The Rock (/sm01 C1.46 03-11-24)
The Rock – Linsey McCauley
Footprints, etched into the damp sand, led from a rock formation along the beach to the breaking line of the incoming tide. A young man lay naked with arms out gazing up through the darkness to the sky above. His silhouetted frame was visible under the emerging fiery orange sky. In anticipation of the new day, he patiently waited; I would signal him when he was to get into position.
He breathed in deeply, as the salty waves gently broke beside his body. The breeze carried the cool salt-laden air mixed with the colors of the sky, a source of energy for the dwellers of this land; a land forged by ancient hands, a realm of mystery and promise.
The other gulls did not cower before the human in the sand, though they probably should have. A bird’s nature forbids it to truckle before any creature. Truth be told, these fowl did not realize that this man was no ordinary mortal. His frail form belied his strength within, a human core unyielding to fear. Danger loomed, but my friend, Henry Snyder, was ready to face whatever came his way with undaunted resolve.
With the anticipation of sunrise, Henry’s excitement swelled as the sky was primming for the crescendo. Henry got up and dashed prematurely to a staircase standing adjacent to the large rock on the beach and donned his attire, save for his shoes. The rock was one of many that raised an observation deck about forty meters above the sand, resting on layers of rocks. Some years ago, students from the nearby University completed building the staircase leading to the top where an Observation Point had become the favorite site for lovers, vagrants, and dreamers to adore the celestial manna.
Henry, a uniquely quirky romantic, incessantly waxed eloquent about simple moments. And this was Henry’s favorite moment of every day and he rarely missed it. As the waves slowly crept up and covered his toes, Henry received a telepathic request to meet with a Judge of U169. The young man hesitated and remained at the base of the rocky mound. Henry agreed, despite the cool morning and his impending appointment atop the Observation Point. Henry’s concern was not comfort, but rather brevity.
Henry first considered this request to be a ruse. Few could use this telepathic system that allowed communication between time dimensions. The voice was felt so clearly, reverberating with kindness and concern as she called Henry by name. The person making the request was Lord Lakita, the person who had signed the arrest warrant for his brother. Something inside his core realized that the need must be urgent or sinister since a high-ranking official was taking the time to contact him disregarding the uncomfortable past. It was confounding to Henry that he felt anger from the Governor that surpassed his own towards her. She did not know Henry.
As the appointed Judge, and governor, of the Northwest Council Region #5 with jurisdiction over the lesser gods, spirits, and other carbonites, Lord Lakita should be only concerned with enemies of the state. Lakita was a highly decorated soldier fighting for the Army against powerful gods who would not give their portions of Prana to the Council. In fact, Colonel Lakita led the notorious Rebels’ Ghost Platoon against the Council. However, at the end of the Great Upheaval (called TTD for The Ten Days of judgement upon the Earth), many of the Rebels mysteriously switched sides. Colonel Lakita became Governor with a commission from the Council of Ancients to assist Jehovah and his archangels widely referred to as ‘Archies, to keep the peace.
Lakita originally chose Tom as a last-ditch effort to change the fate of history. She failed to consider the Prime Directive. To her credit, Lakita also questioned the allegiance of the Archies that Jehovah used to spread his messages and fight evil. The Council and Jehovah were supposed to operate in agreement. However, Jehovah had a curious way of identifying evil as anyone who did not worship him, the Council was inconsequential. The Archies were an extension of Jehovah’s will and their acts of service often caused more harm than the prescription to treat anticipated.
Lakita served Jehovah with deference, responsible for conducting raids on those whom the Council of Ancients identified as breakers of the Law broken into two directives: The Prime and Great Directives. Officially, Lakita was a Judge established to maintain the Law. Jehovah changed the Council’s Law to his Ten Commandments, which the Archies followed to administer justice upon Earth. The Council’s Law had three basic tenets that governed behavior for gods and the created: (1) Do as you are designed; (2) Value Prana by not destroying creations; and (3) Do for the benefit of the Council of Ancients. Lakita was in the lineage of other Judges including P’aqo, Sergio, and Menga. All of these predecessors had hunted her unsuccessfully when she was a Rebel.
However, many enemies of the Council continued to fight for the Rebels. The New Rebels did not recognize the authority of the new order and resisted the Council. Their actions posed a grave threat to the Universe if they provoked Jehovah to anger again. Lakita’s chief objective in recruiting Henry was to prevent another Ragnarok for the universe, U169.
The Council’s Military Intelligence Bureau had assembled a classified dossier identifying Henry as a possible recruit. Henry was a university student in the future, the grandson of the leader of a New York guerilla unit for the Rebels In the Northeast Council Region #7. The information in Henry’s file pointed to the value of Henry as an asset to the council, while underscoring the uncertainty if the mysterious agent was a friend or foe or a double agent capable of being turned to fight the Rebels.
Lord Lakita was curious about Henry’s potential. Henry, at present, was only a concern, not a threat, at least not yet. She felt the raw power surging within Henry. But she also sensed something else troubling within him. It was not fear. Lakita needed to know if she could trust Henry.
Henry was anticipating lying down in his place on the rock where he loved to watch the sunrise. I was above to keep an eye on any movements, in case he was in a trap. We had several signals to prevent the Council from knowing what we were doing. His clothes, cap, pipe, and shoes all were signals to me. I used some auditory signals. All the while, Lakita was communicating with him. Her request to communicate would not be trivial or delightful. And we were ready for anything.
Prelude to a Death (/sm02 C2.45 03-08-24)
Prelude to a Death – Henry Snyder
The early morning is one of my great joys. I gaze over the water, squishing sand between my toes. I covet the warm caress of the new dawn upon my face, though the cool breeze delightfully confounds my senses, compelling me to breathe deeply. I cherish this moment as an embrace before the kiss. In this moment, my senses heighten as the glorious colors are painted on the celestial dome hypnotically connecting with the eyes and soul. Without words, my lips touch the sky with tantric orgasmic bliss. I am reborn again, defeating my demise, a prelude to my death.
Henry broke his temporary interlude with his thoughts. “I need you to be more specific, Lord Lakita,” Henry communicated telepathically; however, his voice was still audible and his contempt rang true either way. He spoke with Lakita through a time ripple. She was a Judge governor operating in a different time, roughly 50 years in the past. She did not exist in Henry’s present.
Henry felt no compunction to meet with Lakita, but did so, in an old-fashioned gentlemanly sort of way. The young man honored others as was seldomly returned. He desired to make the most of an opportunity since it was happening anyway. Regardless of the opportunity to set the record straight or to air grievances, Henry’s mind was not fully present. Henry was more thrilled to see the rising sun. He needed to relieve the tension he felt from the governor and conversing with her was not helping. The sunrise and the sea were the best diversions and some mugwort would help even more.
“I need to know more about your abilities, Henry! I must keep order in my region. I have concerns about maintaining an adequate amount of Prana to perform our operations. I hesitate to bring this up because I know you blame me for your brother. If I could avoid this awkward time, I would. I think I need your help.”
“Lakita, please stop. I am not interested.” Henry’s mind raced to think about colors and sky.
“Please hear me out. Your name keeps coming up and I felt that I must talk to you. Perhaps you might find it in your heart to forgive me… Your brother was an amazing person… He helped me gather power and keep the peace. Together, with Raphael, we would increase our store of Prana through healing. Tom was an expert healer, perhaps he would have been as great as P’aqo. Anyway, Tom knew a way to store energy, even through time. Our power storage is completely used up. I have heard that you achieve gains even under extreme stress. And, my reports tell me that you can heal better than the Angels on high. Do you possess special abilities? Tom never mentioned you. I need someone to help me gather power. Please explain to me your powers.”
I was standing at the base of his Observation Rock, trying my best to keep from exploding. I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out my pipe and a pouch of mugwort. I was not going to let this murderous bitch push me over the edge by bringing up my brother. I needed to remain calm.
She didn’t think I knew what she was doing. The moment she connected with me, I began to read her mind. She is trying to take my energy and use it for her emo-store. Tom told me she did this to him to collect energy. It was not through healing. I must absorb all my emo radiation and send it back to my store. Tom could not do this.
“Lord Lakita, you know more about me than you let on. You asked me to explain my abilities and I will gladly do this despite your inflated thoughts about my powers. I feel conflict and tension inside you. I am not a threat. Look at me. Do I seem threatening?” I thought a rhetorical question followed by a lie was a good idea. “I am not your enemy. But no matter what I say, you or your superiors won’t believe me. if I don’t work for you, you will order my arrest and execution, just as you did with my brother. I do not and I will not fight for the Rebels. Like my brother, I won’t fight for the Council either. I don’t believe in violence. And I am certainly not creating energy stores just for the Archie assholes to steal them and use them against us. That is not happening!”
Lakita did not realize I was inside her head. I looked over and smiled at a gull perched on a board that I had been observing for a couple of minutes. Lakita did not sense that I was not feeding her energy and absorbing hers. I waited for a moment to pack mugwort into my pipe bowl then I sensed some opposing emotions in Lakita. She disliked me but at the same time, she genuinely wanted me to like her. It seemed that my plan was working so I needed to keep her on the defensive as a distraction until I knew why she really wanted to talk to me.
“I just don’t see things the way the Judges see our world. My brother and I saw a beautiful world basking in Prana and we just wanted to be a part of that beauty. That is all we want in life, to be a part of nature. But our approach was very different. I see pieces of a puzzle woven together perfectly with its imperfections. Tom, on the other hand, focused on imperfections as something to be fixed. He was compelled to get into politics, he thought, could make a better world. That is what separates me and my brother. Despite his rhetoric about the evils of the Council, he was never an enemy of the Council. Tom wanted to make the Council better. I don’t know why you targeted him. He was harmless. And one of your idiots killed him. Tom believed in non-violence. I also don’t understand why you are targeting me. I am a lover and a scholar. You know all this. But I am going to throw you a bone. One thing you don’t know about me is that I am also an emo-store. I store in seconds more than your large buildings of crystal do in a year.”
“Why are you telling me this? You just made this big speech about all that you won’t do for me or the Council.”
She was right. What was I thinking? I looked out at the sea. The waves were pulling into the shore. I lit a match and laid back to gaze up at the sky. I needed a moment to reset. Lakita got under my skin as she talked about my brother. I also sensed her anger mixed with regret. I kept telling myself to just stick with the plan and dig for more. But the mind and the heart don’t always cooperate. My justification was that by loosening up, I rid of the negative feelings that weakened me. Also, backing off from attacking might give Lakita a chance to listen.
“Trust. I am telling you this because I want to try and reach your heart and mind. It is the Council that has made you into the conniving asshole you are. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you but I can at least stop thinking of how I can kill you… and maybe by being nice and helpful, I can take a step towards feeling a bit better. I don’t believe in violence as a solution. Sometimes, the dog bites the hand that feeds it. Be a good dog, not a bad one. You can try and destroy me but you will not succeed. A living dog can be a happy dog. Let me put it a different way. I am trying to be a benevolent carrot. But I am a clever carrot. Whatever you use against me, I can turn against you. If I were just an emo-store could I do that? No, this is just the way I was created. You are the dog, I am a carrot and I am also a mirror.”
I smiled. I often think my ideas are humorous. Few people understand my sense of humor.
“You are an asshole also for comparing me to a dog. If I ignore your insults, you sound like you would be good on my team!”
“I am not so special. I am not going onto your team. Lakita, you are not understanding me, I have learned how to use what little I have been given and to do good for the Universe. I have no desire to hurt my fellow carbonite. Listen carefully, every carbonite has the same abilities as I do. I do more with what I have been given than most people. Not that I am comparing. Unlike Tom, I wasn’t born with any special ability to sense, store, or control emotions. I learned it all on my own. I have opened my own eyes. Only by doing so, I have learned many aspects of emo-control. Even negative emotions power me. I know how to channel this power.”
“Again, you tell me about things that you say you won’t show me!”
I sat up. I had been provoking Lakita to do to her what she wanted to do to me. At the same time, I shared pieces of information that I should not be sharing. I am not sure why I told some truth that was sitting inside of me. Sometimes, I can be such an idiot. My strategy in our conversations was to use her anger to fuel me but this was not a good use of my time. I wanted to prepare for my bride, the sun. I looked up to the sky It was not time yet. Lakita, like some of the other Council monkeys, remained a key for me to remain human. Honestly, I want to be better than human. Gods and angels are often without compassion. I don’t want to be them either. Sometimes, I feel a sense of achievement when I reflect on the strides I have made to gain Prana and become more godlike but I was most proud of my compassion. The conversations that I have with carbonites keep me grounded. I will reach out to Lakita and maybe she will start to realize something new I plant in her head. I looked at my pipe, its bowl darkened by countless embers. I put the mouthpiece between my teeth and lips. I struck a match and puffed, coaxing the embers to ignite. I marveled at the fragrant tendrils of smoke dancing with the brine-laden air.
“Lakita, I feel your emotions. I feel your fear, your anger, your helplessness. You think you are pursuing me to determine if I am a threat. I apologize for being so forward but I don’t have much time. And you opened the door to a topic that is important to me. I feel that you want to know how to increase your power because others have disappointed you. I can show you a better way by opening your eyes. First comes trust. If you need someone you can trust. Trust me.”
