The Chosen

THE CHOSEN

FEAR. That would describe the sentiment felt by the citizens of the nation’s Capital. War, inflation, streets filled with the lost and homeless, random acts of gratuitous violence, and now this. Ezekiel Chambers and his wife, Ruth, listened intently to the breaking news displayed on the 55-inch screen mounted on the wall in their kitchen.

The Pentagon has released scores of UFO files, with descriptions of reported sightings of orbs, discs, and fireballs spanning 80 years. The release was inspired by recent eyewitness accounts across the nation of orange orbs swarming in all directions. Even the President seemed befuddled, as shown in a 2 am post, which read, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! HAVE FUN AND ENJOY.

“Still think we’re alone in this vast universe?” Ruth asked her husband, who was sipping on a cup of coffee.

“Until they show themselves, these so-called sightings are just unidentified anomalous phenomena.” Ezekiel replied, with a tone of skepticism. “Take the man’s advice, Ruth. Have fun and enjoy.”

“It’s amazing how he offers such a sanguine reaction to that news. A farmer in Lubbock, Texas claims seeing objects flying low to the ground at high speeds. They would maneuver, then disappear at the blink of an eye. We are not alone.” Ruth retorted. “Well, I’ve got an early procedure at the hospital. I’m concerned about Moses. He’s been acting awfully strange lately. Have you noticed?”

“Yep.It’s a kind of strange I can’t put into words. Seems like he’s matured into a middle-aged man this past week. Now that he’s graduated from Georgetown, he’s probably worried about entering a precarious job market.” Ezekiel offered.

“Ezekiel, our boy, our young man, has a degree in electrical engineering.”Ruth responded. “The precarity of the job market shouldn’t apply to him.”She went to the sink and rinsed her coffee cup before placing it in the dishwasher. Then, the 45-year-old pediatrician gave her husband a peck on his cheek before exiting the kitchen.

Ezekiel poured himself another cup of coffee. He was on summer break from his role as a professor of mathematics at George Washington University. Ruth worked at Mt. Sinai Hospital, a few miles away and a stone’s throw from the White House.

           Shortly after Ruth left the house, there was a rapping on the front door. Who could that be? Was Moses expecting a visitor? When Ezekiel opened the door, he saw that it was Savannah, Moses’ girlfriend.

           “Hello, Dr. Chambers, is Moses home?” She asked.

           “Hey, Savannah. He’s in his room. Come in, please.” Ezekiel offered the young lady a seat in the living room, then excused himself. He ascended the staircase of the two-story abode and knocked on Moses’ bedroom door.

           “Yes. Come in.”Moses said. Ezekiel entered.

           “Savannah dropped by Moses. She’s downstairs.”

           “Dad, tell her I’m waiting to respond to job inquiries. I can’t leave my screen now.”

           “Okay, I’ll tell her you’ll call her later. Is everything alright? You seem to be preoccupied these past few days, Moses.”Ezekiel tried not sounding overly concerned, even though he was. Moses referred to him as Dad, as opposed to Pop. He wondered if his girl sensed anything different when it came to Moses.

           “Thanks, Dad. Say, I’ve got some news for you and Mother. We can talk over dinner. Is that okay?” Moses asked.

           “Sure, son. Looking forward to it.” Mother?Since when did he refer to his Mom as mother? Strange, he thought, before returning downstairs.

           Savannah stood as soon as he entered the living room, as if knowing that Moses wasn’t coming to meet with her.

           “Moses says he’s busy applying for job opportunities.He’s been pretty much glued to his laptop lately. Has he seemed anxious lately?” Ezekiel queried Savannah.

           “There’s an aloofness I’ve never felt before, Dr. Chambers. His cell goes straight to voicemail. He would call me back and claim he had a lot going on. Well, tell Moses I’ll speak with him later.”

           “I will, Savannah. You take care.” Ezekiel walked her to the front door, and they said their goodbyes. He returned to the kitchen and resumed watching the ominous broadcasts of unidentified anomalous phenomena… 

Later that day, Ruth decided to make crawfish etouffee. It was Moses’ favorite meal. When the 6 o’clock hour arrived, Moses entered the kitchen. He was carrying a laptop. He placed it on the countertop, then addressed his parents, who were delighted that he had news to share with them over an evening meal.He opened the laptop as he sat on a counter stool across from them.

