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She stood up and looked over the few people in this small conference room, thinking back to the conferences she had been to before the spacecraft discovery. If a meeting of the different faiths were to have had a gathering, there would have been a lot of people in attendance. The numbers would have been in the thousands and dignitaries like Cardinal Polanski, Imam Mohammad Rashoni, and Rabbi Wolmetz would have had an entourage with assistants and secretaries. Maybe this crisis had not been all bad for the religious community. People like Rashoni and Wolmetz, who in the past would have fought vigorously to defend their interpretation of religion, were now good friends. For good or bad, the discovery of the spacecraft had changed the landscape of the religious community.

  “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you,” she said. “I think that Reverend Robinson’s conclusions are correct, and this is a case where the scientific and religious communities can work together. I believe that as they continue their efforts to come up with a plan to help save the human race, they will need input from the religious community. Whether they like it or not, we may hold the key to helping us understand how to stop the Ancient Visitors. We are in a battle of good versus evil, and the future of the universe is at stake.”

  Sandy Chen cut her off. “I agree with you, Professor, but to the world we are obsolete. No more do governments ask our opinion on subjects, and as a matter of fact, they think we are fanatical. Even though their battle with the Followers of Divinity is at a standstill, they are still a feared terrorist group with control of 30% of the world. The rest of the world thinks we are associated with them or are just plain crazy. So how are we going to get them to listen to us?”

  As Sandy finished speaking, in walked James Connor. Not only was his presence a surprise, the people in the room did not welcome it. Many of them thought he was the reason for the sorry state of religion, none more so than Sandy. She remembered one speech James had given a few years earlier to a nationally televised audience at the height of his fame, when he said, “I am here to tell you that our ancestors mistook aliens for God. Early man saw unimaginable technologies and believed it was the magic of the Gods. They saw an intelligent being and assumed he was an all-knowing deity. The evidence uncovered in the Kibish discovery is proof that a higher intelligence came to Earth, interacted with life here, and left an impression on our ancestors. Imagine if you lived only five thousand years ago, what would you have thought of the aliens as they came down from the sky? Would you have done as they ordered, worshipped them, and lived by their commandments? I would think you would because the aliens had the power to heal the injured, cure the sick, build runways for crafts, construct giant pyramids, part the seas, and so on.”

  These comments were a thorn in everyone’s side, and James was not a welcome sight to Sandy or the others.

  After a cautious and deep breath, James said, “Hello. For those who don’t know me, I am James Connor, and I have come to assist you, if you will have me.”

  At that point the people in the room erupted into hysteria, and many started to let loose pent-up anger for him. James just stood there and took their abuse because he knew that he was in the center of their frustration, and he could not blame them. He also knew that if he hadn’t stumbled into the hill covering the spacecraft and then used his fame to try to debunk the foundation of all religions on earth, then the world would be as it had been before for the people in the room, at least for a little while longer. Their churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and meeting places would be filled as they had been before. These teachers of faith would be in front of filled places of worship and doing the work of their faith. But that time had passed, and their frustration had boiled over.

  “Brothers and sisters,” Ann Marie tried to shout as loudly as she could over the crowd. “Please let him talk. He has something to say.”

  Imam Rashoni questioned Ann Marie, “Why would we want his help? Every day I have to answer questions from the few worshipers I have about many of his statements on God and his work to discredit us. The damage was deep and hard to repair.”

  “I know,” Ann Marie said, trying to calm everyone. “But he is here to try to mend some fences. Please, I beg you, give him a chance to speak.”

  So Imam Rashoni rubbed his face with his hands and then looked around the room. Out of respect for Ann Marie, he waved his hand as if to say reluctantly to go ahead. The people in the room quieted down and sat back in their chairs to listen to what James had to say.

  “Thank you,” said James. “I would like to help you. My thoughts on the influence of God on mankind have changed.”