What are you thinking, Henry? I am not concerned with trust. I don’t trust any carbonite. The mountains and Jehovah give me power. What is this better way you are trying to convince me exists? Is this something for me or do want to help the Council’s Army?
“I can share my secrets with you but you already know what I will teach you. Your soldiers are blind and nearly all will remain blind. Why? Examine yourself. You see what is right in front of you and you ignore it. You cannot respond to what is in your sight because it is hidden in plain sight. Familiarity not only breeds contempt, it breeds blindness.”
“Please show me, Henry. I need to finish my work and return home.” Lakita was trying to evoke some sympathy but Henry ignored her.
“If I help you open your eyes, you will never be the same and even your old and future self will be saved. You will see new possibilities and you can never return from where you came. But will you be able to see? You may have to lose your sight. You are friends with Lord Victoria. The Archie, Raphael, offered to give Victoria her sight back but she refused. She knew that her eyes were a detriment to sight. If you want to see and be saved, take your eyes out.”
Henry, you are not making sense. You sound like Jehovah’s boy. What is wrong with my eyes? Saved from what?
I paused to take a few puffs from my pipe. The mouthpiece was no longer cool but the feel of the teeth markings was oddly comforting. A place of familiarity. I drew in deliberately, unhurried. The smoke quickly vanished as my senses awakened.
“Lakita, rest your thoughts and I will teach you… right now. But I only have a short time. You are not a threat to me. I can tell you everything and most likely, you still will not see; you will not understand. Let’s try.”
I heard a mewing from the sky. That was the signal. I stretched out my hand with the pipe and looked up. I saw my friend, a gull in the sky and I smiled.
“It is time for me to prepare because sunrise is coming. While I am getting ready, I can tell you how to be saved. First, trust in me and I will reteach what you already know. I gain energy when I have an emotional response. If I am scared, happy, crying, laughing … you follow? … I gain energy. I convert what I sense into Prana. This way, I work directly with all emotions within me. This is the easiest way for me to store energy. All carbonites do the same instinctively. I can sense this as a power you have but it is not developed. When two humans meet, they sometimes feel an attraction. One senses potential in the other. Sometimes they feel a deeper connection. The word ‘soul-mate’ comes to mind. The ability to sense the connection and emotions is the first step to storing the energy. Even recalling this time of emotion can generate energy. My body stores this energy as raw Prana.”
“I am a carbonite with emo powers. I already know this.”
She already knows! So why is she asking? I took a few more puffs of mugwort. I wanted to win Lakita’s mind. I don’t want the conflict that this communique will undoubtedly ignite. I felt a connection in part through the memory of Tom but primarily through a sense of purpose. “Lakita, use your ears to be saved. Let your ears see!”
“Henry, you are not thinking straight. First, you tell me eyes then you say I need ears to be saved. Is this all I need to be saved though I am not sure what I am being saved from? Can I gain power in other ways?
“Trust me when I say you are saving yourself from yourself. To answer your question, yes, there are other ways to gain power. Emo is much deeper than many realize. But, like you said, you already know that… Umm that was sarcasm.” Henry took out a raggedy cap from his back pocket and placed it on his head as he grabbed the rail leading to the Observation Point.
“I asked you to answer some questions and I have asked very little from you. Let me ask this, how well do you know Jehovah?”
I was getting mixed signals from Lakita. She seemed interested in learning about emo and now she is asking about loyalty. ‘A ying for the yang,’ I have plenty of time before sunrise; if not, I can suspend the sun if it is necessary. I took another puff and slowly ascended the staircase.
“Yes, Of course, I know Jehovah.” Henry nodded his head. “He tries to communicate with me sometimes. Especially his Archies. am not on a first-name basis with the gods. I think of them as Mr. or Mrs. God.”
“Of course, you know Jehovah! Even his Archies” Even using telepathy, Lakita punched Henry with her sarcasm. “You sound rather chummy. What do you do for Jehovah?”
“I get your attitude. You are concerned about what I will tell that stuck-up prick. Trust me, I will never tell him or his lackey asses that we ever spoke. He says he is always watching. He is everywhere. No, he is not. I also know that you help him deal with his enemies. Which is exceptionally good. It is good because he sucks at it. All Mr. Powerful thinks you either love or hate him.”
“Do you love him? I protect him from those who hate him.”
“That’s hilarious, Lakita. Do you really think you protect the great almighty? I agree, you try to protect him, just not the way you think you protect him. Do you think you protect him by loving him? By standing up to evil? Or by worshiping him? A lot of others ignore him and are treated equally shitty. And why does he need your protection anyway? Why is he so needy?”
Henry smirked and took his pipe and tapped it on the bottom of his show thereby emptying the charred contents in the bowl. After placing the pipe in his pocket, he continued up the stairs. He was about halfway to the top.
“Lakita, I sense your outrage at what I said. I am grateful for Jehovah. He has done many marvelous things. However, his angels and carbonites allow him to say outrageous stuff and never call him out to answer for his ridiculous words. Some on the Council have kept him under control but he remains an arrogant prick … Change of subject. I think I know who you are. You are not this pretentious governor that is investigating me. I don’t feel anger in you anymore… I don’t like to argue and I sense that you recognize the Jehovah problem…”
“There is no Jehovah problem.”
“You fascinate me! Let me try to change your script. I can teach you a bit more about emo. Keep in mind that what I said about plucking out your eyes is partially true. Carbonites are typically extremely ignorant and need to understand that gaining power means losing something else. You may be ignorant but I want to give you some credit. I have read about your accomplishments, mostly in history class. Your powers are dated for my times. You may see how things have changed when I give you a taste of what I can do. Maybe I can get you to start to see the reality in front of you. Even if I don’t have time to finish this now, we can communicate later.”
“I told you that I gain energy through my internal emotions. Besides gaining energy from emotions, I also gain 100% when energy passes through me. I know, it does not make sense, yet it happens. More specifically, I gain positive energy when I pass on positive energy. Even now, I am gaining power from our conversation as I empower you. I sensed earlier that you are probing me to determine if you can trust me. I am trusting you so you can trust me. Trust or no trust, I don’t care.”
Henry stopped climbing the stairs and he took out his pipe. After packing the bowl with mugwort and lighting up his pipe, he took a few more puffs looking out pensively over the water towards a lighthouse in the distance.
“I can explain pass-through energy like this, a windmill converts the wind into energy. Wind has potential energy but I store Prana when I act as a conduit of emotion. For example, I gain energy from love and when I give love that has been given to me. Interestingly enough, I lose most of my positive energy when I pass on negative energy. For example, if I feel pain after someone has done something bad to me. Sometimes, I feel pain when someone does something nice. I have tried to minimize the pass-through effects; it is best to just not deal with negative energy but I have learned to make even this into gains.”
“You are not paying attention. I will explain this another time. I need to focus on the sunrise!”
Henry stood at the top of the Observation Point. He cleaned his pipe and put it back into his pocket. As he lay down on the deck facing up to the sky, Henry slowed his breathing and his heart rate.
“Henry, I am here. I am nervous.”
Henry felt her accelerated heartbeat. He felt contempt towards her but he felt less inclined to act on it. “Relax Lakita. I feel you are troubled. We can choose to be at peace with everyone. Let’s discuss another way to gain energy. These all work for me. I am curious if they work for you. But let’s hurry up. It is almost time for sunrise.”
I realized that my hat was blocking hmy view. He took off the cap and laid it by his side. I flew over to the rock and stood at the corner of the Observation Point.
“I gain energy when I express an emotion or blessing. I don’t always find the right words to describe the joy I feel but I can use fasting, prayer, and meditation to produce emotion. I use the power of visioning and positivity. I gain power through wonderful quotes of positivity or imagining a positive outcome. I even gain power through acts of kindness, sensual experiences, and outward expressions. Just saying something nice or expressing emotion generates positive or negative energy. Good positive sex generates energy but there are better ways for carbonites to generate Prana. If sensuality finds expression in joy, it is most effective.”
“I know I am talking too much. I like the way one of our ancestors expressed it before TTD. I think Oprah said, “Joy is affirmed by tears, an affirmation of connection with the universe, an affirmation of life.” I think it was Oprah; maybe it was my mother. Anyway, the point is that other emotional outlets such as crying, laughing, sorrow, and ecstasy give me crazy gains in power. My joy often shows as tears. I have had enough sorrow to fill buckets, so you understand I don’t care about those who think less of me for being emotional.”
“I sense your affirmation, Lakita. Let me take a moment to describe emo at a deeper level. You originally asked me to describe my joy. I introduced you to my sunrise joy. I sensed the natural event and I allowed the aura around me to be expressed. It is basic yet it is a wonderful way to recharge every day. Sunsets are good too and almost identical; however, sunrises are my thing because, in my mind, sunsets signify an end. A sunrise is a beginning! There is a downside to sunrise emo. The sunrise moment I described earlier can be contrasted with reality. I need you to lock in hard with me using emo.”
“I can demonstrate now. If you lock in with my emotions, I will show you another dimension of power gain that I described and you will feel the gain… I feel a deeper connection with you now… Let me take you to a place a bit farther away from here. Feel the telekinetic wave I am sending. We will travel to a place. Imagine the bustling burbs; people wake to alarm clocks with buzzes and whistles or synthetic waves and wind.”
“These are apathetic observers who do not appreciate the wonder before them, the same wonder that shunts my thoughts and brings tears to my eyes. Their thoughts are occupied by ambient distractions, music, the cries of babies, dogs barking, or cars rushing on nearby streets and highways. Sadly, they don’t hear the spirits speak, the herald is suffocated. No one will accuse them of being emotional. I feel sorrow for the apathetic people and I can grow this emotion by desiring to give them the joy I receive. Lord, did you feel that rush? I sense that you did!”
A male gull came over and started strutting around and opening his feathers. He was clueless about what was going on. Henry looked over at me and winked. He knew that the bird had taken a fancy to me. I know I have rizz but I needed to focus on reminding Henry about the sunrise. He had time to teach but I did not want him to forget our business later. Henry nodded to me that he understood.
“Back to the sunrise, unless the morning is greeted in gentle simplicity, the message of life itself is lost. My good days in Serenity almost always begin with the spectacular sunrise. To ensure that the conditions are best suited for the morning herald and that I am observing from the best seat in the house, I must resist the urge to enter a building or be consumed by racing thoughts. If possible, I seek a quiet place on our sandy beach. Today, I found such a place for isolation and introspection, only a few hundred feet from the conference center. Again, I feel sorrow for those who cannot see reality in simplicity. I pray for those who are blind to simplicity.”
“Lakita, you make me laugh. Remember, I asked you earlier if I needed to give you more of an explanation. You wanted to ask me this question. You should have because our discussion comes back to this question, where do I go to search for simplicity? Sorry for laughing, Lord. This is beginning to be an interview. Open your eyes, Lord Lakita. Lay your body flat, close your eyes, and consider my words. Open the eyes of your heart so that you can see.”
Henry lay down on the rock and continued speaking to Lakita.
“I will tell you a very short story. It is a story of a boy and a girl. This boy was blind and mute inside the womb of a mother who was also blind and mute. When he was born, his nurse stole him, wrapped him in newspaper, and sold him to an old rich man who owned the largest library in the region. The rich man had no wife so he hired a young teenage girl to tend to the baby’s needs and ordered a delivery of 10 women who could feed the infant with their breast milk.”
“The baby rejected all the women and would not drink any dairy milk from cows or goats. People came from all around with different forms of liquids for the infant to drink. The infant was in pain without nourishment.”
“The caretaker was in tears. She cried out to god but there was no answer. Obviously, the caretaker could not feed the baby, her breasts were dry. While in her arms, the baby boy reached out and touched a book on the table and milk slowly began filling the girl’s breasts until her shirt became soiled. The caretaker opened her shirt despite all the people around her and began feeding the infant from her breasts.”
“People in the old rich man’s home marveled and took books for the baby to touch. Some ran out of the house and returned with family and friends who retrieved books from the rich man’s library for the young boy to touch. The baby’s little hand went upon the pages scanning every word; the caretaker turned the pages. All the time, the baby was suckling on her tit, and the caretaker, as in a trance, sang the words the child touched. Her eyes were opened wide.”
“After the baby had his fill, he continued to touch the pages brought to him by people from around the world. The caretaker began to dance and sing. Somehow she was able to dance but not in the rhythm of the song she was singing. She sang ‘I am your eyes and you are my body.’ The caretaker sang these words over and over. People in earshot of the singing would involuntarily enter a trance and speak aloud the words touched by the boy’s hand.”
“Years and decades passed by. An unexplainable miraculous event occurred but this became the norm. Just like when fire was first discovered, it was treasured. Scientists examined the chemical properties and think they can explain it. Even those who don’t know the properties take fire for granted and this happened to the old man. The baby was now an old man who had communicated through other people all his life. Now, he had his pregnant granddaughter beside him.”
