Christian Clarity Review

Chapter Ten

Jack’s Office

Jack: How is Dmitri?

Henry: They’ll know in a couple of days. He’s in Jefferson Memorial right now. They’ll keep him for observation. He was a little hysterical.

Jack: Strange days.

Henry: Yeah.

Jack: I don’t understand what you’re saying. The DNA molecule was broken up and the parts used as some sort of pictographic alphabet? What does it say?

Henry: That is what it says–what we call Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid. And much more.

Jack: Either I’m trying to infer something because how you are taking this –that isn’t there, or you aren’t telling me everything.

Henry: There’s only one way to assemble the characters, one way because a true representation of DNA can only be constructed one way and still be DNA — to do the function that DNA performs.

Jack: Why break it up into some kind of puzzle? You are saying it’s a whole language?

Henry: It’s not a puzzle. It’s a lexicon.

Jack: That’s a leap. You can map it back and forth from one to the other but that doesn’t tell you what is being said.

Henry: What the difference? They are the same; the shape and the speech. Function follows form and form follows function. Either way in reality certain forms, shapes are tied to certain functions and visa versa. You can’t just throw out what you know of physical reality just because you found a new piece.

Jack looks over the report.

Henry: If the DNA molecule wasn’t constructed the way it is constructed, it would not perform the function it now performs. If it didn’t perform the function it performs, it wouldn’t be shaped as it is. We know dysfunctional DNA by the shape it assumes, what it turns into–which is not the normal shape for normal DNA. Shape is the key. It wouldn’t be the molecule we have named DNA if it doesn’t hold to that shape at all times. It’s the same shape every time, the same function every time. Not to be simplistic, but that’s why it gets it’s own significant name.

Jack: Everyone knows that.

Henry: You don’t seem to be phased by all of this. The hand, the artifact the earthquake..

Jack: Now hold on a minute. Just look at it from my perspective. I’m in charge of what is essentially a bureaucracy. Every day people come to me using their own version of incredulity to get what they want –their slice of the budget. On a certain level I’m deaf to it. Maybe I should be more wowed by all this. But I’m not. It’s just part of the whole process of growth and exploration. Strange things come up. Remember the supposed face on Mars, the Cydonia debacle? It’s not that I’m not open to new things. It’s just that I don’t want to hear one urgency over another artificially. I get this all the time. But granted. These are ..different.

Henry: If it reproduces itself and does not hold to a specific shape it will not only not perform its normal function, but will die and in turn bring about the death of the larger organism that was dependant on it to perform that function and hold that shape. Language is the same.

Jack: Okay.

Henry: Whoever made this invented an unambiguous alphabet and vocabulary. There are a lot of different ways to put the pieces together, but only one that is factual and true–one that holds to the original image and the original message. Of life. They made that alphabet for a purpose. You can’t lie with it. If you did it wouldn’t work—it wouldn’t fit and wouldn’t be alive.

Jack: I don’t see how you’re getting that out of this. That thing could match lots of shapes we just don’t have representations of for whatever reason. Have you considered it could be a one hundred percent match to another shape or shapes as well? Have you tested the program on other samples?

Henry: That’s the whole point, Jack. Don’t be obtuse. It’s an entire language contained within the shapes of the parts of the DNA molecule, not just one word that is “D” “N” “A”. It has to be a match to more than one shape. An infinite variety of actual flesh is made of the DNA molecule, but only living human flesh is made in that particular shape contained within the rectangle. The only difference between them is how the molecule is arranged—shaped. But those shapes can be words as well. Whatever the shape is, so is the word—the living thing. Don’t you see? We write the same way. We associate shapes and pronounce words based on how the letters are grouped into associated shapes. You wouldn’t have to say very much to perfectly communicate with this language–it’s extremely efficient. Imagine the possibility of never being able to speak an untruth, not from lack of knowledge–or impossible to speak a lie, not from a moral or free will point of view, but purely from the mechanics of the language itself. We’re talking about an extremely advanced civilization both morally and technologically.

Jack: If what you are saying is true. That’s a big if. I don’t see the link between the DNA molecule and language–or a lexicon. Okay, there is a match in rearranging the pieces that seems to construct something, but that could be coincidence. You have to rule that out.

