Henry
Multnomah Falls, Oregon, August 26, 2156 -- 2:45 p.m.
Henry felt deeply moved as the old video ended with the crucified Spartacus watching his woman and child begin their journey to freedom. As the moment of his death approached Spartacus could at least take comfort in the knowledge that they would survive. A comfort worthy of envy for an old man destined to face death alone as the last of his kind. Jenny, the old man's wife of forty-four years, died twenty-five years earlier bringing closure to their childless marriage and he longed to join her in eternal rest.
Henry painfully arose from his chair and with the aid of his cane went outside for his daily visit with Jenny. After closing the door, Henry began his slow journey up the path to the falls. Pausing to rest, he looked back at the Multnomah Falls Lodge, his home for the last thirty-five years. Nearly seventy years ago, during a visit to the falls, he asked Jenny for her hand in marriage. Years later, when her health began to fail, it was here that she wanted to spend her last days. The new people permitted them to move to the falls and remodeled the abandoned stone building to serve as their home while providing for all their needs.
He turned and continued his walk until he reached a concrete and wood bench where upon he sat. To his left was a large pool of water at the base of the falls and to his front Jenny's grave. The recent inscription of his epitaph upon their large granite gravestone gave him a sense of contentment and presaged a new era for humankind. With a jolting sense of finality the inscription read in part, Henry Quaker, the last Homo Sapien.
Comforted by the restful sound of falling water, his mind wandered back through time to the days of his childhood. His father, a clinician with the HEP One facility of Portland, fortuitously discovered several frozen human embryos created before the mysterious genetic disaster that devastated the Homo Sapien population. This discovery enabled Henry's surrogate parents, Doctor and Mrs. Henry Quaker, to bring him into the world fifteen years after the last known birth of a Homo Sapien child.
His long lamented parents lost their lives in a boating accident shortly after his fifth birthday and the authorities appointed Jenny Curtis as his legal guardian. Jenny, the youngest of Portland's old people, accepted Henry's proposal of marriage twelve years later.
This reverie ended abruptly with the onset of a terrible, cramp-like pain in his chest and he knew that his lonely life had run its course. Henry cried out, "Jenny," fell to the ground, and after a futile attempt to crawl toward the grave his body shuddered and was still.
Revival
Awareness, brought understanding, light, sound, pain, and anger. Henry could hear the rapid speech of Homo Novatios over the background sound of medical equipment. His attempt to speak failed though the sound he made drew the attention of the new people. Someone gently raised his head and a straw brushed his lips. Suddenly thirsty, he managed a few swallows of the cool water. The face above him slowly came into focus and he recognized Doctor Jason Gould, his personal physician since the time he and Jenny had made the Falls their home.
Clearly concerned about his patient, Doctor Gould asked, "How do you feel Henry?"
"Terrible, I thought I was dying. Doctor, did I die?"
"Henry, it would be better if you rested now and saved your questions for later."
"Doctor, did you revive me after I died?"
"Henry, you suffered a severe myocardial infarction and your heart ceased to function. We used our life support equipment to revive you."
"I told you not to interfere when I died. Turn off your equipment and let me die!"
"Robert Jordan, the first born of the new people, ordered your resuscitation as he wants to discuss something with you."
"Why on earth does Robert Jordan want to see me."
"I think it best that you let him explain. Sleep now and he will visit you in the morning."
August 27, 2156 -- 7:15 a.m.
Henry awoke feeling alert, refreshed, and combative. Looking around he saw his target of choice sitting in a chair beside his bed and said, "Good morning Doctor Ghoul."
"Very good Henry, I can see that this is going to be an interesting day. What would you like for breakfast?"
"Do I really have a choice?"
"Of course not, but it is good form for a 'ghoul' to offer you what you cannot have. The life support equipment is providing the nutrients you require. How do you feel this morning?"
"Very angry! I was afraid to die, but I prepared myself for death and I died with Jenny close to me. Now, because of Robert Jordan's interference, I must face death again."
"Henry, if you order me to turn off your life support equipment, I will."
"Doctor, would you let me die now, even before I see Robert Jordan?"
"Yes, Henry, if you insist, but please see him first."
"Okay Doctor, Jordan has aroused my curiosity for the first time in years. I will see him, but when I decide to end this visit, I expect you to let me go to Jenny."
"Henry, I will do what you ask, and I can assure you that the new people will take excellent care of your final resting place."
"That is very considerate Doctor Gould, but I have never understood why your kind has shown such interest in us."
