Escaping the Cataclysm

by Keith Robinson

  Although Jeffrey remained silent, Rebecca could tell that he was listening.

  “I’ve heard it said that our own ‘goodness’ is like having a jumping contest to see who can get closest to the moon!” she said. “No matter who jumps the highest, every one of us is still nowhere close to reaching it. God is a holy God. In His eyes, all sin is equal. There are no ‘bad sins’ and ‘not-so-bad sins.’ God will forgive you, Jeffrey. You just need to ask Him.”

  “I wish I could believe that,” he said hoarsely.

  Standing, she looked at him one last time. “Don’t just take my word on it. I encourage you to read it for yourself. I’ll leave you the small New Testament I carry around in my jacket pocket,” she said as she laid the small book on the bed. “I recommend starting with the book of John. I’ll send Mack or someone to stay with you. I’ll be praying…for you, for me, and…for us.” Moving away from the bed, she opened the door and left the room, leaving him alone.

  Feeling a heaviness in his heart, Jeffrey sensed the weight of his guilt beginning to crush him once again. Then, remembering Rebecca’s suggestion, he reached down, picked up the New Testament, and began to read.

  Romans 5:8

  Romans 3:23

  Romans 3:10

  29

  The Dawn of Time

  The pyramid shook violently, causing Akwen to fall out of the throne-like chair and jolt her awake. Immediately, all traces of sleep were brushed aside as she leapt to her feet and began studying the controls. Before she had even figured out what was happening, the walls and everything within the ship, including her own body, began to turn transparent.

  “Elmer, power on!” Akwen called out to the droid, who had gone into ‘sleep mode’ shortly after she had dozed off.

  “How may I—” he began.

  “Plug into da computer!” she cried out impatiently. “Find out what’s happening!”

  “What’s going on?” Jerome asked as he reached the top of the nearly invisible steps with Mack, Dr. Eisenberg, Goliath, Rebecca, and Lisa hot on his heels.

  “How should I know?” Akwen replied as she frantically looked at the controls in front of her. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide in shock and her rapid movements ceased.

  “What’s wrong? What did you find?” Goliath said as he and the others came to stand behind her.

  “Da…da time dial,” she said, her voice full of apprehension. “It’s at minus 4385!”

  “Then what I feared has come to pass!” Dr. Eisenberg said. “We’ve gone back to the beginning of time!”

  “But, I thought you said the pyramid would probably stop and recharge after a thousand years or so!” Mack said, looking at Akwen accusingly. “Why didn’t you wake us up and tell us that we had overshot the mark?”

  Akwen spun and shot him a glance that was filled with such intensity that Mack took a step backwards. “Like da rest of you, I fell asleep because I was exhausted from spending a night in a dungeon and trying to survive! So excuse me!” she spat, drawing out the last two words for emphasis.

  “We’re not blaming you for anything, Akwen,” Dr. Eisenberg said gently. “You deserved to rest as well.”

  “This is the first time we’ve made a jump with the core we took from the Tower of Babel,” Lisa pointed out. “It must be stronger and able to hold more of a charge.”

  “Oh great!” Jerome commented as he stared through the now translucent walls toward the pristine earth below them. “So what does it all mean?”

  The engines, which had shut off immediately as the machine jolted out of time, suddenly began to rev back up, this time in reverse. “I think we’re about to find out!” Goliath stated as the pyramid started to descend toward the planet.

  “I have full control of where we land,” Akwen stated as she grabbed the controls. “Does anyone have any preferences?”

  “Yeah right!” Jerome said sarcastically. “We’re at the dawn of time! There’s nothing down there yet but wide-open country!”

  “Actually,” Dr. Eisenberg interjected in order to prevent another outburst from the pilot, “we cannot be at the very beginning of time.”

  “Why do you say that?” Lisa asked.

  “Simple: The sun has already been created; there is dry land; and, we can see greenery, meaning that plants have already been created,” he replied. “If we had arrived at the very dawn of time, then we either wouldn’t see anything at all or the earth would be completely covered with water and there would be no sun.”

