Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse (13 page)

“This may be overwhelming,” Vespere said.

“Really? It may be ‘overwhelming?’ After seeing an interplanetary spacecraft and everyone talking about their home planet being on the other side of the Sun, I don’t think there’s much more that can surprise me,” Riesman said honestly.

Vespere’s sigh indicated that she was choosing her words carefully.

“This site still holds an active Keeper’s communication node. The Keeper of Earth was located in a land your people called Atlantis. When it was swallowed by the ocean, all of its secrets, teachings, and population were killed, leaving only a partially functioning node, a remote computer. The tablet you hold is a portal or mini-computer that accesses this node. Since it was in constant use for the last decade, it shut down. Once this happens, the portal, or what you have been calling the tablet, needs to be brought here so it can recharge, update and reboot. That’s why we rushed to get here. This is why we stay, other than the beautiful location and weather.” Vespere stopped and sat quietly.

Unable to find words, Riesman sat with the sun warming her shoulders and neck and stared at the naked, hairy Vespere and her beautiful ocean backdrop. Eventually, she nodded and went below deck to sleep. Perhaps she was suffering from heat stroke.

“Atlantis … the City of Atlantis? See what happens when you think you’ve heard everything,” she said. Riesman hoped that sleep would help her perspective.

She slept well beyond dinner, and, once awake, decided to stay in her bunk in an attempt to fit another puzzle piece with everything she’d learned to date. Her fear of how the general population might deal with the revelations of a new planet, a new species and its relationship to Atlantis, tired Riesman in spite of the dancing and singing above decks, and her eyelids started to close. They flew open when electric blue light suddenly illuminated the small room.

“Roberta Joanne Riesman. Thank you for transporting me to this location for rebooting and recharging,” a calm female voice said. Riesman bolted upright, narrowly missing the cabin’s ceiling. The tablet Perez had given her glowed.

“Updates are complete, and we can now leave this location. Would you like a mission briefing?” the voice continued.

Bleary-eyed and still sitting on her bunk, Riesman took a moment. “What?”

The tablet’s light subsided to a low intensity dark blue. Riesman turned on the light. The tablet looked different; blue rather than the glossy black she remembered.

It speaks … and it changed color.

“Immunes Riesman. You are obviously still confused, either from your sleeping or the entirety of these past events that have resulted in you needing to give up one life for that of another. I will take the initiative and provide a very brief synopsis of the mission,” the voice said.

“All right,” Riesman said cautiously. She slipped from her bunk and stood over the tablet, watching the images that accompanied the voice—DNA coding, physical structures of humans along the evolutionary line, and then two worlds, Earth and another that looked less hospitable.

“You may call me Keeper, as I am the portal to the last remaining power node of the Earth’s only Keeper in Atlantis. I should remain functioning for the next decade depending on use. Here is a summary:

“There are two habitable planets in this solar system remaining from a total of four. Terra was an experimental habitat that was never expected to survive but has persevered as a result of the Terran Keeper, the Architects and Eco- Scientists. It is inhabited by a species similar to humans you know as Terrans. These Terrans are a separate hominid species from planet Earth. They may appear as derivatives of what you would label as Neanderthal, but this species predates human development on this planet. The original Terran species developed on Venus until the cataclysmic events created by its greenhouse effect necessitated their relocation to Terra permanently. As Terra’s original species died out, the eco- scientists groomed the present Terran species to inherit the planet.

The events that destroyed Mars, home of our creators, the ’Originators,’ also wiped out the dinosaur species of your planet and accidentally furthered Earth’s development. The planet’s atmosphere stabilized approximately sixty-three million years ago, and the Eco-Scientists moved five hominid species to Earth in the hopes that one of the species would survive and thrive. Ultimately, the planet yielded one species. However, for a period of time, two coexisted and interbred. The groups you refer to as Neanderthal from Europe and southwestern-central Asia, and Homo-sapiens that evolved from Africa, produced offspring that left mitochondrial remnants that exist at an estimated point zero-zero-zero-one-three. Your mitochondrial remnants exceed that baseline, making you the closest ambassador between the humans on Earth and Terra ….”

