I suppose that is true in many ways. C-Shapes tried to control the virus, which was just as uncontrollable and widespread as the sea itself—it failed, it was too big to control, and even with their vast numbers of people and research… it just… couldn’t. Just like Noah’s plans. He was standing up against something so big… that he might as well had been trying to stand up to the sea itself—the sea will always prevail. No matter how strong you think you are, or how strong you feel, it will always survive. I guess, ultimately, my goal was just as futile. Perhaps, even Noah knew that. Perhaps he truly was mad. Too much information—it had caused him to break. Maybe he wasn’t an Unstable, but that didn’t mean he was invincible.
I feel a hand upon my back. I turn and see Claire.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I say as I nod. “I just thought… I could do something.”
“Well we’re safe now,” Claire says as she hugs me tightly. “Who knows what the future will bring. Let’s go back to bed, alright?”
“Alright,” I say as I take her hand. I look once more to the ocean, although I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot of it, it won’t be the same—it will never be just as it is now. I find that both a little comforting, and sad for some reason.
As we make our way back into the command room. Robert is attempting to bring up some news. “TV… News…?”
“Must be some kind of interference,” I say. “…maybe from the nuclear explosions… or something.”
“Going to be a boring fourteen days…”
“We can play cards and board games,” Claire says as she shrugs.
We head back to our respective bedrooms.
I wrap my arms tightly around Claire. “If there is anything that I am happy for… it is you—I do love you. So I’m disappointed in Noah, but… at least I have you.”
“I love you too,” She says pulls me close. “I’m not disappointed about anything.”
As I allow myself to sleep. I dream of Noah one last time. We are back in his house. He is sitting in his dusty old grey couch.
“Ethan…” Noah says he smiles.
“Noah,” I say with a nod.
“We’re not at sea?” I ask, noting the change of scenery. I rather preferred the ocean dreams.
“I’m sorry?”
“Oh, it’s just that the last few dreams I’ve had where you’ve appeared we’ve been at sea,” I say as I sit down in a chair at the chess table.
“This is the last time that you will see me,” Noah says.
“Well you’ve been dead; I figured you’d stop hanging around eventually…” I say as I shrug my shoulders.
“Dead…? I’d had hoped not. I guess it’s possible,” Noah says as he looks down. “Yeah, this is more of an apology—to you.”
“For what, Noah…?” I ask as I get up. “For sending me on some quest that has no resolution…? Or for making me carry around a case with a bunch of nonsense.”
“For all of it,” Noah says as he begins to flicker strangely.
“Whatever,” I say as I give up on being angry. There is no point anymore.
“Thought I’d have a bit more time…” Noah says as he strangely flickers out of existence. The room slowly fades away and everything turns to black.
I rouse from my slumber for a few moments, my eyes are heavy and I am exhausted. I fall instantly back asleep.
Part 3: Return
15: Hawai’i
It has been 14 days. The big island of Hawaii is visible from the windows of the command room. The trip has been uneventful. Almost relaxing—especially after all we had been through. We played cards, we ate, we laughed, and we made love. Well… Claire and I did, I’m not sure what Robert did at night—perhaps I don’t want to know.
We exit the command room and stand on the bow of the ship. The boat is set to automatically dock at the harbor ahead. A low rumble groans in the air as two white and red helicopters escort us… I’m not sure what to make of it—they are carrying cameras instead of guns. That gives me a bit of comfort.
“What do they want?” Robert says loudly.
“I don’t know… I guess they’re curious who we are. I imagine they don’t get many visitors.” I say as I try to keep my volume louder than the roar of the blades.
“…don’t get many visitors…” Claire repeats as she covers her ears.
As we approach the dock I see thousands of people waiting at the harbor. I begin to feel a little uneasy. “Robert… will you get the weapons.”
“Yeah,” Robert calmly says as he shakes his head and begins to into the command room. As we near the dock he returns with my rifle and handgun. I toss the rifle over my shoulder and place the gun in my pocket. Robert tosses his Assault Rifle across his back.
We dock, and I help Claire off of the boat. A tan skinned man dressed in a Hawaiian shirt rushes over to greet us.
“It is good to have you here,” he says as he bows. “Welcome to the independent Islands of Hawai’i.”
“Why are you…?” I begin as I notice a familiar face in the crowd of thousands.
“Ethan Chase,” Katharine says as she approaches.
“Stay back,” I say as I pull my handgun from my pocket and aim it at her.
“There is no need for that,” she says calmly. “I do not mean you any harm.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I say as I keep my gun on her. Robert raises his assault rifle as the crowd lets out a collective gasp.
“Ethan… Robert,” the man who greeted us speaks. “There is no need to worry. You are safe here.”
“You won’t take her away from me!” I shout.
“Nobody wants to take her away from you,” Katharine says as he fearlessly continues to advance towards us. “I was one of Noah’s contacts. Please trust me.”
“What do we do, Ethan?” Robert asks, he is still holding his rifle.
“What choice do we have,” I say as I nod to Robert. “We have to trust you.”
“This is Andrew Kaapana, protector of the Hawaiian islands,” Katherine says as she begins to lead us through the thick crowd.
“…protector…” Claire repeats nervously. All these people must be making her feel rather uneasy.
“Yes we have done away with any of the old words associated with the United States… old words lead to old habits they say here,” Andrew answers. I suppose he does not realize that he is answering a question that was not intentionally asked.
We are carted off by limousine to a room. It is a small room, part of a larger hotel. Katharine has us sit in leather chairs. A large screen hangs on the wall. I look out the window—there are still people everywhere. I look past them and notice beautiful green mountains and palm trees. It is a cloudless day, almost a perfect day.
“You’ve come a long way…” Katharine says as she sits down at the table. The protector sits beside her.
“A long way for nothing,” I say as I shrug my shoulders. “If you want Noah’s case—I have to tell you… it was nothing… It just said ‘you are the message’ over and over… whatever Noah’s plan was, it failed.”
“But, Ethan… you were the message.” Katherine says as she leans forward. “You were the plan… and it did no fail. It far exceeded any expectations that he had… that any of us had. You showed us so much. More than we could have possibly even imagined.”