  “At least, according to a literal reading of Genesis,” Jerome added.

  “Based upon the original Hebrew, a literal reading makes the most sense,” Dr. Eisenberg stated. “Those who say otherwise are inconsistent in how they interpret ancient documents. There is nothing in the original language of the text to indicate that it should be taken as anything but a historical narrative. And, as we have seen firsthand, the literal interpretation of the Flood was the correct interpretation.”

  “So if we aren’t at the beginning of time itself, then when did we arrive?” Rebecca asked.

  “We won’t know until we get down there,” the doctor said. “But, based on the time dial, my guess is that we have arrived very shortly after the original creation week.”

  “Dis is all very interesting, but it still doesn’t answer my question,” Akwen said. “Where should we land?”

  “If we have indeed arrived after creation was finished,” Dr. Eisenberg said, “then we should be able to locate the Garden of Eden!”

  “What?” Lisa questioned. “But, how do we know where that is?”

  “The Torah says that God planted the Garden in the east and that a river flows out of it before branching into four great rivers!” Dr. Eisenberg said excitedly.

  “But there’s still an awful lot of land to cover,” Jerome said.

  “We’ve got the time, and Akwen can control the ship,” the doctor added. “So, we stay at a relatively high altitude and fly above the east coast and look for rivers or anything not wide-open country.”

  “Why?” Goliath asked bluntly. “Why waste time trying to find this Garden? Why not just land, change the dial to the future and go home?”

  “Because, we’re not even sure we can go home to the future,” Dr. Eisenberg replied. “The machine didn’t work when Arngrim tried to use it and we’ve never been able to travel forward in time. Besides, don’t you have even the slightest bit of curiosity to find out what the Garden looked like?”

  When none of the others answered his question or disputed his logic, Akwen nodded in affirmative. “It’s settled den.” Grabbing the controls, she focused her attention on the giant orb beneath them.

  As the pyramid descended through the pristine atmosphere of the beautiful planet, Akwen guided the ship to the southeastern tip of the large supercontinent. She kept the pyramid high in the atmosphere so that the travelers would have a clear view of the surrounding landscape. Only a handful of light, fluffy clouds drifted around them, allowing them to see for miles in every direction. No one spoke as Akwen guided their craft northward along the coast in search of the four large rivers.

  “I don’t see any big rivers yet,” Jerome said, his voice tinged with awe, “but check out the Quetzalcoatlus! And over there, near that small lake is a herd of Pachycephalosauruses and…”

  “…and elephants,” Dr. Eisenberg finished for him. “Or maybe mammoths. They look like a mixture of both.”

  “Well, if we do get stuck in this time period, at least we’ll have plenty of stuff to explore,” Mack stated.

  “What are you talking about?” Lisa said nervously. “I don’t want to get ‘stuck’ anywhere. I want to get home.”

  Mack looked apologetic. “I was only saying that there are worse places to get stuck. Such as days before the Flood.”

  “Can we please just focus on finding dis Garden, if it even exists,” Akwen stated. “Dere’s no sense worrying about getting ‘stuck’ anywhere until we find out if da pyramid is even broken.”
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  After nearly twenty minutes more of searching, Mack suddenly called out. “Look! There it is! The four rivers and a…a wall!”

  The others stared in the direction that Mack indicated with his extended finger until they began to see it as well. “There is a wall!” Rebecca said in surprise. “It must be nearly forty feet high and seems to stretch on for miles! I never realized the Garden would be so big! But…but I don’t remember the Bible saying anything about a stone wall covered in thorny vines!”

  Dr. Eisenberg frowned. As he spoke, Akwen piloted the ship lower and closer to the outer wall. “It doesn’t. But perhaps—”

  Before the doctor could continue his thought, a stream of fire flashed across the sky between the pyramid and the wall. It took the travelers a moment to realize that the source of the fire was a gigantic sword that was being swung back and forth by an enormous, blazing figure that hovered before them. “HOLD ON!” Akwen called out as she pulled hard on the controls to turn the ship.

