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Tom Anderson's team of Recovery Force Commandos is tasked by the President of the United States to return to the First Century AD to take the body of Christ from the tomb. Success will mean the collapse of the conservative parties opposing the President's political agenda. Failure is not possible because the historical outcome is known in advance. Yet, something goes wrong. Anderson is chosen by Jesus as the Apostle Thomas. The commando team becomes entangled with Jesus' supporters and enemies. Determined to fulfill its task, the team raids the tomb only to be swept forward to the future with a mission that will signal the final days of mankind.
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Resurrection Day
Historians of the 22nd Century conduct research to discover valuable articles known to have existed in the past but which also are known to have somehow disappeared from all records. They assume the reason that the articles have disappeared is that they were taken by time travelers from the future. Their assessment is proven to be true in many cases. Research is conducted to identify likely targets and their last known moment of existence. Commando teams are then sent to the past to recover items of great monetary and historical value and return with them to the 22nd Century. Coincidental with the recovery process, much historical research is also conducted. The Recovery Force Commandos, a branch of the Armed Forces Commandos, is specially trained to conduct the raids into the past.
It is within this context that the President of the United States, beset by harsh criticism from a conservative, fundamentalist Christian dominated opposition party, is presented a plan by his Chief of Staff to destroy the cohesiveness of the opposition by using a commando team to recover the body of Christ from the tomb. The objective of the mission is to prove that the supposed resurrection of Jesus Christ is nothing more than the result of a Commando raid from the 22nd Century. The hope is that the recovery of Christ's body will splinter the fundamentalist religious groups and the cohesiveness of the conservative opposition party.
The Anderson Team is placed into the past three years in advance of the date of the crucifixion of Jesus. In the 22nd Century, the disappearance of Jesus' body from the tomb is presumed to be the result of a raid by the team to take the body. For three years, each member of the team works into a key position to assist in the recovery of the body of Jesus. One member of the team becomes a servant girl in the house of Joseph of Arimathea; another, a soldier in the Roman garrison in Jerusalem; a third, a purser in the household of Pilate. However, the story revolves around the team leader, Tom Anderson. Assuming the name Thomas, he joins a zealot group following Jesus and is selected by Jesus as one of the Twelve Apostles. All of the Biblical incidents concerning the Apostle Thomas' interactions with Jesus are woven into the story. The doubting nature of the Apostle Thomas becomes clear.
Excerpt
"Mr. Brooks? Can you answer the question?"
"I, uh, uh, I'm still, uh, pretty close to the event, you know. It's, uh, well, it's kind of hard for me to, uh, put it in perspective just yet." Billy knew that this wasn't coming across well. But he couldn't get it out.
"Mr. Dennison, we really have some work yet here to do. I think that this is about enough for now. As Billy said, the entire team will be back in a week and we'll have all the time you need." Martin Fitzsimmons sensed that, suddenly, Billy was struggling.
Billy was not paying any attention. He was leaning against the side of the capsule, his knees weak, trying to get control of what he was feeling.
"Mr. Brooks, Billy, just one more question, now -- quickly before we have to go. For America. Did Jesus really die? Was he dead? Could you tell?" Dennison was talking fast, trying to get the question out into the air making it difficult not to answer before the SmithOps technicians cut off the microphone.
Billy kept his head down but responded dully. "Oh, yes. He's dead. I know that Jesus is dead."
Now the entire room fell deadly quiet trying to hear Billy's words. Martin Fitzsimmons thought for a moment about shutting off the microphone, but decided that it was too late. He turned to the microphone himself and asked Billy softly, "Billy, how can you be sure?"
Billy struggled in silence for a moment and then turned toward the window hating what he was about to say. The room remained absolutely quiet. Billy felt like everyone in America had suddenly leaned forward in their seats.
"Because Dixon was there. He was one of the soldiers. He helped nail Jesus to the cross. He's the one who stabbed him in the side with a spear. He didn't want to. We all liked Jesus. But Dixon was one of the soldiers. He had to. Jesus is dead. I know! Tom and Enid were there, too. Dixon stuck the spear in his side and Tom and Enid saw it. Enid helped put him in the tomb. There is no doubt. Jesus is dead!”
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