by Chad Josey
Charlie's thoughts and concerns about his best friend accompanied him as his bike meandered its way through campus.
Hell, I’m not sure I want to believe him. Mars? Really?
His bicycle bounced from the sidewalk onto the blacktop road jolting him back to reality. He did not notice the crosswalk he had ridden through without slowing.
I need to pay attention. I didn’t even look when I crossed there.
Charlie continued through campus. Sun rays flashed from light-to-dark as the sun slipped lower behind the golden trees.
And, they picked Joe and his research? Why not mine? Treating water-borne bacteria in drinking water is just as important.
The red, crossing light flashed as Charlie approached a four-lane intersection of the highway encircling campus. He braked placing his left foot on the ground and staring at the light until it turned green. As he lifted his foot onto the pedal, his front wheel entered the intersection.
Car headlights raced toward the intersection. In an instant, the rear wheel of his bicycle locked lurching upward behind him. His heavy body pushed forward in his seat.
“Stop! You son-of-a-bitch!”
Charlie raised his hand extending his middle finger into the air toward the rear of the car racing passed him. Satisfied he got the driver's attention; he pedaled across the remaining lanes of traffic.
Charlie and Becky live on the opposite side of the small park across the highway. He took a shortcut through on his way home.
My God, I need to tell Becky just in case… my girls… they will be fifteen when it-
Charlie emerged from the park, his bicycle on the sidewalk in front of their house. A pickup truck rode fast behind him speeding up as it closed quick on Charlie. The violent impact interrupted his thoughts.
Charlie lifted off his seat. Twisted metal and the exploding fiberglass frame pushed ahead faster than his body through the cool, crisp autumn air.
The remaining pieces of his bicycle flew beyond him in slow motion. By instinct, Charlie’s arms reached out to brace his fall onto the sidewalk.
His body tensed bracing for impact with the ground, which did not occur. The front bumper contacted Charlie in the instant before landing. A sickening thump of his body rolling under the truck ended as the rear, passenger tire pushed through his mid-section.
The driver had not tried to brake evidenced by the lack of tire marks across the pavement. A fifty-foot-long trail of blood, broken glass, and large chunks from both the twisted wreckage of the bicycle and Charlie were the only markings visible. The truck left the scene as fast as it had hit Charlie.
Golden leaves falling from the heavens mesmerized Charlie as he looked upward. The crisp air grew colder against the sensations of hot blood rushing across his face from his helmet.
His legs bent twisted in several directions. Charlie looked as if someone had thrown a six-foot-tall rag doll out the window of a moving car.
What remained of him below his shoulders was numb. A blessing for Charlie as he lay in a pool of blood and internal organs spilling from his stomach onto the sidewalk.
Through the blood spitting from his mouth, he managed a smile. A growing white light replaced his view of the falling golden leaves around him. His beloved Becky’s face appeared inside the light. Her smile gave him peace as his eyes opened-and-closed at a slowing pace.
The image of his twin girls on either side of Becky joined their mother looking over him. Charlie saw all three of them smiling, not saying a word.
His eyelids opened one last time. Fifteen years of memories flashed by in an instant. With a final sigh, Charlie’s head and neck went limp in Becky’s hands.
Becky had been sitting on the porch watching the girls play in the front yard. She saw Charlie leave the park and turn onto the sidewalk riding his bicycle.
“Look, Girls, Daddy's home.”
As the words escaped her, she saw Charlie’s body tumbling under the pickup truck along the sidewalk. She sprinted to him screaming. Charlie died as soon as Becky had lifted his bloody head from the pavement.
The only sound worse than the truck trampling his body was the shrill of terror coming from the twins. They ran to their mother.
Minutes had passed. In the Eden Foundation’s Colorado office, a cell phone rang sitting on top of the desk belonging to Gabriel.
“Yes?” Gabriel said
“It’s done,” a voice on the other end said.
6:01 p.m.
THE DIRT PATH along the creek meandered its way through campus. After Charlie had left, Joe took his time and the long way home.
Water rippled over rocks and tree branches strewed across the creek bed. Joe enjoyed this relaxing atmosphere on his stroll home.
Golden leaves fell around him. Infrequent joggers and occasional bicyclists were his only interruptions to his enjoyment.
Man, what a relief to talk to someone about this. His secrets shared with Charlie made Joe four times lighter. He was relaxed, and dare we say... happy. Paranoia though stuck around in his mind.
I’m sure no one followed us there. I took so many precautions… unless they followed him… no, they can’t possibly follow everyone I know… can they?
The pathway ended. Joe had a choice of directions: continue the longer way home under the bridge or leave the trail taking a direct route.
I should get home. Mary will have dinner ready soon.
Joe left the pathway and came to a pedestrian crossing at the four-lane highway encircling campus. He waited until the light changed to green so he could continue.
Halfway across, four police cars and an ambulance rushed around the corner coming toward him. A chorus of flashing lights and sirens intensified the closer they came. Joe ran to the other side. As they raced passed, the sirens faded in the distance.
