The Visionaries

23

Duane woke up in a room. It was a plain grey room. There was a rack of clothing, all plain short sleeve shirts and jeans. Michael was in his room. 

"Good morning." he said. "The council, Jennifer and I have decided to issue a pardon on your and Alma's behalf. You have brought my daughter and delivered my wife back to their home." 

"So now she's your daughter? I thought you wanted natives dead." he said. 

"My daughter is the only child I have. Her having my blood automatically makes her better than you or your shared friends." he said. "My legacy will live through her and any grandchildren she has." 

"Now." he said. "Get showered and dressed. There's two people who want to see you." 

Duane sighed and they left the room. He quickly showered and got out. He had grown facial hair and his hair was slightly messy but still short. He shaved and changed. He had lost some muscle mass. He followed the guards out. They led him to a conference room. There was two people there. It was a man with short brown hair, gray eyes and dark tan, almost reddish skin. There was a young woman next to him with shoulder length brown hair and the same brown eyes. They were his father and sister from his memories. 

"Duane." his father said. 

Wordlessly, both his father and sister ran to him. They embraced, collapsing into the ground, sobbing. Duane felt a heavy pang in his chest. 

"My son, you're alive." he said. 

"I'm so glad to see you." Duane said. 

"Us too. We never stopped looking." his sister said. 

"We did it, Isabel. We found our son." his father said. 

They cried. Duane felt his chest hurting. He was so happy to see them alive, healthy, breathing. But he was also full of rage. They lost him and his mother. They probably lost more. It was all Michael's fault. They finally let go. Duane hugged his sister tightly. 

"I missed you." he said. Then he hugged his father. 

"We never forgot about you." his father said. "Your mother made me promise to find you even if you were just bones by then." 

"I saw her too." he said. "In the ancestral lands. I know she-" he felt his throat closed up. 

His sister looked down. "I'm glad at least she got her closure and you got yours." 

"What happened to all the other siblings? I'm sorry I can't remember your names yet." 

"I'm Charlie." she said. "Dad's name is Patrick." 

"What happened all these years?" he asked. 

"After you enlisted, we found out that Michael and his pals were elected in. They started to tear apart families. Kids older than sixteen were sent to labor camps. That is what happened to Julia and Damon. We used to get letters from them all the time and they stopped. They died during a SARS outbreak. We got moved to the center of town. Mom and Dad lost their jobs and had to go work for the camps. They chose to keep everyone in the military the same way but they did their hardest to kill off all the nonwhite soldiers in combat." Charlie said. 

"We used to get mail from you until a year ago. We were told you died in action and we were given ashes. Your mother was furious. She wanted to see you one more time. She also told us she had a dream the night you died of you calling for her. She refused to believe you died. She felt something was off." his father said. "She caught an illness at the hospital and she was on death's door by the time we went to the doctor. She was feverish, could barely breathe or talk. She made me promise her we'd find you. That I would search for you until my dying breath. Then she went delirious, calling out for your siblings and you. Oh, she sobbed, day and night. She was crying, calling out for her baby boy. Calling out for the twins, your siblings, Julia and Damon. She died crying for her children." 

Duane took a deep breath. That was horrible to hear. 

"We lost your brother, Caleb to the virus as well. We weren't allowed to mourn them. We were moved in and out of camps for work. Your mother would visit me in my dreams, crying and begging for her baby. I felt like a failure for every no I got." Patrick sighed. "I felt as if I had failed your mother. I had failed you. We were imprisoned under false charges so Michael could reintroduce us. That bastard. What he did to you. What he plans on doing to all of us." 

Duane nodded. 

"I was scared I'd never see you again. Especially when they told us we were getting executed." He said. 

"We feared that. Especially when you decided to join the ILM and turn against the New State. I'm proud of you, son. And I know your mom is too." Duane smiled. He was glad that he met them again. 

"But enough of us. Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm okay, I guess. He pardoned me. Poor Alma, she didn't want to be his daughter and if she finds out he pardoned me..."

"Alma?" Charlie asked. "You finally got a girlfriend?'

Duane felt his face get hot and his ears flush. 

"I mean we like each other but we haven't really called ourselves that yet...." He said.

"I understand. It's been crazy. And you're still trying to figure yourself out. Don't try to rush things, if she's meant to be yours, she will be." He said. "If you are meant to be hers, you will be."

"Thanks, Dad." Duane hugged him. The door opened and a guard in a green uniform was at the threshold. 

"Time's up, Kilchers." He said. 

Charlie hugged Duane. "We love you, don't forget that." He nodded, feeling the tears again. 

"I love you both." He replied. 

"Stay alive." His dad said as they left.