The Great Altruist (36 page)

       
    
Within a couple of hours, the breakfast was prepared and eaten. Archer lay sprawled out on his living room floor looking up at the ceiling fan and imagining if now was the right time to think about redecorating. A flood of other thoughts began rushing into his mind as the anxiety of his unemployment began to
mount.
What am I going to do?
he thought. Just before Archer’s mind approached a meditative state that removed all cares from the conscious mind, a soft knocking sound came from the front door. It was still hard for Archer to move since the digesting food had begun weighing him down, but after a moment of righting himself, he took a deep sigh and answered the door.

       
    
On his doorstep stood a man in a pressed shirt and a suit that appeared to have no wrinkles, almost as though no one had ever sat down in it. His hair was black and perfectly parted down one side and not a strand seemed to be out-of-place. It looked like the man had just come from a factory that manufactured elegant executives. Archer smiled at the man, who merely put out his hand to shake. Archer obliged but not before the man began stepping into his house. For a reason Archer couldn’t explain, he sensed immediately that the man who was already setting his briefcase down was someone he couldn’t ignore. The man was probably accustomed to that perception and forgot to ask permission, Archer thought.
Either that or he's going to kill me.
The man turned to face Archer, but only after first taking a long look around at the house during which Archer lingered on what to say.

       
    
“I’m sure you’re already expecting me or else I wouldn’t be standing in your living room,” the man said with a strong, indefinable accent.

       
    
“Actually,” Archer answered, “I’m not. Should I be?”

       
    
The man paused and hummed to himself as though he was processing all he saw and heard. “I’m having doubts about you already.”

       
    
“I’m sorry, but who are you exactly?” Archer finally asked.

       
    
“I find it unusual that you shook my hand, allowed me enter your home and put my briefcase down, and then make small chat without wondering who I am. I could be here to kill you,” the man said with all seriousness.

       
    
“I figured if you were here to kill me, there’s no use being rude and giving you further incentive is there?”

       
    
“Good point, Doctor Archer. Well, I am not here to kill you. On the contrary, I’m here for help.”

       
    
“Help?” Archer asked. “You don’t seem like a man who needs help from a recently fired government worker.”

       
    
The man smiled warmly, the first sign that he was indeed human. “Come now, Doctor. You’re being far too modest. You are much more than a fired government worker. Your work in the field of physics alone may easily provide the greatest leap in our understanding and technology in a century.”

       
    
“I appreciate that. Believe me when I say that I would like to take that leap with the rest of the world, but you’ve got the wrong guy if you need help. I’ve lost all my grant money and as I’m sure you’ve noticed by looking around, most of my prior work has been confiscated.”

       
    
“Doctor Archer, I can assure you that if your concern is sponsorship, you need not worry. I, along with the agency I work for, would like to see you continue your work.”

       
    
Archer collapsed into his recliner. “I’d love to, pal, but I can’t. The government owns all my work and if I got caught going anywhere near it I’d be strung up for treason.”

       
    
The man sat on the couch across from Archer. “No one wants to see that, Doctor. I’m sure you can appreciate the dangerous times we live in.”

       
    
“I do understand the times, sir,” Archer said. “More than anyone else, I would love to help. But I believe I’ve already told you my predicament.”

       
    
“I respect your loyalty, Doctor, I do,” the man replied. “What would you say, Doctor Archer, if I told you that I could provide you the means to continue your work
without
your government’s approval?”

       
    
Archer chuckled to himself. “I would say no. I’m rather fond of being alive.”

       
    
The man smiled again. “Come now, Doctor. I know I don’t have to tell you how important your work is. Think of how many would benefit. You must understand that there are many things the rest of us would rather your government not know about.”

       
    
“The rest of us, huh?” Archer said, intrigued.

       
    
“Why, the rest of the world, Doctor.” The man finally relaxed his shoulders and sunk back a little into the couch. “I know on your television and movies, the United States is always the first to know everything and the first to save the world. However, I can assure you that the real world functions on another level entirely. Indeed, you will soon find that most of us are more than willing to solve our problems without the help of your government.”

       
    
“If I agreed,” Archer said, “what are the conditions?”

