Awakenings: A Fantastic Journey

The space inside the confessional was cramped, and the two of them crouched on the floor. Adam felt his fears being quelled by the presence of the woman beside him. She had not only awakened him physically -- but emotionally, sexually, and spiritually as well.

The compartment was designed to be occupied by only one penitent at a time. Its walls were structured to mute the sounds from within, in order to maintain the sanctity of the confidential confession. Still, Katameros and Dr. Radcliffe could hear raised but muted voices from the direction of the vestibule.

As they waited and strained to hear, Katameros breathed a heavy sigh. "I'm not sure I'm supposed to be here," he stated forlornly.

"You're thinking you shouldn't have come to the church with me?" the doctor asked.

"That's not what I mean. I mean I'm not sure I'm supposed to be alive," said Katameros, "maybe I should climb up to the top of the bell tower and throw myself off."

"Don't be silly," she answered, "why would you say such a thing?" She grasped his hand and squeezed.

"Because I was born for a different time," he replied. "Because those people out there in the vestibule hate me, or at least what I represent. And maybe they're right."

"That's crazy. You heard what Father Brown said about that."

"Yeah, it's pretty compelling -- if you believe in God the way he does."

"And if you don't believe -- then what does it matter whether you have a soul or not?"

"Maybe it's just that I don't see a purpose in living, if all I am is a computer disk that's been restored. I don't understand why I'm here. It must have made sense to me before. I had to have a reason for signing up with Cryonic Life to be brought back."

"Maybe you were looking for a second chance to find purpose and meaning in life. Maybe you believed that it existed but knew you just hadn't found it yet..."

Katameros was momentarily silent, again lost in thought. When he returned his gaze to hers, he saw an undeniable passion in her eyes. He leaned toward her, and she closed the small gap between them. Their lips touched, and suddenly she was in his arms. His heart soared with a sense of connection that transcended time. Her mouth opened to his, their tongues probing...

Suddenly, the sound of the priest's voice was much louder. It was apparent that the disenchanted crowd had now moved into the sanctuary and stood just outside the confessional.

*****

"...And as I said in the vestibule, if there were a fugitive in here, he would have a valid claim to sanctuary anyway," echoed Father Brown's voice from disturbingly close range to Katameros and the doctor, who held hands as they listened from inside the confessional.

"There's no if about it," declared an angry male voice, accompanied by shouts of affirmation. "The kid here saw him come out the back of the hospital with some woman while we were marching out front. He followed them down the street and saw them come in here. He came back to get us so we could do what needs to be done -- God's work. We're gonna send the damned zombie back where he came from. It ain't natural. He ain't supposed to be here."

The priest surprised his adversaries by bursting into peals of laughter. Katameros and Dr. Radcliffe sat immobile inside the confessional, too frightened to move.

"What the hell are you laughin' about?" shouted the leader of the vigilante crowd.

"Of course it's not natural -- it's truly a miracle," responded Father Brown, "so I find your statement that it's not natural to be a humorous statement of the obvious. But your idea of what's supposed to be is even more comical."

Katameros sat breathless, willing himself to silence, waiting to hear the outcome of the conversation through the confessional wall.

"Come again?" said the voice.

"You're worried about him being a man with a body but no spirit -- a zombie, as you say?"

"That's right..."

"And it's your mission to kill him. A mission from God?"

"Exactly."

"And so God would have those whose mission is to serve Him to kill off those who are raised from the dead?" questioned the priest.

"Right again, Einstein," the man taunted.

"Don't you find that just a little bit ironic?"

"I don't get you," the man replied.

"Ever heard of a man named Lazarus, and the miracle of him being raised by Jesus from the dead? And what about the resurrection of Christ himself?" asked the priest. "Never mind. Let me just put it this way: the thing that makes mankind unique is that God made us in His image -- the Imago Dei. An aspect of the image of God in us is that we long for eternity, because He is eternal."

"So what?"

"So the desire for resurrection is exactly aligned with being made in the image of God," continued Father Brown, "and reflecting His image corresponds directly to God's will for mankind. But you say that this isn't supposed to be..."

