The Christ Clone Trilogy 03 - Acts Of God
By
James Beau Seigneur
The Gathering
Monday, September 14,4 N.A. — northeast of Ar-Ramadi, Iraq
On the banks of the great river Euphrates — the largest river in Southwestern
Asia even before it was dredged and widened to facilitate commerce — stood the
advance units of the combined Asian forces en route to Petra in Jordan. Their
journey to Jordan would be greatly expedited, for neither they nor the millions
that followed would need boats or pontoon bridges to cross the Euphrates. A
month and a half before their arrival, on Christopher's orders, the river's
waters had been redirected to flow into the Mileh Tharthdr, sixty miles
northwest of Baghdad. Before them lay only dry river bed, solid enough to
support the weight of their trucks and armored personnel carriers.
5:17 a.m., Wednesday, September 16, 4 N.A. — Bojnurd, Iran
The branches of the trees along the eastern portion of the Elburz Mountain range
seemed to suddenly burst into life as countless thousands of birds awoke and
took wing, flying toward the southwest.
9:17 a.m., Thursday, September 17,4 N.A. — Babylon
The skies above Babylon were clear and blue and there was every indication that
this would be a beautiful autumn day. Then without explanation or warning, the
sky began to rumble. There were no rain clouds. No aircraft flew overhead. There
was only the rumbling.
And then it stopped.
For most it was just a curious phenomenon.
But to some, perhaps a few hundred or more, it had not been a rumbling at all,
but a warning.
7:00 a.m., Friday, September 18, 4 N.A. — Megiddo, Israel
As the camera looked down upon a crowd that seemed beyond number, a woman's
voice cryptically hinted at an explanation: "Two weeks ago no one could have
conceived what has taken place here." The camera continued to pan the crowd and
then faded to a female reporter standing on a natural rise high above the mass.
"This is Jane Reed, reporting from atop the mountain of Megiddo, looking out
over the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. Two months ago," she said, playing
on the contrast to her opening sentence, "as the world reeled from the effects
of the plagues of blood and heat and darkness, few gave Christopher Goodman one
chance in ten of even lasting out the year as Secretary-General. Then came his
dramatic speech in which he did four things: first, he made clear that as bad as
things were, there was no going back; second, he promised there would be no more
plagues; third, he called on world leaders to join him in a final battle against
the KDT and Yahweh; and fourth, he offered three signs by which the world would
know that all that he had promised about the New Age was true.
"For anyone who has been in a cave or on some other planet," she said
facetiously, "the first of those three signs occurred when, by cursing Yahweh,
Humankind symbolically threw off the chains of spiritual bondage, refusing to
submit to Yahweh's domination, and thus ended the plague of sores. The second
sign was health and youth, a further effect of rejecting Yahweh's oppression.
And the most dramatic sign of all, the third, was permanent telekinetic
abilities. These abilities, which Christopher describes as evidence of
Humankind's accelerated evolutionary process and a foreshadowing of things to
come, figure prominently into the upcoming confrontation. The telepathic
abilities of the KDT are well known and have allowed them to elude capture and
avoid punishment for nearly seven years. Now, for the first time, it is possible
to confront them on a level playing field, matching their abilities one-for-one.
"Christopher's strategy for the upcoming battle has been known from the
beginning: to march on Petra with as large a force as possible and, using the
combined telekinetic energy of those gathered, bring down the walls of Petra,
thus crushing the powers that would reenslave Humankind. Conventional weapons of
attack have been rejected for two reasons: first, intelligence reports indicate
that in addition to harming the environment — something that Christopher has
vowed not to do — conventional weapons would likely prove futile against the
KDT's own telekinetic abilities; and second, Christopher has said that as
Humankind embarks upon its evolutionary journey, we must turn from our reliance
upon the weapons of the past and learn instead to use the tools of the future.
"In a few moments, Secretary-General Goodman will address those gathered here
and give the word for this great mass of humanity to begin its journey to Petra.
