Overture (Earth Song) (9 page)

“
She’s got a point,” Duke said, sipping his soda.

“
I can get us a place for about five hundred a month,” Gabriel said. “Over by 156th street, used to be a porn theater.”

“
Yeah, I know that place,” said Paul. Mary lifted an eyebrow and Paul looked away with his cheeks flushing red.

“
That’s several hundred more than we have, just for the first month,” Victor pointed out. He was at the moment counting loose change to see if he could afford a sandwich. Breakfast had been a long time ago. Quietly and without comment Kadru got up and left the table. Mary watched her stroll out of the coffee shop and went back to her own soda with a shrug. It was quiet moments like these that she felt the old desires for crack skulking around the edge of her consciousness. She squeezed the edge of the table until it hurt and offered a silent prayer to the centaur-angel Victor preached about.

“
On a subject we can afford,” she said once the cravings subsided, “I’ve made progress on our website. I can only get so much done up with no domain name, and they limit my time at the library. We can’t afford to buy a domain name, but it’s up.”

“
What is it called?”

“
I was just thinking how Kadru keeps calling the angel you saw an Avatar. Well, since we really hadn’t thought about a name I took the initiative and called it The Followers of the Avatar.”

The
disciples all looked at each other and started nodding. It had a nice sound, and avoided any claim of a church that might bring down the wrath of the established churches. “I think Kadru has named us,” Victor said and there were smiles all around. “Where is our newest disciple?”

“
She went outside a few minutes ago,” Mary told them. On cue, the tiny form of Kadru stepped back through the doorway. She headed for the table with a smile on her face as if she already knew the news they were going to tell her. “Victor has something to tell you, dear,” Mary said to her younger friend.

Victor
told her about their decision and Kadru nodded her head in appreciation. Then she took an envelope out and laid it on the table. Victor opened it and inside was thirty crisp, new one hundred dollar bills. “Good lord,” Duke gasped.

“
Where did this come from?” Victor asked.

“
The Avatars provide,” she said with a shrug.

“
That’s enough for six months,” Gabriel said.

“
It’s a start,” Victor told them. “We can get set up and see where this is taking us.”

“
Six months is all the time we’ll need,” Kadru said and sat back down. Victor placed the money in the inside pocket of his trench coat and went back to finishing his drink while the others talked excitedly about the opening of their temple. Victor thought about the envelope in his coat, the kind of envelope an ATM used when it dispensed cash. There was much more to Kadru than anyone thought, of this much he was certain. Across from where he sat, Kadru participated in their celebration without a single mention of the incredible gift she’d presented.

Alicia punched the erase button when the answering machine was finally empty. She tossed aside her pencil and pad with a disgusted sigh and went to get a fresh cup of tea. Only twelve messages today but none of them were worth writing down. Two crank calls, eight requests for interviews by the typically confrontational British media, and the last two were canceled field trips. Running the observatory grew from a hobby to her living over the years since she’d built it and the budget depended on the field trips and buses of curious tourists. In the weeks since going public with the LM-245 incident, the tourists’ visits had first boomed, then sharply fell off. Most of them had come to ridicule her, even though many had no understanding of astronomy.

Now,
though, the schools and other small astronomy groups, the backbone of her income, had begun to dry up as well. Her frustration at the World Astronomy Association was by far the most profound. They all but called her a charlatan, a simple publicity-seeking fraud. After all her years of substantive contributions to the astronomical community, they had thrown her to the wolves with a press release stating that nothing she reported held any grounding in scientific fact.

Alicia
finished her tea and peeked out the back door. The sun was almost below the horizon so she got ready to go out. “Bloody bastards,” she growled, dropping her cup into the sink a little too hard and breaking the handle off. “Shit.” Outside she began opening the observatory for the night. The forecast was for clear skies and she was eager to find an old friend. The trouble was, she should have found that friend several days ago.

