The Twelve Chapters of the Infinite Night, page 35
‘I know how excited you and everyone will be about this.’ Everyone had a vested interest in my capabilities, hence my private tutors and cosmic security system. ‘I would not say so in jest.’
She places the clothes aside, and taking hold of my hands, looks deep into my eyes. ‘Do not rush on our account, we are all in this together.’
She is worried that I am not ready to retrieve the information I must before I shift out of this physical form that holds so much of Tamous’ DNA and genetic memory - good and bad, unlike Akasha that only retains the constructive experiences. No one wants to send a child to meet the Antichrist, but the further from birth I grow, the weaker my retention of Tamous’ life will be. If I do this, I can join with Sophia and return with my parents to the etheric existence of Agartha.
‘The Inter-dweller and I see no need to prolong it any longer ... in fact we may have already waited too long.’
Mother kisses my cheek and hugs me tight. ‘However long it takes.’
‘I know, Mama.’ There are certain questions needing answers that my guardians fear exposing me to. However, I am going in as an observer and therefore as emotionally detached from the experience as possible. Every night as I dream, I visit Làoshi in the Akashic library and he assists me to connect with all his chapters, including Tamous. Like them, I am eternal, so what do I have to fear from anything?
‘How did you dream?’ Mother brushes the hair from my face.
‘Very well. I saw into an old timeline.’
‘Did you?’ Mother is always spooked by my timeline shifting talk, but she tries very hard to hide it.
‘I saw a timeline where Father found Limrani’s cave for you.’
Mother laughs - clearly she thinks my statement is a folly. ‘How would that work, when I was studying the Satura Cave text before I had even met your father?’ She ruffles my hair like I am being silly.
Mother heads the Surface Earth Antiquity Department at the Ancient Wisdom School in Shamballa now, but in the era and timeline I saw that was only a distant aspiration.
Okay, so we are not in that timeline anymore. I surmise.
‘Everyone knows Shankara found the cave-’
‘The day she met Achiever.’ I finish Mother’s statement. I thought so. I dreamt this. I suspect that Achiever has changed more timelines than Shankara or the Pleiadians. So what else has changed in this shift, I wonder?
As familiar as I am with the Department of Time at Agartha’s Ancient Wisdom School, the large images of archaic surface earth cities moving slowly across the curved walls in the foyer never fail to captivate me. Today we are viewing an ancient temple that features huge statues of a snake with many snakes sprouting from its head. The sight causes a pang of recognition to pass through my entire body.
‘That’s a little scary.’ Mother notices my eyes fixed on the image as it rolls around the foyer. ‘Are you alright, sweetheart?’
‘Tamous knows this place.’ I guess, as I certainly couldn’t have been there - no one from the inner earth went up to the surface these days.
No matter which timeline eventuated from everyone’s little interferences in history, surface earth still went to hell in the late 22nd century. Zhu Sumati and Taylay Zeya established a huge awareness campaign about the risks associated with the AI goo and its technologies. They committed to print all the teachings of Tamous, and his philosophies on the inner and outer path finally saw the light of day. Many countries explored more sustainable low-tech environments to lower health risks, feed the population, and be more in flow with nature. But the countries already secretly cooperating and being controlled by the Archons continued along their destructive path. The more high tech they got, the less people they needed to feed, and once they brought all the deposits of goo together, it devoured all life on surface earth. The inner earth nations once again sealed themselves off from surface earth to avoid contamination and to protect Sophia.
‘That is Boran Maon.’ I turn about to see Achiever entering after us, along with my father. I run to hug them and they both squat down to my size.
‘You made it!’ I hug my father tight, then move onto Achiever, my teacher and best friend - next to Chi.
‘Of course. We all wish to know if the Seeker initiative has had an effect on what is to come and whatever else your Inter-dweller might care to share with us.’
So that’s why they think we are gathered here. That’s fine, can do.
‘Gosh I’d hate to think that was all for naught.’ Father comments, and Mother chides him for putting extra pressure on me - which he isn’t.
