Escaping the Cataclysm

by Keith Robinson

  Although he didn’t respond verbally, she could see the muscles in his face twitch, clearly showing that he was not amused by her attitude. The slight grin of pride on Rebecca’s face died instantly as she turned back to face their host. For despite the fact that Noah could not understand their speech, the look of disapproval on his face left no doubt in her mind that he found her behavior disturbing.

  Immediately, Rebecca felt her face flush as a deep sense of shame overwhelmed her. What’s wrong with me? she thought. How can I expect to win Jeffrey and the others over if I’m constantly rubbing it in their faces when I’m right? Lord, forgive me! Help me show them love, not pride.

  Turning back to Jeffrey, she opened her mouth to apologize, but was cut off by Goliath. “Ask him if he has any idea how long it will be before the Flood starts.”

  Suddenly remembering their greater danger, Mack nodded and began speaking to Noah. A moment later, the Patriarch replied, his tone grave.

  “Five days ago, the Creator, just and righteous are His acts, told me that in one week, He would bring the Deluge. Alas, this entire world has but two days left before destruction.”

  As Mack relayed Noah’s words, a heaviness settled upon the group. Jerome was the first to speak, his words giving voice to the thoughts that were running through each of their heads. “Two days? That’s…that’s not enough time. It’s already evening and we haven’t even… We’re…we’re not going to make it.”

  “Hold on, buddy,” Jeffrey said, attempting to calm his best friend. “We don’t even know what’s wrong with the ship. It could be something simple. Don’t give up hope yet.”

  Noah, sensing their fear, began to speak, his face filling with hope. “You are welcome to come with us. The Ark has more than enough room for everyone. The offer of salvation is available to all who humble themselves and accept it. The Lord, who is Truth and Life, is full of compassion, wishing that none would perish.”

  Rebecca and the others just stared at him as Mack finished translating the offer. Would that even be possible? she wondered. But, if we went with them on the Ark, wouldn’t that change history, and even change the Word of God itself? Shocked by the offer, she was lost in her thoughts for several seconds and nearly missed the others’ response.

  “…can’t be trapped here. Tarshwa needs me! She can’t afford the hospital bills without the extra money I—” Jerome suddenly stopped himself mid-sentence as if just remembering something. Then, he hesitantly finished, “She just can’t afford it.”

  Jeffrey, slightly confused by Jerome’s reaction, placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. Turning to look at Mack, he said, “Tell him that we appreciate the offer, but we have to get back to our own time. We have families who need us there.”

  For a split second, Rebecca felt a jolt of pain stab her heart at his words. Maybe he and Jerome had families to return to, but not her. Not anymore. For an instant, the possibility of accepting Noah’s offer flashed through her mind, only to be immediately discarded. What would I do then? Live out the rest of my life alone on a barren landscape with no husband and no children—always being the outcast. No. It’d be better to drown in the Flood. With bitterness in her heart, she focused once more on accomplishing what they came to do.

  Crestfallen, the patriarch let out a sigh. “Then, for your sakes, I pray that I can help you. However, won’t you at least come see the Ark first? Perhaps you may change your minds. Besides, darkness approaches, and it would not be safe for you to return tonight. With the gate secured, and with the Master of All watching over us, we will be protected here.”

  Rebecca felt her heart leap into her throat as her face lit up with excitement. Never in her wildest of dreams could she have begun to come up with a scenario that would have allowed her to walk through the real Noah’s Ark during her lifetime. Yet, here she was. This was the ship that would preserve every kind of plant and animal life to repopulate the world. This was the ship that, for so many years, she had believed was just a myth. She would actually get to see how Noah and his family planned on storing, feeding, and caring for thousands of animals for over a year. She would get answers to questions that people had wondered about for centuries! As she looked at the others, she could tell that despite their lingering fear and trepidation about their fate, they were fascinated by the prospect.

  Except Jeffrey.

