by Karl Morgan
“Oh my God,” Louise sighed.
“Mrs. Dixon, please know that your husband is still alive, however, while prepping him for surgery, our monitors picked up a cancerous brain tumor, which unfortunately may be inoperable.”
“I’m so sorry,” Diane gasped.
“So what do we do now?” Louise said through the cascade of tears running down her cheeks.
“Excuse me, I have to call someone,” Ted said as he walked away. He stepped out in the hallway and began to dial Josh.
“Well, we have made the heart and lung replacements, and he should be ready to leave the hospital tomorrow morning. We will schedule a meeting with an oncologist as quickly as possible. It is feasible that chemotherapy or radiation may kill the tumor, although his cancer seems advanced.”
“Doctor, what are his chances?” Louise asked point blank.
“Frankly, I am not a cancer specialist and would prefer to leave any estimates to them; however, the aggressiveness of his tumor is troubling to say the least.”
“So, his chances are not good, are they?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Dixon, but no, his chances are not good at all.”
Ted looked grim as he returned to the group. “I’m sorry, what did I miss?”
“It doesn’t look good, Teddy. Your dad is dying,” Louise sobbed.
“There has to be something we can do!” Ted exclaimed.
“Well, there is one thing, but it is still experimental,” Smith said.
“Tell us, Doctor,” Ted replied.
“Well, there is a new technology being developed by Second Chance. It is a mechanical brain that can hold a person’s mind.”
“Adam, I don’t think that technology is proven yet,” Diane interjected.
“That is true, Diane, but the FDA is fast tracking it for human trials. If the report from the oncologist is not good, Mr. Dixon could be a great candidate. He’s just what they are looking for.”
“You would make my husband into a robot?”
“No, it’s nothing like that, Mrs. Dixon,” Smith countered. “Most folks have lots of modifications already. In those cases where a person’s brain is at risk, this gives them the chance to stay alive.”
“If it works,” Diane noted.
“Of course,” Smith replied with a smirk. “There is one other issue with the device. It is only capable of interacting with other mechanical devices. Therefore, the person’s body would be replaced by a completely mechanical one.”
“A cyborg,” Ted noted.
“Mr. Dixon, I understand your concerns, and believe me, this modification will not be for everyone. That being said, I have several enhancements already, including my eyes, ears, hips, and hands. I suppose that makes anyone with mechanical modifications a bit of a cyborg.”
“Okay, thank you both,” Louise said as she shook the doctors’ hands. “Let’s see what the oncologist and my husband have to say. As far as I’m concerned, if the cancer can’t be stopped, I want Bill to have this surgery. I am not ready to live without him.” Smith and French walked out of the waiting room. Louise took her son’s hands and said, “Where did you go, Teddy? Why did you leave me alone?”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I needed to talk to Josh. He might be able to help Dad.”
“The miracle worker, right?” Louise scoffed. “We live in the real world, son.”
“Mom, I’ve seen him in action. He is legitimate, I swear.”
“So what did your friend tell you?”
Ted sighed and said, “I kept getting voice mail. He never answered.”
“Teddy, once the oncologist tells us, your dad is having that surgery. That doesn’t give your friend much time.”
§
Josh sat in the back row of the auditorium between Steve Trance and a local policeman named Ty Barker. In deference to Shirley, his phone was turned off and in his pocket. The security briefing had gone poorly. Trance insisted that Josh be isolated from the audience, which was already jumpy due to the number of police posted at the exits. The crowd of two thousand hooted and cheered at each of Shirley’s points about the sanctity of life and the dangers of modifications. Josh wondered why the police were there. There were few if any enhanced people in this area. A vague feeling of sorrow crept across Josh’s mind, and he wondered where that could have come from. He felt someone was in desperate trouble somewhere and needed his help, but nothing more concrete than that. He had been having these kinds of feelings more and more over recent days and decided it must be another of his senses awakening and getting stronger. He wondered where it could be leading him now.