“The caretaker, still alive and vibrant, was curious and asked the old man how he could read with his hands. The old man said through his granddaughter to the caretaker, ‘My eyes cannot see what my heart allows not. And words that are read mean nothing if they are not understood. I am thankful that I had people around me who loved me and allowed me to speak through them. You asked me how I read. If you don’t know why I read, I might as well not have been born. Others may try again. Open your eyes.'”
“This is a true story. Hopefully, you understand it. It is not me; I am not blind. My brother is the blind boy in the story but nobody knew he was blind except me. It was my brother’s death that taught me to slow down. I have grown a great deal in this past year. One thing I learned is that if we refrain from responding to endless stimuli and open the curtains of our minds, we can experience more than the sunrise. Some people need to remove their eyes or use herbs and potions. Be quiet and slow your mind down. Then connect with the present. When you are ready, you will transcend the obvious and elect to participate in the glory of this universe…Lakita, my body is speaking to me. I feel something inside me now. It is time.”
Henry knelt and immediately went into a trance. His hands came together and then extended with palms facing away.
I come before the ascension of the royal sun, rising from below the horizon, to its golden throne above the great waters. I am invited to sit at the banquet table to share in a feast with the velvet moon, to rejoice with the guests in this eternal love affair between orbs preceding the divine message of colorful ensemble. This message is a holy treatise, magnificently posed within nature’s raw beauty.
The painted sky hosts the sun and the moon’s performance. The actors elevate the script before cheering audiences who bear witness. The stars, who boast the expanse of the world at night, hide by day. These sparkling celestial bodies dance behind wispy bluish clouds, applauding the sun, the moon, and all the planets and falling meteors.
A lighthouse sits prominently on a distant hill of rock watching the dancing above, donning a regal cape of incandescent pink and orange professing its steadfast adoration of the orb pair. The calm Pacific Ocean invites the newborn light of the sun to dance upon the waves before slowly splashing upon the beach. Skiffs standby a short distance from shore, anchored in the calm waters, while seagulls dash about gleefully in the crisp morning air.
The witnesses of the new day maintain a covenant with the gods to inscribe their treatise onto the breeze. Today, the breeze bellows out that there is hope for tomorrow and offers evidence in the form of a titillating mix of salt, flowers, and roasting coffee. It is a sweet kiss on my cheek and a refresh of my spirit.
Tears rolled down Henry’s face. “I am back Lakita. I hope I blessed you. It was a wonderful sunrise. I need to go again but let’s link later”. I watched Henry wipe his face with his sleeves as he walked towards the Conference Center. I was already inside.
Magpie (/sm03 C3.0 3-2-24 )
At the Center – Henry
I bend down and put my shoes and socks on. The coffee aroma is coming from a large roaster at the Burris Conference Center. I look through the windows that expose the bustle within. Staffers from New Berkeley University are registering the remaining attendees, provisional graduates attending their final required course. Many are sitting at the tables. Nametags are in front of assigned seats with binders holding course materials. A microphone on a stand is in the middle of the room for students to ask questions. The room is lovely with decorated stair rails that lead up to the speaker’s podium adorned with fresh-cut flowers. The speaker, Lauren, is at the podium.
Thankfully, I am pre-registered. As I walk through the door, the scanner indicator at the door beeps. I am recognized. It is very crowded here. I am surrounded by so many who are waiting for the course to start. Some stand in line for the buffet which has a variety of breakfast choices including beverages featuring freshly roasted Mojave coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice from nearby Phoenix groves. Many of the attendees can be found in every conceivable open space chatting with classmates or noshing on food. Others seem to be taking the opportunity to meet with recruiters at their booths.
I hope Lauren is feeling confident, she was worried last night. I have seen her work hard on her presentation before; last night was different. Lauren Mendoza is my roommate and Student President. Linsey McCauley is our roommate, also. I have not seen Lindsey yet. Linsey worked with Lauren to practice her talk and prepare her clothes yesterday. Both were out of bed early.
I am not sure why Lauren is worried. She looks very professional today with the navy-blue blazer she is wearing. She wears the same ensemble every day. She looks super attractive with her pseudo uniform made up of a white button-down shirt and beige pencil skirt. I secretly like uniforms which most people don’t realize about me because I am so informal. Lauren is wearing a pearl necklace that her father gave her. The gold watch and earrings came from her creepy mom. She has her typical look with her long black hair tied in a neat bun. Her makeup is natural and elegant. Lauren will nail this presentation.
As Student President, she regularly performs speaking engagements. Today is the last time she will represent her class or school at an event. To mark the end of academia, Linsey and I organized a banquet in her honor. I invited her family and some prestigious friends. For two days and nights, we will celebrate her graduation and entrance into a prestigious job. It’s a bit overboard, I know, but that is what Dr. Magillacuddy wants. He likes to throw his weight around and he wants everyone to witness his influence. ‘Ostentatious’ is the word Lauren’s father uses.
The Mayor of the Serenity and the President of the University will attend. These guys are in it for the money. It is no secret that they are paving the way for future donations from the Mendoza-Burris multi-billion estate. Lauren’s father is a well-known Filipino real estate mogul who owns many major Nogales beach properties and is married to Lauren’s mother, Sandra Burris. Mrs. Burris is another one. She pretends to hate me but when Lauren is not around, she touches me and tries to take my clothes off. I don’t want to complain and cause a fight in her family.
I have asked Sandra to stop many times. She threatened to tell Lauren about our affair. I was with Sandra long before Lauren and I dated. I didn’t even know they were related until much later. The facts don’t matter. If Lauren finds out, it will no doubt break her heart. I didn’t do anything wrong with Lauren. Sandra did not care about the Council’s directives.
Lauren and Lindsey are always reminding me about the Great Directives. She does not know her mother and if I say anything, it will start Armageddon again. I don’t want to add to the drama in Lauren’s life. Of course, I must play it cool with the other jackass in Lauren’s life.
I am talking about Dr. Magillacuddy. He should be here soon. Linsey and Lauren call him Magpie. Linsey was the one who came up with the name Magpie for the doc. He will be leading the presentation. We all hate this prick, but we don’t say anything out of respect for Lauren. I believe he had something to do with my brother’s death. Lauren is nervous because her mother and her boss are concerned about some comments she has made about the Council and want to speak with her after the presentation.
“Henry!” I heard Lindsey calling me.
“Good morning!… Wow!” You look great! Lindsey was wearing some jeans and she never… I mean never ever ever wears jeans.
“Henry, thank you! Just for you. And Lauren and I have a present for you after the test.”
“Hmm. I like the sound of that!”
“Yeah hmm. We can do that too, but we have another present that you will like. Maybe not as much. Who knows?” Lindsey was smiling and gave me a naughty wink. Something was unsettling, almost as if her eyes were not her own.
Introducing the Speaker – Lauren Mendoza
“Can someone please turn this microphone on?”
“Lauren, check the on-off switch.” Mr. Schuster, our friendly Administrative Director, chimed in.
“It seems to be on. I’ll wait for the media guys.”
“Rubio is the media specialist. He is in the back wearing that fluorescent orange shirt. You can’t miss him. When you see him, let him know you are ready to test the sound system.”
As I look out over the room, I see many people I know from my classes. There is hardly enough room to move in this place. It looks difficult to get to the tables. I was going to introduce myself to the students already seated. It makes me think. Despite the effort I have made over the years to make a name for myself with the student body, there is still a large number I do not know. I will soon be forgotten so rather than greet them, I should choose my words wisely. Maybe they will remember something I said.
Perhaps, they will hear my voice and learn about the political reality of the world. I will be surprised if their head is really in the game today. They will not process it or soon forget who I am. I remind myself that it is not my responsibility to make them learn, just to teach. While I don’t like this attitude, I cheer myself up by remembering that anonymity is more of a blessing than a curse. But I want to have an impact on the lives of others.
Rubio is poking his head up. His shirt makes him easily stand out. I am not sure why he is crawling around on the floor. “Signal me when you want me to test the sound,” I mime along with hand signals that probably make no sense. It is too loud in here that even my yelling… he is giving me a thumbs-up and walking toward the platform.
“Test. Test,” I address Rubio standing below the speaker’s platform. When I tap on the mike, there is no sound.
“Maybe it is the power switch…”
‘No, it is on.” I shrugged and sat down giving the technical guys room to operate.
My boyfriend, Henry Snyder, is at table #4 in his raggedy jeans and his brother’s faded t-shirt. He should be happy that he is one class away from leaving this place but I know he is terrified. And for a very good reason, his brother, Tom, was taken from this room and murdered just last year. He is still grieving but he puts on a happy face.
The Council said it was an unfortunate death and blamed Tom for running away from the authorities who were threatening to confine him. Who blames the victim? What should the Council expect? I wrestle with guilt because I love the Council and serve them. My heart is with the people also. The Council should be sensitive when they deliver this sort of news. They should not be assholes. It is not so hard to say you are sorry. I realize that it has legal consequences if they admit to anything. I know and love the Snyders, especially Henry. Tom was too vocal against the Council and he was probably at the wrong place at the wrong time. Today, Henry is here just trying to graduate.
I try to recall seeing Henry happy or sad for the past year. At home, he sits quietly without any emotion, often rocking slightly back and forth. My once outrageous boyfriend keeps his feelings buried deep inside. When I first met Henry, he was super crazy. He would embarrass me with darling acts of love in public. He is different now. Some people have told me I should drop him. People like my mother.
For those of us who truly know Henry, there is no denying that fear and anxiety are present and active inside him. I can never abandon someone who has loved me so deeply and sincerely. We know that there is much hidden beneath the surface of his mind. His brother’s death fuels a creature eating Henry from the inside, slowly consuming him, and taking him to his ruin.
“Have you seen Doctor Magillacuddy?” I asked Mr. Schuster.
“No Lauren. I’m sorry, I don’t know where he is.”
“I have not seen him, yet. He is supposed to speak. ” I really don’t care if he shows. He will be here and on time. That asshole always is punctual.
“Don’t worry, he will be here.” Mr. Schuster turned and tried to walk through the aisles, but his large belly made it difficult for him.
I don’t see Henry in his seat. I met Henry as a freshman, I needed his signature to get on the ballot for student government. He made my pen disappear. When I found a new pen, he made that disappear also. He did this many times. Then I started to laugh and he handed me back all the pens. He had a beautiful smile and for some reason, I hugged him. He was a breath of fresh air, optimistic, friendly, and brilliant. Now, he is jaded, guarded, and lacking confidence.
I am pleased that Henry was assigned to sit at the same table as Linsey. More importantly, he is talking with her! This is the closest I will ever come to witnessing Henry ask for help. I don’t know if that is what he is doing; I am imagining Henry asking for help. Even though we are roommates, he never starts a conversation. Linsey McCauley, my best friend, and our roommate is usually the one who initiates a conversation. She typically wears business attire but today, she chose a denim jumper. I suspect she is showing solidarity with Henry. I imagine this is why Henry approached her! We are going to give him a gift late tonight that will change his life.
“Thank you,” I mimed a response to Mr. Schuster.
Henry left and returned with some refreshments for Linsey. He brought Linsey some juice and a plate of fruit and just sat down again. Henry told me and Linsey last night that he was not happy to be coming to this final course, but he knows that we must attend this to graduate. Henry is certainly not a fan of the university, partially because of the military presence here. His brother was pulled out of class by those thugs and shot. Most people know that Tom was associated with the Rebels. Henry is not his brother. He is not political. Henry needs to recognize this very obvious fact. But from here, it looks like Linsey is giving him a pep talk and helping him reduce his fear, at least temporarily. I believe that she will get through to our friend.
Last night, Linsey calmed me down also as I prepared my clothes and speech for this event. I was a nervous wreck. As class president, I am used to public appearances, but Magpie is supposed to be here. Magpie is my mentor and boss and a serious detriment to my focus and ability to think. He can ruin my reputation and get me fired before I even have a position. Without Linsey’s calm soothing voice and sparkling mojitos, my fingernails would be chewed to the nub. Of course, I should not be concerned about anyone’s approval but, truth be told, I want my mom and my peers to be proud of me. My peers think I am stuck up. And my mother thinks I am a loser because Henry and Linsey seem to always be ‘hanging all over me’.
Rubio wants me to do another sound check. “Test, test” I checked to see if my microphone was working. Still, there is no sound. I sat back down.
My mom never liked Henry or Lindsey. Not because they are not Filipino or on the Dean’s List. She doesn’t like Lindsey because she has not had a child after six years of trying. Lindsey started having attendants almost two years before me. Mother calls her a slut because she thinks Lindsey is just enjoying the sex and not thinking about the Council’s Great Directives. And Mother doesn’t like Henry because… mostly just because. Sometimes she says, ‘he controls me.’ That is not true.
I have tried to tell her that I like my two besties because we are so close but not clingy. We share a four-bedroom flat. The three of us can share intimate moments and still be confident to do our own thing. It’s funny that despite our intimacy, they don’t really like what I do but they cheer for me anyhow. They understand that I love academics and the Council and the next 48 hours are critical for me.
I see Magpie walking into the room. Simultaneously, Mr. Schuster is motioning me to test the mike again. “Test, test”. Still no sound. A strange man is lying down on the floor of the podium.
“My name is Soon. Do another test please.”