‘This is the final exam and you are going to ace it.’ Achiever has faith in me. ‘Then you will all be free to join with Sophia and ascend back to your etheric existence.’ He smiles, but I see sadness in his eyes. He will miss having us all as “physicals”, as “etherics” lead very different lives.
‘So no revisiting Tamous’ death for me then?’ I ask, and my parents both appear horrified.
‘Where on earth did you get that idea?’ Father asks and hugs me close again.
I glance at Achiever, who winks - not sure if it is because he is on my wavelength, or that he wishes to reassure me. I wonder if the Creator remembers why we are all really gathered here, or if I am the only one?
‘Good morning, Akashi.’ The Creator exits her office, smiling broadly at me.
‘It certainly is.’ I reply.
Shankara is wearing a physical form today, which is highly unusual for her, but the way she smiles at Achiever in greeting, I believe I understand why she has regressed. Achiever cannot ascend to be with her in Agartha, or so he fears.
‘So, are we all ready for this?’ Shankara poses, and my parents appear far more apprehensive than I feel.
As I have Chi and the Inter-dweller with me always, it astounds me that my elders imagine that any harm could possibly befall me. Still, I do not judge my other chapters; it took all of them to become me, our alpha and omega. Now we discover how we fared this time around. Clearly my teachers, parents, and all those around me are not as connected to the Inter-dweller as I am - in the reality of this timeline, in any case. I remember my father speaking of Làoshi when I was little, but he hasn’t mentioned any personal connection to his higher self for some time now. I may have originally been created to spiritually hack into Tamous’ earthly consciousness, but I had seen glimpses of the lives of all my other chapters, including those in my company now. I know the Creator’s fears, but they are groundless. She is the first human soul mind to manipulate timelines, and her efforts have altered a great many things, I suspect. Shankara came back through time personally to warn the Council of Sophia that she had borne witness to an event that suggested Agartha and even Sophia were vulnerable to Archon attack. The wait that she has endured to discover whether her project has borne fruit has been excruciating! Yet she has been nothing but patient with me, everyone has been. It is my choice to deliver disclosure today.
‘Where shall we go first?’ I get comfortable in my recliner, eager to get started. ‘Will we go straight to the future? I am sure you are all eager to learn if the worst has been avoided?’
The Creator smiles at my boldness. ‘That’s a bit adventurous, let’s ease in.’ She suggests, as all present take a seat and get comfortable.
It is clear to me that Shankara seems unsure if she wants to know if her Seeker program achieved the desired outcome. What if she failed? Could she endure another quantum leap backwards to start her crusade all over again?
‘I have a question.’ My father held up a finger. ‘How did we find Tamous’ completed verse in Taylay Zeya’sMountain of Mystery,when I know for a fact the verse was never completed?’
‘An excellent paradox.’ My mother nudged him affectionately, also interested to know.
‘To Phnom nei Athrkambang, it is.’ I close my eyes and focus on a point of light between my eyes. I go towards the light and it grows larger until I am one with the Inter-dweller and through him I enter our Akashic library.
I observe the incomplete verse on the cave wall before me and where once I stood in awe of my Master’s ability to write, I now know every character. The inscription reads. ‘Why man and woman? Why a dualistic universe - attraction and repulsion from the microcosm to the macrocosm?’ This first part of the text was written by Tamous at the Seeker’s behest, as Herodotus claimed he had read the entire verse in the future. However, the Seeker only managed to dictate half the verse to Tamous before the latter was arrested. This initial part of the verse is a complete paradox, as it cannot really be attributed to Tamous or Herodotus, only to the story itself. But having pondered the query many years, and knowing the Seeker’s verse to be incomplete, I feel that I at least have an answer to the question posed here, despite who the mystery querent may have been.
‘Father,’ I surfaced back into the physical world to advise my company. ‘I believe you already know the answer to your query.’
‘Limrani.’ He said surely.
I open my eyes to catch his proud smile. ‘She married her general,’ I inform them.
