Godschild Covenant: Return of Nibiru

by Marshall Masters

  The same happened to Becky, but only more quickly, due to the fact that the Mercury from the silicon chip fabrication plants had also combined with other toxins, such as arsenic and lead to form a deadly heavy metal brew. Even if she survived the months it would take for chelator treatments to spare her life, she would have to spend the remainder of it in an institution. In terms of quality of life, Becky had no future and no hope. When she finally slipped into a coma, the end was simply a matter of time.

  Ann-Marie opened the door to the dying dome; “We're ready.” The four arose from the bench and the girl's parents were the first to enter the dying dome, followed by Anthony and Tanya.

  Tanya had not seen the girl until now, and the webpad record sent by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara was missing the photo ID. Midway into the room, she saw the child's face for the first time and froze. Becky could have been a perfect twin of her own daughter, Svetlana. Tanya clenched her fist. “I'm sorry,” she said in a stifled voice, “I need to attend to some matters and must leave now.” Without looking up, the girl's father said, “Thank you, Tanya, for all your help. I hope we meet again, but under better circumstances."

  With troubled concern, Anthony noticed the deep emotions suddenly boiling up within Tanya. “Yes,” she said with a strained voice as Anthony and Ann-Marie looked on, “hopefully, we'll meet in better times. God bless you."

  Anthony could see tears forming in the corner of her eyes, but she turned on her heels and quickly left the room.

  Outside the dome, Tanya ran to her personal quarters. Locking the door, she curled up next to the wall and pressed a folded towel against her face to muffle her anguished cries.

  * * * *

  ANTHONY MOVED AROUND the gurney, closely eyeing the lethal injection system and the EEG to make sure everything was properly set up. Ann-Marie had done her job well.

  “We're going to begin now,” he said quietly. The sound of his voice and his words caught the attention of the parents, and they stepped back from the gurney as he moved in next to the child, holding a release control in his hand.

  Anthony seated himself on a tall stool next to the head of the gurney. He slipped his free hand halfway under the center of Becky's neck and then laid the other hand, which held the trigger, on the gurney next to the young girl's body. He nodded towards the EEG machine display, opposite the gurney and said, “As you can see, Becky hasn't much brain activity as it is. However, I must ask you to be absolutely quiet during the procedure. If you have any last words you'd like to say to her, please say them now and try to be brief, as we need to begin quickly."

  The parents briefly said their goodbyes to their unconscious daughter and signaled him to begin, and he slowly moved his fingers to the base of her skull, quickly resting them on the right energy spot. Taking a few slow, deep breaths, he closed his eyes and slipped into a state of physical stillness. This was the first time Ann-Marie had worked with him, and she watched his chest falls with keen interest, noticing the sudden marked decrease in his breathing rate.

  * * * *

  BECKY OPENED HER eyes and found herself surrounded by roses of every imaginable shape and color. Instead of the crazy feelings she'd had before the darkness, she now felt light, totally comfortable and absolutely at peace.

  She reached over and gently drew a rose towards her to smell it, but she had no sensation of smell, which seemed odd, yet not disconcerting. Perhaps she was enjoying a wonderful dream, she thought to herself.

  Curious to see more of her dream, she looked up and could see a pearly white shell at the edge of the garden. It made her feel as though she was standing inside a large, fluffy cloud, and then she heard the sound of a swing, swishing back and forth. She followed the sound, which led on a path between the rose beds.

  Coming upon the empty swing, and standing next to it was a tall, handsome man in his thirties. Dressed in a soft white gown that stretched to the ground, he turned to face her and smiled. He took hold of the ever-slowing swing and held it steady for her. “Hello, Becky,” he said softly. “I'm Anthony Jarman. Would you like to ride while we talk?"

  Normally, the child would have cautiously withdrawn, but she sensed no feelings of fear or trepidation now. She instinctively knew he was a friend and that she could trust him. Giggling with delight, she plopped herself in the seat of the swing and leaned back. “I like to go real high,” she said.

