2400 AD

“Remove the chains,” Suiderland said.

His men did not question him. They unlocked the padlocks that bound Gideon and removed the chains.

“I’m not an unreasonable man, as you can see, Gideon. Sit down, please.” He got out of his seat and approached Gideon.

“Such a handsome face,” he touched Gideon’s face with thick, rubbery hands. “A picture. Almost numinous.” His fingers slid limly over Gideon’s delicate nose and limber lips, down his dimpled chin and up to the crevice of his left ear. Gideon closed his eyes and cringed.

“You should be dead by now. You’ll thank me for saving you later, I’m sure. “

Gideon whipped his gaze to face Suiderland. “You’re a piece of shit and you know it.”

“I always thought of myself as a charismatic, charming leader, but then I suppose everyone shares a different opinion. What you did just now, presenting an illusion of the children, was clever. I really believed you. We’ll get the children later. For now, we have you and who, in their right mind would be disgruntled about that? We have much to do. It would have been simpler if the children were here. They could have led us to the source of these bold simulations. We could have stopped it. But no, you had to interfere.”

“You’ll never see them. You’ll never get them.”

“The future has been written so to speak. The wheel is turning and it’s just a matter of time. Tick tock...tick tock...tick tock.”