by Reilly, Jim
Angelis noticed a change in Johnny’s mood. She asked, “Why so glum? This is what we came for. We know what the UM ingredient does. It puts people in a suggestive trance, and we don’t want the Ancient Visitors having that power over mankind. If this ingredient is added to the enhancement process worldwide, by the time the Ancient Visitors come back to enslave mankind, it will be a walk in the park for them. They’ll just have to flip a switch and presto, instant slaves.”
“I know,” he told her. “It’s just that I’ve always looked up to Sanchez. He was my role model as I rose through the ranks of the United Nations Security Group. Before he attained the Inspector General rank, I had been on missions with him. He was not only brave but also always willing to mentor subordinates. Even though I know he’s not the real Sanchez, he was someone you’d run through a wall for because you knew he’d run through one for you. So yes, I feel a bit depressed due to my conflicted thoughts.”
“Mine and Leonardo’s father was a fierce supporter of Bishop Terapion in the days of the Followers of Divinity. When Bishop Terapion spoke, my father heard words as if they were spoken by God himself. My father would have, as you would say, run through a wall for him. When it was revealed that Terapion was an Ancient Visitor, he couldn’t and wouldn’t believe it. He thought it was lies perpetrated by non-believers to cast doubt. After my father went to prison, it took years to realize he had been tricked after he finally reconciled his feelings with the lies Terapion told.”
“I just have to tell myself, he’s nothing but an imposter, and I’ll be fine,” Johnny said as he took a deep breath. “All right then. Let’s go in there and get the proof we need to expose them.”
“Great, let me check with Alfred to see how his evaluation of their defenses is going. I’ll be right back.”
As Angelis ran unnoticed to Alfred’s position, Johnny entered his investigation notes into his mini personal computer as he always did during any investigation he was involved in. He didn’t want to miss anything pertinent to the investigation, especially one as important as this one. When he was finished with his notes, he did as he always did with the information; Johnny downloaded his report to his private file on the United Nations Security Group’s secure server. He of course used facial recognition to lock the file so no one else could open it.
When Angelis returned, she informed Johnny, “Alfred thinks there is a weak link in their security system. There’s an entrance in the rear that he thinks he can easily hack into to get us in.”
“Let’s be as cautious as possible,” he said. “Unlike Brazil, this time we just go in, scan and observe to make sure this is the facility we are looking for. Then, we wait for Cameron to discover the whereabouts of the Ancient Visitors’ signal. Once that is determined and we have the solid proof, we can order an extensive United Nations Security sweep. We’ll call in everyone from the high ranking inspectors all the way down to the security guard in the lobby to converge on the two locations. So let’s go make sure this is their new manufacturing location.”
Meeting Alfred and the others, which included four other of Angelis and Leonardo’s people, at the rear of the facility, Johnny signaled the group to proceed. Alfred then disabled the rear lock, and in they went. Inside the entrance they maneuvered through the corridors until they entered a large bay area that Johnny assumed was the manufacturing floor, but the lights were off, and the machinery wasn’t on.
Feeling uneasy, especially without his Visor, he quickly signaled to the group to retreat out of the building to regroup back into the shadows of the dark alleys.
As he signaled to the others, the lights came on, not the usual lighting level a manufacturing floor would have. No, it was set to a bright light level by someone who wanted to temporarily blind a person.
Johnny seeing nothing but the brilliance of the bright light, heard multiple weapons fired. On instinct, he drew his stunner and aimed it around the bay as he tried to pinpoint the direction of the weapons’ fire. Suddenly, it stopped and the lights were dimmed to a normal level.
Still with his weapon drawn and trying to catch his breath, Johnny heard a familiar voice, “We first thought we’d search for you but realized it was easier for you to come to us, Agent Ryan.”
The more he blinked his eyes, the more focused they became. He was horrified once his eyes focused. Angelis, Alfred, and the four others were lying on the manufacturing floor dead.
The voice coming from Inspector General Sanchez, said as he appeared from behind large equipment, “This makes it easy for my transition from this identity to the next one, all the while adjusting your investigation to show the results I’d like to have.”
Johnny was surprised by an enhanced individual who slapped his weapon out of his hand. He then looked around the room to find six more enhanced individuals with Sanchez. All of them were United Nations Security Group personnel. He knew that because he had worked with many of them in the past.
Feeling more vulnerable than he had ever been, Johnny blurted out, “Why haven’t you killed me yet? What are you like some comic book villain who needs to voice a monologue before killing someone?”
Laughing, Sanchez told him. “I always liked your sense of humor, and I hope to imitate it well. But to continue my so-called monologue, you have given me the opportunity to close this investigation with a giftwrapped group of suspects to your enhancement center investigation, your friends here from the former Followers of Divinity movement. They will make great scapegoats as it will now be reported that they were behind the terrorist attacks.”
“I guess you’re going to have to kill me, Sanchez, because I’m not going along with that.”
“No, I have no plans to kill you, at least not just yet.” Sanchez told him as one of his people brought over the real Sanchez now enhanced to match the imposter who was in a hypnotic trance and had worked on the manufacturing floor. Without even a flicker of remorse, he shot him dead. “First off, my name is not Sanchez, it is Solmun. I, as you know, can’t walk freely as what you call an Ancient Visitor. No, I have to take a disgusting human form to be able to accomplish what I came here to do.”
