madness. Perhaps it is. How can we know what effect her unnatural development has had on her? What are the psychological results of extended isolation in those ungodly gestation tanks? All those hours of raw infusion and terrifying military encoding? What mental damage might she have suffered if her neurocircuits overloaded in the explosion? Any of these traumatic situations, I think, would have been enough to render her completely insane.
“I consider how all this must impact her. Here she is, thrust abruptly into the world. Born an adult, with built- in, but incompletely formed, memories. Displaying incredible, seemingly divine intellectual gifts. With no better explanation, why shouldn't she assume her special talents come from God? Perhaps that Samaritan cult implanted such thoughts in her impressionable mind.
“But then again, I keep thinking about all these amazing supernatural events that surround her. In meeting her, I myself felt something inexplicably spiritual and moving. So who is to say whether God reached out into that laboratory, in the midst of His just destruction, and touched this precious, innocent being to carry forth His greater purpose?
“As to whether she is mad or Messiah, Jon, I simply don't know. I pray to God she is neither. I pray that Jeza will return to me as simply a normal, sweet, caring child whom I can love and cherish.”
And a few more tears slipped from her eyes.
45
WNN news bureau, Jerusalem, Israel 10:19 A.M., Saturday, January 29, 2000
Nigel Sullivan had made the gutsy decision to sit on the incredible revelation of Jeza's true identity in order that the story might be developed to its maximum potential. Even Feldman had thought him foolish at first, fearful that the facts of Jeza's origins might leak. But now, a week later, the brilliance of Sullivan's plan was becoming obvious.
In order to preserve the secrecy of the project, the story had been scrambled into many pieces and disseminated to New York headquarters and to various WNN stations across Europe. No clues were given to the production staffs regarding sequence or storyline. All week long, as the many segments of the tale were independently developed, computer files, directions and information had been flying back and forth continuously across the Mediterranean via secret couriers to avoid Israeli Defense Force intelligence.
WNN's report would not contain any new video of the Messiah. However, thanks to the magic of electronic imaging, WNN's computer artists had created lifelike video footage. This was accomplished by borrowing real images of the Messiah from existing video and altering them to develop totally different sequences.
It would be a two-hour presentation, The
Under the tremendous deadline pressures, in the middle of a long-distance teleconference with the European bureau over missing graphic sequences, an annoyed Feldman and Hunter were interrupted by an insistent Cissy McFarland.
“Dammit, Cissy, this had better be good,” Hunter fumed, already irascible over the dispute with the Europeans. “How in the hell do you expect us to get this damn thing done by tomorrow?”
“Well, you may not need to finish it, you big ass,” she shouted back, “if we don't deal with a much bigger problem first. The IDF is here and they're demanding we show them what we plan to air or they're going to shut us down and impound our equipment!”
Feldman and Hunter were dumbfounded. “Since when is Israel a police state?” Feldman wanted to know. “They can't do that!”
“Those damn promos,” Hunter continued his rampage. “Jon warned Bollinger not to reveal so much. Always gotta go for the big ratings,” he complained to no one.
“Forget it, Breck.” Feldman appreciated the seriousness of the situation. “You and Cissy better sound the silent alarm and get any sensitive tapes and information out of the edit suites and stashed, just in case. And you'd better move quick!”
Feldman hurried down to the conference room to find Sullivan, Bollinger and Robert Filson facing off against four militia and General Alleza Goene himself.
Sullivan, red in the face, was furious. “This is an outrage! Where's your court order? This is illegal!”
The general's brass nameplate and a chestful of decorations gleamed from the front of his taut, spotless military jacket. “I need no authorization. In matters of state security, the IDF has complete authority,” he asserted, turning as Feldman entered the room.
“Excuse me, General, I'm Jon Feldman, lead reporter on this sto-”
“I know
Feldman blinked.
Feldman looked to Sullivan for a clue.
Sullivan, controlling himself, addressed Feldman without taking his eyes from Goene. “The general here is under the impression that our upcoming newscast on the Messiah will reveal classified state secrets. But when I ask what prompts his accusations, he can't tell me.”
“General,” Feldman asked, trying to take the offensive, “are you saying that the alleged Messiah is in some way connected to the Israeli government or the Defense Force?”
Goene's face darkened and the veins rose in his thick neck. “You have exactly one minute to show me the program!”
“Arnie,” Sullivan instructed Bollinger, “I want you to call Levi Meir at the Knesset immediately and get a clarification on the general's request.”
“The Knesset has no say in this matter,” Goene retorted, livid. “You have forty-five seconds.”
Bollinger, Sullivan and Filson had gone pale, but they held their ground.
“General,” Feldman tried again, “you have to know that this story isn't being handled here. It's not a live report, it's a produced special, put together at our European headquarters and in New York to be broadcast worldwide. I recorded my segments days ago and the footage is gone to Europe. You need to take up these matters with our European headquarters.”
“Nonsense!” Goene reacted. “Our intelligence has intercepted no relevant broadcast transmissions or satellite feeds to Europe. You're producing the report here!”
“If you'd like, I'll take you around and you can see for yourself.” Feldman continued his ruse. “Our segment was finished and shipped by personal courier days ago. There's nothing to show you.”
Sullivan flashed Feldman a look of panic.
Goene wasn't backing off. “Then I will at least view
“I'll show you that there's nothing here, but I'm not going to reveal the contents of the story,” Feldman replied calmly and evenly. “And I'm the only one who knows the identities of my sources.
“Furthermore,” Feldman added, pushing his luck, “any actions you take against this office will most certainly be used by our international headquarters to substantiate our report-tying the IDF, Defense Minister Tamin and you personally to developments!”
Goene's face went purple with fury at this impertinent threat, and his four military guards instinctively assumed a more menacing posture. Sullivan grimaced at the riskiness of this gambit.
Nevertheless, despite his anger, Goene appeared to be considering this unanticipated downside.
Feldman sensed an opportunity to end the confrontation. “General,” he said in a conciliatory tone, “if you and