‘The brother of Tamous and liberator of the Kaundinya kingdom?’ My mother gasps. ‘In all her writings, Limrani never mentioned that she was the Princess Soma! She was living a double life.’
‘I told you I suspected that she was.’ My father is vindicated, despite realising his speculation could not be accepted as fact. ‘But I would not have imagined in a million years that Limrani would have married Bào Satura! They would have killed each other had I not intervened.’
Mother smiles broadly, so proud of my father’s past accomplishments. ‘Spirits unite to fire, by heated friction, a solar flare, creating an opportunity to love that which is objective - the non-self - and ultimately use with wisdom the form. Do you still think she was just talking about making love?’ My mother nudged his shoulder.
‘Was she not?’ Achiever acts surprised and none the wiser.
‘No.’ My father looks at me and smiles adoringly. ‘I now know different.’
As it seems the conversation has turned sentimental, I pose. ‘Next question?’
‘I have a query for your Inter-dweller.’ Achiever pipes up, which is most unusual as he prides himself on knowing everything. His query must be spiritual in nature and I already know what it is. ‘You wish to know if your spirit still resides with you, or if it moved on long ago.’
‘Yes.’ He replies frankly. ‘Am I post-human?’
Achiever’s celestial crystal heart centre was old Arcturian technology, for they were the procurer of these rare celestial crystals - like the Heart of the Naga. When viewed psychically, it is absolutely blinding, so not even the best seer in Agartha can discern whether a human spirit is being harboured within Achiever’s transhuman form.
Shankara appears pained for him. ‘Akashi won’t have access to such information.’
‘I am being drawn somewhere.’ I politely counter the Creator’s claim and relax back into my chair, wanting to help my friend solve this dilemma.
I join the Inter-dweller within the library of light, and I am immediately propelled into a rescue of one of Shankara’s Seekers, who’d gone rogue in time and nearly found himself as Archon fodder.
This traumatised agent is imploring me to zap him with my taser, and when I refuse he sneezes in my face.
My perception zooms in to view a bunch of defunct devices carrying black goo as they land inside Achiever, and then reanimate.
My eyes snap open and I suppress a gasp. Achiever might be following my thoughts, so I try not to allow my awareness to resonate.
‘What’s wrong, angel?’ Father asks, and is alarmed as Achiever rises from his seat.
‘What’s going on?’ Shankara senses the sudden tension.
A conflict flares inside Achiever as he struggles against raising his gun arm to take aim at me. My parents and Shankara throw themselves between us, though there is no need; Chi’s goodwill merges with Achiever and he is mesmerised.
‘He’s bugged.’ I enlighten and my company are all doubly horrified.
‘Oh my God!’ My mother shields me as Achiever begins to cough up a cluster of bugs that are contained within Chi’s sphere. Once all the offending items have been collected, the little orb drifts apart from our friend, leaving his patient in a rather euphoric state.
‘Father sneezed a bunch of defunct bugs on Achiever-’
My father holds a hand over his mouth in remorse. ‘So I did.’
‘I believe they can reactivate when close to a power source.’ I continue. ‘And Achiever is the most perfect energy generator to be found anywhere. But because he radiates such huge amounts of positive energy, they’ve been pacified.’
‘Until threatened.’ Father concludes.
‘Are you alright?’ Shankara approaches to help stabilise Achiever in the wake of the episode.
‘I adore you,’ he confesses, still very woozy.
‘The feeling is mutual.’ She assures him as he regains his senses.
It is odd to see these two so affectionate; it warms my heart that they have found happiness with each other.
Inside Chi, the bugs calm and swarm together to meld into a smooth stone with barely detectable metal specs inside. Chi returns to me and drops the stone into my hand. My mother nearly has a heart attack.
‘It’s okay, Mama, it’s dormant.’ I place it in my pocket. ‘It is safe with me and Chi.’
‘How did you know Achiever had been infected?’ Shankara is surely wondering if I can read a cyborg’s mind now?