Shirley concluded her presentation, and the crowd gave her a standing ovation. As he stood clapping, Josh could feel Trance and Barker’s eyes on him. He felt Trance’s contempt for him flowing like radiant heat from a sunlamp. When the applause was dying down, Shirley stepped up to the podium and said, “Now, I’d like my dear friend, Joshua Carpenter, to join me on stage. You all are going to love him.” Before Josh could take a step forward, Trance and Barker had grabbed his arms and began to lead him toward the nearest exit. “Hey, wait!” Shirley cried out. “Where are you taking him?”
Four police were guarding the open door as Josh was led to it. Dozens of attendees were near the door, shouting complaints to the police and demanding Josh be released, but the police ignored them. Once Josh was out of the room, the doors were closed and the crowd was forced to wait inside. “What the hell is going on here, Steve?” Josh asked.
“We aren’t going to put up with your shit today, Mr. Carpenter. Dammit, I told HQ that letting you be here was a bad idea.”
“You can’t hold me, you know.”
“That’s what you think, buddy,” Trance laughed. “We can keep you under wraps as long as we deem necessary for national security.” They were approaching the door to the outside, where a black SUV was waiting with the rear door open.
“That’s not what I meant, Steve. I can leave anytime. By the way, is Hammond Finch paying you to do this?”
Trance stopped in his tracks and pressed his reddening face inches from Josh’s. “You son of a bitch, I should shoot you right here.”
Officer Barker had his hand on the grip of his pistol. “Agent Trance, this is very irregular. Please back off Mr. Carpenter.”
Trance moved back and took a deep breath. “Sorry, Ty, I guess I lost my cool. This jerk just knows how to pull my chain. I’m sorry, Mr. Carpenter.” Trance led them to the door. Just as they moved outside, an invalid in a wheelchair was blocking their way.
He seemed to be a young man, but his condition was terrible. His body was pressed down and contorted in the chair as though a thousand pound weight was sitting on top of him. He was able to use two fingers of his right hand to control the chair, but otherwise seemed to have no control over his limp limbs. “Can you help me, Joshua?” the man wheezed.
“I’m sorry, sir, but this man is under arrest. Please let us pass,” Trance ordered.
“Let me try, Agent Trance,” Josh begged.
“Please, Joshua, please try,” the man groaned as though the attempt to speak was using all of his strength.
“Not today, sir,” Trance said and began to pull Josh around the wheelchair.
The crowd had begun to leave the auditorium as well and was forming a large circle around the man in the wheelchair and the SUV. People were trying to figure out what was going on. “I don’t know what you’re afraid of, Agent Trance?” Barker asked. “This seems like your perfect opportunity to show what a fraud this Carpenter guy is.” People in the crowd began to cheer for Josh.
A second agent climbed out of the SUV and approached them. “What’s the matter, Trance?”
“We want to see it!” one in the crowd shouted. “Let Josh try,” cried another. Shirley had pushed her way to the front line of the crowd and watched.
“Nothing’s the matter, Stevens,” Trance replied to the other agent.
“Just let me talk to him a minute,” Josh said. “I sw
ear I’ll go with you if you let me do that.”
“You are going with us anyway, Carpenter. Why should I indulge your little fantasy?” Trance growled. In the blink of an eye, the black SUV and both agents had disappeared. The bystanders gasped and began to applaud.
“What just happened here?” Barker shouted as he pulled his revolver. “What did you do to the agents, Carpenter?”
“Please relax, Officer Barker, they are fine. All of them are back in Washington trying to figure out what happened. Call them if you like,” Josh began. “Just let me chat with this man for a minute, and then I’ll go join them, just like I promised.”
“Please, Ty,” the man in the chair begged. “Let him try.”
“Charlie, I’ve known you my whole life,” Barker said. “You really want this?”
“Yes, please let him try. I saw his videos on LIFE. If anyone can help me, he can.”
Barker holstered his pistol and moved back a few feet. “Okay, Mr. Carpenter, you have five minutes.”
