Ever-Life the Two Book Set: The C.P.T Incident and Time Trust (59 page)

“You realize; I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“I’ll tell you a little secret. I come from the surface. I really prefer slowing things down, and actually talking; rather than poof. All of a sudden, you know it all.”

“Poof, huh; okay; whatever that means; or perhaps, this is just pretty good vodka?”

“That it is…I can see, we will have to get into much more detail about this, for you to really understand. For now, let me say, there are certain genetic markers of mine and yours that, together, across the barrier of time, were stressed. Brock’s sustenance, altogether, with his Carrier’s wherewithal, and with his ancestor, Nicolas’s wherewithal; and yours and mine, created a power surge within the Sidron.”

“Sidron; I’ll have to look it up…So you are saying, without our combined markers, I would be dead right now.”

“Interesting way of putting it; yes.”

“Can it happen again, to someone else?”

“Well, it has never happened before. Who’s to say? Here, within Ever-Life, genetics are everything. It seems; I can’t send you back, even if I could.”

“So, I start over again…”

Andrew stood thinking, across from Bellos at the bar.

“…And we are related?”

“You are empty again… another drink?”

“Definitely! What do I call you, distant brother, or am I your grandfather’s grandfather’s, grandfathers ancestor?”

“We will have to ask Thom. He’s keeper of the records.”

Bellos poured again and quipped, “Well, if you are anything like I was, when Gordon hired me, you are going to be saying ‘what’ quite a lot.”

“So you’re hiring me?”

“Hell, no! Maybe nominate you for something.”

“Perhaps I should take some notes?”

Bellos chuckled, “Don’t bother; I’ll have to repeat this one several times, before I understand it, myself.”

“You know, standing here like this, with you; it reminds me of conversations I had, a very long time ago…”Andrew got a tear in his eye. “…Subject for another conversation.”

Bellos sighed and got a look of uncertainty on his face. “I’m not quite sure how to begin or where to start. Have you ever been to Washington D.C. or Mexico City?”

“Yes; D.C. several times, with family; but only to Mexico City once, alone, for about ten days; I was on the job. I was impressed with the catacombs.”

Bellos’s eyes opened wide. “Ah, yes, one of our first Posts, in the America’s; then, are you familiar with underground structures?”

“Not really; what do you mean, Posts?”

“Hmm, did you know Washington D.C. was built on a catacomb foundation too, quite similar to this cave structure really?”

“What ?”

Bellos giggled, “There’s that word again…I’ll tell you what; on second thought, I think it would be more prudent if we talked, after you put one of these on, again.”

He pulled a headset out, from behind the bar and held it up to Andrew. “Remember this?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.”

“Right; good.”

Bellos placed the set over Andrew’s ear. “Wear it like that; there. Now just relax. This will only take a minute. You will probably understand more this way… We have to do something, about losing the art of conversation….After you’re done, we will talk more.”

Andrew sipped on his drink, as the inputs began

Chapter 31

The Funeral

             
A crowd of several thousand lined all around Ever-Life’s Grand Arcade, in Giza’s Time Trust chasm. People and dignitaries from every Post came to pay respects to the most progressive and successful GGM in the history of the colonies, Gordon Swanson. Funeral ceremonies were celebrated once a month, and broadcast to every monitor in all colonies. One 15 minute period was set aside to honor all those, who passed away, within the Ever-Life community. However; today was the first funeral, which included a GGM in 200 years. So, it would be a little different, and a little longer. People had never seen adult Carriers lined up and down the grand chasm. In Amphitheater’s throughout Ever-Life’s eight Posts, sat various families and friends of other dearly departed.  At Giza were the close friends of Gordon Swanson; and in Arden, New Mexico, were the family and friends of Abby Johnson, and so on. Ceremonies were usually broadcast to the local residences; but, today, Mathew Bellos would speak in honor of Gordon Swanson, and that short service would be broadcast throughout the colonies. The service was scheduled for late-afternoon. Jack and Brian Sheldon had arrived by special Carrier Bubble to attend. He met with Bellos, privately, before the ceremony.

“Jack, glad you made it. How’s Rachel?”

“Not good. She’s still in a deep coma. Thanks for the use of Dr. LuAnne and the labs, though. I’m not sure what to do. LuAnne says neither Nanites nor the new C.P.T. has worked on her this time. She’s in a place I can’t go. Your team did confirm; she has the same crippling gene Gordon did.”

“I wish there was something we could do. We know so much; but, there’s so much more to learn. Don’t give up, my friend. We’ll keep at it.”

The two hugged. Jack sat down; and Bellos went to the podium.

             
“Good afternoon my Ever-Life friends…Welcome to this month’s Life Celebration. We gather to honor those dearly departed, and pay respect for their contribution to all of us; to their families, friends, careers, and to the many of us, who they never knew, but whose lives will be forever changed, and better, because they lived. They will be remembered, and ever live, through us all…

…Also; today is a very special day, because we lost one of our most beloved and accomplished GGM’s, Mr. Gordon Swanson. He was my predecessor, mentor, and for all of us, the longest most progressive and successful GGM in our history. His life and his efforts have affected us all, for the better. Let us pray:

‘We thank our Lord for giving us this man…Thank you for your service, Gordon. You will live in our hearts, and our minds and our daily lives, every day’…

…And now, may each one of our stations play the short video, celebrating of our great GGM’s service record, for all of you to reflect upon, if you so choose…This ends today’s broadcast ceremony. May God bless us all!”