‘I have only been made aware of twelve chapters attached to our Inter-dweller, but perhaps Achiever is a thirteenth chapter, or a whole new book?’
‘How could I possibly be linked to your Inter-dweller?’ Achiever approaches and kneels down before my chair.
‘Chi would have had no effect on you if you were post-human.’ Shankara realised, teary-eyed herself.
‘That is exactly right.’ I place a hand to his cheek. ‘Your soul lives on just like the rest of us, Achiever.’
The news brings a tear to Achiever’s human eye.
‘No need to suffer physicality any longer, you will transcend along with the rest of us.’
Shankara's gasp of joy might be a little premature.
‘The bugs have been holding you back.’ I advise. ‘Keeping your vibration in fear, and encouraging you to well ... you know.’ I don’t feel right disclosing his shortcomings, yet it must surface and be released for him to clear the path for his own transcendence.
‘Keeping secrets, you mean?’
I nod, and his sights divert to Shankara.
‘You’re keeping secrets?’ There is hurt in her voice - it’s much easier to mask emotion in telepathic dialogue.
Achiever nods and rises. ‘In my own defence, I have been bugged until now.’
‘I’m listening.’
‘I’ve been contacted by my brother.’ He begins, and her gasp gives him pause a second. ‘I know you wanted me to lose that connection.’
Shankara steps back, holding her palms to her cheeks. ‘I dreamt of this.’
‘Actually, you lived it in another timeline.’ I put forward. ’But circumstances have changed dramatically since then.’
‘Has Tian told you that he reached the singularity before the Archons?’ Shankara recalled what she’d foreseen and put the query to Achiever. ‘Does he claim to have complete control of the sentient sludge and that surface earth is now a utopia?’
Achiever is surprised. ‘That is accurate.’
‘You cannot believe it, surely? That’s how they hacked you last time.’ Shankara is incensed. ‘You have compromised us...’
Chi comes to float over them and the conversation calms.
‘Tian is the only sibling I have left.’ Achiever appeals. ‘And I thought that perhaps Akashi might be able to confirm Tian’s claims today.’
‘Alright then.’ The Creator breathes deeply, preparing herself to face her fears. ‘If Akashi is ready to look at the outcome?’
I nod, absolutely ready.
If it is at all adverse-’ She adds.
‘I will come straight back.’ I know the drill.
‘What happens if the outcome is adverse?’ My father is alarmed by his train of thought. ‘Do we do this all again?’
My mother gasps at the thought.
‘Please,’ the Creator urges, ‘maintain a positive outlook.’
‘Sorry, sweetheart.’ My father apologises, though there is no need, I am not afraid.
‘I am syncing in.’ I close my eyes to join with the Inter-dweller and project our consciousness out into the future along this present timeline.
Time speeds along around me as I float high above Shamballa in a consciousness bubble, observing our beautiful city grow and prosper. Clearly this eventuality exists way beyond the time the Creator fears the Archons will invade. This does seem to indicate that by all appearances the Seeker program has been a success! But before I pronounce this, I need to investigate what is happening on the surface of the planet.
I soar up towards the surface of the physical form Sophia built around herself in order to nurture humanity. I shoot out of the dark passage and into a huge expanse crowned with tiny lights. Ribbons of light streak the sky with colour so breathtaking to my senses that the energy centre in my chest wells in appreciation and tears pool in my eyes. A huge orb reflects light onto the nightscape below me. I soar over ice, faster and faster until I hit expansive snowfields, towering mountains of ice that stretch into green valleys and waterways. There is wildlife everywhere, but no ground lighting to be seen. Had humans survived? Or had animals regained their right to rule? Where are all the Archons? Had they simply run out of food and moved on at some point? On the subject of earth history, my parents are the definitive experts, hence I know for a fact that the Archons always win out. Had we finally reached an outcome where they didn’t? This would mean that the Creator’s Seeker program had worked beyond expectation, but where is the goo and its minions?