           “I’m glad you two are sitting down. I have some important information to share.”Moses peered into his laptop’s screen, then shifted it around so that they could see the screen. “What I am about to share with you will be shocking.I am not who I appear to be. My name is Zor and I hail from the planet Uron.I am the body double of your son, Moses.I think you all call it a clone.Your son is fine, as you can see for yourselves.” Moses appeared on the screen. Ezekiel and Ruth were shocked, with both mouths partially agape.

           “Mom, Pop, I’m okay. I’m in another world but doing fine. Please listen to what Zor must share. Believe me, at first it will challenge the depths of your imaginings.The event will take place in a week.We can communicate each day until then.”The image of Moses went blank.Ruth addressed the body double.

           “Son, I applaud the intrigue of this elaborate prank.But please indulge us. What event are you speaking about?” She questioned.

           “That would be this coming fourth of July, the day commemorating the 250th anniversary of your nation’s independence.On that day, spacecraft from our planet will land at various locations throughout the nation to transport the chosen to our planet.” Zor replied.

           “Where is your home, and who are the chosen?”Ezekiel asked. He was once the skeptic. Now, his gut told him otherwise.

           “The planet Uron is 500,000 miles away from Earth, undetected due to the invisibility shield surrounding us; making our world undetectable to earth’s telescopes or radar. Our mission is to transport 100,000 of what we consider to be the most resilient of your species. Such an infusion would be a boon to our dwindling population, a situation like the Earth’s nation of Japan. You see, our genetic phenotype is quite like yours. We share a 99% DNA composition. However, a common feature of our genome has endowed us with skin tones of a darker hue. Therefore, we share more likeness to your African American citizenry. And that is why the United States was designated as the place to plant clones, who served mainly to integrate themselves into the cultural milieu; the language, customs, and history of Black people.”

           “Why the United States, and not Africa, or other regions where people of darker hues reside?” Ezekiel asked.

           “We have observed and studied the historical progression of your species for hundreds of years across your globe. The evolution of black people brought here from their homeland, against their will, and against all odds, has demonstrated a resiliency unmatched among other ethnic groups in existence on this planet.The best and brightest from such a group of people would be a welcomed migration to our planet.” Zor, the body double, paused, then Ruth posed a question.

           “Exactly how do you procure these body doubles, or clones? How am I witnessing my son’s identical twin? You look and sound exactly like him, but not once have you gone to the stove to smell the aroma of your favorite cuisine or given me your customary hug. Tell me, how?”

           “You would have to ask our genetic scientists.They’ve mastered sound and imagery with respect to phenotype duplication. I have been programmed to those basics, not to the nuances of sensibilities, like food preferences or colloquialisms of speech. Please allow me to elucidate. Phase one of our initiative was to identify those chosen to migrate, should they wish, to our world. Phase two involved the abduction of a chosen household member, who would be transported to our planet. A replica of that member would be produced, then transported back to Earth, for the purpose of explaining our mission, as I am doing with you now. We abducted Moses this past weekend when you two went to Virginia Beach. His body double, yours truly, was back that Sunday evening. A journey to our planet takes 90 minutes.

           “The penultimate phase will entail the chosen communicating with their loved ones, who are now guests on our planet. You can do this by way of this laptop. Hear for yourselves, from Moses, what life is like in our world. You will also be able to access information about our history and our way of life, through the files contained on this device.” Zor explained.

           “You said should they wish to migrate. Am I to understand that this is voluntary?”Ezekiel asked.

           “Absolutely. We are not a species who seeks dominion over the weak or powerless. That has been your way. Our analytics show that your world is on the brink of thermonuclear holocaust. And America, with its internal strife, moral, physical, and spiritual bankruptcy, will soon follow in the footsteps of the once Roman empire.” Zor paused, then continued.

           “The final phase will take place six days from now, ample time for you to decide whether to stay, or to follow me on the day of July the 4th, at the noon hour, to the site where a spacecraft will be in place to transport those chosen to begin anew in our parallel world.I will be returning. Should you elect to stay, Moses will be informed of your decision. He can decide to remain, or to be transported back to Earth. So, to answer your question, there is no coercion here. Why would we want those who are unwilling to integrate themselves into our way of life? As scientists, and as African Americans, you must know that despite the middle-class amenities afforded you, you will always be doomed to a subordinate status within a nation founded on the ideology of racial and class distinctions. In the words of your WEB DuBois, your souls are measured by the tape of a world that looks on with amused contempt and pity.Why not join us? Can you not relate to the poet Langston Hughes? Ah, we should have a land of joy, of love and joy and wine and song, and not this land where joy is wrong.”

