21 Jul 2012

Stryker #5, At the End of Eternity – Chapter 18

Posted by joncooper

“One fact I’ve found a bit surprising is that the stars seem largely deserted. Our astronomers have been searching the former locations of Ranger colonies and have found only ruins – and there aren’t even very many of those left. Miles had warned me that they were all gone, but I was hoping that maybe that wasn’t the case. It was just hard to believe that every single colony failed to survive. Sadly, it looks like Mars is the only beacon of civilization left – unless there is some other, alien civilization out there that we haven’t discovered yet. Perhaps it’s time we turned our attention to more distant areas of the universe.”
–Noel Lawson
July 12, 7243

 

“Hey!” Nate exclaimed. “How did she do that?”

Monroe shook his head. “Only God knows. She is a most curious person.”

“Did you understand anything she said?” Doyle asked.

The scribe nodded. “I understand that the bottle I’m holding in my hands has the ability to cure any child six years of age or younger. I understand that with this cure we may be able to stop Maldonado once and for all. I also understand that if we fail to stop him the Rangers will allow us to suffer the consequences of our actions and Adrasta will be dead a century from now. The future of our people depends entirely on what happens next.”

“That much I understood. It was her personal history that didn’t make sense. How can she be from Mars and yet have shut down the Wall? What did she mean when she talked about a sparrow? Did that make any sense to you?”

“I’m not sure. I feel like it ought to have made sense, but there are some pieces missing. I will have to look into it.”

The child spoke up. “Are we done? I’m hungry.”

Monroe smiled. “Yes, young man, we are done. My friend Doyle is going to take you home with him and you can get a good meal. In the meantime I will try to arrange a meeting with the council but I suspect I will not be able to do so until tomorrow. Forbes is a hard man to find when he’s not in his office, and I’m getting too old to walk all over Adrasta looking for him.”

Doyle stood up. “Do you want me to take the cure home as well?”

Monroe shook his head. “No, I’ll keep that for now. I’d like to study it a bit longer. I’ll need to know everything I can about it for my presentation to the council.”

“That you will. I have to say, this will come as quite a surprise to people! Word of this is going to spread fast. Forbes might hear about it before you’re able to track him down.”

“I hope he does! That would make setting up a meeting that much easier. By the way, do come back after supper, if you can. If I’m able to find Forbes we’ll need to make some arrangements.”

“I’ll do that,” Doyle agreed. He then took Nate by the hand and let him out of the apartment.

* * * * *

Late that night Doyle knocked on the door. “Come on in,” Monroe called out.

His friend tried to open the door but it wouldn’t move. He struggled with it for a few moments and then knocked on it again. A moment later Monroe opened it. “There, you see? Wasn’t that painful? Isn’t it more convenient to leave it unlocked?”

Doyle sighed and took a seat in the living room. His friend shut the door and took a seat across from him. “I don’t think you quite understand the concept. You have something in this room that is irreplaceable, and you have a lot of enemies. Why do you not feel the need to keep it safe?”

Monroe shrugged. “If someone wanted to destroy my documents they could have done so a long time ago. The truth is that people simply do not care. Apathy can be a very powerful and potent force.”

“I’m talking about the cure, not your books! Don’t you realize what a terrible position we’d be in if something happened to it?”

“Nothing is going to happen to it. I’m sure that the Rangers are keeping an eye on this place. We have nothing to worry about.”

“I suppose,” Doyle said. “By the way, I heard that you were able to set up an appointment with Forbes.”

Monroe nodded. “Your earlier guess proved correct – news did travel fast. By the time I was able to track him down he had already heard rumors of the boy. He thinks they’re preposterous lies but he’s willing to meet him privately and hear me out.”

“Do you mean it won’t be an open meeting?” Doyle asked, surprised.

“Yes, but I think that’s understandable. He wants to understand the situation before holding an open session in the debate hall. The only people who will be there will be myself, him, and Maldonado.”

