“I don’t understand,” I say as I shake my head.
“…don’t… understand…” Claire repeats.
“The first day that Noah met you, he implanted you with a tiny transmitter—in the back of your neck…”
“The spider’s bite…?” I say as I search for the small bump I had all but forgotten about.
“That was his cover. After Noah and a lot of people on the inside of C-Shapes had discovered that something terrible was going on, they started reporting C-Shapes’ plans to the resistance—we formed an alliance with Japan and called ourselves ‘The Ohana.’ We had the information, we just needed to get it out there,” Katherine explains.
“If you had everything you needed, if Noah had all the info—then why me?” I ask, growing frustrated and a little confused as I try and keep up.
“Why me…?” Claire repeats.
“Because people needed to be shown it in a different way… all they were seeing on TV was the news. Noah came up with the idea that we had to present this in a way that people could relate to it, a story… like in the old days. He placed a transmitter inside of you that gave us access to everything you’ve seen, your thoughts, your dreams, and your words… all of your experiences. Everything you went through was transferred to The Ohana—we edited it down, of course, to an eight hour story… Originally, as Noah had envisioned it, it was just meant to show things from your side. From someone who’d be sympathetic to Claire. Instead, you ended up showing us all a lot more than Noah or The Ohana could have ever expected… you ended up having to run—even Noah’s backup plans failed… You had to face Hunters who admitted the truth, you had to fight off Aggros that had been activated by C-Shapes, you saw the riots first hand, it all came to light… and then the nuclear attacks hit. Ultimately, we needed to find a way to take down C-Shapes network and put your story up… once it was finished—however, without any intervention from us, that issue took care of itself as well when the C-Shapes main facility was completely overrun… another thing that Noah did not expect but you saw coming… we still don’t know who did it—it could have been anyone from any country. Anyway, that night that you opened up the metal case… your final transmission ended and we were able to start finishing your story.”
“Who has seen this?” I ask.
“Everyone…” Katharine says as she turns on the large monitor. It flashes to the time that I hid my work badge and phone in the glove box of my old car and snuck Claire, or Cherie at the time, into the restaurant. “It has been playing continuously for eight hour time periods over the past ten days… all over the entire world. It has been translated in every language… the entire world has seen it. They saw everything that you went through. They were shown the truth, of course… but more importantly they saw your story. They laughed at times; they cried at other times… They were horrified, scared, and worried. They watched you fall in love. They watched as others gave their lives for you… and one who kept attempting to…”
Robert coughs purposefully as he looks away and out the window.
“People have watched your story over and over… people all over the world have sat down and watched it from beginning to end—numerous times. You gave them something that a simple newscast about the truth never, ever, could—you gave them all hope. You’ve changed the world, without even knowing it. All those people at the dock—they were there because they wanted to see you. They wanted to know how it ultimately ended for you. All around the world, people watched you come ashore,” Katharine finishes as she places her hands on the table.
I am rendered speechless. I swallow hard. “I didn’t fail?”
“No Unstables have been killed since your story first aired,” the Protector says as he smiles.
“Noah only planned to use me for a simple story about… him telling me the truth—me taking Claire off of the pills and dealing with the consequences? That I would be compassionate and help her… that’s all?”
“It was enough for him—of course, things don’t always go as they planned. I imagine the suitcase was an afterthought in case thing started to look bad, as he planned on telling you the truth in person once the transmission device failed,” Katharine says as she nods. “You said it best yourself—he was just an interest story writer, he never imagined a bigger picture—not one so grand and terrifying that was painted out for you by fate. His original idea was enough for us as well. That is why we so heavily funded his plan.”
“The bulletproof car—the money, everything he had…”
“All supplied by The Ohana.”
“We didn’t fail…” Claire whispers.
“You and Ethan, and Robert… you saved the Unstables… in a way… you saved the humanity in us all.
“What happens to us now?” Robert asks as he looks at the large crowd outside nervously.
“You can live here,” the Protector says as he nods and smiles. “You are welcome here for as long as you want to be here—we are honored, your presence here will honor us—after we are all long dead, your stories will live on. Your time here will always be something that people remember and speak of fondly.”
“We won’t be split up… ever?” I ask, still concerned about the entire stigma that was associated with having any kind of relationship with an ‘Unstable.’
“No, you’ll never be split up. You are in love—the whole world has accepted that,” Katharine says as she points to the screen. It shows us kissing for the first time—the same day that Claire smacked me. My inner dialogue speaks on the screen, about how I know it is wrong, but how it feels right—how it is right.
“So will you stay with us?”
“Claire?” I ask, as I turn to her and place her hands in mine.
“Yes?”
“It’s not Paris…” I start with a short laugh. “But, will you make a home here with me—can you be happy here.”
“I can…” Claire says as she smiles and wraps her arms tightly around me.
“Robert?” The protector asks as he turns to the large man. “We would be honored.”
“What about America?” He asks.
“In time they will be ready to rebuild. Right now it is dangerous to even be there… especially after the nuclear fallout. We know that there are safe pockets of people, but it is still a dangerous place—but we… The Ohana, will not give up on them.” The Protector replies.
“I will stay until I can return and help,” Robert says as he nods.
16: Epilogue
Claire is wearing her black sweater, the one with the white flowers printed on them and the sparkling abalone top button. She is wearing a pleated black and white skirt and her tight black leggings. The air is cool, and the smells of a different continent fills our nostrils. We stand in front of the Eiffel Tower, finally, we kiss. Our daughter, who will turn two in November, is with us. She is as normal as… well, I guess as normal as one could be. There is no worry or fear that she will pass on the virus that nearly left the world destroyed ten years ago.
“How do I feel?” I say as I speak into a camera. “I really don’t know. I still don’t understand it all—about why I was chosen. I still have questions, but I guess they will never really be answered—but life is a lot like that I suppose… a lot of questions and not often a lot of answers. I’m alright with it thought. We call Unstables just… people now. It is what they always were. Our story is still played from time to time… however, there are so many other stories now… stories just as important as ours. Stories about survivors, stories from people who were hunted and locked up without reason… this is not just about us anymore and I am happy about that. These experiences, these stories, belong to everyone now, and we are all better off for it. So much of the world has changed for the better—the only thing I can really state that I feel is important is… that we continue to change for the better and continue to be understanding. That if something should ever happen in the future that we don’t quite understand, we don’t act out of fear—instead, we act out of compassion—out of love. In the end that is all that really matters…”