Machines of the Gods

by William B Lyons

  Chapter Nine

  Steve guided his car through the evening traffic. He steered around dozens of abandoned automobiles on the freeway. With most of the power still out, many people milled around the parking lots and side streets like misplaced children. Others dashed from place to place, throwing flaming bottles into buildings. Still more drove by in cars and shot out windows. In the distance, fires could be seen burning in many different places. Some of them had been set by looters. Others had been started by rioters who were angrily rebelling over the news they’d gotten on the internet about the thousands of people who’d unknowingly been subjected to medical experiments. They all had known some of the victims. Now, they wanted revenge. During the last hour, the streets of Dallas had become like a warzone from a post- nuclear movie. Above, helicopters circled about in all directions—like vultures—hovering over multiple crime areas. Police cars with their lights flashing raced around in circles. It seemed like the world had descended into chaos in a matter of just a few hours.

  Steve then noticed that his cell phone’s signaling light had started flashing, and he switched the com-link over to the car’s speaker mode. “Hello?”

  “Stevie, what is going on up there?”

  “Hello, honey. I figured you’d be calling.” He’d intended to call his wife earlier that day anyway, but that was before all hell had broken loose. “Donna, it’s a nightmare.”

  “Your mother told me about your father when I called earlier. She said that his condition is very serious. Then, I heard about that terrible explosion on the news and the riots too. Finally, my sources tell me that you’re involved in another super-secret investigation again. Maybe I should come up there to assist.”

  “No…” he quietly replied. “It’s a real mess up here. For the past several years, the government has been secretly using ordinary citizens as experimental subjects for new medical treatments. It was all funded by the USG.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yes. It is not that these people were given anything experimental, but many of them were not given anything useful at all. They were being given fake medicines to measure the long-term effects of certain diseases. This maniac just leaked the names of all these victims to the whole world. Now, the angry relatives of thousands of people have taken to the streets. They are bombing hospitals, medical labs, the homes of doctors and other healthcare workers. Other people are piggy-backing on the madness and rioting. The cops are overwhelmed. It’s a real warzone. Over forty people have been killed within the last three hours already. We all remember what happened when videos of police incidences in Oklahoma, Ferguson, Baltimore, and New York surfaced. Those involved the deaths of a few innocent people. Now imagine that magnified several thousand times. Hundreds of homemade vigilantes are joining the ranks of this huge urban mob by the hour. I’ve never seen anything like it before in Dallas.”

  “Let me come up and help.”

  “No way! Besides, I may still need your help down there. With all of the computer systems in the area being fried on a regular bases, you may be the only one who can provide me with accurate information. I also need you to keep Stevie Ray safe. After all, he’s my only son.”

  “Okay, honey. Just keep me informed on everything that is happening.”

  “Don’t worry, I will,” he said, watching a pair of explosions in the distance. “Anyway, I’m going to have to figure a way to end this madness and save my new boss’s reputation at the same exact time.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks, I’ll need it. Goodbye, love.” He then switched off the phone before guiding the car to a side street. The sound of gunfire erupted in the distance and more sirens blasted over the noise of blowing automobile horns. “Hell, this city is going to rip itself apart.”

  Just up ahead, several burning cars blocked the street. Dozens of people were running about and setting more buildings on fire. Others were filling grocery baskets with store merchandize and stuffing their cars’ trunks with stolen items before driving off.

  “Wow, we’re going to have to get the National Guard down here fast.” He then turned onto another side street and headed up Red Bird Lane toward his mother’s home. The lights on the front porch still shinned brightly in spite of the fact that all other houses on the street were pitch black. Luckily, his dad had built a backup generator in the basement several years earlier. He quickly parked the car, exited the vehicle, and dashed through the front door. “Mom, we need to talk. I have an idea. Mom!”

  “I’m in the kitchen.”

  He opened the kitchen door and found his mother sitting at the table. “Look, I have an idea on how to save Dad. With all of this craziness going on, no one is going to care if I use some kind of experimental device on Dad. All I have to do is…”

  The sound of breaking glass echoed from the backyard. Suddenly, yells of screaming teens vibrated the walls between the kitchen window and the house next door. The riots were spreading from the business centers and into the upper-class neighborhoods.

  Only momentarily distracted, he refocused. “Mom, are you okay?”

  Helen’s eyes were set in a fixed gaze. It was obvious that she’d not even heard what her son had even said. Her eyes were also dripping tears as she looked up. “What did you say, Stevie?”

  “Mom, we may still be able to save Dad. I thought you’d be happy.”

  Helen’s bottom lip started quivering. “I just got a call from the hospital. Roy had a massive seizure about fifteen minutes after we left. It left him completely brain- dead. He’s gone, honey. Those machines hitched to him are detecting no brain activity at all. The doctors can keep his heart beating, but his other internal organs are beginning to fail too. He’s gone.”

