Project J by Sean Brandywine Read Free Book Online Page B

didn’t really start the church.   Others after him did.   But it would be a shock for him to know just how much his teachings have affected the world.”
     
    “Then what does he know?”
     
    “He knows that he has been brought forward to a different time and place from the world he knew.   It took a lot to convince him that we have the science to do that.   He still calls us ‘magicians’.   That’s the only way he could understand what happened to him.   At first, he thought...   Well, it’s complicated.   Once we healed him...”
     
    “Wait a minute!” Tamara jumped in.   “Just exactly when in his life did you ‘fetch’ him?”
     
    Juliette looked to Fielding before answering.   “We picked him up off the Cross.   Just before he died.”
     
    “Oh my God!”   Stryker seemed to be having trouble breathing again.
     
    “So you had a man who had been crucified and was near death?” Tamara asked.
     
    “Yes.   We had a doctor and nurse ready.   We treated him for shock, wounds to his hands, lacerations on his back, a wound in his side, and other problems.   He was unconscious for a day and a half.   But now he’s fine.”
     
    “Physically maybe,” Tamara said.   “But what about his mental state?”
     
    “Well, it has been a shock,” Fielding told her, glancing to Juliette as he did.   The look expressed surprise that this stranger was understanding so quickly.   “But we expected that.   We brought in an expert on Biblical times and a speaker of Aramaic.   That’s Jesus’ native language, you know.   We had someone on hand when he awoke to ease him into a new life.”
     
    Tamara was still concerned.   “I’m surprised the shock didn’t drive him crazy.   It’s hard to get your mind around how much change he had to cope with.   One moment he was hanging on the cross, in agony, dying; the next he’s in a world absolutely alien to his.”
     
    “We feel he’s adapted reasonably well,” Juliette said.   “We’re slowly bringing him along, a bit at a time.”
     
    “And have you been learning from him?” Tamara asked.   “Academically?   Getting the story straight for history’s sake?”   She was sounding sarcastic and tried to keep it out of her voice but failed.
     
    “Oh, yes.   We’ve learned a lot,” Fielding told her.   “Myers has been with him every day.   Dr. Seymour Myers.   He has degrees in Biblical Studies, history, and archeology, speaks Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.”
     
    “And he’s Jewish, which helps,” Juliette added.
     
    “I’m sure it would.   Keep everything kosher.”   Again, Tamara had trouble to keep from sounding sarcastic.
     
    Before an argument could start, Fielding cut in.   “Look, there’s a lot to learn here.   We recorded every interview with Jesus, and most of the rest of the time he’s been here.   You can look over those recordings.   It would be the best way to understand what we’ve done.”   He turned to Stryker.   “Brian, I’m truly sorry to have hidden this from you.   But this is exactly what we made the Machine for.   To learn!   To find out the truth, no matter what it is.   I hope you understand.”
     
    Stryker could only shake his head.   “You’ve got a lot to account for,” he muttered in admonishment.
     
    Fielding would not let go of trying to make them understand.   “But don’t you agree: this is the greatest science experiment of all time!?   Our chance to answer so many questions.   We couldn’t ignore this opportunity!”
     
    “We felt,” Juliette added, putting her hand on Fielding’s shoulder as she stood behind him, “that we would not be able to do this if we went through normal channels. Too many people would object.   Objections would pile on and others would want in and nothing would never get done.”
     
    “You got that right,” Stryker told them.   Then he sighed deeply.   “I suppose we can’t just shove him back in time.   We’re