“Maldonado! Are you sure that’s wise?”

“I don’t see why not. I’ve been present at his private council meetings, so it seems a bit childish to keep him out of mine. Besides, the general is not popular with the council right now – and this does directly affect what he’s doing. I think he has a right to be there. You also need to keep in mind that this one meeting is not going to decide the fate of the world. It’s just a preliminary meeting so the council can understand the issues. Forbes assured me that an open meeting would be held later.”

“Well, if you say so. I trust that you’re right. It just strikes me as a bit shady. I would be careful if I were you.”

Monroe laughed. “You know, friend, you really are an odd breed. You are so optimistic and hopeful and yet you are a thousand times more suspicious and cautious than I am. It’s really quite strange.”

Doyle smiled. “Being an optimist doesn’t mean you also have to be stupid, you know. Just because I have hope for the future doesn’t mean I’m blind to present dangers. But tell me – I know it’s only been a few hours, but have you had any more insights about Amy? Is there a way to verify her story?”

“Now that’s an interesting question! When she said her last name was Stryker that rang a bell. I knew I’d seen that name somewhere before. A quick search uncovered something fascinating.”

Monroe reached onto the end table beside him and picked up a copy of Annals of Martian Legal History. “One of the many fascinating things this book contains is a list of all of the Martian rulers, from the time the Mayans founded their first Martian colony in 938 to the day Mars elected Richard Stryker as planetary governor in 1836. I have to say it’s really quite remarkable that any copies of this book have survived. It was published just two years before the Wall was erected.”

“Did you say Richard Stryker?”

“Yes, exactly! What’s even better is that the book includes photographs of all of the leaders. On page 874 there is a picture of Governor Stryker, posing with his wife Laura, his son Tim, and his twin daughters Amanda and Amy. Take a look.”

Monroe handed the book to his friend, who looked at the page in amazement. “But that isn’t possible! That girl in the picture looks exactly like the girl who was standing in this very room a few hours ago. But this picture was taken five thousand years ago! It simply can’t be her. It can’t be!”

Monroe took the book back and laid it on the end table. “Yet it looks just like her, doesn’t it? In fact, it looks so much like her that I believe it must be her. There are not exactly an abundance of people out there who look like the twins in that photograph. I find it hard to believe that someone born in this era, after five thousand years of genetic mutations, happens to have the same name and look exactly like the girl in that photo. As astonishing as it may seem, it must be her. Apparently the Rangers had found a way to stop the aging process. If Amy is still alive then I suspect everyone else in this picture must be alive as well. The implications are simply staggering.”

“But what about the sparrow? I don’t see how that fits into all of this.”

“Actually, that part is finally beginning to make sense. According to the popular legend the war between the Emperor and the Rangers broke out when the Emperor shot a sparrow out of the sky. Notice, however, that Amy said she was on the sparrow when it was shot down. All this time we thought the sparrow was a bird, but I believe it was actually a starship named Sparrow. She – and quite possibly, her illustrious father and the rest of her family – must have been on board when the Emperor attempted some kind of assassination. The ship must have been damaged but apparently those on board survived. The attempted assassination of a noted political leader like Richard Stryker must have sparked the war that led to the creation of the Wall. Her family must have escaped the star system before the Wall was erected, which would explain why she could shut it down from the outside. Since then the Stryker family has apparently served as statesmen in the Ranger civilization. If she is still working for them after all this time then it’s quite likely that her father is as well. He may still govern one of the planets, or even be their leader.”

“But how could she possibly live that long?”

“Well, there’s always the possibility that they found the cause of aging and were able to develop some sort of nanomachine to prevent it. Another possibility is that long life was one of the Gifts. According to the ancient documents, in the days before the Wall there were people endowed with supernatural gifts. Some were discerners and could not be lied to. Others were seers and could foretell the future. Perhaps there was another category of people who were gifted with exceptionally long lives. The Stryker family may have been given that gift.”

