The Covenant at Stedman Woods
by
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Dr. Richard Stedman, renowned physicist, was barely moving through time. He did not know it yet, but he was about to embark on an Odyssey that would change his life and that of the world, forever!
Dr. Stedman, having just showered, was preparing to shave. He wiped the shower steam from the mirror, and then stared at his reflection with deep melancholia. His entire body began to shudder. But it was more than that. He looked terrible, despite the fact it was 5:00 a.m. But it was more than that. He should have felt exhilarated. He could scarcely recognize the face staring back at him. His curly dark, wet hair was matted to his head and face. His eyes, deep within dark sockets gave him the appearance of the undead he had seen in horror movies in his youth. Richard was in trouble and he knew it. The migraine headaches were returning, and to make matters worse, so were those damnable recurring dreams. He knew how to control the headaches, but what darkened his spirit the most were . . . the fitful dreams! They came almost every night now, always bathed in eerie blue lights, shadows, and clouds. It was as if he were watching lightning flashing through an approaching storm, he would find himself in a thickly wooded area, driven there by compulsion and a strange glowing light. The nightmares made him grateful for the reality of the morning. Richard sucked in deep breaths of air, in vain attempts to clear his mind of such thoughts. He was not an early riser. He was fond of telling his associates who chided him about his aversion to early morning, 'There is no world outside until after 8 a.m. Down through the ages, Man has always cursed the darkness.' He cursed the fact that he had to catch an early morning flight to Indianapolis, Indiana, rent a car, and drive the thirty miles to Greencastle by early afternoon. Once he arrived there, he would be meeting with a minister, hand wrestling with a lawyer, funeral director, and heaven only knew whom else before the day was done. Dr. Morris Stedman, his father, had died unexpectedly of a massive stroke just two days ago. Richard, as the sole heir and Executor to the family 700-acre farm, had much tidying up of personal affairs to complete in short order. He had given himself thirty days to complete the necessary details. His manuscript submission for publication would have to be put on hold for the interim.
'That's why my migraines are back. At least my father doesn't have to suffer from his painful heart condition any longer.' His death had come swiftly after his massive stroke. Richard regretted the fact that the full effects of his grief at his fathers passing had not seeped deeply into his being. For the moment, he would rid himself from remorse. 'I'll think more about him on the long plane flight. But, not now. I've got to get dressed. My plane leaves in two hours.
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About the Book
Dr. Richard Stedman, young highly regarded Theoretical Physicist from U.S.C., Berkeley, has been in a state of deep depression for nearly a month. His spirit is exhausted. His constant companions are debilitating migraine headaches, accompanied by frightful dreams, with shadowy figures beckoning him into the unknown.
For months, Dr. Stedman has carried the burden of possessing an awesome scientific secret. A secret so startling, it has the potential for paving the way for a New Scientific and Social Age. He has made the astounding discovery of the ages. What Dr. Stedman has discovered is 'TOE,' the Theory of Everything in the Universe. He has successfully integrated all of the known forces of matter, including Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, into one simple, elegant formula that would fit on the front of a T-shirt, as predicted by the great physicists of the twentieth century. He has nearly completed writing his findings for publication in the prestigious journal Science when his father dies unexpectedly, at the family farm in Greencastle, Indiana. He is now the sole heir to the 700-acre farm, and Executor for the family estate, publishing his discovery must be delayed.
By happenstance, [perhaps] he is drawn into a tight cable of dreamers. Dr. Jessica Harrington, beautiful, young, gifted microbiologist, is very close to discovering a vaccine for the AIDS virus. Dr. Stanley Davis, a black Sociologist and childhood friend of Dr. Stedman, sees himself as a visionary for the New Age of Aquarius. He has nearly completed a lengthy manuscript addressing the relevancy of Science, Religion, Technology, and the woeful state of the nation's inner-city schools. He seeks reforms through national debates, as we enter the new millennium. It is his dream that his book will become a national best seller. And there is Reverend Donovan, whose faith is being sorely buffeted by the winds of social change and scientific discoveries threatening the old paradigms of theology. Dr. Stedman will not have long to wait to become embroiled in the debate.
One evening, while walking through a wooded meadow of the Stedman farm, Dr. Stedman has a mind bending alien encounter. One that attacks the boundaries of human imagination and sense of reality. He is forced to make Faustian choices directly affecting the course of the new millennium. Will mankind cast its lot with the scientific and technological knowledge potential of Dr. Stedman's new discovery? The secret known only to the Gods. Or will mankind continue to stumble into the next century carrying with it the old baggage of social, religious, and educational decay. Only Dr. Stedman, out of some six billion people on earth knows the outcome.
About the Author
Steve Scott, Sr., A native of Lebanon, Indiana, is the fifth of twelve children born to Lawrence D. and Violet E. Scott. He is a graduate of Lebanon High School and Indiana University, obtaining a bachelor's degree in radio and television. He was the first Black to graduate from that department and garnered three awards of merit for radio and television announcing. After graduation from Lebanon High School in 1952, Scott served as a communications specialist with the Air Force and was the first Black accepted by the American Forces Korean Network during the war. He began his business career in Indianapolis, Indiana as a supervisor for the Marion County Welfare Department and then became the first Black executive with a major television station in the state of Indiana for the NBC affiliate, the former WFBM radio-television station, as Director of Station License Renewal and Public Affairs. He retained that position when the stations were sold by Time-Life, Inc. to McGraw Publishing Company. He was the first Black in broadcasting to receive a 'Casper' award for his work in hosting the TV program Job Line. He also received the honor of being named a Kentucky Colonel by the Honorable Louie B. Nunn, governor of the state of Kentucky. Scott held the position of vice president and general manager of radio station WTLC-FM. While with WTLC, Scott was the first Black elected to the board of directors of the Indiana Broadcasters Association. He later became the first Black executive appointed to a position with a major utility company in the state of Indiana: Director of Public Affairs at Citizen's Gas & Coke Utility.
Scott has served on numerous boards in the Indianapolis community, including Boy's Clubs of America, Girl's Clubs of America, Welfare Service League, Children's Bureau and the United Way. He has also been active in the Urban League, NAACP, and Black Expo and headed the Mayor's Task Force to review the performance of the Federal CETA program. He currently serves on the Methodist Hospital Medical Group Board of Directors. Married to the former Marilyn Gayle, Scott is the father of a son, Steve Scott Jr., and a daughter, Wendy. He is a member of the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church.