by Jim Reilly
“Thank you, Rabbi Levy,” cut in the news anchor. “Now, we are joined by Imam Hakam, who leads a mosque in Southern California, said to be the largest in the western United States. Imam, why do you believe this group is turning to violence to get their point across?”
“Well,” said the Imam, “They believe they can’t get their message across any other way than by this misguided path. Phil, violence will only lead to despair, and my other two colleagues here will attest that in the past our religions have used violence on not only other religions, but also on our own people. None of our religions advocate violence, and yet our histories are filled with it. I guess that where some will read scriptures and see enlightenment, others see it as a call to fight with permission given directly from God. Sometimes misguided individuals with a strong faith bring passion, and sometimes that passion leads to violence.”
“And now on to you, Reverend Smith,” said the news anchor. “How can we stop these religious zealots?”
The New Hampshire Lutheran pastor replied, “Some will say fight fire with fire. But I don’t. I think the only way to get them is to speak to their concerns. I believe the root of their concerns is that they are scared. Scared of the future. They are scared because a population in this world that is more educated than ever before challenges their beliefs. Technology and knowledge of our world have outpaced our religious establishments. For the longest time we were the rock or pillar of our communities because our ways and messages did not change much. But today, religious leadership is challenged with an ever-more educated following that has asked questions we are slow to answer. With that said, we as leaders need to come forward and relieve their concerns. We will need to evolve in light of the alien discovery and its implications.”
Chapter 6
“It looks like he’s coming to,” James heard one nurse say to another out of his sight. He thought, “A hospital, I’m in a hospital. But where am I?” He could barely see and realized he was looking out of one eye with a bandage around his head. He could also feel bandages around his body, braces on his legs, and a cast on his arm. He tried to move but was unable because he felt very weak.
The nurse said, “Welcome back. Do you understand me?”
James slowly nodded his head and, with a raspy voice due to his dry throat and mouth, he asked, “Where am I?”
The nurse, attractive with dark hair and a few freckles, looked right down at him. “You are at Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island, New York. You have had some injuries from an attack and have been recovering here for some time now.”
Unable to remember what had happened, he felt dazed. “I don’t understand. What happened to me, and how did I get here?”
As she checked his vital signs, she told him, “You have been through a very dramatic experience and it may take a little time to remember due to some head trauma.”
Minutes later, another nurse brought in someone he recognized, and she said, “James.”
“Mom,” he replied. Ann Marie, her eyes watery, leaned over the hospital bed to hold his head in her gentle hands. He blurted out, “What happened to me?”
Reluctantly, she told him, “You were a victim of a terrorist act and were injured in the rubble of the spacecraft complex. Many were hurt, some badly, but you were taken out of there and ended up here where you have been taken care of. Your injuries were pretty extensive, and many surgeries were done.”
Still confused and starting to look very weak, he asked, “Why did it happen?”
He dozed off, and in a way, Ann Marie was relieved that she did not have to tell him that the reason for his injuries and the ensuing chaos that had engulfed the world was directly linked to his discovery and its aftermath. She just sat there holding his hand and waiting until he regained consciousness, dreading having to tell him that the world was in chaos, and he was in the center of it.
A little while later, the nurse was checking his vital signs and James woke up. He was a little more aware of his surroundings. He tried to move, but he was feeble and his injuries were painful when he moved. He looked around the room and saw that he was the only patient. Then he noticed that there was a university security guard outside his room while military personnel passed by in the hallway. It seemed a little odd, but James figured that due to his growing popularity the hospital must have arranged to have the extra security to keep his many fans from hindering his recovery. Then he remembered his mother had mentioned a terrorist attack. He wondered what the reason was for the attack, and who was responsible.
Ann Marie entered the room with a hot coffee and said, “Oh, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
He responded, “I feel like a house fell on my head.”
Then Patrick walked into the room. “It did, and you’re lucky to be alive. You should avoid Kibish. Every time you go there, you end up coming home on a hospital stretcher.”
James then curiously asked them, “What happened to me?”
Ann Marie countered with, “What do you remember?”
James tried to recall. “All I remember is that I was at the spacecraft complex making an appearance, and the last thing I remember is that I heard people start to scream. That’s until I woke up here.”
Patrick took a deep breath and said with no facial expression, “There was a terrorist attack by a group called the Followers of Divinity. They are a fringe group, made up of various denominations, that blames science for the growing loss of members to their sects. In essence, they are the fanatics and zealots of almost all the religious faiths. It is a dangerous group that is hard for the authorities to put down because they vary so much. Seven weeks ago, they hit fifty cities worldwide with car and truck bombs. Their targets were scientific facilities and the scientists inside them. They hit universities, museums, and science centers. After the first day, over ten thousand people died and two hundred thousand people were injured. It was a huge loss, but in the last seven weeks --”
James interrupted, “I’ve been unconscious for seven weeks?”