“But I thought those stories were myths!”

“We only think that because the Gifts no longer exist today. The fact is they are well-documented in the ancient manuscripts, and our ancestors treated them as if they were real. We should not let our current situation color our view of the past. It is foolish to say ‘Well, they no longer exist so they must never have existed.’ You might as well say that since you great-grandfather no longer exists he must never have existed either.”

“It’s just hard to believe,” Doyle said. “So you honestly think that Amy Stryker is the daughter of Richard Stryker, a near-immortal who has lived for five thousand years, and has come here at this point in history on behalf of the Rangers to free the Solar System and cure the tribes?”

“I don’t see why not. As unlikely as her story seems, at this point I see no reason to accuse her of lying. We cannot disprove anything she has told us and she has always done exactly what she said she would. I see no reason to doubt her.”

Doyle nodded. “You do have a point there. It’s just a lot to take in. If her story is true then she was an eyewitness to the events that led to the creation of the Wall! She knows exactly what happened at that fateful moment in history. In fact, she even remembers what life was like before the Wall was created, during the reign of the Spanish Emperor. She is a living piece of ancient history, from an era where very little has survived.”

“Exactly!” Monroe exclaimed. “Is it not exciting? And what’s more, there may be millions – perhaps even billions – of other Rangers who are also from that era. Imagine what a civilization of immortals must be like! I sincerely hope that when she returns we will have a chance to interact with more of the Rangers. It’s possible that they have preserved a great deal of the history of that era – to say nothing of the countless events that have been going on among the stars. This is an astonishing opportunity!”

“Yes, it is – but don’t forget about the cure. You have a very important meeting tomorrow.”

“Yes, I suppose I do. You’re quite right. It’s just so easy to get lost in all the excitement. So much has happened in the past few weeks.”

“Yes, it has,” Doyle agreed. “I will look forward to hearing how it turns out, but I’m afraid that I have to get home. It’s getting late and we both need our sleep.”

“By the way, how is the boy doing?” Monroe asked, as he led his friend to the door. “I meant to ask earlier but I’m afraid I got sidetracked.”

“He’s doing quite well! He’s a very sweet and charming child. My wife was thrilled to meet him – she always wanted to be a mother. You know, the difference between Nate and the rest of the uncured savages is just astonishing. I really would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. That cure really works.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Monroe replied, pleased.

“Have a good night,” Doyle called out.

“Good night to you as well,” the scribe replied. He closed the door and, after thinking about it for a moment, locked it behind him.

* * * * *

The next morning Monroe knocked on Conrad Forbes’ office door. Nate was standing beside him, holding his hand.

“Come in,” a voice called out.

Monroe opened the door and led his young friend into the room. Inside he saw Conrad Forbes sitting behind his desk. General Maldonado was already there. As soon as they entered the room both men stared at Nate in astonishment. Forbes simply sat there, wide-eyed. His mouth opened slightly but he said nothing. The general stood up and stared in amazement. “It can’t be,” he whispered. “It’s got to be a trick of some kind. It’s just not possible!”

“It’s very real and very possible,” Monroe replied. “This young man’s name is Nate.”

“Hello,” Nate said. He looked around and then offered his hand to Forbes. “I’m Nate. Who are you?”

The head of the council looked surprised, then shook the young man’s hand. “My name is Conrad Forbes. Please, take a seat.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Nate replied. He looked at Maldonado and frowned. “I know who you are. Amy told me all about you. You’re the bad man who wants to kill us. I don’t like you.”

“It’s not possible,” Maldonado repeated. “This can’t be real!”

Forbes spoke up. “Monroe, will you please ask Nate to sit down?”

Monroe gestured to one of the empty chairs, and Nate walked over and sat down. The scribe sat down beside him. The general eventually retook his seat, but he kept staring at Nate.

