Through the Hooded Bridge - 4. Part IV: Horror in Truth

Part IV: Horror in Truth

Adam was not prepared to see…. nothing, Brandon had guided them into a large empty room with one table. As Adam’s shock wore off, he noticed a pair of goggles with two earbuds on the table. It made sense to Adam at that point as he had played with an Oculus Rift and an HTC Vive system, 3D video output makes perfect sense to him.

Brandon lifted the device, “I hope you are ready, because this stuff is very painful to watch.”

Adam placed the goggles on and attached the earbuds. For a moment, all was silent, and then the visual and audio began. The first image was of the inside of the hooded bridge as the video began.

A voice can be heard directing efforts, it was Edwin, “Drones 1, 2, and 3 are ready to launch. Position the cameras and make sure video output compensates for radiation interference. We will be sending them to Hartford, New York, and Boston for reconnaissance on the damage done to these cities.”

The drone lifted off the ground and moved through the bridge, but the landscape at the other side was not an idyllic New England woodland, but a flattened landscape of burning trees in an orange haze.

Adam could hear the noise of the fire; it was a harsh sound like an animal preparing to strike at a dying animal from a nature documentary. Adam knew this fire would not be stopped and nothing will grow again for eons to come. The trees were already dead and barren due to the radiation, but their lifeless bodies at least provided the dead world with a memory of them. When the fire consumes them, there will be nothing left.

As the drone went higher, Adam could see the fire stretching for miles in random locations, he could see new fires starting as old ones combined. There was a set of data and time stamps to the side of the main images; most interestingly, chemical readings: Nitrogen 50%, Oxygen 15%, Carbon 30%, and Other 5%. Normal atmosphere composition should be 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% other, which Adam knew from his chemistry courses means that these fires were consuming material and Oxygen throughout the world destroying what was left.

Adam had thought he was prepared to see Hell on earth, but he was not ready to see what Hell really meant. There was no hope left for this world. The image flashed forward in time to an urban setting. It could have been Hartford as Edwin mentioned, there was nothing left that could identify the buildings.

Whatever city this was, it would be gone soon based on its rate of deterioration and the sporadic fires that had erupted in several spots. Adam could imagine smelling the foul fumes that were distorting the drone’s visual output. Despite the change in venue, Adam could still hear the roaring noise of fire he had heard in the woods. Now, he understood what the fire truly meant; it was not a wild animal, but the sound of a cremation furnace. The world was burning itself to death due to mankind’s follies. Adam thought about all the times he had taken the simplest joys of walking down a street, admiring the fleeting white clouds, or breathing fresh air. The future was a horrific rebuke on all human endeavors, a nihilistic fantasy of the sickest mind. Yet, here Adam was, in the middle of a ruin city, watching as the Oxygen and Nitrogen levels drop while Carbon increased as objects were continually incinerated.

The drone passed an apartment building and went closer. There were many scenes of skeletons and rotting bodies.

There were many macabre scenes of normal human interaction, like a simple dinner that has long since decomposed into brown petrified masses on the table. However, what shook Adam to the core was a family with two small children sitting in their living room with holes in their skulls and one skeleton lying on the floor with a gun. The kids stared blankly at Adam as if they knew he would be seeing this scene years in the past as an indictment against him. Adam chose to become a doctor, because he believed people can be saved, but what he saw was images of futility.

Adam had enough of the visions. He pulled off the headset, “That’s the future!”

Brandon placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder, “You only saw about 30 minutes of footage, we have hours and hours of the same thing in several other cities. In all of them, we did not find any trace of “living” human beings. From all of this, we gathered many people chose to die rather than live in such a fatal world to human life.”

“If other people see what you just showed me, maybe the world will realize the path they’re on is destructive.”

“It is not likely they will believe it; nor will they take our word for the changes that will be needed to change the path forward. They chose to destroy themselves already. We must do all we can to live on in the past.”

“I can’t accept that there is no way of fixing this future.”

“You’ll have to accept it.”

Adam felt a chill in his spine, “Then I’ll go back and try to do something, make them believe me.”

“You can’t leave without training and we’re not allowed to interfere with their disastrous developments. This is one area that cannot be cured, no matter how noble your intentions are.”

“You can’t expect me to leave this alone. You can’t expect me to leave Jordan to die in this hell.”

“With your partner, you may be able to persuade the Triumvirs, but you cannot cure mankind of an illness they chose to infect themselves with.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Stay here, fuck around, and let the world burn.”

