“So, we will be in touch then?” Dr. Jones says smiling.
“Of course,” Dr. Eakran says, smiling as well, though it is obviously strained.
“Let’s go doctor,” Jones says to Dr. Worthington who hasn’t said a word since they all say down.
Eakran leads them to the elevator of the main room of the laboratory and he holds his smile until the door closes.
“That went well,” Jones says.
“Yes,” Worthington says meekly as they arrive on the ground floor and leave the building.
“I hope the drive was worth it for you. I know we only had a conversation, but somethings are best to speak about in person.”
“Am I supposed to know these things?” Worthington asks cautiously. “That man is an alien and the Consortium represents all of humanity to other alien worlds?”
“You should know why you do the work that you do. The Consortium is very compartmentalized, and for good reason. The work you do could sully the name of our partner organizations, so we keep your work very much in-house. And the results you produce are studied by preeminent minds from around the globe who have made it possible for us to achieve what we have so far. Your miraculous resurrection, it was the result of many professionals working across many different disciplines to make it possible, to make the contact necessary to procure the gel, to transport it back to Earth, and to have you be the first scientist in the universe to test its effects in humans. The Consortium has made history that rings out across the universe, and we felt that you deserved to appreciate that. Pat yourself on the back Dr. Worthington.”
It is so much to process and Worthington sits quietly with it while Jones drives, very pleased with the reward they had given to him.
When they arrived at the Southeast Branch, the two stood at the bottom of the large stone staircase that leads up to the front door.
“So, the gel is only capable of resurrecting humans?” Worthington asked as they stared at the building in awe, the site of the first verified human resurrection.
“It would seem,” Jones said. “But you have to do one more to verify the result, make sure your first result wasn’t some aberration.”
“It’s pretty clear what happened.”
“Of course, I saw him with my own eyes,” Jones said. “But what if he’s the only being in the universe that could have possibly been resurrected? What if there’s something unique to him that made it work?”
Worthington hadn’t considered that.
“While you decide on your subject, and you can choose whomever you’d like, I’d like to discuss the rebranding. For a branch of the Consortium, you do very conspicuous work that shouldn’t be so easily tied to the core organization. I would like for you to spearhead a global division of the Consortium, so that we can gather information from around the world. This is no longer the Southeast Branch of the Consortium of Human History. It is now the US Consortium Zone: South, US CZS. You should establish two more US Zones, and others in Canada and Central America, and so on around the world. We want your proposals for global expansion at our next gathering. You can speak with Dr. Eakran again.”
Worthington is so elated that he thinks he is in a dream. All of his ideas for humanity could come true now. The Consortium could help him usher in the world that he had sacrificed his own son to achieve.
CZS, Worthington thinks. It fits. He smiles.
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