IMAGINATION'S PLACE
FICTION
VISITING AN OLD ADVERSARY
By: Gerald A. Polley
The Ancient One and his companions were preparing to go out
for a night's hunting when The Ancient One visited the place
where the government left messages for him. He opened the email
and found a message from the head of the suppression unit.
"Been contacted by some people in the government," it
said, "asking a favor. Someone that was involved with
Operation New Hope would like to see you. It's a very important
matter involving an innocent. He's at the address below in
Maryland. If you could stop by it would be appreciated. Mrs.
W."
The Ancient One's female companion looked at the message.
"Isn't that where they were making the children," she
asked, "the clones?"
"Yes," The Ancient One answered, 'let's go! Won't hurt
us to stop by and see what they want."
"Why bother?" his male companion asked.
The Ancient One just shook his head and they took off. They
arrived at a very lavish home. They entered through a sliding
door off the garden. They had barely got inside than an older man
appeared. "Thank you for coming!" he remarked.
The Ancient One raised his hand. "I don't like you," he
snapped, "I don't want to be here. I'm only here because I
owe someone else many favors. Tell me what you want and be quick
about it!"
The man nodded. "The children you took," he explained,
"were created from our cells, and our relatives' cells.
Several of the girls were copies of my sister. My sister has gone
into liver failure. She only has a few weeks. She needs a liver
transplant. One of those girls would be a perfect match. We could
remove a piece of her liver and put it in my sister. She would
suffer no ill effects. I ask you to let me know where one of them
is so we can contact her and try to get her to donate some of her
liver. If her family isn't doing well, we can make it worth her
while."
The Ancient One stared. "You mean after what you put those
children through," he remarked, "you would expect one
of them to help your sister? You peoples' ignorance really
disturbs me! To put it in language you'll understand, go to hell!
Come on, folks, let's go! Our business here is done."
"My sister's an innocent," the man begged. "She's
never been involved in anything. She has no idea what I have been
doing. Please, in the name of God! She's a good woman. Have a
little pity, have a little mercy!"
The Ancient One stared at him. "Apparently," he
remarked, "nobody's told you. I don't possess those
attributes." Again he turned to leave when a bright light
appeared in the room. It shivered and coalesced into a young
woman. "Father Of Fathers," the young woman cried,
"please help him? I am what he seeks. Please give him my
address? He is right. The one I was taken from is a good woman.
She unknowingly tries to undo a lot of the things he has been
doing. Her continued existence will be of benefit to Those who
serve The Light."
The Ancient One stared at her, and the man looked on in total
bewilderment. The Ancient One turned back to him. "Do you
understand what will happen if you disturb her in any other way
other than to get what you need for your sister? There will be no
place on Earth where you would be safe from me." The Ancient
One held out his hand. A silver light shot from it and struck the
man in the forehead. "I've put my mark on you," The
Ancient One continued. I can find you anywhere." He turned
to the young woman. "Give him your name and address!"
he snapped, "but if there's any problems, any at all, let me
know immediately."
"Yes, Father Of Fathers!" the woman answered. She gave
the man her address and faded away.
"Thank you!" the man muttered as The Ancient One turned
to leave.
"Don't thank me," The Ancient One answered not looking
back, "thank her. If it was up to me I'd rip your heart out
and hand it to you. Be grateful you're needed right now! There's
bigger game for me to hunt. DON'T make yourself more
important!"
"I won't," the man answered as The Ancient One
continued out the door, "I won't." The Ancient One and
his companions took flight. "Sometimes," his male
companion remarked, "some of the bargains we have to make
are a real pain!"
"Can't argue that!" The Ancient One agreed, "But
we still have to make them if we want this race to survive."
"The girl's got character," his female companion
remarked.
"She's worth saving!"
"Agreed!" The Ancient One answered, "Agreed!"
THE END