Fifty Six - The Epiphany
A large VTL aerocar delivered four prisoners. It was during the night for the sake of security. They were taken immediately to prison cells inside the complex and were given the opportunity to sleep. All of them declined, believing they only had a short time to live. Chaplains were provided to offer spiritual comfort according to each individual belief system. A well prepared meal of their choice was given to each but only one of them was able to eat. He was the tall bearded man, with bluish skin and beautiful piercing gray eyes, who had been the leader of the violent fanatics and was ready to die, having been indoctinated with a religious belief system that assured martyrs the most ecstatic of afterlives. He came from the land of Tacu and had starved in his youth until he made secret business alliances with some of the most powerful politicians of Shaluma. They used him and betrayed him. The other three were the former political leaders of Shaluma, the Premier, the Chairman and the Chief of National Security. All four names were never to be mentioned again and the prisoners would only be referred to by their numbers.
The legal teams worked through the night to make final preparations for the review and judgement to take place. The reams of evidence and testimony were gone over as well as the detailed confessions which had been given by all four voluntarily after the cataclysm when they were taken into custody. The death penalty was expected and the lawyers wanted to make sure that all legal loopholes had been covered and everyone was in agreement. If everything was carried out properly, the survivors of Miraba would regain confidence and respect for the rule of law, after seeing it used so many times for the special interests and whims of those controllers at the top of the political pyramid. Now, some of those very men would taste the justice they had denied others.
A special day had been declared in the former nation of Shaluma, and many other places throughout Miraba, to provide the opportunity to witness this important historical event. The few short-wave stations left on the planet would carry the broadcast. Written transcriptions would be printed and distributed where possible. Most of Miraba still had no communications but the written transcripts, printed into every language, would eventually become known to all.
Far away from these happenings, Cobi, Ana, Biltar and Edyn had already arrived in Quepar and were taking time off from the mission to view this special event over the new communication system. Biltar used his time to write. He was trying desperately to recover in his mind the papers he had lost when his dome and everything in it went under.
He didn�t know yet that the steel safe had been recovered.
On the Firefly, Pheledra awoke before anyone else and went into meditation. Afterward, she carefully adjusted the psychotronic adjuvant to enhance her knowledge of the event as it happened. She was sickened by the whole thing. She too would watch on the monitor but would be gaining additional knowledge about Wave during the proceedings. She continued to attempt telepathy with him but to no avail.
A courtroom inside the building was being prepared. Cameras and microphones were set up to capture every nuance. On top of the building a large altar of fire was ready to signal the inhabitants of the city who had no access to the new satellite communication network. Colored smoke from the altar of fire would announce the beginning and end of the judgement, as well as the execution of the criminals one at a time. Black for the beginning, red for each death and white for the finish.
In the morning, Wave took a bath in the spa and put on the his white tunic. He saw his tan cap hanging on its little stand and started to put it on but stopped and shook his head. Not today, he thought. He took the field generating device out of his pocket and looked at it for a moment. No way I�m going to look vague and mysterious in that courtroom, he thought, except maybe ... He put the device back into his pocket and went quietly into the kitchen to fix some herb tea.
Petuva was still asleep in their new bed. She rumbled in her sleep. A black mask covered her eyes to keep out the light. Ambassador Lance had instructed her to remain out of sight until some days later when a special unveiling of the Goddess could be arranged. "Goddess ... Goddess," she mumbled between snores. She had planned to watch the event on the monitor but that wasn�t likely to happen because she�d been up most of the night admiring her new wardrobe and was now enjoying dreams of grandeur.
A messenger tapped at the door and summoned Wave to meet with the spokesperson for the legal teams before the proceedings. He was taken to a small office and the man bowed deeply before him.
"Lord Nestingwave, the time has come for you to apply your sacred duty and mission. This is the most important event to take place on Miraba since the cataclysm. There will be twelve judges seated behind you in the gallery. According to the ancient custom, they will wear expressionless masks and will remain unnamed."
"Why expressionless masks?" Wave asked.
"To give the appearance of ... objectivity. This ancient custom will probably be done away with in the future because it has no real purpose or value. However, it will be followed in this instance to give traditional Mirabans a sense of continuity."
"And that�s what Miraba needs right now ... continuity ... right?"
"Right," the man grinned and cleared his throat. "You will be seated upon the judgement seat above all. The prisoners will be brought before you one at a time and the charges read by one of the twelve judges who will rise from the gallery. The documentation of each case will be placed in front of you for your review. You don�t have to read much, it�s just the custom. When the charges have been announced in all four cases, you will say �please rise�. The entire court will stand and you will pass judgement. Speak as long as you want but say something ... catchy. Of course, the death penalty is expected by everyone. These four are considered to be equally guilty and will receive the same consequences for their wickedness. Judgement will be pronounced upon them as a group."
"That sounds easy enough," said Wave.
