After a summer hiatus, Vessel is back!
The data sprawled before Patrick’s bespectacled eyes – graphs, charts, and a bevy of computational readouts. He had monitored numerous subjects – their vitals and responses all tracked thoroughly. Body temperature, blood pressure, EKG readings, spectrum analysis, and a series of more subjective data filled the pages before him. Patrick felt that he could recite his complex findings by heart, his conclusions were crystal clear. He leaned back in his chair and removed the wire rimmed glasses to rub his moist eyes, he hadn’t slept a full night in weeks. The gravity of his findings were not lost on him, this was huge to say the least. The laboratory was silent but for the hum of the many LCD monitors. Nearly one year had passed since Patrick left his congregation to resume his research on the behalf of Charles Ferguson.
Ferguson had kept true to his word, Patrick had everything he needed. He studied a variety of subjects using some of the most advanced hardware available. CT scanners, Magnetics Resonance Imaging, and Photo acoustic imaging were just some of the devices and methods at his disposal. Other tactics bordered on science fiction and fantasy, but all were objectively considered and thoroughly analyzed again and again.
Patrick believed in his theory, and he was confident in his ability to prove its veracity. But he didn’t expect to find what he had, the results went far beyond anything he had thought possible. He called Ferguson to the hidden laboratory, it was time to discuss the findings and decide a course of action. Patrick never considered where he would go after his research was complete. He also never fathomed what he would find. The implications were too big for him to contemplate alone…he needed to bring Ferguson in on this.
Footsteps roused him from his thoughts. Patrick looked up to see Ferguson walking across the laboratory. Sitting up, Patrick arranged the numerous papers on the table. Ferguson looked haggard, these past months had aged him.
“Are you alright, Charles?” the young priest asked.
Ferguson nodded wearily, “these past few weeks have been rough, Congress is on the verge of passing the birthing ban.”
“What?!” Patrick exclaimed, “there’s no way! How can anyone allow this. It smacks against everything we believe in! It’s just not human!”
“Patrick, there is no cure for the epidemic. Every woman who attempts traditional child birth risks her life, our population cannot afford to lose any more women. At what point does a human’s right succumb to the rights of humanity? Even your church has conceded the point.”
Patrick exhaled deeply as he shook his head. He had paid little attention to the news and politics, all that mattered was his research. Ferguson had related the story of his wife and her pregnancy. Patrick empathized with the man’s torment, if this bill was passed Ferguson’s wife would be required to abort their unborn child – no exceptions would be made. Patrick knew that, for Ferguson, this was not an option.
“Are they even looking for a cure?” Patrick asked.
“They claim to be but I am not involved with that division,” Ferguson replied. “Regardless, it’s a smoke screen. Since Eden Corp. has gotten into the baby making business, the need for natural births has diminished. The ‘birthing procedure’ is clean, easy, and there is no risk to the mother. It’s a PR win-win. It can even be subsidized by the government.”
“Not anymore,” Patrick growled as he pointed to his research. “Nobody is going to come out a winner in the long run, not after this.”
Ferguson’s eyes were like saucers, “you’ve completed your research!?”
“Yes, I could keep going but the results are becoming repetitive, and they are incontrovertible,” Patrick spoke with pride in his work.
“Get to it! Tell me,” Ferguson was nearly shouting as he leaned towards the priest.
This was the moment Patrick had been waiting for, he had worked for so long only to have his theories shut down by the church. He was made out to be a radical fanatic. Now, thanks to Ferguson, he would be vindicated. Patrick stood on the verge of history. His next words would revolutionize science, religion and politics. He swallowed as the magnitude of this reality crashed down on him. Patrick smiled nervously at Ferguson who was literally on the edge of his seat.
Clearing his throat Patrick spoke, “the human soul exists.”
Ferguson sat back in his chair, swallowing deeply, “you’re certain of this.”
Patrick nodded heavily, “My methods were unorthodox, and each discovery taken by itself wouldn’t be enough to establish that the sky is blue, let alone that the soul actually exists. But when taken together, when plotted out, charted and visualized,” he paused and shook his head, “I’ve never been more certain of anything.”
“And these papers prove it? This is the culmination of your work?” Ferguson asked pointing the stack of papers on the table.
Standing, Patrick walked towards a bank of monitors,”yes, but that’s not how I intend to show you. That wouldn’t be convincing.” The young priest hit a few keys on a board in front of the main screen. The picture that appeared showed an elderly man sitting in a chair. He was in his late 70′s, Patrick had come to like him by the end of their interview. Over the next five minutes the gentleman was questioned abut his past, his opinions, his beliefs. Stimuli was presented to him – pictures showing his family, his time in the military, and scenes of graphic violence.
Ferguson cleared his throat, “Patrick, I am impressed by the thoroughness of your techniques, but this proves nothing.”
Raising an eyebrow Patrick smirked, “Do you really think I spent countless hours of research and more of your money than I care to consider just to show you this?”
Ferguson smiled skeptically and motioned for him to continue.
Patrick returned his fingers to the keyboard. The video of the old man faded away, a computer generated outline remained of him against a seemingly black screen. The outline moved as the old man continued to respond to questions. There was no sound. A nearly imperceptible light appeared around the outline, as Patrick worked the keyboard making minute adjustments. The light grew in strength, it changed colors from blue, to yellow to a shocking red. The colors seemed to correspond to the stimuli presented. It was as if a cloud of lights had enveloped the old man.
“What is this?” Ferguson asked, mesmerized by the sight. Patrick smiled at Ferguson’s reaction, it was the same he had the first time he watched this video.
“This, is the soul.”
Ferguson rose slowly from his chair, his mouth agape he walked towards the monitor. Pointing at the picture as if he could touch the amazing display, “It’s, it’s beautiful. So powerful.”
“I know, there are no words,” Patrick whispered. He then hit some more key and a new picture appeared. A pretty young woman with a sweet smile. “This woman is one of the first people birthed from Eden Corp.” He intently watched Ferguson who seemed to recognize the woman.
Again the picture faded to black, leaving only an eerie, CGI outline of the woman. The blackness lingered.
“Where is the light?” Ferguson asked, his brow furrowed quizzically.
Patrick turned to him, the dark monitor glowed mysteriously behind the priest, “There is none, there is no light on any of them.”
Ferguson ran his hands through his hair, breathing deeply, “but…”
Patrick cut him off, “Charles, they have no souls, we are breeding a population of soulless beings.”
Ferguson fell back into his chair, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. “I can’t believe this, I knew there was a consequence but I never imagined it would be this.”
Patrick knew how he felt, it seemed fantastical but it was true. The priest watched Ferguson struggle with this new reality then considered what he was about drop in him next, “there’s more.”
“More?” Ferguson had been staring at his hands but now looked up at Patrick. “What more?”
Patrick motioned towards the monitor. Ferguson watched as the outline of the women moved and responded to the interview. Nothing changed at first, but then Ferguson saw it. He gasped. From within the outline of the woman, where her body would have been, a darkness grew, darker and blacker than the rest of the already dark screen. It seemed to pulsate as the stimuli was presented, the darkness from within was responding to the interview in the same manner as the light around the old man.
“What is this?” Ferguson asked weakly, “I can’t stop looking at it and yet is sickens me. Something about it makes me feel cold…empty inside.”
Patrick nodded, “that’s how I felt the first time I saw it. I don’t know what it is. But we know that nature abhors a vacuum, and where there is empty space, something will fill it. We’ve created empty vessels, it seems that something has decided to take up residence within them. And what ever it is, it’s not good.”