Though she found the information fascinating, Riesman shook her head with frustration.

“What does it matter? Why is it important? Why did Hiaki Nakamura have to die? What does this have to do with the women topside and Perez?” she blurted out.

The outlandish history of Mars, Venus, dinosaurs and Neanderthals filled her mind with more outrageous thoughts than she’d ever dreamed could exist. Without hesitation, the Keeper answered the questions in a calm, low tone.

“Your sharing the mitochondrial remnants is important because you have a connection to both planets that is valued by the more technologically advanced civilization of Terra. Further, in eight point five years, part of Terra will move out from the solar glare of the sun, making it visible for the first time in Earth and Terra’s history. While it has been able to use the sun and a sophisticated holographic imaging device to hide the planet, the machinery required to keep the planet invisible is failing. It has required periodic shutdowns to repair but its ability to remain perpetually active is no longer possible. It will take Earth two point three months to discover Terra if its cloaking system were to fail. Dr. Nakamura’s work in light, prisms and energy was on track to discover this technology. Terra wanted to bring him to their home planet with other humans to assist in repairs. He was contacted but refused to leave.”

“Why?” Riesman said more than asked.

“He wouldn’t have been afraid. My God! He would have leapt at the chance of a new world…” She saw his caring face with dark, penetrating and smiling eyes. How he made her so happy.

“He reported that he did not want to leave you,” the Keeper said.

Riesman’s heart sank and her eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t move or speak. Hot tears hit her cheeks, lips and bare feet. Her mouth quivered and her knees weakened. She had no idea how long she remained that way, and only when her sniffling stopped and her crying slowed, did the Keeper’s voice return.

“Once Dr. Nakamura understood the nature of his work and how Terra’s discovery would affect an unprepared Earth, he agreed to destroy his work. Mr. Perez was sent to assist him in that endeavor. Once Immunes Perez discovered his relationship with you, both he and Dr. Nakamura accurately feared for your life.”

Another wave of sadness washed over her at hearing both names.

They both cared for me?

“Further review of your medical file, history, and family of origin search found a remote possibility that you possessed mixed heritage. I confirmed this when you made contact with me on November twenty-third, two thousand and twenty-three. Once Dr. Nakamura’s death was confirmed, your safety was compromised. Immunes Perez made contact with you in the hope that the people watching you would use you to get to him. Their ultimate goal is to find Ms. Christine Reich. The events that occurred on Thanksgiving were initiated and perpetrated by rogue agents of the United States federal government. However, Immunes Perez and his Terran team orchestrated their role. Its purpose: disrupt their efforts, create the illusion of your death, and to clear a path for you to take over as team leader vacated by Immunes Perez.”

Riesman stood silently over the dimly-glowing tablet, considering the implications of the last sentences. The tear tracks on her face dried as she took in the information and processed it as if it were a complex puzzle.

“How do you know these things? How can you be sure of all these things when you’re from an alien world?”

“Due to an unexpected event, we discovered Johann Christian Reich twenty-three years ago—”

“You mean
the
J. C. Reich of Reich Enterprises?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean ‘you discovered him’?”

“The Terran survey ship,
Clear Ahead Horizon
, suffered systemic computer failure resulting in loss of orbit. The crew abandoned ship but not before setting the ship to self-destruct upon crash landing to ensure secrecy. This occurred in Tunguska, Siberia, Russia on Earth time-line July 30, 1908.”

S
omething about that location is familiar. I thought that was a meteor blast?

