Magestic 3

by Geoff Wolak

Back at his temporary abode, Pleb suggested to the scientists that he would be a good ambassador between our worlds. They looked at me, and I shrugged, suggesting that he would be gainfully employed, and probably a great help. It was a done deal, and they promised to improve his English. What I didn’t know at that point, what had not registered with me, was that all of the scientists around Pleb were male. It just did not register as odd. Outside of Pleb’s limited enclosure there were women, but he did not have daily contact with them. It was a ticking time bomb.

  A few weeks later, a young Asian lady came to the house in Trophy. She was the first to master the Seethan language, a natural linguist and a latent, the child of two people who had been injected when they were young – by Jimmy himself! We sat and had a coffee, Helen and Susan in on the meeting, and I agreed that she could practise with Pleb.

  News reached us a day later that, upon the lady introducing herself to Pleb and explaining how she would practise his language, he dropped his trousers to reveal an erect penis, then jumped on her. Given the cultural misunderstanding, and after I had stopped laughing, we educated Pleb as to our ways, and explained that the nice young lady translator was not there to mate with him. And we kept that part out of the press.

  Pleb finally understood, and the lady returned, Pleb apologising after we had explained that she was promised to a senior figure, a man much bigger than Pleb. He understood that he would get thumped if he tried it again. But there started the second mistake, although I’m sure that the universe conspired to arrange it.

  The Asian lady, whose parents had never set foot in Asia, gave Pleb a structural overview of world politics; local councils, state governors, congressmen and senators, the presidents, the World Government and United Nations on various worlds, and finally Jimmy. She started at the beginning, and over the space of two weeks gave the life story of Jimmy and his travels, finally indicating his position above all other political bodies. She even sat with Pleb and watched “The Silo Story” from start to end, all eighteen one-hour episodes – the condensed version!

  At the time, I was not aware of any of this, and I continued with my work, but took time to visit Pleb when I could. His enclosure had grown, and he was allowed out to attend a local farm a few times a week, something of an affinity growing with the local farm hands. Those farm visits, and his first trip with me, had been filmed, and seen by just about everyone around the various planets.

  Pleb was becoming a celebrity, and popular. No one, on any of the linked planets, had a bad word to say about our alien friend after a month, not even Gilchrist. One episode showed Pleb staying the night with a sick pig, talking to it softly. Tears rolled down faces around the globe, and Pleb made the front cover of Pig Farmers Monthly. I checked, and they had a circulation of sixty thousand recipients in America and Canada, not having ever known what a tight-knit community the pig farmers of the world were.

  Then the Earth stopped moving.

  I was sat having coffee with the Asian lady linguist one day, and she repeated a story that Pleb had told her after watching the life story of Jimmy.

  In Seethan living memory, a young Seethan had been born – allegedly with the ability to cure animals. He grew up to cure people as well, and developed a following. One day, at a rally, the young man told the assembled people to turn away from violence, and not to make war on others. A few of the soldiers in the crowd took their guns and went home, and returned to farming.

  The next day the local prefect arrived and arrested the young lad, arranging a public execution for interfering with the army. They nailed him out to a tree, long nails through his palms and feet, and knifed him in the ribs. He died slowly, so the story told, but asked that no one avenge him.

  Buried the next day, his grave was found empty on the third day, the young man walking brazenly into town in front of witnesses, and approaching the startled prefect. He touched the prefect and cured the elder Piscean’s ailment, before disappearing in front of everyone.

  I was sat staring, open-mouthed, by time she finished the story. And it seemed that the presidents of both the Seether and Preether outlawed the story, and groups following the teachings of the young man who had been crucified. Despite that, there was a small underground movement. As a teenager, Pleb had attended one meeting, when a bright light preceded the arrival of the same young man, still with scars visible. That young man would talk to his followers, before disappearing into the bright light an hour later.

  I stared at the translator until she became worried. ‘If you repeat that to anyone, I’ll remove you from the project and lock you away forever.’

  She looked terrified. ‘No, sir, I won’t repeat it.’

  ‘Try and carry on as normal.’ I stood. ‘Has … Pleb ever told a lie or exaggerated?’

