The Harvest

by John David Krygelski

  א

  At Reese Johnson’s request, two FBI agents picked up Melissa and Matthew Johnson and drove them to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for transport to Washington, D.C. Both he and Claire had decided that they should all be together, at least for the next few days.

  Exhausted, Reese had given up for the day. The couple were in their room at the Watergate.

  “I feel ridiculous coming back here tonight with a 2:00 p.m. deadline staring me in the face.”

  “I think you need time to think. That, and sleep. You can hit it early in the morning.”

  A protective detail had arrived in the afternoon to relocate Elohim to the State Department. They had asked Reese if he wanted to go along, but he declined, thinking that if he was seen traveling with Elohim, it might taint his credibility with the public. Now, he was having second thoughts.

  “I guess so. I don’t know. When I’m with Him, I don’t have any doubts; everything seems really clear. When I get away, I start second guessing myself.”

  “Reese, honey, we both know how the whole ‘charismatic’ situation works. They get you in their thrall, and your mind stops working.”

  Turning to look at her, he asked, “Are you losing the faith here? I thought your mind was made up?”

  “No, I’m not losing the faith. I still think He is who He says. I’m just saying…don’t blame yourself for being a bit overwhelmed. He is a bit…well, overwhelming.”

  Laughing, Reese agreed, “That He is, dear. That He is.”

  Melissa and Matthew arrived late. The FBI agents carried them, sleeping, up to the room where Reese and Claire tucked them in. Exhausted, they also fell asleep immediately.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As Reese entered the room, he saw that Elohim’s accommodations at the State Department consisted of a rich, block-paneled conference room with soft leather chairs that tilted and swiveled. Suspended from the ceiling at the midpoint above the long table was a four-sided multimedia screen with speakers and video cameras integrated into its four corners, in the event that a video conference would be needed.

  Elohim sat at the long side of the table, not occupying the head position at either end. Reese noticed that he also had not chosen the center seat on either side, so he had deliberately picked a non-prestigious seat. Reese sat in the chair directly across and said, “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Reese. I hope that you and your family slept well.”

  Chuckling, Reese answered, “Considering that it’s five in the morning and we didn’t get to sleep until after midnight, I’d say not. Do You not require sleep?”

  “I do. I am simply on a different pattern than you are.”

  “What pattern is that?”

  Smiling, Elohim answered, “Yesterday we agreed to resume our conversation on the subject of time at a later meeting. To answer your question, we would have to delve into that topic first. Is that the direction you would like to proceed?”

  Tempted, Reese declined, “Actually, no. It’s my understanding that they are bringing in a physicist this morning to speak with you…at my request. That discussion may be best left for him.”

  Reese poured some coffee into the china cup that had been set out for him, adding some sweetener and plenty of cream. He could tell by the cloudy froth rising to the top that it was actually cream and not milk or half-and-half. Taking a sip, he discovered it was delicious.

  “This is wonderful coffee. Would You like to have a cup?”

  “Yes. As a matter of fact, that sounds good.”

  Reese began to slide the silver service tray across the table, when Elohim asked, “Would you mind preparing it…exactly as you made it for yourself.”

  Curious, Reese asked, “You use artificial sweetener?”

  “I wish to experience it exactly as you are.”

  Busying himself with preparing the coffee, he asked, “I am curious about something that has nothing to do with our process here.”

  “Please, ask.”

  “If those who are chosen to go with You to Heaven keep their bodies, are there children conceived in Heaven?”

  Smiling again, Elohim answered, “Why, yes, there are. It is a great joy for us all.”

  “It seems that between those who have ascended in the past and the children born of them, You would have a pretty good supply of citizens.”

  “You’re wondering if I’ve filled my quota,” he asked mischievously.

  “Not exactly…but, yes. Why continue this…process…here on Earth?”

  “I created Earth and all of the life upon it for this sole purpose. In the…process, as you call it, I made a promise to those I placed here and those who followed. I am a keeper of promises. I suppose that it would be reasonable to compare mankind to an experiment created by a vastly superior intellect, only to have the petri dish dumped down the sink when the experiment had run its course. And there are some aspects of that scenario and reality which are analogous. But to continue the analogy, I am then a scientist who has created an environment and a race who, in many ways, is equal to me, much as a parent creates a child. I can no more dump my children down the drain than you could yours.

  “Heaven has a capacity for a number far greater than those who reside there now; we are not crowded, and we are in no danger of becoming so in the near future. Additionally, each group who comes to Heaven has new things to offer: the experiences from Earth that have transpired since the last visit, the lessons learned, the progress made. Heaven and Earth are joyfully linked. If the day ever comes when mankind is erased from this planet, it will have been self-inflicted, not due to an act of mine.”

  “If that occurred, would You reseed…would you re-establish humans on the Earth?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “At that point, the system will have run its course. There would be nothing more to learn, nothing more to gain. Those who might join us in Heaven would add nothing to our knowledge or experience.”

  “You don’t believe that starting over with a completely clean slate would have a different outcome?”

  “The Butterfly Effect?”

  “I suppose. Chaos theory tells us that even the slightest change in a complex structure will have a tremendous impact on the final result.”

  “Chaos theory does not tell you that; intelligence, logic, and basic common sense tell you that. Chaos theory is nothing but an ego salve for those who can’t admit that they haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “That is a position that only a god or a moron would take!”

  Reese whirled around to see who had joined the conversation, recognizing him immediately. Walter Penfield was one of the “superstar” physicists of the day, winning the Nobel Prize for his work on superstring theory. Penfield was also conspicuously absent from the pack of scientists who were signing public letters opposing the teaching of “intelligent design” in schools. In fact, Reese reflected, he could not recall any anti-religion movements in which Penfield participated.

  Reese stood and extended his hand, saying, “Dr. Penfield, I’ve been anxious to meet you over the years.”

  Penfield shook his hand firmly, responding, “As I have wished to meet you, if only my credibility would have survived the public knowledge of our meeting.”

  Reese laughed. Turning to Elohim, he said, “This is Walter Penfield. Dr. Penfield, this is Elohim.”

  As Elohim rose to take his hand, Penfield quipped, “I’ve already been warned by the female dynamo who works for the FBI to call you Reese. Please, I’m Walt. Elohim, it is a….”

  Their hands met. Reese had been watching closely to see the result. Penfield did not convulse or weaken as did Kerry Coughlin. He did not shudder and weep with joy like the Cardinal. His eyes widened, locked upon Elohim’s. His muscles tensed, and he became still. The contact lasted for at least two minutes, with neither moving, both appearing to be statues, so rock solid was their immobility. When Elohim released his grip, Penfield stood still for a few momen
ts, apparently lost in thought. He then turned to Reese and, with his voice substantially softer, said, “Thanks for the warning!”

  Laughing, Reese put his hand on Penfield’s shoulder to guide him to the chair. After Penfield was situated, Reese said, “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  Elohim protested, “Please, I would prefer that you stay, if Mr. Penfield, I’m sorry, Walt doesn’t mind. Some of the items that I’m sure we will cover will be of interest to you, as well.”

  “I don’t mind at all.”

  Reese sat next to Penfield.

  Penfield started out, “This is a little odd for me. I don’t know if either of you knows this, but I was the second choice for this meeting. Frederick Marshall and I are both in D.C. for a small conference. Margo asked Frederick to interview you and he, at first, accepted. He asked me to accompany him here to facilitate communication. When he became aware of the…uh…situation that developed with Mr. McWilliams, he reconsidered and decided to decline. He and Ms. Jackson prevailed upon me to come in here alone.”

  Reese wondered, “Why would he decline, especially because of Craig’s, uh, recovery?”

  “He didn’t say. So…you’re stuck with me. As I was saying, this is a little odd. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to unravel the secrets of the universe, and here I am talking to someone who can just tell me how it all works.” He paused for a response but Elohim said nothing, just smiled at him.

  When the silence continued for too many moments, he continued, “They attempted to get me in here without any preconceived notions; they didn’t want to tell me what had transpired with each of the interviewers so, I guess, my judgment wouldn’t be clouded. I, of course, refused to participate without a full briefing.”

  Elohim finally asked, “Why was that?”

  “Any scientist who goes into an experiment, or a situation, without all of the available information is a fool. We’ve all been trained not to allow our preliminary observations to create any prejudices.”

  Elohim spoke gently, yet firmly. “So, you believe that you are immune to the realities of being human?”

  Taken slightly aback, Walt answered, “Immune, no. Disciplined enough to recognize them and keep them under control, yes.”

  “Interesting. You believe that you have an open mind about who I am?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “You don’t have a preconceived notion that I’m a nutcase or crackpot?”

  Penfield paused before saying, “They did warn me that you have this ability.”

  “What ability is that?”

  “Mind reading, I would suppose.”

  “We’ll address that in a moment. However, those were your words, correct? Before you met me?”

  “I believe they were.” Penfield was looking uncomfortable.

  “Tell me, Walt, how would that be consistent with the vaunted scientific position of objectivity to which you were alluding earlier?”

  Penfield did not immediately respond. Elohim continued, “Regardless of how…I believe that your wording was…‘fanciful’ this flight may appear to you, Walt, it is profoundly serious. I think it is safe to say that it’s more serious than any task you have been asked to perform in your lifetime. Within the context of your reality, the most serious of issues are simply life and death. This situation transcends that import by several orders of magnitude. We are dealing with an eternity…a concept that your race has not yet grasped. I have deliberately subjected myself to scrutiny because I know that it is the best course for those who will join me. I would be pleased if your conclusion is that I am as I say. However, the final outcome will be substantially unchanged. If you are capable of truly analyzing me, conjuring up bona fide tests to verify that I am as I say, conceiving of questions that will satisfy your ‘scientific’ requirements, then let’s begin. If, on the other hand, you are simply here to verify your foregone conclusion, then please leave.”

  Walter Penfield reached up and rubbed his face, arms resting on the table. After a loud sigh, he said, “Fair enough. I guess I deserved that.”

  “You, and your profession, have ‘deserved that’ for a long time. Your peers and colleagues have created an environment that is more narrow-minded and judgmental than the most ignorant of groups have ever managed to produce. Literally tens of thousands of people have reported seeing space ships, and they are all chalked off as morons or lunatics. Even when entire groups of people in the same city see the same thing in the sky, they are ridiculed and disregarded, told that they are suffering from mass hysteria. And yet, a single scientist can see a single blip in his data, a blip which lasts a millionth of a billionth of a second, and he announces that he has found a new element. Is he ridiculed? Hardly…he’s given an award.” Elohim said all of this, not as a rant, but calmly and dispassionately. The effect was more powerful than if it had been yelled.

  After some time, Penfield spoke. “If you aren’t happy with me for this interview, I’m sure they can find another person.”

  “Actually, Walt, I’m delighted with the choice, despite your off-the-cuff judgments about me before you walked into this room. You actually have managed to avoid the mob mentality within your field and not participate in the orchestrated attempts to destroy the faith of those who believe in me. There have been times, as you have pondered the mysteries of the cosmos, that you have granted the possibility of my existence.”

  “It’s true. I have.”

  With a twinkle in his eye, Elohim said, “And I have granted the possibility of yours.”

  At last, a smile came to Penfield’s face. “And for that I am grateful.”

  “If you have decided that you are up to the task of evaluating me fairly,” said Elohim, “then, please, let us begin.”

  “Although, in retrospect, I probably wasn’t capable when I walked in here, I think that I am now. I’m still not sure quite how to go about this.”

  Reese interrupted, “Walt, I think you’re trying to make it too hard. Remember how you were in college?”

  “I was incorrigible in college. I was at the dean’s office nearly every month.”

  “Elohim won’t be sending you to the dean. Elohim and I have been talking for quite a while now, and I can tell you it’s pretty painless. Just pretend that he is a professor and you’ve finally gotten some one-on-one time. The only difference is…as a student you already knew what the professor, any professor, didn’t know, because it wasn’t known. That’s not the case here.”

  Elohim was sitting forward in his chair, hands folded on the table in front of himself, waiting. Penfield said, “Well, that’s kinda the problem. If I asked questions about things that are known, he…you…might just really know your physics. If I ask about the unknown, how will I know if he’s…you’re…right?”

  Elohim started to speak but was cut off by Reese. “Walt, you’re over-thinking it. Ask the damn question!”

  “Okay. Umm. God, I’m sorry, gosh, I feel like Alex Trebek.” Hesitating to clear his throat, he asked, “All right, what’s the alpha value?”

  Again, Reese spoke first. “Unless both of you want me to just smile and stare blankly through this, please explain your questions, at least a little.”

  “Okay. The alpha value, which is also known as the fine structure constant, is the strength of the interaction between an electron and a photon. It also governs a host of other physical processes. It’s just about impossible to write a formula dealing with electromagnetism without the alpha value. It also addresses how light interacts with atoms. If alpha were slightly different, the universe, as we know it, wouldn’t exist.”

  “Got it. And you don’t have this number?”

  “For a long time we thought it was 1/137, but it’s like pi…we keep chasing the number farther and farther out, and only have an approximate value. Close, but still approximate.”

  Penfield turned to Elohim expectantly.

  “Let me answer your question with a question,” Elohim responded. “Why do you use a base 10 number set
?”

  Penfield paused. This was clearly not the response he expected. Reese asked, “What’s that?”

  Responding to Reese, Penfield asked, “Have you heard of binary numbers?”

  “Yes. Like in computers. But I’m not entirely sure what it means.”

  “Okay, computers only ‘think’ by converting everything into the only states that they can create, on and off. As sophisticated as they have become, they still work that way, just faster. That’s a base 2 number set, and the way it works is like this…imagine there aren’t any numbers past 1. They don’t exist. All you would have to work with is 0 and 1. So, off is 0 and on is 1. The symbol for 0 is easy; it is 0. For 1, you’d have 1. What would be the number for the value of 2?”