  Although she could tell that at least some part of him wanted to go inside, there was another part of him that feared what he would find. His face revealed his conflict, and she wondered momentarily if he was going to be sick. For a moment, Rebecca began to pity him. She knew what it was like to have everything that you believe suddenly turned on its head. Lord, open his eyes. Let him see Your truth, she prayed.

  “What about Doc?” Mack asked worriedly. “We need to get him help immediately. He may not last the night.”

  “You’re right,” Rebecca said, chiding herself for not thinking of her friend’s needs first. “Mack, tell Noah about Doc’s situation. Ask him if he has any medicine that would help.”

  Upon hearing Mack’s explanation, Noah shook his head. “We do have medicine that can help, but you would never make it back to your vessel. There are many other dangers far worse than Blood Drinkers that roam the forest and fields at night. I am sorry, but you would be throwing your lives away.”

  Not happy with his response, but seeing no other option, Rebecca sighed. “We have to at least call Akwen and Lisa to let them know the situation, and to check on Doc’s condition. He was doing better before we left. Perhaps he’ll make it until tomorrow.”

  Agreeing with Rebecca’s assessment, Jeffrey pulled out his commlink and called Lisa while Shem, Ham, and Japheth returned from moving the bodies and began to converse with their father. Judging by their body language, they didn’t appear to be in agreement with their father’s decisions. A minute later, Jeffrey shut off his commlink and reported. “Lisa says that Doc is stable and sleeping soundly. She thinks he’ll pull through.”

  Rebecca and the others, encouraged by the news, relaxed for the first time since they had landed. For the moment, they were safe. Returning her attention to their host, Rebecca bowed slightly. “We would be honored to visit the Ark.”

  “Wonderful. Our wives will prepare a meal, and you will be our guests,” Noah said. “It has been quite some time since we have had the pleasure of entertaining someone who has love for our glorious Creator. Once you are fed and your wounds are bandaged, we will offer you our full hospitality for the night.”

  Reaching down, Noah’s sons retrieved the stack of weapons and handed Rebecca’s pistol, Goliath’s sword, and the other smaller blades back to their owners. Then, turning toward the vessel, they headed through the doorway into the Ark. Gesturing toward the entrance, Noah beckoned for Rebecca and the others to follow. Leading the way, he walked up the mound and entered the massive structure. With her heart beating wildly in her chest from excitement, Rebecca walked as if in a trance toward the ship. Barely aware that the others were right behind her, she crossed the threshold and entered Noah’s Ark.

  6

  The Narrow Door

  As Rebecca stepped into the Ark, she began to shake with excitement and awe. Although she always struggled to put into words the thrill she felt when she had first set foot on alien soil during her trip to Ka’esch, that feeling paled in comparison to the overwhelming sense of grandeur and majesty that settled into her soul. Is this for real? she wondered. Even though she had recently come to believe that the “story” of Noah’s Flood was more than just a myth, her brain had yet to fully comprehend all that her belief would entail. Numerous questions that she had heard scoffers pose regarding the Ark wormed their way to the forefront of her mind: How could Noah get all of those animals on the Ark? How could eight people care for that many animals? How would they manage the feeding, watering and waste removal? The sheer logistics involved boggled the mind.

  Yet here she was! She was going to find answers to que
stions that had caused countless numbers of people throughout the years to doubt the historicity of the Flood, and by extension, the Bible itself. Next to the resurrection of Christ and the Fall of Mankind into sin, no other event in the entire history of the world has had such a sweeping impact as the Cataclysm, and, few other events had such far-reaching implications.

  These thoughts and more assailed Rebecca as she took her first steps into the massive structure. Beyond the fifteen-foot-wide door was a short hallway of the same width that curved to their left, heading toward the bow of the vessel. A normal-sized, wooden door was built into the wall on their right several feet from the main entrance.

  Once they were all inside, Noah turned toward them as Shem, Ham, and Japheth headed off down the hallway to their left. As Noah spoke, Mack immediately fell into the role of translator. “Please excuse the departure of my sons. They have gone to assist the women in preparation for your stay. Before we proceed, I need to secure the outer door.”