"But the man's spirit is gone -- gone for eternity," said the man's voice, much less heatedly.

"And how do you know that? Why are you so convinced?" the priest inquired.

"It only stands to reason. Only God can bring people back..."

"And didn't God bring this man back? Who made the doctors, and allowed them the insights needed to achieve this great miracle? Who is in the business of rebirth, of second chances, of regeneration???"

There was dead silence. Katameros became restless inside the confessional. Dr. Radcliffe put her finger to her lips to shush him. Finally, they heard the priest say, "Let him among you who can say with certainty that this man has no soul cast the first stone..."

*****

There was a loud knock on the confessional door. Katameros gazed at Dr. Radcliffe, a look of resignation in his eyes. As the door opened, the pair saw the priest beaming down at them.

"Well, my children, that takes care of that," he said. They peered past him and saw an empty sanctuary as they exited the confessional. "But what about you?" inquired the priest, looking squarely at Katameros.

"What about me?" he replied.

"Where do you go from here? You've had to face a lot today -- a lot of difficult truths," said the priest with a gentle smile and twinkling eyes.

"Difficult, yes. Truths, I'm not so sure," replied Adam.

"You're here for a purpose," asserted the priest. "You've been raised from the dead, and you will return to the dead -- whether today or a thousand or two thousand years from now. But there's a reason for you having that interim opportunity."

"And what might that be?"

"You expect me to give you the answer? That's something you need to work out with the one who made it possible."

Katameros glanced toward the doctor.

"Not her, my son," interjected the priest, "though perhaps she will play a role in your interim opportunity. Have you not been listening?"

"Yeah, I get it," he replied. A smile of acknowledgment broke across his face. "God has given me a second chance."

"And a longing for eternity," added the priest, putting his hand on Adam's shoulder.

Dr. Radcliffe moved to Adam's other side and took him by the hand. The two bade the priest a fond farewell, heading together toward the vestibule and out of the church building, arm in arm.

*****

The front walkway to Dr. Radcliffe's small apartment was alive with flowering plants, vibrant colours bathed in the early evening sun. Adam's heart lurched -- along with his groin -- as she let go of his hand to pull a key from the pocket of her dress to unlock the door. "I like 'old school' - no voice command functionality to unlock the doors here at home," she laughed.

"Just how 'old school' do you like things to be?" he ventured with a wink.

"Well, maybe..." she twisted her mouth in indecision, then smiled. "About 89 years..."

Adam brought her into his arms as they entered the foyer. She stared longingly into his eyes and saw his passion for her, but also saw that he was troubled.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He winced at the interruption, but followed her lead and leaned back to search her face for clues to his own heart.

"Number one," he answered quietly, "I don't understand how a woman like you could fall for a man like me. And number two, if I'm now a product of nano-genetic re-engineering and could live a thousand years, how am I going to live without you in 60 or 70 years?"

She smiled -- inwardly and outwardly -- at his humility and his implied level of commitment. "Okay, let's get a couple of things straight, Mister," she answered. "First, I've invested a big part of the last several years in you. It..." She paused, struggling for words. "It wasn't just a matter of... of rebooting a computer."

"No?"

"Absolutely not. You weren't just randomly selected. We chose the test subject who was deemed most likely to be able to transition from past to present -- not just physically, but in all ways. And to determine that potential for successful transition, it was necessary to... to study you. Not just your biology -- but your history, your psychology, your cognitive processes. All from... before. We needed to try to separate out nature vs. nurture -- to determine what would certainly carry through from genetics and what might not translate due to the changed environment."

"I see. And?"

"And... in the process of studying you, I was genuinely intrigued. I felt like I... came to know you."

Adam laughed, a hearty laugh. "Know me? I don't even know myself!"

She smiled. "I know," she admitted, "and that's one of the things I adore about the real you. You're willing to admit your limitations and still keep a sense of humour about it."

