The Reincarnation

“Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Ralph Bishop, and Ralph Bishop Junior.” Dr. Persey was smiling smugly, practicing his good doctor demeanor so it would be perfected by the time the press arrived.

“This is Dr. Kevin Torrence...” Dr. Persey introduced the doctors to their boss, relishing how good he was at playing the host.

After the introductions, he showed the Bishops some patients. Ralph Bishop Junior’s nurse followed them on their rounds, as did two large men that Dr. Persey thought must be their bodyguards.

“And this one?” asked Bishop.

“Nothing, I’m afraid. But that’s less than one percent whose souls haven’t returned. In the future, we’ll perform the procedure before notifying their relatives so the possibility of their kin being one of these doesn’t surprise us or them.”

“A complete vegetable?”

“I’m afraid so, sir.”

“Well, for goodness sakes, kill it.”

“Yes, sir.” Dr. Persey flipped the life support system off.

“Very good results, Jack. But why so many?”

“Just following your orders, sir. I recall you told me to proceed.”

“And the experiments?”

“They begin tonight, sir.”

“I want a full report the minute they are completed.”

“Of course, sir.”

“And the Others?”

“Not yet, sir. But we’ve got a watch out for them. It shouldn’t be long now.”

“Dr. Persey, the media is here.” Patty’s voice came over the intercom.

“You called the media here again?” Bishop was surprised.

“I thought they should know.”

“Very well, I will address them.”

“Well, gentlemen, shall we tell the world?” Dr. Persey asked nervously.

Ralph Bishop led the pack of them to the conference room. He seemed eager to address the throng. He stepped behind the lectern.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the Medical Church of America Cryonics Lab on this momentous occasion. As you will shortly learn, not only has the Church been successful in its decades-long effort to revive the dead, it has performed this miraculous feat many times over.

“The building you are in contains hundreds of patients who were formerly in a vitrified – suspended, cryopreserved – state. Now that we have the procedure to awaken them perfected, we are curing them of the diseases that ravaged them earlier in their lives.

“The true miracle here is not necessarily the saving of lives, although that is our primary concern. What I see as the most spectacular achievement of what you are witnessing today is the full dominion of man over the planet that God gave us. It has been tricky at times, and it has taken our race a long time to accomplish, but with the events that have transpired over the last few days, our dominion has come full circle.

“We have mastered the planet and its natural resources – the air, the water, the trees, the animals, the minerals in its crust. We have mastered our bodies and the troubles that plague them – disease, genetic faults, viruses. And today, ladies and gentlemen, we will demonstrate the final dominion – our mastery over life and death; indeed, over our own souls. God has given us life, and we will now have as much control over it as we do everything else in the world.”

Dr. Persey was relieved that the independent media hadn’t arrived yet – he didn’t know how he could explain that to Bishop – but wasn’t happy nonetheless. Bishop was taking the spotlight and turning it on himself. Dr. Persey didn’t even think he would have a chance to speak, let alone show the leopard.