  “We'll do our best,” he said, giving the swing a gentle push

  “Am I dead?” she asked. “Are you an angel here to take me to heaven?"

  “I'm not an angel,” he replied, giving the swing another gentle push. “I'm just a friend, Becky, and I want to help you with a very important decision. You are at a crossing point between this world and the next. Some people call it death, but I simply call it crossing over and you must decide if you wish to stay with your body or to cross over to the other side."

  “Then is this heaven?"

  “No honey, that is further on. Right now, you are in a garden that I've created just above your own body—a body, which is terribly sick. I'm afraid there is no hope for it to work correctly again, but you may choose to stay in it if you like. If not, you can cross over and go to God. But before you make that choice, you must see things for yourself."

  He caught the swing, slowing it to a stop. “We have to do this now.” She nodded and climbed out of the seat. Waving his hand, the garden melted away into the white pearly cloud that surrounded it, save for the very part upon which they stood.

  “Becky, are you a brave, little girl?"

  “Yes,” she replied. “I think I know what you are going to show me. It is OK.” Anthony smiled and waved his hand again clearing away the pearly white shell below them and took her hand.

  Floating above the gurney, they looked down at her body and at her silently grieving parents. “They look so sad,” she observed. “Now, I remember the terrible things I said to them when was I sick. I was so bad. I love them so much."

  “They have suffered much, and they know it was the sickness talking, Becky. Not you,” he replied in an understanding tone. “But this is about you, honey, and you need to see the illness in your body so that you understand what you need to know, in order to make your decision."

  “OK,” she replied cautiously as they both looked down upon her body, Anthony carefully showed her the effects of the heavy metals now infused in her body. The damage was so extensive; it even took Anthony by surprise.

  “It won't work right anymore,” Becky admitted plainly. “I wish I could stay with my mommy and daddy, but it would only hurt them more, and I will die shortly anyway.” She looked into Anthony's eyes and said, “Can we go back to the garden for a moment?"

  “Of course we can,” he replied as he waved his hand returning them back to the garden, a few feet away from the swing.

  “I can't smell the roses, Anthony,” she said with a puzzled expression. “Is this what heaven is like? Roses you cannot smell?"

  Impressed with her question, Anthony smiled and placed a fingertip on the bridge of her nose. “Close your eyes and remember how the roses your daddy planted in your back yard used to smell.” She did as he suggested, while he leaned over to pluck a rose and held it near her nose. “Now open your eyes and smell."

  Becky's eyes popped open and she buried the tip of her nose in the rose. “It smells wonderful,” she exclaimed with glee.

  Anthony handed her the rose and said, “Heaven is better than my garden, Becky, much better."

  She fondled the rose petals, smelling each one in turn. “I want to cross over, Anthony, but before I do, will you tell my mommy and daddy that I love them very much and that I will never leave them. I don't have to leave them, do I?"

  “After you cross over, Becky, you can be with them as much as you like. Time has a different meaning, or,” he chuckled, “no meaning at all depending on your point of view."

  “Good, then tell them that I am with them always and that I will wait
for them in heaven. Also, tell them that when I first got sick that I buried my favorite doll, Gertrude, in a tin box in the far corner of the backyard next to the little waterfall my father built. Please ask them to clean her up and to give Gertrude a good home."

  “I will, Becky, I promise. If you are ready now, your grandparents are here to welcome you to heaven."

  Becky looked up and saw them standing patiently at the edge of the garden. She smiled warmly and said, “I'm ready."

  Anthony waved his hand again, and this time the garden disappeared, but the pearly white shell grew much brighter, but not blindingly so, as Becky's grandparents walked out from the light to where she stood beside Anthony.

  “Grandma, Grandpa, are you here to take me to heaven?"

  Her grandmother embraced her and said, “Yes, Becky, we have come to help you across.” The gentle appearing woman then looked at Anthony and said, “Thank you so very much. Please let her parents know she is with us and that all is well."

