Mack, looking uncertain, pushed a lock of curly black hair off his sweat filled brow. “Sure. But I…I’m not really sure how.”
“Don’t worry. It’s just like talking to a friend,” Rebecca replied. “I’ll teach you.”
The remainder of the journey was uneventful, allowing Rebecca a couple of hours of uninterrupted time to both teach her pupil some pointers about prayer, and lots of time to practice. By the time they reached the landing site, the sun had worked its way near its zenith. As they rounded the last hill, the group could see two figures standing in the doorway of the pyramid. Upon first glancing the approaching group, one of the two leapt out of the entrance and began heading toward them at a full run. The light brown skin and blond hair made the identity of the figure instantly apparent.
The moment Rebecca saw Lisa running toward them, a surge of rage welled up within her with such force that Rebecca was forced to stop running. Here she comes, that two-faced little tramp! Running toward MY HUSBAND like she’s some lovesick puppy. I’d like to take that pretty little face of hers and…
Shocked by her own thoughts, Rebecca put her hands to her face and closed her eyes. Lord, help me to forgive! I want to feed the hate, but I know that’s not your will. And with everything we’re facing, the last thing we need right now is to be divided. I just can’t forgive them yet, Lord. But, at least help me to get through this.
A gentle pressure on her shoulder caused her to remove her hands from her eyes to see Mack standing in front of her, concern for her clearly written on his face. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
Not sure how to respond, Rebecca simply replied, “Just keep praying.” With that, she took a deep breath and strode over to where Lisa and Jeffrey were deep in an animated conversation. As she passed them, she spoke in the most even voice she could muster, not daring to look at them. “I have the meds for Doc. I would appreciate it if you would give me a hand.” Not even turning to see if Lisa was following behind her, Rebecca kept walking past Akwen and into the cool interior of the pyramid.
Going immediately to see Dr. Eisenberg, she opened the door and stepped inside the room in which he lay. To her surprise, his eyes opened as she entered and a broad smile lit up his features. “My dearest Rebecca! What a pleasure it is to see your beautiful face,” he managed, his voice sounding tired, yet strong. “I was afraid I wouldn’t get the chance to see you again this side of eternity.”
Walking over to the massive, nine-foot long bed, she laughed as tears of joy began sliding down her cheeks. “Me too. You really gave us a scare. We thought we were going to lose you.”
“I told you not to go picking out flowers for my funeral just yet,” he said. “I’m a tough old bird. I’ve still got some fight left in me.”
Taking out the medicine and bandages given to her by Eema, she laid them out on the bed. “Doc, we got you some medicine. Did Lisa tell you where it’s from? Did she tell you where—I mean—‘when’ we are?”
“Yes. She told me everything, including the fact that we are in a bit of hot water, or at least might be soon enough,” he replied.
A sour look crossed Rebecca’s features at the pun. “Not funny, Doc.”
“Sorry. But when you’ve faced death once, it tends to take the edge off,” he said. “Especially when you know your final destination.”
Opening the jar of medicine, Rebecca sat the doctor up with pillows and offered it to him. “Here, drink this. Noah’s daughter-in-law said you were to take some twice a day.”
A moment after the liquid touched his lips, the doctor scrunched his face in disgust. “Wow. What is that stuff? It’s quite bitter.”
Despite the unpleasant flavor, he continued to drink the elixir until he had drained the cup. As Rebecca laid him back down, the door opened and Lisa entered. The two women exchanged brief glances, then looked solely at their patient.
“We’re going to change your bandages and put some ointment on the wound,” Rebecca informed him as she began to unbutton his shirt to reveal his wounded side. “Then we have to go. Did you hear about what Noah said we should do to fix the pyramid?”
Wincing in pain as the two women removed the old dressing, Dr. Eisenberg shook his head slightly. While they worked, Rebecca filled the doctor and Lisa in briefly on what had happened. Although she was focused on relating the past events, Rebecca paused in astonishment as they cleaned his wound.