"Oh ... and I�ve been asked to give you this." The man pulled out a large puncture blaster and handed it to Wave who stared at it for a moment, then slipped it into his belt.
"Is this the way justice is normally done?"
"No, no," said the man, "usually, in capital cases involving National Security, the prisoner is simply escorted into a court yard and put before a military firing squad or hanged by the neck until dead. However, because of the symbolic nature and meaning of this event to all Mirabans, these executions can be carried out only by you - the Celestial Savior - showing all Mirabans that even the loving God hates these vile criminals."
"Isn�t this ... kind of ... grisly and messy?"
"Yes ... that�s the point. A thick white bulletproof backdrop will be wheeled out at the proper time, so you can have each prisoner stand in front. Of course, their hands will be cuffed behind their backs, but there will be no blindfolds ... so their faces can be clearly seen. The cameras will provide closeups and various angles to preserve the details for history. The backdrop will absorb the projectiles and the images of splattered stains will remain with all Mirabans forever. The brains, which conceived such deception and evil, will be out in the open for all to view and revile. We want this to be final closure of the old way and the beginning of unfettered hope for the future."
"I see," said Wave, "I�m doing this so your planet can resolve the past quickly and move forward without bitterness."
"Exactly," said the man.
Wave nodded slightly and was escorted by one of his female devotees into a private chamber. He declined her offer of fellatio and was handed an expressionless mask.
"You want me to wear one of these things too?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, "it is the traditional custom."
"To give the appearance of objectivity."
The woman nodded and left him alone as he put on the mask - and waited.
After a while, she returned. "It is time."
Wave nodded and she escorted him to the side door. He entered the packed courtroom and heard one of the expressionless judges say "all rise." Everyone got to their feet as Wave took his place upon the judgement seat.
A woman�s voice spoke. "May the light of truth penetrate us! May the wisdom of a child speak out from us! May justice be balanced! We are gathered here today for judgement in four cases. The peoples of Miraba versus number 4703, number 5605, number 9876 and number 3567. Their names will never pass through human lips again. Venerable judges ... state the charges."
One of the judges rose from the gallery with a folder and walked to the front. "The peoples of Miraba versus number 4703. Bring the accused forward."
The tall bearded man from Tacu was brought to the front by two armed guards and the faceless judge continued. "Number 4703, confessed guilty to mass murder, robbery, extortion, fraud, conspiracy, narcotics trafficing, cannibalism, spousal abuse, child molestation and stealing pencils."
"What?" Wave asked in a whisper to a court transcriber nearby.
"Pencils of refined heavy elements - for atomics."
"Oh," whispered Wave.
The judge reached under his mask to scratch his nose and returned to his seat while the prisoner was returned to his. Another judge came forward. �The peoples of Miraba versus number 5605. Bring the accused forward."
The Premier of Shaluma was brought. He held his head down in shame. "Number 5605 confessed guilty to the murder of innocent civilians, using biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction, genocide, conspiracy, false flag terroism, slavery, torture, pedophilia, narcotics trafficing, false advertising, corporate embezzling, environmental vandalism, civil rights violations, pandering, swindling, election fraud and sorcery."
"Sorcery?" Wave whispered again.
"He was the high priest of a secret covenant group which practiced human sacrifice," whispered the transcriber.
Wave nodded then shook his head as everyone went back to their seats.
While the other two were brought forth in a similar fashion, Wave glanced through the papers and documents before him. There was heavy evidence against all four and there was no doubt that they were the worst of criminals. Wave was tired of hearing the list of vile offenses and began to focus instead upon the countenance of the criminals. As the accusations of rape, murder, torture and every offense known were read off, Wave began to stimulate his natural telepathic abilities to better understand the minds and souls of those offenders. It felt good to use that ability which had lain dormant for too long, even though what he found were broken men full of fear, self loathing, despair and confusion. As he plunged deeper into their psyches, he found other things and felt his old feelings of compassion returning.
Finally, the former Chief of National Security was taken back to his seat and there was silence. Every eye was upon Wave. He waited a long time before he rose and stepped down from the judgement seat, then walked to the very center of the court.
"Keep your seats," he said, as he removed his expressionless mask and flung it aside.
"I am not here to pass judgement on anyone. I am not a 'Celestial Savior' nor am I a prophet."
A gasp filled the room as Wave continued. "That is false advertising and propaganda spread by those who do not have your best interest at heart - those hidden forces who hope to continue as your puppet masters. But ... since I�m here and have yer full attention, I�d like to make a few suggestions and offer a different perspective. Take it or leave it." All the people in the room were asounded. Syntal was terrified as Nestingwave began to speak again.
"First of all, get rid of these silly traditions and customs. Overhaul your legal system. How about a fresh approach? A new way of thinking. A new paradigm - not a makeover of yesterdays deadend vanities. Within the collective consciousness of your planet, you have a deadly parasite which has been your main problem. It is a non local disease that can crop up anywhere in anyone who has forgotten who and what they really are. On my planet it was named Malignant Egophrenia. It has kept Miraba in a doublebind. It continued and thrived because you fed it in your sleepy forgetfulness which deceived you into believing that you alone were righteous, holy and justified and 'they' were the problem. 'They' felt the same way about you. Each side felt that the other was fully evil and claimed exclusive right to 'Gawwd'. This increased polarizations. You murdered one another in the name of that 'God' through terrible wars and crusades. You could not see that your enemy was just a mirror of yourself.
"That cancerous virus within your collective consciousness - Malignant Egophrenia - fed your victim/abuser mentality. Victim/abuser is two sides of the same coin. The abusers become the victims and the victims become the abusers. No one wants to deal with the dark shadow within their own being. Instead, in blindness they deny it is there and project their own evil outward pointing the finger of accusation. This is your sorry history ... and my own recent history with the very people I love most.
"For millenia you have practiced revenge and punishment - but, think about it, when everyone demands an eye for an eye - blindness becomes universal. This doublebind will continue as before unless you wake up and change it. You now have that perfect opportunity ... and so do I."
The audience seemed to stir in silent amazement.
Wave nodded his head and moved his hand in a sweeping circle. "Move all the crap out of this building and put it somewhere else, like the trash bin. Refurnish it nicely but not lavishly. Turn it into a maximum security ... hotel ... with armed guards around the perimeter and electronic technology to absolutely insure that no one can escape. Imprison these four offenders here and the others who will follow. They are dangerous to the world and should be separated from it. Keep them here until they die a natural death. Do not allow them to be visited by anyone from the outside ... except their families and friends who are well screened. Do not allow any of their writings to be published ... until after their death. Watch and monitor their psychological conditions carefully. Research and document their life stories ... from their own points of view ... and from the points of view of others. Learn from it. Explore and discover the great benefits ... of mercy.
"Find out what their soul always longed for but never achieved. Provide them with the opportunity for that achievement. Offer them healthy things that bring peace and bliss ... books ... gardening ... music ... writing ... studying ... hobbies ... sports ... pets ... and so forth. Every human being, throughout the universe, only wants one thing - to love and be loved. Learn by experience what others throughout the universe have already learned - love and mercy brings healing to all - revenge and punishment brings only unhappiness, separation and death. Resentment is totally self destructive and never justified.
"If you do not take this opportunity, if you continue to feast on revenge, it will continue to poison you and you will become what you hate. If you take their lives ... if you kill them ... you kill yourselves ... and sooner or later you will find yourselves once again the victim - because victim and abuser are two sides of the same coin. And the coin spins. Just say no. Refuse to play the victim/abuser game. Find the meaning of allowance. Stop grinding the ceaseless mill of the doublebind."
Wave took out the field generating device and held it up. "Can you discern the magician's tricks?"
He turned on the device and hundreds gasped as his form became obscured by the field. He switched it off and returned to normal. "Magic? Angelic? Mysterious? Hardly. Just one more cheap trick, after a millenia of tricks, to insure your continued enslavement. The Kultaki who deceived you for so long are still at it. But their time is at an end. Just say no ... and they�ll go away. They�ll run away - because the only power they have is the power you give them. Take it or leave it. Choose fear and slavery - or love and freedom."
There was stunned silence as Wave walked out of the courtroom. In the foyer, an angry group of religious zealots tried to block him off and tear him to pieces but others restrained them and pulled them aside.
Tears poured down Pheledra�s cheeks. The Firefly was already on its way down through the Miraban atmosphere. No thoughts and no words needed to be exchanged.
"I�m not surprised," said Nelyani.
Nahvar wiped his eyes. "Oh, bless you child."
"Now see, you guys," said Fabby to the droids, "things have a way of working out."
The droids responded with a show of dancing lights.
Inky and Ginger stretched and left their pillows to drink some water.
Boots raised his hind leg and licked his behind.
Continue on to Chapter 57
PART 1
Introduction by the Author
Prologue
Ch.1-The Mission Ch.2-An Astral Roach Ch.3-The Conspiracy of Light Ch.4-The Kultaki
Ch.5-His Pestilency Ch.6-Brain Storm Ch.7-Feline Processing Ch.8-Red Alert
Ch.9-The Day of Days Ch.10-Empathic Agony Ch.11-Oldtime Melodrama Ch.12-Orange Flies
Ch.13-A Boots Assist Ch.14-Vision Delivery Ch.15-Sudden Capture Ch.16-Cat Torment
Ch.17-The Horror Ch.18-Cobi and Ana Ch.19-Playing Doctor Ch.20-Open to My Soul
Ch.21-Self Sufficient Monkey Ch.22-Total Destruction Ch.23-Alone in Space Ch.24-New Plans
Ch.25-Prepare for Contact Ch.26-Dhati Knows Best Ch.27-Healing and Peace
