Sentinels of the Cosmos Trilogy (9 page)

Doris Dean sat in the chairman's chair. She was an
elegant woman, tall, white haired with a thin face and
warm blue eyes. She had very few wrinkles and
walked regally. Next to her sat Beneizen, then her
husband Congressman Charles Dean, Sam Nichols,
Senators Kathryn Bennett, William Lee and Richard
Burnside and last was Dr. Toby Fineman. It was a
beautiful spring day and everyone was anxious to get
topside to enjoy the budding flowers and fresh air.
Doris spoke to the group as a whole, saying, "I’m
very sorry to bring you all down to the lower depths
for a meeting on such a lovely spring day, But
Beneizen is ready to bring the Guard program on line
and I wanted him to tell you himself just how the
program works.

Beneizen quietly begins to speak. "Thank you all for
coming. The Guards are not complete androids or
robots. They are modified humans. Their DNA has
been modified. Their bones are titanium. They have
two hearts and two brains. Since all Guards have
almost identical DNA all of their body parts are
completely interchangeable and replaceable. Their
eyes are cameras with up to 600mm lens. Their first
frontal brain lobe is completely human but they have
a second brain that controls the first. Essentially they
receive their assignment and believe in it completely.
They instantly have available to themselves an
assigned career and identity as though they had been
that person for years, they instantly know any
language as though they were native speakers, they
adapt perfectly to any social situation and when their
assignment is over their brain is re-modified digitally.
The entire process is completely controlled by our
main computers here at EOJ. They have no will of
their own. There is one small problem. There is a
very faint residual memory at the end of each
assignment which causes them to start to have vague
memories. If these memories start to cause problems
a new implant needs to be installed. Now, what are
the Guards for? Doris this is where you take over.”

Doris stood, placed her hands flat on the table and
looked at everyone and started, "We have a grave and
even fearful responsibility. We are being asked by our
nation to take care of problems outside of the realm of
politics. We all must ask ourselves, ‘What is justice,
what is objective justice?’ It's not about who we’re
angry at, or whose opinions we don’t agree with. It's
not personal. We have been asked to make decisions
for the greater good of our planet and the human race
as a whole as well as our country. We as species have
to decide our own state rather than have it thrust upon
us.
Here are the rules!

All decisions are unanimous.
No one is harassed about their vote.
All decisions are final.
We are responsible for all our decisions.

Where other countries are involved, they must agree
with our decisions.
Guards are potentially the most dangerous weapons
since the atomic bomb. Even the
knowledge
of their
existence is dangerous... May God help us to use
them wisely, any questions?” Doris asks.

"We each will have assigned cases and our own squad
of Guards handling our cases. We each have an
assigned team in our own control room," Doris
responds.

"It depends, some will live in society, functioning as
normal humans, with jobs and families and some will
live here, and further decisions will be made as time
goes on." Doris answers.

Beneizen stands and says, "Excuse me Doris, but we
must also have a set of principles. Our responsibility
is to keep the balance; the balance among humans, the
balance in nature and the balance among nations. If
we don't accomplish all of these goals terrible things
will happen. Remember

Truth
Balance
Responsibility
Conscience”

Charles stands and says, "Let’s all stand together and
pledge! I give you truth, balance, responsibility and
conscience!"

They all stand and raise their fists in the air and yell
the pledge; a pledge that sadly was to prove too
difficult for humans to keep.