  Although she knew it should have been impossible, Rebecca felt the heat of the sword penetrate the walls of the pyramid. As Akwen turned the vessel away from the Garden, Rebecca felt the heat decrease gradually and the sudden terror that had been squeezing her heart began to relent. Turning to look behind them, she could see through the transparent walls that the being was not pursuing.

  Swearing in exasperation, Goliath turned to face Dr. Eisenberg. “What…what just happened? What was that thing?”

  Clearly shaken, the doctor swallowed hard before replying. “It must be one of the Cherubim that God placed to guard the Garden after Adam and Eve sinned.”

  “A what?” Goliath asked.

  “A Cherub,” the doctor repeated. “It’s a type of angel.”

  “But if it’s already guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden, then that means we must have arrived some time after the Fall,” Rebecca said.

  The doctor nodded in affirmative, his face downcast as he stared at the tops of the trees that stood inside the wall. “It appears that this bird’s-eye view will be all we’ll ever see of the Garden of Eden.”

  “So what do we do now?” Akwen asked.

  Dr. Eisenberg thought for a moment. “I think we should continue circling around the Garden. Perhaps we can find Adam and Eve.”

  Although the idea of trying to locate a literal Adam and Eve still seemed absurd to Akwen, she nevertheless decided to follow the doctor’s suggestion. Several minutes passed as she piloted the pyramid east along the southern wall of the Garden, making sure to keep the ship a healthy distance from the stone structure. Rounding the southeastern corner, Akwen and her companions gazed northward along the eastern wall. Several miles away, they could see a wide river flowing out from an opening in the wall. Before the river had traveled more than three miles, it began to branch off to become four separate rivers that each flowed in different directions.

  However, it was more than the river that had captured the attention of the visitors. The being of blazing light that had nearly attacked them now hovered over the river where it flowed out between the walls. The flaming sword grasped in its hands flashed backward and forward threateningly. Fear of the power that exuded from the angelic being washed over the travelers once again. Turning the pyramid away from the entrance to the Garden, Akwen flew low over the terrain near the river.

  Rebecca’s sudden cry startled everyone in the room. “Over there! Look!” To everyone’s amazement, they saw the figure of a man dressed in the skin of a lamb standing on a rocky outcropping that overlooked the raging river below. As Akwen guided them closer to him, the intense expression of sorrow and regret caused Rebecca to ache with sympathy. However, at the same time, apprehension filled her spirit as she realized what it was the man was about to do.

  “Oh no…” Rebecca breathed softly. “We have to hurry!”

  “Why, what’s wrong?” Dr. Eisenberg asked in concern.

  “I think he is contemplating suicide!” she said. “He’s going to jump into the river!”

  30

  Adam

  “What?” Jerome said in shock. “But, Adam can’t commit suicide. If he does, then…then all human life would cease to exist!”

  “Exactly!” Rebecca said. “I somehow don’t think God would allow him to do that, but then again, there’s a lot I don’t understand.”

  “Akwen, can you set us down on the ridge behind him?” Rebecca asked the pilot.

  The Cameroonian woman didn’t reply, but simply nodded her head and directed the pyramid toward the spot that Rebecca had indicated. Within moments, the ship came to rest on a grassy knoll about fifty feet from the outcropping on which Adam stood.

  “I don’t think it would be wise for all of us to go together,” Dr. Eisenberg said. “Adam has never seen any other humans except Eve, and it may frighten him. Especially you, Goliath. You should remain behind.”

  “What do I care if my presence frightens him?” the giant sneered.

  “You might care if you scare him and he falls onto those rocks in the river,” Jerome said. “Because if that happens, you, and the rest of us, will cease to exist!”

  Before Goliath could respond, Dr. Eisenberg interjected. “Our presence here may have consequences that we cannot yet fathom. It would be best if we limit our exposure to Adam. With that in mind, I think only Mack should go speak with him.”