She paused as she watched him smile, then continued, "I couldn't be certain that you'd be anything like the man I thought I'd come to know. But when you -- returned -- you were all that and... and more..."

Adam was momentarily dumbfounded, but could see the affirmation in her steel-grey eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her hungrily. Her response matched his own. He felt his erection growing as her breasts pressed against his chest. He cupped her ass and lifted her against him as their tongues intertwined. Her mound rested on his bulging cock as she wrapped her legs around his back, her ankles locked together. She pressed against his manhood, grinning from ear to ear. Somehow the fact that both were still fully dressed increased the level of eroticism. She leaned away momentarily and wagged one finger at him.

"And second of all, Mister," she taunted while grinding slowly against his now-fully-engorged penis, "If you truly are a successful beneficiary of the Methuselah Solution, that means we could start using the nanotechnology to genetically re-engineer live human subjects -- including me. So you're not going to have to live without me in 60 or 70 years."

Adam smiled at her coy expression, then stood her up on the floor and helped her out of the floral print dress. As it fell to the floor, she stood unashamedly before him in lacy bra and panties, much like the ones that he had imagined in his earlier daydream. She slowly and shyly undid the clasp of her bra. "I haven't done this in... years," she admitted.

She dropped the bra to the floor behind her. Adam's breath caught in silent adoration of her perfectly proportioned breasts, her dark nipples standing erect as a tribute to her passion for him. She then stepped slowly and enticingly out of her lacy panties, tossing them aside. Her wispy but trimmed pubic hairs validated to him that she was a genuine blonde.

He gazed at her in awe as he quickly undressed. "You were talking about meaning and purpose in this journey," he said, "and I think I may have found it."

She eyed his straining cock in subtle appreciation, then grasped and gently stroked it. "The desire for procreation is a natural purpose for every living creature," she said with a smile. "I'd like to think the desire for a deeper connection is more about meaning..."

I'm looking for a connection with you that's about eight inches deep, he thought sardonically. But then it hit him. No, that's not all -- I want to know you in every sense of the word.

"That's right," he replied simply.

As Adam's lips descended on the lovely doctor's pert nipples, suckling gently in alternating fashion, his fingers found her feminine core. The moisture that saturated her mound confirmed her genuine desire for him.

Adam was ecstatic, desiring only to please her. His cock surged in her hand as she continued to fondle him and he parted her nether lips, inserting first one and then two fingers.

"Let's find someplace where we can -- explore," she said on ragged breaths. She led him to her bedroom, this time holding him by something other than his hand.

As they sat on the edge of the bed -- both naked as the day they were born, but much more developed -- Adam grabbed a pillow and lay it behind her. He eased her backward as they continued to kiss and fondle each other. When she lay completely prone, Adam raised her knees and trailed kisses from her face to her neck, finding his way down to her breasts and ribcage. As he made his way with his lips past her belly button on his southward journey, Eve abruptly sat up.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a note of panic in her voice. She closed her legs together at the knees.

"I'm... um... intending to pleasure you."

"By doing what?"

"I guess, in the words of the immortal James Bond, I intend to show you that I'm a cunning linguist."

"You mean... with your mouth... down there?" Eve was obviously aghast.

"So, you're telling me that -- what? They don't do that any more? It's gone the way of the dodo bird and baseball?"

"It's simply not -- hygienic," the doctor replied. "Or socially acceptable. And no, we don't do it any more. I wouldn't even know the terminology, except for my training. It's considered to be deviant behaviour, arising from some of the pathologies we studied in medical school."

"Eve -- please. Just trust me," Adam begged.

She hesitated for a long moment. Slowly, but determinedly, she parted her legs. Adam maintained eye contact with her, searching for confirmation. After seeing her nod almost imperceptibly, he leaned back down and kissed her inner thigh. Her body shuddered. Adam wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anticipation -- or maybe she was just ticklish -- but he was now a man on a mission.

He paused to take a good look at the intriguing doctor's secret treasure. It had been nearly a century since he'd seen a woman's vagina close up, though his partial amnesia blocked any recollection from that time. However, his instincts -- whether by nature or nurture -- told him what to do.