As
soon as it was practical the telescope was sweeping the distant horizon. Because of the time of the year she only had an hour or so to complete her observations. The edge of the telescope’s view was hazy from light pollution. During the days she used the American’s site to access imagery from the SOHO observatory. It watched the sun twenty-four hours a day for solar phenomenon but also took wonderful pictures of the area around the sun. The images were high resolution and available to anyone with a computer connection.

She
punched data into the computer control and the motors hummed as the telescope came onto target. Each night her search became a little more frantic, but tonight was special. This is when LM-245 should have emerged from its trip behind the sun and become visible. Tonight was her night of redemption.

She
watched intensely as the telescope tracked slowly, the motors humming efficiently. The view began to clear of the haze created by the light pollution as the asteroid should have appeared. She wasn’t surprised when it didn’t.

“
April 10, 2014 at 8:49 pm,” she spoke into the microphone next to the telescope control, “observation for LM-245 at expected coordinates after its transition behind the sun. LM-245 to transition Earth orbit at perihelion on July 9 this year. I’ve been observing for the appearance of LM-245 for three days now supplementing with data from SOHO. The WAA has refused to assist in this work due to their insistence that LM-245 never disappeared in the first place.”

A
new hard drive was dutifully recording the information, making sure she would have two copies this time, and one of her last friends, coincidentally a new friend, was on line to assist. She stretched over and typed into the computer. “Are you there, Mindy?”

The
IM window relayed the reply almost instantly. “Ready and able. I’m live with SOHO, but we can’t use Hubble for another nine hours. Two hours before that I can get the Navy Observatory at Virginia to give me a spot.”

“
Thanks, Mindy, you’re great.”

“
Hey, Alicia, I’ve been there. It’s about time the WAA takes one on the chin.”

The
minutes crept by with no sign of LM-245, each minute making Alicia breathe easier. Regardless of what she’d seen there was still a deep-seated fear that she could have been wrong, and it looked like she was right after all.

“
I’ve got something,” appeared Mindy’s word on the computer. Alicia’s heart jumped into her throat.

“
Where is it?” she asked. A moment later the coordinates appeared and she looked up at her screen. Alicia cursed; the coordinates were still below the horizon to her. She jumped onto the computer and called up her own view of SOHO off the NASA site. She messed with the images for a few minute before admitting that she didn’t have the resources to see what Mindy saw. “I can’t see it; can you transfer me the image?”

“
Sure,” was the reply. A few seconds later IM flashed that a file was available for download. Only a few hours ago Alicia was cursing the cost of her remote satellite broadband connection, now she was glad she'd maintained it. The image took a lot of memory, but the connection only took a couple of seconds to download. There in the bottom quarter of the image, complete with a graphic circle drawn by Mindy thousands of miles away, was a light colored object. “It’s oblong and I’m sorry to say it looks like your rock.”

“
No,” Alicia whispered but didn’t type into the computer. “I should be able to eke out an image of that spot in about forty minutes, but I’ll only have it for a few seconds before I lose that view.”

“
I’ll wait; we’re having an afternoon meeting of our finance group anyway.” Alicia had heard that Mindy was at the heart of the reemergence of SETI into the public eye. She was beginning to understand how hard it must have been for her to come back out of retirement after the way the WAA destroyed her reputation years ago.

While
she waited, Alicia ran the location through the computer and compared it to the long established orbit of LM-245. It suggested a deviation of some hundred thousand plus miles from its calculated location. While significant, it was not at all what she had expected. That sudden burst of acceleration, if sustained, should have put LM-245 millions of miles from where it should have been. She continued to work as the time clicked by.

The
view on her telescope began to be blurred from one side as the Earth intruded on the spot she was photographing. The density of the atmosphere meant she was looking though hundreds of miles of air. But as that view began to be lost, the area where Mindy had spotted LM-245 became visible. Alicia let out a deep sigh as the view cleared, giving her a fairly good view of her old friend, the elongated irregular profile of LM-245.

“
It’s my rock,” she typed into the computer.