  ‘No, never, it’s not in the culture. He has no concept of lying.’

  I walked out, and sent an urgent message to Jimmy. He was in New York, and so dropped everything and flew over. At the house, Helen and Susan could see my mood, but I would not say anything till Jimmy joined us. He arrived after dark, and I sat him down, dismissing his aides. I settled Helen and Susan, Selemba asleep on Helen, and placed down an anti-bug device, everyone now concerned.

  I heaved a sigh. ‘Pleb … repeated a story to our linguist, without understanding the ramifications. Seems that Jesus Christ is alive and well over there … and dishing out loaves and fishes.’

  ‘Jesus?’ Susan repeated.

  ‘Miracle cures, persecution from the authorities, and they crucified him, a few days later the grave found empty, Jesus returning to be seen and witnessed.’

  ‘They have a Christ story?’ Susan puzzled. ‘But you said they had no religion.’

  ‘The government over there suppresses it, all of the various governments do,’ I explained.

  ‘Could they have read a bible?’ Jimmy asked. ‘And made up a story?’

  ‘Read a bible in English?’ I scoffed. ‘No. And besides, Pleb says that Jesus holds monthly meetings, where he steps out of a bright light, talks for an hour, and steps back into a light.’

  Jimmy was on his feet. ‘A portal,’ he gasped. ‘Someone is helping that world.’

  I had followed Jimmy up. ‘Someone with advanced portal technology.’

  Jimmy stared past me, staring out of focus. ‘And someone who borrowed the Christ story.’

  ‘Someone with the blood, who survived being crucified, dug up by his associates,’ I added.

  ‘My god,’ Helen let out, Susan shocked.

  ‘If they’re teaching bible stories, then …. then they have to be both human, and Christians,’ Jimmy said.

  ‘Not aliens,’ I put in, grabbing a drink. ‘And if they wanted to colonise that world, have the Seether clean it up ready, why not go back to before the war?’

  ‘Why do we … not go back to before the war,’ Jimmy posed.

  ‘Ah,’ I let out. ‘But the humans over there are mostly dead. Why try and make the Seether Christians?’

  Jimmy faced me squarely. ‘Someone … is playing God, something that I was accused of often enough.’

  ‘You fixed the grass-roots politics, you didn’t perform miracles,’ I quipped.

  ‘That … is a matter of perspective,’ Jimmy suggested, accepting a Whiskey from me. ‘Look how the worlds view me now.’

  Helen said, ‘What’ll happen when the Christians here find out?’

  I faced her. ‘What’ll happen when the bloody Muslims here find out!’

  ‘Jesus,’ Jimmy let out before sipping his drink. ‘How could they be so foolish?’

  ‘They … are only being foolish if they know we exist,’ I pointed out. ‘They know nothing of our religious wars.’

  ‘For them to have a Christ story…’ Susan began.

  ‘Their time line split from ours some time in the last two thousand years,’ I quipped. ‘That narrows it down, not!’

  ‘How did they find that world?’ Jimmy asked himself. ‘They can’t be descended from
that world, or they would fix it. And even then they’d risk a paradox and destroy themselves.’

  ‘They have to be outsiders,’ Susan insisted. ‘Who want to help, but are playing the long game, a subtle change to social structure and the advent of religion.’

  Jimmy faced her. ‘And if, in the centuries ahead, some Seether or Preether adopted a different religion?’

  ‘Religious war,’ Susan admitted, easing back.

  ‘They’re being foolish,’ Jimmy insisted. ‘I dealt with facts, not fables.’

  ‘We could go ask them,’ I pointed out. ‘Pleb says these meetings are regular; he knows where as well. We could be waiting for the next one, get the frequency, and go chat.’

  Jimmy sat. ‘If we keep this from the politicians here … our positions could be seriously undermined. And, if these unknown portal operators were to accidentally visit one of our worlds at an earlier date…’

  ‘Gilchrist would want to invade,’ I said with some attitude.

  Jimmy met my gaze. ‘And I’m not sure that I’d disagree with him.’ We exchanged a look for several seconds. ‘And if the people on our worlds, the Christians, had someone suggest that our Christ story was a visit through a portal…’

  ‘Civil unrest,’ I let out. ‘And a great many unhappy people. They’ll want to open a portal to zero years BC, and go check-out our own Jesus story!’