The doctor's vagina reminded Adam of lovely pink rose petals. I can remember roses but not pussies, he thought distractedly.

He moved from kissing her inner thigh to feathering kisses lightly on her outer labia, then licking delicately along her slit. He circled twice and then came in for a landing on her clit, nibbling and suckling until it stood at attention. Dr. Radcliffe gasped her surprise and then moaned her pleasure. Adam inserted two fingers between her slick pussy lips as he continued to nibble her clit. Within moments, he felt her vaginal walls begin to constrict on his fingers.

He worked faster, intent on bringing her to orgasm. He reached up to Eve's breast and caressed her nipple as he worked a third finger into her pussy with his other hand, all the while lapping at her juices and nibbling on her clit. He loved the fragrant aroma of her juices and enjoyed the taste of her ecstasy.

As he continued for several more minutes, he felt her hand on his back, overtly pressing his face deeper into her nether region. She lifted her hips to increase the contact and friction. Adam felt the constriction of her vaginal wells subtly change to a gentle pulsing. He knew innately that it was a sign of her impending release. He slipped the pinky of his pussy juice-coated hand just barely inside the rosebud of her ass, while his thumb joined his tongue in strumming her clit. The gentle pulsing became a throbbing within her vagina.

"Adam..." she whispered hoarsely. She gently squeezed her thighs against his face and cleared her throat. "Um... uh... Adam!" she spoke more clearly.

Adam didn't release her at any of their contact points. He simply nodded and continued to suckle, lick, probe and fondle.

"That's going to... to..." she breathed raggedly, "oh, my -- Adam, I can't stop it!" She squealed with ecstasy as his ministrations brought her over the top with euphoric release.

His fingers felt her orgasm ripple through her pussy and out into her body in waves of ecstasy. He kept up his activity until she gently pushed him away, the sensitivity of her previously inexperienced clitoris too much for her to bear.

Adam sat up, smiling a sheepish, pussy juice-coated grin. "You like?" he asked.

She smiled in return as her body began its descent from the heights to which he had brought her. "Let's just say -- I am very much into 'old school'!" she laughed. She reached out lovingly and gently grasped his penis. "And I'm hoping that you are, and soon will -- in the literal sense -- be very much into me."

Adam's cock had been semi-erect as he brought her to orgasm, but her hand, her words, and her beauty brought it rapidly to full erection. "I think I can accommodate," he answered.

As he hovered over her, she brought his penis to the entrance to her tunnel and slid it back and forth against her slick folds for lubrication. Then she lined it up and raised her hips in anticipation. Adam felt his cock slowly penetrating her swollen lips, the fit oh so tight and oh so wonderful. He was incapable of coherent thought at that moment, but the words wet, warm, willing and wonderful reverberated through the recesses of his mind. Even incoherence can be laced with alliteration.

He eased all the way inside and began a gentle thrusting. As he plumbed her depths and she responded with zest, Adam found himself as fond of her kisses as he was of her throbbing, welcoming pussy. The time-crossed lovers maintained steadfast eye contact as the primordial act of fucking melded into an intense spiritual connection.

When he reached the precipice of his orgasm, he didn't need to tell her -- she could see it in his eyes. She nodded that nearly-imperceptible nod, which spoke to the very depths of his soul: Let go, Adam, let it all out -- and take me with you. With a cry of ecstasy, he emptied himself into her inviting depths, and she soared with him, blessed with the gift of his seed spurting within her.

A few minutes later, he rolled onto his back, turning her with him, her pussy still impaled on his stiff-but-starting-to-shrivel rod. They were both exhausted and spent. Her naked breasts pressed against his chest as she lay her head on his shoulder. Their breathing settled into a mutual rhythm. Adam was at peace with the world. As they lay together, Adam was overcome with the knowledge -- or at leas the faith -- that the breath of life had been breathed into him by God. And that his longing for eternity had been answered in an unfathomable way.

THE END