“Why?”
“Chenfu Yee will die in two days without your broth. He hasn’t eaten in six days. He hasn’t wanted to live since his wife died. He knows nothing about Chee’our’i. If you bring him the soup he will live. Otherwise he dies.”
“Why?”
“Some deaths can be prevented by writing a note and telling a driver to take a left turn on a road. Other deaths can be prevented by a simple drug administered by a light touch to the lips. Other deaths can be prevented by a delicate maiden’s soup, a held hand, and kind words.”
David saw that Martin was looking directly into her eyes. Meiling blushed. She then asked,
“What do you want?”
“I want you to be prosperous and happy. In a few years, your husband will tell you of a crazy-wild idea to bring a farm to the stars, actually the Mars asteroid belt. Tell him you think it’s a good idea and assist him in every way.”
“My husband? But”
Martin brought a finger to his lips and said “Shhh. I don’t think you should tell anyone about me until you’re in space. However, as much as I’d like to go the rest of the way, I need to make a few more stops this morning.”
The last image of China was of a wide-eyed old woman bringing her hands to her mouth. The view of the flat farmlands of China was replaced by a blurry, then sharp mountainous backdrop. Martin was in a valley surrounded by mighty peaks. Twenty feet away was a small sod hut. Dark steam rose from its chimney. A thin crust of snow was between Martin and the door. A dog started barking.
David: Great job Dad.
Martin: Oh David! You startled me. Were you watching?
David: Yeah. What’s next on your list?
Martin: One second, I need to review it. Oh yes, prevent a man from committing suicide by killing his rich uncle. He’ll become the mayor of this village then a governmental assistant, who would have figured?
David: Have fun dad.
David: Speak to you later.
David shifted around in his chair. David checked his clock. It was after nine.
David: Dad’s saving lives. Phyl about ready?
Phyllis: Yes hun. Meet me by the elevator.
David left his office and started for the elevator. Its door opened as Phyllis met him by it. The C H Enterprises building was close to empty at this late hour.
Phyllis asked, “So were you busy too?”
David replied, “Yeah, I called up 8,108 people on the list that Josh gave me. And you?” They walked through the atrium door; the guard was watching something on the monitor.
Phyllis said, “Only 24. And each one was a joy, a precious joy.”
Phyllis thought back to her hardest telephone call, a woman in England. “Hello, Shahira?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“My name is Phyllis, I was asked to speak to you by one of Chee’our’i 's avatars.”
In an indignant voice Shahira said, “Excuse me?”
“I was asked by an Avatar for your help in saving a very precious life.”
In a chipped English accented voice the middle-eastern woman said, “An avatar! Chee’our’i! I do not believe in all that hogwash.”
Phyllis said, “It doesn't matter if you believe in Chee’our’i, or the existence of its avatars, but it is important for you to know that Chee’our’i and the avatars know the past and the future unless the future is changed. We all have free choice, by knowing the future you can change it. To expedite things, so you can believe me, why don't you ask three questions that only you would know?”
“Uh, OK, What did my father call me when I was a little girl?”
“Little Princess.”
“How did you know that?”
“Like I said, the Avatars know the past.”
“What is my ...”
“Favorite food? Pomegranate stew with goat. In fact, you were just thinking about your mother cooking it at the Festival of Sacrifice last year.”
“Who did I have a crush on when I was 13?”
“An Algerian boy who lived up the block on Hall Street. You never told him. Like I said I was told you were going to ask these questions and was told the answers. Chee’our’i feels that it is up to the humans to save themselves. Outside of his law on forbidding murder, what people do is up to themselves. They can suicide by acting to kill others. We want you to prevent such a suicide. Your brother will drive a van near the Israeli Consulate, and attempt to push a switch, arming a bomb, and then drive into the building, while most people are undergoing the Panacea transformation. When you awaken, you will be told about your brother's van parked, out of gas. The doors will be locked and nothing but a burnt-out gold cigarette with two inches of ash will be found in the driver's seat. You will find explosives filling the entire back of the van. He never gets to press the arming button. Your brother will be smoked.”
“My brother, my brother? I spit on that man. He tried to kill me. I have a three inch scar on my chest. No thanks to him, I lived. He said I was a cheap whore, and blackened our family name. Why? Because I love my non-Persian fiancé. I slept with my husband-to-be. After my brother almost murdered me, he got my family, my mother, my father and three sisters to disown me. I am without a name, without a family, and without honor. You want me to save that man?”
Slowly Phyllis said, “Yes. Yes, what he did was horrible … despicable … repugnant. However, you are going to live for thousands and thousands of years. You will be married and your family in Iran will eventually accept you and your Irish husband, even if you let Abdul suicide. They won't know you could have saved him. In fifty years, you will feel tremendous guilt for letting him die. On the other hand, if you so choose, you can save Abdul. You two will be best of friends, your best friend. He will help you get re-integrated with the Persian community. He will convince your family to reunite. Like I said, the choice is yours. Your physical scar will be healed in five days, in any case.”