  Steve sat down next to his mother. “No, I refuse to accept that. Listen, I know of things that will blow your mind. Dad can still be saved. Look, there is—”

  “Stop it!” Helen yelled and stood up. “We must face reality, Roy is gone. I worked as a nurse for over twenty-seven years. I understand what brain-dead means. I’ve seen it before, dozens of times. It is cruel and inhuman to keep Roy’s body hooked to machines. It’s not fair to him, to me, to you, or your sister.”

  “Mom, there is something that I have to tell you. There is this device—”

  “Stop it, Steve!” she yelled. “I don’t want to hear anymore. I’ve already made my decision. I’m going to keep Roy on life support until your sister gets here. Then, I’m pulling the plug. She has the right to see him one last time. After that, we will start making funeral arrangements. I’ve already contacted the funeral home. This is the way things are going to have to be.”

  “Mom, please be reasonable!” He swallowed. “We have a chance to save Dad. I’m not a quitter. Where is your faith in God? If this situation was reversed, Dad would never give up on saving you if there was any kind of chance. Just trust me on this, okay?”

  The telephone in the den started ringing. She then turned and left the kitchen to answer it. “We’ll talk later.”

  Steve put his head on the table and took a deep breath. His entire world was falling apart. Before, at least he had time on his side. Now, he did not even have that. His sister would be here in a couple of days. When that happened, everything would be over. Outside, someone’s burglar alarm went off. More yells erupted in the distance too. However, he did not even care. The world could rip itself apart for all that mattered. It made no difference.

  “Steven?” Helen said, returning from the den area. “You have a call.”

  He looked up into his mother’s face. “I hope that you’ve changed your mind about Dad.”

  “No, honey, I’ve learned to face reality. You need to do the same.”

  “What do you want then?”

  She handed him a cell phone. “Like I said, this call is for you.”

  “Tell that person I’ll call back some day—some y
ear. I really don’t care.”

  “Steven, the caller said that it’s important. In fact, this guy said that it is a matter of life and death. It could be from your job.”

  He took the phone and watched his mother leave the room. He then turned around and faced the window. “Hello?”

  There was distant static before a haunting voice blasted from the receiver.

  “Greetings, my friend, I have news for you. Your day of miracles has arrived. I am the stranger baring eternal gifts.”

  Steve frowned in confusion. He did not recognize the voice. “Who is this?”

  “I’m the other player in this creepy madness. Some call me a monster. Others call me a freedom fighter. More people even call me a liberator. I call myself, Diamond Jack.”

  Steve tensed up, unable to believe his own ears. How could this ultimate bad guy even have his phone number? Secondly, why was this man calling him? The very one who the entire world was looking for was contacting him. No, this was not possible. Someone must have had a weird sense of humor. “Is this some kind of joke?” he blurted, almost yelling.

  “Not at all, and I have come to help you. With this alien device around my head, I’ve been reading your mind for the past couple of hours and know that you could definitely use my help.”

  “How’d you get this number?”

  “Come on, my friend, I can access any computer. I can read minds, and I can even manipulate human thoughts. Getting your telephone number was almost too easy. But that’s not the issue here. I can help you.”

  Steve leaned into the phone and gripped it tightly. “Say what you mean!”

  “Sure, why not? Now listen, the device that can save your father’s life already exists. This machine has been used many times before with a one hundred percent success rate. In fact, I have used it on myself and have had unbelievable results. My capacity for learning has spiked to unbelievable levels. Yours could too. Also, your father could live again and be just like he was before—maybe even better.”

  Steve sighed in frustration. “You are too late. He is brain-dead now. Nothing can help him.”

  “That is not true. This device was once used on a dog. The animal had been dead for two days. Not only was it completely dead, but its body was even starting to decay. Then, after only a few hours on this machine, the animal was restored to normal. In fact, it walked out of the lab under its own power and is still alive today. Its cells regenerated—all of them. If you don’t believe me, just hack into the database at that secret lab. All of this information has been recorded.”

  “I’d never be able to get a device like that out of that secret base. You tried that yourself and failed.”

  “The device is already out. I can even mail it to you. It is small enough to put on your head. I could even mail it to you in a shoebox. Maybe I could leave it somewhere for you today.”

  Steve stood perfectly still, trying to grasp the magnitude of what he was being told. If true, this could change everything even now. At least he could try. “What do you want in return? I know there is a catch.”

  Diamond Jack laughed. “I actually want nothing in return for this gift. I want you to do absolutely nothing. When Neil Stone gives you an assignment, I want you to go through the motions but actually do nothing. Make him think that you’re searching for me. Instead, you’ll be leading him on a wild goose chase. You’ll cause him to lose both time and money. You’ll help me bring that despot to his knees without having to lift a finger. Come on, I’m not your enemy. I could have blown your plane out of the sky before it landed at DFW. I could have shot the helicopter out of the air before it got to that secret base. Finally, I could have killed you thirty different times since then. However, I’m a friend of yours and society as well. Neil Stone and the USG have slaughtered thousands of people over the years in the name of science. They would even let your father die. I’m giving him a chance to live. Now, who is the enemy here?”