For the next twenty minutes, Joe resumed his stroll home. His house was on the opposite side of campus from Charlie's.
I should've told Charlie sooner because I feel so much better, now.
The golden leaves became visible to Joe. On his way to meet Charlie, he did not take the time to notice their deep, vibrant color.
Hell, if I feel this good after talking with him, maybe it’s okay to tell Mary?
Joe turned the corner on his road and walked along the sidewalk to his house. As he stepped on his front porch, the door flew open.
Mary ran to him, falling into his arms crying. Her body fell limp as she hugged Joe. An uncontrollable cry erupted from her.
“Mary! Mary, what… what is it… are you okay?”
Her crying did not allow her to respond. Mary’s body heaved between short, shallow breaths.
Joe pried his upper body away. Her face was full of terror. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
Concern consumed Joe. He has known her since they were ten-years-old, and he had never seen her balling uncontrollably. Not even in high school when she told him the stories of her dad’s drunken episodes.
“Charlie’s… Charlie’s,” Mary said between crying breaths.
“Charlie? What about Charlie? I saw him less than an hour ago?”
“He’s… dead.”
Joe nudged her shoulders away. “What?”
“Beck… Becky called… I could… could hardly under… stand her.”
“What?” Joe went numb.
“She… she said… she… she saw him get hit… by a truck outside their house…”
Joe pushed her arms off him and rushed inside their house. “Are they at the hospital?”
“Uh… um… she called me from their house.”
Joe paced the living room looking for something. But what, he did not know. The car keys hanging beside the door caught his attention.
“Mary, let’s go!”
She followed him as they left their house. Tires screeched and pierced through the quiet neighborhood. Mary was inconsolable in the passenger seat.
“I can’t believe it? I was just with him.”
The stoplight was
red. Joe blasted through the intersection having peeked both ways to make sure no cars were approaching. He turned onto the road fronting the park between campus and Charlie’s neighborhood. Flashing lights of four police cars and an ambulance appeared ahead.
“Oh shit,” Joe said as he realized those were the same vehicles, which had passed him earlier.
Police blocked traffic a hundred feet from the scene of the accident. Joe pulled into a neighbor’s driveway and parked. Both of them bolted from the car to Charlie's house.
Before they made it there, two police officers grabbed their arms preventing them from going any further. Becky saw Joe and Mary as she attempted to speak with two other officers closer to the house. Becky let out a horrific scream and pushed by the officers running toward her friends.
As she reached them, Becky fell into Joe’s arms passing out. In the distance, the crying of the twins grew louder from their front porch seeing their mother collapse. The officers holding Joe and Mary back let them go as Mary ran to the front porch and the twins.
One officer saw Becky collapse and motioned to a paramedic. Joe sat with her on the ground. The paramedic snapped a small, white packet below her nose awakening her. Becky looked up to Joe.
“The truck… it… it didn’t stop… it… it… kept going.”
The officer, who earlier had spoken to Becky, walked to them sitting on the ground. “Ma’am, can you describe the truck?”
“I… it happened so fast… Charlie! Charlie!” She cried out for him.
The screaming from the twins stopped as Mary got them inside their house.
“Officer, what happened?” Joe asked as he supported Becky in his arms. They sat several feet away from the ambulance, which blocked their view of a white tarp draped over Charlie’s body.
“It was an apparent hit-and-run, while he was riding his bicycle. Ma’am, anything… anything at all you can tell me about the truck or a license plate number?”
“It... it was a white pickup… with wide tires… it came out of nowhere and hit my husband… Charlie! Charlie... No.” Her cries were painful.
“Officer, I was with him about two hours ago. We met on campus. I left him and walked home, and he was going back to his bike.”
“Miles,” another officer said, “here, look in this.” The officer held a blood-soaked backpack.
Officer Miles took the backpack. With his white-gloved hand, he reached inside and pulled out two of the six crushed beer cans.
“Sir, do you know anything about this?” Officer Miles asked Joe.
“Oh, that? We had a few beers down at the creek when we met. Since I was walking back home, he took them to throw away for me.”
Officer Miles dropped the cans back into the backpack and gave it back to the other officer. “Take this and tag it.” After the officer had taken the backpack away, Officer Miles wrote in his notepad. “Sir, and your name is?”
“My name? Uh, yeah, Joe…um, Dr. Joseph Bishop.”
“And, how many beers would you say the deceased had before he left?”
The word deceased sent Becky into another crying rage in Joe’s arms. “We split a six pack… I don’t see what that has to do with this?”
“So, how many would you say he had?”
What part of split do you not understand? “We each had three… over two hours ago.”
“So, you’re saying he left you to ride his bicycle soon after drinking three beers?”
“Uh, I guess… but… I don’t—”
“Okay, that’s all I need, now. Ma’am, we can take you to the hospital if you’d like, while we stay here to investigate the scene more. We need to get a full statement from you when you’re able.”
Mary staggered out of Becky’s house. Becky pressed herself up from Joe’s arms and ran to her. “How are the girls?”
“Oh, Sweetie, they’re okay. How are you?” Mary said as she took Becky into her arms and walked back to the house.
