The Healing Touch

The Healing Touch

A Story by DebraDaumier
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A short science fiction story in which nothing is what it seems

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“You have to help my dying son”, pleaded the mother, “Please make the Sundanian heal him”. The Secretary General of the United Worlds looked at the pair standing in front of him. He estimated the son to be about 8 years old. Both featured the prominent skin tone and bone structure of their Aluvian race. Being a parent himself, his heart went out to the mother.

 

He was faced with a tricky situation; the Aluvians had been embroiled in a cold war with the Sundanians for centuries. The Sundanians, known for their amazing healing powers, simply refused to have any contact with the Aluvians

 

He silently cursed his bad luck, it was a PR disaster. As the Secretary General, he was supposed to visit this outpost, shake a few hands and secure his reelection. Instead, the Aluvian mother had implored him publicly to ask the Sundanian, currently visiting the outpost, to heal her dying son. With billions of eyes following his every move, he had to handle the situation cleverly.

 

He checked the databanks for information. He soon got in-depth information about the Sundanians. The archive contained numerous records of people of all kinds of races that got rid of many crippling and fatal diseases thanks to the healing touch of a Sundanian. It was therefore a mystery to the Secretary General why there was so much animosity between these two peoples. He could not understand why the Sundanians adamantly refused to heal Aluvians, stating that it would only bring “great sorrow”.

 

He decided then and there to help the Aluvians. All it would take was the three of them to meet so the Aluvians could touch the Sundanian. He smiled and already envisioned the great PR he would get. Maybe he would even receive the Medal of Universal Valor for his efforts.....

 

At the same time, the Sundanian was meditating, seeking the corners of her soul to find a way to save the Aluvian boy. Conventional Sundanian healing would save his life, but also destroy his and his mother’s existence in the process. May be she should seek advice from Sundan, the Oracle, for answers.

 

She headed for the universal worship center. It was a gorgeous place that adapted itself to the belief system of any individual that entered it. Its holographic and virtual reality capabilities even allowed for sacrifices that were frowned upon or forbidden in real life.

 

The Sundanian entered the worship center and was greeted by the High Priest of Sundan, standing in front of the computer generated Temple of Sunburst, home of the Oracle.

 

“I seek the council of the Oracle”, said the Sundanian. “There is an Aluvian boy that seeks my healing.” The High Priest frowned, but still pointed her to the Oracle’s inner sanctum.

 

“Come and reveal your soul,” said the Oracle, once the Sundanian entered the inner sanctum.

 

“There is this Aluvian boy suffering from a crippling and fatal disease,” she started. “I know I can heal him, but will the consequences outweigh the benefits?”  

 

“The boy will not be the boy, but healthy. The boy will be the boy, but dead. The choice is yours and will decide the balance of his life. Choose wisely. A kind heart cannot match a pragmatic soul.”

 

“That’s the problem with Oracles,” she thought. Never a clear answer, but always cleverly puts the ball once again in your own court.    

 

While walking through the corridors back to her quarters, she was cornered by two individuals. She quickly realized they were the Aluvian mother and son. “You heal my son,” shouted the mother, forcefully grabbing her arm. Her son touched her other arm at the same time, staring at her. She looked back at him with eyes filled with sorrow.

 

A bright flash blinded all three of them, rendering them unconscious. They slowly regained consciousness, shaking their heads. The Secretary General was rushing to their aid, heading a rescue team. Once they arrived at the scene, they stopped in their tracks. The sight in front of them was mind-boggling to say the least...

 

The boy was healthy and happy enough, but had now had all features of a Sundanian. His mother seems to have aged decades. The Secretary General quickly analyzed the consequences for his reputation and reelection. Not good, not good at all! But what the heck happened here?

 

Since the Sundanian was the only one who still seems normal (or at least unchanged), he turned to her. “I express great sorrow,” said the Sundanian in her characteristic way. “The reason why we stay away from the Aluvians is exactly this. We can cure many species without side effects. However, if we cure an Aluvian, his or her DNA changes. Our Sundanian DNA immediately replaces the Aluvian one. In this case, it took my DNA, making the boy my biological son. The mother cannot be further than 100 meters away from me if she wants to survive. This means that she needs to live in the same house and go wherever I go. For centuries, this has lead to an ugly form of slavery. That is the reason why my people stay away from the Aluvians and don’t heal them. Thanks to your meddling, you have saved one life but destroyed two.”

 

The Secretary General kept analyzing the damage to his political career, and checked if there was a way to turn this into an election bonus. As if reading his mind, the Sundanian fixed him with glaring stare. When the boy piped up, he silently let out a sigh of relief.

 

“Mummy,” he said, “why are you talking to that filthy Aluvian?” The Sundanian closed her eyes and silently prayed for patience. “Please be respectful towards your new nanny,” she said. It was the only plan she could think of to keep mother and son close....

 

The Secretary General grabbed his chest, suffering a major heart attack. The Sundanian was not able to save him...I wonder why?

 

© 2013 DebraDaumier


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nice story

Posted 11 Years Ago



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Added on February 16, 2013
Last Updated on February 16, 2013
Tags: science fiction, fantasy

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