Ann Marie answered, “Because of your injuries, the doctors induced you into a coma so that you could heal properly.”
Then Patrick continued, “During that time, additional attacks have left another 25,000 dead and 150,000 injured. After virtually all the universities and museums were hit, they started to target individual scientists. We lost many good people, and many of the rest went into hiding. One of the places they hit was Kibish and the complex surrounding the spacecraft and the dig site. Many lost their lives that day. The city’s hotels and convention center were hit hard, and the complex around the craft was destroyed. You were one of the few lucky enough to get out.
“Many, like Dr. Sanchez, were not so lucky. I lost many talented friends from the University of Ethiopia who worked in the complex studying the remains there. But it didn’t end there. We lost Mike Wells and many others here when the university was hit. This is a huge mess. The world has almost come to a standstill. Many of the large cities are in lockdown. In many countries, the governments have instituted martial law. Schools around the world are closed because teachers fear for their lives and their students’ lives. This is just what the terrorists hoped for.”
James asked in concern, “Jennifer and David…are they all right?”
Ann Marie put her hand on James’ shoulder and said, “They are OK and have been secured by the FBI along with their families.”
Patrick added, “They were a target due to their part in the spacecraft’s discovery.”
James then realized, “If they’re a target, then what am I?”
Ann Marie, showing motherly concern to protect her son, replied, “Maybe we should talk about that later, and you should get some rest.”
Patrick was reluctant to speak, but knew it must be said. “James, you are their number one target. You are the one who discovered the spacecraft that led to realization that the Ancient Visitors had been an influence in the development of the human race. To make matters worse, yo
u then took this information as a basis to disprove the existence of God and explained many of the mysteries of many religions as alien intervention into the activities of man. The fame of the discovery and your own popularity helped promote your conclusions throughout the world. Even though it made you famous and wealthy, it has made many people very angry. They are angry enough to stage an uprising and today scores are dead with many more hurt. You have been moved from hospital to hospital under assumed names so not to give away your location because if Followers of Divinity had a line on you they would make a move. You were brought back here to the university’s hospital for a procedure, and soon you will be moved again. We have been in constant fear that, at any time, they would attack you.”
Patrick then walked behind where Ann Marie was sitting on a chair and put his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. They waited for James’ reaction.
James asked, “Then what is being done?”
Patrick answered, “Except for some already religious countries who lean towards the beliefs of the fanatics, many governments have used the military and law enforcement to track down these criminals and bring them to justice. Many have been arrested and killed, but their organization seems to be large and it will take time. When you add up all the religious fanatics in the world, it is not a great number, but the damage they can do could be enormous. That is because they believe that God will reward them here in this life and in the afterlife. Their devotion to their beliefs blinds them to their ability to reason. What is even more scary is that we are hearing that their numbers are growing and more parts of the world are joining their cause. Even people with less fanatical beliefs are joining them, mostly because they feel isolated from the rest of the world that has moved away from some of their religious beliefs.”
“Let’s give him a break for a while. This is a lot for him to digest,” said Ann Marie, noticing James was looking exhausted. She continued, “We’ll be back in the morning to see how you are doing, and don’t worry. The security is tight, and no one outside the staff knows you’re here.”
After they left, James couldn’t sleep and stayed up just thinking about the enormity of the events that had taken place. Many people had lost their lives and many of them were colleagues. They were people in the pursuit of knowledge and were not in the business of harming others, yet they had been cut down. Many innocent people who were caught in the line of fire were killed or were badly hurt. He angrily thought the reason for it was that some people couldn’t accept a history devoid of what they had been taught by their religions. They felt people of science were out to disprove their long-held beliefs, and now they deemed the scientists as enemies.
They were not the first to use violence. History was riddled with groups large and small who persecuted and killed people who didn’t believe as they did. Even if they did believe in the same deity, but had an alternate view of those beliefs, they were often at risk. James could only think that it was crazy.
A few days later, James was able to have the bed raised so he could view the 3D television screen. He spent hours switching back and forth while the news channels sized up the magnitude of the terrorist attack. While watching, he thought, “They hit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I can’t believe it. They have got to be stopped.” On the interactive screen, James was able to pull up the names of the people in the scientific community who had lost their lives. Many of the names he recognized, and it made him angry and frustrated. His temper erupted, and he screamed out, “Those crazy lunatics! How could they do this?”
No sooner than he said that when David walked into the room and replied, “Because they are scared and afraid.”
“Hey, David. It is good to see you are OK,” said James.
“And you look better than your mom described to me,” said David with a smirk.
Laughing a little, James responded, “She always felt my pain more than I did, but I have to tell you, I feel pretty bad. To your point that they are scared and afraid, the people they are terrorizing are scared and afraid.”
