Author's Note: I'm posting all of chapter seven -- 7.1 and 7.2 -- tonight! So make sure you read them in the right order (some people come here through their notifications and get mixed up when there are two posts at the same time).

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7.2. Meeting The Father

The elevator soon opened onto a luscious jungle on the floor above. I was shocked to see all the various plants - trees, flowers, shrubs, grasses. There was some serious landscaping involved.

Captain Mercer sat at a fountain in front of us. He was wearing a very comfortable outfit, in stark contrast to the soldiers around him. I don't know how I knew it was him, but I did.

He wasn't what I'd been expecting. Not at all. He was a very... small man. He was old. He had a giant belly. He was bald and ruddish. He obviously drank a lot! He was wearing a heavily embroidered vest and vibrant blue pants that accentuated his enormous belly. He also had beautiful, brown eyes and the warmest chocalatey skin.

"Welcome," he said warmly. "Welcome."

He walked up to us and grabbed my hand, and looked into my eyes. Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me in and kissed me on both cheeks affectionately. Like I was his long lost daughter. "Welcome, welcome," he repeated.

And just as soon as the assault had started, it ended, and I was left in a cloud of perfumed confusion.

I did a double take - looking around me. Is this serious? I wondered. The guards were impossible to read, but otherwise acted like this was normal. This was not at all what I had been expecting.

He then turned and gave the same reception to Nike and then to Michael, who were both as astonished as I was. First Nike, who, like me, didn't know how to react. Then she started giggling when he did the same to Michael. Michael clearly thought this was a hoot, and laughed out loud.

After he let Michael go, Mercer stepped back to address us all. "Hello," he said, "I'm Mercer, and I'm very happy to invite you into this special place."

I detected an accent there, but couldn't tell from where exactly. I responded, "Nice to meet you... Captain Mercer--"

"Oh, no, no - no need for formalities. You can just call me Mercer." He pointed at the guards at the door and said, "These guys take themselves far too seriously!" and he shook his head and laughed. Was that an Australian accent I heard?

Michael and Nike laughed too. I had to admit, the man was a character. Completely disarming. I couldn't imagine him ever doing anything evil. He looked like a mix between Santa Clause and Ghandi. Dark skin, skinny arms and legs, and a round belly, with bright, clear eyes.

"Well, nice to meet you... Mercer," I smiled. I felt my cheeks were wearing thin. How many people would I have to meet and how many more smiles would I have to give? "I'm Shalon, Shalon Sims," I said finally. I couldn't play the 'respect me, I'm an old lady' card with this guy - first of all, he was older than me by the looks of the skin on his hands, and second - well it just felt completely inappropriate.

"I'm Michael," the boy said, stretching his hand out for a real handshake, a shit-eating grin plastered over his face. Blimey - the kid was acting as if this really was the Wizard of Oz.

Mercer looked beside me, at Nike. She automatically ducked her head when she saw him looking at her.

"That's Nicole" I explained. "She's shy and kind of... messed up from... well..." I couldn't find my words. "Life, I guess. Haha!" I laughed nervously.

Mercer nodded compassionately. He patted Nike on the head in a fatherly gesture. "Post-traumatic stress is a common symptom of our ages - all of life these days is 'messed up' as you say, Shalon."

Before I could answer he motioned for us to follow him. "Come on," he said. "Come on inside."

We walked through the small jungle of plants and into another large, well-lighted room that held an enormous specimen of philodendron. My heart ached as I remembered my mother, who had always loved those plants with their heart-shaped leaves. This was probably the largest philodendrun I'd ever seen in my life.

As far as I could tell, this didn't resemble what I remembered of the seventh floor of the library. First of al, there'd never been a fountain. I wondered how on earth they had engineered all of this. It was unbelievable.

I gulped.

We headed to some comfortable couches looking out over the North Shore mountains. I surveyed the room - in one corner were some strange-looking chairs, like dental chairs - they gave me the creeps - and in another corner was a huge desk. It looked like an office or a laboratory. There were stacks of papers, a writing area, and bookshelves all along the walls.

I wondered where Tom had gotten to.

Mercer saw me looking and asked, "Do you need anything, Shalon. Anything at all?" That was definitely not Australian. Kind of a mix of Old South and British.

"No," I explained, "I was just wondering where Tom went."

"My son went to introduce Tabitha to her team. He'll be to escort you home."

I nodded. That sounded reasonable.

He looked at the children - "You see those over there?" He pointed at the chair-devices at the far end of the room. "You can play games on that console if you want."

"Steller!" Michael responded. He needed no further explanation and took off. Nike wasn't sure what to do, and eventually decided to follow after Michael, her childish fear of missing out winning over her fears of everything else.

"Computer," Mercer said, "please allow the children access to your games."

The computer answered, "Confirmed. Granting access to my games."

Some lights started flashing on the wall over there, and Michael got into one of the chairs. I was shocked by his recklessness - he had no suspicion of the devices whatsoever. There is no way in hell I would have sat in one of those chairs.

"So, where shall we begin, Shalon?"

I turned my attention to Mercer, realizing I had been avoiding this moment. It wasn't just that I wanted to keep the children safe, but that they kept me safe as well. I suddenly felt a bit naked.

Mercer was clean, well-fed, and he seemed happy. In contrast to me - my clothes were dirty, my life was in ruins and I barely made it by day by day.

I looked in his eyes and viewed his warm smile. He seemed like a genuine person. A really kind and genuinely caring person. His friendly smile disarmed me suddenly.

