The God Experiment

Chapter No.11. First Heat.

Chapter No.11. First Heat.

Robert looked at the object sitting on the floor of an old warehouse and sighed. He realized it was an armed nuclear bomb that was about to explode. He had to go through his memory to determine the arming mechanism design in order to disarm it, but he had no idea how much time he had before it blew up.

Suddenly, he saw it in his mind and deactivated the detonator.

He reappeared in the FBI office much to the surprise of the two agents. "I think I've found his first attempt to destroy me." He extended his hands. "Here, take my hands and I'll show you."

They reluctantly did and were instantly standing in the warehouse near to a nuclear bomb.

"I disarmed it before it detonated," he told them.

They stared at the bomb for a moment before the head agent said something. "How'd this get here? It's impossible for something like this to be smuggled into the country."

"I assume that Otto sent it here."

"Can't you send it back?"

Robert ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I can't do that. I'm not allowed to harm anyone." He pointed at the bomb. "It's not going to go off. I believe this is a new Russian model that can be carried on a fighter. I think that your nuclear weapons experts would love to explore its technology."

The two agents exchanged glances before the head agent replied. "How did you know how to disarm a nuclear weapon?" the agent asked.

"Ah, I cured the daughter of a guy who had worked for the NEC. He allowed me to read his memory."

"Take us back to our office," the head agent demanded.

Robert held out his hands, which they reluctantly accepted and were instantly standing in their main office.

"That weapon is at 186 West Washington. Ave," Robert said. "Make sure you tell your experts to be careful removing the arming mechanism. It's sensitive."

He disappeared.

When he appeared in his kitchen, his wife was busy cooking. She turned to him. "What did they want?"

He sat down at the kitchen table and slouched back in the chair. "They wanted to know if I could identify the guy who accosted me in the high school incident, I reproduced his face from my memory and they identified him as Otto Max, an international terrorist."

"Are they going to do something about him?"

"Nope. Otto has the same powers I do. It'll be up to me."

She sighed. "Well, I've made some chicken soup. Sit down and we'll see how it came out."

Robert smiled and sat down at the kitchen table. His wife brought over two bowls of soup, along with two spoons. He tasted it. "Hmm, this sure hits the spot."

His wife replied with a subtle smile.

The next Sunday, Robert, Janet and James attended the ten o'clock mass. Everything was normal until after communion when Father Johns gives the final blessing. A thin young man with shaggy black hair approached Father and pulled out a nine-millimeter semiautomatic and aimed it at him. Father stared at it wide eyed.

Robert got up and came up in front of the guy, blocking him from Father. "I don't think you really want to do the good Father here any harm."

The guy stared at Robert with surprise showing on his face. "I must exact revenge for the sins of the Church."

"Everyone sins, but only God can pass judgement."

The man's face exploded with grief. "I didn't mean to kill her, but she wouldn't listen."

Robert held his hand out. "Why don't you give me the gun so that I can fix whatever is plaguing you."

"How can you do anything? You are no better than them."

"Except that I have been given the power to cure you."

The man stared at him for a long minute before handing the gun over. Robert took his hand in his and sequenced his mental analyzing powers through the young man's brain. He found an anomaly and repaired it.

The congregation emitted a collective sigh of relief. Some cried out. Police came into the church and Robert handed the gun to them before they took the man away. He turned back to look at Father and smiled.

Father Johns stared at him for a moment before continuing on with the end of the mass.

Many parishioners came up and congratulate him for saving the day. An older man with a marine decorated hat saluted him. Robert returned the salute in recognition that they were brothers at arms, and that they were marines for as long as they live.

Of course, Father Johns caught up to him before he left. "Thank you. I had no idea why he was angry at me."

"He was confused about the role of religion," Robert said. "Religion is here to teach, not rule. Only God can judge."

Father knew down deep that Robert was right, but he was restrained by a powerful organization that existed to promote power over its followers.

"Look, I'm closing in on my target. It's coming down to the final battle for the souls of mankind. I just hope I can live up to the trust that God put in me to prevail over evil."

Father had no reply to that statement. He realized that he was witnessing the final days as described in the Book of Revelation. Unfortunately, it wasn't at all what he thought it was.