"There is no way to get an accurate count of those gathered here, there are
simply too many: millions ... perhaps thirty million, or perhaps far more. Among
them are military units representing 162 nations; but the military make up only
a small minority. Surprisingly, by far the largest contingent are civilians,
ordinary citizens. They have come here from everywhere, by the bus load, by the
truckload, by plane, in cars, on motorcycles, in recreational vehicles; from all
over Europe, from throughout the African continent, from the far east and India,
from Babylon, from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, from Iceland, from the
Americas, from Australia and New Zealand. It seems there is not a country in the
world that does not have a contingent of at least a few thousand. And tens of
thousands more are arriving every hour.
"All have come to play a part, to have a role in this historic undertaking.
Many, perhaps most, have come here in part to seek justice for their friends and
family who died in the plagues, as well as for their own suffering. All have
come to put an end to the KDT's reign of terror before they can strike again. An
air of celebration fills the valley as they look forward to what most believe is
certain victory.
"This site was chosen for its terrain and for its proximity to sources of food
and water in order to simplify the logistics of supporting such a large number
of participants, but moving a multitude of this size is no easy matter. The
175-mile trek to Petra will be led by the military and the first contingent is
expected to reach Petra sometime tomorrow afternoon. Their arrival is timed to
coincide with the arrival of units from the far east and India, comprising a
force every bit as large as the one gathered here. Because of the sheer number
of people involved, it is expected to be late Sunday evening before everyone has
arrived.
Earlier there was some concern expressed by those scheduled to arrive later,
that by the time they reached Petra the battle would be over. To allay those
fears, Christopher has gone out of his way to stress the importance of everyone
joining their mental energy together to defeat the KDT in a single blow, and he
has vowed that the battle will not begin until the last of those gathered here
arrives at Petra. Additionally, we are told that half of the military will
remain here to bring up the rear of the formation."
Jane Reed held her hand to her ear and placed her finger on an earphone. The
motion was more to indicate to the audience that she was getting a message than
it was to actually help her hear that message. "I understand that the
Secretary-General has arrived along with all ten members of the Security
Council, who will accompany this expedition to Petra. The Secretary-General is
about to address those assembled," she relayed. "The word we are getting is that
this will be a very brief statement. We'll take you there now."
The scene changed to a temporary stage set above the valley on the side of the
mount of Megiddo where Christopher was approaching the microphone. A deafening
cheer erupted and continued for more than fifteen minutes. "I do not have
words," Christopher began finally, speaking in the universal language the world
had first heard when he spoke from the Temple in Jerusalem, "that can express
the deep sense of appreciation and gratitude I feel that so many would come and
join in this noble effort." Again the sound of sustained cheers echoed across
the valley as those in attendance celebrated their own participation and the
participation of those around them. "Today we go to Petra!" Christopher said,
not waiting for the applause to entirely wane. "By noon Monday we will have
forever thrown open the doors of the prison that has held us, and nailed shut
for all time the coffin of our jailers: the KDT, Yahweh, and their followers."
The crowd roared its approval, many sounding horns or beating drums or banging
on whatever they could find to add to the din. "Onward for Humankind!"
Christopher shouted. "Onward for ourselves! And onward to victory!!"
8:00 a.m. — Petra
Inside the walls of Petra the High Priest had called an assembly. This was the
first time that all of the people of Petra — Jews, Jewish Believers, and KDT —
had met together in the three and a half years they had been here. Emotions were
understandably high. They were well aware of the forces which were now marching
to destroy them.
Chaim Levin had prayed and fasted and studied, and then prayed and fasted and
studied some more in preparation for this day. On matters of great importance,
normally he would talk with his council to seek their guidance on how to
proceed. This time, he decided, was different. His decision could not be made
based on majority rule: there was a right answer and a wrong answer and he would
have to trust God to reveal which was which. Nor had he discussed his decision
with the council after he had made it: on such a decision, he would not be
swayed by the words of men. The council would learn of his decision along with
everyone else. Then they, like everyone else, could decide whether he had acted
correctly and what their response would be. Still, he had not anticipated that
when this moment finally came it would come under such circumstances — with
sixty million people coming in his direction and bent on destruction. He could
not help but draw the obvious comparison to Moses as he stood on the banks of
the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army in pursuit. He did not know how his declaration
would be received by those assembled here, but as he looked out over the sea of
faces he wondered if like Moses, his leadership would be challenged in the face
of this impending threat. Benjamin Cohen had tried to assure him that his words
would be received well: "prophecy demands it," he had said.