“
I figured, and it
is
out of orbit. You certainly saw something, probably a collision or something strong enough to shove it off course.”

“
Thanks, but it’s not what I thought it was. I’m still going to look like a bloody idiot.”

“
I don’t agree. I’ll help you write a report so we can throw it in the face of those old assholes at the Association.”

“
I appreciate that,” Alicia said and signed off. A moment later the asteroid disappeared as the Earth blocked the view for another day, leaving her staring at a dark screen. She ran back the data showing her the best image she’d captured of LM-245. Its irregular shape was unmistakable, even its dark and light pockmarked surface was distinguishable. She saved the data and shut down the observatory to go inside. Maybe it will be enough to get a retraction by the Association, she hoped as she went inside. But as she went to mend the cup she’d broken earlier she couldn’t escape the feeling that something was wrong with the image of her old asteroid. It looked almost too familiar.

“Asteroid Appears on Schedule,” read the headline in the days science section. Harper flipped though the stories.

Apparently
some amateur British astronomer claimed the asteroid was destroyed or pushed off course by forces unknown and the rock’s reappearance put the stake through her heart. He moved on.

Usually
Harper just scanned the sports section, read a few comics and went back to work. Lately he found himself watching science and technology for any mention of what was in Central Park. There had not been a single word.

Many
things were going on around the world. The most fascinating and disturbing were in China. Harper figured he was among a small minority who had seen the Portal in Beijing. The dozens of news bureaus around the city who had raced there to photograph the disturbances had since been moved almost a mile back by the Chinese military. The international press was beside themselves to explain what was happening. Since the horrifying events at Tiananmen Square many years ago, the Chinese communist government made great strides in human rights and liberties. Its people’s standard of living had risen slowly, but it still rose. Even groups like Amnesty International were harassing other nations for a change. Now, out of the blue, and for no apparent reason, tens of thousands have streamed into Tiantan Park, taking control of that place and scaring the hell out of the city residents. Harper knew what was behind the spectacle.

The
report went on to describe that most of those involved in the disturbance were academics and suppressed religious followers. As time passed the ranks were swelling to include common people of all types. Those sneaking out of the park to bring back food and supplies were arrested by the police and hauled off kicking and screaming, some going on to commit suicide in prison. The press managed to interview some of those who had been on the outside of the crowd. They seemed to be experiencing some sort of religious rapture and were nearly unintelligible in their fervor. They spoke about the Portal to Heaven being ready to open and how it must be protected from the unholy rulers of China until the Emperor could return and open the Portal.

All
manner of talking heads said this was a resurgence of emperor worship and was to be expected after generations of communist rule. Others, experts in Chinese mythology, spoke of the significance of this location to the religious revival. Tiantan Park was the home of the Temple of Heaven where the emperors led prayers for the empire’s prosperity and successful harvests.

An
effort to contact Jin Yuzhang, the last known surviving direct relative to a Chinese emperor, had been unsuccessful. The Chinese government exercised what they described as “considerable patience”, but was tiring of a prominent tourist attraction full of unruly dissidents. A government representative had delivered an ultimatum to be out of the park by April 25th or they would be removed by force. Several international experts in negotiations were in route to hopefully defuse the nearly two month old standoff.

There
was little more of interest as Harper finished his paper. Pakistan was accusing India of developing a doomsday weapon in, of all places, the Delhi Golf Course just south of the city center. And in Buenos Aries a riot had been raging for a week. City police and what was described as anarchists were jousting back and forth for control of the eastern district of the ancient city.

“
Seems the world is discontented,” Harper said and dropped the paper in the garbage can. He waved to his neighbor, Mr. Nebowitz who was taking out his garbage, and jumped in the unmarked cruiser.