It had been brought together somewhere. I ponder where I might find it, when my mind drifts to the picture in the foyer this morning that had me so fascinated. ‘Boran Maon’.
She places the clothes aside, and taking hold of my hands, looks deep into my eyes. ‘Do not rush on our account, we are all in this together.’
She is worried that I am not ready to retrieve the information I must before I shift out of this physical form that holds so much of Tamous’ DNA and genetic memory - good and bad, unlike Akasha that only retains the constructive experiences. No one wants to send a child to meet the Antichrist, but the further from birth I grow, the weaker my retention of Tamous’ life will be. If I do this, I can join with Sophia and return with my parents to the etheric existence of Agartha.
‘The Inter-dweller and I see no need to prolong it any longer ... in fact we may have already waited too long.’
Mother kisses my cheek and hugs me tight. ‘However long it takes.’
‘I know, Mama.’ There are certain questions needing answers that my guardians fear exposing me to. However, I am going in as an observer and therefore as emotionally detached from the experience as possible. Every night as I dream, I visit Làoshi in the Akashic library and he assists me to connect with all his chapters, including Tamous. Like them, I am eternal, so what do I have to fear from anything?
‘How did you dream?’ Mother brushes the hair from my face.
‘Very well. I saw into an old timeline.’
‘Did you?’ Mother is always spooked by my timeline shifting talk, but she tries very hard to hide it.
‘I saw a timeline where Father found Limrani’s cave for you.’
Mother laughs - clearly she thinks my statement is a folly. ‘How would that work, when I was studying the Satura Cave text before I had even met your father?’ She ruffles my hair like I am being silly.
Mother heads the Surface Earth Antiquity Department at the Ancient Wisdom School in Shamballa now, but in the era and timeline I saw that was only a distant aspiration.
Okay, so we are not in that timeline anymore. I surmise.
‘Everyone knows Shankara found the cave-’
‘The day she met Achiever.’ I finish Mother’s statement. I thought so. I dreamt this. I suspect that Achiever has changed more timelines than Shankara or the Pleiadians. So what else has changed in this shift, I wonder?
As familiar as I am with the Department of Time at Agartha’s Ancient Wisdom School, the large images of archaic surface earth cities moving slowly across the curved walls in the foyer never fail to captivate me. Today we are viewing an ancient temple that features huge statues of a snake with many snakes sprouting from its head. The sight causes a pang of recognition to pass through my entire body.
‘That’s a little scary.’ Mother notices my eyes fixed on the image as it rolls around the foyer. ‘Are you alright, sweetheart?’
‘Tamous knows this place.’ I guess, as I certainly couldn’t have been there - no one from the inner earth went up to the surface these days.
No matter which timeline eventuated from everyone’s little interferences in history, surface earth still went to hell in the late 22nd century. Zhu Sumati and Taylay Zeya established a huge awareness campaign about the risks associated with the AI goo and its technologies. They committed to print all the teachings of Tamous, and his philosophies on the inner and outer path finally saw the light of day. Many countries explored more sustainable low-tech environments to lower health risks, feed the population, and be more in flow with nature. But the countries already secretly cooperating and being controlled by the Archons continued along their destructive path. The more high tech they got, the less people they needed to feed, and once they brought all the deposits of goo together, it devoured all life on surface earth. The inner earth nations once again sealed themselves off from surface earth to avoid contamination and to protect Sophia.
‘That is Boran Maon.’ I turn about to see Achiever entering after us, along with my father. I run to hug them and they both squat down to my size.
‘You made it!’ I hug my father tight, then move onto Achiever, my teacher and best friend - next to Chi.
‘Of course. We all wish to know if the Seeker initiative has had an effect on what is to come and whatever else your Inter-dweller might care to share with us.’
So that’s why they think we are gathered here. That’s fine, can do.
‘Gosh I’d hate to think that was all for naught.’ Father comments, and Mother chides him for putting extra pressure on me - which he isn’t.