“Hi.” I managed a tiny cringy sort of smile. “Test, test.” I couldn’t think of something better to say.
Soon said, “I heard something.” I looked at Rubio and shrugged. When Soon moved the cable, we all heard a crackle.
“I am going to step off the platform and sit down.” Soon nodded.
I am fortunate that I am accepted into a Council position once I graduate. I laughed because I thought I could never be a sound technician. The fact of the matter is that I was groomed for this position literally before I could walk, by men who owed my mother, starting with my father. My supervisor and mentor, Dr. Magillacuddy, who is here is one of those men too. I call him Magpie. He hates being called Magpie.
I have known Magpie for a long time, but I still don’t feel comfortable working with him. Once I have completed this seminar, I will be starting my career at Council Associates as a Public Emissary Assistant and working alongside him every day for at least two years. Then I will fly! Bye, bye Magpie. Seems like an eternity. For now, it is best if I just stay away from him.
Mr. Schuster gave me a thumbs up. It is time to start. I walked up to the podium again.
“Good morning….” I paused.
“Many of you know me but for those of you who don’t, I am your class president, Lauren Mendoza. I want to congratulate everyone for making it to our final course. I have been asked to take care of some administrative duties and introduce our Speaker for this seminar.”
A few people stood up and clapped while others in the audience remained seated, texting.
“I ask that you please put away your phones. You will find some papers in the center of your table that include information about breaks and where to find restrooms. The seminar will start soon and I will present an introduction to our topic and our esteemed speaker.” I looked over to the side of the stage and saw Magpie. He makes me feel nervous. I need to impress him, or at least keep him happy with my performance. Magpie, or rather, Dr. Magillacuddy’s first name is Alex, but I rarely, if ever, call him Alex. I usually call him Magpie except in public.
He likes it when people call him Doctor in public, especially me. In public, I call him Doctor. In private, he likes me to call him Alex, but never in public. He gets angry if I call him Alex and others in his office can hear me. But he hates it even more if I call him Magpie. I hate it when he gets angry… and he gets angry a lot. That’s one reason why I call him Maggie; he is just like those birds. Magpies are intelligent creatures that strut around and chatter endlessly. But at the end of the day, they are just birds. Smart like a bird and likes to strut. Strut, strut, strut.
Magpie became my career mentor when I was 14, hired by my father. My mother had the great idea for him to be an attendant to me. My magpie father was probably hiring him at the direction of my mother. I don’t like to be serious all the time. He is a serious person all the time. He gets upset over small details. Most importantly, he is my supervisor for my new position, and I don’t want to fuck this opportunity up. If I am not careful, I can become a target. Magpie is a vengeful individual. I admired this quality in him at first. That is why I agreed with my mother that he would be a good mating partner. But my admiration vanished after I saw what he did to Henry’s brother. I have to bide my time.
“Let me start with a story that was told to me by my father. My father was an avid scholar of Council history. Before time existed, four of the gods, who were forming members of the Council, got together to innovate a novel invention, Prana. They sat together in a circle and experimented with infusing Prana into Fantasia Imagineria. … Mr. Schuster, please dim the lights.“
It got quiet except for some laughter.
“I first did this exercise with my family, and it was quite memorable. I think it will translate well into this setting. Not only will you learn something that you can do tonight with your boyfriend or girlfriend, but hopefully, it will also be a distraction from the anger some of you are feeling.”
I stepped off the platform and motioned to Henry and Lindsey to join me.
“Everybody, please stand. Let’s pretend we are in this circle. I am going to ask everyone to close their eyes and hold hands around the table where sit. Feel the connection to your neighbor. Feel their heartbeat. Can you feel their breath? Do you know their thoughts and feelings?”
No one said anything so I continued, “If you pay attention, you may feel the emanations from your neighbor’s soul.”
I heard some snickers and harsh remarks. I returned to the podium.
“I hear you. I am going to go off script and tell the rest of the story for the nay-sayers… Because I hear you! Let’s get a little technical. According to the Legend of Jehovah in the latest Standard History Primer, the gods infused their shadow into Prana to create the first soul. Until recently, no one had a clue what the gods were trying to communicate. It did not seem to make sense. How can you infuse your shadow? Some of you may have studied the Fantasia Matrix in Biophysical Sociology. For those of you who don’t know, there is a study done here at New Berkeley that has metaphysical implications. The study demonstrated the existence of a Fantasia Matrix that provides access to an added dimension in plants. McDaniel & Stone grafted a piece of Fantasia with various vegetable plants and accidentally discovered that the nucleus of plant cells transformed into a matrix… Perhaps more amazing is that these plants can communicate with humans through their dreams.”
I looked around and I noticed that no one was texting anymore. I had completely gone off my planned script. And I see Magpie smiling. It seems to be a genuine smile. I am so used to this crass face he makes, that it is nice to see him happy. I see this smile when our daughter is happy.
“There is much more to this study, but let’s return to the gods’ work with Prana. No one, no human, knows how you can put a shadow into anything, but some suspect that something related to light wavelengths may be used. The process would begin with wrapping Prana and Fantasia, for example, in a conductor. The magic will happen when the conductor is charged to 30 coulombs which will induce the pneuma-Lorentz force and a super-deconvalence of the lightwaves around the Prana. This is all theoretical.
Prana is a concept we don’t understand or able to identify in the real world. Prana is unexplained in science, and yet we have the words of the gods explaining they use it to create the essence of life. But it is easy to miss the point. This is our existential connection to the eternal soul. My father suspected that the very presence of gods is found in every living thing that any of us are exposed to daily. He would say often ‘All you need is the faith of a mustard seed.’ My father wrote a book about how all people can generate eternal power and eternal life by looking into a mirror. Looking into a mirror allows you to recognize what you have and what you lack and connect you with the Prana inside you. Imagine that! You only need a mirror to transcend to a higher level. It is available to all. You would have the power of the gods! What stops you?”
The room started buzzing and some of the girls were pulling out mirrors from their purses.
“Recently, I went to a lecture given by Professor Randolf Harvey Brown who said that this may be the secret Jehovah used to create a diffused gas or shattered mirror to defeat Shiva. Recalling our story about the creation of the soul, the story goes that each God saw the manifestation of their prototype, but only one of the four gods was overcome with emotion and started weeping. Does anyone know who that god was?”
Again, crickets. Then, I heard that voice from my side.
“Jehovah!”
It is a familiar voice. I was astonished or mortified. It should have been a student. I hoped Linsey would participate because I told her this story a long time ago. But I recognized the voice. It was Magpie. I decided to start talking before the Magpie would start squawking or chirping or whatever those birds do to make noise.
“Yes, it was Jehovah. Jehovah foresaw that there would be turmoil for the future of souls. Jehovah wept when he realized the fate of the soul. Jehovah foreshadowed the great flood and TTD.”
I picked up the microphone and started walking towards my mentor. “We have read in our History Primer that the world experienced incredible loss from the effects of The Ten Days (TTD) cataclysmic event. I know we have heard this over and over since we were in primary school but it was a major event for U169. TTD destroyed most of the earth through a barrage of fire and brimstone causing 90% elimination of the animal and human population the same as the great flood. Asia, Europe, the Western half, and most of Northern North America, and Australia disappeared. They are now underwater. “
“Why would Jehovah destroy our world again?” It was my friend Linsey’s voice. “It is supposed to be a mystery, but I don’t think it really is.“ It was good that Lindsey heard my dog whistle.
But unbelievably, Magpie chimed in. “Miss, why do you think he destroyed the world twice?
“I think it is an opportunity to start again.”
It was a good answer and at the same time, irritating. Magpie was getting involved before his introduction. At this point, he is just a voice in the room but it leaves me feeling a bit out of control.
“He did this before and did not get the results he expected. You would have thought that a wise all-knowing God would not make the same mistake again.”
“Did you know that we were warned that this destruction was going to happen? … Both times?” Magillacuddy asked.
I quickly took the opportunity to stop the annoyance and gain control. “Our world knew for several decades that this destruction was coming and that we had the power to keep it from happening. We let it happen anyway. He blames us. But there is hope for the future, all you need is the faith of a mustard seed. And more practically, our hope is found in the Great Directives. Set up by the Council. Let us recite the Great Directives, One… “
The audience rose to their feet and chanted loudly, ‘Do as you are able!’
“And Two…”
The audience replied more fervently, “God and Family at the Center!”
I had taken advantage of the conditioning we have received since birth. We are trained to blindly respond to prompts that effectively wipe away all thoughts, or application of thought. It is just a reflex. We had learned these responses as children in primary school, from our guardians, and from every book we read. It gives me goosebumps to use this technique when I lead rallies. Approved rallies, of course.
“You may be seated… Today, Dr. Magillacuddy is our honored Speaker. Dr. Magillacuddy has been active with the Council for over 20 years, and we are fortunate to have him here to take us over our last hurdle. He has numerous awards for his work with the Council and the Leadership Committee. He is an extremely knowledgeable resource!”
The audience did not sit. There were angry faces and some loud boos. A few moments before, the audience was open and patient. Now they are ravenous and extremely closed-minded.
“I must remind you that this is an important part of completing our time at New Berkeley. Our Speaker will explain the next phase of service we will enter. Please rise and give a nice Berkeley Owl hoot for Dr. Magillacuddy!”
Most of the audience stood up and clapped, mostly out of respect… or fear. There were a few hoots. But everyone quickly sat down. The class started to murmur as the Speaker organized his notes on the podium. Many of the students were not happy that they were required to take an additional seminar. They were less thrilled when they learned who the guest Speaker would be.
They all had heard horror stories. Especially about Tom Snyder who made a scene at his final seminar. Magpie was teaching that seminar also. I was studying in the library when I heard shouting and screaming as the Black Brigade took Tom to the Council for sentencing. But that never happened. I could see that he was blindfolded. Then he was out of view. I heard a loud bang. The report said he hit a soldier and tried to escape. I just remember the blood on the wall. They could have cleaned the blood better.
My father told me privately that Dr. Magillacuddy was a judge for the Black Brigade. Judges hear cases concerning non-compliance with the Council’s directives. Those who do not comply or pass their education assignments before their 25th birthday are placed into the Rededicate Corp. or executed. Tom was executed.
Magpie (/sm03 C3.0 3-2-24 )
At the Center – Henry
I bend down and put my shoes and socks on. The coffee aroma is coming from a large roaster at the Burris Conference Center. I look through the windows that expose the bustle within. Staffers from New Berkeley University are registering the remaining attendees, provisional graduates attending their final required course. Many are sitting at the tables. Nametags are in front of assigned seats with binders holding course materials. A microphone on a stand is in the middle of the room for students to ask questions. The room is lovely with decorated stair rails that lead up to the speaker’s podium adorned with fresh-cut flowers. The speaker, Lauren, is at the podium.
Thankfully, I am pre-registered. As I walk through the door, the scanner indicator at the door beeps. I am recognized. It is very crowded here. I am surrounded by so many who are waiting for the course to start. Some stand in line for the buffet which has a variety of breakfast choices including beverages featuring freshly roasted Mojave coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice from nearby Phoenix groves. Many of the attendees can be found in every conceivable open space chatting with classmates or noshing on food. Others seem to be taking the opportunity to meet with recruiters at their booths.
I hope Lauren is feeling confident, she was worried last night. I have seen her work hard on her presentation before; last night was different. Lauren Mendoza is my roommate and Student President. Linsey McCauley is our roommate, also. I have not seen Lindsey yet. Linsey worked with Lauren to practice her talk and prepare her clothes yesterday. Both were out of bed early.
I am not sure why Lauren is worried. She looks very professional today with the navy-blue blazer she is wearing. She wears the same ensemble every day. She looks super attractive with her pseudo uniform made up of a white button-down shirt and beige pencil skirt. I secretly like uniforms which most people don’t realize about me because I am so informal. Lauren is wearing a pearl necklace that her father gave her. The gold watch and earrings came from her creepy mom. She has her typical look with her long black hair tied in a neat bun. Her makeup is natural and elegant. Lauren will nail this presentation.
As Student President, she regularly performs speaking engagements. Today is the last time she will represent her class or school at an event. To mark the end of academia, Linsey and I organized a banquet in her honor. I invited her family and some prestigious friends. For two days and nights, we will celebrate her graduation and entrance into a prestigious job. It’s a bit overboard, I know, but that is what Dr. Magillacuddy wants. He likes to throw his weight around and he wants everyone to witness his influence. ‘Ostentatious’ is the word Lauren’s father uses.
The Mayor of the Serenity and the President of the University will attend. These guys are in it for the money. It is no secret that they are paving the way for future donations from the Mendoza-Burris multi-billion estate. Lauren’s father is a well-known Filipino real estate mogul who owns many major Nogales beach properties and is married to Lauren’s mother, Sandra Burris. Mrs. Burris is another one. She pretends to hate me but when Lauren is not around, she touches me and tries to take my clothes off. I don’t want to complain and cause a fight in her family.
I have asked Sandra to stop many times. She threatened to tell Lauren about our affair. I was with Sandra long before Lauren and I dated. I didn’t even know they were related until much later. The facts don’t matter. If Lauren finds out, it will no doubt break her heart. I didn’t do anything wrong with Lauren. Sandra did not care about the Council’s directives.