  “You’ve never been concerned about messing with time before,” Goliath commented. “Why the sudden concern?”

  “It has always been a concern of mine,” the doctor responded. “However, most of the time we were just fighting for our own survival.”

  “Not to mention how do we know that God hasn’t sent us here specifically to save Adam?” Mack added. “Didn’t we save the Ark from being burned?”

  “Good point,” Dr. Eisenberg said. “So, unless there are any further objections, I think Mack should leave immediately.”

  Within less than a minute, Mack left the pyramid and was jogging out across the grass toward Adam, his heart pounding heavily within him at the thought of who it was he was about to meet. As he drew closer, he slowed to a walk so as not to frighten the man who still faced the river and seemed oblivious to Mack’s approach.

  Suddenly, Adam threw his head back and let out an anguished cry, startling Mack and filling him with a profound sense of loss. Dropping to the ground, Adam threw his arms over his head and pulled his legs under him.

  Mack watched in silence for several seconds, not wanting to intrude on the man’s grief. Finally, as if sensing his presence, Adam slowly looked up from where he was curled on the ground. His piercingly blue eyes grew wide as his gaze fixed upon the stranger. Adam quickly leapt to his feet, surprised by the man’s sudden appearance.

  Despite his shock and trepidation, Mack could tell that Adam was strikingly handsome. He was the very essence of manhood. His body was muscular and toned, and his skin was a beautiful, reddish-brown shade, standing out in sharp contrast to the white of the lamb-skin clothing that covered his torso and waist. A full head of shoulder length, sandy-brown hair flowed around him, blown by a gentle breeze.

  The two men simply stared at each other for nearly a minute. Finally, Mack came to his senses and muttered a greeting. “Oh, um…hi! I’m…my name is Mack.”

  Adam’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “You are not a Cherub.”

  Mack shook his head and smiled. “You’re definitely right about that. I’m a man, like you.”

  “But, how can that be?” Adam asked. Suddenly, his countenance fell and his eyes drifted toward the ground beneath his feet. “I see. Because I have failed, the Mighty Creator has made another man to replace me.” Adam turned back to face the river once more, causing Mack’s heart to leap into his throat.

  “NO! Wait!” Mack cried. “That’s not it at all. I am…God has not replaced you! I am here to tell you that…that you must live! You are the father of all of mankind.”

  Adam turned back to face Mack, his mask of confusion
once more in place. “But, who are you?”

  Mack gestured to him to come closer. “I would feel more comfortable if we could talk over here, away from the edge.”

  Adam did as Mack asked, although he seemed confused by the other’s request. When he drew within ten feet of his strange visitor, Adam stopped and waited for him to explain further.

  Clearing his throat, Mack continued. “This is going to be hard for you to believe, but I am actually one of your…your descendents! I have traveled here from the future in that machine over there,” he finished, pointing to the pyramid that rested behind him.

  “You are one of my descendents?” Adam repeated. “But, how can that be?”

  Mack’s mind reeled as he considered just how little Adam must know about anything. He had no concept of culture, or languages, or technology, or probably even the most basic of things like rope, fire, or tools. If the time dial was right, then Adam was less than a year old, even though he appeared to be in his early twenties.

  “This machine behind me allows me to travel through time,” Mack said. “Many years from now, you and your wife will have numerous children, and those children will have children, so that in hundreds of years from today, there will be many people on the earth.”

  Adam nodded. “Yes, the Creator told us to be fruitful and multiply.”

  “Exactly!” Mack said excitedly. “You may not understand this completely, but I am one of your children’s children’s children. This machine behind me has allowed me to travel through time to meet you.”

  Perplexed, Adam stepped closer to his visitor. Stopping to stand in front of him, he reached out and touched Mack’s face, hair, and clothing. Unnerved by the man’s perusal, Mack stood frozen in place, staring up at the six-and-a-half-foot-tall man that was the patriarch of all mankind.