“You want me to save that hypocrite, that murderer? Do you know he is sleeping with two women himself? He frequently touches liquor. Yet he still quoted Sharia rules to me. He almost murdered me. In my eyes, he is dead. Dead. He deserves what he has sown. Insallah.” As Allah wills.
Phyllis quickly said, “Remember Ibrahim.” Phyllis heard the phone slam down on its cradle. Ibrahim was the leader of a bunch of older boys who mercilessly teased Shahira when she was a physically mature thirteen years old, until her younger brother heard of it. The much smaller Abdul had launched himself at the taller, older, and heavier boy. Abdul was beaten up and expelled from school for a week for the attack. However, Ibrahim never bothered Shahira after that.
Dee had run the numbers and it was 80% likely of success. Phyllis was still waiting for a reply from Dee, if she were successful or not.
“Yeah,” said Phyllis, “some were harder than others. To change the topic somewhat, have you sensed anything odd with the wunderkind?”
They exited the building into the darkened street. The street was quiet and empty at this late hour. The only other person around was the guard still sitting inside the vestibule of the building, visible through the thick Plexiglas walls. David had extended their hours for the next week. David stretched and took a deep breath of the spring air. He said, “Not really unusual. They've been talking to me a bit less than usual. Thirty-six percent. They cut back on some of my Sentient training, but they're particularly busy now-a-days.”
Phyllis said, “Not just the amount of time they spend talking, but how they talk. More distant?”
David said, “Do you think that they want to distance themselves from the mundane, commonplace folk who used to run the world?”
Phyllis shrugged, “It’s probably just their jitters about the first Rapture. There are so many things that can go wrong. I guess I’m at edge too.”
“If anything goes wrong, they'll know who or what did it. If it’s serious, they will correct it. By the way, I asked Le Chef to cook us something light tonight, a lentil soup with ham, a crusty pea
sant's bread and a salad.”
“Light, Hmmph, you don't know the meaning of that word. What do you say I cook tomor ...”
David heard a crack. In a fifth of a second, he identified it as a high caliber gun shot. He looked at Phyllis and saw a red stain starting to appear on her right side. It was spreading. “Phyllis, turn your force field on.” David shouted. He barely jumped back in time as Phyllis’ force field activated. The completely reflective bubble was buried nine inches into the concrete sidewalk. Estimating the direction of the shot, David scampered behind the force field.
David: Phyllis has been shot. Uhhh, about the fourth intercostal space. The gunman is still out there.
As if the gunman heard him, David heard a second shot fired.
David: Please hurry, send an ambulance and police.
Joshua: Don’t worry David. Help is on the way.
David: Tell them where she was hit.
David activated the rooftop monitors and the swarm of ‘eyes’; he turned them in the direction of the shot. He also pulled in the nearest flying bricks and directed them to the estimated direction at maximum speed. Hilda and Hansel were also on the way. Three seconds later David identified the infrared signature of a sharpshooter, prone on a hillock 400 yards away. The man was wearing camouflage, which was completely ineffective to infrared. David directed the brick to impact the man’s side. David turned off the stealth mode for the last two seconds of the descent of the brick. The sharpshooter tried, ineffectively, to roll to one side.
David: I see a sharpshooter. Only one. Send the police.
Dee: Help is on the way. Don’t worry David. Things are under control.
David heard a siren in the distance. The sharpshooter, nursing his side attempted to stand, but was tripped by a second brick, as it flew into the man’s leading foot. David could hear a curse, as the man attempted to rise again. He took a short few steps but was driven to the ground by a brick hitting the back of his knee. Attempting to stand the third time, he came face to face with Hilda as she put her muzzle around his throat. The gunman made an ineffective attempt to swing his rifle around to hit the dog, but it was blocked by a second dog, which had grabbed his right arm. Hilda dragged his body forward as he saw two bricks on either side of his head. They were quickly moving a foot toward him and then back, threatening to crush his head in. The dogs were growling very menacingly. He made one more attempt to rise when the dogs tightened their grip and the bricks flew within a fraction of an inch of his head. The sirens were louder and the flashing lights were now apparent. The gunman cursed as he laid down, not moving. David looked around and brought a third and fourth brick into range. The only infrared image was himself, the dogs and the gunman. No, he corrected himself, a car was left running two blocks away on the side of a public roadway. A very quick check indicated that the license didn’t match any employee.
David: I found his car. He was alone. Tell the police to do a paraffin test on his clothes and hands.
Joshua: Don’t worry David, he won’t get away. We can promise you that. I’m so sorry about Phyllis, David.
