the woman was too stunned, she continued. "I can give you some history that may help you, but remember, trust for you will be hard won no matter which path you choose. Clarise was a journalism student. She found investigating and writing more to her liking. Unfortunately..."

Minerva stopped at that point. Clarissa could tell she was uncomfortable and realized it was probably because of the fact that they claimed she was dead. The thought of it caused a prickle to run down her spine, but she knew she needed to hear it. "Please, I need to know. What happened? I know they said she was dead. Is that the case?"

Minerva gave a slight nod before speaking again. "She was killed more than a year past in a tragic accident."

Hearing that silenced Clarissa. Her brain started spinning with what this might mean for her. It would be unavoidable for them to not believe she was Clarise given that she was, for all intents and purposes. Thinking about it brought another thought to mind. "If I am basically Clarise, does that mean I am 20 again? This is the year 2000, correct?"

Again, Minerva gave a slight nod. "Yes, I had to bring you back to a time that would allow you to prevent tragedies. Fixing them has proven impossible."

Clarissa had no idea how to approach this issue. Knowing that a version of herself was dead and gone made her shiver. She knew logically that it wasn't herself, but that didn't make it easier to comprehend on an emotional level. Thinking about it made her pause. It brought up another question she had a suspicion she didn't want to think about. She hadn't thought about going home yet, as she hadn't let herself dwell on home much at all. Given what she had just learned though, she knew she needed to ask, even if she wouldn't like the answer. "Minerva, what about me? The me that you pulled here? You said you could only pull my spirit, but what about my body?"

Minerva gave her a sad look and didn't speak for several moments. When she finally did, Clarissa found she was having a hard time staying on her feet. "Child... you can never go back. Your spirit is all that remains. Your fate and that of Clarise are the same, although you had several more years to build a life for yourself."

Clarissa's mind stopped at that. She had no idea that her knees had given way and didn't notice the tears making their way down her face. All she could think of was her family and friends. She would never see them again. It wasn't just her own isolation, she wondered how they were coping. Thinking about them made her heart clench so hard she doubled over at the pain. When she felt the comforting hand on her shoulder she couldn't stop the sobs that broke from her. There was nothing that could make this easier, except for maybe time.

Minerva didn't rush her or remind her that this time was limited. She knelt beside the crying woman and gave her silent support: her spear and shield were laid aside for the moment. She gave Clarissa as much time as she could before she broke the silence reluctantly. "I had hoped to spare you this, at least until you had more time to come to terms with your new reality. I know you have the strength to face this. Do not give in to despair."

Clarissa barely heard the words of the Goddess. She knew there was still much more at stake than her own personal worries, but she couldn't continue to push these thoughts back. She allowed her sobs to continue until her body felt wrung dry. The stray thought that this was her spirit and not her physical body made the pain that much more acute. Eventually she calmed enough to once more gather herself. She had dealt with loss before and she knew she could again. She didn't have time to mourn the way she should now, but she wasn't going to hide from it. She just had to hide it when she wasn't alone.

She finally pushed to her feet and tried to wipe the tears away before turning back to the Goddess. "Thank you. For giving me time as well as for giving me another chance. I still don't know why exactly you picked me, but I will not let learning the truth keep me from achieving success."

Minerva gave her a small, sad smile at her words. "You must return soon. I will apologize now for the pain you will be in when you awaken. Pulling you from your body forcefully in such a way takes an even greater toll."

Clarissa grimaced at hearing that but gave a nod in understanding anyway. "I'm still not sure how I should handle this but if it's supposed to be up to me I will find a way." The Goddess gave her one last smile before fading away and leaving Clarissa in the dark once more.

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After Tseng left Genesis he rerouted and headed back to the infirmary. He had an idea and wanted to put it into action as soon as the woman awoke. He walked into the room where she was and found the doctor checking her vitals. She turned to him when he entered. "Tseng is there something else I can do for you?"

His face was an impassive mask when he answered. "Yes, I will be questioning this woman as soon as she awakens. Please make sure you strap her down before then and let me know as soon as she is awake."

Doctor Stein frowned at the Turk. Given what he asked for she was pretty sure what he had in mind and it didn't sit well with her. This woman was her patient and she shouldn't be working to make her worse. Unfortunately, she knew better than to defy a Turk and just gave him a curt nod.

He turned to leave after securing the doctor's acceptance, but he was stopped by the sound of sobbing. He turned back, thinking the woman was now awake and was surprised to see her crying in her sleep. Normally he was not one to be bothered by anyone's tears, but the wrenching sobs that came from the sleeping woman made him wonder what kind of nightmares she saw. The thought gave him pause. There could be some credibility to Genesis' theory that she had been experimented on extensively. None of this showed on his face when he turned to the doctor again. "It would probably be best if you started an IV. I imagine she will need it. Also, do not let anyone else know about this." He didn't bother waiting for a reply before leaving.

edit 11/15/2019