"Please take a seat, my friend. You must be very tired. What a journey I'm sure you've already had."

I sat down and felt relief wash over me. It was true, it had been a very long journey today. My aching knee was singing his praises. I wondered if that water had been spiked with some drug because I felt relaxed. I felt safe, I guess you could say.

Sitting down, Mercer asked "So, Tom tells me you have your doubts about what we're doing here in this big old family of ours - is that true, Shalon?"

I sat back. "Me? Oh... I don't.... I mean... I'd like to learn more about what you're doing." I smiled.

Mercer sat up, and put his fingers to his lips dramatically. "Say no more, say no more. I understand."

He got comfortable in his chair, across from mine. He was a spry little guy. His belly sat on his legs like a pregnant woman. "Let me begin by saying," he began, switching to a more formal, yet still very earnest tone, "that my ultimate goal is to protect this, our great mother earth and the remaining genetic diversity. Beyond that, my goal is to save what is left of human culture and civilization - languages, artwork, spiritual and scientific knowledge. I consider myself a steward, if you will."

"You are a stewards with big military?" I challenged.

He laughed merthlessly, and bobbed his head and rolled his eyes. "I know," he said quietly. "I know, it's just awful." He sat back, with his finger in his mouth, like he was considering something very important. Finally he said, "I told them this. I told them that they'd scare people away if they went that military route, but they insisted."

I was confused. I thought he was the boss. "Who are you referring to?" I asked.

He sighed, as if this was all just an annoying trifle, and pointed at the guards. Lieutenant Riggs was still standing next to the elevator, about twenty metres back, and there were four other guards standing in various locations - by the windows on each side of the room.

"I don't understand,"

He shook his head sympathetically, "I don't understand it either." He took a deep breath. "You know, there is only so much a person can do in a day. My efforts are devoted to my studies - that is where my time is best spent. That's my job. I can't be looking over everyone's shoulder, micro-managing and do my job at the same time. It doesn't work that way.

A great leader chooses great people and gives them the skills and resources to do their job. Sometimes that works, and sometimes that doesn't." He took a deep breath.

I thought ever-so-briefly that his ego was showing slightly. Like a woman whose appearance is almost flawless, except her slip is showing. There was substance there. A bombastic charm, yet also humility, and some sort of disarray. A vulnerability. I was stumped on this one. I realised I kind of liked the guy. All of these analyses happened in a blink of the eye.

He continued, "My primary advisor, my son, Tom - " Mercer rolled his eyes, and threw his hands in the air, comically "or Commander Tom as he likes to be called - he's the one that loves these military theatrics. Him along with a few others - they thought it was important to come across as a strong force," he emphasised those two last words, strong force, and then burst out laughing.

I smiled and gave a grunt. "Aha." I said. Really? I thought. Is that how it happens?

He must have seen my doubt, and said "I understand your cynicism, Shalon. You have grown up like me in an age of lies. I know you need to see it with your own eyes if you're going to believe me."

Before I had a chance to respond, he stood up and called out. "Riggs, please come here."

Riggs came over right away. "Yes, Captain."

"Oh, come on, Riggs - don't play that military game with me."

Riggs relaxed. "Father," he said softly. "What do you need?" he bowed his head in reverence.

I was shocked by this change in tone and manner.

Mercer reached out and grabbed Riggs' hand. "Riggs, I feel safe here with Shalon and her two young friends. Will you please take the other brothers and give us some privacy?"

Rigg's face fell. "Father," he implored. He brought the man's hand to his cheek. "You know that I cannot do that. I have orders from Tom that I must guard you with three men at all times."

"But what about my orders?" Mercer asked politely, taking his hand back.

Riggs took a deep breath. "Father. You know how much I love you. I will do anything you ask of me," he got down on one knee, "but please don't ask me to leave you. You know that I cannot do that." The man looked up at Mercer with tears in his eyes.

"Well," I stammered. It was true. It was bloody true. The scene unfolding in front of me was absolutely surreal. I'm not shitting you. This was intense! The young man was ready to start groveling at the old man's feet. Although I sensed he would go if Mercer absolutely insisted, I didn't want to have to see that happen.

"Get up, get up, my child," Father Mercer relented. "Please don't beg me. It hurts me to see you like this. Very well, stand guard. Do what you must."

Riggs stood up, looking visibly relieved, and nodded, and walked back toward the elevator, where he stood in his typical military pose. Whatever emotion had just been displayed was now hidden under a veneer of professionalism.

"Do you understand now?" Mercer asked me?

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Remarkable," I said. "He worships you."

"I know, I know." Mercer said, shaking his head from side to side. "I can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain that I am an ordinary person, that I make mistakes, and I have wants and needs and follies of my own." He looked at me. "I swear, Shalon, I fear with all my heart that my greatest failure will be to leave behind a group of people who think I am the next messiah."

I frowned - he looked upset. He was shaking his head, biting his knuckles. He sat back down and looked straight ahead for a moment. Then he sighed and looked at me.

"Come, he said. Let's not despair. Shall I show you some other things? Shall I share what I'm working on right now with you?"

I nodded.

Hereached out a hand and helped me out of the couch.

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Author's Note:

This part of the story really got away on me, and I'm so happy with it! I seriously was NOT expecting Father Mercer to be like that! He really surprised me...

What about you? What do you think about Mercer?

This story is SO fun, and most of that is thanks to you, dear readers! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!