“Right now, I think you should get ready for the communal bath. It might relax you and I know Caleb is waiting for you.”

As they left, Adam noticed the setting sun had given the Arcology a beautiful pink glow, like the pendant he wore. Yet, his mind was filled with other shapes and colors, blood red and orange hazes of fire from the dying earth in his future. Brandon and Adam did not speak again after they left the Arcology. They returned to the Victorian home of Caleb and the doctor, where Caleb greeted them both warmly. Adam could not return the favor, which the doctor instinctively picked up and waved Brandon and Caleb to leave the room.

“You saw the footage, I presume. It is not easy to face a futile issue, is it?”

“How can you pretend to be a doctor, knowing you could potentially save billions, but do nothing?”

“I seem to recall reading that there is a medical practice called triage, which entails saving as much as you can if possible. If we risk acknowledging the existence of this place to save billions on a slim chance versus saving thousands and protecting the existence of our branch of humanity with a provable certainty, which choice would you choose?”

“This is not terminal illness, it’s a living world and billions of individuals, living human beings.”

“Who chose this for themselves? They know their history and they know what war, strife, envy, greed, and misguided hatred will lead them towards. They picked up their swords and nuclear arsenals to do this to the world. This is their final outcome for all their crimes, poetic justice.”

“How about the innocent ones?”

“We are doing the best we can to save them, but Adam, it just might not be possible to distinguish good tissue from bad in this case.”

“Let me go back then and die with them, I can’t live out my days like this, knowing what I do and abandoning the man I love.”

“No one can leave here outside the Acolytes and Triumvirs after they come here, it is too dangerous if others discover the Hooded Bridge.”

Adam suddenly recalled his former friends, “What are you going to do with guys I had with me? They’re heterosexuals and assholes, are you going to allow them to stay? Or will you kill them like you are willing to do by inaction to the rest of the world? Why not just kill me too?”

“We will never harm one of our own intentionally. You are part of this community now Adam, whether it is by choice or fate. As for the “beings”, you brought with you, we have uses for them. Afterwards, they shall be freed with no memory of what happened here.”

Adam read in-between the words, Chad, Allan, and Dan were treated as lab rats. How could he have not thought of this reality? One of the main reasons genetic engineering and research into human cloning did not proceed forward as quickly in the 1990’s was the fact you would need to use live human beings. Even if they gained information from their future, they would need to actually perform experiments to truly make such work possible beyond theory. How many others have they experimented on? That’s the heart of this community. They don’t consider heterosexuals or their society on the same level as their own. Maybe, they don’t view it as prejudice, because of what will happen. Edwin and the others had built a society based on mutual trust, love, and an integrated approach to resources they believe would prevent the outcome of his own society’s foolishness. Adam cannot deny their claim on that point based on the evidence he has seen in this community; it is a far better society than the one he resides in. Still he cannot justify what they are doing on a personal level; even to his former friends who betrayed him. Beyond his personal outrage, he was afraid for how they were experimenting on live human beings, a flaw he believed needed to be redressed.

Adam formulated a plan to see his former friends, but he would need to enlist aid from someone. Caleb? Adam did not want to abuse the feelings Caleb had for him, nor the friendship they had built up, but he had to know.

Adam asked for Caleb’s room, which his “father” obliged, thinking it would help Adam to relax. Adam headed down the hallway towards Caleb’s room, which curiously was marked with a violet purple door. Not thinking to knock, Adam opened the door to a sight that left him a bit speechless. Brandon was laying on the bed with his “penis”, which had an alabaster skin tone compared to his radiant copper body, in a semi erect state and Caleb was completely naked with a towel on his shoulder.

Brandon winked at Adam, “Hey Adam, come to collect on Caleb. Don’t worry he saved his load for you.”

Adam had to admit, Caleb did look hot, “I…uh…. want to…”

Brandon smiled and began to leave the room, “I’ll let you guys have fun, see you at the baths.”

In seconds, it was just fully clothed Adam and naked Caleb. Caleb took the initiative. “Do you want to lie down or do you want to be in command.”

Adam had been resisting this the entire day and he felt guilty again, but he had to ask, “Caleb, will you help me do something?”

Caleb’s demeanor shifted, “Even though Brandon and I want to help you leave to find Jordan, it’s too dangerous to allow anyone to leave. Not to mention the precautions and safety measures near the Bridge.”

“I want to see them; I know you guys are doing stuff to them right now.”