Some
hours later he got back in his car after taking a statement from a man who’d had his shop broken into. Harper scanned the police computer for assignments and general hot sheet updates. One thing he saw made him curse. An arrest warrant was issued for Victor Leonard Smith, arrested on March 17th, arraigned on minor drug possession (a class c felony), scheduled for trial January 10 next year and released on his own recognizance pending trial. The complaint section of the warrant said “wanted for questioning by federal authorities”.

“
I knew they would catch up with him sooner or later,” Harper mumbled as he started the car. From over the sun visor he removed a cheap paper card, glanced at the address and pulled into traffic. “Abel-five-two-nine going ten-seven for a bite,” he said into his radio.

“
Ten-four, abel-five-two-nine,” came the reply. A few minutes’ drive and he pulled up in front of the address on the card. Over the door of the one-time porno theater was a cheap vinyl banner proclaiming 'Followers of the Avatar'. An anonymous woman had given him the card two days ago after she'd asked him his name. He had no doubt at the time that Victor was behind it.

Outside,
the sidewalk was crowded with dozens of people, many wearing purple scarves, and most talking excitedly with a wild-eyed fervent look of deep belief in something only they understand. “What have I started?” he wondered aloud as he got out of the car.

“
Cops are here, Duke,” yelled one of the purple-scarf-wearing believers standing near the curb.

“
You gotcha a warrant cop?” said one of the biggest African-American men he'd ever seen in his life. The guy was easily seven foot tall. It was a warm spring morning in New York and he went without a shirt, displaying muscles like steel bands.

“
I need a warrant to come talk to someone?”

“
If you wanna go inside you do. We got’s us a lease, all legal-like.”

“
Finding God in a porno palace?”

“
No, we found God in Central Park.  We’re just telling people about it in a porno palace.”

“
Cute. Do I get inside or not?”

“
Probably not. Who you want to see?”

“
I’m here to see Victor.” Duke stiffened up and stepped sideways to block the way into the theater. “I’m a friend,” Harper said and immediately felt stupid.

“
I’m sure you are.”

“
Look, just tell him Billy Harper is here.”

“
You’re Harper, Lieutenant Harper?”

“
That’s my name.”

“
Shit man, why didn’t you say that. Come on in.” The big guy turned around and parted the crowd of people, holding the gilded theater door open. Harper raised an eyebrow and decided to follow. But just in case he still kept a hand in his coat pocket where his backup pistol rested.

The
inside of the theater was mostly unchanged from its days as a monument to masturbation. More lighting was in place, pronouncing to all that what went on now was not to be hidden in the dark. The concession stand that once sold sleazy videos along with condoms, cigarettes and wet naps was now a soup line. Hungry, tired and obviously homeless people were lined up. Each person got a bowl of soup, a sandwich, a soda and a pamphlet. On benches in the lobby people sat and ate, some of them read the pamphlet; others were having it read to them by someone wearing a purple scarf.

“
Can I have one of those?” he asked of a purple-scarved redhead who was distributing pamphlets. She smiled and handed one over. On the cover it proclaimed in black text on purple paper, “The Avatar of God has delivered the Portal to Heaven!” He shook his head in amazement. It wasn’t a glossy job like many of the Christian missionaries used, but it looked good enough.

“
This way, man,” Duke said, his golden grill flashing. He held open the door to the auditorium and Harper followed him. Like the lobby, the auditorium was also well lit. Of the two hundred-fifty seats nearly half were filled. Most sat by themselves, a few in groups. Some were eating, others reading, a few sleeping, but most were watching the stage.

In
days gone by the porno palace was once a Broadway theater. The Followers of the Avatar had cut down the tattered silver screen and the faded drapes exposing a yellowing stage of hardwood that probably had a lot of stories to tell. At the moment Victor was on stage telling his story. In the intervening weeks the tale had gotten much more refined than when Harper first heard it. An embellishment perhaps here and there, but certainly told with much more self-assuredness and statesmanship. This Victor was as far from the one he’d arrested as you could imagine.

“
Quite impressive, ain’t he?” asked Duke with another big smile.

“
Haven’t I met you before?” he asked the big black man.

