Evolution

by Jim Reilly

  The room was quiet until Sha’nay read a passage from 2 Thessalonians 2: “The man of lawlessness (will be) revealed, the son of perdition. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” She then continued, “The beast will wear the mark of 666.”

  Cardinal Polanski offered, “This could be a sign of the antichrist. As many of you know, the antichrist or false prophet will be charismatic and use that false charm to lead us to destruction. He will gain power through commerce, politics, and religion.”

  Charles was finally able to speak, “He must be stopped, or we are doomed!”

  Rabbi Wolmetz added, “Jennifer, all the pieces are falling into place, and for mankind to survive the reign of Satan, we will need to be proactive. Whether Bishop Terapion’s an alien or the antichrist, this false prophet will lead us down a path to destruction. It is a path where the aliens are letting us destroy our own future. They are playing us against each other. Think about it; they are using the long-running conflict between science and religion for their own use. By inflaming our fury toward scientists, the aliens have had the religious people do their dirty work. The members of the Followers of Divinity have been deceived into attacking and eliminating scientists. A world without technological advances in the future will be easier to conquer. They played upon our fears.”

  “Many believed the Book of Revelation was more about the time of Nero’s persecution of early Christians,” said Cardinal Polanski. “There was much debate when the Bible was being compiled during the Rule of Constantine and even to this day whether the Book of Revelation should be included.” Cardinal Polanski contemplated stories about the end of time. “We as humans have a finite time for walking on this world and assume that time has a beginning as well as an end. Many religions speculate about the end of time. Is it set in stone, or is it a warning to man of things that can come to pass? I’m not sure, but God, I believe, is providing these signs for a purpose to us today, and we had better listen. Look at the signs: a false prophet bearing the mark of the beast and a final battle between good and evil that could mark the end of time. It may be that things to come are set in stone, but why would He be sending us these signs if not to warn us? Maybe we have a say in things to come because we have free will and the future is not predestined. I believe our actions going forward will determine what future there will be.”

  The weight of the situation could be seen on the faces of those in the room and with no one more so than Jennifer. “I agree with Rabbi Wolmetz. If Bishop Terapion is in fact an Ancient Visitor, then this charlatan pretending to take sides for the purpose of inflaming the conflict between science and religion has duped us all. I also agree with Cardinal Polanski that there may be signs in your ancient writing that may hold clues. In any event, the religious implications need to be figured out by the religious and scientific members of this committee. We’ll have to work together because this foe will be powerful and hard to defeat. The United Nations doesn’t want you to hear this, but Bishop Terapion has control of over 30% of the world with another 30% friendly to him. We believe that he is stockpiling weapons. Some of the countries in his control were thought to have been secretly developing nuclear technology and other weapons of mass destruction.

  “And that is just what is in play for earth-made weapons. If he is an Ancient Visitor like we believe, then he has technologies that make our weapons look like cap guns. These are an extraterrestrial people who have mastered the four forces of the universe. We believe they have much more knowledge of electromagnetism, strong interaction, weak interaction -- also known as ‘strong’ and ‘weak nuclear force’ -- and gravitation. We pale in comparison. It disturbs me to think about how we are going to handle this problem and the challenge our people are going to have on the main ship.”

  As Jennifer finished speaking, two people walked into the meeting, and she alerted the council: “Good, they are finally here. You all should recognize Matt, and you may not recognize him, but this is a new and improved James Connor. They are here to give insight into our dilemma.”

  Matt offered, “You’ll have to be careful because the Ancient Visitors are very intelligent and are dangerous if you cross them. One of the guards told us they could pull electricity from the air and throw what we would describe as bolts of lightning. If you run into their weaponry it could be deadly. They will not hesitate to use it on you since they have such disregard for other life forms. That disregard, I believe, could be their weakness and your opportunity to defeat them. They think that they are superior to every intelligent life form in the universe and would not be expecting anyone to outsmart them. Also...”

  As Matt spoke to the council, Jennifer took James to the side, “I haven’t been able to talk to you for some time. You know, government business. But I wanted to see how you are doing, and I’m so worried about what is next for you. Maybe we can still hide you from being abducted.”

  James, now a little taller, looked down at her to say, “It’s OK. Don’t worry about me; I get to try to fix something I helped create. What happened to me was meant to be, and it is not so bad. I get to try to save the world.”

  This made Jennifer think. “You have changed.”

  “More like transformed, and with my treatments in the blue liquid chambers now complete, I am fully transformed into the next level of evolution,” he said as she looked at his long arms.

  “No,” she said. “I think you have grown on the inside. When I met you, I am sorry to say, you were self-absorbed and didn’t think about helping someone else unless you got something out of it. Now I see a change in you, for what I believe is for the better. But soon you will be gone and on your way with the others to take on the Ancient Visitors. It upsets me to think what is in store for you all.”

  He tried to calm her down. “Listen, I have to do this, and if it all works out, I will be back before you know it, with a wonderful story to tell. Besides, I think this was always my destiny, and there is a sense of relief that I have a purpose. Hey, look at the time. Matt and I better get going. We have calculated that they will be here in a few weeks to get us, so we will need to get back to make the final preparations, and we need to say good-bye to our families before we go.”