“You mean the heterosexuals, who were with you? They will not be harmed. It’s much better than what our kind suffers in the outside world according to Brandon. We at least allow them to forget.”

“Please, I need to know. You are studying to be a doctor, too. Don’t you see the inherent flaw in live human experimentation?”

Caleb frowned, “Is that what you think we’re doing? We aren’t monsters like them. We’re not performing vivisections.”

“I just need to know.”

Caleb sighed, “We have a “Newcomer policy”, it isolates heterosexuals who come here by accident and our own kind brought in by Acolytes from our main population. We’re not supposed to go there, but I can take you there right now before the baths. Most people are preparing and there won’t as much security.”

He walked over to Adam with a sad look, “I am sorry…” Caleb began to kiss Adam passionately, then finished his statement, “…I know you cannot be into sex right now, because you still must work out your own relationship issues. I understand and I can wait for you.”

As Caleb dressed, Adam felt a pang of guilt. Here was a man, who threw himself at him from the start, but his motivation was more than just lust. Caleb truly wanted Adam to be a partner in his life; perhaps not at the same level as his relationship with Brandon, but it’s a bonding that he has rejected so many times already. Caleb still has not given up on seeking that bond and Adam could only feel additional regret for leaving him hanging. Was Adam’s concentration on the nature of sex too rigid?

Caleb led Adam out of the house and they walked silently down the street, which unlike the morning had settled into an eerie calm. The previous night, Adam felt at peace in silence, but after the video records, Adam longed for the sounds of human interaction and “life” itself. Adam remonstrated himself for not taking Caleb up on his offer. He hated the fact he needed to confirm what he already knew based on their actions to be true.

After several minutes of sprinting, they reached their destination. It was a large single story brick building with several rows of windows. Adam thought it looked like an office building you might find in the outskirts of many cities as part of industrial complexes. Chad’s car was conveniently parked in front, probably towed there earlier. Adam at first imagined a mental institution or a jail like building housing the undesirables in this utopia, but the building seemed small and there were no bars against the windows. When they entered, they navigated a series of corridors, until they reached a set of wide doors. Caleb motioned them to move past the doors and Adam had his first glimpse of his friends.

They were tied down to gurneys and completely naked with what looked like “milking” devices attached to their cocks and an anal probe inserted in their anus. It looked like a cross between a bondage fantasy and a dairy farm.

Adam turned to Caleb for an explanation, “What the fuck are you going to them?”

“Extracting genetic material, we’ve already taken samples of heir stem cells, bloodwork, and performed a full genome mapping.”

“Why do you need it? I thought you guys wanted only “good” genetic traits. Why are you milking them like cows?”

“Well, like many things, genetic diversity improves a species survival. We want to make sure we maintain a level of diversity with various elements, while targeting certain traits. We’re not the racists or eugenics proponents from your world. Everything we do is for sustainability and survival.”

Allan screamed, “Help me! They’re fucking me like a cheap whore.”

“Is that what you call “sustainability and survival”? It’s rape by any definition.”

“They are just being stimulated for maximum sperm output, they should have received pain relief dosages that should prevent pain.”

“I am going to stop this right now.”

Adam went over to Allan and began pulling off the restraints and devices attached to his body. After he pulled off all the attachment from Allan, suddenly Allan jumped up and grabbed Caleb in a choke hold. Adam was mortified to see Allan fling Caleb against the wall several times, bashing his face and loudly screaming, “Die, you sick faggot!”. Caleb collapsed on the floor. His body was limp and bleeding profusely.

Allan went over to the other two and began releasing them, while muttering, “Faggot got what he deserved.”

Adam stared down at the limp body of his new friend, checking his pulse, weak but steady, and apologizing, “I am sorry.”

Allan screamed at Adam, “Listen faggot, I don’t know what’s going on, but if you are done with your new boyfriend, why don’t you tell us where the car is so we can get the hell out of this place.”

“You fucking asshole, why did you have to rough him up so badly? He didn’t know any better. He grew up without ever knowing bigotry or pain like this, why did you do this?”

“Go cry to one of your faggy friends, they strung us up and fucked us, it is fair we fuck them back.”

“It was wrong, but they tried their best to make it as painless as possible, did you feel any pain? did you bleed out? You could have just pushed him away or yelled at him, why did you have to bash his head in?”

Dan jumped in abruptly, “Fuck that, I don’t care how nice they were about it. Are you with us or with them?”

