Solutions: A Man's Dilemma by James Gerard (no david read aloud TXT) 📕

  The makeshift lounge at the regional center became a holding cell as the executioners decided the mode of death that Stephen anticipated.  He just laid there talking to his God, his Lord and Savior asking for mercy for all involved in the plot generated by the evil influences plaguing the world.

 The door creaked.  Robert walked in and sat in a sofa opposite Stephen.

“Why?”

“Decisions had to be made quickly," answered Robert.  "They figured out the best way to save the human race.  Time and space were the main factors in the decision to do what was done.”

“Really Robert?  I’ve never known you to be a liar.  Do you actually believe what you’re saying?”

“Yes,” Robert shouted.  “Why can’t you Stephen?  Can you just put away your moral nonsense for once and understand that what was done had to be done?”

“But you murdered them?  What I thought I was doing was a good thing, but all this time all I was doing was sending them to their death.  And you want me to put away my morality, my Lord, and just accept it?”

“Well listen to you, all high and mighty.  You actually believe your God will accept your plea of ignorance and save you from your participation in all this?  You actually think that your God will forgive you for what you have done?  Do you still actually believe there is a God?”

“Don’t you mean our God Robert?”

“My god!  So many warnings but we didn’t listen.  The virus Stephen is meant to wake us up.  She is waking us up Stephen.  She is giving us another chance before she unleashes all her fury on everyone of us and kills us all.”

“The Earth…you’re rejecting God?  You think that a clump of dirt formed by God is greater than God?  You actually believe that the created is greater than the Creator?  You actually believe that Earth is a god?”

“Yes I do Stephen.  I really, really do.  Where is He Stephen?  If He is all that you believe He is then why didn’t He stop it?”

“Because He expected better of you Robert. He expected you to choose to ignore the lies, all the hatred and anger and fear coming at you every minute of the day.”

“It’s not a lie I believe but you.  Don’t you get it?  If He is to come then don’t you think He’d have been here by now?  For Christ’s sake Stephen, isn’t all this exactly what He describes in Revelations? It’s the end of the world Stephen; where is He?”

“Please Robert, I’m begging you.  You’re not like this.  You’re my friend.  I know you better than this.  Think, just think about what’s happening to you and think about what you’re doing.”

“You just don’t understand.  You think what we’ve done so far is the worst of it?  It’s far worse than you can even begin to imagine.  The virus was nothing.  What’s coming will be far more devastating, just not to a percentage of the people, but to the whole damn world.”

“And what’s that Robert?  What is so damned worse than what all of you have done?”

“That knowledge will make no difference to you now.”

“Just not part of the plan?”

“When they told me of it I could see the rationale behind everything that has been done.  But what’s hidden behind the rationale, the truth, the truth that we inflicted too much pain on this living planet forced us to do what we’ve done.  Don’t you get it Stephen?  The power to save is not from what you say is your God, but from the Earth herself.”

“You’re not the friend I know.  My friend could never fall for lies.”

Robert smiled and left the room.

Stephen could not believe what he had heard.  Everything in his mind was now the results of images hidden in smoke and mirrors, hiding the truth in regard to all that had transpired.  His commitment, his oath to uphold the law of the land from first as a beat cop to his role in revealing the worst of the worst in society, was forced out of existence. The law was dictated by the influence of the powers and principalities and not of the love of God.

But Stephen knew Robert was right in his scorching accusations concerning his innocence.  Before God he had to once again admit that he was no better than Robert or any other person that had executed the lie.  Everything he had done too violated the laws of God in relishing the role of judge and basking in the glow of righteousness.  He had taken the Word and twisted and turned and shaped and arranged it to justify his actions instead of heeding the love of his God.

Robert strolled back into the room.  “Here’s the deal.  As much as I disagree they still consider you valuable.  They’re giving you the opportunity to stop this foolishness and continue with your job.  What do you say?”

“How much did you know from the beginning?”

“I don’t have time for this Stephen.  Will….”

“Answer me please.  Just tell me what you knew.”

“I knew enough Stephen.  Does that satisfy you?”

“The flu pandemic?”

“I don’t know.”

“Again, you’re saying something far worse is coming.  Tell me.”

“Will you join us?”

“Robert, what the hell are you doing?”

“One more time will you join us?”

Stephen contemplated the question.  He had seen too much from his friend and the atrocities that he witnessed.  It dawned on him for the first time that the same atrocities were occurring in all parts of the world, on every continent, in every nation as it was from the beginning, but he never considered looking via a satellite’s eye to find out.   Now, to be knowingly part of lie would be choosing to bow down to the forces of the powers and principalities.  To say “yes” to Robert would be saying “no” to his Lord.

“Do what you want with me, but I don’t want any more to do with all this.”

“Fine,” responded Robert.

Robert walked out of the room.

Stephen waited for him to return but after a while wondered where he had gone.  He walked out into the room still aglow from the computer screens.  Suddenly, darkness fell upon him.  The power was cut off.  He ran outside to see where they were, but none could be found.  There were no vehicles, no power, no one at all stirring about.  The plume of smoke had vanished.  The plan must have been completed.

Stephen figured they left him alive because he was pretty much dead in a city that now was part of the desert landscape.  For miles and miles around there was only desolate terrain and burning heat.  He went back into the building and turned on the faucet of the bathroom sink but not even a drop dripped forth.  The toilets were empty of water, an inlet water pipe broke with a kick was bone dry.   There was nothing in the refrigerators, cabinets, restaurants, convenient stores, supermarkets, rooms, houses, apartments, hotels, casinos and any other building that once held food and beverage.

He thought of finding a way out to Lake Mead but something told him that if water was there it would be tainted with something foul added by those who chose destruction over Truth.  There was nothing left for Stephen to do but pray.

He went back to the lobby of the hotel casino where he had attempted to hide and retrieved the notes he had written.  Funny, he thought, they didn’t bother to take them because no one was ever going to read them.

He sat in one of the lobby’s sofas and decided to rewrite his eye witness accounts with some thought rather than the hurried notes he had scribbled down.

The sun was setting.  The light of the day was dimming to a point he could no longer see in the dark.  Stephen gathered up all the written accounts and marched back to the regional center.  He retrieved the bag securing the Spanish language Holy Bible sent by his brother.   Stephen rushed to one of the former hotel casino’s room and retrieved an English language Holy Bible.  He secured it and his notes into the bag and walked out in the day shrouded in the darkness of the dusk.

He looked around in all directions.  The eyes focused on the silhouettes of the mountains in the distance.  The way was made known.

Text: James Gerard Burch
Images: Right to use purchased from kevron2001-Fotolia.com
Editing: James Gerard Burch
Publication Date: 09-24-2015

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
Dedicated to those of us that wonder what the future could look like.