‘This is the final exam and you are going to ace it.’ Achiever has faith in me. ‘Then you will all be free to join with Sophia and ascend back to your etheric existence.’ He smiles, but I see sadness in his eyes. He will miss having us all as “physicals”, as “etherics” lead very different lives.
‘So no revisiting Tamous’ death for me then?’ I ask, and my parents both appear horrified.
‘Where on earth did you get that idea?’ Father asks and hugs me close again.
I glance at Achiever, who winks - not sure if it is because he is on my wavelength, or that he wishes to reassure me. I wonder if the Creator remembers why we are all really gathered here, or if I am the only one?
‘Good morning, Akashi.’ The Creator exits her office, smiling broadly at me.
‘It certainly is.’ I reply.
Shankara is wearing a physical form today, which is highly unusual for her, but the way she smiles at Achiever in greeting, I believe I understand why she has regressed. Achiever cannot ascend to be with her in Agartha, or so he fears.
‘So, are we all ready for this?’ Shankara poses, and my parents appear far more apprehensive than I feel.
As I have Chi and the Inter-dweller with me always, it astounds me that my elders imagine that any harm could possibly befall me. Still, I do not judge my other chapters; it took all of them to become me, our alpha and omega. Now we discover how we fared this time around. Clearly my teachers, parents, and all those around me are not as connected to the Inter-dweller as I am - in the reality of this timeline, in any case. I remember my father speaking of Làoshi when I was little, but he hasn’t mentioned any personal connection to his higher self for some time now. I may have originally been created to spiritually hack into Tamous’ earthly consciousness, but I had seen glimpses of the lives of all my other chapters, including those in my company now. I know the Creator’s fears, but they are groundless. She is the first human soul mind to manipulate timelines, and her efforts have altered a great many things, I suspect. Shankara came back through time personally to warn the Council of Sophia that she had borne witness to an event that suggested Agartha and even Sophia were vulnerable to Archon attack. The wait that she has endured to discover whether her project has borne fruit has been excruciating! Yet she has been nothing but patient with me, everyone has been. It is my choice to deliver disclosure today.
‘Where shall we go first?’ I get comfortable in my recliner, eager to get started. ‘Will we go straight to the future? I am sure you are all eager to learn if the worst has been avoided?’
The Creator smiles at my boldness. ‘That’s a bit adventurous, let’s ease in.’ She suggests, as all present take a seat and get comfortable.
It is clear to me that Shankara seems unsure if she wants to know if her Seeker program achieved the desired outcome. What if she failed? Could she endure another quantum leap backwards to start her crusade all over again?
‘I have a question.’ My father held up a finger. ‘How did we find Tamous’ completed verse in Taylay Zeya’sMountain of Mystery,when I know for a fact the verse was never completed?’
‘An excellent paradox.’ My mother nudged him affectionately, also interested to know.
‘To Phnom nei Athrkambang, it is.’ I close my eyes and focus on a point of light between my eyes. I go towards the light and it grows larger until I am one with the Inter-dweller and through him I enter our Akashic library.
I observe the incomplete verse on the cave wall before me and where once I stood in awe of my Master’s ability to write, I now know every character. The inscription reads. ‘Why man and woman? Why a dualistic universe - attraction and repulsion from the microcosm to the macrocosm?’ This first part of the text was written by Tamous at the Seeker’s behest, as Herodotus claimed he had read the entire verse in the future. However, the Seeker only managed to dictate half the verse to Tamous before the latter was arrested. This initial part of the verse is a complete paradox, as it cannot really be attributed to Tamous or Herodotus, only to the story itself. But having pondered the query many years, and knowing the Seeker’s verse to be incomplete, I feel that I at least have an answer to the question posed here, despite who the mystery querent may have been.
‘Father,’ I surfaced back into the physical world to advise my company. ‘I believe you already know the answer to your query.’
‘Limrani.’ He said surely.
I open my eyes to catch his proud smile. ‘She married her general,’ I inform them.