Adam understood now why they could never be part of this community, “The car is outside the main doorway, you keep making left turns at the corridors. You guys can go due east and cross the bridge. I’m going to stay here to tend to Caleb.”

Chad shook his head, “You’re joking right? These people are horrible. Who knows what other things they might have around this place? Are you nuts?”

“I made up my mind to stay, but after this, they will likely kick me out too. At least this time, I won’t abandon someone who cares for me.”

Without additional arguments, Chad, Allan, and Dan raced out of the room. Adam tried his best to nurse Caleb, he even placed Caleb on one of the gurneys to give him some elevation and let Adam inspect the damage more closely. Caleb’s face was a mess: several of his teeth were chipped or completely dislodged, his jaw bone was dislocated, his nose was broken at a 30° angle, there was visible damage to his eyes, and he was showing some signs of cranial hemorrhaging. Adam did not know how he could contact help, nor if he should move Caleb in his state. Adam felt lower than dirt for accusing Caleb or even suspecting dark nature of this utopia, which he was responsible for tearing apart. How could he be so doubtful and suspicious, when all he had to go on was nuance and fear? In Adam’s mind, he deserved the same fate as the billions of human beings who chose to take their divisive nature into actions that destroyed the world in the process.

All Adam could do was weep and hold Caleb’s hands tightly, “I am so sorry, I am so sorry, I am so SORRY! All you wanted was for us to connect, I should never have asked you to help me, I should never have questioned your good intentions. Please, don’t die!”

“We’ve been watching you Adam,” Edwin spoke at the entry way, there were several doctors and others with him.

“I am so sorry. It was my fault, my doubt that led this to happen to Caleb. He wouldn’t have ever felt this pain if I was not around him.”

“Yet, you stayed by his side instead of leaving with the barbarians.”

“I don’t want to abandon someone else, who genuinely showed me love, even if I can’t return it.”

“I think you did show Caleb your love and when Caleb wakes, he will know you did reciprocate his feelings in your own way. You see Adam that is what makes our bonds here different from the bonds many people seek to form in your world. Sex is merely a sign of bonds and love, but it is not the only way to show it.”

“I don’t deserve to be here, Edwin. I think you guys should kick me out.”

“Yes, you will have to be punished for your actions Adam, sadly you will not make it to tonight’s public bathing, nor many tomorrows, but what you showed Caleb and us tonight means you will be able to join us one day.”

Adam felt a warm glow like the one in the forest, but this time he turned to face the culprit, Brandon gave him a soft smile, “I forgive you Adam and so does Caleb.”

***

“Paging doctor Reinhart, patient Birch status report requested.”

Adam awoke in a hospital room, feeling dizzy and disoriented. He tried to focus his vision and move his arms, but he felt something heavy on his left arm. It was an unmistakable ruffle of brown hair he could never forget even without maple syrup and pancake pieces.

His voice was weak, but he wanted to make his words count, “I love you Jordan.”

Jordan beamed with joy, “I love you Adam Birch, no matter what.”

It took days for Adam to full recover from his ordeal. According to the police officers, they found him in a piece of deserted woods, dehydrated and barely alive after 96 hours of him and his friends being reported missing. They told him he was likely left behind after the party, while his friends drove off. As for Chad, Allan, and Dan, they had died in a fiery car accident several miles away from where they found Adam. Autopsy of their bodies revealed a high concentration of THC, a chemical found in Marijuana. Adam’s toxicology test showed negative readings.

In private, Adam told Jordan about what he thought had happened and the strange LGBT community that existed 50,000 years in the past. Jordan was playful with Adam’s recount of the story, including the account of Caleb. Through the story, Adam settled many issues between himself and Jordan; he embraced Jordan as the only man he loves as a soulmate, no matter how many others may come into play in both their lives. Jordan acknowledged his fear of losing Adam as his best friend, partner, and soulmate during the incident in Adam’s dorm room. Hearing how the people in that world lived without strife or fear gave both Adam and Jordan hope that Jordan and he could weather any storm in their relationship as long as their bonds of love did not fade.

Still, both agreed that Adam had probably suffered from hallucinations, that the events he seemed to remember, like the smoke and fire of the videos, were cued by actual occurrences like the argument with Chad about smoking weed and driving

Then on the last day of Adam’s hospital stay, as Jordan was preparing to drive them home, the nurse on call provided Adam with the cleaned clothes he was wearing when they found him. It was the same outfit Carl had given him, but there were two triangular pendants instead of one.

(Fin)