CONNECTED TIME

Chapter 6 -Different Views

      "So, Terrence. Why didn't you use another ship? Why a cruise ship?"
      "As I already explained to Mr. Jerome Adam's, it is easy to book passage on a cruise ship and pretend to be a tourist."
      "But the security on a cruise ship is far more strict than let's say, a container ship."
      "I knew they would see no threat at all. All this equipment can be used for completely harmless projects as well."
      "I see. Well, you've obviously thought this through. Your plans were very insidious and premeditated. You are one of the worst criminals of all time, you…"
      "Jacob, how is saying those things to Terrence, going to help us out of this?"
      "...You're right Michelle, sorry. I… I guess the only one that can help him is God, because the justice system sure won't."
      "You believe God exists?" Michelle said.
      "Yes."
      "After everything that's happened to us, you still believe in God?"
      "Yes, I do. Sometimes he allows bad things to happen. We don't always understand exactly why…"
      "That's very interesting… So, you believe that God created everything in six days. The fossil record proves that wrong. So, how do you explain that?"
      "Listen Michelle, I'm no scientist, but I have looked into this quite thoroughly."
      "Look Jacob, I'm not judging you because you believe in God. I just want to know more about you, that's all. So, please continue with your explanation."
Terrence rolled his eyes and started entering some sort of formula that looked like complete gibberish to Jacob:
ds2=−eΦ(r)dt2
+11−b(r)rdr2
+r2(dθ2+sin2θdϕ2)...
      "Well, I don't believe the six creative days were literal days. When you say, "In my grandfather's day," do you mean only one single day?"
      "I see. So, you believe that the, as you say, 'creative days' were longer periods of time."
      "Yes, much longer. I don't know how long, so I guess, eons would be the appropriate term."
      "I never heard that explanation before. Is this just your own idea, or do others believe this too?"
      "Oh no, many millions of people believe this... At least back in our time, they do."
      "Hmm. Well, in that case, I guess the creation story doesn't seem as crazy as I thought, but there are some things that don't seem right to me, when I compare science with the Bible."
      "The Bible is not a science textbook, but when it touches on different aspects of science fact, it is always accurate. I've studied the Bible diligently for many years. You'd be surprised at the amazing things I've learned, and some of them are well-established modern scientific facts."
      "Really? Like what?"
      "Well for instance, the Bible describes the earth as a circle or sphere. It also says the earth hangs upon nothing. Which is an accurate way to describe it from the point of view of Moses, living in a tent in the wilderness. I mean how did he know? Plus, that was thousands of years ago."
      "Really? You're telling me that people knew the earth was round way back then?"
      "That's right."
      "And that it hangs upon nothing… yeah I guess they wouldn't have any way to describe what an orbit is."
      "True."
      "Wow. That is amazing. But what about the story of a great flood? Do you really believe that actually happened? It just seems so far-fetched to me. I mean saving all the animals on an... ark."
      "Yes, I do believe it and there is a map here that can help me explain why. Imagine that you were right here… in a sailboat during the day. It's a sunny day, without a cloud in the sky. If you were to turn around, doing a 360 degree turn, what would you see, besides sky?"
      "Well, let me see… you're pointing at a spot in the Pacific ocean about 500 miles south of Hawaii. It's the middle of nowhere. I would see nothing but deep blue sea."
      "Exactly! Do you understand? The water from the global flood is still here, Michelle. About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in water, the oceans have about 96.5 percent of all Earth's water. Water is in the air, it's in rivers, lakes, the ice caps, glaciers, in the ground, and even in you and me."
      "That's amazing Jacob, I never even thought of that before! How do you explain getting all those animals on the ark?"
      "That's a good question. I'll answer it and more. Animals have amazing varieties, even among their species. Think of how many different types of dogs there are. All of them can interbreed with each other. So, they're all just different varieties of one kind. Therefore only two dogs would be necessary. The same goes with horses, cows and so on. Some have investigated this and say, had there been as few as 43 kinds of mammals, 74 kinds of birds, and 10 kinds of reptiles in the ark, they could have produced the variety of species known today."
      "Wow! ...wait a minute, birds… couldn't they just fly?"
      "Only for awhile, but not for more than a year."
      "A year? I thought the story was 40 days and forty nights."
      " No, that's how long it rained. The floodwaters stayed for over a year."
      "I didn't know that." Hmm… but where did all that water come from?"
      "The Bible states that there was an expanse or a canopy of water."
      "You mean up in one of the layers of the atmosphere? But how could all that water stay up there without falling?"
      "Look, I don't have all the answers but maybe there was a certain law of physics that applied, then that was removed. The Bible only says that God caused it to happen. I…"
      "You guys! Do you want to solve our problem or what? Jacob, I need the full attention of Michelle and I need it now, without your interference."
      "Okay, okay, you're right. I'll step back over here, but you better behave."
      Michelle smiled, "Sorry, but I would like to continue our conversation after we figure this out… okay."
      "Sure."
      "I never knew that the Bible was so detailed about those…"
      "Michelle! Please!"
      "Alright. Alright! Take a pill, you evil genius! You've got my full attention now." She sneaked a wink at Jacob.