<P>He looked upon the reflection of himself - or, rather, his second self - and saw only a man, standing in a city, in a world that was devoid of life, at peace, and rested. But where he stood existed only himself, something altogether opposite from what he saw before him, and the world was red, and the ground was dyed with the hue of blood. And there was no way he could break that barrier beneath his feet, just as there is no way to return to the past. He was no longer a man and the world was no longer innocent, if it had ever been, and the young species which he had once thought himself to belong to was as confused as a young species could possibly be.
<P>
<P>There were corpses about him. Some wore red, some wore white. He recognized the split face of Gordon Quick. He saw dead policemen, and a military robot which had apparently been destroyed.
<P>
<P>Burning flesh filled his nostrils.
<P>
<P>He returned to the Luminous Path headquarters as quickly as possible. He ran. He ran so that his legs burned with the anger of exhaustion.
<P>
<P>There was no longer a Luminous Path headquarters.
<P>
<P>There was a pile of debris larger than any he could have ever imagined. More horrifying than anything he had ever previously seen.
<P>
<P>He was on his back.
<P>
<P>Looking towards the parting sky.
<P>
<P>And there was a black dot.
<P>
<P>It descended upon him so that he saw it was a helicopter. 
<P>
<P><JC>--- --- --- ---
<P>
<P>"There was light," Jess said, shivering beneath the blanket draped about her shoulders.