Terry Bisson: The Fifth Element

Leeloo wrapped her arms around his neck and. hung there, exhausted.

“What’s the use?” she whispered. “What’s the use of saving lives, when you see what you humans do with them?”

“You’re right!” said Korben. “But there are lots of good things. Beautiful things worth saving.” “Like…”

“Love, for example!”

“But I don’t… know love. So there is no need for me, other than this…”

“Wrong said Korben. “The world needs you. But I need you even more. More than you can imagine. Stand up straight!”

“Why?” Leeloo looked straight up into Korben’s worried, tormented face. “Why would you… need me?”

“Because…” said Korben.

“Tell her!” muttered Cornelius to himself. “Tell her for God’s sake!”

He was pressed against the wall with David.

A drop of black fire dropped on Loc Rhod’s shirt.

SSSssssss!

He ripped off the shirt and threw it away.

“Tell her!” muttered Father Cornelius.

“Because! ” said Korben again.

Leeloo looked up at Korben.

Her eyes were like twin green earths, filled with tears like shining seas.

“Tell me,” she said.

“Because I love you,” said Korben.

Leeloo smiled shyly. “Now you have permis—”

“Permission?”

“To kiss me.”

And Korben did.

And the white beam grew brighter around

them.

The Divine Light grew in intensity until it filled the temple and burst through the top, scattering sand (and a stray camel or two) like an explosion as it soared upward, into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, where it struck the ball of dark fire just as it was beginning to enter the atmosphere…

In the temple, Korben and Leeloo kissed like there was no tomorrow.

Only, there was.

Thanks to them, there would be many tomorrows.

The black liquid oozing from the walls solidified into stalactites that broke off and shattered on the floor of the temple.

The dark planet screeched with a sound like screams. And began to harden and crust over.

In the office of the President, two massive eyes opened under a broad brow.

The President realized that he was still alive. And so was the planet Earth.

“The intruder seems to have stopped, sir,” said the tech. “Sixty-two miles from impact! It has fallen into a harmless orbit.”

The President breathed out, and as he did he realized he hadn’t breathed in for several minutes.

Breathing felt wonderfully, miraculously good.

Lindberg even smiled.

The white beam had lost its intensity, but Korben and Leeloo were still standing, washed in the flickering of light that lapped around them like the gentle waves of a receding ebb tide.

It was a long kiss.

Father Cornelius and David were on their knees, just finishing their prayers.

Loc Rhod opened his eyes.

“This guy’s a killer with the babes,” he confided to Father Cornelius. “I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on him.”

Cornelius and David laughed.

Leeloo and Korben kept on kissing.

“Mr. President!”

The door to the Neurological Lab burst open, and in came President Lindberg, followed by his retinue of aides, techs, scientists and military advisers—all in bright ceremonial dress.

Professor Mactilburgh stepped forward, bowing graciously to his guests.

“Mr. President,” an aide announced. “Allow me to introduce Professor Mactilburgh, who runs the center.”

“It’s an honor to receive you, Mr. President,” intoned Mactilburgh.

The President’s eyes were already darting around the lab. “Where are our two heroes?”

“They were so tired from their ordeal,” said Mactilburgh, “that we put them in the reactor this morning, so that…”

Lindberg cut him short with a wave of the Presidential hand. “I have nineteen meetings after

Mactilburgh knew when he was being told to get on with it. “Let me go see if they’ve revived.”

“We go live in one minute, Mr. President,” whispered another aide.

Mactilburgh pressed a button on the side of the reactor chamber, which made its blue shield translucent.

Inside, Korben and Leeloo were entwined in one another’s arms, kissing.

They were naked.

“I, uh, think they need a little more time, Mr. President,” said Mactilburgh.

The President nodded. Hearing a nearby commotion, he looked over to still another aide, who was holding a cell phone nervously.

“No, ma’am!” the aide said. “I tried. I know! No, ma’am!”

“Who is it?” the President asked.

The aide covered the phone. “Some woman who claims she’s Major Dallas’s mother.”

“Give it here.”

The President took the phone.

“Mrs. Dallas, this is the President. On behalf of the entire Federation, I would like to thank…”

The President frowned and held the phone away from his ear.

The entire lab turned toward him—and heard a shrill, tiny, tinny voice:

“Don’t pull that crap on me, Finger. I’d recognize that trash can voice of yours in a dark alley during a rainstorm. You tell that worthless no account son of mine that he should plotz for the way he’s ignored his mother. When I think of all I sacrificed for him!”

The President let the phone dangle from his fingers, like a dead fish.

“Mr. President…”

He turned and looked out the window. Something was happening to the east.

Behind him, Korben and Leeloo were bathed in the blue light of the chamber, still wrapped in their eternal (or so it seemed) kiss.

Outside, to the east, the skyline glowed with pale silvery light. The President smiled. It was one of his favorite sights.

Moonrise over Manhattan.

First the old moon, then the new one.

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Copyright © 1997 by Gaumont The Fifth Element ™

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