Lauren and Lindsey are always reminding me about the Great Directives. She does not know her mother and if I say anything, it will start Armageddon again. I don’t want to add to the drama in Lauren’s life. Of course, I must play it cool with the other jackass in Lauren’s life.
I am talking about Dr. Magillacuddy. He should be here soon. Linsey and Lauren call him Magpie. Linsey was the one who came up with the name Magpie for the doc. He will be leading the presentation. We all hate this prick, but we don’t say anything out of respect for Lauren. I believe he had something to do with my brother’s death. Lauren is nervous because her mother and her boss are concerned about some comments she has made about the Council and want to speak with her after the presentation.
“Henry!” I heard Lindsey calling me.
“Good morning!… Wow!” You look great! Lindsey was wearing some jeans and she never… I mean never ever ever wears jeans.
“Henry, thank you! Just for you. And Lauren and I have a present for you after the test.”
“Hmm. I like the sound of that!”
“Yeah hmm. We can do that too, but we have another present that you will like. Maybe not as much. Who knows?” Lindsey was smiling and gave me a naughty wink. Something was unsettling, almost as if her eyes were not her own.
Introducing the Speaker – Lauren Mendoza
“Can someone please turn this microphone on?”
“Lauren, check the on-off switch.” Mr. Schuster, our friendly Administrative Director, chimed in.
“It seems to be on. I’ll wait for the media guys.”
“Rubio is the media specialist. He is in the back wearing that fluorescent orange shirt. You can’t miss him. When you see him, let him know you are ready to test the sound system.”
As I look out over the room, I see many people I know from my classes. There is hardly enough room to move in this place. It looks difficult to get to the tables. I was going to introduce myself to the students already seated. It makes me think. Despite the effort I have made over the years to make a name for myself with the student body, there is still a large number I do not know. I will soon be forgotten so rather than greet them, I should choose my words wisely. Maybe they will remember something I said.
Perhaps, they will hear my voice and learn about the political reality of the world. I will be surprised if their head is really in the game today. They will not process it or soon forget who I am. I remind myself that it is not my responsibility to make them learn, just to teach. While I don’t like this attitude, I cheer myself up by remembering that anonymity is more of a blessing than a curse. But I want to have an impact on the lives of others.
Rubio is poking his head up. His shirt makes him easily stand out. I am not sure why he is crawling around on the floor. “Signal me when you want me to test the sound,” I mime along with hand signals that probably make no sense. It is too loud in here that even my yelling… he is giving me a thumbs-up and walking toward the platform.
“Test. Test,” I address Rubio standing below the speaker’s platform. When I tap on the mike, there is no sound.
“Maybe it is the power switch…”
‘No, it is on.” I shrugged and sat down giving the technical guys room to operate.
My boyfriend, Henry Snyder, is at table #4 in his raggedy jeans and his brother’s faded t-shirt. He should be happy that he is one class away from leaving this place but I know he is terrified. And for a very good reason, his brother, Tom, was taken from this room and murdered just last year. He is still grieving but he puts on a happy face.
The Council said it was an unfortunate death and blamed Tom for running away from the authorities who were threatening to confine him. Who blames the victim? What should the Council expect? I wrestle with guilt because I love the Council and serve them. My heart is with the people also. The Council should be sensitive when they deliver this sort of news. They should not be assholes. It is not so hard to say you are sorry. I realize that it has legal consequences if they admit to anything. I know and love the Snyders, especially Henry. Tom was too vocal against the Council and he was probably at the wrong place at the wrong time. Today, Henry is here just trying to graduate.
I try to recall seeing Henry happy or sad for the past year. At home, he sits quietly without any emotion, often rocking slightly back and forth. My once outrageous boyfriend keeps his feelings buried deep inside. When I first met Henry, he was super crazy. He would embarrass me with darling acts of love in public. He is different now. Some people have told me I should drop him. People like my mother.
For those of us who truly know Henry, there is no denying that fear and anxiety are present and active inside him. I can never abandon someone who has loved me so deeply and sincerely. We know that there is much hidden beneath the surface of his mind. His brother’s death fuels a creature eating Henry from the inside, slowly consuming him, and taking him to his ruin.
“Have you seen Doctor Magillacuddy?” I asked Mr. Schuster.
“No Lauren. I’m sorry, I don’t know where he is.”
“I have not seen him, yet. He is supposed to speak. ” I really don’t care if he shows. He will be here and on time. That asshole always is punctual.
“Don’t worry, he will be here.” Mr. Schuster turned and tried to walk through the aisles, but his large belly made it difficult for him.
I don’t see Henry in his seat. I met Henry as a freshman, I needed his signature to get on the ballot for student government. He made my pen disappear. When I found a new pen, he made that disappear also. He did this many times. Then I started to laugh and he handed me back all the pens. He had a beautiful smile and for some reason, I hugged him. He was a breath of fresh air, optimistic, friendly, and brilliant. Now, he is jaded, guarded, and lacking confidence.
I am pleased that Henry was assigned to sit at the same table as Linsey. More importantly, he is talking with her! This is the closest I will ever come to witnessing Henry ask for help. I don’t know if that is what he is doing; I am imagining Henry asking for help. Even though we are roommates, he never starts a conversation. Linsey McCauley, my best friend, and our roommate is usually the one who initiates a conversation. She typically wears business attire but today, she chose a denim jumper. I suspect she is showing solidarity with Henry. I imagine this is why Henry approached her! We are going to give him a gift late tonight that will change his life.
“Thank you,” I mimed a response to Mr. Schuster.
Henry left and returned with some refreshments for Linsey. He brought Linsey some juice and a plate of fruit and just sat down again. Henry told me and Linsey last night that he was not happy to be coming to this final course, but he knows that we must attend this to graduate. Henry is certainly not a fan of the university, partially because of the military presence here. His brother was pulled out of class by those thugs and shot. Most people know that Tom was associated with the Rebels. Henry is not his brother. He is not political. Henry needs to recognize this very obvious fact. But from here, it looks like Linsey is giving him a pep talk and helping him reduce his fear, at least temporarily. I believe that she will get through to our friend.
Last night, Linsey calmed me down also as I prepared my clothes and speech for this event. I was a nervous wreck. As class president, I am used to public appearances, but Magpie is supposed to be here. Magpie is my mentor and boss and a serious detriment to my focus and ability to think. He can ruin my reputation and get me fired before I even have a position. Without Linsey’s calm soothing voice and sparkling mojitos, my fingernails would be chewed to the nub. Of course, I should not be concerned about anyone’s approval but, truth be told, I want my mom and my peers to be proud of me. My peers think I am stuck up. And my mother thinks I am a loser because Henry and Linsey seem to always be ‘hanging all over me’.
Rubio wants me to do another sound check. “Test, test” I checked to see if my microphone was working. Still, there is no sound. I sat back down.
My mom never liked Henry or Lindsey. Not because they are not Filipino or on the Dean’s List. She doesn’t like Lindsey because she has not had a child after six years of trying. Lindsey started having attendants almost two years before me. Mother calls her a slut because she thinks Lindsey is just enjoying the sex and not thinking about the Council’s Great Directives. And Mother doesn’t like Henry because… mostly just because. Sometimes she says, ‘he controls me.’ That is not true.
I have tried to tell her that I like my two besties because we are so close but not clingy. We share a four-bedroom flat. The three of us can share intimate moments and still be confident to do our own thing. It’s funny that despite our intimacy, they don’t really like what I do but they cheer for me anyhow. They understand that I love academics and the Council and the next 48 hours are critical for me.
I see Magpie walking into the room. Simultaneously, Mr. Schuster is motioning me to test the mike again. “Test, test”. Still no sound. A strange man is lying down on the floor of the podium.
“My name is Soon. Do another test please.”
“Hi.” I managed a tiny cringy sort of smile. “Test, test.” I couldn’t think of something better to say.
Soon said, “I heard something.” I looked at Rubio and shrugged. When Soon moved the cable, we all heard a crackle.
“I am going to step off the platform and sit down.” Soon nodded.
I am fortunate that I am accepted into a Council position once I graduate. I laughed because I thought I could never be a sound technician. The fact of the matter is that I was groomed for this position literally before I could walk, by men who owed my mother, starting with my father. My supervisor and mentor, Dr. Magillacuddy, who is here is one of those men too. I call him Magpie. He hates being called Magpie.
I have known Magpie for a long time, but I still don’t feel comfortable working with him. Once I have completed this seminar, I will be starting my career at Council Associates as a Public Emissary Assistant and working alongside him every day for at least two years. Then I will fly! Bye, bye Magpie. Seems like an eternity. For now, it is best if I just stay away from him.
Mr. Schuster gave me a thumbs up. It is time to start. I walked up to the podium again.
“Good morning….” I paused.
“Many of you know me but for those of you who don’t, I am your class president, Lauren Mendoza. I want to congratulate everyone for making it to our final course. I have been asked to take care of some administrative duties and introduce our Speaker for this seminar.”
A few people stood up and clapped while others in the audience remained seated, texting.
“I ask that you please put away your phones. You will find some papers in the center of your table that include information about breaks and where to find restrooms. The seminar will start soon and I will present an introduction to our topic and our esteemed speaker.” I looked over to the side of the stage and saw Magpie. He makes me feel nervous. I need to impress him, or at least keep him happy with my performance. Magpie, or rather, Dr. Magillacuddy’s first name is Alex, but I rarely, if ever, call him Alex. I usually call him Magpie except in public.
He likes it when people call him Doctor in public, especially me. In public, I call him Doctor. In private, he likes me to call him Alex, but never in public. He gets angry if I call him Alex and others in his office can hear me. But he hates it even more if I call him Magpie. I hate it when he gets angry… and he gets angry a lot. That’s one reason why I call him Maggie; he is just like those birds. Magpies are intelligent creatures that strut around and chatter endlessly. But at the end of the day, they are just birds. Smart like a bird and likes to strut. Strut, strut, strut.
Magpie became my career mentor when I was 14, hired by my father. My mother had the great idea for him to be an attendant to me. My magpie father was probably hiring him at the direction of my mother. I don’t like to be serious all the time. He is a serious person all the time. He gets upset over small details. Most importantly, he is my supervisor for my new position, and I don’t want to fuck this opportunity up. If I am not careful, I can become a target. Magpie is a vengeful individual. I admired this quality in him at first. That is why I agreed with my mother that he would be a good mating partner. But my admiration vanished after I saw what he did to Henry’s brother. I have to bide my time.
“Let me start with a story that was told to me by my father. My father was an avid scholar of Council history. Before time existed, four of the gods, who were forming members of the Council, got together to innovate a novel invention, Prana. They sat together in a circle and experimented with infusing Prana into Fantasia Imagineria. … Mr. Schuster, please dim the lights.“
It got quiet except for some laughter.
“I first did this exercise with my family, and it was quite memorable. I think it will translate well into this setting. Not only will you learn something that you can do tonight with your boyfriend or girlfriend, but hopefully, it will also be a distraction from the anger some of you are feeling.”
I stepped off the platform and motioned to Henry and Lindsey to join me.
“Everybody, please stand. Let’s pretend we are in this circle. I am going to ask everyone to close their eyes and hold hands around the table where sit. Feel the connection to your neighbor. Feel their heartbeat. Can you feel their breath? Do you know their thoughts and feelings?”
No one said anything so I continued, “If you pay attention, you may feel the emanations from your neighbor’s soul.”
I heard some snickers and harsh remarks. I returned to the podium.
“I hear you. I am going to go off script and tell the rest of the story for the nay-sayers… Because I hear you! Let’s get a little technical. According to the Legend of Jehovah in the latest Standard History Primer, the gods infused their shadow into Prana to create the first soul. Until recently, no one had a clue what the gods were trying to communicate. It did not seem to make sense. How can you infuse your shadow? Some of you may have studied the Fantasia Matrix in Biophysical Sociology. For those of you who don’t know, there is a study done here at New Berkeley that has metaphysical implications. The study demonstrated the existence of a Fantasia Matrix that provides access to an added dimension in plants. McDaniel & Stone grafted a piece of Fantasia with various vegetable plants and accidentally discovered that the nucleus of plant cells transformed into a matrix… Perhaps more amazing is that these plants can communicate with humans through their dreams.”
I looked around and I noticed that no one was texting anymore. I had completely gone off my planned script. And I see Magpie smiling. It seems to be a genuine smile. I am so used to this crass face he makes, that it is nice to see him happy. I see this smile when our daughter is happy.
“There is much more to this study, but let’s return to the gods’ work with Prana. No one, no human, knows how you can put a shadow into anything, but some suspect that something related to light wavelengths may be used. The process would begin with wrapping Prana and Fantasia, for example, in a conductor. The magic will happen when the conductor is charged to 30 coulombs which will induce the pneuma-Lorentz force and a super-deconvalence of the lightwaves around the Prana. This is all theoretical.