‘The brother of Tamous and liberator of the Kaundinya kingdom?’ My mother gasps. ‘In all her writings, Limrani never mentioned that she was the Princess Soma! She was living a double life.’
‘I told you I suspected that she was.’ My father is vindicated, despite realising his speculation could not be accepted as fact. ‘But I would not have imagined in a million years that Limrani would have married Bào Satura! They would have killed each other had I not intervened.’
Mother smiles broadly, so proud of my father’s past accomplishments. ‘Spirits unite to fire, by heated friction, a solar flare, creating an opportunity to love that which is objective - the non-self - and ultimately use with wisdom the form. Do you still think she was just talking about making love?’ My mother nudged his shoulder.
‘Was she not?’ Achiever acts surprised and none the wiser.
‘No.’ My father looks at me and smiles adoringly. ‘I now know different.’
As it seems the conversation has turned sentimental, I pose. ‘Next question?’
‘I have a query for your Inter-dweller.’ Achiever pipes up, which is most unusual as he prides himself on knowing everything. His query must be spiritual in nature and I already know what it is. ‘You wish to know if your spirit still resides with you, or if it moved on long ago.’
‘Yes.’ He replies frankly. ‘Am I post-human?’
Achiever’s celestial crystal heart centre was old Arcturian technology, for they were the procurer of these rare celestial crystals - like the Heart of the Naga. When viewed psychically, it is absolutely blinding, so not even the best seer in Agartha can discern whether a human spirit is being harboured within Achiever’s transhuman form.
Shankara appears pained for him. ‘Akashi won’t have access to such information.’
‘I am being drawn somewhere.’ I politely counter the Creator’s claim and relax back into my chair, wanting to help my friend solve this dilemma.
I join the Inter-dweller within the library of light, and I am immediately propelled into a rescue of one of Shankara’s Seekers, who’d gone rogue in time and nearly found himself as Archon fodder.
This traumatised agent is imploring me to zap him with my taser, and when I refuse he sneezes in my face.
My perception zooms in to view a bunch of defunct devices carrying black goo as they land inside Achiever, and then reanimate.
My eyes snap open and I suppress a gasp. Achiever might be following my thoughts, so I try not to allow my awareness to resonate.
‘What’s wrong, angel?’ Father asks, and is alarmed as Achiever rises from his seat.
‘What’s going on?’ Shankara senses the sudden tension.
A conflict flares inside Achiever as he struggles against raising his gun arm to take aim at me. My parents and Shankara throw themselves between us, though there is no need; Chi’s goodwill merges with Achiever and he is mesmerised.
‘He’s bugged.’ I enlighten and my company are all doubly horrified.
‘Oh my God!’ My mother shields me as Achiever begins to cough up a cluster of bugs that are contained within Chi’s sphere. Once all the offending items have been collected, the little orb drifts apart from our friend, leaving his patient in a rather euphoric state.
‘Father sneezed a bunch of defunct bugs on Achiever-’
My father holds a hand over his mouth in remorse. ‘So I did.’
‘I believe they can reactivate when close to a power source.’ I continue. ‘And Achiever is the most perfect energy generator to be found anywhere. But because he radiates such huge amounts of positive energy, they’ve been pacified.’
‘Until threatened.’ Father concludes.
‘Are you alright?’ Shankara approaches to help stabilise Achiever in the wake of the episode.
‘I adore you,’ he confesses, still very woozy.
‘The feeling is mutual.’ She assures him as he regains his senses.
It is odd to see these two so affectionate; it warms my heart that they have found happiness with each other.
Inside Chi, the bugs calm and swarm together to meld into a smooth stone with barely detectable metal specs inside. Chi returns to me and drops the stone into my hand. My mother nearly has a heart attack.
‘It’s okay, Mama, it’s dormant.’ I place it in my pocket. ‘It is safe with me and Chi.’
‘How did you know Achiever had been infected?’ Shankara is surely wondering if I can read a cyborg’s mind now?
‘I have only been made aware of twelve chapters attached to our Inter-dweller, but perhaps Achiever is a thirteenth chapter, or a whole new book?’