Chase awakens slowly aware that Ally is asleep in his
arms. He realized that he craved the touch of her skin
against his, that, there was something magical about
being close to her. He just lay there holding her and
not wanting to move. It’s amazing how he could have
such feelings for someone or something that could be
programmed at any moment to take his life.
Morning light began to flood the cave. He eased his
arm away and pushed out into the morning sunlight.
There was a grassy knoll right in front of the cave.
Chase could hear the waterfall cascading just in front
of where he sat. He crossed his legs, straightened his
back and sat in a meditative lotus position, gradually
becoming aware of his inner space; he just wanted to
watch what was happening inside his body,
dispassionately.
Suddenly, as though watching a movie he saw
memories, random thoughts, and then a clear vision
appeared, complete with the experience of
parachuting onto the roof of a large skyscraper
alongside a tall, blonde, muscular man. He
remembered the man grimacing as they folded up
their chutes and giving him a ’thumbs up.’ They
entered a roof door and ran down the back stairs three
floors. They removed their coveralls leaving them in
black from head to foot complete with black gloves
and hoodies with only their eyes showing. Chase took
a small canister from his pocket, pressed a button and
a long needle extended from the canister. He then
made a hole into the room behind the wall. Pressing
another button the canister released some kind of gas
into the room. He removed the needle from the wall
and they both looked at their watches. Chase
continues to glance at his watch as they each take out
their automatic pistols, then pulling out gas masks
and putting them on. They went to the door at the end
of the hall and he kicked the door off its hinges,
bursting into the room. There were three men sitting
around a card table, unconscious, one man’s head had
fallen onto the table and one had fallen backward in
his chair. The third man was just sitting in the chair
with his mouth open and his head hanging back.
Chase then shot him right in the center of his temple.
The blonde man shot the other two exactly the same
way. Across the room were piles of hundred dollar
bills stacked neatly on a table against the wall next to
several clear bags of white powder. The blonde man
took a small duffle from the black metallic case he
carried, stuffing the money and powder into it. Then
he took the guns and put them in as well. They
pushed over several lamps to make the place look
ransacked and left the way they came. Back in the
hallway they took off the black outfits, replacing
them with ultra-thin silk clothes. He took the used
clothes, added them to the bag and then, going back
up to the middle of the roof. The blond man laid the
black case down, stepped back and took out what
appeared to be a key chain and squeezed it. The case
simply vaporized - no smoke and no fire... Then they
both ran to the side of the building and jumped off
into space...
The vision faded. ”Was it a real dream or an
implant?” Chase asked himself, “How can I know
what is true and what’s not?”
Ally came out of the cave and joined him, they both
sat for a moment just enjoying the rising sun. It
brought a renewal. The morning light broke over the
trees.
“We need to be on our way,” she said and then
continued, “Have you ever before made love to a
woman or wanted to?”
Chase was startled by the question, saying, “I don’t
know, I have memories of making love to a woman
but I don’t even know if it’s even possible… maybe,
why are you asking?”
“I don’t know, like you I don’t know if my memories
are implanted or true, how does one know what is
true. I walk through life as if I'm asleep,” she says.
“I have the same questions, what would it mean not to
be a machine?” Chase answered.
They both got up and began a routine of stretching of
their bodies.
“I’m hungry, let’s eat,” she said.
They found a nice Greek diner just north of the park.
New York City is endowed with an endless supply of
Greek diners that serve a great breakfast. After their
hunger was satisfied, Ally led Chase to a garage
nearby where they got into her SUV. She said she had
a plan, and they began driving down to Washington,
DC...
“Oh I almost forgot” Ally said, “I picked up two Dr.
Boner’s.”
“Great, I was craving one of those.” Chase said as he
ripped open one of the small cans and drank it down,
saying, “I don’t know why everyone hates this stuff
except us,”
Ally responds, “That’s because it would kill a human
being. If you haven't figured it out yet. We're not
human in the traditional meaning of the word and
besides have you ever read the list of ingredients?
You’ll notice the print is very small; use that super
eyesight of yours to read it.”
Chase reads from the back of the can, “Titanium,
sodium fluorite, potassium nitrate, bromide sulfate,”
and saying, “What is this stuff?”
“It’s what our bodies need, Chase, Look at the wound
from the gunshot on your leg, you’ll see it’s
completely healed, gone, not a mark. That doesn't
happen to humans,” Ally says.
“Don’t we have some kind of manual stuffed away in
our heads, or a book on ourselves to study, or is this
total selfinquiry?” Chase asked.
“Good idea, somewhere - there it is, that’s hysterical
we have our own set of instructions,” Ally smiled.
“I want a copy,” Chase smiles and leans back in his
seat searching through his brain for his own personal
instruction manual.
"Relax, I'll send you a copy," smiles Ally.

