Chapter 25
“It is official, stand down from Defense Condition Two and set Condition Three.” General Barstow said four hours after my first conversation with the President. The tension of the last few hours relaxed slightly in the Operations Center.
“We should still maintain Threatcon Charlie for base security.” Colonel Marken suggested and General Barstow nodded slowly. The Marine officer turned and went over to talk to his Major, leaving me at the table alone with Colonel Kowalski and the General.
“It looks like Mr. Shevardnadze gets to live another day.” Colonel Kowalski stated sourly, matching my exact thoughts. There wasn’t going to be a bombing raid deep into the Soviet Union. Every casualty estimate had us losing at least fifty-percent of attacking bombers, or up to total wipe-out of the attack force. The larger number sent in on the raid, the higher the loss rate and the lower likelihood of a successful leveling of the town using anything except nukes. The stealth fighter (which wasn’t really a fighter but a light bomber) had several prototypes flying, but didn’t have the range to penetrate that deep and didn’t have a conventional payload big enough to do the damage needed.
The President had decided that starting World War Three for sure, and seeing nukes used as a possible response wasn’t worth it to ‘maybe’ kill Shevardnadze. There would be plenty of time to get an assassination team in place and take him out once he moved to Moscow. Once that was done, we’d have to be careful because that would open the path to the assassination of any U.S. political figure, or myself, within American borders by the KBG. So far, the assassination of U.S. military personnel, political leaders, or similar officials (like me) was not done by the KGB on the unspoken agreement we would not do the same within their borders. Sure, defectors weren’t included in this agreement, but the Chinese had already broken it by going after my friends and family, so it was widely believed the Soviets could be expected to break it soon, making our retaliation acceptable to both the President and the leaders of Congress.
We could have always nuked the city Shevardnadze was in and hope he was killed by the blast, but that would have led to the nuclear destruction of the world, and no one wanted that on their conscience.
“CIA has intercepted the list of their new government.” General Barstow said after he signed for a Top Secret dispatch. He read through the list and handed it to me. “I only recognize two names on the list.”
“I recognize them all.” I said with a sigh. “The President will want an analysis on these men and their possible intentions as soon as possible.”
“We’ll call you back down if you’re needed.” General Barstow said with a nod of his head as clear dismissal. It took me five minutes to get to my office in a nearby building. The office itself was in the center of the small building, with steel-reinforced concrete walls three inches thick, and a three-inch thick steel blast door. Barstow had admitted it was built with me in mind and that they had been planning on moving my ‘office’ here within a year anyway. Despite being in the middle of the building, it was twice the size of my old office, had a plush carpet on the floor, varnished oak furniture including a desk, two visitor chairs, plush couch with a coffee table, three book cases, a low bookcase/worktable running along the wall behind my desk, and several decent paintings decorating the wall. There was even a picture of President Reagan on one wall, and several pictures from my old office of the family. One of the bookcases was half-full of trophies from school, and even a few Certificates from the current government (all of which were classified, but since you had to have a top-level clearance to even get in to this room, they weren’t a risk. Even the cleaning staff who dusted in here had to have Top Secret clearance and were restricted to uniformed personnel.) Outside the building were two Marines on guard duty, and another outside the door to the office. The rest of the building was unoccupied except for the female Air Force Sergeant assigned to process my ingoing and outgoing dispatches and act as a secretary. Her desk was in a room just outside my new office.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Jones.” Sergeant Jackson said as I entered her office. It was situated in such a way that I had to go through it before entering the passageway that led to my own office. I’d had several Navy Yeoman as an officer, and a few personal assistants in the corporation that Brian and I had run, so it was actually a relief when I’d found out I’d have one now. I’d met her several months ago, and she’d been handling my stuff as part of her current functions whenever I sent things through the base dispatch system. She was in her mid-twenties, black, and bore the same name as a female singer who wasn’t quite as well known now as she would likely be in the future.
“How is the day treating you, Janet?” I asked with a smile as I stopped at her desk. She had a high security clearance and new about my real role at this base, something that was necessary considering the work she did here.