“And, Sir, we’ll need you to come to the station to make a full statement, also,” Officer Miles said as he turned away from Joe.
Joe stood assessing the scene in front of him. The red and blue lights from the ambulance and police cars flickered in the evening darkness. Police officers were taking pictures of the blood and bicycle debris lying across the sidewalk.
What has just happened?
20-Aftermath
PRESENT - Stony Brook, 10:20 a.m.
1,798 Days Prior to Impact
FOR YEARS, JOE had found solace in his laboratory. His lab was a place where he could escape the stresses of his everyday life.
When credit card companies hounded him attempting to get payment, work was his refuge. When the struggles occurred of not being able to have a baby, he left his sadness at the lab’s door.
What made his research a sanctuary was his best friend, Charlie. Gone was the laughter, which normally had filled the lab. Gone was his confidant. The person Joe could go to when he needed a voice of reason, other than his wife.
Joe told Mary he would meet her at the church later in the afternoon for the funeral. Mary had stayed with Becky the past week to help with the twins as Becky made the arrangements.
Joe has been like everyone else, in a state of disbelief at what had happened. To prepare himself for the funeral, he needed his alone time in the lab this morning. Without plans to work, Joe knew in his way; he was going there to say goodbye.
I still can’t believe you’re gone… We were just talking earlier… Man, I can’t believe the cops say alcohol contributed to your accident…
A knock interrupted his internal conversation with Charlie. Joe turned to the door. Gabriel stood in his lab to Joe’s surprise.
“Hi, Joe. I’m truly sorry about your friend.”
Joe shook his head in disbelief not expecting Gabriel to be in his lab this morning. “Thanks. How did you hear? Oh… wait… never mind.”
Gabriel walked into the lab. “Like I said, we are watching you. But, I’ll be honest. Our folks lost you though for a few hours on Sunday until you came home and got the news from Mary.”
That’s a relief. I lost you, son-of-bitches.
“Yeah, I went for a walk on Sunday, and came home to Mary. She was hysterical… and… the scene at Charlie’s house was terrible. I can’t even explain it.”
“I would have reached out to you sooner this week, but I wanted to do it in person and not over the phone or email.”
“Thanks, Gabriel. It means a lot you came.”
“Well, I’m only here to see you. I’m not going to the funeral because I can’t make myself too public.”
Joe walked by Gabriel entering his office across the hall and motioned for Gabriel to come in and take a seat. “To help take my mind off the funeral this afternoon, I have a few questions for you.”
“Sure,” Gabriel said as he followed into the office closing the door and sat beside him on the sofa.
“To help me prepare for the equipment needed, how many people will be at Salvation?”
“I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before. The plans are to staff Salvation with a minimum, viable population to sustain humanity.”
“Minimum, viable population? Out of seven-and-a-half billion people is how many?”
“The numbers change. We choose everyone because of the purpose they fulfill for example technicians and construction workers. There are scientists like you, doctors, teachers, engineers—”
“That’s not my question. How many people? I need to know a number because this determines the amount and equipment I’ll need.”
“Eden is building Salvation so after 2020; it will be possible to expand the facility as the population increases.”
“Gabriel, you are avoiding my question. Of the people currently on Earth, how many will be at Salvation, let’s say by the time 2020 happens?”
Gabriel stood and walked to the window. As he peeked through the metal blinds, he said, “You want a number? The plan calls for having ten-thousand p
eople there.”
Joe knew this number from his calculations but wanted confirmation from Gabriel.
“They come from different places across the world to ensure enough gene pool diversity. Part of your responsibility will be to use your research to help plan conceptions based on gene pairing.”
A roar came from behind Gabriel. “What the hell? You said Eden chose me because my research will continue cancer research to help mankind.”
“Well, yes, Joe. That’s still true. But, also your research will make sure we select the correct pairs of people for conceiving children to sustain human life. Your ability to identify genetic markers for the predisposition of certain diseases is crucial.”
“So, I’ll be playing God?”
“No, not exactly. Your input will help us decide, you won’t be the one making the final choice.”
“Why, not tell me this up front?”
“Let me be honest. If I told you this, would you have joined us in the first place?”
Joe backed down his stance. “Um, I thought you were about being honest with me from the beginning, Gabriel? And, I thought no was not an answer.”
“I’ve been nothing but honest with you.”
“Okay, let me test you on that. Where did the funding come from for Salvation?”
Joe knew his question surprised Gabriel from the reaction on his face. Gabriel sat at Joe's desk.
“I told you in Colorado. Salvation gets its funding through various government programs.”
“But, Salvation is supposedly a huge secret. How can the government fund something that’s this big without it getting out to the Public?”
“Governments around the world fund programs established for many things. Part of the money never goes there. It goes to Salvation.”
“Governments? What countries are involved?”
“All the major, industrial governments contribute. The funding involved with military programs creates tons of money for us.”
“But, how does Salvation receive the funding?”
“I am being honest with you here. I hope my honesty helps answer your questions, so you will accept your destiny at Salvation.”