It didn't really matter: he had to speak what he knew to be true.
Sam Newberg was firmly of the opinion that most of the people of Petra had
already come to the same conclusion as their High Priest. They had witnessed the
same miraculous events unfolding for the past seven years. They had watched as
John and Cohen were resurrected; they had eaten the daily manna; and they had
witnessed the plagues falling on everyone but them. More importantly, they had
lived here for nearly three and a half years, side by side with those who called
themselves Jewish Believers in Messiah; they had seen the love and selfless
kindness that these Jewish Believers lived out on a daily basis. They wanted
what these people had, and they were only waiting for their High Priest to say
it was all right to accept it. These were not the faces of those who had
challenged Moses, rather they were the faces of those who had followed Joshua
across the Jordan into the promised land.
So that his address could be heard by all, Chaim Levin would speak from atop Umm
Al Biyara where a sound system had been set up to amplify his words. As all the
appropriate formalities were concluded, Levin looked out over the silent
assembly. He was suddenly more aware than he had ever been of the awesome
responsibility that rested on his shoulders as High Priest.
Opening his Bible to the words of the prophet Isaiah, he began to read:
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He
had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we
should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and
familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was
despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him
stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought
us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep have
gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a
lamb to the slaughter, and, as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did
not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can
speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for
the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was
any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the
LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his
days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of
his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my
righteous servant willjustijy many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore
I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with
the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the
transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors.
9:15 a.m. — Lamax, Cyprus
The eighty-mile flight over the Mediterranean from the mainland of Turkey to the
island of Cyprus was farther than any of the birds had ever flown at a single
stint. Now, after resting the night, they continued their trek, leaving the
southeastern corner of the island. Had they understood that it would be more
than twice the first distance before they would see land again, they might have
turned back. But they did not understand, nor did they know their destination or
their purpose. All they knew was that they must fly in this direction.
10:00 a.m. — Babylon
The time for discretion had passed. The warning from the sky to flee Babylon had
come two days before and no one knew how much longer they had to make good their
escape. Many had already been caught trying to leave. Still, the thought of
piling into the back of a produce truck and making a desperate attempt to go
unnoticed past armed guards at one of the city gates seemed a pretty good one
compared to the alternative. And so they took the risk, leaving their hiding
places in broad daylight, coming to the meeting place, packing into the back of
the truck like sardines in a can or commuters on a subway car.
Among those hoping to get on the truck, Akbar Jahangir, his sister, and mother
struggled to stay together. At first it seemed impossible that there would be
enough room for them, they were so far back in the line, but soon all three were
on board.
"There's no more room," Joel Felsberg said, as he pulled shut the door on the
truck and locked it.
"Please, please," called several voices from among those still in line.
"I'm sorry," Ed Blocher answered. "If we make it out of the city alive, we'll
try to come back to get you."
"How will we know?" someone asked.
"Listen for gunshots," Felsberg answered as he looked at the truck's tires and
suspension and shook his head. If the guards were observant enough to notice,
they'd know right away the truck wasn't empty and they'd all be dead. "If we
make it out okay," Felsberg continued, "there won't be any gunshots. It will
take us about two hours to get back for another load . . . assuming, of course,
we can get back in." It was not the answer anyone wanted to hear, but for now
they could only pray and wait, and hope that they would not be discovered as
they made their way back to their hiding places.
The truck lurched forward and the weight of those inside shifted, pinning Akbar
and his little sister against the back door. The shift was only temporary, and
as everyone attempted to right themselves, compensating for the movement, the
truck turned a corner and the process was repeated, pinning those who were on
the wall opposite the turn beneath the crush of human cargo. People looked for
something to hold on to but except for a few tie ends on the side walls, there
was nothing. Those too young to understand what was happening inside the
darkened vault began crying, while those who realized that the noise could get
them all killed tried desperately to calm and quiet them.
As Joel Felsberg pulled the truck up to the checkpoint, he rolled down the
window to speak to the guard. "Manifest," the guard said in a one-word sentence.
Felsberg handed him the document with its forged signature, showing that the
produce they had brought in that morning had been delivered. The guard then
checked the manifest in his hand-held system to ensure that the produce had in
fact been delivered. Felsberg's computer hacking had included not only the entry
of his false manifest: he had also included a triggering mechanism that would
automatically create a record of the completed delivery one hour after the
initial security check indicated they had entered the city. Two hours later, all
records of the manifest would disappear from the system altogether.
So it was that the guard found everything in order. Nine out of ten times the
next step for the guard was to have the driver open the back of the truck to
show that it was empty. That is why no attempts had been made in the past to
smuggle people out of the city. Felsberg, Blocher, and everyone in the back of
the truck were praying this would be that one in ten times that the guards would
forego that requirement and let them go on their way.
"Okay," the guard said in a tone that said their prayers had been answered. Joel
Felsberg breathed a silent sigh. Ed Blocher could barely contain his relief. But
then suddenly the guard's eyes shifted to the back of the truck. Had he heard
something?
Inside, Akbar Jahangir cringed and put his hand back over his sister's mouth. "Shhhhh,"
he said, pleadingly.
"Wait a minute," the guard said. "Open the back."
Felsberg's foot twitched above the gas pedal. He knew this might happen and yet
he was unsure what to do. What could he do? If he made a run for it, the guards
would fire at the truck, killing many of those inside, and the chase vehicles
would certainly catch them before those still alive could be let out to scatter
and try to make it on their own. But if he opened the back, they would all be
arrested, and most would be dead before sunset. The only hope — and it could
hardly be called that at all — was that those inside, realizing the hopelessness
of the situation, might jump out and rush the guards, and though many would be
killed, perhaps a few would survive to escape the city.
Felsberg got out of the truck. Though he prayed, his prayer did not consist of
words. He prayed with raw emotion, his mind too busy planning what to do while
trying not to let on by his actions that anything was wrong. With his teeth
clenched for the conflagration to come, he unlocked the door and threw it open
as quickly as possible to allow those who could fight time to get out.
Nothing happened.
The door slid open but no one jumped out to fight. There was no sound of
gunfire, no shouting.
"Okay," the guard said.
Joel Felsberg was frozen, afraid to look at the faces of those he had gathered
up only to deliver them to their executioners. But what had the guard said?!
'Okay'? ... 'OKAY'!??
The guard had already walked away. Felsberg did not understand. Had he not
seen.... At last he looked for himself. The truck was... the truck was empty....
Empty! Felsberg closed his eyes and then looked again. It was still empty.
Slowly, not knowing what else to do, he stepped up on the truck's bumper and
pulled the door closed and locked it shut. As he started back to the front of
the truck, he ran through the events that had led up to this moment, trying to
understand. Had he just imagined loading all those people? Was he dreaming?
Then he noticed something: the tires. Acting as though he had dropped something,
he leaned over and picked up a pebble while turning to look at the truck's
suspension. The truck looked like it was loaded with lead.
"What happened?" Ed Blocher asked when Felsberg got back in the cab.
"I don't know," Felsberg answered. "I don't know."
To keep from arousing suspicion, Joel Felsberg drove the truck four miles from
the city before he stopped. When he finally did he literally jumped from the cab
and ran to the back, followed by Ed Blocher. Unsure of what he would find, he
unlocked the door and slid it open.
"Are we there already?" asked Akbar Jahangir.
Joel Felsberg began laughing and crying at once. They were all there. "Not yet,"
he answered, dumbfounded. "Just a few more miles."
When they returned to the cab, Ed Blocher again asked what had happened at the
checkpoint.
"I'm not sure you'd believe it. I'm not even sure I believe it myself. But right
now we've got to deliver these people and go back for another load. I have a
feeling this is going to be a very good day."