David: What do you mean – sorry. She’s bleeding to death, Phil is dying. You did nothing. I can’t free her.
The guard exited his vestibule, running. David patted his pockets then said, “Quick, give me your phone.”
The guard handed David his phone. David took it and pounded on the force field. He didn’t hear anything. David moved his mouth to an inch of the sphere and yelled, “Phyllis, turn off the field. Turn off your field.” David pounded again with the phone. The battery fell out and the screen cracked into many pieces of plastic.
David: Dad, she’s been shot.
Martin: I know.
David: I don’t know how long she’ll be in there. She’s bleeding to death.
Martin: Can’t you turn it off?
David: Only from the inside.
Joshua: Think David. Calm down and think. When did she last recharge it?
David thought for a moment.
David: Last Wednesday.
Joshua: Run some simulations and determine how much charge would remain.
David thought for a few seconds.
David: Twenty eight plus or minus nine-kilowatt hours.
Dee: OK, now work out how long that charge will last.
David: Uh, hold on. Uh, six point three minutes. It’s been four minutes so far. Wait a second, you know the answer.
Joshua: Yes David. The field will deactivate just as the ambulance people arrive. Phyl will be fine.
David: Why?
David started crying.
David: Why? How could you let this happen.
There was a silence.
Martin: Son, we had to. It was the best future for you both. I’m so sorry.
David: What do you mean?
Dee: We’ll explain later. The ambulance is coming. Everything is going to be fine. We’ll all meet you at the ER. Phil will receive Panacea. She’s going to be fine.
David heard the ambulance sirens approaching.
***
As David approached the last door, the guard looked up at him. David knew the man was reading his sweatshirt – “The Day After Tomorrow is the First Day of the rest of my life”. David smiled and opened up his attaché case, letting the guard check it out.
The guard said, “Kinda casual, huh.”
David smirked, “We’re heading to the Rapture or Armageddon, people are rioting in the street about the rise of the Anti-Christ, many people will be out of work in a week, and you’re grading attire? Do you think they pay me to get dressed up?”
The guard chuckled and pressed the buzzer to allow David in.
It was a ten by five foot room, with a thick clear barrier down the middle of it. On either side was a speaker and microphone. David put his case down on a table and sat down facing the bedraggled man. “My name is David.”
“I’m John Gary.”
David said nothing, as he looked at the assassin.
The man blurted, “First off, I want you to say I’m innocent.”
David sighed, “Innocent? You were caught with the assassin’s rifle that shot Phyllis Klein. The ballistics of the bullet they removed matches your rifle. The police found you on a hill overlooking C H Electricity headquarters. Your hands and camouflage jacket had powder marks over it. Your car was running in the street. You boasted to some friends that you were going to kill ‘that son-of-a-bitch Haines’. Innocent? That’s going to be a legal reach.”
“No, no. I want you to say I shot him. I did that, you asshole! But I’m innocent of a CRIME. That bastard Haines is working with that alien to kill all of humanity, to prevent us from ever being saved. He invented Panacea.”
“You mean the man who invented cheap energy, cheap, safe cars, and who did away with sickness and death, deserves to be killed for that?” David frowned as he said that.
“That’s exactly what I mean. It’s all happening too fast. It’s all a plot by the anti-Christ.” John Gary leaned back smiling.
David leaned back and shook his head, “It’s funny, how a thirty year old woman, with long brown hair looked like your late sixtyish, bald, Charlie Haines in your telescope.”
“Hey, that was a mistake. Haines never came out, and it was past nine o’clock.” He looked again at David, “You ain’t some jewboy, are you? What’s your name?”
David felt one side of his face smile, “David … David Klein. I’m Phyllis Klein’s husband. She’s the woman you almost killed.”
John stood, “You gloating bastard, I shoulda killed you. I had you in my sights, but Fred said he had a clearer shot.”
David almost fell backward off his chair, “Fred? Fred?”
John Gary smiled, “You ain’t getting anything more outta me. Fred got away clean. He …”
David shouted “Shut-up.” He quickly regained his composure and directed three bricks and Hilda back to the hills surrounding his office building. They started around John Gary’s locati
on and did a circular search. Hilda landed and started smelling the day old tracks. A minute later David saw the outline of camouflage jacket, pants and then the rifle partially under a cover of dull black powder. David felt an involuntary shiver fill his entire body. He felt his hands clench the chair. He directed his autonomic system to relax and return to normal. David turned his attention back to the now screaming John Gary. David silenced him with a hand. “You poor ignorant schmuck. Didn’t you hear what Chee’our’i said about murder?”
“Cherry? Cherry? That imitation of god? I don’t believe in it. I …”
David again silenced him with his hand. “OK, what does your god say about murder? You know the Commandment.”
Counting Up To Infinity Page 37
