TIME part 4

Copyright (c) 2019 by Randall R. Peterson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This is a work of fiction. All persons, locations and actions are from the author's imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner.

By R. Peterson

The building in front of them was suddenly blasted to pieces. Stone and brick debris choked the air like the confetti of Armageddon. John held onto Leisha’s arm as they ran toward the hospital where Alvin Sullinger was supposed to be recovering. The fact that she was a weighted hologram made no difference to John. He was falling in love with her, and after all, didn’t many scientists believe that the entire universe, and everything in it, was nothing more than one vast illusion?

Three more F18 fighters streaked in a low formation over the floating city and John looked around wildly as they dodged a pile of smashed and overturned rail cars. “I would have never have believed that the United States Government would bomb a scientific community on their own soil even if it’s existence is in dispute!”

“I don’t think it’s the U.S. military that’s attacking,” Leisha said. “The building that controls the Anti-velocity shield that protects the city was destroyed first and that had to have sabotaged from the inside.

“Then what are they doing here?” Another group of military aircraft flew overhead this time it was helicopters.

“Alvin’s not sure but he thinks it might be for our protection.”

“Alvin’s not sure?” John was stunned. “The last I heard Alvin was comatose!”

“He’s awake now and he is communicating with me,” Leisha said. “The danger isn’t over … we have to hurry!”

-------2-------

The hospital complex where Alvin was recovering was severely damaged but the section he was staying in had miraculously survived what looked like several explosions. John was alarmed to see a man with body armor and an HK 416 assault rifle standing next to Alvin’s bed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” Alvin whispered. John noticed a gash on his left cheek, but other than that, the world’s greatest scientific genius appeared to be unharmed. “Kim Jones is my bodyguard and one of my oldest friends. We met when I was doing undergraduate research at M.I.T. and he was working as a building contractor in the area. In fact some of my greatest discoveries have occurred while we were having our morning coffee before work.”

“Sorry if I don’t shake your hand,” Jones said looking in all directions. He appeared to be listening to a headset. “There might be more of those religious extremists in the building!”

“Religious?”

“Yes,” Alvin said. “While I went out of my way to make sure religion had a place in our scientific community I never dreamed they would turn into my enemies.”

“It looks to me like you’ve been one of their biggest supporters,” John gasped. “Why turn on you?”

“Unfortunately the dark energy technology that solves the riddle of where do we go when we die has many narrow minded religious leaders up in arms,” Alvin sighed.

“We’ll have backup security here in two minutes,” Jones said.

Suddenly a man stepped from the shadows. John was alarmed to see the man was dressed like a priest. In his right hand he held a hand grenade and the pin appeared to be missing. “Don’t be a fool!” the priest said when Jones pointed the assault rifle at him. “There is no three second delay! When my fingers release the lever we all get to meet our makers.”

            “Father O’Bannon!” Alvin gasped. “What are you doing?”

            “Saving the world for Christ!” O’Bannon said. “I was dismayed when you began work on a scientific project that proves there is no heaven and no hell and I was astonished to find that so many others in this complex think it might be feasible. I cannot allow you to destroy faith that took two thousand years to build!”

            “It was you that infected me with the specialized form of Anthrax!”

            “I have no desire to harm innocents,” O’Bannon said. “With you out of the way this anti-Christ technology would have ground to a halt. It was unfortunate that your doctors found an antidote so quickly. We had to resort to other measures.”

            “We?”

            “It took more than a year to glean those special few from each religion who are willing to protect their faith with their lives even if that enemy turns out to be science,” O’Bannon said. “It was our group that planted the bombs and took down the anti-velocity shield. It was unfortunate that the US Government didn’t respond with an appropriate attack.”

            “You have it all wrong!” Alvin gasped. “Science and religion go hand in hand for those with open minds. The Big Bang Theory was described in the book of Genesis thousands of years before, believe it or not, a Belgian priest named Georges Lemaître first suggested that the universe began from a single primordial atom.”

O’Bannon looked stunned for a moment. The sound of men running up the partially destroyed stairs broke him from his paralysis. He released his fingers from the grenade just as Kim Jones flung himself forward. Jones covered the bomb with his body an instant before it detonated.

-------3-------

            The body armor Jones was wearing protected the others in the hospital room from the horrific explosion but he and O’Bannon were both killed instantly. In the hours afterward Alvin was beyond grief. “How can people who profess a belief in Christ resort to such violence to honor his name?”

            “Actions speak louder than words,” Leisha said. “When you love other people your whole world becomes a church.”