Prana is a concept we don’t understand or able to identify in the real world. Prana is unexplained in science, and yet we have the words of the gods explaining they use it to create the essence of life. But it is easy to miss the point. This is our existential connection to the eternal soul. My father suspected that the very presence of gods is found in every living thing that any of us are exposed to daily. He would say often ‘All you need is the faith of a mustard seed.’ My father wrote a book about how all people can generate eternal power and eternal life by looking into a mirror. Looking into a mirror allows you to recognize what you have and what you lack and connect you with the Prana inside you. Imagine that! You only need a mirror to transcend to a higher level. It is available to all. You would have the power of the gods! What stops you?”
The room started buzzing and some of the girls were pulling out mirrors from their purses.
“Recently, I went to a lecture given by Professor Randolf Harvey Brown who said that this may be the secret Jehovah used to create a diffused gas or shattered mirror to defeat Shiva. Recalling our story about the creation of the soul, the story goes that each God saw the manifestation of their prototype, but only one of the four gods was overcome with emotion and started weeping. Does anyone know who that god was?”
Again, crickets. Then, I heard that voice from my side.
“Jehovah!”
It is a familiar voice. I was astonished or mortified. It should have been a student. I hoped Linsey would participate because I told her this story a long time ago. But I recognized the voice. It was Magpie. I decided to start talking before the Magpie would start squawking or chirping or whatever those birds do to make noise.
“Yes, it was Jehovah. Jehovah foresaw that there would be turmoil for the future of souls. Jehovah wept when he realized the fate of the soul. Jehovah foreshadowed the great flood and TTD.”
I picked up the microphone and started walking towards my mentor. “We have read in our History Primer that the world experienced incredible loss from the effects of The Ten Days (TTD) cataclysmic event. I know we have heard this over and over since we were in primary school but it was a major event for U169. TTD destroyed most of the earth through a barrage of fire and brimstone causing 90% elimination of the animal and human population the same as the great flood. Asia, Europe, the Western half, and most of Northern North America, and Australia disappeared. They are now underwater. “
“Why would Jehovah destroy our world again?” It was my friend Linsey’s voice. “It is supposed to be a mystery, but I don’t think it really is.“ It was good that Lindsey heard my dog whistle.
But unbelievably, Magpie chimed in. “Miss, why do you think he destroyed the world twice?
“I think it is an opportunity to start again.”
It was a good answer and at the same time, irritating. Magpie was getting involved before his introduction. At this point, he is just a voice in the room but it leaves me feeling a bit out of control.
“He did this before and did not get the results he expected. You would have thought that a wise all-knowing God would not make the same mistake again.”
“Did you know that we were warned that this destruction was going to happen? … Both times?” Magillacuddy asked.
I quickly took the opportunity to stop the annoyance and gain control. “Our world knew for several decades that this destruction was coming and that we had the power to keep it from happening. We let it happen anyway. He blames us. But there is hope for the future, all you need is the faith of a mustard seed. And more practically, our hope is found in the Great Directives. Set up by the Council. Let us recite the Great Directives, One… “
The audience rose to their feet and chanted loudly, ‘Do as you are able!’
“And Two…”
The audience replied more fervently, “God and Family at the Center!”
I had taken advantage of the conditioning we have received since birth. We are trained to blindly respond to prompts that effectively wipe away all thoughts, or application of thought. It is just a reflex. We had learned these responses as children in primary school, from our guardians, and from every book we read. It gives me goosebumps to use this technique when I lead rallies. Approved rallies, of course.
“You may be seated… Today, Dr. Magillacuddy is our honored Speaker. Dr. Magillacuddy has been active with the Council for over 20 years, and we are fortunate to have him here to take us over our last hurdle. He has numerous awards for his work with the Council and the Leadership Committee. He is an extremely knowledgeable resource!”
The audience did not sit. There were angry faces and some loud boos. A few moments before, the audience was open and patient. Now they are ravenous and extremely closed-minded.
“I must remind you that this is an important part of completing our time at New Berkeley. Our Speaker will explain the next phase of service we will enter. Please rise and give a nice Berkeley Owl hoot for Dr. Magillacuddy!”
Most of the audience stood up and clapped, mostly out of respect… or fear. There were a few hoots. But everyone quickly sat down. The class started to murmur as the Speaker organized his notes on the podium. Many of the students were not happy that they were required to take an additional seminar. They were less thrilled when they learned who the guest Speaker would be.
They all had heard horror stories. Especially about Tom Snyder who made a scene at his final seminar. Magpie was teaching that seminar also. I was studying in the library when I heard shouting and screaming as the Black Brigade took Tom to the Council for sentencing. But that never happened. I could see that he was blindfolded. Then he was out of view. I heard a loud bang. The report said he hit a soldier and tried to escape. I just remember the blood on the wall. They could have cleaned the blood better.
My father told me privately that Dr. Magillacuddy was a judge for the Black Brigade. Judges hear cases concerning non-compliance with the Council’s directives. Those who do not comply or pass their education assignments before their 25th birthday are placed into the Rededicate Corp. or executed. Tom was executed.
Before Time (/sm05 C5.9 3-2-24)
Shiva and The Order Present Day – Magillacuddy (Narrator)
“Before the beginning of time, before the first universe was created, during the time that Gods roamed the heavens… It was the Titanic Wars that determined who was to have rightful dominion over True Haven. Some were Giants, some were Titans, and some were brilliant strategists and philosophers. All were powerful warriors. Sides were taken and when the dust settled, there was a winner. Spoils went to the conquerors.”
The AIR 430 Virtual Meeting Management System was flashing holograms of various scenes from the Titanic Wars as the audio provided details. The students were able to ask questions on their own devices such as phones and answered by AIR or routed to the instructor. As the presentation continued on Magillacuddy was flipping through pages of notes paying no mind because he had seen the presentation many times before. He had made some notes last year that he was trying to find. After a few minutes of fumbling around, Magillacuddy realized the presentation was about to end and he motioned to Mr. Schuster to bring the AIR stick to the podium.
The stick controlled the NVIDIA AIR virtual device for the next presentation which was to be projected onto the middle of each table. These flat saucer-like devices are named AIR or Artificial Intelligence Reveal because they are voice-controlled. As Schuster handed the device to Magillacuddy, the professor smiled and nodded.
The previous hologram of fighting scenes shifted to portraits of the founders of the Order: Shiva, Brahma, He Xiangu, Huitzilopochtli, Vishnu, and Koalemos. As the show continued to be projected onto each table, the audio continued with patriotic marching music in the background.
“The conquerors, vicious in battle, graciously extended an offer to the survivors: subjugation or obliteration. Most chose to be destroyed rather than kneel to another god. Those who chose subjugation became slaves, serving at the pleasure of the conquerors. Now, the peace needed to be managed. Shiva, the senior commander for the conquerors, brought six extraordinary warriors together to form the Order and ensure compliance.”
A still hologram picture of devastation from Ragnarok showed the hollowed eyes of defeated gods. As the music faded, a picture of Lord Shiva appeared walking across a room.
“What the hell is all that racket?”
“Good morning, Lord Shiva! I am not sure how to say this, but …”
Magillacuddy looked around and saw that eyes were closing, and he was losing their attention. He used the AIR stick to halt the presentation and proceeded to jump off the podium. Like a puma stalking its prey, Magillacuddy deftly walked behind the seat of a very large student with his head down. He shot his elbow under his chin, startling the young man with the blow of a punch, finishing by putting the student in a headlock. The student tried to stand, the professor dropped his shoulders so the boy could not rise. When the boy’s desperate attempts to regain control didn’t work, he tried kicking and flailing his arms. The student’s final attempt was to try to elbow the professor.
“Go ahead and try to get out of this if you can young man! Or should I call you a fucking pussy. I am an old man but I am not weak, as I am demonstrating on your lame ass! I am 80 years old and I can kick your ass and any of you from here to True Haven!”
Magillacuddy’s eyes flashed red. The student started turning blue and was about to pass out. Magillacuddy lifted the boy with the aid of his hips, he threw the large boy in the air for an impressive distance. The room was so crowded, there was no space. The boy landed on two seated female students. As the students were trying to figure out what was happening. The boy and two girls remained on the ground and no one approached the professor. The fear was thick.
Magillacuddy spoke in a loud voice that everyone could hear. “Never, ever, fall asleep in my class. Ever! Many of you pathetic excuses for students need to wake up. I will give you a break in a minute… Remember, at the end of this presentation, you will receive a test. If you do not pass this test, you won’t graduate. And… you will need to take this course again, next year.”
The room started to buzz; there were quiet protests. Some students rushed to the sides of the students still on the ground to check on them. Magillacuddy jumped back on the podium and adjusted the microphone.
“You have 15 minutes for a break. If you have questions, please write them down and you may ask during our Q&A periods. When you return, we will watch another AIR presentation.”
Shiva has a Dilemma.
Magillacuddy looked at his watch and it was time to continue the presentation. “Uhhhh hmmm. ” The Speaker cleared his throat. “I am giving you all a chance to take your seats … Where were we? … oh yes. The Order was created to manage the slaves and ensure compliance. The organization was led by a group of six extraordinary warriors. The Order was prepared to go beyond compliance with plans to create a universe to house and grow their chattel… AR Begin Lecture 3110…”
The video projectors in the middle of each of the circular conference tables turned on and an impressive display of shooting colored lights formed a hologram on each table.
Lord Shiva of the Council walked through a wall into an adjacent room to talk to his assistant.
“What the hell is all that racket?”
“Good morning, Lord Shiva! I am not sure how to say this, but …”
“Just say it you idiotic Koalemos! You know I hate it when you just start babbling… and you keep on babbling’. Spit it out!
“You know those things called flowers that you got from Athena? They appear to be talking.”
Shiva’s eyes opened wide, “What are they saying, man? Spit it out.”
“Something about ‘they would rather die’.”
“Hmm. That’s the same thing the slaves said to me yesterday?” Shiva sat down and put his head on his hands. “I came in to judge each of the slaves I had bought to work my event and take care of guests for the big announcement… they were so annoying, chanting:
‘Nobody’s going to take nothing away from me, I’d rather die if I can’t be free.’
I executed all of them. The chanters. A little zap from my fingers. Poof. No more.”
Koalemos laughed. “And they call me the Goddess of stupidity!”
“Koalemos, pay attention. I need you to get more slaves for my event.”
When the presentation was completed, Magillacuddy turned on his mic and spoke to the students.
“Each table has a set of exercises, Prepare individual responses, and after discussing amongst yourselves, select a spokesperson to discuss. You have 45 minutes before we have our discussion, then I will release you for lunch.”
After Lunch
Magillacuddy walked up to the microphone and welcomed the class back.
“I’m glad to see all your happy faces. We had a successful set of presentations. Jonny, William, Lauren, and Nadia… good job in the presentations. You were impressive in your evaluation of the early Haven. The other group spokespeople, you have a lot to work on. Class, please remain happy and not sleepy. Let’s start again from where we left off. Koalemos was going off to get more slaves. AR Begin Lecture 3111…”
“Koalemos left to get more slaves. These slaves met the same fate as the first batch. After several orders, Shiva finally had enough compliant slaves to run his event. Shiva wanted to recruit the best minds from all of Heaven to develop a plan for a Universe. He planned an event with the best foods, wine, and entertainment to get the best talent.”
“At these dinners, Shiva offered open access to any of the Order’s leadership, unlimited resources, and, of course, unlimited slaves to the best proposal. The only requirement was to make this Universe layered with a high place for the Heavens and a lower place for slaves. There was to be a middle place for the Gods to indulge in all sorts of activities. The requirements and instructions for filing a proposal were given to every invitee to Shiva’s event. Despite the casual tone of the request for proposals, there was little time for play as there was continuous unrest among the slaves who refused to comply with the Order. These rebels were summarily executed, and destroyed by the enforcer, Ragnarok.”
“This arrangement was quickly deteriorating; the conquerors desired worshippers, not just slaves to control and rule over. They also wanted to create Universes with creatures that were designed to worship them. Those who conquered thought they were gods but there was nothing to rule. The Order wanted to hear plans immediately.”
“Proto-scientists gathered to make a presentation to Shiva, the representative of the Order. There were often screams and yells coming from within the Court. Heads were posted outside to let the presenters know the consequences of failure. Many left the line. They too were executed. Jehovah, Brahma, Udan, and Tepeu were friends involved in a project related to ethereal locomotion and world-building. They called their team the Four. The Four wanted to develop a sustainable reality, including a power source and laws of physics. The offer of slaves was not attractive to them, but they wanted to create their own universe. They needed a place to operate that was safe and reliable, sanctioned by the Order. They named their universe, #169. “
“The Four decided to approach Shiva with a plan. Brahma, the spokesperson for the Four, met with Shiva while the others remained a short distance behind him. The great warrior looked bored as he rose from his reclined position.”
The presentation stopped. “Again, each table has a set of exercises related to The Four. These exercises compare and contrast these two early governments of True Haven. Same drill as before. This time, you have 60 minutes before our group discussion.”
Brahma, Shiva, and Jehovah
Magillacuddy was smiling as the Class returned from break. “We are about halfway through the material. I know many of you will start getting tired. Fight the feeling. You will need all your energy for the test at the end. Let’s start with the next presentation. AIR Begin Lecture 3112…”
“You are not surprised that we approach you!” said Brahma.