“Better than it’s treating you, Mr. Jones.” She replied with a half-smile. If she felt weird about calling a teenager ‘Mr.’ all the time, she never showed it at all. “I’ve got several dispatches here for you from CIA and NSA as well as the DoD, all marked urgent. I was just about to put them on your desk.”
“I’ll take them now.” I said with a sigh as she picked up about a half-dozen red folders and handed them to me. They were heavy, and I almost let out a sigh at the night of work ahead of me. “Um, if you don’t mind, could you get a pot of coffee going? Also, maybe get something from the cafeteria for me to eat, and some snacks.”
“No problem, Mr. Jones.” She answered with a smile. “I’ve got that list you gave me on Sunday of your preferred snack items. Also, I understand they pulled you out of school. Would you like me to see if I can get any homework assignments for you?”
“I think we’ll wait on those.” I said, this time letting out the sigh. She was smiling as if she were teasing me and I headed to the office while shaking my head. The Marine on duty saw me coming with my hands full and punched in the code to open the door. I nodded my thanks to him while waiting for the door to open and went inside as soon as I could squeeze through. He shut the wood interior double doors behind me as I set the files down on the desk and booted up the computer. The blast door would only be closed if the base were under attack while I was in here, or of course when I wasn’t in here. I thought it was overkill on security, but sometimes you couldn’t say that to senior officers.
Then again, with recent events maybe they were right after all.
As the computer booted up (boy did I miss the advances computers would make in the next two decades), I looked at the list I’d brought with me from Operations. Another sigh escaped my lips as I read over the names and began sorting through the dispatches. The first two were from the National Security Agency (NSA) and detailed both signal intercepts as well as phone intercepts that had recently been decrypted. They were the source of the list of names, and one requested verification of some phone-tapping missions conducted by submarines and divers in the last two time lines. More specifically, they wanted to know if either the Russian or Chinese time travelers knew about those missions.
Of course they did; anyone who watched the History Channel on cable would know that information.
I didn’t even bother turning to the computer on this one. All it took was a small piece of paper, the words ‘Yes, common knowledge’ and a paper clip to move that information request to my ‘out’ box. By the time I got to the CIA report, filled with all available data on the people listed as being in the new Politburo, as well as a request for more information on most of them, Jackson had arrived with the coffee and an apple that she’d even sliced up for me. I gave her a ‘thanks’ as she set them on my desk, took the file already in my outbox, and left. It was time to turn around and begin my report.
March 26, 1984
TO: PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES
FROM: DAVID R JONES JR
CC: CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
STATE DEPARTMENT
Subject: Profile and Analysis of Politburo enacted this date
(As with all previous reports, TL1 indicates original time line information
while TL2 indicates information from time line of first Do Over. Information
marked TL2B indicates changes to Time Line 2 after Do Over of Sean Rule in that
time line.)
The changes experienced in the Soviet government over the last day represent a marked shift from either TL1 or TL2, yet they also present strong resemblances to elements of both previous lifetimes experienced by the author of this report. As per multiple requests of indicated agencies, I am providing this analysis and profile information to those cleared for Do Over-related information. Distribution of information should be restricted in accordance with all appropriate national security regulations and laws. This report shall start with the new Premier of the Soviet Communist Party and cover all major cabinet members for whom information is known. Profiles of these people will focus on information not readily available. Physical descriptions, age, and educational background are readily available from other sources.
Mikhail Gorbachev has been named as the new President of the Soviet Union and
Premiere of the Communist Party. His assumption of this office in a coup apparently
started by information from the Chinese Traveler. This rise in power is interesting
on several levels as I will express in the analysis.
Profile: TL1: Mikhail Gorbachev assumed the same office following the death
of Chernenko in March of 1985. He instituted programs known as perestroika (restructuring),
glasnost (openness), and uskorenie (acceleration – mostly dealing with
economic development within the USSR). These reforms were followed in 1987 (TL1)
by the abandoning of the Brezhnev Doctrine (similar in function to the Monroe
Doctrine except dealing with the satellite Soviet States). With the relaxation
of that Doctrine, the satellite states moved towards full autonomy and negotiated
a ‘union treaty’ that would essentially grant them autonomy with
a loose consolidation under a limited federal government with Soviet Russia.