  Anthony nodded and watched as the three began to move away from him towards the light. At the last possible moment, Becky turned to say, “Can you come and visit me in heaven Anthony?"

  “Some day perhaps,” he replied sincerely. “I would like that, but for now, I can go no further than the edge of my garden. Very quickly, you'll understand why."

  “I think I understand,” she answered. “You're a good friend, Anthony. Thank you for helping me.” She turned and happily resumed her journey into the light with her grandparents.

  He watched them fade away to nothingness and returned to his garden. It had only taken a slice of time, no longer than the single sway of a metronome to end Becky's life. He would not need to look at the EEG display to see that it had already flat lined. Rather, he would wait a while in his garden while Becky's parents internalized what they now were seeing on the EEG display. However, there was also another reason to wait.

  The odd thing about those who live in a culture that fears death is that is they suppress their feelings until just after the moment of death. Then, ‘the doors fly open’ as hospice workers like to say and rationality goes out the window. If that was to happen, he wanted a moment's rest to collect his thoughts for what could become a very difficult moment.

  He sat down in the garden and closed his eyes, enjoying the quiet he had created. Then, his eyes suddenly blinked open as he heard the sound of the swing moving to and fro again. Had Becky changed her mind and returned? He quickly rose and walked back towards the swing at the center of his garden. A young girl was in the swing and giggled after seeing the startled look on his face. He instinctively knew she was not Becky, even though she could have been her perfect twin sister.

  “Little girl, do I know you?” he quizzed.

  “Nope,” she said with a perky grin, “but you know my mommy."

  “OK,” he stammered, “but who is your mommy, and if you do not mind me asking, just who are you?"

  “My name is Svetlana, but you can just call me Lana. As for my mommy, you work for her. Her name is Tanya. You know, I really love your garden, and this swing is so much fun."

  Now, the connection clicked: Tanya's sudden reaction upon seeing Becky on the gurney and the physical similarity between the two girls.

  “I felt my mommy cry and I came to help her, but she cannot hear me. I wish she could hear me and see me like you do. You know, I also saw what you did for Becky. You are a very nice man, Anthony. I like you."

  Anthony walked to the swing and gave it a gentle shove for Svetlana. “It sounds like your mommy needs you, Lana, and I have very important work to finish here."

  “I know,” she answered. “Can you help my mommy see me and talk to me? I love her so much, and I want her to be happy."

  A sad expression crossed Anthony's face. “I can only help her so much; the rest, she must do on her own. You know, Lana, this is not always such an easy thing. I can see you and the families of all the other people I help across, but the sad fact is that even though my own family crossed over many years ago, I cannot see or hear them."

  The young girl waved her finger at him, “That's because you feel guilty.” She smiled and chirped, “I have an idea. You help my mommy with her anger and she will help you with your guilt."

  Anthony chuckled. The child was a bit precocious, but he also knew she was right. Yet, it would be a long time before he could ever find the peace and the time to confront the torments deep within his own soul, especially during these sad times.

  “That is an interesting idea, Lana, and I wish I had the time to speak with you about it, but I have to go now, and so must you."

  “I know,” she replied. “Before you do, please tell my mommy that I love her and that I'm here safe with daddy, grandma and grandpa. Also, tell her that daddy, grandma and grandpa were all together and that we did not suffer."

  Telling this to her mother would be another difficult mission, but then again, his life had become one endless stream of such pleading requests by loved ones who had already crossed over for those they had left behind. “Yes, I promise. Now I must go, and so must you."

  “Thank you, Anthony,” she said politely as she stepped off the swing. “Oh yes, and one more thing, and then I promise to go. Our kitty, Charlene had four kittens right after mommy left, daddy took a video of them, and we had a little party for Charlene. He sent the video to her hotel in Washington because he knew it would make her happy, but he used the wrong room number. Daddy was like that sometimes, but the video is still sitting in the mailroom of the Hotel Lombardy. I keep making the man who works there forget to throw it away, so can you please help mommy find it soon?"