Shiva looked at him with glaring eyes, “Many fools have entered here and have been destroyed for it. So, you are here. I am listening,” Shiva began sharpening his Trisula, a three-pronged trident weapon.
“We are the Four. We desire to create a new destiny for The Order and all the conquerors. And if you don’t mind me saying, even for your subjugated.” Brahma was a bit nervous, but his voice was full of pride.
Shiva raised his weapon and drove it into his own foot. He looked up and stared into the eyes of Brahma. “Be careful of your foolish words.”
Brahma was startled but he instantly showed cool and collected. “Lord Shiva. I don’t mean to offend you. The Order does as it is designed to do; however, the desired effect is to get a controllable subjugated community. But as you have learned, most of your captives choose destruction rather than serve you.”
Shiva had a puzzled look on his face. “How do you know this?” Shiva was looking for Koalemos. “I have an idiot assistant. You are bold to say such words. But you are right, we do need to consider changing our approach.” Shiva stood and he pulled out the trisula. His foot did not show a mark or scratch.
Jehovah stepped forward. “Perhaps if you changed how your slaves are perceived. If you call them laborers and give them opportunities to gain some sense of freedom, perhaps they would not rebel as much. They may even be grateful for any blessing you give them.”
Shiva was angered and erupted, “Who are you to dare to interrupt!”
Brahma wisely raised his hand to Jehovah. “Lord Shiva. He is Jehovah. We call him the Ancient of Days. He should not have interrupted but what he says is truth. If you change how you treat your captives or better yet, free them and consider peaceful coexistence, you will prosper. And did I tell you? We have a plan!”
Shiva’s face lit up and a crooked smile appeared. He replied, “You have my attention. We are tired of this impossible task. Give me a solution and perhaps I might be persuaded to let you live …. if you can defeat Ragnarok! I am listening.”
The AIR presentation was completed but Magillacudy continued to read from his paper.
“Shiva had just said out loud what the Four had suspected. Gods within the Order were tired of trying to tame or destroy their slaves and agreed to release them. Brahma had not expected the challenge to defeat their warrior, Ragnarok, in a fight to the death.”
“Ragnarok was not an ordinary fighter. In truth, he was an event, not a person. Ragnarok was pure destruction and had already eliminated many Giants and Gods. With each defeat, Ragnarok became stronger and absorbed the power into itself.”
“Do you think the Four had a good idea releasing the slave gods? That’s my question. You don’t have a paper this time but the same drill as before. This time, you have 60 minutes before our group discussion.”
The Challenge
Magillacuddy had his hands on his hips. “Good discussion. I hope you all got a chance to get some water or use the restroom. We will have a dinner break this evening. Again, I know many of you will start getting tired. That’s ok. You are all just privileged students. No whining in here. This next lecture is a short presentation. Let’s start again. AIR Begin Lecture 3113…”
The four chose Jehovah to represent them. And Jehovah gladly accepted. At the appointed time of the challenge, Jehovah reminded the Order of what was expected when he won. The six gods laughed and agreed. Shiva said, ‘Begin!'”
The two faced each other, and Ragnarok immediately transformed into a huge fire-breathing monster. Lightning exploded from his eyes landing extremely close to Jehovah. Brahma, Udan, and Tepeu surrounded Jehovah and kneeled before him. Jehovah transformed into a gaseous mirror. With each attack by Ragnarok, each blow returned 100 times harder forcing Ragnarok to return to his original self.”
“Ragnarok appeared to be defeated but when Jehovah asked him to surrender, Ragnarok refused, and he transformed into a large venomous snake. The snake struck many times trying to bite Jehovah, but Jehovah became boiling oil. Ragnarok was screaming, with burns all over, unable to bite anything.”
Again, Jehovah asked Ragnarok to surrender. Injured and hurt, Ragnarok again refused. Ragnarok transformed into a metallic condor. Without hesitation, Jehovah deftly moved in and hugged the great bird’s unprotected neck. The condor, surprised and unable to breathe, stood up opening his wings. Jehovah sunk the choke hold deeper and the eyes of the condor opened wide. The bird started flailing around, unable to shake Jehovah off his neck.”
Jehovah conjured up an iron chain, secured it around the neck, then drove a sword into the belly of the bird being careful not to kill him. Jehovah held on to the chain while jumping on the back of the great bird’s neck. Jehovah rode Ragnarok controlling the bird’s breathing with the chain. Ragnarok, in a desperate attempt to escape, launched his body up into the air, his massive wings fighting to fly. The giant bird bucked and weaved violently attempting to unseat Jehovah.”
Jehovah remained steadfast on his back, periodically driving his sword partway into the back of the bird, over and over. The continuous stabbing and choking did not allow Ragnarok to transform again. Jehovah asked Ragnarok to surrender. Ragnarok could not reply but while in mid-air with an arched back and bowed head in surrender, the two began to descend rapidly towards the ground.
Once Ragnarok surrendered, Jehovah dropped below the great bird and allowed him to land gently. Jehovah transformed Ragnarok back to his normal self before healing him. Shiva and the rest of the Order appeared before Jehovah. Shiva shook his head in disbelief at the spectacular battle he just witnessed. The Order bowed before Jehovah and agreed to unite all the entities of the Heavens.”
“Immediately, the slaves of the Order were released. Shiva sent out a decree stating that all the gods were equal, even the previous slaves. This is how all the entities of heaven united. The Order and the followers of the Four decided to call themselves the Ancients. The leaders of the Ancients asked Jehovah to lead them into a new future with a core desire to create new worlds with endless worshippers.”
Magilacuddy came to the microphone. “Let’s stop it here. AIR break. Do you think the Four had a good idea releasing the slave gods? That’s my question. Same drill as before. This time, you have 30 minutes before our group discussion.”
Magillacuddy put his hands in his pockets. “Let’s continue. AIR Resume Lecture 3113…”
“The Ancients were extremely concerned about the consequences of their actions and did not quickly start experimenting. Led by Themis, the Ancients argued the merits of creation. Athena, a creator of a myriad of inventions, was quick to point out the possibility of their creation taking their place. He Xiangu suggested that they review any suggestion for creation and if any objections are raised, the creation cannot go forward.”
“Before the first creative act was performed, the Ancients followed He Xiangu’s advice and agreed to form a Council that would review each other’s plans for creation, if any Ancient decided to create something. Any or all the original Ancients could participate on the council. While the other Ancients did not care one way or the other for such a provision, they went along with Jehovah’s insistence that no created entity could ever participate in the Council. They laughed at the idea that any created entity could ever be a god. Athena did not laugh. The Ancients debated one idea after another but never created anything because they could not agree if they should create.”
Clones and Carbonites (WP 3060)
SM C6.6 01-22-2024 Inventions
Magillacuddy paused for a moment and rubbed his chin before speaking. “The question before the Ancients of whether or not to create did not progress until one day when Brahma asked Jehovah a question, “Where do you think we came from? We will discuss this after the presentation. AIR Play 3115.”
The round projector saucers on the conference tables woke up and the lights erupted as holograms displayed on each table.
“Jehovah thought about it, thought about it, thought about it. He could not get over that question. Where do we come from? “Haven’t we always been here?” Jehovah hesitated then asked himself out loud with some uncertainty, Could I have been created?
Brahma said, “We are constantly being recycled. Created, then destroyed. Only to be created again.”
“But I have never been destroyed, Brahma.”
“Not that you know of. Maybe you don’t know everything.”
Brahma and Jehova looked at each other and laughed.
“May be…. may be.” Jehovah chortled.
Jehovah reclined and thought about where the gods came from again but the idea of being recycled didn’t quite make sense. “But Brah, I have not seen that happen to any of us yet. It’s been a minute. You know?” Jehovah’s sarcasm was on point. They were gods. Where did they come from? When were they made? It did not matter. They were gods. There was no evidence that gods had been destroyed and remade in the past, and no evidence to suspect that it would happen in the future. Without evidence, it never happened.
Jehovah decided to not continue with the argument, at least not with Brahma. But Jehovah was intrigued if not inspired by Brahma’s concept of circular improvement. Brahma said they were created and then destroyed only to be created again. Maybe there was no evidence that this was happening with the gods, but maybe the gods could build in improvement with their creations. One would only hope that each time, there was improvement.
Magilicuddy looked up from his papers. “This concludes this block of instruction. Let’s take a short look at some of the things we have learned about the gods who sit on the Council. First, we know that these gods exist because, after TDD, the gods revealed themselves in True Haven. Some of us, or here I can say I have met angels, and spirits of all sorts. They exist.”
“What is True Haven like? Can we get there? And who can stop us if we want to go?” A young man standing at the student’s microphone had an unsteady voice.
“There are portals to travel to True Haven but you require a special passport and the guards at the ports, the SpiritGuides call them ‘gates’ and the guards will give you a character test. If you fail you don’t come back. Anyway, if you get in, the place is marvelous. I have been to the Colesseum and it was a trip of a lifetime… Let’s continue because we are short on time.”
“First, God’s exist. Secondly, the gods are immortal but they represent a continuous cycle. And gods are possibly being reinvented, The gods tell us they are immortal; they created time so that being immortal is a given. But Shiva and Ragnarok showed us that immortal gods could be destroyed. However, the cycle cannot be proved or disproved. As we learned from the discussion between Brahma and Jehovah, the gods simply don’t know. The idea of continuous improvement from Jehovah is what our whole universe is based upon. ”
“Third, gods not only support our existence, but they have a way of continuously improving our life and universe. The gods are injected into our existence when any carbonite is born. This characteristic is important for you to know on your test.”
“Jehovah came up with an idea that would brand his form of creative development. He wanted to create building blocks to be used for something he called ‘life’. This life creation was to be developed in a Jehovah Universe. Other gods could add their little spin after he perfected his idea but the other gods would need to use his building blocks. To quicken the process, Jehovah would design ‘things’ and break them down into blocks and just focus on the blocks that needed to be made better. He paused and his eyes widened. He could tweak that idea. He could change building blocks incrementally; he could let them evolve! Perhaps, he could build evolution into his system. But he needed a starting place.”
“Jehovah decided to start with life’s energy source. Shakti and Jehovah had several discussions about how to create this energy. The two had a love connection and they concluded that the initial energy source in a new creature would require a male and a female. Neither had acted upon their discussions.”
“Take a break for 10 minutes and I will start the next presentation.”
Prana
“I think most of everyone is here. Let’s start. We will be discussing one of Jehovah’s most recognized inventions. But as you learned in our previous lesson, Jehovah actually created several other things before this one: most notably continuous improvement, but we also discussed shattered mirrors which required energy transfer which we will discuss a bit later in this lecture. But Jehovah’s first recognized creation was an energy source he made by breathing into a Lotus flower that the goddess Shakti had provided. AIR Play 3116.
Brahma’s eyes lit up when he saw the energy coming from the Lotus flower. He reached out to touch it and he began to giggle. “This is really good!”
Jehovah shrugged and said, “Yes, it is good.”
“Let’s call it Prana!” Brahma brought the invention to the Council and presented it. The Council asked many questions. Brahma explained how Prana was made and expounded on his ideas of how Prana could be regenerated. The Ancients were amazed and rejoiced!
The few criticisms by the Council were based upon how Prana would be used, regulated, and more importantly controlled so it was not abused. This point was made by Lord Crimson. Now Crimson was a composite entity feeding off several of the Council members and tried to bring Jehovah into the entity.
Jehovah was very direct with Lord Crimson, “You fear what Prana can do when it is associated with a created entity.” Jehovah did not reveal how he planned to use Prana. He did not tell Brahma either.
Crimson tried again to add Jehovah into the composite so that Jehovah would be compelled to agree with the gods who did not think this was a good idea. When Jehovah again resisted the composite, Crimson tried flattery and logic. “Jehovah, you have great ideas about creation. We all have the power and ability to create but you see a purpose in the Creation activity. My fear is not what Prana or your created entity can or will do. I fear that it will do something that you do not expect because you think you are perfect. The basic premise of Creation purposed to honor and praise and worship its creator is a premise that will unravel. If you truly love your creation, you will have to come to terms with your imperfection.”
Jehovah laughed. “You fear Prana and my creations will worship only me and not you.”
Crimson replied, “I fear that Prana and your creations will worship others beside you and that will cause you to destroy NOT because you need to improve the idea but because you will be jealous. That is your imperfection. Jealousy.”
Jehovah could foresee that the Council would slow down, or worse, forbid some creations. Jehovah was terrified that any of the gods could stop his quest for worshiping entities. But he had created the cornerstone of the many creations he was going to invent. With or without the Council!
“We are on a very important topic. The Council has a great concern when it comes to U169. What is that concern?”
Magillicuddy looked around and pointed at a girl in a white blouse with a pretend bikini drawn on it. “Young lady, tell me what is the Council’s concern with U169?”
“Eh, ya tawkin bout Jehovah and his prayclivity to destroy stuffs.” The girl raised her hands in triumph.