  Smiling nervously, Jennifer let him go with Matt to head back to where the Ancient Visitors’ ship would collect them all.

  Back at the away center on the night that the Ancient Visitors would return, those who were ready to be abducted again waited in the common area while their families viewed them by closed circuit 3D television.

  Before being taken, each bid farewell to their families and friends via closed circuit conference viewing. James was glad that he said everything he wanted to say to his parents and friends. He thought that it might not have been enough for his parents. They, as expected, were fighting back tears as he said his good-bye. His dad spoke about how proud he was that his son would take on such an important undertaking, and his mother told him to be careful. James thought that it must have been the same for all of the other families watching their loved ones about to be taken. The thought that they might never see them again must be tearing them apart. So James sat there smiling on the outside to give his parents some relief to know he was ready for what was ahead of him, but he was scared as hell on the inside.

  For now, he just passed the time and waited with the others for what seemed like an eternity as he clutched in his hand the one thing his mother had given him. Days before they were to be taken, James received a pocket-sized digital reader with various versions of the Bible along with religious texts from every religion on Earth. It was accompanied with a note: Wherever you shall walk, God will be with you.

  James thought that he might not be on God’s good side since James had denied Him and encouraged the world to do the same, but his mother’s faith gave him strength, even as a large alien ship appeared over the common area. His first thought wa
s that hopefully they wouldn’t take him, but as quickly as he thought about not going, he remembered that going with them was what he had to do. He then covered his eyes and tried to see it, but the bright lights glared into his face until he lost consciousness.

  Patrick and Ann Marie were holding each other while watching as their son and the others were taken by a tractor beam of some sort and pulled into the ship. All were aboard the ship within seconds. When the last body entered the ship, the bright lights turned off and the ship was gone was quickly as it had arrived.

  Back in Kansas at Eva and Eddie’s home, all of Steven’s friends and relatives watched as the ship moved on and disappeared into the night. Tommy and Johnny were there with their families. Brenda was there with her children as well as many other family members, friends, coaches, and neighbors. As soon as the ship disappeared into the night, the live feed of the event switched to network news.

  Not wanting to hear the newspersons and their panelists overanalyze the event, Eva calmly said, “TV off,” then got up and started cleaning the house as everyone there sat quietly. Eva just continued to clean while every one of their guests quietly and slowly filed out of the house one by one, until there was no one left except for her and Eddie, who sat in his chair motionlessly staring as if he were looking into the distance.

  Chapter 11

  The spirited debate lasted all day and late into the night, as it had done for the last two weeks as the United Nation’s Religious Faith and Science subcommittee argued about what to do with Bishop Terapion. His mere presence frightened each and every person in the room, yet they were tasked with delivering information so that the United Nations could help defeat this Ancient Visitor and false prophet.

  Looking for a resolution in the debate, Sandy Chen posed the question again: “If we can get at Bishop Terapion, do we take his life?”

  Dr. Harold Sven of the Copenhagen Science Institute suggested, “Maybe if we capture him, then we can study him and learn more about the aliens. This may be our only opportunity to study one up close. We could learn their weaknesses and maybe find some way to defeat them.”

  Dr. Weiss suggested after giving it much thought, “It could be dangerous for our people on the ground as they try to capture this being. Remember, he potentially has weapons with technology that far exceeds ours. The weapons we already know about from Matt Schaeffer can do a lot of damage. Imagine those that we don’t even know about. Maybe he has a weapon that can render all around him paralyzed, or that can blow up the entire city in a blink of an eye. We don’t know. In any case, it will be difficult.”

  Rabbi Wolmetz interjected, “I would think that the world would be in danger if he were to continue. If we don’t do anything, he prepares the world for man’s doom; if we kill him, he could end up being a martyr, and his followers would continue his mission. But if we capture him, we could show the world that he is a fake and let the scientists do their studying.”

  Cardinal Polanski then agreed, “I don’t see how the world would be better off with him here, but as bad as he is, I can’t advocate killing him. So I vote for the capture solution.”

  At that moment, Pastor Charles called for their attention and added, “Have we forgotten that God defeats the antichrist and ushers in the Messianic Age of peace and brotherhood on the earth, an earth without crime, war, and poverty? Maybe we are supposed to do nothing and let the Lord take care of the antichrist, as it has been written. Maybe the Lord doesn’t return and uses us as the right arm of God. Then we prevent Bishop Terapion from leading the world to its destruction, and in one thousand years we keep our descendants from being enslaved for the purpose of battling the armies of God. It is a daunting task, since writings about the end of time are filled with ambiguities and stories that can be taken in many different ways. It is written that the antichrist comes to power and pushes the world toward darkness, but the Lord comes back to defeat the antichrist and imprisons Satan. Then in a thousand years Satan escapes, and God finally once and for all defeats Satan. But when looking at the Book of Revelation, are we looking at the writing of an inspired Biblical writer, or are they merely the ravings of a lunatic? That is the challenge as we look for signs as to God’s intent and --”

  Rabbi Wolmetz interrupted Pastor Charles, his face pale. “I just got a message on my PDA that Jerusalem fell to the Followers of Divinity minutes ago. God help us.”

