It wasn’t easy and I hesitated a lot, as usual. The day I made the decision to head to LHC was marked by a heavy, overcast sky mirroring the turmoil inside me. Guilt and hope were in a relentless tug-of-war within my heart. As I walked towards Cassidy Gate of Fort Bliss, each step felt laden with the weight of my choice. I was determined to go through with this, to use the Blue Hole at LHC for a chance to bring Nate back. The possibility of erasing my biggest regret was too compelling to ignore despite the risk it posed to Natalie.
The Confrontation at the Gate
As I neared the gate, a sense of foreboding crept up my spine. The familiar surroundings of the base, which I had navigated countless times, suddenly felt alien and hostile. My gut churned as a black van pulled up beside me, the abruptness of its appearance breaking my train of thought. Three muscular looking agents stepped out of the vehicle and I instantly knew what they wanted.
“Mr. Thorpinski, we need you to come with us,” one of them stated firmly, his tone was leaving no room for argument. I felt a surge of defiance, but it was quickly quelled by the realization that I was outnumbered and outmanoeuvred.
Rashmoor’s Fury Unleashed
They escorted me to Rashmoor, who was waiting with an air of barely suppressed fury. His office smelled like an ashtray; I guess he must have been on a cigar-smoking spree. The minimalistic decor of his office was a big contrast to the complexity of the emotions churning within me.
“Rashmoor, I need to leave the base for a couple of days max,” I began, cutting to the chase. “It’s about the Blue Hole, about Nate. I’ll be back on Wednesday at the latest to finish the Gravity Gun. You have my promise – the weapon will be finished without any more delays.” I couldn’t care any less about his pet project at this point, but I had to try to convince Rashmoor somehow.
His reaction was immediate and fierce. “You think you can just waltz off and play with time? You’re delusional, Thorpinski!” Rashmoor’s voice thundered through the room with fury. My bait clearly didn’t work.
“I have to do this,” I countered, and I could sense my voice lacing with desperation. “What I am about to achieve will be the biggest breakthrough since has seen in decades, if not centuries!. If there’s a chance I can bring Nate back…”
“A breakthrough, you say?”, Rashmoor cut in. “And what about Natalie, Jack?. “Have you considered what your little escapade might cost her?” His words were soaked with a sinister implication, reminding me of a dangerous trade-off between my quest and Natalie’s safety. “Did you really think I brought her here just for show? You should know better what I am capable of, Prof. Thorpinski.” It was a veiled threat, a reminder that my actions could have dire consequences for her. Rashmoor’s ability to manipulate the situation, to use Natalie as a pawn in this power play, was chillingly clear. His hint was a stark warning: in chasing my past, I might be sacrificing our future.
“And what about the project you’re supposed to be leading here?” Rashmoor ended, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not leaving this base, Thorpinski. I won’t allow it.”
Trapped and Powerless
His words were like a physical blow, knocking the wind out of my sails. I realized then that my plan to save Nate, my hope for redemption, was falling apart. Rashmoor’s agents were already closing in; their presence was a silent but clear message that I was not in control here anymore.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Jack. And you’re the only one to blame for the consequences to come,” Rashmoor added cryptically, his gaze was cold and calculating. “Take him back to his apartment and watch Professor Thorpinski closely”.
The agents escorted me back to my quarters and as I walked, the base seemed to close in around me. The walls and fences no longer seemed protective but imprisoning now. The freedom I had sought, the chance to right my wrongs, was slipping through my fingers like sand.
Confined to Quarters
Back in the confinement of my quarters, the weight of my missed opportunity settled heavily on me. The realization that I had missed the private plane to LHC hit like a physical blow. There it was, my chance to undo the past, to potentially bring Nate back, and I had let it slip through my fingers. The guilt that had driven me this far was now mingled with a deep sense of failure.
I sat there, staring at the wall, replaying the events in my head. Rashmoor’s calculated moves, his veiled threats about Natalie’s safety, had successfully trapped me. But it was more than that – it was my own indecision, my fear of the consequences, that had ultimately held me back. I had been so close, so incredibly close to stepping onto that plane and towards a possible redemption. Yet here I was, grounded, stuck in the same cycle of guilt and regret.
Missing the flight wasn’t just a missed appointment; it was a symbol of everything I’d been struggling with since Nate’s loss. It was a reminder of how deeply I was entrenched in this situation, how every move I made was scrutinized and countered by Rashmoor. In trying to navigate this complex web, I had lost sight of my goal, paralyzed by the potential cost of my actions.
As the night wore on, the silence of my quarters became deafening. The opportunity to change everything, to bring Nate back, had been in my grasp, and I had let it go. Now, I was left with the haunting question of ‘what if?’ – a question that would likely linger in my mind for a long time.
The loss of this chance was a bitter pill to swallow. It was more than just a logistical error; it was a testament to how much Rashmoor’s manipulation and my own inner turmoil had affected my judgment. I realized that if I were ever to get another opportunity like this, I would need to be more decisive, more courageous. The stakes were too high, and I couldn’t afford to be paralyzed by fear or guilt any longer.