Josh got on his knees so he could look eye-to-eye with the man in the chair. “Charlie, what’s your full name?”
“Charles David Cartwright. Thank you for helping me, Josh.”
“How long have you had ALS, Charlie?”
“Six years, since just after my eighteenth birthday.”
“And why do you think I can help you?”
“I’ve seen your videos on LIFE for one. Before that, I thought this would be my life. Two days ago my doctor told me about a new technology from Second Chance where they could move my mind into a robotic brain, and then I could live forever, but I don’t want to be a machine, Josh. You understand that, don’t you?” The crowd began to applaud. As Josh looked as the mass of people, he noticed a man looking exactly like Manny Judah in the second row, right behind Shirley Cambridge. “Do you think you can help me, Josh?”
“I’m sure going to try, Charlie.” Josh looked up and saw Manny smile and wink at him. “But you should know that I am not the one really helping you, Charlie. I believe this ability comes from a higher authority.”
“I am a believer too,” Charlie said and closed his eyes.
Josh stood up, moved to stand behind the wheelchair and rubbed his hands together. He looked at Manny and then upward and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he placed his hands on either side of Charlie’s head and pressed lightly. “What do you feel, Charlie?”
“Warmth. My whole body feels warm and tingly.”
“I feel the warmth too,” Shirley gasped. Murmurs of agreement rushed around the crowd. Both Josh and Charlie’s bodies were filled with light, which increased in intensity, eventually forcing the crowd to clench their eyes against the glare.
“I’ve never felt this way, Josh,” Charlie whispered. “I feel as though God is with us now.”
“I feel that too, Charlie,” Josh said softly. In his mind, he could see Manny Judah standing by his side with one hand on Charlie’s shoulder and the other on Josh’s back. “Thank you, Manny,” Josh whispered under his breath.
There was a sound like the crack of thunder and the light was gone. The crowd began to open their eyes to see what had happened. Josh was still standing behind the empty wheelchair with his eyes closed, his face drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily. He felt drained of energy and his knees wobbled. He felt an arm around his waist holding him up straight. “Are you okay, Josh?”
He opened his eyes to see Charlie standing next to him, squeezing him tightly. “God bless you, Joshua.” Josh threw his arms around the man, hugged him and began to cry. The crowd burst into wild cheers. Josh looked toward Shirley, who was also crying and smiling from ear to ear. Manny Judah was nowhere to be seen.
Officer Barker approached and hugged Josh, saying, “My cousin Charlie has been in that damned chair for years. I don’t know what you did, but thank you.”
“You’re quite welcome, Ty. I’ll go to Washington now like I promised.”
“The hell you are!” Barker shouted. “Stay away from those morons in Washington. Come to my house for dinner tonight if you can.”
The crowd began to push in on them. “This is getting dangerous, Josh,” Shirley noted.
“I agree,” Barker said. “Too much happiness is not a good thing. We’d better make a break for it.”
Instantly, Shirley, Josh, Barker and Charlie were standing on the driveway of Barker’s house. “Shit!” Barker shouted.
“You never get used to that,” Shirley laughed.
§
Steve Trance stood under a tree in a driving rain. Rivulets of water poured over the edges of his umbrella, creating a screen between the reality outside and the anger and fear that filled his head. He filed his report immediately after he and the other agent found themselves back in Washington. As soon as he had finished, he left the office and called Hammond Finch to schedule a meeting to detail what had happened in Macon. Now, he stood waiting and wondering if the man would arrive, or simply send one of his assassins to kill him here. After a few minutes, a white limousine pulled up to the curb and honked its horn. Steve looked around the area, and not seeing anyone else, approached the vehicle. When he was within ten feet, the front passenger door opened and a man in a black suit climbed out. He pulled open the rear door and said, “Get in.”
Steve glanced inside and saw Hammond Finch sitting there leafing through a report of some kind. He closed his umbrella and stepped into the car. The other man closed the door and got in the front, and the vehicle pulled into traffic. “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Mr. Finch.”