Feeling extremely helpless, Johnny asked, “What happens to me?”
Solmun’s Inspector General Sanchez face started to change as parts moved and reshaped. His height also changed from a normal enhanced to a non-enhanced height. However, what was most shocking to Johnny was that Sanchez now looked like a mirror image of himself.
The former Inspector General said, “What happens to you, you ask? Well, you are the lone survivor of this scuffle. Well, not really you per say. I do however need your body for my next transition in the future. But look on the bright side, I’m going with the enhanced look, and your wife will have no need to call you her little idiot.”
He ordered his men to kill each other. Next, he used his internal scanner to download as many of Johnny’s memories as he could. Then he hid Johnny alongside the real Will Davis in a hypnotic trance.
*****
31st Century.
“Uriel, I sense the two other main ships closing in on Earth,” Raphael informed him. “The one ship previously landed has already caused so much pain, that I fear mankind is nearing its end.”
“I know you feel their pain and want to heal them, but this is the only way for the Realm to become whole again,” Uriel said. “Mankind will have to endure a bit more.”
“All we do is serve the people here on the Temple Mount, when we should be at Megiddo where the battle has fallen back to.”
“Raphael, you know He has a plan and we should trust in that plan.”
As they spoke, Gabriel told them, “Mankind is assembling there at Megiddo. People from all walks of life are on their way to help in the battle. They come with any weapon they can find, some with no more than their two hands.”
“They are up against weapons more powerful than they have ever dreamt,” Raphael told them. “Yet, they come anyway to fight. I pray, though, they realize they have
even more powerful weapons given to them by Him. I only hope they realize what they have before it’s too late.”
After looking around, Uriel noticed, “Brothers, where is Michael? I don’t feel him here.”
Gabriel told them, “He was sent by the one to observe. Yes, I say, observe. I too wanted more for we have been observing mankind from the moment life began on this planet in its primeval infancy. You two, along with Michael and me, have been observing mankind from the beginning to now. We interact with them when He commands it. As of now, He has not commanded it. So we wait and observe.”
Bloodied and nearly out of ammunition, Marcus held together the last of the Returned. Now down to five including Marcus were Ali Muhammad Hussein, Jonathan Weeks, Vidur Datt, and Anna Maria Navarro.
Marcus, thinking it was about to end for them because he thought that one more sweep by the Ancient Visitors would finish them off, looked with pride at the survivors. He told them, “For all the years I have been a soldier, I have never served with better. You, and all who have fallen, are my brothers. When there is nothing left of us, and we are nothing but dust, my spirit will feel at ease knowing I fell next to you all.”
As the Ancient Visitors regrouped for their final assault, the Ancient Visitors’ attacking aerial fighters held their position while their large land vehicles turned away from the hilltop at Megiddo where Marcus and the survivors were to make a last stand, to then head toward the nearby plains. There, to Marcus’ surprise, transports from around the world landed to drop off fighters of all shapes and sizes. He was told they were coming, but he hadn’t believed it.
“I can see some Security personnel,” Anna viewed through her slightly broken goggles.
Ali added, “The rest are normal folks, some carrying no weapons at all but running toward the fight. Maybe we should join them.”
Jonathan stood up and started running down the hill with Vidur in tow. Ali, having nothing but his empty weapon to use as a club, smiled at Marcus then he ran down the hill as well toward the oncoming reinforcements.
Marcus went down on his knees and wept. Anna took notice and asked, “You, a long time soldier, have never seen the cavalry coming to save the day?”
“It’s not that,” he told her as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “Though I appreciate the help, the extra fighters won’t change the result of this battle. We still don’t have a chance against this well-armed enemy. The thing that moved me was the fact so many are willing to forfeit the remaining time they have with their families and friends to lend a hand in this hopeless battle. It saved my faith in humanity. I had lost faith that mankind could step up to meet the challenge. Anna, I am so very happy that I was wrong.” Marcus, with his watery eyes, picked up his weapon and started down toward the assembling army with Anna by his side.
Down on the plains of Megiddo, Marcus was met by George Royster an eastern North American security official, “Marcus, it’s good to see you again. Too bad it isn’t under better circumstances.”
“George, you and all these people are a sight for sore eyes. We were getting our butts handed to us. If we had time, I’d like to shake the hand of every one of these people.”
“They are coming from all over the world, Marcus. Before the Grid went down, there was so much chatter that the Grid froze for the first time that anyone could remember. Some of the images of your fight on the beach went viral. It started a movement the world has never seen. People like shepherds from Siberia, painters from Istanbul, fishermen from Barbados, and stock brokers from Wall Street, have all joined seasoned security personnel along with retired fleet officers. I myself have a hard time believing it as well.”
“This is amazing, George, but what did they come to fight with?”
