Revelation, page 33
A huge commotion broke out on the Parliament floor. Many members could be heard shouting ‘Join’ while others seemed to suggest a slower path. Once again, the building started shaking as Michael heard the voices of a million people chanting, “Join! Join! Join!”
The Speaker of Parliament could be heard calling for order and pounding his gavel. Michael went up to the Prime Minister.
“Maybe it’s time for me to take my leave. We need to resume Nisha’s treatment as soon as possible. I doubt there’s any more I can do to influence the result.”
The members had noticed Michael speaking with the Prime Minister and began to settle. The Prime Minister stepped to the podium. “I would like to thank Michael and the Confederation for making the time to meet with us today. In the interests of our dear Nisha, I suggest that we take a short break to say our farewells, then resume in a half hour to take up the motion to approve.”
Michael, Sanjit, Nisha and her husband gathered together, then simply disappeared.
SHUTTLE, ENROUTE TO HAWAII
The four appeared in the passenger cabin of the shuttle. The Subramanians, having never transported before, were overcome by vertigo. Michael and Sanjit held onto them so they didn’t fall. They were led to seats and Michael sat with them.
“Are you two OK? I should’ve warned you about possible vertigo. The transport is so smooth that no one ever notices it. But everyone notices the sudden change of scenery.”
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced, at least since I saw my wife’s tumor shrink an hour ago.” They both broke out laughing, mostly driven by the relief that came from knowing she would soon be well again.
“Apologies, Michael. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Mahesh Subramanian, Nisha’s husband. I cannot thank you enough for healing my wife, then transporting us to Hawaii to finalize her cure. We thought there would never be a cure. And we never thought we would visit Hawaii.”
“Mahesh and Nisha, thank you for coming back with us. Nisha, I think your treatment will take about two days. When we land in Hawaii, we’ll take you to a room where you can get settled. But I want to get you into treatment as soon as possible. So, once you have had a few minutes to relax, we’ll take you to the treatment prep room. Mahesh will be able to accompany you.
“Then, once you’ve been prepped, we’ll take you to another room for the actual treatment. Mahesh, I’m sorry but, as with an operating room, you can’t accompany her there. As the procedure will take about 2 days, we’ll take you back to the residence where you can have some food and possibly meet other patients, their spouses and some of the staff.”
“She’ll be in surgery for two days?” Mahesh asked.
“Technically yes, but not in a way you would recognize as such. Surgery like this is done on a microscopic scale. We will track down the billions of cancer cells in her body and kill them one-by-one. Once that’s done, we’ll repair or replace the damaged tissues in those areas—including the cosmetic surgery that will restore her mouth, face and neck. That’s why it will take two days, possibly more.
“Nisha, I know that sounds scary, but there’s nothing to worry about. You will drift into a deep sleep, one in which most patients report very pleasant dreams. When you awake, you’ll feel better than you have felt in years.”
“There is one side effect of the treatment that I always forget to tell people about… It’s very difficult to rejuvenate only the cells damaged by cancer, so this surgery will also repair some of the natural wear and tear someone of your age has. Which means… you will come out looking, feeling, and being 10, maybe 15 years younger.”
“This is even better than I was hoping for!” Mahesh exclaimed.
“Yes, but I will still be married to this old man!” Nisha complained.
“Well, we can fix that, too.” Michael smiled as they both turned to look at him. “Most of my staff are much older than they appear. This is because they take a weekly rejuvenation treatment.
“We would be more than happy to do that for you, Mahesh. I guarantee it will be the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had, and you’ll wake up feeling and being years younger.”
“Yes.” Nisha said. “He’ll do it!”
“What?” Mahesh replied.
“You’re going to go crazy while I’m away. So, you go in at the same time. When you wake, you won’t be worried about me. And maybe you will be more ready for me, when my younger and no longer deformed body comes back to you.”
He laughed. “Looks like I’m going to get a lot more than I bargained for on this trip.”
“Well, sounds like it’s settled,” Michael said. “I’m going to go talk to the pilot. There are some things I need to take care of before we land. I’ll leave the two of you with Sanjit. We should be landing in about a half hour.”
…
As Michael entered the cockpit, Elsie said, “You seem to pick up more house guests on every trip.”
“Indeed. I do. I like a full house,” he replied.
“It’s going to be very full starting in a few days.”
“So it seems. One hundred or more Ascendants. Several hundred more androids. We cannot handle even the staging for that many. And there is a lot to do before even the first arrive.
“I need to speak with Jiaying. Does she know that Nisha and Mahesh are inbound?”
“Knows two are inbound, but not their names. Shall I connect you to Jiaying?”
“Yes, please,” he said with a smile.
Jiaying’s voice came over the intercom. “On your way back with two in tow, Michael?”
“Yes I am. Nisha and Mahesh Subramanian. We want to get Nisha prepped and in a tank within the hour. Then we want to give Mahesh a good night’s sleep with maximum de-aging in a rejuvenator in the Residence. Can you arrange that?”
“One second…” A pause “It’s arranged.”
“Great. We’ll transport down, so that we can get Nisha started sooner. Meanwhile, what’s the agenda for the weekend?”