In the afternoon Alvin received a telephone call from the President of the US. “I’m glad that your facility is now secure and that you are unharmed,” he said. “I’ve ordered the military to keep guarding your complex until your shields are reactivated.”

            “Thank you,” Alvin said. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

            “I understand you can turn sand into gold,” the President quipped. “We could use about twenty tons to balance the budget!”

            “That wouldn’t be fair to your opponents in congress,” Alvin told him.

            “You’re probably right,” the President said. “I hope in the future we can open lines of communication between our common interests and perhaps lessen the adversaries that we’ve become.”

Alvin was still gloomy after talking to the president even though the crisis appeared to be over. “I’m not going to miss him,” he said, pointing outside where an ambulance was taking Kim Jones’ remains to a morgue and then later for burial in his home town of Cloverdale Montana.

            “I thought he was one of your oldest friends and most trusted colleagues!” John was stunned.

            “He was …. and is,” Alvin said. “We both believed that death does not exist … now I’m going to prove it.”

-------4-------

            Three days later John Masters stood with Alvin Sullinger and Leisha as Kim Jones’ remains were lowered into a grave inside Black Rose Cemetery. “Why did your friend want to be buried in this small town in the middle of nowhere,” John asked.

                “He didn’t,” Alvin said. “It was my idea to have him interred in Cloverdale. This was my hometown and it seems only fitting that this should be the place where my best friend’s last body resides.”

            “His last body?”

            “Yes,” Alvin said. “Tim believed as I do that death does not exist. All things in this world, including life, are governed by fundamental laws and concepts. There is no beginning and end in eternity so conception and death have to be the same thing.”

            “It’s too bad Jones died before you could prove your theory,” John said. “You might have been able to locate his new life.”

            “Oh it’s not too late,” Alvin said. “The explosions that disrupted Gravitron City did not effect the sattelites we have orbiting the Earth. Although we cannot as yet get shadow red readings of all life forms on Earth this section of the Northwest United States was one of our first priorties. If the computers show a match for the exact same time as Kim’s dea and the conception of a new life … we’ll know where he went.”

            “But Jones would be a newborn. He wouldn’t be the same person.”

            “We have long believed that a person’s subconscious brain remembers everything from former lives,” Alvin said. “It is only the forebrain that starts anew at each birth. This explains how people seemingly get smarter each new generation and is fundamental to the concepts of evolution.”

            “You think you can restore,” Kim’s former memories?

            “Not all of them,” Alvin said. “One past life should be enough. By the time the baby that was conceived when Kim died is two or three years old we will have the technology to restore his mind to who he was.”

            “Then what are you waiting for?”

            “An exact match for the time Kim died and the conception of a new life,” Alvin said. “But the chances are slim. We only have the capabilities to scan a small fraction of new life and death on this world still … I think there might be a chance.”

-------5-------

            It was in a busy cafe in Cloverdale called Spare-A-Dime that Alvin received his long awaited phone call. He was so startled that he knocked a sugar canister off from the table and spilled his coffee. The waitress had cleaned up his spill and brought a fresh cup before Alvin could catch his breath. “Good news?”

            “That remains to be seen Alvin whispered. “Our computers show that Kim Jones’ life ended at exactly at 4:19. 673856910733412 on Thursday September 11^th.  At that exact moment in time 4:19. 673856910733412  a new life was conceived in the Bronx in New York City.”

            “That’s fantastic!” John leaped from his seat. “You’ve just proven that death does not exist!”

A table filled with truck drivers turned and stared. After a moment they turned back laughing. “If I had a head that size I’d want to die,” one said.

            “We don’t know what kind of family Kim was born into,” Alvin said. “We might not be able to establish contact with him. “Most mothers would never allow their babies to be subjected to scientific experiments trying to bring back suppressed memories from former lives.”

            “I’d like to check this out for you,” John said. “New York City is my home town.”

            “Take Leisha with you,” Alvin suggested. “Whatever she learns I’ll know.”

-------6-------

            Nine months later, John and Leisha sat in a car outside the Department of Social Services for the South Bronx in New York City. Sarah Carson Jones was a sixteen year old unwed mother and as it turned out a distant relative of the late Kim Jones. Alvin Sullinger had followed a rare form of intuition when he chose the New York City area to scan for new life and it paid off. According to Alvin, life progresses in a natural order following family trees and parental lineage. If there is no death … there can be no life.

Leisha had been working in the social service office when Sarah filled out a form for giving her unborn child up for adoption. Under the space marked for concerns, she had written that she hoped her newborn baby’s adoptive parents would give him a good education and be loving and kind. John and Leisha looked at each other and smiled. They were about to make Sarah’s wishes come true.

THE END ?