“Many of the security personnel and former fleet officers still have some of their weapons. For the rest of them, it’d be funny to see what some came here with if it weren’t for the seriousness of the matter. I met up with a gentleman from Japan on one of the transports ferrying us over who showed me an ancient Samurai sword he purchase years ago as a collector’s item. He told me he busted it out of its case because there was no use saving it going forward. Over there to my right, that guy has a vintage M-16 rifle from your time. Unfortunately, he only has six old bullets; he fears the ones that don’t fire might explode. Many of the rest will pick up rocks and sticks if they have to, to defend our world.”
“I fully understand that mankind evolved into a peaceful people while we were gone, so I appreciate all the people who are putting themselves in harm’s way. I don’t care if they only came here with salty language to throw at the Ancient Visitors.”
Anna, watching into the distance saw the Ancient Visitor attack commence and notified Marcus, “Here they come again!”
With renewed vigor, Marcus yelled from the top of his lungs running toward the oncoming attack, “Follow me and let’s show them we won’t give up so easily!”
As Kaiden meditated with many of the world’s religious and secular leaders, Raphael again spoke to Uriel, “The battle at the Megiddo plains is a massacre. Without our help, they don’t have a chance. I think I need to speak to Him. He needs to see that mankind needs our help, or else they will be no more.”
“You don’t think He knows what He’s doing my brother? The vastness of all of existence is at stake here. You, myself, Gabriel, and Michael, have been delegated to serve mankind by Him. In this universe alone, humanity is a speck in the overall things that matter, much less when you consider all of existence with the many universes, other dimensions, and of course, the Realm. With all that said, He does have a fondness for humanity. Otherwise, why would He include them in such a momentous event?”
“You are right, and I’ve been letting my love for humanity, cloud my judgment. So, please forgive my weakness.”
“No forgiveness is necessary since I, along with our brothers, Gabriel and Michael, love them equally as you do. To be honest, those thoughts have crept into my mind as well. Time we have spent with humanity, only a flicker of time compared to our total time in existence, has affected us all. Each and every one of us has touched the lives of mankind while they have touched ours as well.”
“I hear what you say, brother, but it does not relieve the pain I feel.”
“We just have to wait.”
“Uriel, what is He waiting for?”
“Raphael, He is waiting for a turning point. It may be great or it may be small, but He is waiting for that moment.”
After a minute of reflection, Raphael professed, “I trust in his judgment.”
Bleeding on the battlefield with the battle lost, Marcus laid on the ground motionless. The Megiddo plains were an ocean of blood with human bodies scattered about. He couldn’t lift his head up to look around because he was so weak and tired. He could hear, though, Ancient Visitors nearby using their weapons to poke the bodies to confirm the kills. If they should find one alive, a weapon could be heard fired. Whether it was to put them out of their misery or not, it didn’t matter to Marcus. He knew he was through and the fight was over.
When one of the Ancient Visitor foot soldiers was about to stand over him, Marcus took the moment to reflect on his military career. He remembered his trials and tribulations in basic training to his emergence as a high ranking non-commissioned officer. The thing he was remembering was what he always thought about doing at the moment someone was about to take his life. Would he hate the individual who took it, that individual who might have been a simple soldier like he was? No, he thought, he wouldn’t hate him. Maybe, he thought, he’d offer him respect. Or maybe he’d wait for that moment and decide then.
With the Ancient Visitor now standing over him to finish Marcus, the former Drill Sargent, did what he felt deep down in his heart, so he said, “I forgive you.”
The Ancient Visitor hesitated in firing his weapon. Disturbed, he walked away to think to himself for a moment. When he gained his thoughts, he turned back toward Marcus and just looked at h
im, but he was dead. The Ancient Visitor just stood there looking at the human body.
Michael, watching in the distance, was intrigued and thought out loud, “Maybe the battle is not lost after all.”
On the Temple Mount, Kaiden came out of his meditation, and said, “It now begins.”
Raphael, Uriel, and Michael each took notice and felt deep relief.
Chapter 11
21st Century.
Leonardo scouted the dig site where Will Davis and Lily Gordon oversaw the digging into a small hill just off the grounds of the Pergamon ruins site. When he returned from a vantage point overlooking the dig and out of sight from Will and Lily’s view, he told Cameron, “I count all together about eight people. They are not showing any visible weapons, but I’m sure they have them. Their transport is parked over in the ruins terminal, as if they are here on official business.”
Ken Lewis returned as well after conversing with some of the administrators of the site and said, “There’s a good reason for that. The administrators know all about the dig because the necessary permits were acquired. So the dig is legit. For the life of me though, I don’t know how they got it approved. They must have friends in high ranking places. Because if an archeologist wanted to so much as remove a grain of sand from this site, that archeologist would need a stack of approvals higher than this hill. My guess? This would’ve had to have been approved from the highest levels of the United Nations.”
Cameron asked, “Ken, did they say what they were digging for? And while you’re at it, did they provide any data from their scan? I know they didn’t say they were looking for an Ancient Visitor craft, but maybe their data can tell us what they are after.”
“They said they were looking for the mineral content of the rocks,” Ken informed them. “And I have to say, that’s pretty lame since that study’s been done many times over the years. As far as the data shows, they’re looking at an area with rock and rubble no different from any other part of this ruin’s grounds.”
