“Look, Mommy, look!”
“What is it, honey?” Dana asked.
“Look! I built a new toy!” Caiden held his invention up for his mother to see.
“Wow! Mommy is so impressed! Show me how it works, baby,” Dana said.
“Well, you’re always busy. And sometimes you don’t eat breakfast, and that’s a big no-no. So, I made a cereal machine that dishes out your cereal when you tell it to,” Caiden said proudly.
“You are so remarkable son! Thank you!” Dana gave Caiden a hug.
“Can I go outside to play now?” Caiden smiled.
“Yes, you may. But stay in the front yard, okay?” Dana said.
Caiden rushed to the front door. “Okay!”
Caiden and his doppelganger found themselves back in the astral space again, the third door dissipating into particles of light and flowing into Caiden.
“Door four?” Caiden asked.
“Yup. Door four,” Rez said with sadness. Caiden was bewildered by Rez’s change in behavior. They walked through the door and saw Caiden, who was twelve years old.
***
The Fourth Door
It was raining. Thunder rattled the windows of their modest home as lightning lit up the dark cloudy sky. Caiden was upstairs playing video games. Dana rested on the window seat with a hot cup of tea in her hand. She was looking east, something she often did when she was lost in a sea of thought. She once had a life there, full of science and wonder. This life was also rife with dreadful sadness, heartbreaking sacrifice, and broken love. The only true happiness she ever got out of what lay east, was her beautiful child, and the bravery she’d acquired to do what was right and live out her life for his sake.
The thought of her former love, Kubar, penetrated the troves of her guarded heart and her stomach dropped. She wondered if he was safe. Or if he was even alive. She clenched her jaw and willed the emotional pain away. Taking calming breaths to regain her emotional stability. She sipped her tea, closed her eyes, and thought of her shining light, her son. But still, she continued to look east. Footsteps could be heard coming from upstairs, then to the staircase, and now down in the living room with her. It was Caiden.
“Um, Mom?” Caiden asked meekly.
“Yes, baby, what is it?” Dana asked.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re focusing right now, but there’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time. I dunno. I never really gave it too much thought until, like, a year ago and, well, I never wanted to upset you by asking. I’m kinda curious but, where is my dad?” Caiden asked innocently.
Dana froze. Her heart strings were entangled in an knot. Her shoulders hunched forward and her bottom lip quivered. She was quiet and unable to respond. The pain was too much to bear. A single tear fell down her cheek.
Rez and Caiden were back to the astral space. Door number four was successfully absorbed by Caiden.
“Last door,” Rez said.
“Yeah, last one,” Caiden said.
***
The Fifth Door
Psi-Corp had been sending out agents to inspect the landscape. Neon District had been working towards expanding westward. Integro proved advantageous for the administration’s goals. With each visit from Psi-corp, relations between Integro residents and the military police became more and more contentious. A young military officer, Daav August, lead the inspections.
As Psi-Corp’s actions for expansion became much more aggressive, bloodshed would become inevitable. Knowing this, Daav followed his personal feelings and attempted to resolve the conflict peacefully with Amiko by going ahead of his platoon in the middle of the night to warn her of what was coming. He wanted to convince her to run away with him.
Despite the change of her appearance and only a handful of minor run-ins with Daav, he had somehow managed to discover Dana’s real identity. When she had been living as Amiko as Zonos’s lead researcher, Officer Daav had been infatuated with her. Making many attempts to court her. They all failed of course, but they eventually became acquaintances. It only intensified his desire for her. Her eventual defection from the city affected him very deeply and he had been searching for her ever since then.
Dana had just returned from a town hall meeting, where they had discussed what actions to take against the aggression of Neon District’s forces. She knew that this day would come. The townspeople were rife with fear that their once peaceful settlement would soon be destroyed. The residents banded together and were resolute in standing their ground. They had planned to take this to the courts, as they felt that they were the rightful owners of their settlement. Despite their determination, Dana couldn’t wrestle away the feeling of trepidation. As she put her key in the door, she heard a rustling in the bushes.
“Who’s there?” Dana asked.
“Amiko? Amiko, I knew it was you,” Daav said. He sounded happy to see her. Dana, however, was on high alert, with a shock baton already in her hand.
“You! How did you find me?”” Dana replied.
“Despite your appearance change, I could never forget your scent, those intense eyes, and that beautiful face,” Daav said.
“You’re all the same! All you do is destroy! What do you want from me? Did Stein send you?” Dana replied angrily.
“No, no! The only reason I came to Integro was because of orders. But then I saw you and, well, our guys are gonna be here in a few hours to drive away Integro’s citizens. I came here to warn you. There’s been terrible things happening back in the city. There’s corruption within Zonos even I couldn’t stand. And seeing you here, alive… Come away with me. We can leave now and never look back!” Daav said.
“You think I would ever trust you with my life? I never want anything to do with Zonos ever again!” Dana yelled as Daav rushed to her to muffle her. He didn’t want anyone to find them out. Dana already had the door partially open, and Daav, with his hand