Prior to the signing of this treaty in TL1 August of 1991, Gorbachev was placed under arrest by eight members of the Politburo (including Gennadi Yanayev who is listed as being a Deputy Minister for Defense in this new government and was Gorbachev’s Vice-President in TL1). Thanks to glasnost and relaxation of media controls, a popular rising led by Boris Yeltsin, then Mayor of Moscow, managed to convince Yanayev and his co-plotters that they lacked popular support. They surrendered their hold on power and restored Gorbachev to power. By December 25, 1991, the Soviet government no longer existed and Boris Yeltsin became the first President of the new Russian Federation.
In TL2, Mikhail Gorbachev was executed in the Spring of 1984 following the assumption of power by Eduardo and Alexei Shevardnadze.
***
Eduardo Shevardnadze continues to hold the position of Foreign Minister following this coup. He is the father of the Soviet’s time traveler, Alexei Shevardnadze, indicating a probable likelihood he will play a key role once the future ‘persona’ of his son from TL1 arrives sometime next week. His continued membership on the Politburo indicates he will be a key player in the Soviet Union for the foreseeable future.
Profile: In TL1, Eduardo served as Foreign Minister through much of Mikhail Gorbachev’s term as President. He was not a part of the coup attempt, and following the collapse of the Soviet Union returned to his home state of Georgia where he led that country through much of the 1990’s and into the 21st Century. He was credited both with ruling firmly and bringing Georgia into full independence without much of the corruption seen in the Russian Federation under Yeltsin.
In TL2, Eduardo assumed the post of President and Premier instead of Mikhail Gorbachev. From information gathered after World War Three in that time line, he was largely a puppet for the goals and directives of his son, although he was credited with stopping some of the more oppressive internal policies proposed during the first few years of their regime. He is also credited with convincing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and several key Iranian mullahs to combine forces in what ended up starting World War Three. Eduardo is a capable diplomat, a good administrator, and a clever political dealer.
***
The Defense Minister position in the Soviet cabinet has been filled by Vladimir Putin, a name familiar from both previous time lines. His advancement to such a senior post despite his relative youth at this time is unusual in comparison to the others named to the new Politburo and Cabinet, but given his history in the last two time lines it is also extremely indicative of some knowledge of the past time lines. Putin’s most recent position in this time line was with an unknown position within the KGB. This is consistent with both TL1 and TL2
In TL1, Putin remained with the KGB until its reorganization into the FSB following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. A few years later, he became the Mayor of St. Petersburg (renamed from Stalingrad after the collapse) and served in that position for several years until he was selected by Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin to succeed Yeltsin in that position. His terms as President were marked by a continuous effort to root out corruption common during the reformation of the Russian government under Yeltsin as well as a steady decrease of democratization within the Russian Federation. While he never used the army to surround and shell the Russian Duma (Congress) as Yeltsin did, he used strong tactics to limit criticism within the government and from the media.
In TL2, I came face-to-face with Vladimir Putin when he was tasked with attempting to kidnap me from Berlin (see report 82-3-4 for further details). Despite his failure in that confrontation, he continued to be an adviser in the Shevardnadze government. When that government fell following the use of a nuclear depth charge, Putin managed to survive and assume the position of FSB Director (curiously enough, the name of the reformed KGB agency was the same in both TL1 and TL2). In late 2002 of TL2, Putin won election to the Presidency of that time line’s Russian Republic. One of the themes of his campaign was a ‘regret’ for the fall of the Soviet Union and the ‘ruining’ of Russia’s economic and military might.
His first two years of office were marked by increases in the submarine, surface, and air forces of the Russian Republic. There was also a marked decrease in freedoms of the press and other civil rights enjoyed by the Russian citizenry. U.S. experts of that time worried about a possible attempt to regain power through the re-absorption of former satellite states. He was also seen to renew ties to China and directed his UN Ambassador to veto any UN Security Counsel resolution critical of China or supportive of Taiwan.