           Ezekiel leaned over and buried his head between his trembling hands. There was no doubt. This individual speaking was not his son, Moses. Ruth knew as well as she gently put her arms around Ezekiel’s narrow shoulders.Their child was distant miles away.If they elected to stay, would Moses return home to them, or remain, consumed with wanderlust and unbridled wonderment?

           “I know this has been overwhelming. To alleviate your fears, or lingering doubt as to the credibility of what I have told you, I bring tidings of goodwill.”Zor reached into his laptop valise and removed a folder and a sealed vial containing a clear liquid. “As scientists, you will appreciate this.Ruth, as a pediatrician you are exposed to children afflicted with childhood cancer. Inject one ounce of the formula in this vial and notice the results.Ezekiel, I took the liberty of hacking into your university’s math department. There is a mathematical proof that you and your colleagues have been wresting with for the past two years. The proof is in the folder. It took me 38 minutes to solve it. You can inform your cohort, Dr. Simmons, that he came close to solving it, but he grouped his terms incorrectly.” 

           “I’ll be damned.” Ezekiel uttered those words as he perused to contents of the folder.Ruth stared at the vial given to her.“Well, we may as well eat. As you stated, we’ve got six days to ask the thousands of questions we have. Please, Zor, join us.”

           “It would be my pleasure. We exist on a mainly plant based diet, but I’m sure my palate can adapt quickly to your delicacies.” As they began eating, Ezekiel couldn’t help wondering how his son was adapting in his new environment. If he and Ruth elected to stay, would they ever see him again?

The following days came and went with the fluidity of a sci-fi Hollywood script.Questions were asked and answered by the body double named Zor. Videos depicting a brave, new world were seen by Ezekiel and Ruth. Moses had already met a love interest, the daughter of an MIT statistician. They looked so happy. Ruth administered the experimental drug to a terminally ill 8-year-old. Within two days, his cancer had completely dissipated.Ezekiel validated the mathematical proof that only a handful of math nerds on the planet could solve. It was all so surreal. The decision-making exhausting, the dilemma profound. How could Ruth leave? She had been given a cure for cancer, a solution that could be analyzed and duplicated. How could either of them leave their aging parents, never to see them again?  Zor had made it clear that this was a one-time mission. There wouldn’t be any future transports back and forth from Uron to Earth. His planet wanted no dealing with Mother Earth. By electing to stay, they might never see their son again.

           The inner conflict consumed Ezekiel. It was a dilemma as inscrutably complex as the mathematical proof he had struggled to understand. His bewilderment lingered into the early morning hour of 4 am, the morning of the noon event. He could no longer fight the sleep that embraced him. So, at that hour, on the morning of the event, he fell into a deep slumber…

“Ezekiel, Ezekiel, wake up.” It was Ruth bellowing his name as she scurried up the steps to their bedroom.When she entered, Ezekiel was just awakening. He raised himself and propped against the headboard.

           “Hey, Ruth, what time is it?” He asked.

           “12:30, come on get up, Moses is about to put the ribs on. He needs your help.” She replied.

           “What!! Why didn't you get me up for the event? You let me sleep past noon. Why didn't you wake me up earlier?” Ezekiel’s mind was spinning.

           “What event are you talking about? Don’t you remember? You were up late working on one of your math projects. I had to use the restroom around 4 am, and you were still up with that night light of yours. By the time I came out you were fast asleep. I put your papers over on the nightstand and went back to sleep.It was obvious you needed the rest, so I just let you sleep late. Our guests for the 4th of July barbeque won’t be here until 5, so chop chop and get a move on and help Moses with those ribs.” Ruth was smiling. Ezekiel rubbed his eyes as he rose from the bed and looked at the papers on the nightstand.

           “Ruth, where is the folder, the one with the proof that…. Oh, my God, it was a dream, all of it. Ruth, it was so real. The dream was so real.”

           “You’ll have to tell us about it.”

           “Did you say that Moses was here?”

           “Yes, of course, silly, carrying on the tradition helping his Pop grill on the 4th of July.”

Now, it was Ezekiel who was grinning from ear to ear.