“We have you on all four of the major Sunday morning talk shows. Ironically, the 60 Minutes producer called, more-or-less demanding that you appear on his show since you disrupted it last week, then could not assemble a crew during the hours you were available. By the way, those shows all film in New York and are recorded on Saturday.
“Your interviews in New York finish at 2:00 PM Eastern time. So, you’ll be back here in time to give the local news team 15 minutes.
“Then off for a live interview on BBC Sunday morning in London. The French got word of this somehow and called to ask if you could do the same in Paris late Sunday morning with France Televisions.”
…
Michael walked back to where Sanjit and the Subramanians were chatting. It was clear that they were enjoying their time with Sanjit. “You seem to be getting along well.”
Nisha replied. “Sanjit is such a nice boy. I wish my daughter would have met him before she met my son-in-law.”
Michael got a good laugh out of that statement. “Sorry to spoil the party, but there’s been a slight change of plan. The four of us are going to transport down to our facilities, rather than land. We’ll be ready to go in just a minute.”
THE RESIDENCE, KOHALA MOUNTAIN
They materialized in the dining room. The Subramanians seemed to cope better this time.
“OK. We’re in my dining room. Visualize it, then open your eyes.”
“You’re right,” Nisha replied. “If you close your eyes and visualize a different scene, there really isn’t any vertigo.”
“Friends,” said Michael. “Welcome to my home. You will see that it has plenty of space. This is the dining room.”
On hearing their arrival, Noelani came out of the kitchen to greet them. “This is Noelani. Her official role is house manager. But she is trained as a medical technician and will be your host while you are here.”
Nisha said. “What a beautiful woman this is. Michael you’re so lucky. She is your wife, isn’t she?”
“No. Well yes. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, but not my wife…”
“Well what are you waiting for? Marry her!”
Michael and Noelani both broke out laughing.
“Thank you for your interest in my well-being. I’m not sure how to explain this. Noelani and I cannot be married. But… Before you protest that statement, let me introduce you to her. Noelani, this is Nisha and Mahesh Subramanian.
“Nisha suffers from carcinoma as you can see. And we will be treating her for the next couple days.”
Noelani smiled at the new guests.
“Can I interest you in some dinner? I know it’s still early in the day in India. But here it is late in the evening. I’ve been advised that you will both be taking treatments starting tonight. With human medicine you need to fast before treatment. Our technology is different, and it is generally better to have a meal before treatment.”
“What kind of food do you have?” Mahesh inquired.
“Any kind you would like. But tonight’s dinner, in honor of Michael’s trip to India, is Chicken Tikka Masala and Sag Paneer with Basmati rice. Of course, I can make you anything you’d like.”
Nisha was quick to respond. “That would be fine, dear.”
“But, would it be possible to have hamburgers and fries before we leave?” Mahesh asked.
“We can accommodate anything you’d like.”
They all settled in and soon steaming plates of food were placed before them.
As if on cue, Sergeant Butler walked in. “Hi. My name is George. I’m one of the patients here. I smelled the food and thought maybe I could sample some.”
“You’re always welcome here, George. This is Nisha and Mahesh Subramanian. They just came from India. They’re here for treatment.”
“Well you’ve come to the right place. On Monday, I was a quadriplegic strapped into a wheelchair with a blow stick. Today, I can walk. Well, kind of. In a year or so, I’ll be running marathons.”
“Are you the sergeant we saw being healed on TV this week?” Nisha asked.
“That was me. So, what are they going to do for you?”
“Remove the cancer, carcinoma, and associated cosmetic repair.”
“Someone else was here with something a lot worse earlier this week. She left a day and a half later, saying that she looked and felt better than she had in years. I bet you’ll say the same.”
“I hope so. Michael says I need two or more days of therapy.”
“Not to worry. They’ll do a great job. And, what about you, Mahesh? Michael implied you were both getting treatment.”
“I don’t really need treatment. But Michael said her treatment would make Nisha younger, so she said they needed to make me younger also. Is such a thing true?”
“Better believe it. Two people here this week were made 20 years younger. Saw it with my own eyes. They just exuded youth.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Nisha pushed her plate away. “I’m ready. Can you show me to our room? I’ll freshen up, then we can begin.” A pause… “Mahesh too. He’s ready also. So, let’s get started.”
Mahesh looked up, eyes large. “I’m ready?” He saw his wife’s look and restated, “I’m ready!”
“This way…” Noelani indicated the way.
MORE INTERVIEWS
[02.08.2025 2:30 AM] MICHAEL’S BEDROOM, THE RESIDENCE
“Wake up, sleepy head!” Jiaying’s voice came over the intercom. “Your shuttle departs in 10 minutes. Well, actually, it’s already departed.”
Michael got out of bed without even making a response and hit the shower. Noelani must be loading this thing with some sort of stimulant, Michael thought as he stepped out a moment later. Three minutes ago, I could barely open my eyes. Now I’m wide awake.
When Michael got to the dining room, Noelani was waiting with an egg sandwich and a thermos of his favorite coffee. “I made you some breakfast to go. And here’s a second bag for Elsie. You know she’s putting in even more hours than you have, right?”
