Status: Completed.
The Rule
Restoring the Balance
“I apologize for all of this confusion, Mr. Hopper,” Johnson said. “Things weren't supposed to get this crazy, but they did anyway. Guess it just shows how much control we really have over these things, eh?”
“He said some crazy things,” Ben replied. “Secret organizations, houses disappearing, and something about one of the wars over in France.”
“It's a good thing I killed him then,” just Johnson replied. “That's a lot to be saying all at once.”
“So then it's true?” Ben asked. “All that stuff he said was true?”
“I didn't say that,” Johnson defended. “I can't say anything, really, I'm sworn to the same secrecy that Davis was. However, I can tell you that nothing he said will concern you, just as long as you don't go looking for trouble, understand?”
“Of course,” Ben replied. “I'll leave Animal Farm here and go back to my own time. Won't come near this place again, you can count on that.”
Johnson sighed.
“I wish fixing the problem was that simple, Mr. Hopper, I really do. Because of Davis's quick trigger instinct, however, we're left with a major problem. A life was taken in 1945, which means another life must be left in place of it in order for the Rule to be maintained.”
Ben's jaw dropped. “You mean me and Job, don't you?”
“No, just you. There must be only one new life transferred to 1945, not two.”
Job whimpered.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Hopper, but the Rule is the rule, it cannot be changed.”
Ben thought for a minute. This time, he was paying for someone else's mistake and he didn't like it, but escaping this was not an option. Either way, he and old Job were going in different directions. The only question was, which time would be better for his longtime companion?
“Would he be able to find a home in 2012?” Ben asked. “A nice family that could afford all the treatment he needs?”
“I'll see if something can be arranged,” Johnson replied. “Of course, this means you'll be the one to go back in time and live twenty years before you were even born.”
“I know, and I don't mind that.”
“However, you can't stay in this town once you cross over.”
“I figured,” Ben said. “I was born and raised here, and I can't be interacting with my younger self because of the repercussions it might have, right?”
Johnson nodded.
“Don't worry, I'll be gone before 1970 rolls around.”
Ben looked down at the whimpering Job.
“Oh, old boy, we sure had it rough.”
He knelt down and held the dog close to him.
“But you know what? Things will be getting better for you soon, Mr. Johnson here will see to that. You're going to get everything you need and then some, all right?”
Job whimpered and whined again.
“I wouldn't have made it this far without you.”
Ben rose to his feet and turned to face Johnson again.
“You're sure this'll fix everything?”
“Positive,” the mysterious man replied.
“What if someone else comes through that door and upsets everything again? Does that mean someone else will have to die?”
“That won't happen because this door will be shutting down soon,” Johnson replied. “Security measures, you understand. Too many strangers have been using this as a luxury for our liking.
“It's time, Mr. Hopper, I'll need you to step outside for a few seconds. Once you're outside, count to ten and then come back in. Make sure nothing was left behind, okay?”
“Got it.”
So Ben turned away, trying to tune out Job's cries as best as he could, and headed for the front door. He opened it and climbed down the steps leading out to the still-littered street. The charred body of the homeless man had been removed, presumably by Johnson before he killed Davis.
The old man counted to ten in his head and heard nothing but silence afterward.
He turned and re-entered the apartments. Davis's ashes, the damage done to the walls and door, and even the back door at the end of the long corridor were all gone. The connection between the two years had been broken, and the Rule would never be threatened on this front again.
For now, all he could do was act like he knew nothing of what was coming. Vietnam, the Apollo landings, Nixon, and nearly fifty years of nuclear tension.
All around him, people would be on edge as it seemed like the end was just around the corner. Even in his own time, there were conspiracies that 2012 would be the end of everything. If they were true, he was now a safe distance from them. By the time that year came around again, Ben would most likely have already passed on.
He sighed out loud and then looked across the street at Pell's Precious Pieces. Donald peeked out through the blinds and then opened the front door.
“Back already?” he asked.
Ben nodded.
“Where's your dog?”
“Someone wanted to take him in. He'll have a better life with them.”
“I'm sorry,” Donald replied.
“I've got your book still, if you want it back. I don't have a need for it anymore.”
“Keep it,” Donald said. “Hey, listen, I can't guarantee I can pay you but I'll need some help loading the last of the inventory into the moving truck. Should take about a day or two, depending on how many trips I'll have to make to the junkyard. You interested?”
“Sure,” Ben said. “Why not? Say, Mr. Pell, where were you planning on going after this?”
“North,” Donald replied. “To one of the big cities, why?”
“Mind bringing another old soul along for the ride?”
Donald grinned. “Sure, you look like you could use a new start, and I'm just nice enough to give you that chance.”
A new start, Ben thought. Seems funny.
In 1945, nearly twenty years before he was even born, Ben Hopper had found a fresh start in life while in 2012, his companion Job had also found the same thing. Although it wasn't exactly what he had imagined happening, Mr. Hopper never quit being thankful that it had.
As for the men in suits with the funny lapel symbol, he never saw anyone like that again. If they had been near him, then they must have known to avoid him. It was tempting to dig around and see if other doors in time existed, maybe even figure out who was employing things like Johnson and Davis to pretend to be normal and watch over them, but Ben did no such thing. He had told Johnson he wouldn't go looking for trouble, and he didn't.
The Rule was simply too powerful to go against and win, and that was a lesson he would never forget.
“He said some crazy things,” Ben replied. “Secret organizations, houses disappearing, and something about one of the wars over in France.”
“It's a good thing I killed him then,” just Johnson replied. “That's a lot to be saying all at once.”
“So then it's true?” Ben asked. “All that stuff he said was true?”
“I didn't say that,” Johnson defended. “I can't say anything, really, I'm sworn to the same secrecy that Davis was. However, I can tell you that nothing he said will concern you, just as long as you don't go looking for trouble, understand?”
“Of course,” Ben replied. “I'll leave Animal Farm here and go back to my own time. Won't come near this place again, you can count on that.”
Johnson sighed.
“I wish fixing the problem was that simple, Mr. Hopper, I really do. Because of Davis's quick trigger instinct, however, we're left with a major problem. A life was taken in 1945, which means another life must be left in place of it in order for the Rule to be maintained.”
Ben's jaw dropped. “You mean me and Job, don't you?”
“No, just you. There must be only one new life transferred to 1945, not two.”
Job whimpered.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Hopper, but the Rule is the rule, it cannot be changed.”
Ben thought for a minute. This time, he was paying for someone else's mistake and he didn't like it, but escaping this was not an option. Either way, he and old Job were going in different directions. The only question was, which time would be better for his longtime companion?
“Would he be able to find a home in 2012?” Ben asked. “A nice family that could afford all the treatment he needs?”
“I'll see if something can be arranged,” Johnson replied. “Of course, this means you'll be the one to go back in time and live twenty years before you were even born.”
“I know, and I don't mind that.”
“However, you can't stay in this town once you cross over.”
“I figured,” Ben said. “I was born and raised here, and I can't be interacting with my younger self because of the repercussions it might have, right?”
Johnson nodded.
“Don't worry, I'll be gone before 1970 rolls around.”
Ben looked down at the whimpering Job.
“Oh, old boy, we sure had it rough.”
He knelt down and held the dog close to him.
“But you know what? Things will be getting better for you soon, Mr. Johnson here will see to that. You're going to get everything you need and then some, all right?”
Job whimpered and whined again.
“I wouldn't have made it this far without you.”
Ben rose to his feet and turned to face Johnson again.
“You're sure this'll fix everything?”
“Positive,” the mysterious man replied.
“What if someone else comes through that door and upsets everything again? Does that mean someone else will have to die?”
“That won't happen because this door will be shutting down soon,” Johnson replied. “Security measures, you understand. Too many strangers have been using this as a luxury for our liking.
“It's time, Mr. Hopper, I'll need you to step outside for a few seconds. Once you're outside, count to ten and then come back in. Make sure nothing was left behind, okay?”
“Got it.”
So Ben turned away, trying to tune out Job's cries as best as he could, and headed for the front door. He opened it and climbed down the steps leading out to the still-littered street. The charred body of the homeless man had been removed, presumably by Johnson before he killed Davis.
The old man counted to ten in his head and heard nothing but silence afterward.
He turned and re-entered the apartments. Davis's ashes, the damage done to the walls and door, and even the back door at the end of the long corridor were all gone. The connection between the two years had been broken, and the Rule would never be threatened on this front again.
For now, all he could do was act like he knew nothing of what was coming. Vietnam, the Apollo landings, Nixon, and nearly fifty years of nuclear tension.
All around him, people would be on edge as it seemed like the end was just around the corner. Even in his own time, there were conspiracies that 2012 would be the end of everything. If they were true, he was now a safe distance from them. By the time that year came around again, Ben would most likely have already passed on.
He sighed out loud and then looked across the street at Pell's Precious Pieces. Donald peeked out through the blinds and then opened the front door.
“Back already?” he asked.
Ben nodded.
“Where's your dog?”
“Someone wanted to take him in. He'll have a better life with them.”
“I'm sorry,” Donald replied.
“I've got your book still, if you want it back. I don't have a need for it anymore.”
“Keep it,” Donald said. “Hey, listen, I can't guarantee I can pay you but I'll need some help loading the last of the inventory into the moving truck. Should take about a day or two, depending on how many trips I'll have to make to the junkyard. You interested?”
“Sure,” Ben said. “Why not? Say, Mr. Pell, where were you planning on going after this?”
“North,” Donald replied. “To one of the big cities, why?”
“Mind bringing another old soul along for the ride?”
Donald grinned. “Sure, you look like you could use a new start, and I'm just nice enough to give you that chance.”
A new start, Ben thought. Seems funny.
In 1945, nearly twenty years before he was even born, Ben Hopper had found a fresh start in life while in 2012, his companion Job had also found the same thing. Although it wasn't exactly what he had imagined happening, Mr. Hopper never quit being thankful that it had.
As for the men in suits with the funny lapel symbol, he never saw anyone like that again. If they had been near him, then they must have known to avoid him. It was tempting to dig around and see if other doors in time existed, maybe even figure out who was employing things like Johnson and Davis to pretend to be normal and watch over them, but Ben did no such thing. He had told Johnson he wouldn't go looking for trouble, and he didn't.
The Rule was simply too powerful to go against and win, and that was a lesson he would never forget.