Warren took the next plane out of Baghdad. He‟d seen enough to convince him his invention was sorely needed. In Paris he transferred to a plane bound for the U.S.
During the trip he reviewed his notes and scanned the horrendous photos in his camera. As he digested the grim realities of what he‟d seen, his mind also remembered things Corporal Michael's had said during the long drive back to Camp Victory. The angry soldier had related more war stories, including the one about two soldiers who had been captured and mutilated while patrolling the outskirts of the Camp. In his own words, Warren wrote down the corporal‟s words as he remembered them:
“Hopefully their deaths were quick, but we know that's not the case. We all know what the satanic cult of death does: excruciating, horrible, prolonged agony where one begs for death and is denied, given only enough time to recover a bit, and then more torture - a cycle repeated until the maximum possible pain is extracted before death.
The bodies are then mutilated, dismembered, often having their severed genitals stuffed in their mouths. What I've seen, read, or heard about Islam and Muslims for years had shown me that there can be no peaceful coexistence.” Still quoting the corporal, he wrote, “I look at most religious faith as a minor mental illness. Islam, by contrast, is a large metastasizing brain tumor. If it is not excised, it will kill civilization.” Warren wondered, Was he himself the one to perform the operation.
Could what the corporal said be true of all Muslims, or was he merely relating the distorted view of war sustained by a few evil leaders? Sadly, Warren had seen enough to wonder if sadism was not the exception, but the rule.
Back in the U.S. he learned the incident in Iraq had made the front page and lead story of all media. He was a bit upset when he found they‟d mentioned his name as an eye witness to the
massacre, the worst in the war so far. Apparently his friends in the newsroom in Iraq had considered his presence news worthy. No matter. The publicity might even help his cause.
He hurried home where his parents, who, having seen and read the story had been worrying about him. Relieved to have their brilliant son home and safe, they held a brief family homecoming celebration. That evening he went straight to his computer and set to work creating a multimedia presentation he could show in his continuing fund raising campaign. First he downloaded the many digital photos into the the computer‟s sophisticated video program Determined to show man‟s cruelties as they are, he researched the web and found additional information and stills on gangland terror in the U.S. and accounts of domestic and criminal violence. As he worked he became more aware of the horrors inflicted on humanity by depraved minds. He wondered--was evil even more prevalent than he had first thought?
He also decided to add to the mix some history of mans inhumanity to man. Using graphics and art work from the internet, he illustrated the abominations wreaked on mankind by such ancient leaders as Genghis Kahn and Julius Caesar. And there was Charlemange who had terrorized and murdered his way through Europe in the name of Christianity. Plus Warren included gruesome pictures from Nazi death camps. He included Hitler and Stalin and other ruthless psychopaths. He also gave motion to the still pictures with the special effects in his computer‟s video program. As he worked he was torn by the hope his audience could tolerate the graphic pictures and not be tuned off by the reality of world wide depravity. The story had to be told and he prayed there would be enough wealthy, sympathetic viewers to fund a project that might ultimately cost nearly a billion dollars.
After he had scored and narrated his presentation, he held a viewing for his parents.
They had left him alone during his labors and were anxious to see the final product.
The young scientist, in turn, wanted to see if the content of his presentation would be acceptable to the general public. As they watched the digital video, he could sense his mother‟s revulsion at some of the scenes, but he had added a few pictures at the end, depicting a world at peace after the dispensation of PAX. The program ended on a positive note, and his father, Orville Peace, was bowled over by the power of the presentation. He applauded and shook his son‟s hand in congratulations on a job well done. His mother, who he‟d never seen cry, wiped away a few tears and gave him a big congratulatory hug. With their encouragement, he sent out announcements to his former funding groups alerting them he was back and, as promised, with graphic proof of what he‟d only implied in his earlier lectures. Many of his contributors had seen the news reports of his involvement in the Iraqi incident and were anxious to see and hear about it first hand.
His Harvard days were behind him, and armed with his doctorate, DVD, large video projector and many invitations to speak, he set out across the country. He traveled alone. Not by choice. Emily was taking an internship at a New York hospital and wasn‟t available to accompany him. She was planning a career as a cardiovascular surgeon and he began to see the hopelessness of his quest to wed and bed her.