“Yes. I know. And, you’re putting in your fair share also. The good news is that things should ease up a lot for Elsie starting next week. In the meantime, thanks for taking care of both of us.”
“You ready, Michael?” Elsie’s voice came over the intercom.
“I am, and I’m also bringing your breakfast.”
12,000 MILES ABOVE NEW YORK CITY
“Your first stop this morning is with Meet the Press on NBC, then Face the Nation on CBS, This Week on ABC, then Fox News Sunday,” Elsie said. “They all wanted to provide drivers and escorts, but we declined. You’ve become too famous. Even with an escort out of the building, they would need a huge police cordon just to get you to the limo. We thought it would be safer just to transport you.”
“Thanks for taking good care of me, Elsie.” Michael said.
“I think the good news is that these shows rarely give anyone more than a few minutes. So, none of them will be holding you more than an hour,” Elsie replied, then paused. “OK. I can see the spot where your host at NBC is waiting. OK if I send you down a few minutes early?”
“Let’s do it,” Michael answered.
WAITING ROOM, NBC NEWS
Mac Johnson, the associate director of Meet the Press, waited for his guest in a room that was normally very busy. But today it was blocked for Michael only. The make-up team waited outside so they could start as soon as he arrived. Rumor had it that Michael was to-the-second prompt, but Mac was anxious anyway, worried that they wouldn’t have enough time for the long list of questions they wanted to ask. They’d even gone so far as to book a separate studio for the interview, which was being held clear so there’d be no delays in getting started. As he glanced down at his watch again, Mac heard a small popping sound that startled him. Looking up, he saw that Michael had arrived.
Jumping to his feet, Mac said, “Michael, welcome to NBC News and Meet the Press. My name is Mac Johnson and I cannot tell you how excited we are to have you here with us this morning.”
“Mr. Johnson. Mac. Thank you for such a kind welcome. I’m yours for 45 minutes. What’s the plan?”
While Michael was greeting Mac, the door to the room opened and make-up artists came flooding in.
“Michael, we staged a make-up team and a studio just for you so we could maximize time for the interview. I hope that is OK.” Mac thought, the only other person that gets this treatment is the President.
As this was a new situation, Michael had opened his awareness a bit, enough to hear Mac’s thoughts about the President. Michael replied. “Mac, that’s very considerate of you. I bet no one else gets such gracious treatment, except for maybe the President.”
Mac was momentarily stunned. How did he know that? Mac thought, then remembered a comment from a friend at ABC. “Michael is telepathic. He can read your mind if he wants to. Thankfully, he usually doesn’t want to.”
Oh shit. He thought. What have we gotten ourselves into?
As the make-up team smothered Michael with attention, Mac used his radio to advise the studio that Michael would be there momentarily.
No sooner had the make-up artists started than they had finished. These guys are good, Michael thought. Then Mac whisked him 10 feet down the hall to the studio, where the lights were already up. While Mac was directing Michael to his seat, he heard the interviewer saying, “…with us tonight is none other than Michael the Ascendant, Ambassador from the Intergalactic Confederation of Planets. Welcome, Michael.”
Michael noticed the red light on the camera facing him flip on and said, “Chuck, thank you for having me.”
“Michael, you are the biggest sensation to hit America since the Beatles. No one had heard of you before last Sunday. Now you are tied with the President as the best-known person on Earth, and you have much higher approval ratings. What do you say to that?”
“Chuck. The public’s response is very gratifying, but more importantly, I think it speaks positively about their sensibility and open-mindedness. Many worlds react poorly when they’re made aware of other intelligent life in the universe. This is my twelfth first contact mission. The Confederation’s had over 10,000 first contacts. This one has moved faster than any before it.”
“Were you expecting that?”
“In one sense, I expected it to move fast. Humanity has an incredible talent for sorting out what’s real and what’s not. My first exposure to humanity was a little over two thousand years ago. One of the items in my report had to do with humanity’s incisiveness. You, as a species, seem to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff in a way that few species can. This is one of the things that drew me back to Earth. It drove me to ask the Confederation for the opportunity to be your ambassador.
“In another sense, I didn’t think things would move this fast, because the Earth’s political leaders are, for the most part, deeply entrenched and resistant to any prospective changes in the balance of power.”
Chuck seemed taken back for a moment. “That’s an interesting observation, Michael. But let me cycle back… You say you have been on Earth for two thousand years?”
“No.” Michael said. “My first visit to Earth was a little over two thousand years ago. I was sent to study the Roman Empire and spent about 5 years touring the empire, with a disproportionate amount of that time spent in the Middle East.”
“Why the Middle East?”
“The answer to that question is simple but let me give a little more context. There were two dominant powers on Earth at the time, the Romans and the Chinese, each of which was struggling to control conquered territory. Through the ages we’ve found that you can learn a lot about a species’ likelihood of long-term survival by studying their conflicts. I was assigned to study Rome; a colleague was assigned to China. The major conflict in the Roman Empire at that time was in the Middle East.”