  ‘If we cover this up,’ Helen began, ‘we could get into a great deal of trouble.’

  ‘No politician will want this out there,’ Jimmy insisted, the ladies agreeing. ‘No one – at all!’

  ‘Still,’ I began. ‘They’re playing God with the Pisceans, instead of going back to fix human history there, so…’ I smiled.

  Jimmy nodded. ‘They’re future-dated Pisceans.’

  ‘What!’ Helen asked.

  ‘It’s the only thing that makes sense,’ I told her. ‘A future version of the Pisceans, very advanced.’

  Susan was shocked. ‘If the various governments here believed that, they’d see them as a threat!’

  ‘And war would be possible,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘A temporal war.’

  ‘What’ll you do?’ Helen asked Jimmy.

  ‘I’ll go meet Jesus, then stick my nose up against whoever sent him and have a word. Besides, I have an idea.’

  ‘An … idea?’ I repeated.

  ‘Think fifty steps ahead, then work backwards,’ Jimmy enigmatically told me. ‘And … I now know what I thought I knew.’

  ‘Wish I knew what the fuck you know that you know,’ I quipped.

  ‘This is a job for me,’ Jimmy insisted. ‘But we’ll need a few toys, and some men, so contact Baldy and get him here. He likes breaking the rules.’

  ‘He doesn’t have two wives!’ I quipped, getting stared at in stereo. ‘Well … he does, technically, because he’s a copy of me that married you, Helen, and … then he married Mia on this world before taking her back to 2048…’ They were still staring.

  I spent more time with Pleb in the days that followed, and I discussed the Jesus story. Turns out that Pleb was not much of a believer. Now, if Jesus could have cured a sick pig, he would have converted an extra soul and found a devoted follower. I explained to Pleb that he should not talk about this man, Jesus, because – as ambassador – he should represent the Seethan Government. He understood, and was not bothered either way – so long as he could have some more tuna.

  A week later Baldy came to visit, much time spent playing with baby Selemba, and he had brought a few bad ass ex-Marines as he worded it. They were all up for a long and dangerous mission off-world, and had all failed a recent check-up on their sanity. They had no families, and no one would miss them. The equipment that they brought had, however, been noticed, and US President Gilchrist decided to try and put us on the spot with an unscheduled visit.

  I received the news at the house, Jimmy deciding that it would probably be better to see Gilchrist at the portal in Manson, and we flew over with Baldy, notifying our presidential visitor that we were on our way. Inside the portal’s transit area, set aside for transiting VIPS, we met a smug Gilchrist and his aides. After formal and cold smiles, we shook and sat.

  ‘Something on your mind, oh great one?’ Jimmy asked our visitor.

  ‘Seems that you’re planning an off-world military assault of some sort, presumably on the Piscean world, and taking along some very advanced hardware,’ Gilchrist testily pointed out.

  ‘Correct.’ Jimmy waited.

  ‘You know the agreement we have ... about disclosure.’

  ‘This is too important, and I can’t risk it getting out,’ Jimmy insisted.

  ‘Nothing is too important,’ Gilchrist insisted. ‘And if it is important, then we have a right to know about it.’

  Jimmy slowly nodded to himself. ‘Then I’ll tell just you, and you alone. That way, if you discuss it, it’ll destroy you.’

  Gilchrist was momentarily shocked, and now appeared cautious. He stiffened, sending away his team to the next room.

  With the staff gone, Jimmy said, ‘For hundreds of years I’ve been aware of someone from an advanced time using a portal for … for the purpose of altering our past in subtle ways,’ Jimmy lied, and I wondered for a moment if he did actually know of such people. ‘Seems that I’ve finally found the man and could catch him at it.’

  ‘Why … would you want to catch him at it? What’s he been doing?’

  Jimmy glanced at me. ‘He’s been turning water into wine, bringing people back from the dead, feeding the five thousand, and he allows himself to be caught and crucified every so often to show that he can come back to life afterwards.’

  Gilchrist stared back, his eyes widening. ‘Did he … you know … come here, in our past?’

  ‘I don’t know. My plan is to stop him without unwinding what he may have done here, and then … not mention it to anyone, anywhere, ever.’

  I said, ‘It may cause … unrest.’

  ‘No shit,’ Gilchrist let out, now looking very worried. ‘Half of my electorate would string us all up!’

  ‘Hence the need for secrecy,’ Baldy added.

  ‘This man … he’s on the Piscean world?’ Gilchrist asked.

  ‘Preaching to the masses as we speak,’ Jimmy said. ‘And they’ve already crucified him once.’

  ‘And he … looks like one of them?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jimmy replied. ‘And speaks like one. But the storyline is identical.’

  ‘But why stop him?’ Gilchrist asked. ‘I mean, stop him over there. Maybe religion will unite them.’

  ‘How did early religion unite people here?’ Baldy testily asked. ‘He might just make suicidal fanatics out of them.’

  ‘If this goes wrong, then I never heard what I just heard,’ Gilchrist said as he stood.

  ‘Big of you,’ Baldy quipped. ‘And have a nice day.’

  Back at my house, we sat and made plans, secret plans. Oddly enough, some of those plans involved just Jimmy and Baldy, and not myself. When I less-than-gently asked about it, Jimmy suggested that I could plead ignorance if this part of the plan went wrong – and carry on with my life. I didn’t like the sound of that – at all, and needed a stiff drink. Baldy also needed a stiff drink after Jimmy had revealed his plans, but for different reasons.

  A few days later, Jimmy said, ‘I may as well get this over with. I’ll go today.’

  ‘Given that it’s risky, should you not go visit your dear lady wife first,’ I suggested. We exchanged looks.

  Jimmy sighed and straightened. ‘Yes, I could be killed.’

  ‘A few days won’t make any difference,’ I pointed out. ‘I’ll keep those soldiers training hard.’

  Hidden in the coal bunker

  Jimmy caught the next available flight to London, a high altitude flight over the Arctic in a test aircraft in the process of being delivered by Trophy Aerospace, and arrived back at Astor Mansions at 10am the next morning.

  Helen Astor-Silo greeted him on the steps, a kiss o
n the cheek. ‘All sorted out in Canada, dear?’ she enquired as they stepped inside, maids, butlers and footmen waiting.

  ‘No. We … need to talk.’

  ‘Oh,’ Helen let out as they progressed.

  With cups of tea organised, they sat in a lounge. Jimmy began, ‘Tomorrow I’ll go back to Canada, and from there … to the Piscean world, and from there, to another place in time.’

  Helen stared back, and waited patiently.

  Jimmy continued, ‘There’s a traveller from the future interfering in that world.’

  ‘That definition, my dear, would suit you as well as anyone else.’

  Jimmy smiled. ‘Yes, it would, but this traveller is performing miracles … and claiming himself the son of God.’

  ‘Ah.’

  ‘You must never discuss this.’

  ‘No, quite. And this person, their remit?’

  ‘Unknown, but very dangerous.’

  ‘Hence your need to go and chat,’ Helen noted.

  ‘Yes, and … it will be dangerous.’

  ‘You must be happy.’

  Jimmy was surprised, and hurt. ‘There was no need for that. This is not some excuse to go on an adventure.’

  Helen looked away. ‘There must be one or two well-qualified individuals who could go in your place.’

  Jimmy lowered his head. ‘Maybe, but I can trust myself…’

  ‘And you are still willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.’ She waited.

  ‘There are a few small details that I haven’t told you.’

  ‘No doubt,’ she sighed.

  ‘A soldier or a spy would not do the job. The people at the other end of the portal need someone to talk to that they can trust, and believe. Besides, I think I’m supposed to go.’

  ‘Supposed … to go?’

  ‘I can’t explain it, not yet. I have a day, so let’s make the most of it.’ He stood. ‘A stroll down the river, lunch at the pub, followed by an hour in a boat.’

  Helen stood, appearing fearful for Jimmy. ‘You say that … as if this might be your last day.’

  Jimmy appeared momentarily saddened. ‘Not our last day, but … I may be gone a very long time. So, give me that last day with you at least.’