“Doc, this is amazing! Even with very little medical attention, your side has already begun to heal!” Rebecca stated.
“Yes, that’s what Lisa tells me,” he replied. “Tell me, Rebecca, do you believe it’s the hand of God that is healing me?”
Taking his hand in her own, she said, “I learned years ago to always give God the glory for every good thing. So, yes, I believe it is the hand of God. At the same time, I believe that He often works through natural means. In this case, we’ve discovered that there seems to be something in the atmosphere that gives all living things extra energy or vitality. Mack doesn’t have asthma anymore, we were able to run long distances without getting tired, and we observed fruit that was abnormally large. It’s just a theory, but I think there’s more oxygen in the atmosphere.”
The doctor was silent for a moment as he considered her words. “Yes, that would make sense. There’s probably more to it than that, but that would explain a lot. For one thing, it would explain why, according to the Bible, many of the pre-flood patriarchs lived to be over nine hundred years old.”
Having finished cleaning the wound, Lisa and Rebecca had begun dressing it with the fresh bandages when Dr. Eisenberg suddenly spoke up, excitement in his voice. “I just remembered a study I read years ago about how scientists had found air bubbles trapped in amber. When they analyzed the gases trapped in the bubbles, they contained 35 percent oxygen!”1
Rebecca paused in her work, not understanding the reason for the doctor’s excitement. “Really? That’s almost double the normal ratio.”
“This article was written from an evolutionary perspective, so I don’t buy into their time-scale interpretation, but it matches what we see here,” he stated. “The authors also speculated that a drop in the level of oxygen could have been one thing that led to the extinction of dinosaurs. Think about it, before the flood, they grew to be large partially because they may have lived longer, like humans, and the atmosphere was rich with oxygen. Then, after the Flood, the atmosphere changed, causing animals and humans to live shorter lives and not grow as big. Dinosaurs were then hunted down and driven to extinction.”
Glancing at her co-worker, Rebecca noticed that Lisa looked pale and sickly, clearly disturbed by the implications of their conversation. Fighting the urge to gloat at her former friend’s apparent misery, Rebecca returned her focus to her work and their conversation. “It does make a lot of sense. But frankly, I’m just glad that this atmospheric change seems to be helping you.”
Finished with their work, Lisa mumbled a quick goodbye and left the room. Once she had departed, Rebecca said, “Well, Doc, you’re all set. Now get some rest.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. “Be careful, and come back quickly. I really would like to make it back home, especially now that I know the truth. There is so much research I want to do, and so many people that I want to talk to, such as…my son.”
“I understand, Doc,” she said. “I wish you could have been with us on the Ark. It was so incredible. When this is all over, I’ll tell you everything we learned. We found the answers to so many questions!”
“Please don’t remind me!” he said. “I would’ve given anything to have been with you. I will look forward to your report on the subject.”
“It was so amazing that even Jeffrey was impressed,” she added. “Oh, and by the way, I have a bit of news that will help you rest a little easier. We have a new member in the family of God.”
His eyes widened as joy lit up his face. “Who? Jeffrey?”
“No,” she said wistfully. “Mack.”
Although disappointed that it had not been Rebecca’s husband, the doctor still smiled broadly at the news. “Praise God. I am so glad for him. Now maybe he will get those silly movies out of his head and start focusing on something that really matters.”
Rebecca grinned. “Don’t count on it.” Leaning forward, she kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“And while you are gone, know that I’ll be praying for you, and that God will open the eyes of the others as he opened Mack’s eyes, and my own.”
“Thanks,” she said. For a brief moment, she paused, wondering if she should tell him about her vision. Deciding that it would probably only serve to worry him and prevent him from getting some much needed rest, she kept it to herself. Kissing him lovingly on his forehead, Rebecca walked toward the door. Wondering if this might be the last time she would see him, she fought to control the emotion in her voice as she said, “Goodbye, Doc. See you soon.”