  Anthony reflected on her request for a moment, and then stepped back to the edge of his garden. “I promise you that I will do everything I can, Lana. Now I must really go. Goodbye."

  The familiar and sterile smells of the hospital greeted his conscious mind as he took a deep breath. He raised his head and saw Becky's parents transfixed on the plain straight lines running across the EEG display.

  He pulled the trigger halfway and the automatic drug release mechanism whirred to life as every eye in the room rushed towards the mechanical sound.

  As he waited for the ready tone, he wondered how he would explain his encounter with Lana to her mother. With all of his other clients, he always had the benefit of an arm's length relationship, but Tanya was a different thing. They would be working together for a long time, and if this worked the wrong way, it would only make life more difficult for both of them. Then, he questioned himself. Was that really nothing more than convenient reasoning?

  He had always managed the most difficult of situations, and passing Svetlana's message to Tanya was nowhere near the most difficult. So why was he becoming apprehensive? The thought made him feel uncomfortable.

  “I must stop this,” he muttered to himself.

  Becky's parents were transfixed on the EEG display and had not heard him. However, the twisted expression on his face had not gone unnoticed by Ann-Marie, and she leaned towards him and whispered, “Is there a problem?"

  Embarrassed, he shook his head no as the ready tone sounded on the drug release mechanism. Without hesitating further, he pulled the release trigger till it clicked the second time. A moment later, Becky's failing heart ceased to beat. It was done.

  * * * *

  IN RETROSPECT, THE first day had gone more easily for Ann-Marie than she had imagined. Anthony's reputation had been well earned. His tender way with the dying was a sight to behold, and his advice to her earlier that day; “Keep it simple; stay focused, and the world will turn,” now made perfect sense.

  Completing all three procedures had taken all afternoon, and she arrived in the mess hall towards the end of the first dinner shift. Vigo had taken a tray back to his dome, and she also decided to eat alone as the events of the day replayed themselves in her mind.

  She finished her meal and managed to wrangle a second dessert portion, then walked back to her dome. It was da
rk and empty. She opened the door and switched on the light to see that Vigo had thoughtfully cleaned up after himself before leaving. Her bed cover was pulled so taut, you could bounce a quarter on it, and the bathroom was spotless. Apparently, her new roommates hadn't arrived yet, which meant she'd still have the dome to herself for one more evening. She checked her watch. She would have to begin her pre-arranged debriefing with Colonel Henry Tzu at Port Ord soon.

  She removed the specially configured webpad, which Corporal Piper gave her, from its hidden compartment in her suitcase and plopped it onto the bed, along with a headset and webcam.

  Peeling out of her uniform, she slipped on a terrycloth robe and a pair of slippers and settled down on a corner of the bed. She slipped the small but powerful headset over her ear, connected it and the video webcam to the webpad.

  She preferred the wireless type with her own webpad and cell phone, but this one required a shielded fiber optic cable. Unlike consumer webpads, this one was keyed to a special secure subnet frequency with 512-bit encryption that Piper had bragged was virtually impossible to break. The webpad lit up and displayed a simple green-lined box in the center of the flat panel display. She pressed her thumb on the display and the word “connecting...” began to flash in the lower right hand corner.

  Colonel Henry Tzu was sitting at his desk, sipping tea when her image flashed on the screen. “Well look who the cat dragged in. I've been wondering when you'd finally turn up Ann-Marie."

  “Henry, you sure know how to make a girl feel welcome. And for the record, I'm on time so kindly tell your mother she needs to call MasterCard to have the charges reversed for your charm school lessons."

  He laughed, “Touch©. So, what have you got for me?"

  “We were hoping to have a peaceful day, but now every clinic and hospital in the south end of the Silicon Valley knows we're operational, so they've already started sending us their terminal patients. We had our first three today and the first one was really hard—a little girl by the name of Becky."