       
    
“Only one, Doctor Archer. You must never set foot on American soil again. That and you’ll never need to worry about money again. But I know you to be a man who cares not for material wealth, am I right?”

       
    
Archer nodded. “What exactly do you need my work for? How will it be used?”

       
    
“There are more important ideals in this world than just lines on a map. You will not need to betray your values, or else I would not have chosen you. Believe me when I tell you that you have been observed long before I arrived.” The man suddenly stood up. “And I’m afraid that is all I can share with you at present. We must leave immediately.”

       
    
“Now?” Archer asked.

       
    
“Why, yes, Doctor. Do not be alarmed. Everything you require will be provided.”

       
    
There were many doubts lingering in Archer’s mind, but none that prevented him from making the choice the unusual man expected. Archer stood up slowly and followed the man out the door. It would be the last time he ever saw his home.

           
The following morning, Genesis awoke and dressed herself before going upstairs to wake her future husband. She was too late, as James was already hard at work preparing a breakfast for the entire family.

       
    
“Good morning,” he said as he removed bacon from the skillet.

       
    
“Where did you learn to cook?” she said with a smile.

       
    
“Oh Genesis,” he replied, “there’s so much you don’t know about me!”

       
    
“Hmm,” she sighed as she kissed him. “Then maybe we should postpone our wedding,” she teased.

       
    
“Not on your life,” he said. “Are you ready to meet the rest of the family?”

       
    
She straightened her hair and dress in the full body mirror on the
basement door.
“
I feel like I already know them.
”

       
    
“Yes, of course,” he said, remembering all she had already seen. “Still, they don’t know you. So behave, and for God’s sake, keep your clothes on.”

       
    
“Very clever,” she answered with a smirk.

       
    
A moment later, they heard footsteps rush down the stairs. It was James’s sister, Melissa. She was still dressing when she sat down at the table without even realizing the stranger in the dining room. “Did you cook all this,
Ja
…” she began to ask when she noticed Genesis standing beside James. “Oh, hi! You must be the
new
girlfriend.” She said with a laugh as she chided her brother.

       
    
Genesis was not amused. “Fiancée, actually,” she corrected. “My name is Genesis.”

       
    
Melissa nearly choked on her milk and looked up at James in shock. “Do Mom and Dad know?”

       
    
James served Melissa her food and answered: “Not yet.”

       
    
“I can’t say this isn’t typical of you,” she said, eating her food without expressing any thanks to her brother.

       
    
Genesis was about to respond when she heard the sound of more footsteps coming down the stairs. It was James’s mother.

 
          
“Sleep well?” she said to Genesis.

 
          
Genesis nodded.

           
“Did you hear?” Melissa whispered to their mother, while making sure she was loud enough to be heard by everyone. “James is marrying this girl.”

       
    
“Hey!” James shouted. “Mind your own business!” Genesis approached his side and put her hand on his shoulder as though to encourage him not to stoop to her level.

       
    
“But James,” Melissa said, “do you even know this girl? Dad is going to kill you!”

           
Becky cleared her throat and said: “Are you sure you’re not rushing into things again? Your father…”

           
 
James returned from the kitchen with a stack of blueberry pancakes. “Yeah, well there are more important things in this life than Dad’s opinion,” he said plainly. His sister looked at him in shock, since she never knew him to speak so boldly about their father. In fact, the James she knew lived in almost total fear of losing their father’s approval. “Just eat up before it gets cold,” he said.

       
    
Genesis took a seat next to James and began to eat alongside him. His sister finished her meal a few moments later without saying a word. She was out the door and on to her job long before James’s father came down to breakfast.

           
“Are you sure, James?” his mother asked again.

       
    
“I’m sure,” he said. “Genesis and I will be very happy together.”

       
    
Genesis wrapped her arm around his and smiled at Becky in agreement. She returned a smile and said: “Good. Well, I’m happy for you both. So have you decided a date then?”

       
    
Genesis winked at James in an effort to let him know she stood by him. “Actually,” James said, “we have. In fact, would you mind giving us a ride to city hall today?”

       
    
His mother sat shocked as she lifted a cup of coffee to her lips. “You know how bad that sounds, don’t you?”