"We have offered help to many of our progenitors Henry, even before we discovered the truth of our emergence from their loins."
Henry responded with, "And just what truth is that Doctor?".
The door opened and a well dressed, distinguished-looking Homo Novatio entered the room. Doctor Gould rose from the chair and said, "Henry, I would like to introduce Robert Jordan, the first of the Homo Novatios. Robert will call me if you should need assistance."
Robert extended his hand and said, "I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Quaker, but let me assure you that I am just another man much like yourself. I coined the supercilious term, Homo Novatio, in the arrogance of my youth."
Henry took his hand briefly and said, "If you are the Robert Jordan that saved the Earth from the Z-RETS you must be more than a hundred years old."
"Yes, Mr. Quaker, I am one hundred and twenty-five years old and I did play a part in mankind's victory over the Z-RETS."
"Please call me Henry and sit in the chair by my bed. You look to be in your thirties. What is the life expectancy of the new people?"
"Well, Henry, our best estimate is that our normal life span will be more than two hundred years. However, as a species we may not be viable, as our birthrate is too low to replace the first of the new people when they begin to die. It now appears that we Novatios may not be a worthy replacement for the Sapiens."
"Robert, what is the purpose of your visit?"
"Henry, I am responsible for the passing of the old people, perhaps the most heinous crime in the history of humanity. I am here to ask you to forgive me on behalf of those who are no more."
"If I did as you ask and forgave you, would my words have any meaning when I am unaware of the nature of your crime?"
"With your permission I will unify our minds and reveal the tale of my transgression in a fashion that will greatly transcend our ability to communicate orally."
"I am not sure that I want you poking around in my mind. Why can't you just tell me about your problem?"
"Henry, in your present condition a long and tedious verbal dialog would be too exhausting and deny others the opportunity to monitor our exchange."
"Robert, as a person that is technically dead, I guess I have very little reason to be squeamish about revealing the contents of my mind. You may do as you suggest, but is anyone else truly interested in this matter?"
"When my role in bringing forth the new people became common knowledge, it fostered a widespread sense of guilt for our very existence. Henry, I can assure you that nearly everyone is interested in your reaction to my tale of betrayal."
"I am beginning to share their interest also, Robert. You may initiate this mental linkage you mentioned."
"Henry, I want you to relax and be prepared for a few strange moments as we establish our telepathic connection. You will see what I see and hear what I hear, although your own senses remain functional. I strongly suggest that you keep your eyes closed as the visual conflict will be the most disconcerting aspect of our connection."
Unity
"I can see myself lying there, looking so old, so old. I did not realize, I did not know how frail I looked. Please look away from me."
"We have achieved unity and are now communicating telepathically," Robert responded as he turned away. "Your mind is strong of character, free of sin, and rich with the memories of a good life. The state of your body is the mere result of age. Please try to relax."
"I thought that our telepathic connection would be for communication only but it seems much deeper than that."
"I did not want to alarm you by letting you know in advance how intense this experience would be. The new people have learned that telepathic unification permits no secrets, no modesty, and no false pride."
"Robert, I wish that I could have shared this experience with my Jenny. I envy the new people for having this ability."
"The new people rarely meld their minds together in this fashion. We have an inexplicable aversion to sharing our thoughts with another."
"Then how can they monitor our exchange?"
"Actually they cannot, but I am, for the want of a better word, 'broadcasting' what passes between us. It is necessary for me to meld our minds together and achieve unification before I can broadcast your thoughts along with my own. The new people rely on the spoken word as our primary form of communication and broadcast their thoughts only in an emergency as everyone receives what is sent."
"Well, Robert, perhaps now we can get to the purpose of your interference with my death. I hope your presentation will be brief and cover only the circumstances behind the deed for which you profess guilt."
"Yes, Henry, we can begin and I will try to be brief. My confession of guilt begins with the testament of Zaber, a member of the Alorian race that was responsible for the creation of the Z-Rets. Zaber and another Alorian by the name of Zann created the Z-RETS in response to their desire to destroy their own kind. Zaber outlived Zann to document the destruction of the Alorian race in his memoirs later discovered and returned to Earth by our occupation force. We recently translated these writings and I will relate his story in context with concurrent events on Earth to provide a historical perspective for this episode of horror."
"My tale will then continue with the roles played by Dr. Brian Butler, his wife Mandy, and my parents, Paul and Mary Jordan. They were all very involved in the events leading up to my act of betrayal and I am the proud custodian of their memories."
"We will begin in Paris, France in the year 1783. It was a crisp fall day and . . . "