“How are you doing today, Steve?”
“I’m fine, sir.”
He chuckled softly and replied, “That’s not quite what I’ve been told. Please tell me about the incident in Macon. How well do you think you handled that?”
“How do you know about that, sir? That isn’t on LIFE already, is it?”
“Of course it is, Steve! What century do you think you’re living in anyway? And don’t you think I have other sources besides you?”
Trance was stunned and confused. “I meant no disrespect, Mr. Finch. But if you already knew about Macon, why did you agree to meet with me?”
“First, one of my partners has helped me to clarify my thoughts about Joshua Carpenter,” Finch began. “At our last meeting, I suggested Joshua be tracked and contained, perhaps even killed if a fortuitous event occurred. Now, I recant that completely. Joshua Carpenter must die, and the sooner the better.”
“Of course, sir, but I just wonder why the change of heart?”
“Steve, one of my partners felt that Joshua Carpenter could become a major asset in our business. My new partner discounts that completely, and we both are now convinced Joshua is an existential threat to our business and the world.”
“I am not sure I understand, sir.”
“Every day, that man becomes more powerful. So far, he has used his abilities to help protect life, but not always.”
“Like the incident in the Guadalupe Valley with the bomber!”
“Exactly! When Carpenter has time to consider options, he transports himself or others out of the situation safely. He did not attempt to deactivate the bomb. He acted without thinking and the bomber died. In a similar situation where you or someone else would try to kill him, the assassin would likely die instead.”
“Sir, please remember I am an FBI agent and could arrest you for what you have said already. Only our unique relationship allows me to ignore that for now. Besides, if he is so powerful, how do you intend to kill him?”
“Leave that to me.” Finch nodded. “Also, my partner and I would like you to leave the Bureau and come to work for us.”
“What? The FBI is my life.”
“These are difficult times, Steve. From the rash of terrorist activity to two global wars, FBI agents are going to be in severe peril. I like you, Steve. My family needs someone like you to manage our global security, and we can pay you handsomely. Please think about it, oka
y?”
The limousine pulled up behind Trance’s car and stopped. “Yes, sir, I’ll give your offer serious thought.” He shook Finch’s hand and climbed out, closing the door after him. The limo pulled away and headed down the street. Trance noticed that the rain had stopped and rays of sunshine poured through breaks in the cloud cover.
Chapter 11
Stella woke to loud pounding on the front door of Ted Dixon’s apartment. She stepped out of her charging station and headed for the door. “Tell whoever it is to get out of here!” Ted shouted from his bed.
Stella opened the door and saw Diane French crying. “Doctor French, please come in.”
“I have to talk to Ted right now!” she demanded.
Ted came out of his bedroom yawning. “What’s wrong, Diane, it’s two o’clock in the morning?”
She threw her arms around his neck and replied, “Ted, they’ve started the transference procedure on your father.”
“What? That can’t be true; he hasn’t even seen an oncologist yet. You must be mistaken.”
“Adam just called me to let me know what was happening. He said your father was having a seizure caused by the tumor. Your mother gave him the authorization.”
“Why wouldn’t she call me?” Ted asked. He heard his phone ringing and headed to the bedroom. “That must be her now. Stella, please make us some coffee, okay?” He grabbed the phone and noticed the caller ID said “Josh C.” He pressed the connect button and shouted, “Where the hell have you been?”
“Whoa, why the attitude, Ted? My phone was off and I just turned it on again. What is happening that’s so important? All your message said was to call you back.”
“You know what, Josh, screw you! My dad is going to be a robot now, thanks to you. Don’t ever talk to me again!” He disconnected the call and sat heavily on his bed.
Diane sat next to him, put her arm around his shoulders and said, “Don’t you think that was a little harsh?”
“I don’t care. That self-serving bastard is only out for himself. I don’t need him anyway. His dad isn’t a damned robot.” He walked over to the window and pulled open the drapes. A thick layer of fog blanketed the city. “What are we going to do now, Diane?”