“That is true,” explained David. “But when your whole world revolves around a strong belief in God and others come in and discredit your beliefs, you feel lost and afraid, and some become angry. Many hold their religious beliefs as a standard for which they lead their lives, and if it gets taken away there is a huge hole in their lives. Some people see other viewpoints as a desecration of their religion. They have such a strong belief and feel they must strike back at the nonbelievers. Many of them turn to fanatical approaches, and people get hurt.
“I believe that sometimes we as scientists help fuel the fire of these extremists. Yes, we look for the truth of our existence in this world and universe. We have come up with evidence and theories from the beginning of time with the Big Bang to our own evolutionary timeline, and our knowledge is expanding every day. Many in the religious community have a hard time reconciling the new discoveries with their beliefs and reject them as heresy. We as scientists need to be conscious of religious beliefs and not make bold statements that hurt.”
“You mean me,” James said.
“Yes,” David said to his friend with unveiled certainty. “Your conclusions have offended some, and you were the terrorists’ main target. You are lucky to be alive. The heavy Ethiopian military security force held off the terrorist foot soldiers coming in to finish you off after the craft complex blew up.”
After thinking about his actions prior to the attack, James countered, “You can’t blame me for that.”
“Yeah, I know, but you are involved. We all are. I believe communication and understanding is needed between the scientific and religious communities. There is too much tension between the two sides, and it needs to stop. The terrorist attack was just tension boiling over. A tension you ignited with your campaign to discredit religious writing, customs, and long-held beliefs. You certainly did set off a powder keg.”
As David finished, a breaking news headline appeared on the television screen: “Abducted Missing.”
The news anchor said, “We have received reports that the returned abducted are missing once again. They were reported to be in hiding with their families since the attack, but now we are hearing from around the world that they have been taken. At this point, it is unclear if they were taken by the terrorists or were abducted again by the Ancient Visitors.”
David’s headset phone registered an incoming call, and he answered it. “Hey, Jennifer. What’s up?”
As David spoke to Jennifer, James watched as the faces of the abducted were shown on the screen. Many of them were people he had interviewed, and it made him feel uneasy as to their eventual fates. If the terrorists took them, then those religious extremists would most likely have killed them, and if the Ancient Visitors did, no one knew what they might have in mind for them. Not everyone had returned from the last mass abduction.
When David disconnected the call, he relayed what Jennifer had told him. “She said that through the night the abducted, under government protection, disappeared while nearby family members and security personnel were rendered unconscious by some mysterious means. All security footage was made useless, and NORAD showed no unusual activity in its normal scans of the skies. The consensus is that the terrorists didn’t do it, and the Ancients Visitors may have come back to reclaim them. These people just vanished.”
James surmised, “We may see increased activity from the Ancient Visitors now that they know we are here, and who knows what they have planned for us.”
David took a deep breath as he looked out the window of the hospital and concluded, “This news is going to plunge the world deeper into chaos. After the terrorist attacks, the financial markets collapsed into disarray, and most of the governments of the world instituted martial law. I had hoped that the world would turn back to normal after some time had passed after the initial discovery, but now I feel things will never go back. I fear for the future, a future my children will now have to grow up in. God help them.”
A few moments later, David said good-bye and left, but what he had said lingered in James’ mind. The world was in absolute chaos, and the root cause was easily seen. Since the moment he had stepped on the loose rock and fallen into that crack in Kibish, the world had not been the same. The news of his discovery sixteen years ago had sent ripples through human understanding of how man evolved and put into doubt many long-held religious and evolutionary beliefs. It had caused people to be confused and angry, and that anger led to violence. Many thousands of people were hurt or dead, and bedlam reigned through the rest of the world.
To make matters worse, he may have triggered a signal from the spacecraft that would spur the Ancient Visitors to continue their plan for mankind, a plan that was still not known. Fear, anger, chaos, and a loss of faith could be attributed to James’ discovery and his actions since that moment. As he lay there he couldn’t shake the fact that he had a big responsibility in what had transpired. He thought about the many friends and colleagues he knew who had lost their lives, and the thousands of innocent people who might have been in the wrong place at that horribly bad time of attack.
It now started to overwhelm James, as he felt more and more responsible, not only for what he had discovered, but also for his actions and his words. The discovery would have eventually been found, but his conclusions about how mankind developed and, to be more precise, how he tried to demystify long-held beliefs, had caused much anxiety to people strong in their beliefs. As James lay there with the television showing recorded 3D video of the devastation of the attacks, people lost, and the ongoing war to combat the terrorists, he muttered in despair, “What have I done? Oh, God what have I done?”
After a sleepless night staring out the window of his private room, James heard footsteps entering. Still unable to move very well, he tilted his head to see his mother walking up toward his bed.
“Good morning, James. How are you today?” she asked with motherly concern. James just looked at her with a halfhearted smile.