Charles Dean was sitting in his office in the
Congressional Office Building in Washington, DC.
Charles was surprisingly neat. His large black walnut
desk was completely bare of paper. There was a gold
stamped leather desk set an old mahogany Philco
radio and nothing else, not even a photo. The room
had walnut veneer walls, a large red and black
Afghan rug on the floor and a painting of Washington
crossing the Delaware on the far wall.
Sam Nichols burst into Charles’s office saying, "We
have to talk!"
The small chubby receptionist came in behind Sam,
saying, "I tried to stop him Mr. Speaker..."
"It's alright, come in Sam," Charles gets up to greet
Sam and says, mildly, Welcome.
"What kind of crap are you pulling now," Sam yelled.
"Sam, calm down, speak English rather than
emotional garbage and realize I don’t have the
vaguest idea what you’re talking about," Charles
replied as he returned to his chair.
"Then let's take a walk," Sam insisted, exasperated.
"A walk, Sam, really?" Charles did not like walks. He
was fat and walking increased his already labored
breathing and the ache in his knees. Sam saw the
situation immediately and went over and leaned over
the desk almost threateningly. Charles jumped back
as if in fear that Sam might physically hurt him. Sam
smiled in amusement, turned on the radio to a news
station to cover the noise of their conversation and
began speaking: "Charles what are you trying to pull?
I'm to develop Bumba to live in the glue on an
envelope?
"Yes Sam, that's what I want you to do."
"What for?” he demanded.
"You were at the last meeting. You know what we
need to do. Sam we have to take charge of our planet.
The idea of killing millions of people is horrible, even
somewhat unthinkable, but it has to be explored.
There are just too many of us, and someone has to do
something,” Charles spoke in a monotone.
“You’re a scary man Charles, maybe setting limits on
population increase would make more sense, or even
forced sterilization but just killing people, Charles
what are we doing, what happened to you?”
Charles knew Sam and could see that he was a
follower and not a leader. He says, “I’m doing what
I’ve been told to do, and you will also, as you always
have. Get it together Colonel Nichols. There isn't any
more time. We’re out of time! We aren't ready to
leave this planet. Mars is not ready; we have to do
this now! It’s a lot less destructive than some other
solutions I heard discussed like starting a nuclear war,
which may be a more effective alternative."
“Charles, you’re talking about wholesale mass
murder,” Sam protested.
“I know it’s terrible” Charles sits quietly and Sam sits
back in his seat having exhausted himself. He waits
for a moment for Sam to get his breath and then
responds “Have you finished venting or do you need
another moment? Now! About the Bumba virus, will
it live on an envelope?”
"Why did Ivan ask me, and not you?" Sam inquired.
“Because, I was busy, Sam, I am very busy and have
to delegate; you should be very busy too, doing what
we’ve been asked to do!” replies Charles softly.
Sam studied Charles for a minute. He had great
control of his emotions and facial expressions but he
knew one wrong movement, one wrong twitch and he
would be dead along with many others. Sam could
palpably feel Charles’s lust for power, and the extent
of his malevolence and insanity.
"Bumba could live through a blow torch," Sam says.
"Good, see how easy that was, I'm happy that you
came here, and we’ve had this little chat" Charles
says and continues, “By the way where is Beneizen?”
“I have no idea,” Sam replies.
“Oh I think you do, you were seen taking him to the
airport, and we tracked him to Los Angles and the
trail went cold after that. I think you should tell me
where he’s gone and what he’s up to,” Charles
continues.
“I don’t know where he went, he didn’t tell me. He
felt his life was in danger,” Sam answers.
“I believe you Sam, and that’s important, trust is
always important, I can’t imagine why Beneizen
would feel threatened, you couldn’t kill him anyway,
he’s not of this world. Do you know how to kill that
creepy alien? I bet you do. He built EOJ; it was his
creation, along with my wife Doris and you of course.
Why, what was his real agenda? Are there others like
him out there waiting to kill all of us; are the rest of
us, we humans just galactic interlopers? Did he say if
he was coming back?”
“I don’t know Charles. I believe he felt threatened, all
I know is what he said,” answered Sam.
“I believe you, I really do, but I feel that there is
something you’re not telling me, but I’m patient - I’ll
wait until you want to, and you will want to. I’m now
changing the subject - "Sam, Chase is still alive; one
of Kathryn’s Guards is bringing him in. When we
find out what happened and dispose of him, we’ll
probably also need to get rid of the Guard that’s
bringing him in but it seems that Chase lived through
the Bumba injection we gave him some time ago.
The question is how?" Charles says sarcastically.
“I don’t know, maybe he’s genetically superior,” Sam
replies.
“Do you think we might be able to use his blood as a
serum?” Charles asked.
“Maybe, why do you ask?” said Sam.
“Because after we kill him I plan on draining him of
every last ounce of blood and using it to find a serum.
You know we need a cure for this Bumba thing in
case it mutates and gets out of control, we always
have to prepare for the downside,” Charles says.
Sam lies, saying, “Bumba can’t mutate, and it selfdestructs in the body.”
Charles and Sam have a pregnant pause as each
study’s the other.
Sam turns to leave.
"One thing…" Charles asks.
"What?" snapped Sam.
"Don't ever come here again without being invited,
you understand! Whenever I see you I see Doris. I see
the three of us bringing balance to the world, making
a difference."
"I thought we were friends?" Sam replied.
“Friends, friends are a curse Sam; they always desert
you, do you want to be thought of as a curse?” replies
Charles sadly.
“No, of course not” Sam answered, stunned by what
he had heard. Sam left knowing his time was short. It
seemed as though Ivan was to be his replacement, but
why? He had served EOJ faithfully for 20 years.
Something had changed and Charles was in the final
stages of obliterating his own conscience... Sam
needed to call New York, so he dialed the number.
Out of nowhere Ivan appears and says, "Who are you
calling Sam?" as he placed a gun to Sam’s head.
"I was calling for messages," Sam lied.
"Sam; I want to kill you, but not with a gun to your
head. I want you to die like warrior, my breaking your
neck with bare hands. I can hear it crack now Sam,
can you? Now - you’re always going to be watched."
Sam was not frightened and he saw a tiny flash of
fear appear in Ivan’s eyes as he realized it, then said,
“I don’t think you were ever in a real battle Ivan. I
think you’re all talk, I think you missed your chance
for glory.”
Ivan reaches to grab Sam’s throat but Sam grabs his
arm and they lock in a battle of strength for just a
moment. Ivan stops and smiles, “Sam, I want you to
know you’re going to die, and I’m going to kill you.”
Ivan disappears as quickly as he had come.
Sam was shaken and knew he didn't have much time,
maybe only a few minutes. He exits EOJ, crosses the
street to a tobacco store, buys a magazine of
crossword puzzles and a cup of coffee and goes back
across the street to sit on a bench seemingly doing the
puzzles. He wrote furiously in the magazine and after
a time got up from his bench, went back across the
street to the newsstand and asked the blind man
behind the counter if he would like his crossword
puzzle magazine back. The blind man accepted it and
put it back in the magazine rack. Sam left and walked
for a long time, thought about Chase and Ally and
wondered how he could help them.