  These new thoughts did not come easily for James. While he was injured and recovering in the rehab center in Arizona, he picked up the Bible and began reading it. When he finished it, he reread it, and when he was done he looked for more material and spent months researching. The guilt of knowing that the attack by the terrorists that killed thousands of people was a response to his discovery had him reevaluate himself and his beliefs. As he did that he thought that maybe it was time to learn more about the religious beliefs of the people he had hurt and offended. So he read as much as he could and then inquired about more.

  Cardinal Polanski acknowledged the crowd, “Friends, James here has embarked on a religious studies program in his mother’s university. And as a matter of fact, this spring he will have earned a doctorate to add to his scientific doctorate. That much I know. Let’s hear what is in his soul and give him a chance.”

  After looking around the room and getting gestures of cautious approvals from the other people, Imam Rashoni again waved the back of his hand.

  “Thank you,” James said. “I too, like Reverend Robinson, believe that the powers that be here on Earth need us to help them in their plans to save the human race. When Matt Schaeffer spoke, I heard talk about the Prince of Darkness, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the battle between good and evil, and the kingdom of heaven.

  "Another connection I learned from Matt’s interview was the name he heard on the ship with the Ancient Visitors, Belial. I remembered that I had heard it before. After doing a little checking, I found it. There is a mention in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls about the war of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness. It was written there that Belial was the leader of the Sons of Darkness and an angel of hostility. It is my belief that these connections to religious writings are not coincidences, and there is a reason that we can connect passages in our ancient religious texts to the Ancient Visitors and the entity the Ruler of the Realm. I think that it is intended to be a message. Maybe it is a warning, or maybe in there we can find guidance to help save mankind. It just can’t be a coincidence.”

  After a quick look at his PDA, Rabbi Wolmetz informed them, “In one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness, Belial is described as the leader of the Sons of Darkness. It says, 'But for corruption thou hast made Belial, an angel of hostility. All his dominions are in darkness, and his purpose is to bring about wickedness and guilt. All the spirits that are associated with him are but angels of destruction.' The apocalyptic passage describes a military battle. It is believed that it was written by a small Jewish sect, the Essenes, in the first century.”

  James agreed, “This sect flourished between the second century BC and the first century AD. Some scholars believe that Jesus might have been one of them, and they may have been lost to history if not for a Bedouin man and his cousin who found the scrolls. These apocalyptic passages, like similar writings in many of your religions, have what I believe are clues to the battle between good and evil. Matt did say that the Ancient Visitors not only influenced our genetic development, but also helped mold our thoughts. They were angry with the Ruler of the Realm because he interfered with their molding of man’s thinking. I think that clues were left with mankind about what we are about to face, the final battle for heaven. I have to admit it, I always thought that apocalyptic passages like Revelation were nonsense and were the musings
of a crazy man. Now I think I may have been a little harsh.”

  Cardinal Polanski pointed out, “In the early church, there was much debate as to whether the Book of Revelation would be added to the Bible. I personally thought that it was a metaphor or symbols of some sort that describe the actual end of the world. Maybe James and Charles are right, and with our expertise in religious understanding we can be a help to the world’s efforts in coming up with a plan to avoid mankind’s end. Brothers and sisters, we can’t sit on the sidelines while the battle for Heaven rages before us. Let’s not sit here and dwell on what we have lost and whom to blame because this is the time the world needs us the most. If God instructed man in Scripture on how man is to defeat this evil, the world will need our knowledge.”

  After a short pause, as the councilmen and women took a second to think about what was said, Ann Marie asked her son, “James, can you tell us what is your motivation for coming here?”