Henry: Why?

Jack: You are not being objective.

Henry: Don’t tell me you don’t see this! I know it’s in the middle of everything else. I know it doesn’t fit the program. But that doesn’t make it go away.

Henry picks up the printout and places it back in the case.”We’ll need to study this more of course. But coupled with the telomeric evidence of perfect health, pure gold and now perfect representation to living DNA…”

Jack: That means you want money.

Henry: How can you not see this?! Yes. I want money. I want a grant just for this. Hands off by the other departments.

Jack: It can’t be more important than other projects just because you want it to be. We don’t know why it was made or what it was doing in Antarctica. Does it have anything to do with what happened to the first crew? All you’ve got now are theories. We’ve got a second crew on the way. Last word was they were three or four days from the site. If you can come up with some real answers I’ll pass them along. We’ll work on it some more until then.”

“We?” Henry says pointedly. “You don’t make that call. I’ll go to Larry Wilkins. He’ll at least tell them so they can know what’s going on. You may be a civilian plus and you may be in charge of the funding. I may have to come up here and keep you informed. But you are not NASA.”

There is a silence.

Henry: We’ve been watching the videos from the past several weeks. The crew seemed to be speaking to themselves more and more and to each other less and less.

Jack: Speaking to themselves?

Henry: They never stop except to speak to each other.

Jack: What are they saying?

Henry: Nothing intelligble. Nothing in any language we know.

Jack: Don’t play coy. You’re trying to draw a line from their strange behavior to this plate.

Henry: I’ve got no reason to think they saw it or even knew of it’s existence.

Jack: But the behavior is strange and we did find the plate near the site.”

Henry: Well there is that.

Jack: Okay.

Henry walks toward the door. “By the way, they found some tunnels. Had you heard about that?”

Jack: The reports said it was old lava flows. Underground isn’t as solid as you think it is.

Henry: Okay.

Jack: I just want you to know you can always come to me with whatever you are thinking. I may not agree, but I’ll listen. Understand?”

Henry just stares at him.

Jack: Oh! If it is language, how would you pronounce it?

Henry lets the door close and walks slowly toward the elevator.

—————————————–

Underground:

The crew are gathered around a central console in the aft compartment looking over a holographic schematic of the site.

Hayt: The crew quarters are here on the top level, along the south perimeter. The control room, offices, medical facilities and the mess complete the level to the north and east. You’ll notice the site looks like a horseshoe with the west end cut off. Levels two through seven are for experiments, storage and more offices as the site grows. They have yet to be complete. The red is what is already complete, up and running. Yellow is the future plans. This area here, the whole of the west, has been reserved for docking bays for subterrenes and in the far future a possible subway system to the site.

Hayt points to the bottom level on the west side. “At present these two levels, are the docking bays we have. Their subterrene is here on six..or at least that’s what we think. You’ll notice five is in yellow so far. We’ll be docking on five in about two hours.”

Why the long separation?” Mary points to the long shaft that connects the top two complete levels with the lowest level.

Hayt indicates the bottom level. “The bottom level is the power plant, a larger reactor than what we’ve got. It’s not the most ideal solution, but it works for now. The lift is electric and hydraulic.”

“Are we going to hit their trail? The tunnel they made going in?” Mike is watching the sonar.

“No. They went in from the south. Their’s is a smaller model subterrene that was flown in and assembled at McMurdo. The site is built, in fact was chosen for the solid rock of the whole area. There aren’t any shafts or caverns except for theirs. We’re coming in from the west.” Izzy indicates their route. “Once the tunnels are complete..”

Mary: Why not just use their tunnel?

Gregg shifts in his seat and sits up, twirling his watch absently. “The sub’s themselves. From what Bill has said, these machines don’t run well in open tunnels over distance.”

Hayt smiles. “You’re operating, as they say, tomorrows technology today that’s already headed to mothballs. But until then, we’ve got to get on site and tunnel back out.”

Gregg: Seems a shame. It’s a beautiful beast. It’s art.

“I suppose so.” Izzy switches off the schematic.

Albright smiles. “We’re comrades in exploration and rescue. We’re making history.”

