The Secret

Professor Bauer's sudden death sent ripples of shock throughout the world and waves of it throughout his research staff.

"He was going to put it in," Merrill fumed. "All the other equations were there; everything leading up to it." He had been pacing, alternately swearing and sobbing, for an hour, and Judy could do nothing to calm him.

Professor Bauer had been dictating to his compU when his sens-chair realized something was wrong and called for help. An Ambus was cruising right outside his house, but it was already too late. Within minutes after reaching the hospital, the professor was dead from a massive heart attack. It was totally unexpected. Professor Bauer was only fifty-two years old and in excellent health. But now he was gone, and Merrill was almost literally pulling his hair out. "He had the answer. After all this time, all this study, he finally had the answer!"

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I followed his research every step of the way! Even if I couldn't find the end of it." He stopped in front of Judy. "He'd found the secret of energy. Free power! It would have changed the planet. It would have changed the life of every human being on it."

Judy shook her head. "It's a terrible tragedy I know. But if the answer is there, surely it will be found again by someone."

"Not someone," Merrill said, through gritted teeth. "Him!"

"He's dead," Judy pointed out gently.

"It's been scientifically proved that a person's essence stays close to the body for at least two hours after death--sometimes much longer."

"But you can't talk to an essence," Judy said, a cold premonition touching her heart.

"No I can't. But someone can."

Judy felt the cold turn to ice as she watched Merrill walk to a compU and begin dictating. When he came back and sat down beside her he was calm. She didn't like it. She would have preferred him raging, pacing, cursing . . .

His phone rang. "Hello? . . . Yes, I'm expecting them . . . "

There was a knock on the door and Merrill ushered in a stocky, middle aged woman and a little girl, whom he introduced to Judy as "Donna." She had curly blonde hair and was dressed in a red panton. A first glance would have found her beautiful, but a closer look revealed the blank eyes, the expressionless face. Clearly she was a farback.

But Donna was much more than that to Merrill. "She's a True," He told Judy. "One of the best. She can read essences."

"Oh Merrill, I don't think--" But he was already leading the little girl into Professor Bauer's room. He tried to keep the woman from coming in, but she insisted. Judy followed them, tense with apprehension.

Merrill pointed to the man on the bed. "Find him!" he commanded. It was rather like giving orders to a dog. Donna obediently closed her eyes. When she opened them again they were no longer blank but full of intelligence. Her face was alive, alert. "He's here!" Merrill exulted.

"One-and-one-are-two," Donna began, in a sing-song voice. "Two-and-two-are-four . . . 1795 plus 2897 are 4962 . . . 96.3 times 4908 divided by 18.098 equals .2765112 (her voice had lost its childishness; become strangely deep) . . . . she strung out a long list of equations.

"Yes, yes!" Merrill urged. "Go on! You've almost reached it!"

Suddenly the little girl stopped, looking confused. She began to whimper. Immediately the woman's comforting arms were around her. Merrill grabbed her hand. "Don't quit! You can do it! Come on now: one and one are two . . . "

"Stop!" Judy's voice was firm as she stepped forward and took command. "She can't process this much information. Professor Bauer's mind is too strong for her." She took Merrill by the shoulder and propelled him out the door as Donna's caretaker swiftly took the little girl away.

Merrill sat down and put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry," Judy said. "It wasn't meant to happen. Surely someone . . . someday . . . but not yet . . . "

Someone . . . someday, Professor Bauer's essence echoed. But mankind isn't ready yet. The secret must remain undiscovered, the promise unfulfilled . . . until people lay down their weapons and learn to live in peace . . . then the gates will open and Paradise will pour upon the earth . . .

Merrill looked up, his face no longer haggard and desperate. "It starts with me," he whispered.

"What?" But Merrill only smiled as he got up and walked toward the door, purpose in his steps. He no longer cherished the dream of finding the power--but of helping Earth get ready to receive it.

THE END

Bio: Lela Marie De La Garza has had work published in Behind Closed Doors, Pound of Flash, ChickLit, Daily Romance, Creepy Gnome, and Mad March Hare. She was born in Denver, CO in 1943 while her father was serving in WWII. She currently resides in San Antonio, TX with three and a half cats, and a visiting raccoon.

Comment on this story in the Aphelion Forum

Return to Aphelion's Index page.