  He formed a half-smile. “I realized that I bore a great deal of responsibility for the death of thousands because of my discovery and my interpretation of what I thought it meant. It made me reevaluate my thinking. I destroyed people’s strong belief in God for my own selfish motives. Now I look at the world after the spacecraft discovery, and I find a world without hope. It made me look deep into my beliefs and myself. When my mother left me a Bible to read during my rehab, I was interested in understanding its meaning. Over time I developed a passion for religious studies, and it has given me a whole other perspective on the religious views of man and his reason for being in God’s universe. I guess I want to help reverse what I did. However, most of all, I want to ask forgiveness from anyone who will listen, and I know I may not find redemption for what I have done, but I want to try to help. So, please, can I be of assistance?”

  Imam Rashoni looked around the room at the other council members then toward Pastor Charles for his approval. After Charles quietly nodded his head, Imam Rashoni said, “OK, Dr. Connor, you can join us in our quest. But just to let you know, the people here and the religions they represent don’t quite have the clout we once had. Even though our numbers are improving, we have a fraction of the worshippers we had before. I doubt that they will let us come to the table. So why do you think that it is possible?”

  James, relieved and thankful for the chance to help, offered, “I think I still have some pull. I know someone high up in authority.”

  A few weeks later, a delegation from the council included James, Charles, Imam Rashoni, Rabbi Wolmetz, Cardinal Polanski, and Charles’ assistant Sha’nay Barnwell. They sat in a conference room at the United Nations waiting patiently for an important person to enter. After a few minutes, James’ old friend Jennifer La Mont, who was now a science minister at the United Nations, entered the room.

  She was quick to say as she sat down, “I don’t have much time, James, so please begin. I hope this is good.”

  He jumped right in, “We appreciate your time, so let’s get to the point. We believe that we can help as the world attempts to avoid the end of time and the destruction of mankind.” James and the delegation explained to Jennifer their findings in scripture that were similar to what Matt had described.

  After it was explained to her, the scientist in Jennifer looked at their findings as, at the most, coincidence. “James,” she said. “People have been taking verses in the Bible and have applied the meaning to present-day events since before the time of Jesus. People like Nostradamus have made many predictions that, depending on what you believe, are accurate descriptions of actual events. In reality, however, these are wild predictions and, at best, are only partially right. So why do you think that we should be listening to the religious community? If you all can help, I’m all for this, but I need a compelling reason to include you all.”

  James looked at his old friend and said, “First of all, thank you for this opportunity. Now we believe that the battle between the Ruler of the Realm and the Ancient Visitors is the ultimate battle between good and evil. As Matt has said, the Ancient Visitors have not only influenced our genetics, but also, through interaction with man, tried to influence our thinking.

  “Think about it, the Ancient Visitors have bred us to be warriors and slaves, so what would irk them the most? The answer is the introduction of ethical behavior. As Matt stated, the Ruler of the Realm has upset the Ancient Visitors as they try to influence man’s behavior. Where we can help is that man has documented the battle between the Ruler and the Ancient Visitors in religious writing with their perspective of that influence. Books like the Bible, the Torah, and the Koran have episodes of people being spoken to by these two battling parties. There we may get clues as to how to protect the human race and defeat the Ancient Visitors.”

  Jennifer sat there for a few moments and then let out a large exhale as she said, “Maybe I’m crazy, but I will let you speak to the committee because, to tell you the truth, we could use any help we can get. We are looking at conflict between two sides that has lasted since the beginning of time and have technologies that dwarf ours by billions of years. To catch up by the time they return a thousand years from now to take mankind for their army will be impossible. What is worse is that we don’t have a thousand years, and we need to have a plan to execute by the time the Ancient Visitors retrieve the abducted again in five years. We will have to figure out the best way to save man. You see, this conflict is bigger than the universe, and if we lose time, we’ll be lost in time. I have to say that our scientists can use help in understanding the parties involved any way they can. They may find that your information is not relevant, but at least they will have the opportunity to rule it out. At this point, nothing is dispensable. So let’s get you up to date as to what we know.”

  Two months later, the United Nations Subcommittee on Religious Writings’ Possible Relevance to the Ancient Visitors and Ruler of the Realm Battle was in session.