“I am not quite sure what you are celebrating or the language you are speaking, but yes, there was the concern about Jehovah destroying the earth because of the people not worshipping him. The Council is more active in the management of U169 now. This is an important topic we will discuss this evening. Let’s look at the exercises in front of you. No discussions this time. We have about five presentations to go before you take the test. Answer the questions and we will start back up in 15 minutes.”
The Invention of the Universes.
“Some of you may be familiar with the Case that came to the Council Jehovah vs U169. Representatives from U169 were concerned that the Council’s control over U169 was not constitutional. Think about this as we study the invention of the Universes. AIR Play 3117.”
Jehovah was intrigued with this idea of creating and decided that the merits outweighed the negatives. Jehovah moved forward without regard to the consequences. He said he could see the future because he was the future. Anything he would create would be good. Jehovah decided to create Universes and become the de facto god creator.
Jehovah gave this idea of creating ‘life’ a lot of thought. It had to be systematized so that it automagically followed rules of behavior. To begin with, Jehovah wanted to invent something he called ‘time’. Time would begin with God-breathed Prana in a creature, an entity with a purpose encoded in the system itself. Prana would be the spark to make the encoding operate. The lifetime of the creature would be measured from the birth to the expiration time of Prana. Each creature would have a way of receiving Prana to perform necessary tasks to remain alive.
Jehovah decided that each Universe he created would contain an experimental design of life. If there was a problem with one design, he could scrap or tweak that design. Jehovah did not expect many experiments would be scrapped. He was perfect.
He created the basic elements and rules of interaction. The result was matter and non-matter. Matter was always associated with the physical world based upon an element named ‘carbon’. Matter existed within a physical framework and was limited by physical laws unless a spiritual entity or force was used to ‘control’ it. Non-matter he called spirits which were naturally associated with elements, compounds, and other objects of the physical realm because they too were purposed and fueled by Prana. He created a non-matter form that he called a ‘universal soul’. This soul existed in the universe and could be connected inside a creature or other form of matter through Prana.
Jehovah called designs from carbon, carbonites. Jehovah was acting independently of the Council and did not even discuss anything further with his friend, Brahma. He did not intend to be defiant, only secretive.
“Now the outcome of Jehovah vs U169 was in favor of the Council. Clearly, Jehovah had not followed his own advice and consulted the Council before any creation took place. The universes that were created did not belong to Jehovah. Everyone has a right to determine if a gods desire to terminate the planet is warranted, even those who are to be destroyed. That is what the Council determined. Again, look at the exercises in front of you. No discussions. Answer the questions and we will start back up in 15 minutes.”
The Cloning of Jehovah.
“We are going to refer to Jehovah vs U169 again. Jehovah came up with a tweak to his creations, a clever workaround for another of his restrictions on the Creation process. And again, Jehovah bypassed the Council when he created the spirit system using some form of animated Prana. Not only can you integrate spirits into carbonite creations, but Jehovah made it so the gods could animate their shadows thereby creating their own spirit. Of course, he never told us he did this. We will come back to that. These spirits operated independently of the god. This created a problem with counting Council members. Does their spirit count as a member? Jehovah argued that these clones had no right to be on the Council. But we are finding that these spirits have been involved in changing gods votes on Council matters. Jehovah’s clones have had great influence over how the Council and U169 function. AIR Play 3117.”
Jehovah thought about what Lord Crimson was saying. But Crimson did understand why Jehovah got angry. Jehovah thought he had righteous anger because he only tolerated perfection. But he wasn’t perfect. His love was not perfect because a perfect love does not remember the imperfections. Brahma always told Jehovah that perfection came from suffering. Jehovah thought that his creation simply had to be like him. But by allowing his creations to choose to worship whatever they chose, Jehovah allowed his creation to also, not be what he wanted, perfect worshipers of other than Jehovah.
Jehovah was changing. Jehovah was beginning to recognize that he must learn to not respond with violence or harsh words when his creation did not choose what was best. He must be a forgiving god. Jehovah decided to start working on himself to be a better god. He wanted to be a good god and be an example to his fellow Ancients. Jehovah slowly tried to minimize his anger episodes but continued to create objects that were designed to worship.
His first designs were spirits. His first act was to clone himself. He wanted his clone to be the more forgiving and loving God and reserved the right to be the tough one. He called his clone, his son. He created angels that would help guide his creation and keep order in his Universes. He was very happy with his work and invited the Council to an unveiling.
One of the first to the unveiling was Shiva.
“Welcome Shiva, my friend.”
“Hello, Jehovah. I am looking forward to seeing what news you will bring us today.”
“I am sure you will be happily surprised when you leave here. But meanwhile, enjoy some divine cookies and matzah.” Jehovah levitated a plate of cookies with gooey chocolate and macadamia nuts along with honey and butter matzahs.
“What are these?”
Jehovah grabbed a cookie and shoved it into Shiva’s mouth. Speaking with his mouth full and spewing pieces of cookie, “This is …. incredible! Delicious!)
“These are some of the inventions of Fornax… Have some more.”
Shiva grabbed several cookies and nibbled on one. “Yes, quite good.”
Jehovah winked then whispered in Shiva’s ear, “Some pretty servers are coming around with drinks too. Have some Tequila. But these are so good with coffee too!”
Shiva grabbed a few cookies and a couple of matzahs. He moved to the side and sat at a table while he waited for more guests to arrive. When one of the servers with drinks came by, he had some wine with the new food he was trying.
Members of the Council came in along with Jehovah’s friends. They were greeted by Jehovah’s clone, but they did not notice. Shiva came up to the clone and asked, “Where is this guy who made these cookies? These are so good!”
Jehovah’s clone smiled and said, “The he is she. You are speaking of Fornax. She is making some interesting snacks, but she will be out later.”
Shiva turned around shaking his head and had no idea that he was talking with a clone. When it came time for the unveiling, Jehovah came out and stood on a table.
“My friends, I have an important unveiling of my latest work. If you recall, my friend Brahma split himself into male and female. Much of the Ancients were born from Brahma’s original two or their offspring. We produce new Ancients through copulation which is more enjoyable than the original way which could be a headache!”
The crowd laughed at the reference to Zeus and the birth of his daughter Athena.
“Today, I will show you how to clone yourself. But before I do that, I want to turn your attention to my son.”
The crowd gasped. Athena called out, “We didn’t know you had a son.” Athena smiled because she often wanted to get with Jehovah. Jehovah was always more interested in his work.
Jehovah smiled and said, “Let me show you, my son.” Out of Jehovah, a body of an identical person. The clone waved. “We are the same.”
The clone became the dominant person and Jehovah went inside the clone. “I have been speaking to nearly all of you and you did not recognize that I was not Jehovah. We are different people while we are one. I have been busy since my birth and I have created some spiritual entities: angels, sprites, imps, and many spiritual entities. I have also created something I call time.” I have asked my father to reveal my work, but he said, ‘in time’!”
The crowd laughed lightly at the bad joke. “All he will allow me to tell you is that I have incorporated other’s inventions. The spirits I created live off Prana created by praise and worship. “
END “Remarks leading up to the next session … Again, look at the exercises in front of you. No discussions. Answer the questions and we will start back up in __ minutes.”
Jehovah Confronted
BEGIN “REMARKS tying what has been viewed to next presentation. Think about this as we study the _______________. AIR Play 3118.”
Suddenly there was a loud explosion and there was complete darkness. The orbs of the Councilmen appeared. The Crimson face with an angry look announced loudly, “This unveiling is at an end. Everyone leave. Jehovah, we need to chat.”
The room emptied in a flash and Jehovah stood dumbfounded in front of Lord Crimson. “Really? Did you have to do this?”
“Jehovah, did you create without consulting the Council first? After all, the Council was your idea.”
“It was not out of disrespect for the Council. I have been working very hard on my character issues. I just wanted to do some great things for the Ancients.”
“I am sure you did, Jehovah. We are going to leave now and meet among ourselves. We will send a message of our decision.”
And they were gone. Later, the Council warned Jehovah not to create new Ancients. In a message, Jehovah pointed out that his clone and he were one. But he promised not to do that again. However, Jehovah was keeping another secret. His son had created a spirit clone. This was a special powerful Spirit. He created a Spirit that was in complete unity with himself and his son. Jehovah did not tell the Council about this at first.
Jehovah made plans to create a new entity out of carbon he called human. Jehovah loved humans perhaps more than other designs. When he started creating his alpha and beta humans, Jehovah was surprised that his creation eventually rebelled against him, and he continued to destroy one creation after another. He stopped notifying the Council about his creations and destructions, considering them to be experiments.
END “Remarks leading up to the next session … Again, look at the exercises in front of you. No discussions. Answer the questions and we will start back up in __ minutes.”
The Invention of Carbonites.
BEGIN “REMARKS tying what has been viewed to next presentation. Think about this as we study the _______________. AIR Play 3119.”
Jehovah’s ultimate desire was to create entities that would serve and worship him. Only him. The Council expressed approval at first and encouraged Jehovah. All the Ancients were amazed at Jehovah’s desire to create. The Ancients endlessly praised the early prototypes of the butterfly, the elephant, and a wide variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables. But Jehovah was only showing what he had done after thousands of changes from the original design.
Jehovah then created a system of sustainability whereby his creation could self-propagate and decide on rules of how the building blocks were going to work for these creations. Jehovah tried to build an incremental change system that would progress a design without the intervention of a god. But some of his designs went crazy. For example, in one universe, Elephants became intelligent beings, and they moved the Earth literally on the back of an elephant.
Jehovah had to destroy this and many other prototypes one after another. Sometimes, as in the case of the elephants, Jehovah destroyed the entire world. Destroying each world when the consequences seemed to be concerning the Council. It wasn’t long until Jehovah began to feel superior to the other Ancients and looked down upon the other gods. The Council requested Jehovah to appear before the Council.
Jehovah walked into the same Court where he and the rest of the Four had originally addressed Shiva. He remembered his friend, Brahma. The Council appeared as orbs, varied in color and size. The orbs were floating up and down. A crimson face appeared in front of the orbs and spoke. “We are disappointed in you, Lord Jehovah.”
“Lord, I have only done what I needed to do.” Jehovah did not know what the Council knew. He had kept his experiments secret.
“You may address the Court as Lord Crimson. We are more concerned with how you are destroying and not really addressing your reasoning.”
“Lord Crimson, I am confused. Be clear and tell me why you called me here.”
The orbs stopped bouncing and illuminated with a strong light when Jehovah said he was confused. They seemed to congregate for a moment before returning to their bouncing pattern.
The face responded, “Jehovah we feel your rage when you destroy your worlds. Since your victory over Ragnarok, the incidents of strong emotion have diminished significantly in the Heavens. You realize that these emotional responses of jealousy and anger did not help the Order.”
Jehovah felt the rebuke strongly. “Yes, I remember. I did not realize the impact of my emotions.”
The face smiled gently, and a warmth filled the Court. “Jehovah, we love you and we need you. You are the only one who has a plan for a sustainable Universe. We know that you love your creation. But love is patient. Love is kind. Your awareness of the world should move you to compassion and kindness. Real love keeps no record of wrongs or imperfections.”
END “Remarks leading up to the next session … Again, look at the exercises in front of you. No discussions. Answer the questions and we will start back up in __ minutes.”
The Creation of Humans on Earth
BEGIN “How is destruction an act of creation? Something to ponder and it may be on the test. AIR Play 3120.”
Jehovah started confiding in his clone about his plans. He started calling his clone, ‘son’. Universe #169 was a byproduct of a father and son collaboration to build the Universe using the scientific laws they created. They chose to populate the new world on Earth. Jehovah and his son created human carbonites with life!
Jehovah’s son created life out of Prana when he breathed life into carbon, creating carbonites. These humans did not require Prana but required food and water that was created for them to consume. Jehovah was pleased with his son’s creation and said that it was good. One human, Enoch, was selected to be an immortal, a Spirit Controller. The Council again rebuked Jehovah.
But there continued to be problems. Jehovah wiped out the earth with a flood and brought humans back. His son suggested that they no longer kill all rebels, only certain ones, the ones who reject their spirit. So many humans were confused and needed to know how to conduct themselves so a list was created to help humans know what they could do and not do. Jehovah promised not to destroy the earth with water. Jehovah did not tell the Council that he was considering wiping out the earth with another form of destruction.
END “Remarks leading up to the next session … Again, look at the exercises in front of you. No discussions. Answer the questions and we will start back up in __ minutes.”
The Concern over Destruction
BEGIN “How is destruction an act of creation? Something to ponder and it may be on the test. AIR Play 3120.”
Magillacuddy: “The Council observed Jehovah creating and destroying many Universes. These Ancients were increasingly concerned with Jehovah’s actions. One asked if he considered that these entities may suffer. Soon Jehovah became a loner designing these carbonites, programming them, and experimenting on their expiration.”
The Council instructed Jehovah to stop destroying the entities because they had qualities from the Ancients, as well. They instructed to make the spirits non-destructible and call them souls. These souls could be recycled. They asked Jehovah to propose a plan anytime he was going to destroy something but said that they did not want the destruction of souls and to explain to their creation when he would destroy them.”
“Jehovah agreed to take his plans to the Council and that even his son would not know when he would choose to destroy. “
Test time