  Rebecca and the others stepped away from the entrance as Noah reached up and released a lever attached to the wall. Immediately, the massive door began to rise, its bulk being lifted by two thick ropes attached to each of the top corners. Once the door was in place, Noah moved another lever, causing a massive rectangular slab of wood more than half a foot in width and height to slide slowly down from above. As the beam divided the door vertically into two equal sections, Noah guided it through three loops of thick cable that were attached to the door itself.

  With the first beam locked securely in position, Noah walked over to the left side of the door and moved yet another lever, which caused a nearly identical beam to slide across the door horizontally. Rebecca gasped quietly as the second beam came to rest in the bracket mounted against the opposite side of the entrance.

  Walking as if in a trance, Rebecca moved over to the door and began to caress the wood like one would stroke a beloved child. The moment her fingers brushed the lightly colored beams, she felt a tingling sensation course through her. The feeling grew until it felt as if her whole body were aflame with purest joy. Unadulterated tears of pleasure streaked down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and sank to her knees, both of her hands sliding down the wall and remaining over her head in a posture of worship. For what seemed like an eternity, Rebecca remained in that position of reverence as her soul bathed in the presence of her Master. Oblivious to her surroundings, Rebecca wept as an unfathomable peace washed over her. A single thought replayed over and over in her mind: He is HERE!

  However, along with the joy came the mirror of truth. In its reflection, she could no longer rationalize her recent petty behavior, her impatience, or her lack of forgiveness toward her husband. Lord, I’m so sorry, she prayed silently. I know there’s no excuse for my actions. I don’t know what’s come over me since we arrived here. Please help me to do better.

  The gentle pressure of a hand on her shoulder roused her from her prayer. Looking up from where she sat on the floor, she saw Noah standing over her, his kind eyes staring deeply into her own. After speaking a few words, the patriarch removed his hand from her shoulder and nodded at her as if in understanding. Smiling broadly, he raised his hands above his head, closed his eyes, and appeared to offer thanks. A moment later, he opened his eyes once again and reached out a hand toward Rebecca to help her stand.

  Realizing that everyone was staring at her and waiting for her, she brushed the tears from her eyes, accepted Noah’s offered hand, and stood. Once she was back on her feet, she turned to Mack and the others. Gesturing toward the door with her right hand, she reached out with her left and gripped Mack’s arm. “Don’t you see it? Don’t any of you see it? The two beams form…a cross.” As she spoke, her face radiated so much love and assurance that the others were stunned into silence.

  “Jesus once taught that we should ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door’ because many won’t be able to. He then said that once the owner of the house closes the door, many will stand outside knocking and pleading, and saying, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’1” Although she half expected her friends to cut her off or dismiss her point as foolish religious nonsense, she found that she couldn’t stop herself. And, to her great surprise, the looks on their faces showed that they were actually listening to her intently. Emboldened, she continued. “I’ve never thought of it this way before, but just as the door to the Ark is the ‘narrow door’ that leads to salvation from the flood for all who enter, so, too, is Jesus the narrow door that leads to salvation of the soul for all those who come in through Him. And the Bible says that God Himself shut Noah and his family in the Ark, just as ‘the owner of the house’ closed the door.”

  Somewhat taken aback by the whole scene, Mack regarded Rebecca with a newfound respect. “Becky, I, uh…I don’t know what’s going on, but I…I felt something when we walked through the door,” Mack said, causing her to turn her attention back to him once more. “It was almost as if…as if some pressure had lifted off of me. I feel…lighter. It’s kind of…freaky, but in a nice way.”

  Rebecca smiled at her friend. “God is real, Mack. Just because we can’t see Him and don’t always feel His presence doesn’t mean He isn’t there.”

  “Yeah…” Mack said as he glanced at their surroundings somewhat nervously. “But what creeps me out even more is what Noah said to you a minute ago. He…uh…he said that the…presence of the Almighty is very strong here and that we should be at peace, for no…” Mack swallowed hard as if the words he had been about to utter became stuck in his throat, “…no…evil forces…can harm us here.”

