Jacob's Demon
By Gianni
DeVincentis Hayes
Dedication
A very special inscription to the Reverend
Don Mitchell and his wife Pat
for their time and guidance.
To my select few friends who have responded
to my request
to read this ms. to give me feedback, and
to all those out there
“in the know,” but expecially to
those who aren’t …
And, as always, a thanks to my understanding
and supportive family.
—Gianni DeVincentis Hayes
Prologue
January 2005
This is a novel of “alternative reality” set about five years
after the government imposed a military state on the world to
head off the supposed Y2K chaos at the turn of the century.
Philadelphia
The scientist studied the numbers on the paper setting atop
the lab counter, wondering why he couldn’t figure out the one
clue he needed to create the world’s most important substance.
“Here’s the newspaper, Prof,” said one of his student research
assistants, as he handed it to him.
“Humph,” mumbled Dr. Jacob Ben Abrams, senior professor and
researcher. He took the paper from his graduate student and
shoved it inside one of the manuals on the counter to set it
out of the way. He spun around on his stool and stuck a vial
inside a scintillation counter and waited for it to process,
his mind on the formula. Minutes later, he turned to another
of his research assistants and asked, “Baker, would you mind
grabbing my brown bag out of the fridge?”
“Yessir.” The student walked over to the refrigerator and
pulled out the sack. “It’s a wonder you don’t mix up your lunch
with your research studies.”
Ben Abrams grunted, took the bag, and returned to the stool
to read while eating his tuna fish, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich,
as he did every day. He flipped open the book near him and reached
for the newspaper. It was part of his penchant for details that
had him preferring small tidbits over feature articles when
his eyes caught sight of a photo buried deep in the “world”
section of the newspaper. He read the caption underneath the
picture:
A. Natas Ka Live, Coordinator of the Multinational Committee
for Global Unification, sits at a desk with the Israeli Prime
Minister to sign a peace treaty, guaranteeing Israel protection
from all adversaries. Standing behind them are U.S. President
Jonathan Jackel, Spain’s Juan Carlos, as well as Prince Charles,
Rockefeller, DeLorean, and Hapsburg.
Farther down the page was information in a brief article
that caught Jake’s interest:
Later in the day, Rockefeller will present a talk to the
Trilateral Commission and the Bilderbergers encouraging the
name change for A. Natas Ka Live from “Coordinator” to “Federation
President.”
“Figures,” grumbled the scientist, studying the picture,
staring at the tall, youthful figure of the 55-year-old man
named A. Natas Ka Live. In his every fiber, the scientist sensed
something wrong
Another RA walked into the spacious lab carrying a piece
of paper. He handed it to Jake while saying, "It's a Russell
Langston from Alchemy Technology. The phone number’s on there."
Jake waved the paper away. “I keep telling those people at
Al-Tech that I’m not interested in any offer from them. Throw
the paper away.”
Chapter One
Philadelphia
March
2007
Jake and a colleague sat at one of the tables in a university
dining room, talking about scientific research, the students,
academic freedom, and a slew of other topics they seemed to
jump to.
“So, how’s your research going?” the professor and agricultural
research scientist named Robert Bouchard asked Jake.
“Fine, fine. I’m about there. It’ll make me a fortune.”
Bouchard shook his head. “You lucky son-of-a-gun. I wish
I had developed something that valuable. What do I do all day?
Study farm animals and crops.” Bouchard bit into his sandwich.
“What’s your formula worth, Jake? A million?”
Jake snorted. “Billions . . . because it’ll cure the biggest
plague we have today.” He pushed his plate away. “But if it’s
not used right, it’ll wipe out civilization, so I’m not ready
to sell it yet.”
“Billions! Good God, Jake! But you have to sell it to a manufacturer
because you could never mass produce it yourself.”
Jake nodded. “A couple of pharmaceutical companies have been
bugging me for years to sell my formula to them but I won’t
until I build in some safeguards. Decimating the planet because
of its improper usage is not what I had in mind. I want to save
people, not kill them.”
“What pharmaceutical companies?”
Jake shrugged. “Al-Tech is one.”
“They’re the biggest and could certainly afford any dollar
sign you put on it.”
Jake stood, signaling he was ready to walk back to his lab.
Bouchard got in step with him.
“This must be your time, Jacob. Everything’s going your way.
The dean and your department chair cater to your desires, you’ll
soon be probably the wealthiest man in the world, and you have
a beautiful wife and—”
“I worry about the world.”
“You’re neurotic. You worry about everything. Look at the
time we’re living in, Jake; it’s the best it’s ever been. In
the last three years we’ve had a bullish economy; peace and
cooperation reign among all countries; an extremely low crime
rate coupled with even lower taxes and a high employment rate
have made the world safe and prosperous to live in. Even the
road rage of the Nineties is gone, When President Ka Live took
office in 2005, he had imposed curfews, made welfare workers
find jobs, instituted a fair national health system, saved Social
Security, and did a number of other near miracles to make the
world safer and healthier. Through him, leisure activities have
returned to a workaholic society as has spending more time with
family members since workers can make more money in less time,
allowing us to do things with spouses and children. You know,
Jake, when you get right down to it, Ka Live has given this
world outright euphoria. Everywhere you go people are nice,
upbeat, kind, honest; they really seem to like one another and
life as a whole. At last, there is hope again for a world that,
until he had taken office, was going sour.