“In the midst of the solving of the grand existential, bringing light, English, Colombian coffee and the stench of human excrement to the ancient darkness.” Gregg adds casually.

“At two thousand degrees Fahrenheit in the belly of a beautiful, already obsolete beast.” Mary says softly.

Izzy sees the common spark in them that has been missing. “We are the sons and spiritual technology of God masquerading to ourselves and the rest as the emotional fulfillment and merchandise of creatures we know nothing of, making what is not yet seen, the foundations of the invisible, intelligent unknown.”

“Here. Here.” It is Hayt, who has stopped his own calculations. “Renissance Man. Is there another you in there?”

Izzy opens a drawer and pulls out a small box as the others exchange looks. “Where do any words come from? Who cares as long as the right ones get said?” He opens the box and hands Mary a patch. He takes another and reaches over to Albright; walks over to Gregg and Hayt, hands them their own.

The image sewn on the black background with yellow thread is rays of light with a human hand reaching out from the center of the light. A motto is sewn across the bottom in red. “The motto is Latin. “Ad sum!” It means…”

“I am here.” Mike rises from his seat and walks over to get his own.

Izzy hands Mike a patch. “There is no official patch for us as a unit as the project doesn’t officially exist. But for us, among ourselves, the very few who came and are here now… It goes on the right arm. Like so.” Izzy attaches his own to the Velcro. “Ad sum.”

“Ad sum.” They all said quietly, attaching their own.

Albright smirks. “I always thought I’d hate this boy scout bullshit if it ever came. But it’s actually not bad. I feel as if I have …buddies.”

Hayt grins. “Good words all.”

The floor shifts under them as the subterrene surges forward quickly only to suddenly come to almost a complete stop before moving on. Izzy and Hayt helped Mary, Albright and Gregg off the floor.

“What did we hit? An air pocket?” Gregg wipes up the remnants of his coffee.

Izzy: Mike?

Mike: We hit the first of what looks like a maze of caverns.”

Hayt: That can’t be right. This area is all solid, virgin rock. That’s why we…

He stops, as the sonar sweep reveals a maze of caverns. Punching the keypad he calls up the measurements. “At least that’s what we thought.” He turns quickly and ducks under the doorway to the control room. Izzy follows behind.

Jimmy blinks slowly.

Mary sees him swallow carefully and lick his lips. Reaching into the compartment above him, she takes out a packet of water, opens one end and inserts a straw.

He smiles weakly and accepts the straw awkwardly with his mouth.

“Careful, there, you’ve had quite a little swim.” Mary wipes his mouth.

He speaks very quietly.

Mary leans closer.

“What’s you’re name?” He says again.

“Mary Jo. But everyone calls me Mary.”

He nods slowly and carefully looks around to see who can hear him. “What’s mine?”

She can see he is serious. Pulling a small flashlight out of her pocket, she holds the light in one his eyes and quickly moves the light away. The pupil has not reacted at all. One pupil is larger than the other. She holds the light into the smaller pupil and moves it away quickly. It grew a bit and then receded. She smiles, glad Izzy had told her. “James. But everyone calls you Jimmy.”

He nods and closes his eyes. “Jimmy. Jimmy.”

Mary pats him on the shoulder and goes to see what is happening.

Hayt is punching up his own sonar. He plots a course between the tunnels.

Baxter is beside him. “How bad is it?”

“We’re okay. It’s just better to not ram the rock on the other side next time we go through one of those. I’m slowing us down.” He taps the keyboard.

Izzy can feel the inertia carry him forward slightly as they slow. “What does this do to the time table?”

We’re only a couple of miles away from the site anyway. But instead of forming another docking bay, we may be crawling up one that’s already there—I think. Look at this!”

The sonar data refreshed on the screen to reveal a vast network of tunnels and huge caverns.

“Have they done this since they’ve been here?”

“They couldn’t have. The size of the tunnels is larger than ours. They’re subterrene is smaller.”

“Natural caverns?”

Hayt shook his head. “I thought maybe.. But look at the readings. They’re symmetrical. And honeycombed with microtunnels all around them. Those were made.”

————————————————–

Ezekiel 8:8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen