Sentinels of the Cosmos Trilogy (26 page)

“You're a really bad shot, but I don’t like killing
people with guns,” Ivan said.
“You killed my partner Ed,” Hank said.
“I did?” Ivan looked amazed.
“Yeah, those envelopes are poison!” Hank says.
“No, not poison is virus, your friend must have licked
one of envelopes,” Ivan said.
“Yes he did, he said it tasted like fried chicken,”
Hank says.
“Did he like?” Ivan asks.
"Of course he liked it. He liked anything, he'd eat
cardboard if it tasted like chicken," Hank says. “What
are you doing you sick bastard, what are you
planning?” Hank asks.
“Kill many people as possible, I have small
personality flaw. I like kill people,” Ivan says.
Hank was scared now. The level of malevolence he
felt from Ivan was new to him. He had never met
such a completely evil man before.
“You’re going to kill me aren’t you?” Hank asks.
“Yes, of course,” and with one small motion Ivan
throws an ice pick right into Hank's chest and he
slumps slowly to the ground. Ivan goes over to Hank
who is still alive and pulls out his ice pick. Hank
looks up at Ivan with a blank stare.
“I just graze heart. Did you tell or show anyone the
envelopes?” Ivan asks.
Hank is dying but manages to squeak out with a slight
smile, “Yes!”
“No matter, it too late; I let you suffer, it take you
around hour to die," Ivan says and then gets up into
Hank's truck and starts it up. Ivan cranks down the
window and looks down at Hank lying on the ground
and says, "I have delivery to make, have fun dying,"
as he laughs and drives off towards the Electric
Company.
Hank lies in the middle of the lot and yells, "I'm not
going to die, I'm not going to die; I'm still going to
kill you!" He then sits up opens his shirt and takes
out the piece of foam over his chest. Hank had given
himself a muscular looking chest by using a fake
foam chest piece. Today it saved his life. He was
going after Ivan because he knew where he was
going.

A warm tropical breeze gently caresses Beneizen,
Ally and Chase as they stand in front of a clear wall
screen in Beneizen’s long house in their natural
forms. The islanders have accepted them in both their
forms, to them they are simply Gods, and Gods aren't
that special. These Gods keep them healthy. It’s early
in the morning and the sun is just rising. On the
screen they see New York City laid out in front of
them in 3D.
Beneizen asks quietly, "Are you beginning to
understand your transitions and capabilities?"
"Yes," Ally answers.
Chase adds, "The screen in front of us is simply the
projection of our minds and we can either observe or
actually place ourselves in the projection. We can
manipulate the projection. We could even change the
weather, give people ideas and lead them to new
discoveries.
"Yes,” says Beneizen, “that's correct. For example, I
wanted Washington to know all about the EOJ so I
simply placed in the mind of an employee at the FBI a suspicion and the key to breaking the code. He will
pass it on to his boss and everyone will think how
brilliant they are. Think of what you’re doing as
objective fate. But this is part of how you and Chase
will nudge humanity in the direction you wish. But
it’s up to the two of you now. “
After a long pause Chase adds, "We're thinking of
moving humanity to Mars and leaving the earth to the
Klacknels to restore it back to health."
"Interesting," Beneizen thinks for a moment and says,
"I do see humanity as ill-fated for earth, but how do
you know Mars will be any better?"
"We don't, but we have a question for you," Ally
says.
"And what is your question?" Beneizen asks.
Chase looks at Beneizen and then the screen and asks,
"
Is
one of the purposes of humanity to destroy
worlds, or more accurately to transform them in some
specific manner? For example, volcanic lava is slowly
transformed to a rich soil over time by the insects,
plants and weather."
Beneizen again thinks for a moment and replies,
"Stay in front of the question. The universe is always
seeking balance as are all of its parts. It’s an
interesting question; humanity having the purpose of
transforming worlds. I don't know. Maybe the human
race has many purposes. It must be part of your
pondering. I'm going to be leaving soon.
"No, please don't leave us" they both proclaim.
"Yes, they have a new mate for me. I'm going to a
different universe where there is another problem.
There is a wrinkle in that universe and I must travel to
inspect it and if possible to repair it. If this sort of
‘wrinkle’ impinges upon a neighboring universe it
could be catastrophic because the ‘laws’ of one
universe can be completely different than those of
another. In one universe, for example, the gravity to
mass relationship may be different than its neighbor
but when there is a wrinkle or a tear and the two
universes connect suddenly it's almost unthinkable"
That seems to be the problem and the inhabitants are
beginning to understand and preparing to travel to the
other universe and that can be a problem. It could
allow them to make another universe very sick and it
can’t be allowed unless they are truly balanced to the
conditions of both universes. Always remember
balance and its importance," Beneizen says softly.