  Turning to regard the others, she saw a look of reverent respect on Jerome’s face, while Goliath looked uncomfortable and Jeffrey appeared downright ill.

  Gazing intently at Mack, Rebecca spoke the words that burned in her spirit. “No matter what happens to us on this trip, we need to remember that God is in control. We need to trust Him.” Taking her own advice, she offered up a silent prayer for her friends and husband and turned her attention back to their host, who was waiting patiently, his son Japheth having returned to stand by his side.

  “My friend,” Noah said, addressing Jerome, “if you will follow my son, he will see to your wounded shoulder, and then bring you back to join your friends.”

  Offering his thanks, Jerome crossed over to where Japheth stood. “You guys will have to fill me in on what I miss,” Jerome commented as Japheth led him deeper into the ship.

  Turning his attention to the rest of his guests, Noah began walking down the hallway, beckoning for them to follow. With the initial burst of excitement beginning to ebb, Rebecca and the others began to take in their surroundings. Oil lamps hung on both sides of the hallway and were spaced at regular intervals, lighting the interior of the Ark with a warm, amber glow, despite the blackness of the outer wall, which was covered with pitch. A symphony of muted animal noises came from the end of the hallway and bounced off the walls, floor, and ceiling around them, and, as they headed down the short hallway, their nostrils were assailed by a plethora of smells that, due to the visitors’ mostly sterile lifestyles, were quite repugnant.

  As the first wafts of unpleasant odors invaded Mack’s delicate senses, he raised his hand to cover his nose while he began to gag and choke. “Holy Stench, Batman! I betcha a roomful of flatulent Hutts wouldn’t smell this bad! Yikes!”

  “What did you expect?” Rebecca said, laughing at her friend’s discomfort. “You obviously haven’t spent much time on farms or visiting zoos.”

  “You got it,” he replied, his voice sounding nasally and muffled. “I don’t go anywhere near those places for exactly this reason.”

  Before Rebecca could reply, Noah brought the group to a halt at the end of the hallway, causing her to forget all about their conversation. In front of them, a twenty-foot-long platform extended out from the main floor and had two ten-foot ramps connected to it: one descending and the other ascending. The descending ramp, which was closest to where the group
stood, angled down to another identical platform that extended out from the deck below them on the opposite side of the ship, and yet another ramp led down to the lowest deck. The ascending ramp mirrored the design and ended at the deck above them.

  To their right, the floor ran along the edge of the ramps nearly the full eighty-foot width of the ship. Along the opposite wall, a narrow four-foot-wide passage opened up and appeared to head toward the back of the vessel. Closer to where they stood, however, was another, much larger passage that ran down the center of the ship. It was from this passage that the majority of the animal sounds, and stench, emanated.

  Turning to face his guests, Noah began to speak. With his hand still pinching his nose, Mack translated for their guide. “We are now near the very front of the ship. The ramps you see here lead to each of the other decks, and there is a duplicate set of ramps in the aft. There are three decks, and two other four-foot-high crawlways about ten feet wide that run above the lower and middle levels used for storage and maintenance. Each of the floors has a main central aisle large enough for the animals, and two small aisles intended just for my family to use: one on each side of the ship. All three aisles run the entire length of the ship.”

  Still in awe of his surroundings, Mack asked nervously, “So…so the door we saw to the right of the main entrance…did that lead to one of the aisles?”

  Nodding in affirmation, Noah continued. “In addition to the storage walkways, there are many rooms along the outer walls of the ship that hold food, bedding, and other items, as well as animals that prefer the darkness.”

  Finally recovering his ability to speak, Jeffrey picked up on the older man’s implied point. “Which means that all of the rest of the animals are housed in the central part of the ship.”

  “Correct,” Noah confirmed. “This design aids in ventilation, temperature control, and lighting. It also makes waste elimination easier, but we’ll get to that later.” The Patriarch continued speaking as he stepped out onto the platform and began walking up the ramp leading to the upper deck. “If you would please follow me, I have found that you get a better view of the ship by looking from the top down.”