“I have tried everting I can tink of, and yet, I get da same result. Nuhting!” Akwen said as she slammed her hand down on the edge of the control console in frustration. “Elmer and I have been working on dis stupid ting since you left. Whatever shut it down has it locked up tight.” At the mention of his name, the floating droid turned its circular head and regarded her silently with the beady pinpricks of light that served as its eyes.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jeffrey said, in an attempt to calm her down. “You gave it your best shot. We just have to hope that we can find this Arngrim guy and convince him to help us.”
“Which isn’t much of a hope at all, from what I hear,” she replied, a doubtful expression on her face. “Let’s face facts, Jeffrey, we’re going to die.”
“I’m not ready to concede defeat just yet. We’ll get through this—”
“Why is it dat men are always lying about da seriousness of situations?” Akwen shouted. “I’m not some child dat needs to be comforted.”
“Well, what do you want me to say?” Jeffrey yelled back. “‘Yes, Akwen, we’re all going to be drowned in a massive flood, so you’d better bring your snorkel’?”
For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other, anger smoldering between them. Then, like a small crack that announces the forthcoming breaking of a dam, Akwen’s lip began slowly curving into a smile until, unable to contain it any longer, she let out a full-throated laugh. With the tension released, Jeffrey joined her until they were both in tears.
Finally regaining control, Akwen said, “A snorkel? Where did dat come from?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Jeffrey said, “I don’t know. I guess it’s just the pressure of everything coming through.”
An awkward silence descended upon them, which served to sober them immediately. “I guess I can accept da fact dat we are going to die,” Akwen said at last. “It’s just hard to come to grips wit da realization dat I will never see my children again.”
Jeffrey paused for a moment before replying. “Seriously, we can’t give up hope just yet. I know our chances seem dismal, but if we give up now, then we’re really dead.”
“Listen to you, talking about hope as if you believed in God,” she stated. “Why should we believe in hope? You know just as well as I do dat dis world is random and witout purpose. Pain and suffering are just part of life,” she said, as if it were a well rehearsed mantra. “Dere is no God directing our lives. And if dere is, I’ve got a few bones to pick wit Him when I die.”
“Yeah…” Jeffrey agreed quietly, his face devoid of expression as he stared vacantly.
Before either of them could say anything further, Jerome appeared at the top of the steps. “Hey, Jeffrey, we’re ready to go when you are.”
Shaking himself as if to ward off whatever unpleasant thoughts were plaguing him, he stood, once more in control. “Alright. Let’s get this over with. See ya later, Akwen. And don’t forget to oil up the scuba gear.”
Raising a sarcastic eyebrow, she said, “Sure ting, boss.”
Confused by Jeffrey’s last comment, Jerome shot him a questioning look as the two of them headed down the stairs. They joined Mack, Goliath, and Rebecca who all stood near the entrance waiting for them. As the group exited the pyramid and headed out across the plains toward the city in the distance, Jeffrey reflected upon Akwen’s words. In his mind, he kept repeating the same things over and over, as if trying desperately to convince himself of their truth. Death and suffering are just part of life. There is no God directing our lives. There is no God directing our lives…
“Air Bubbles, Amber, and Dinosaurs” U.S. Geological Survey, June 01, 2009. http://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/gips/na/amber.html (accessed December 16, 2010).
15
Entering the City
The group remained silent as they ran, each preoccupied by his or her own thoughts. Working their way across the rolling hills, they eventually came upon the road that led to the main gate of the city. Small caravans of people, animals, and carts made their way to and from the city along the wide road. Since there were few trees or other objects to hide behind, Rebecca and the others pulled the hoods of their robes low over their heads and nervously made their way toward the road, expecting at any moment to draw the attention of some of the other passersby. Although many on the road did see them and cast uneasy glances at Goliath, the appearance of Rebecca’s group didn’t herald much of a disturbance.
The dirt road was well-worn and full of holes, ruts, and cracks. However, as they began moving across its uneven surface, they soon forgot about the road itself, for as they walked, they got their first glimpse of the decadence and depravity for which these people were soon to be judged.