“I can see you’re a Ka Live fan.”
“Who isn’t? Everyone loves him. He’s done a lot of good for
all of us.” Bouchard stopped in front of his building. “Don’t
you like him?”
Jake hunched his shoulders. “I’m not sure I trust him . .
. even with his ‘miracle three-plus years in office,’ as you
refer to it.”
Bouchard laughed, turned to go into his building, paused,
said, “Billions, huh?”
Jake smiled, walked on toward his lab.
* * * *
In their three-story brick home on the outskirts of the city,
Dr. Jacob Ben Abrams and his wife Anne sat watching the 11:00
evening news. Jake flipped on a channel on their HDTV and watched
the screen intently, listening to the announcer say: “Hurricane
Olivia hit the East Coast with such force that the resort of
Myrtle Beach shores were partially submerged within seconds.
Hundreds have died, thousands are injured. This is the worst
tropical storm in all of 2007—one that will go down in history
as costing billions of dollars. . . . And on the world front—”
Jake turned the volume up; Annie leaned forward.
“The President of the new World Federation, Natas Ka Live,
announced significant changes today at the global confederacy
meeting. He blasted the leadership of Luxembourg, Portugal,
and the Netherlands, then dismissed each of these countries
from the Federation, reducing membership to ten nations instead
of thirteen. He also changed the title of President of the United
States to ‘National Director,’ which purportedly hasn’t made
Jonathan Jackel pleased. The title of United States Vice President
was changed, as well, to National Deputy Director, while the
titles of other Cabinet offices are still under deliberation.
The Federation President also said that in the future, appointments—all
to be made by him—will replace elections.
“Additionally,” the announcer went on to say, “President
Ka Live has diminished America’s role in the Confederacy, thus
making way for the revived or unified Roman Empire to replace
America as a major player in global affairs. The world president
also said that the logo of the woman on a horse to be used in
the future world common currency will remain in spite of complaints
by certain Christian groups. Said the Federation President in
a press conference, ‘The world economy is the best it’s been
in the last three years; peace reigns around the universe with
not one military outbreak anywhere; crime is at its lowest;
the homeless are now greatly reduced in number; and many hospitals
have closed simply because disease has been limited to the marginal
areas of Third World countries and also because a one-world
health system has resulted in better care. Additionally, the
treaty of protection I signed with Israeli’s prime minister
has given his people a great sense of peace and serenity. Since
I’ve taken office amid all the chaos of the world, our planet
has become the safest, wealthiest, and healthiest it’s ever
been. I’m achieving everything I planned. My months of traveling
from country to country in acquiring diplomatic relations and
peace among all nations has paid off.”
Jake hit the remote’s “off” button. “He scares me. Besides,
he makes it sound like everything’s wonderful–a utopia–when
I’m beginning to see more crime than I’ve ever seen. What’s
he doing–living in a cave? Maybe he ought to get out on the
streets and see what’s starting to take place!”
“But everyone loves him. At fifty-five he’s still young and
handsome, with his dark hair, deep dimples, endearing smile,
and dancing eyes. Anyone who’s met him says he’s so charismatic
that they’d lie down and die for him. He has done a lot for
a world that was going to hell before he was elected world president.”
“Elected?” Jake rose from the couch. “The man and his committee
empowered himself."
“Stop yelling,” she scolded.
“I’m not yelling!” he yelled. “And this one-world currency
is ridiculous. What’s the matter with the American dollar?”
“There is hardly an ‘America’ anymore, or at least not one
that’s the most powerful leader. Like all other countries, we’re
losing our sovereignty.” Annie shut off the lamp next to the
end table in the family room. “I can understand those Christians
getting upset over that profane image on the currency.”
Jake set the house’s alarm system as they headed upstairs.
“Those Christians no longer have the impact they had in the
early Nineties. Spiritualism, New Age-ism, is the growing religion,
and it’s gaining a real foothold all over. Too bad, too.”
They climbed the stairwell arm in arm, the wall light their
only source of illumination.
She stopped and looked at him on the poorly lit steps. “My
my, Dr. Jacob Ben Abrams, since when have you started worrying
about the Christians?” A smile played at the corner of her mouth.
“I worry about the state of this world a lot.” He shook his
head as an uneasiness began to fill him. “I only go on day to
day, Annie, for you.”
“Ha!” she laughed. “Who you kidding? You mean for your VAB-60.”
“Married forty years and you think you know me inside and
out.” He chuckled. “VAB will make a difference for us, honey.
We’re on our way to wealth and fame.”
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