“The eight survivors were able to remain unnoticed and covert. However, with the advent of World War Two, it was evident to the survivors that Earth technology was advancing faster than expected. The team reorganized itself and drew up new mission parameters: locate the Atlantis power node to bring me back online; re-establish communication with Terra; locate Earthers who would be in a position to understand the situation, and use our advanced technology to create an identity that would allow us to monitor all communication, access all computers and artificial intelligent creations, and access all critical commercial, military, educational and scientific forums world- wide.”

“You did it, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“So when history says that Reich created the light-bearing principle that changed the way computers think…”

“We were the ones that assisted in that project as a means of tying into all future operation systems and allow Immunes Reich to increase his wealth.”

Riesman’s head spun as she tried to remember what else the elusive J. C. Reich did in the world of technology and computers.

“It’s involved in every computer on the planet now,” she said.

“Yes.”

“And he created the ’Licht Lagersoftware.’ the ’Lucifer’ software…”

“Yes. This software is key in harnessing the computer power from a computer’s hard drive memory into amplifying the working memory, RAM, of any computer. Processor speed increased exponentially. J. C. Reich’s transition from using my knowledge and mathematical advances moved from predicting profitable stocks in the United States to an actual technological advancement. As a result, J. C. Reich was able to move his already amassed fortunes into controlling shares in the foreign equivalents of Microsoft, Apple, Android and MaxDrive operating systems as well as acquiring these same companies’ suppliers. The net result was an increase in his vast wealth and resources, as well as placement of Lucifer software in every operational computer on the planet in two thousand and eight.”

“Just before the world-wide recession …” Riesman said. “He was able to move all of his money into commodities to hold its value as stocks crashed. And when they were at their lowest, he bought them all … stocks in computer, software, military suppliers, universities …”

“Yes.”

“But didn’t he die?”

“His fictional death was recorded to have occurred on July twenty-third, two thousand and ten, as a result of a heart attack. This left Christine Reich as sole heir to his empire.”

Fictional death?

“Let me guess, J. C. is alive and well?”

“He lives as Joseph Collins in Maui, Hawaii. He adopted Terran life style and has halted his diabetes, maintained optimal weight, and reversed his high blood pressure. While he still drinks more than the recommended amount of wine per day, he is active and reports that he is having the time of his life.”

“How does Perez fit in here? I mean, this is pretty incredible …”

“His daughter, Andrea Perez, specialized in spectrograph science and gravity.”

“And you found this out.”

“My artificial intelligence and access points are spread over the entire planet. This includes, but is not restricted to, the US Department of Defense, NASA, the National Security Agency, the Chinese Ministry of State Security, and hundreds more databases and servers that are thought to be impervious to security breaches.”

The Keeper’s voice was calm, matter of fact, and emotionless as it reported on how it had breached every security and defense agency in the world. Riesman stood still and watched the corresponding images and events that the tablet relayed, including visuals from top secret bases that were rumored to exist around the world. After a few moments of silence, save for the dancing and music topside, she began to fully appreciate that this tablet had a back door to everything. The Terran software increased processor speed and was in every operating system, which meant that any private or public agency with the need for top grade computers would have it by default.

“Damn,” she said. “Who is Christine Reich?”

“Christine Reich is a virtual creation, the fictional orphaned niece of J. C. Reich. Long before his reported death, I created a virtual footprint and put all his documents and assets under her control. The top ones are Reich Enterprises’ computer companies, pharmaceutical companies, import-export companies, and specific electronic firms. She is real to the world but is solely virtual.”

Riesman sat on the edge of her bunk, her head swimming with espionage, false identities and alien computers and worlds. She pulled the blanket over her shoulders and said nothing. She felt lost, alone, and completely out of control.

Now what?

“So what do I have to do with this?”

“Your participation is voluntary. Immunes Perez believes you to be a capable person, but he did not wish to commit you to the mission unless you wished.”

Riesman’s heart and mood lifted. She smiled at her painted toes and felt a glimmer of hope. “I can walk away if I chose?”

“Yes. I will need to provide a new identity and a substantial amount of financial resources for you to live well and in obscurity abroad.”