Long gutters ran along the sides of the slightly elevated road. Several comatose figures lay on top of the trash, animal waste, and other unrecognizable objects. Despite being outdoors, putrid smells still wafted across the road, almost as if the gentle breeze itself were mocking them. Flies, rodents, and carrion birds could all be seen swarming around here and there, looking for a meal. The site was so revolting that Rebecca could feel the bile rising in her throat.
Noticing the horrified looks on the faces of his companions, Goliath turned to them and whispered a harsh warning. “You must not react to what you see, or we’re all dead. Those who prey on fear will pick you out easily. Remember, these people are numb to this. It’s routine for them. They see it every day. Act nonchalant and casual, no matter what we come across.”
Taking this warning to heart and struggling to keep down the contents of her stomach, Rebecca and the others immediately concentrated on keeping their faces impassive and emotionless. It was a constant battle, for as they walked, more horrors of human immorality assailed them. The more people they passed that were leaving the city, the more they could see what Noah and his family had warned about.
Many of the travelers had features that were clearly not normal. Some had too much or too little hair; eyes that were too big, or oddly shaped; ears that looked like they belonged to some kind of animal; noses that were too long for their faces and limbs that were too long or too short in proportion to their height. In addition, there were many who walked with a limp, or suffered with other deformities due to either maltreatment or experiments that went wrong. Near the gutters, beggars called out to those on the road. Rebecca made the mistake of glancing at one of the beggars, and immediately returned her attention to the road, for the thing that called out to her was barely recognizable as a human. Rather, its mutated form looked like something out of a sick, perverted nightmare.
Even the animals bore testimony to the evil of the world. Each one Rebecca and the others passed showed signs of abuse, and many exhibited some of the same deformities and genetic tampering as their human masters.
What was even more disconcerting than the physical appearances of the people on the road was the hunted, and haunted, expressions that they wore like masks. The eyes of many of those on the road shifted constantly, as if expecting an attack from the other
travelers. Several others appeared to be studying those around them carefully, as if searching for easy prey. Everyone they passed had hands that rested on the hilts of swords, axes, or other weapons, ready to defend themselves if attacked.
Judging by their stiff posture and disturbed glances, it became clear to Rebecca that her companions had observed the same thing. Goliath walked in the front with shoulders back and his hand on the hilt of Nimrod’s sword, as if daring anyone to challenge him. Glancing behind her, she could see her own fear, shock, and horror reflected on the faces of Jeffrey and Jerome, whose hands also rested nervously on the hilts of their newly acquired swords. Mack, walking beside her, was pale. He gripped his sword so tightly that Rebecca feared he would injure himself.
As she studied their surroundings, Rebecca began to understand why Noah had suggested they hire bodyguards. If the road leading to the city was this dangerous, she could only imagine how bad the city itself would be. Constant vigilance would be required to live in a world of so much evil, and the weight of that vigilance could easily drive a person insane or schizophrenic. Gripping the handle of her gun beneath her robes tightly, she continually scanned those walking near them, praying desperately to God for protection as she nervously cracked the knuckles of her left hand against her thigh.
The further they traveled, the more Rebecca began to notice that not all of the travelers on the road appeared murderous. In fact, more often than not, she noticed expressions of despair and hopelessness on their faces. Their shoulders were slumped, their heads drooped, and they shuffled along weakly. Life to them was constant pain and suffering, with no hope of relief or rescue. They limped through life; their only hope was a quick death.
Rebecca recognized the expression. She had seen it before on the faces of the slaves she had encountered during her journey to the planet Ka’esch. For the first time, she began to see the Flood of Noah in a different light. To the oppressed and abused, it would serve to cut short a life that would contain nothing but pain and suffering. Grief and sadness for the whole of humankind filled her heart. Fighting back tears, she forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. Although her encounter with the aliens on Ka’esch had been a vision, the memories of all that had happened to her were real. Drawing on those experiences, she hardened her expression and buried her feelings. As life had been on that alien planet, so it was here: Power to the strong and intelligent, death to the weak and stupid.
Escaping the Cataclysm Page 14
