Artifact Chapter Four

Artifact
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content

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Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

Piper said out loud, “I’m a murderer. A selfish, immature murderer.” He stood up for a moment only to have his legs buckle. The landing was hard but Piper welcomed it. “Wen, I am a murderer. And they knew it! Every single goddamn Admiral, Examiner, Council member knew it.”
“Wayne, you are not the person 60 years ago.”
“How can you say that?!? I killed Wendy!”
Wen slowly said, “Yes, you killed Lieutenant Commander Gordon sixty years ago, but the person you were then is not the same person now. You suffered brain tissue damage to the point that effectively you are different.”
Piper shook his head vigorously for a few seconds.
“Wayne, you went through an extensive vetting. GRID Central would have never let you resume service if they thought you were unworthy . . .”
“But . . .”
“No buts, that’s the way of GRID and The Most High. Lieutenant Commander Gordon was a Most High. Her Father the Admiral was a Most High. You were not. Think about that.”
Piper ran a hand through his hair. “I’m a Most High now . . . kind of.”
“Wayne, forgive, but don’t forget.”
“How can you say that?”
“I can never forget, but I can forgive.”
Piper frowned. “But you’re a . . .”
“Synthetic Intelligent, yes. And, you were right. I do feel. I just don’t like to advertise it.”
“Wen . . .” Piper paused and couldn’t decide what he wanted to say.
“Fundamentally, you are a different person.”
“How so?”
“You suffered brain tissue damage. Psyche scans verify you have little to no recognition to what happened 20 years ago. Therefore, you are different.”
“I don’t think I can forgive myself – yet.”
Wen replied, “It’s a start.”
“Agreed.” Admiral Ty said from the back of the room.
Piper jumped when he heard his Boss’ voice. “Admiral! Not expected!’
Ty smiled. “I never am.”
Piper said, “How much of this did you know?”
“Up until six months ago, very little.” He shrugged. “Only what was in the official reports. The Holoscenes are property of The Most High.” Piper said, “Wen?”
“The Admiral is telling the truth.”
Ty, surprised, said, “Wayne? I’ve withheld info from you, but never lied.”
Piper laughed. “Which is usually seen as the same thing.”
Ty nodded. “Point, but, seriously. I trust you. You’ve saved my life once and how can I forget that?”
Piper took a deep breath. “I’m a goddamn murderer!”
“Sixty years ago and that you is technically gone.” Ty replied.
“Technically?!? I’m the same person.”
Ty shook his head slowly. “The Examiner’s report says you suffered enough brain tissue damage to have altered your personality. Forty years in stasis was the best thing for you.”
“Murder is still murder.”
The room went silent for several moments.
Ty finally said, “You have two choices.”
“They are?”
“Live or suicide. I don’t have a lot of time.”
Piper felt the weight of his words. Would he be able to live out his life in peace knowing what he knows now? Would he be able to look into a mirror and stare into eyes of a selfish coward?
“You are of The Most High. You have served GRID selflessly. You have followed in the footsteps of giants whose only mission was to solve crimes. You’ve risked your life to save countless others. I have a folder with hundreds of heroic acts from you. Nearly twenty years of helping people. You’ve given to the cause and then some. How can I not call you Brother?”
“But . . .” Piper started.
“Wayne, you’ve been beating yourself up for twenty years.”
“What about Wendy?”
“Wen uses Wendy Gordon’s voice. You visit her sister every few months and you pay respect to a dozen other crew members’ grave sites. You’ve been subconsciously carrying this burden in your head. Your night terrors.”
“But I’m still a murderer. I should pay for my crimes.”
“How many lives have you saved since then?”
Piper shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
Ty grabbed him by the shoulders. “It does matter.”
Piper started to protest.
“You’ve been beating yourself up for twenty years. You became an Investigator to help solve crimes. Now you’ve solved your own – and you can still solve crimes . . . on your own.”
Piper snapped. “It’s that easy for you?!?”
Ty let go of his shoulders. “It is.” His stare into Piper’s eyes were intense. “It is that easy. So, don’t forgive yourself.” He shrugged.
“At least think about what you have and can do. If you want to take your own life no one will stop you.”
Piper returned Ty’s gaze. Debt paid by suicide? That would be too easy. They have pills to help you cope he thought. One or two would make you never care about anything or anyone around you. You’d be blissfully happy at being selfish and uncaring. “All that easy?”
Ty replied, “As easy as you want to make it.”
“Alright. I’ll think about it.”
“Good, because I have one more thing for you?”
“Wait. This case. There is no case, is there?”
Ty smiled. He liked Wayne. “It was solved ten years ago, but you needed to solve the mystery of your past. And, you did.”
Piper frowned. “So, why go through that?”
“She wanted you to go through it.”
“She? You mean . . .”
“Erickson.”
Piper asked, “Now what?”
With a wide grin, Ty said, “We see The Most High.”

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