"How are you leaving, by space ship?" Ally asks.
"No, much too slow, I gave that up eons ago. No I
travel as you will by disintegrational magnetism,
another ‘ism’ for your vocabulary. Think of space as
blood, the blood of the Cosmos. If you drop a particle
into the blood it will move through the blood and
body according to its density. What if you have no
density then you travel much faster, maybe infinitely
faster" Beneizen says with a smile.
"Will we ever see you again? Chase asks.
"Maybe, but it's a big cosmos," Beneizen continues,
"Good luck with these creatures, we need their
balanced vibrations and I’ll be there if you need me."

Trip Wagner and Ian Fustic preside over a meeting in
the main conference room at the FBI Manhattan
office. They are on a high floor with a large span of
windows and the only noise is the rain beating against
the windows. Trip opens the discussion: "Good
morning to you all. There is now proof of something
quite extraordinary going on - and it's been going on
for a very long time. There is a technology that has
gone haywire. This is Ian Fustic from the CIA and
he's going to walk you through what we know and
what is needed."
Ian stands up, looks around the room and in a deep
voice asks, "Do all of you think everyone in this room
is human? I want you to look carefully to the right
and to the left. Which of you are human?” Fustic
pauses for a moment and then says, “Agent Smith
please stand up." At the middle of the table a very
pretty young blonde woman stands up and he asks,
"Are you human?"
"Absolutely not agent Fustic," she replies.
"Agent Bond, please stand up," Fustic says.
A tall, thin, blond haired man stands up and Ian asks
him, "Are you human agent Bond?"
"No agent Fustic," Bond responds.
"Prove it!"
"That is very difficult sir," both of them reply
simultaneously.
Fustic sighs and says, "That is the point. You two sit
down! Several years ago we began hearing a totally
new code from our intercepts. At first we suspected it
was an alien life form and then one of our code
breakers found the ‘Rosetta stone’ a key to the code
and that changed everything. We discovered the
communications were coming from a previously
unknown agency which seemed to be within our own
government. They called themselves EOJ and were
operating worldwide. It seemed that the President
knew about it and that there were both federal
legislators and high ranking scientists who were
members. It described itself as an agency dedicated to
maintaining world order. Each time we got even close
to actionable proof that they were breaking the law
our attempts would be mysteriously dismantled. They
had infiltrated our offices and yours by placing
synthetic humanoids as spies some even a decade or
more ago; they were so well conceived and disguised
that they were almost impossible to detect, but
slowly, piece by piece, we were able to detect and
obtain their technology without them knowing. The
head of this illegal organization is Congressman
Charles Dean, Speaker of the House of
Representatives. That's right, believe it or not! The
androids that he created are known as Guards and we
know now for a fact the President of the United States
is actually one of these… whatever they are!
“Shocking? Yes,” and then Ian went on to explain
how EOJ worked in much greater detail, about Doris,
about the other senators and key scientists and told
them the headquarters of EOJ was below the armory
in Leesburg, VA. He also told them that finally the
rest of the key government agencies were all on board
for a takeover of EOJ and the arrest of Charles Dean
and his entire crew for treason. It was going to be one
of the largest joint law enforcement operations in
American history. The fact that the American
government had been hijacked was unthinkable. That
an army of robots were ruling the country was also
unthinkable and unacceptable.
As that conversation at the FBI was heating up,
Robert Lee and Kathryn Bennett stood with Sam on
the steps of the Senate. At that moment Charles came
up the stairs, stopped right in front of them
interrupting their conversation and screams, “You’re
all traitors! Why did you go to the FBI?”
"Charles you tried to kill us and you wonder why we
spoke with the FBI?" Kathryn yells back.
"Now Kathryn can you blame me, you and Robert
were not very supportive now were you?" Charles
returns.
"I have a family you piece of crap! Charles you need
help!" Robert shouts.
"Calm down both of you despite our differences and
my rude behavior," Charles rationalizes.
"Rude! Rude is sneezing without covering your
mouth at the table, "Kathryn says with a hint of anger.
"Kathryn, calm down, look you’re fine, a few broken
ribs, and Robert has a few scrapes and a simple
broken arm. Can't we get past this?" Charles tries to
temporize.
"No, we can't get past this!" Robert says.