Since no one else was saying anything Monroe spoke up. “I hope it’s clear to both of you that Nate is quite real. His red hair alone makes it clear that he is from the tribes, and his facial features and bone structure give additional evidence. You can test him genetically if you wish but I assure you that it is not necessary. He is quite genuine.”

“It just can’t be,” the general protested. “How could you possibly have come up with a cure? Who authorized you to do that?”

“The project to find a cure was authorized thousands of years ago. In fact, it is engraved in the Hall of Stone. I did not need anyone else’s permission to work on it, nor did I use any of the council’s scarce resources. This was achieved entirely on our own, and as you can see it is entirely successful.”

“And where is this cure?” the general asked suspiciously.

Monroe removed the glass bottle from his pocket and placed it on the councilman’s desk. Forbes picked it up and looked at it curiously. “The cure is in that bottle; I present it to you for your examination. How it works is quite technical, and since neither of you are scientists I will not bore you with the details. The point is that it does work and I am prepared to prove it. If the council wishes we can arrange a public demonstration to show beyond a doubt that the cure is real.”

Forbes read the label on the bottle and then handed it back to the scribe. “Hmm. It would appear that the cure takes several days to work.”

Monroe placed the bottle back into his pocket. “That is correct. The cure is not magic, councilman. It takes time to undo the madness of a lifetime. The point is that it does work, and as I said we can prove it. The cure in that bottle is sufficient to heal a hundred people, and we can produce enough of it to cure everyone on the planet. Once it is administered sanity will return to the tribes in a matter of days.”

The general clenched his fists. “It’s a trick! It’s just another dirty trick. That’s all this is.”

Monroe nodded. “I’m sure that many people will be inclined to agree with you, which is why we would like to propose a public demonstration. We can easily prove that it works, and we can do it in public under the watchful gaze of as many observers as you care to post. We have nothing to hide.”

Forbes spoke up. “Why are we only hearing about this cure now? You stood before the council in the debate hall many times, but you never told us that you had made progress on finding a cure. That is very significant information.”

“There is a great difference between looking for a cure and finding one. It would have been folly to stand before the public and proclaim that we were trying to find a cure. People have been trying to find a cure for thousands of years! Only now have we developed something that is effective and can be proven publicly.”

“Have you told others of this?”

“I am sure that there are rumors, but I have not made any public announcements. I thought that the council should be the first to know.”

“That was a wise decision. In the event that your cure is tested and found to be genuine, what is your proposal?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I want you to stop the bombing campaign immediately. This city was founded with the express purpose of helping people like the tribes, and after five millennia of trying we finally have a way of doing exactly that. We can finally fulfill our charter. We can fulfill our Founders’ dreams. The day they longed for is finally here.”

“Administering this will be no small task,” Forbes commented. “Curing one person is a very different thing from scouring the planet and administering ten million doses. Doing that would take years – perhaps even decades. Then there is the logistical challenge of what to do with all the cured people. Adrasta is not big enough to house all of them, nor do we have the resources to take care of them. This is going to require a lot of planning.”

“You can’t possibly be considering this!” Maldonado exclaimed. “The council already agreed to my plan. You can’t change course now! We’ve got to finish what we’ve started. Now is not the time to turn back!”

“In case you haven’t noticed, general, the situation has changed. Rumors are already spreading. We must have a public meeting and discuss this matter. You cannot simply pretend that nothing has happened.”

“But–” Maldonado sputtered.

“Enough!” Forbes replied. “We will do this publicly, in the open, and present it to the people. However, the council will need time to prepare. As I said, this is no small matter, and the ramifications and logistics are quite staggering. Monroe, do you have any objections if I schedule the meeting for the afternoon of the 15th?”

Monroe shook his head. “No, I do not. That seems fair.”

“Very well. In the meantime, continue to take care of the child.”

“I will do so. It will be an honor.”

The general spoke up. “This is outrageous! You can’t do this to me.”

“You are dismissed,” Forbes replied. “This meeting is over.”

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