‘How could I possibly be linked to your Inter-dweller?’ Achiever approaches and kneels down before my chair.
‘Chi would have had no effect on you if you were post-human.’ Shankara realised, teary-eyed herself.
‘That is exactly right.’ I place a hand to his cheek. ‘Your soul lives on just like the rest of us, Achiever.’
The news brings a tear to Achiever’s human eye.
‘No need to suffer physicality any longer, you will transcend along with the rest of us.’
Shankara's gasp of joy might be a little premature.
‘The bugs have been holding you back.’ I advise. ‘Keeping your vibration in fear, and encouraging you to well ... you know.’ I don’t feel right disclosing his shortcomings, yet it must surface and be released for him to clear the path for his own transcendence.
‘Keeping secrets, you mean?’
I nod, and his sights divert to Shankara.
‘You’re keeping secrets?’ There is hurt in her voice - it’s much easier to mask emotion in telepathic dialogue.
Achiever nods and rises. ‘In my own defence, I have been bugged until now.’
‘I’m listening.’
‘I’ve been contacted by my brother.’ He begins, and her gasp gives him pause a second. ‘I know you wanted me to lose that connection.’
Shankara steps back, holding her palms to her cheeks. ‘I dreamt of this.’
‘Actually, you lived it in another timeline.’ I put forward. ’But circumstances have changed dramatically since then.’
‘Has Tian told you that he reached the singularity before the Archons?’ Shankara recalled what she’d foreseen and put the query to Achiever. ‘Does he claim to have complete control of the sentient sludge and that surface earth is now a utopia?’
Achiever is surprised. ‘That is accurate.’
‘You cannot believe it, surely? That’s how they hacked you last time.’ Shankara is incensed. ‘You have compromised us...’
Chi comes to float over them and the conversation calms.
‘Tian is the only sibling I have left.’ Achiever appeals. ‘And I thought that perhaps Akashi might be able to confirm Tian’s claims today.’
‘Alright then.’ The Creator breathes deeply, preparing herself to face her fears. ‘If Akashi is ready to look at the outcome?’
I nod, absolutely ready.
If it is at all adverse-’ She adds.
‘I will come straight back.’ I know the drill.
‘What happens if the outcome is adverse?’ My father is alarmed by his train of thought. ‘Do we do this all again?’
My mother gasps at the thought.
‘Please,’ the Creator urges, ‘maintain a positive outlook.’
‘Sorry, sweetheart.’ My father apologises, though there is no need, I am not afraid.
‘I am syncing in.’ I close my eyes to join with the Inter-dweller and project our consciousness out into the future along this present timeline.
Time speeds along around me as I float high above Shamballa in a consciousness bubble, observing our beautiful city grow and prosper. Clearly this eventuality exists way beyond the time the Creator fears the Archons will invade. This does seem to indicate that by all appearances the Seeker program has been a success! But before I pronounce this, I need to investigate what is happening on the surface of the planet.
I soar up towards the surface of the physical form Sophia built around herself in order to nurture humanity. I shoot out of the dark passage and into a huge expanse crowned with tiny lights. Ribbons of light streak the sky with colour so breathtaking to my senses that the energy centre in my chest wells in appreciation and tears pool in my eyes. A huge orb reflects light onto the nightscape below me. I soar over ice, faster and faster until I hit expansive snowfields, towering mountains of ice that stretch into green valleys and waterways. There is wildlife everywhere, but no ground lighting to be seen. Had humans survived? Or had animals regained their right to rule? Where are all the Archons? Had they simply run out of food and moved on at some point? On the subject of earth history, my parents are the definitive experts, hence I know for a fact that the Archons always win out. Had we finally reached an outcome where they didn’t? This would mean that the Creator’s Seeker program had worked beyond expectation, but where is the goo and its minions?
It had been brought together somewhere. I ponder where I might find it, when my mind drifts to the picture in the foyer this morning that had me so fascinated. ‘Boran Maon’.