"Well, whether you like it or not we’re in this
together unless you like prison - prison for the rest of
all of our lives! Think about prison for two US
senators! Now you two have to listen to me." Charles
says and continues, "My sources tell me that the FBI
and the CIA both know about the Guards and the
work of EOJ - and how do they know? Well one of
you told them; Kathryn, you traitor you have been
feeding them information for years.”
Kathryn, changing the subject asks, "By the way,
Charles how have you lost so much weight in such a
short amount of time? You look simply unreal."
"By eating less, but here we are, facing Armageddon
and you're commenting on my diet, what’s that
about? Oh, and the little tumble you took out of the
car – that’s nothing compared to what’s going to
happen to you both if you all don’t keep your mouths
shut! Charles glibly replied.
Kathryn ignores him and says again, "Charles you
look thirty years younger, I insist you tell me how did
you did it!"
"The three p's; persistence, patience, and practice,"
Charles explains, irritated, “You’re straining the
patience part though.”
Sam jumps in, adding," Charles had some help from a
special tonic and a brand new drug I developed
myself called Selfium."
"Wow good name for you Charles, Selfium! You do
look like a new man, too bad we’re all going to be in
prison," Senator Lee jumps in.
"We're not going to prison. We're still in control,"
Charles replies confidently.

“C
harles, most of the senate knows, it's the talk of
Capitol Hill. It’s become common knowledge here
that the President is a Guard under your control. How
long did you think you could keep this a secret? The
codes we use to communicate planet-wide are just
codes and someone was going to crack them
eventually. They don't know the full extent of our
influence or exactly where or who we all are but they
know it's got something to do with the armory,"
Kathryn says hurriedly.
"And how do they know your involvement?" Charles
asks bitingly.
"They don't, yet, but they're asking me to explain
what I do know," Kathryn replies.
"This whole project is going to hell in a hand basket,"
Senator Lee exclaims.
"Shut up Lee, you crooked little creep; you probably
gave them the code?" Charles explodes.
"None of us gave them anything. If anyone screwed
this up it was you Charles," Kathryn snaps.
Sam adds, “They've been siphoning off our
technology for years, they’re no better than we are.
But when they figured out the President was a Guard
they felt things had gone too far. They also somehow
got wind of the new world population reduction plan.
Charles this wasn't some plan from a world
committee or the President, this is all on you. You
made the President a Guard; you came up with this
world reduction plan. I suspect that because your wife
died that you wanted to punish the world, or you
might have even wanted to punish Doris. That
somehow in heaven or wherever she is she will see
the unthinkable things that you have conjured up
because she wouldn’t stay with you. You're trying to
punish a dead person."
"Oh shut up Sam and stop trying to analyze me. You
not smart enough to understand my role in history and
by the way Sam, how did you know that?" Charles
asks.
"How did I know what? Sam asks.
"The FBI and CIA have been watching us for years?"
Charles asks.
"Because Beneizen told me," Sam replies.
"And how did Beneizen know that?" Charles asks.
"Because Beneizen gave them the Rosetta stone years
ago," Sam says.
"Why and when did you learn that and why didn’t
you tell me immediately back then?" Charles is
exasperated.
"I didn’t know before, he told me just before he left.
He isn't coming back Charles," Sam says.
"And you made me a Klacknel to spend eternity in a
mechanical prison?" Charles screams.
"What's a Klacknel?" Kathryn asks.
"Shut up Kathryn, shut your pie hole, bitch," Charles
screams. "And Sam, you knew about this?
"I did and you can't blame him. Look at yourself
Charles, look at your behavior," Sam says.
"Why did Beneizen do it?" Charles asks stunned.
"It's obvious to everyone but you. It's you Charles.
You're nuts! You're a sick sociopath. I'm accepting
my
fate," Sam says softly.
"Why is it that I'm the only one to have the vision
necessary to save the world from itself? Even in this
mechanical contraption in which you've imprisoned
me I can still comprehend my greatness. What none
of
you
can comprehend is that I'm totally in charge of
the situation. You stupid morons, making me a
machine gave me more power not less! I can control
everything now, right from my head! Beneizen has no
idea what he has done. For an alien he sure is stupid.
You're all stupid and weak. You're dead Sam, you
hear me - dead?" Charles shouts as he storms off up
the steps.
"You keep telling me that, but here I stand," Sam says
defiantly and turns to Lee and Kathryn saying, "He
still walks like a fat man."
"What does he mean, making him a mechanical
man?" Kathryn asks.