“
Sure, you busted me a couple years ago.”

“
Your name wasn’t Duke, though. What did you do, strong arm an old lady or something?” Duke looked down with regret on his face.

“
Duke is my name now, officer. I ain’t the same person I was.” Harper looked at him for a moment then shrugged, walking down the aisle toward the stage. Several other people sat talking near the stage. Harper recognized one of them and shook his head in surprise.

“
Aren’t you Captain Hicks?!” he asked the tall balding man with a scarf occupying the steps to the stage.

“
I was. My name is Gabriel now. Lt. Harper, isn’t it?”

“
Certainly. What is a cop doing with this group?”

“
I’m not a cop, Lieutenant. Haven’t been one for about five years. You remember my little fall from grace?” Harper nodded. “Now I help to understand the Avatar’s meaning and follow Victor.”

“
Amazing. Can I speak to his holiness?” Gabriel frowned at Harper’s little impertinence but made no comment. Instead he turned his head and listened to Victor for a moment.

“
He should be done in about five minutes. You want something to eat?”

“
No, I’m fine. You guys must be getting a lot of money from these people to feed everyone who asks.”

“
We take no money from the street. We have other sources.”

“
Mind if I ask what that source is?”

Gabriel
smiled darkly. “Is this an official investigation, Lt. Harper?”

“
Not at this point. No, I’m here to see Victor as a friend, even though he has a warrant out for his arrest.” Instantly Gabriel was fully alert, fairly jumping to his feet and scanning the crowd. “Don’t worry, I haven’t reported his location, and I probably won't. I’m too curious of the game at this point.”

“
Well, our funding is anonymous and comes from donations over the web. We got about five thousand dollars the first day our site was up, and never less per day since then.”

“
Wow, I’m amazed.” Harper looked up at Victor where he was talking to the audience. The man didn’t seem to have changed at all; in fact he was wearing the same clothes. He was cleaner, and looking even more fanatical, but otherwise unchanged. He stood and listened for a moment.

“
And it was that moment,” Victor was saying, “that the Angel of God, His Avatar, turned to look at me. It was a being truly of Heaven, for nothing like it walked the surface of Earth in our times. Like the mythical centaur, the Avatar was, and I thought of those ancient Greek myths. Was there truth to what they spoke about? Its arms were long and strangely jointed and its legs just as strange. And the eyes! They instantly drew your attention, the only real feature on its head. No mouth, no ears, no nose. And a powerful intelligence radiated from this being as it looked at me, picking me out where I stood and smiled at me. How did I know a creature without a face was smiling at me? Because it touched my
soul
!”

“
He’s quite convincing,” said Harper.

“
You have no idea,” Gabriel smiled.

“
Good afternoon Lt. Harper.” He looked up and into the smiling face of the Prophet Victor, now standing on the edge of the stage. “I’m a little surprised you made it in here; some of my disciples can be a tad exuberant in their defense of my interests.”

“
Are all these people your disciples?”

“
No, only a few. Gabriel and Duke you’ve already met. There is Mary over there talking to those teenagers, Paul was serving food up front and Kadru is out working the street.”

“
Amazing to have so many people dedicate their lives to you in such a short period of time.”

“
They haven’t dedicated their lives to me; it’s in pursuit of the Avatar’s will, and God’s plan behind that.” Victor looked at him, his eyes narrowing. “Are you here on an investigation, officer?” To the side Gabriel smirked.

“
I’m here to tell you there is a warrant out for your arrest.” Gabriel's smile faltered and Duke took a step closer to Victor. 

“
Are you here to serve that warrant?”

“
No, I’m not. And in doing that I am putting my job in danger. I want you to understand that.”

“
Then I’m in your debt yet again, but confused as to why you would take the risk.”

“
I don’t quite understand myself,” Harper admitted and looked around, suddenly feeling out of place. “Something is happening, not just here, but around the world. Did you know there is more than one of these Portals?”