  He put the device on a table in the middle of the room so that it could project a 3D hologram of the newscast. There, for all to see, was Bishop Terapion entering Jerusalem after a lightning strike by the armies of the Followers of Divinity during the early morning hours. Israel had been the lone holdout in that area, a region surrounded by fanatical religious nations. Though the Followers of Divinity held territories around the world, they had concentrated their efforts in the Middle East and had their capital in Damascus. The Israelis had fought off every advance, but now many in their ranks had been swayed by Bishop Terapion and laid down their arms. Bishop Terapion and his army easily captured Jerusalem and were pushing through the rest of the country. They would have it by nightfall.

  As Bishop Terapion came to the Temple Mount, the reporters on the spot rushed him after his security let them through. He gladly offered his perspective: “Now the true believers have a new capitol, and the Followers of Divinity will rule it. Brothers and sisters, we shall rule it until God returns to lead us from evil.”

  Bishop Terapion kept speaking to the reporters, but Pastor Charles and the rest of the council watched in disbelief as they watched the beast, the antichrist, the Masih ad-Dajjal take shape before them, capturing Jerusalem to make it his capital.

  “The city of God now belongs to a demon,” sighed Imam Rashoni while the others looked at him and grudgingly agreed.

  Four months later, at the staging area near Hamburg, Germany, at an old United States military facility, the assembled team waited for the green light. With the orders to proceed coming within twenty-four hours, the team was assembled for their final briefing. Leading the briefing was the United Nations’ Commander for the Europe-Middle East Strategic Command, Field Marshal Maureen Montgomery.

  “All right, all the preparation and training for this mission is complete, and your job is to execute it. This is not going to be easy because there are a lot of variables. The biggest is that we don’t know for sure the extent of the capabilities of this alien. So we are going to be cautious, but once we go in there is no turning back. It is imperative that we succeed because if the alien gets a hint as to what we are doing, it could retaliate in force.”

  That was when the commander of the mission on the ground, Colonel James M. John, jumped in respectfully and addressed the team, “So the devil is in the details.”

  The irony did not get past Pastor Charles, Cardinal Polanski, and Sha’nay Barnwell, sitting in the back of the room as they looked at each other.

  Colonel John continued, “At 20:30 Jerusalem time tomorrow evening, the United Nations will issue a statement identifying Bishop Terapion as an Ancient Visitor with the hope to create doubt and confusion within the Followers of Divinity’s ranks. The broadcast will go out through every media outlet in the world. At that exact time, we will attack Bishop Terapion’s compound and get to him before he can access any technology he could use to fend us off. The hope is that we capture him and prove to the world that he is a fraud. If any of you have an open shot to subdue him with a net gun, you have authorization to take it. Remember, they have not hesitated to kill our people in the past.

  “An hour before the broadcast, we will be dropped by stealth transport on the outskirts of Jerusalem’s old city. We will have help from individuals on the ground supplied from a local orthodox church friendly to our cause. They will help us get close enough to the target. Remember that we will be alone once we are in the city because the defenses are strong, and that leaves out any chance for an air strike. If all goes well and the target is captured or taken out, then the extraction point is
the Mount of the Gold Dome or the Temple Mount. Any questions?”

  No one asked, as they had so carefully studied the plan for weeks in secret and each person knew it verbatim. Field Marshal Montgomery drew the briefing quickly to a close, advising, “Get a good night’s sleep tonight. You will need it.”

  As the military personnel left, Pastor Charles, Cardinal Polanski, and Sha’nay Barnwell stayed behind.

  “Sha’nay,” said Pastor Charles. “You don’t take any risks out there tomorrow, OK? I don’t want to have to look for a new assistant. Good help is hard to find.” He tried to add humor, but the worry on his face summed up his concern for his longtime assistant and friend.

  Without any concern on her face, she answered, “Don’t worry. I will be safe and protected. Now I’m tired and will go to my room to rest for a while and contemplate what needs to be done. I’ll see you before I leave.” With that she left and headed away.

  Pastor Charles then looked at Cardinal Polanski and said, “Dan, I wish I were going and you and Sha’nay staying back here to monitor the situation and welcome back the team when it is over. Even Imam Rashoni and Rabbi Wolmetz have snuck into Jerusalem.”

  A sympathetic Cardinal Polanski said, “I know, and we have been over this many times. Imam Rashoni and Rabbi Wolmetz blend in when they are in Jerusalem. I’ve been running ten miles a day for the last twenty years in and around Central Park. Sha’nay was an exceptional athlete in college and easily accomplished the physical testing done before it was OK for her to be on the team. You, my friend, are a casualty of your wife’s good cooking.

  “Besides, Charles, we are going along as observers and to help with any religious overtures during the mission. Don’t worry; the military will have us so far back that I will need high-powered binoculars to see any fighting. The military personnel are an elite bunch, and I would not want to mess with them.”