  Steve could not respond. This man spoke the truth. For the first time in his life, he faced a villain who he could not hate or blame for his actions. Finally, he faced an enemy who he agreed with. “Even if I accept your terms, I cannot keep this up forever.”

  “You won’t have to either. I have just a few more things left to do. After that, nothing else will matter anymore. Just give me one more week, and everything will be over from my point of view.”

  Steve swallowed. “Why are you doing all of this? I know there are things they aren’t telling me.”

  “Those fools will pay for what they did to me and my family. My mother had a brain disease too. I begged the USG to allow me to use that same machine to save her life—and they refused. So, I decided to steal the orb that contained the blueprints of that device. However, I also stole a device off that spaceship that enhanced minds. Those fools were so bent out of shape on finding the orb that they never even missed the thing from the ship. Anyway, after I was tracked down, they tortured me non-stop for days until I revealed the location of that damn orb. They beat me. They branded me; they pulled out my teeth with pliers; they dropped acid on my skin.” He swallowed, catching his breath. “They even castrated me!”

  “Good God!” Steve blurted.

  “Yes, they did inhuman things to me. During the time of my imprisonment, my mother died. When that happened, they tied me to a chair and made me watch a video of her agonizing death over and over again. Then, they tried to kill me! All I wanted to do was save my mother’s life, and they killed her. Believe me, they’ll do the same thing to you too! It’s too late for my mother, but your father can still be saved! Do the right thing! Then, after all of this is over, I’ll let you in on everything. You’ll see things beyond your wildest dreams.”

  Steve looked back out the window at the violence in the distance and shook his head in confusion. For the first time in his life, he actually understood the enemy even more than the ones he worked for. However, he still did not know what he was going to do. “I haven’t decided on anything yet.”

  “You don’t have to do anything. Remember, just sit back and do nothing. In three days, I’ll mail this device to you. There are worlds of knowledge, technology, and other fantastic things to experience.”

  “How do I know that you’ll uphold your end of the deal?” Steve interrupted.

  “Remember, I did not have to say anything in the first place. You and your forces cannot stop me either. However, I have chosen to save your father’s life. This is something that even Neil Stone has not offered you. I’m giving you hope, not death. Just do nothing and receive the gift of life. You will be my eyes and ears inside of the USG. If anything new comes up, shoot up a flare from the backyard of your house. I’ll be monitoring you from a spy satellite in space. Just use the flare gun in that desk drawer by the window in the upstairs bedroom. You were thinking about it an hour ago, the one your dad gave you on your sixth birthday.”

  Steve looked back out the window at the chaos and took another deep breath. The knowledge this guy had was just creepy—frightening. “I see that you can really read minds.”

  “That is only the tip of a universal iceberg. I will soon have the might of a god. You can share in this power too. Think about what I’ve told you tonight. Goodbye, my friend.”

  Steve put the phone on the table and closed the blinds. He’d seen too much violence in one day. It was time to sit down and think about what needed to be done now.

  ***

  Later that night, Diamond Jack was stretched out on a cot in a darkened room. He was bathed in his own sweat. The alien helmet that encircled his head was humming loudly, sending information directly into his brain. For the past three hours, this thing had downloaded the thoughts and images from a dozen minds and placed all of this information into his head. It was truly remarkable. However, the headaches were beginning to return. This was a reaction to information overload. Luckily, the experimental medicine he
was taking allowed him to spend more time surfing the brainwaves of others. In fact, both the device and the medicine were gradually changing him. His mind and body were slowly mutating into something more than human. Now, the question was just how far could he go before total insanity set in?

  He twisted and turned. The nightmarish world of his dreams had become so familiar too. People from his past—long gone now—hovered around and still taunted him. Even the ones he’d killed himself came back to visit and punish his mind yet again. However, he now enjoyed slaughtering the ghostly images of the USG workers. The blood and gore only aided his present rage. Oh yes, he could combine the past, present, and future. Everything was possible.

  The cell phone in his pocket started ringing and vibrating. The high-pitched sound would have awakened most men. However, its owner was in a deep trance—frozen in a cognitive fog.

  “Kill… kill… kill….” he whispered in his sleep, twisting and turning even more. He was detached from the present world. Only his true emotions broke through this troubled slumber. “Yes, everyone must die….they must all die screaming and in agony…. every last one of them.” He then broke out with heavy laughter until his eyes finally opened, not truly awake and not completely asleep anymore either. “Wow, I’ll kill them all,” he yelled one last time. “They will all die!”

  The vibrating cell phone finally captivated his attention as his breaths came in quick gasps.

  “Hello?” he answered after placing the receiver to his ear.

  “How are you, Jack?”

  Jack’s mouth stretched into a wicked grin that extended from ear to ear. “Hello, Eric. I was having the most wonderful dream. I had several members of the USG hung up naked on fish hooks, and I was beating them with a metal cable.” He chuckled a few times before continuing. “Oh my, the blood was streaming and the victims were screaming….you get it? I made a joke, screaming and streaming….”

  “Patience, my friend,” Eric replied. “You’ll have your revenge and even more. Besides, how is the mission going?”