              Bellos took two steps back from the podium, and everyone stood, while the Ever-Life anthem played. At the end of it, each person turned and faced the grand chasm. To everyone’s surprise, all went dark-pitch black, the light, which all took for granted, went out. After the nervous awes of the crowd subsided, the Carriers displayed what could only be described as breathtaking-another first. They began shooting fireworks; but, there were no sounds, just silent explosions of magnificent and varied colors. The beauty was indescribable. People began to clap and cheer. Wonderful music started playing from the monitors. The show continued for twenty minutes. The finale was like nothing anyone had seen. When it finished, light came on again; and, Bellos addressed the crowd, one last time, “Thank you all for remembering our loved ones; Ever-Life, everywhere!”

Then, he stepped down from the stage and began greeting and talking to the few personal friends, who sat in front of the podium. There was Mike Warren, LuAnne Rather, Angie and Carla Bellos, Jack and Brian Sheldon, Andy and Patty Sarkis, Swanson’s secretary, Jake Burns, and Hamil Stevens, the freshman Time Trust coordinator. They all chatted with tears and smiles; and then, they disbanded to meet in the grand hall for refreshments.

Chapter 32

Hope Springs

Rachel had been ill for weeks now, since the episode in Rio. Jack had the lab rearranged into a high-tech hospice; and, he continued to run tests every day. Unfortunately, they yielded no conclusive results. Ever-Life labs indicated nothing new either. There was no suggested direction or prognosis. Jack had been researching the orphan diseases for the last month, trying to correlate the gene pools. He was frustrated and at his wits end. He spent all his time back and forth to Ever-Life, but to no avail. As had become his routine, early one evening, he sat in a rocker, beside his wife’s bed, dozing. Rachel lay, barely breathing. Brian was there too, kneeling on the other side of the bed, holding one of her hands. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, she opened her eyes and saw Jack; and then, she squeezed Brian’s fingers.

“Brian…”

“Mom? Dad, Mom is awake.”

Jack jerked up, leaned over to her and kissed her cheek. “Hello, Darling.”

“I must be in and out quite a bit…Come closer, both of you.”

Her men moved quickly and smiled, as she began to talk.

“I am happy…I know you think I am going to die, but it’s not true; not at all. I’ve been having dreams. They are so real. I am just going to change. Jack you taught me; remember, in the lab, C.P.T.? My thoughts and memories, my soul; they will live on and multiply, just as life gives new babies.

Brian, promise me you will have babies?”

“Of course I will.”

“Rach, save your strength, I’ll get you something, just be still.”

“No Jack; I have to get this out. You have to listen.” She looked at them both and continued, “Death is just the labor of a new birth…Brian, you are going to know me better than you ever did, better than you ever imagined. We will be closer than I ever hoped; and yet, you and your children will be even closer. And sometimes; sometimes, when you need it most; we will talk. All you have to do is Love.”

Then she turned to Jack. “Oh my Love, I know, I’m such a romantic, I Love you so. So many said it before, better than I could; but it’s true, to give and receive love is to see the face of God. I see him in you, Babe. Now give me a good kiss.”

They smiled, and Jack kissed her with tears rolling down his face. In that kiss, she stopped breathing.

Brian squeezed her arm and sunk his head into the bed. Jack caressed her face and cried. After that, he got up slowly, walked to the other side of the bed and helped Brian out of the room, upstairs to Angie’s waiting arms. Angie walked him to the couch, while Jack walked back down into the lab and closed the door behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Rachel. With the deepest sadness, he held her hand and cried like a baby, “My God, you can’t leave me.” He looked up and prayed out loud, “God, if you can hear me, now is the time.”

Up in the living room, Angie comforted Brian, “Come on Brian; let your father be with her. Let’s take a breath, for a few minutes; get some air; walk with me?”

They both went outside. In the lab, Jack sat whimpering. His eyes were blood red from the tears. He couldn’t say words any longer, but his thoughts were crystal clear.
Take me; bring her back. I saw you, I know you. I know you can take me.

He cried himself out, and placed her clenched fists over the covers, trying to adjust her comfortably.

Who knows how much time passed; but then, from the far corner, Jack heard a whistling, whirling sound, like the wind through trees. He looked; and, to his amazement, a small glowing statue of a Carrier appeared on the floor. It was no more than 15 inches high. He walked over, examined it and read the inscription on the base, “Allenfar…Christ, what is this!”

Then, he startled at hearing a voice from the bed. There, sitting beside Rachel’s corpse, was the figure of a man.

“Hello, Doctor. Do you remember me?”

Jack was emotionally spent, with no patience.

“I’m in no mood for games; no, I don’t. Who are you and how did you get in here?”

“We met on your trip back to the surface, in a Carrier Bubble. I spoke to you and your wife.”

“Yes; it is you. Well; you picked the wrong time for a visit.”

“It seems your wife finally pushed the communicator, I gave her. All this time, and nothing to report… Oh my.”

“You are too late; she’s gone.”

“I promised her I would help her, if you remember?” He smiled at Jack and stood up. “You see, she did push it. Look; there in her hand.”

Jack leaned over and opened her left fist; sure enough, there it was; the small little peanut device, the Tyree Master gave her in the Bubble.

“Doctor Sheldon, you, of all people, believe in hope, do you not?”

Jack felt his knees buckle. Catching himself, he almost missed sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Who are you?” He began to tear up again.

“I am here to remind you that nothing said has any meaning without hope. Your wife touched us in a special way. Your discoveries touched us in many special ways.”

“But, I thought sunlight killed your kind.”

“The fact is; many things can kill us, just like many things can kill you. But, I am alive; and you two proved that your love for each other reaches beyond death; not that others don’t. It just seems like the proper thing to say at this moment.”

“What?”

The man smiled. “You know, you people say that word quite a lot…

… Ah, it’s only a word anyway, ‘death’ I mean. Here, I have this for you.”

Jack held out his hand and the man gave him a small two inch blue vial.

“I trust you know what to do with this? We have made sure it will work. It’s a gift. Oh, and I brought the little statue over there, to remember us by.”