The Invitation(36)
He looks in bewilderment at his new fingers and sees the myriad endings of numberless capillaries, and finally he sees the epidermal layering of the skin’s integument as it seals and closes over his new appendage. Stupefied, he looks at his legs, and sees the same process taking place. He quickly moves to pull his pant legs up now using both arms, and suddenly stops seemingly stunned that his new arm is so deft, and quick. Pausing for only a moment he starts again to remove his pant legs that were already cut short. Exposing his severed limbs, he sees the miraculous process continue. In stunned amazement he sees the spontaneous generation of knees, legs, and feet, bone somehow growing from itself, the differentiation of tissues, the complex musculature of the thigh, leg, and foot, the intricate vascular patterns of blood vessels, and the living blood beginning to pulse within. After the last layer of skin is added, the strange liquid that achieved this miraculous effect gradually becomes quiescent, and eventually completely inactive. Steve’s new legs are complete. Elapsed time from the moment he entered the enclosed liquid totals less than nine minutes. He looks incredulously at his legs and arm. Still sitting, he touches his legs, then moves them, and then he does something he hasn’t done for more than five years. As his brain gives his body the signal to stand, he slowly rises. After standing, he remains stationary for a moment, utterly stunned, almost waiting to fall over. He takes a step, and then another, and then walks out of the receptacle, and looks at what is beneath his waist. He looks, and in each leg, sees a textbook example of flawless human anatomy. He moves his legs again, and starts jumping as a joyous frenzy comes over him. He starts running, and jumping completely indifferent to the fact that he is barefoot, and only wearing shorts. Openly weeping Rebecca falls to her knees in thankful prayer. Seeing his wife’s humility Steve succumbs to the dramatic emotional poignancy of the moment, and begins weeping. Embracing his wife they melt into each other in a tear soaked ecstasy of gratitude. Some in the crowd began cheering, but its tone is subdued by the still spellbinding anticipation of what will happen next.
Welling up with emotion, Rebecca looks at Ken Myers.
“Thank you, thank you.”
“You needn’t thank me.”
“But I do need to…who? Who do we thank? Who do I thank? I need to. I need to” Steve says.
“You don’t have to do that,” the President says.
“Yes I do. Yes I do. Please, I need to, I need to.”
“Steve, Steve, what you need is a pair of pants.”
“But who did this for me? I… I don’t know what to say, or even think. Is this a dream?”
“Steve, why don’t you go dancing tonight with Rebecca, and try out your new legs. You might like them,” the President says.
Looking upward, Rebecca is reminded that what she is seeing is also being seen by countless millions via the sky view images provided by the strange enormous object still occupying the space above them, and in a tone of practical modesty says to her husband, “Come on honey, let’s go take care of you.”
Looking over her shoulder as she, and Steve walk away, Rebecca once again offers her sincere thanks to the President.
Among those drawn to the human perimeter of awestruck observers watching the incredible events taking place is the Vice President of the United States, Scott Conner. More scientist than politician, he sees what is transpiring in front of him as an unprecedented opportunity to acquire new knowledge. His mind is racing as he wonders what will happen next. He has no idea that he will soon play a major part in the fantastic drama unfolding before him, and as unbelievable as the events of the past hour have been, what follows next will stretch the boundaries of human comprehension.
Chapter Thirteen
All around the world enthralled masses of humanity are witnessing what is unfolding in Miami. In cities on every continent, in urban, and rural areas, most human activity simply stops. Public and private transportation slows to a trickle. In places of cold or inclement weather people watch nonstop television coverage. Vital services for the most part continue, but nearly all other activity comes to a complete global shutdown. Factories stop; schools, offices, places of business, and literally every building that doesn’t have a television set is empty of people. The warm weather of July allows millions across North America to simply walk outside and look skyward to view the spectacle. Streets, parks, open fields, roadsides, public places of every kind are peopled with tens of thousands of spectators uniformly engrossed by the astounding images above them.
In Olympic Stadium, the epicenter of what the entire world is witnessing, thousands have just seen a man who was a triple amputee no more than fifteen minutes ago be given new legs and an arm by some miraculous, inexplicable process. Leaving all stunned to the nth degree, a profound silence comes over the crowd as they apprehensively wait for what comes next.