***
“You’re working hard.” General Barstow’s voice from the doorway surprised me and I turned around to face him since the computer was located on the back worktable. He looked as tired as I was feeling and came inside to sit in one of the visitor chairs as I flexed my fingers.
“I’ve just gotten to the number two position.” I said with a shrug. “There are so many small things that can be important I’m having trouble sorting out what to include or not include.”
“Just do the basics for now.” Barstow advised me with a smile. “You’ll have plenty of time to cover the details later. I just came to tell you that your friends from Modesto arrived about an hour ago by plane. They’re on their way to town now and the temporary housing you provided for them. Mr. Rush asked if you were going to be joining them for dinner.”
“I don’t think I have the time.” I said with a shrug, although part of me screamed to go. The General nodded at my choice.
“I’ve already told them that.” He said and I resisted the urge to scream but it made sense because he knew that half of the President’s cabinet was eagerly waiting for this report to be delivered. It’d even be transmitted over encrypted channels even though such things were normally only sent in sealed briefcases by special couriers. “I just wanted to let you know personally that they’re here and you’ll probably see the boys in school the next time you get a chance to go.”
“So I’m going to be here tomorrow?” I asked him and he nodded.
“The President wants you available for any questions over the next few days.” General Barstow stated. “He’s considering having you flown to Washington directly.”
“Well, it was all too good to last.” I responded with a shrug and he smiled softly.
“For what it’s worth, have a good evening.” He said as he stood up. “I’ve got to get back to Operations. That Marine is driving me nuts pushing those work crews to get those missile batteries set up.”
“Good luck, General.” I stated as he left the room. Before he’d even shut the door behind him, I was back at the keyboard typing away. The new men in the positions of Agriculture Minister and the position in charge of factory productions were interesting choices for several reasons. Both men had been involved in the Russian Republic of TL2, and had been staunch advocates of maintaining some state controls of the economy was well as being dedicated to the stamping out of corruption in the government ranks.
“Dinner time!” Dad’s voice from the doors came just as I had finished up the last profile. It was actually a good thing to hear it, because I was getting hungry. When I turned around to face him, he had a Styrofoam box in his hands with the unmistakable smell of garlic chicken filling the room. Today was his duty day on the base, so he was wearing his khakis with Lieutenant railroad track insignia on one collar and a cross on the other.
“I thought the purpose of the guard outside was to keep people out!” I huffed in mock-perturbation.
“You can get off your high-horse, son.” Dad said with a bare hint of amusement. He headed towards my desk, placing the box down on the far edge. I had yet to do put much on my actual desk. There was a little stand with two fancy pens on the front end, In and Out trays, and a large mat with a calendar on top. There were also three telephones on the desk, two of them black and one red one with an encryption system attached. The files from earlier had already been moved to the worktable which was where I did most of my work on the computer.
“Sorry, I’m just trying to get this report done before I start getting phone calls.” I said with a sigh. “Thanks for bringing some dinner.”
“Not a problem, son.” Dad said with a smile. “The Modesto group arrived about an hour ago. I’ll be having dinner with them a little later.”
“Where are you eating?” I asked him casually, trying to hide my desire to go.
“We’re going to the Owl Club.” Dad answered. They had the best steaks in town.
“Wish I could go.” I said with a sigh.
“I know you do.” Dad chuckled. “Before I go, though, I wanted to talk to you about a few things since I don’t know when I’ll see you next.”
“I’m stuck here for the next few days, at least.” I said with a shrug.
“Right, that figures.” Dad shrugged back. “Anyhow, I talked to the church committee today and they seem to like the idea of me resigning to run for office and the idea of Uncle Phil being considered to take my place. Jeff Deacon said that they’d seen him on television last week and that time a few years ago and liked him. So I went downtown after that and filed the paperwork needed to run for the office. They’ll send it in to Carson City from there.”
“That explains Paul Ithuralde.” I said with a nod. “He came up to me today thinking you were going to run against his father for County Assessor.”
“He didn’t try anything physical did he?” Dad asked in a worried tone. His worry was probably for Paul’s well being.
“Naw, just verbal and I explained you weren’t running against his dad.” I answered, actually chuckling a little.
“I should have remembered how rumors fly in this town.” Dad said with a rueful smile for me. “Sorry it came back on you.”
“It was nothing I couldn’t handle.” I reminded him.
“I watched the news on this Soviet thing in town, and then talked with General Barstow on my way in here.” Dad changed the subject easily. “He said you’ve already got the list of the new Politburo.”
“Yeah, I’m working on their profiles and analysis right now.” I answered his unspoken question for him, and even turned around to grab the list to hand to him. He looked it over quickly and shook his head before handing it back.
“I only recognize the Shevardnadze names, and Gorbachev.” Dad said with a sigh. “If I remember correctly, you said he was the Soviet President in the first time line and executed in the second when the Shevardnadze guys came to power.”
“Good memory you have there, Dad.” I complimented him. “I’ve gotten done with the profiles but had started to spin my wheels on the analysis part. They’re obviously going off of the information from the Chinese, and there’s an indication that Putin met with them directly. What I can’t get around is that in order to come up with this list, they either had to not know information from the second time line or they had that information and acted on it differently than they did last time. We know Alexei is not back yet, so they aren’t acting on things from him.”
“What difference does it make how they reached this list of people?” Dad asked.
“It makes a lot of difference.” I said with a hint of exasperation. “If it was out of ignorance regarding the roles of key figures in the previous time lines, there’s going to be a very interesting reaction when Alexei arrives and starts to impart his information. We could see this government fall within a week or two. On the other hand, if the Chinese traveler shared information he may have acquired from my initial reports, there might be damn good reasons for these selections. To be honest, I’m more worried about these selections than I was in the last time line.”
“Why is that?” Dad asked me, leading me to think out loud about what was bugging me.
“It has to do with the inherent corruption of the Soviet system.” I answered after a few minutes of thinking things through. “Gorbachev really tried reforms in the first time line, not to end communism, but to save it from itself. Putin led a Russian democracy, but he regularly cut back on democratic reforms and lamented the loss of the Soviet Union. He also dealt harshly with the corruption of the Russian government, as did several other people on this list. If they work together, and if Alexei Shevardnadze accepts a position as an advisor instead of a leader as he had in the last time line, they could form an effective team. One of the greatest weaknesses in the last time line was that they had to take out most of the high-level leadership when they eliminated Gorbachev. In Gorbachev’s most recent position, he placed a lot of people loyal to him in key positions and it took Shevardnadze a while to replace them with capable people. They won’t have that gap now, if things continue with the way they’re set up now.”
“It sounds like something to worry about.” Dad commented before slapping his knees as he stood up. “You get back to writing your report, son. I have to head back into town for dinner.”
“Tell them I said hello.” I asked with a smile and he nodded before heading out. Then it was time to turn back to my computer and type up my ‘analyses’. My conversation with my father had helped me to focus on some things I might have otherwise glossed over. Times like this were when I missed my husband the most. For over twenty years he’d been someone I could talk things over with, give voice to my swirling thoughts, and he would always manage to help me focus better. Most of the time in the early days I hadn’t discussed things in detail, but after the first war, he had become the sounding board for many of the papers I’d written on international affairs. As I neared the final paragraphs, I could almost hear him whispering in my ear, and helping me to type what needed to be said.
The new make-up of the Soviet Politburo points to the effects of the Chinese time traveler on this new time line. In both previous time lines, the Chinese were focused primarily on internal affairs. They have just completed their ‘Great Leap Forward’, and in previous times had focused on reaping the benefits of their rapid advancement internally more than on the international stage. From their actions to date, it must be conjectured that they will not only reap the benefits of their rapid technological development, but will join with the Soviet Union to affect the international stage.
While their economic and military capabilities at this time are rather limited in comparison to the United States or the Soviet Union, they are still capable of making dramatic impact on the international community. As certainly as we seek to curb the advance of Soviet Communism, we must make diligent efforts to stifle the actions of China in other countries. In the likely event of a strong alliance being commissioned between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic, we must further be prepared to face the combination of Soviet technology with Chinese manpower.
With my writing done, I picked up the Chinese food Dad had brought and began to eat it while re-reading my work. With one hand I corrected the grammatical errors, tightened up some of the sentences, and sent it to the dot-matrix printer. The paper was pre-printed with the requisite Top Secret label, and I managed to tear it apart and put it in order without getting a single grease stain on it from my garlic chicken and chow mien. Janet was still at her desk outside when I called, and came to collect the printout.
“That’ll be all for the night, Janet.” I told her as she took the papers in a folder back to her desk. It was only eight at night, but still past the normal time she left. There were two more folders I needed to read and make notes on before I headed back to my new home.
The base lights were dimmed as I exited the building, so the scientists must be working on their telescope again. Secure on the base, I walked down the main road leading to the residences and headed off to the last trailer on the northern edge, which was my new home. There was noise from the game room when I opened the door, so I figured Sean and Kevin must be in there. Sure enough, they were watching television and didn’t notice I had arrived. Kevin was sipping on a beer, while Sean was halfway through another bottle of whiskey.
“So you’re trying to say he’s a little unstable.” Kevin was saying as I got close enough to hear what they were talking about.
“No, not really.” Sean countered, and I knew they were talking about me. “Davey’s not really unstable, it’s just that Brian was always there to keep him grounded. He likes to be the hero and jumps into situations feet first a lot. Brian always kept him grounded and helped him think about things before acting.”
“Then maybe it’s a good thing that this Brian is coming back into his life.” Kevin said and my heart did a little flip-flop at those words. Brian really was coming back into my life now. “If he helped keep Davey grounded, that’s a good thing. I’ve gotten a lot more info on what he’s up to now and it’s really important stuff.”
“You don’t understand.” Sean said with a shake of his head and for a moment I considered hating him. Still, he knew me probably better than anyone else in this world and I wanted to hear what he had to say. “First of all, the Brian of the other time line had Davey as part of his life from age twelve. A lot happened to them in those first years and by the time I met them they were already the ‘perfect’ couple. This Brian doesn’t have any of that. Even if he’s open to the idea of a relationship, he won’t have the background the other Brian had. You see, Brian told Brandon a few times that he really hated how Davey would be gone on missions all the time, or in Washington for some important meeting or another, but he didn’t let Davey know because he loved Davey and wanted the best for him. Will this Brian see it that way?”
“I won’t be going to Washington or on any military deployments for a long time, Sean.” I said in a deprecating tone, causing both of them to jump slightly as they turned to face me. Sean’s face went a little pale at seeing me there. “Besides, what business is it of yours what went on in my relationship with Brian?”
“Davey!” Sean exclaimed as he jumped on the couch at the sound of my voice. He didn’t look guilty as he looked back at me, although Kevin did look a little worried. “You’re back already!”
“Yeah, just in time to hear you talking about me.” I said angrily. There were no smoldering embers in me right now, just a huge burning rage.
“Oh, Jesus, he’s pissed we’re talking about him and he’d be pissed if we weren’t.” Sean slammed back at me. “The Great Davey Jones, the center of the universe.”
“What the fuck is your problem, Sean?” I demanded while trying not to vent the rage I was feeling.
“Nothing. Everything.” Sean retorted with a frown. “I’m stuck in this fucking shit-ass body I had as a teenager, my lover is dead, and I have to build my life all over again. Meanwhile you’re off playing the gallant Captain, oh excuse me, Admiral.”
“Excuse me, buddy boy, I never knew I was supposed to be here holding your hand.” I shot back. “I’ll be nice and remind you that you’re not the only one stuck in this situation. If you don’t like your body as it is now, work out. You know that from the last time. Remember Master Chief Cole?”
“I remember him.” Sean retorted. “He helped me out a lot.”
“Yes, and what did he teach you about facing life’s problems?” I pushed and Sean frowned at me. He was drunk, but not wasted yet.
“Don’t try bringing up the words of a man who has never met me in this life.” Sean groused. “You’re the one who said the best thing about the Do Over was being able to start over. Well, I hate starting over.”
“This time I do to.” I admitted with a frown. His words brought up the memories of all those times I’d cried myself to sleep after coming into this time line.
“Then why are you holding onto the past so tightly?” Sean demanded, his anger starting to rise again.
“What are you talking about?” I asked with some surprise.
“You and Brian, you’re holding on to your past relationship with him even though he’s dead.” Sean ranted as he began to wave his hands around. “Yeah, I get the picture that you thought he was the greatest thing since apple pie. That boy would stick with anyone who he thought loved him, no matter what crap they put him through. He was fucking hot as hell, a really nice guy, but he’s gone. Can you honestly tell me this new Brian is the same guy?”
“Yes, and no.” I answered with honesty. “He’s… different than he was before but he’s still the same person, Sean. Brandon and Trevor are as well.”
“You weren’t the one stuffed into a trashcan and called a ‘faggot’ by them.” Sean retorted as he screwed up his face in distaste at the memory.
“Sean, you have to know this time line is different.” I defended them aggressively. It really wasn’t their fault that they’d been pushed to be anti-gay in their dealings with others. “You’ve met my current friends, they’re not anti-gay like that. Give Brandon and the others some time to adjust. We can change their minds, I promise.”
“It’s more than that you weren’t there with them to change their opinions.” Sean countered. “This whole AIDS Quarantine thing has thrown everyone’s opinions on gay people backwards. You know that, despite all the shit about ‘tolerance’ people preach, you know that people really don’t want anything to do with gays. That facility my parents stuck me in was chock full of kids and the doctors could do just about anything they wanted there.”
“Well that’s about to change.” I snorted. “The President is having them investigated.”
“Fine, that’s nice, but it’s still not going to change the attitudes of all the people who sent their kids there.”
“Okay, how did we get on this topic when I thought we were talking about our friends?” I asked and Sean glared at me.
“They aren’t even your friends right now, much less mine.” Sean scolded me while pointing a finger into my chest. My neck was starting to hurt from having to look down at him.
“They will be our friends again.” I reminded him softly.
“There goes Davey Jones, the eternal optimist!” Sean laughed derisively as he threw his hands up in the air and turned to Kevin. “This guy here will see nukes being launched so that they blow up the entire world and he’ll say something like ‘Well at least now we’ll know if cockroaches and Michael Jackson are the only things that will survive nuclear war.”
“Oh God!” Kevin replied, speaking for the first time since I’d made my presence known. He started laughing so hard that he nearly fell out of the chair.
“Sean, that’s not fair.” I scolded my friend lightly. “Just because I try to look for the positive side of any situation doesn’t mean I’m a blind fool.”
“Yes, sometimes you are, Davey Jones.” Sean said and I was surprised to see a tear streak down his face as he turned back towards me. “You didn’t see Brandon and Brian dying in that chamber like I did.”
“Sean, I’ve been back here for two years now.” I said softly. “Please understand I was angry and hurt just like you are when I first came back. Sure, there are things in this time line that suck when compared to the last one, but things are going to get better. We’ve got a lot of challenges ahead of us here, but we can overcome them. Yes, I’m an optimist, but I have a reason to be an optimist. I know that things can change for the better. That happened in the last time line, not just for me but for you as well. You didn’t even meet me until around this time then, you didn’t see the work that went into making things better for me and things still got rough. This whole thing sucks. I miss my husband, but there’s no getting him back. That time line is gone forever, the only thing left to do is take what we have now and make the best of it that we can.”
“Fine, you go do that then.” Sean said as he turned away from me. “Just let me get drunk and cry myself to sleep.”
“If that’s what you need.” I said with a nod. Kevin was back in his chair, and looking at us with a weird expression. The moment was a little frustrating, and I hurt for my friend. All this talk had made me miss Brian even more.
What Sean had been saying when I first came in was mostly true. Brian had been my rock, my shelter, and my emotional balance for our entire lives together. I’d give anything to have that back again, and that was where Sean was wrong. Even alone, without Brian, I could still continue and do my work, and enjoy my life. There had been plenty of fun in the last two years with David, his brother, Derek, Tammy, Julie, and the other friends I’d made here.
Brian was just going to be the icing on the cake.
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