  “Dr. Weiss,” said Rabbi Wolmetz to the ranking scientist. “I believe that there is a correlation between the end of time battle described by Matt Schaeffer and the end of time described by the prophet Isaiah, when he said, ‘the stars of the heavens will be dissolved, and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall.’ We believe that that is just one of the examples of how religious writings are a picture of a possible future.”

  Rabbi Wolmetz continued, and as he was finishing up, Jennifer came by the marathon meeting to say, “Today we have a couple of guests to speak to you.”

  At that point in walked in Steven Moran, one of the abducted, followed by David Cho and two individuals that looked familiar only in history books: the Homo Kibishensis or Kibish Man. They were a male and a female. They were dressed in jeans and shirts. It was not exactly the view one would see in a museum with an exhibit of early man. As they stood before the subcommittee, it was hard not to notice the family tree before them, Homo Kibishensis, Homo sapiens, and Super Homo sapiens.

  Amazingly, the male Kibish Man stepped forward to say in broken English, “Good afternoon. We are happy to meet you all.”

  With a look of wonder, Sha’nay spoke up first in a compassionate tone, “We are happy to make your acquaintance. My, my, what is your name?”

  He looked over at David for support, and David nudged him a little bit. “My name is Shishal, and this is Libna,” he said, pointing to the female. “We are from your past, and we have met what you call the Ancient Visitors. They came here and told us that we should worship them. Before that we had worshipped things in nature, like the moon and the sun. But when the Ancient Visitors came they taught us to worship them as they taught us to fight and kill. We did not do that before. We lived in peace, but then they had us taking what we wanted from others and hurting them if they resisted. They lived with us for as long as I can remember. One day they said that I would be sleeping for a while. Then I woke up here with David looking down at me. That is all I know about them, but Libna knows something else.”

  The female hid behind Shis
hal, but he pushed her forward. She reluctantly told them, “They feel pain. I saw one of them get hurt and feel pain.”

  At that moment Steven offered, “Many of the races on the ship while abducted spoke how the Ancient Visitors were indestructible, god-like figures, and this information could make the races look at them in a different light.”

  Jennifer thanked them and addressed the subcommittee, “The Ancient Visitors may have passed themselves off as gods, but they are just as destructible as we are. Not only did they feel pain, but two of them died on Earth. Our friends here from our past confirmed your belief that the Ancient Visitors have tried to control us religiously. So it is important that you keep working because we have come up with a plan. So far, the plan we have is not great, but it is the best we think we can do. There are a lot of holes in it, and we need you all to help fill them before they come back.”

  She then thanked the committee and dismissed them for the night. Leaving the conference, she stopped to talk to James. “Do you really think this panel can help? You know what we’re up against.”

  James stood there and felt contrite while saying, “First of all, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity, and, Jennifer, I --”

  She cut him off, “James, we have been friends for so long. I was happy to help. I like what you are doing here. This is an angle we were not working on, and you have the experience.”

  With a heavy heart he explained, “Don’t you mean I have experience screwing up?”

  She countered, “Your insight should be a help to that subcommittee.”

  “Well,” he said, “again, thank you.”

  The two friends walked out together, catching up. The subcommittee had its work cut out.

  Chapter 9

  After morning services at his three hundred-year-old Italian church south of Naples, Monsignor Grazzani decided to take a stroll on this sunny day to see his good friend, Isaiah Goldman. He and Isaiah had grown up in this very town together. Even though they were from different faiths, the monsignor was Catholic, and Isaiah was Jewish, it had not mattered when they were kids. They became such good friends as little boys, when they would climb trees and dig holes together. It was an innocent time, when playing tag or with action figures would be at the forefront of their thoughts, not the differences in their religious beliefs. As they grew up in the south part of Naples, they stayed close and confided in each other every now and then. Today, Monsignor Grazzani had something on his mind, and he needed to talk to someone. So he walked all the way to Isaiah’s small jewelry store in the busier part of town where tourists visited.