Meditations: Validation

“We’re going to do a simple meditation to get you familiar with the process of placing yourself in a hypnogogic state.”

Gertrude painstakingly explains to Jason the value of being able to place himself into a hypnogogic state so that he can access the data that’s encrypted in his DNA.

“While in a hypnogogic state, you’ll see, hear, feel, and know things you’re unable to in a conscious state. There is nothing to be afraid of. This isn’t even like a hypnosis, and I won’t ask you to cluck like a chicken. Gertrude jokes with Jason.

“I’m going to place this ball in your hand, Jason. You will drop it the moment you slip into a hypnogogic state, and it will bring you back here with me.”

Jason takes some rhythmic breaths and closes his eyes. Gertrude walks Jason through some simple breathing and relaxing exercises that eventually lead to Jason slipping into a deep state of relaxation.

“I want you to imagine you’re in a room, Jason. This room can be any room you want to create to be. It can have walls or no walls. Ceiling or no ceiling. It is whatever you create it to be in your mind.”

Jason sees a bright tunnel in front of him as he begins to tune out Gertrude’s instructions.

“One,” he hears a voice say through the tunnel.

Jason can feel the ball Gertrude placed in his hand begin to slip out of his hand.

He runs frantically into the tunnel and is consumed by the light. He feels his body merge into the light and then hears the voice again.

“When you awaken in the next second, once the ball hits the ground and awakens you back to consciousness, she’s going to ask you questions about what you experienced while you were here. It’s important that you don’t mention this experience.” The voice says to Jason in a way that makes him feel at peace.

“What am I to tell her instead?” Jason asks.

“Tell her about the room you created.”

“But I don’t even remember the room I created.” Jason searches for any memories about the room he created and becomes frustrated.

“It’s okay to be frustrated, Jason. When you awaken, you will regain your memory of the room you created. It’s a magnificent room. Your imagination is exceptional.”

“So, what is the purpose of this? Are you part of what she is looking for?” Jason suddenly has a feeling in his awareness that Gertrude might not be as good intentioned as she seems. “You’re her husband?”

“No.” The voice remarks with a flat response. “I am a gatekeeper.”

“A gatekeeper to what? The information sequenced in my DNA?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“The next gatekeeper.”

Jason remains silent as he ponders the gatekeeper to a gatekeeper concept.

“And after that gatekeeper?” Jason asks.

“I do not know, Jason. I only know my function.”

There’s silence for what seems like eternity.

“Two.” The gatekeeper says.

“What are you counting?” Jason says in a confused manner. He’s starting to feel a pressure building around him.

“The ball will slip from your hand in one more second, and you will be awakened. It is very important that you listen to me carefully and remember as much detail as possible.”

“I’m all ears!”

“Tomorrow, you will be in a car. There will be a car that you pull up next to at a stop light. There will be a woman who looks like this driving the car.” A 3D image of a blonde woman with a large nose and bob hairstyle displays in front of Jason.

“Now, I know this is some weird dream. Nobody drives a car anymore.” Jason thinks to himself. “She’s not really my type,” Jason says to the gatekeeper.

“She will be singing a song, Jason. I need you to remember as many words of that song that she sings.”

“I’m not much of a music guy, gatekeeper.”

“You will remember what you remember, Jason. Later that day, you will be back here in a meditation. Tell me all that you remember, and I will send you to the next gatekeeper.”

“What if I don’t remember anything?” Jason says.

“That would be rather unfortunate, Jason. But I don’t think you have much to worry about. I have faith in you.”

There’s a moment of silence as Jason ponders how a voice inside is head just told him that he has faith in him.

“Three…”

#

Jason sits up abruptly in his chair, startled by the sound of the ball hitting the floor! He’s breathing heavily. Gertrude places her hand on his hand.

“Are you okay?” She asks softly.

“That was weird, Mrs. Hammenstel.” Jason says in a broken chain of words, trying to catch his breath.

She hands him a small glass of water. He takes a big gulp and quickly downs the entire glass before he notices it has an odd taste to it. He looks at Gertrude who smiles softly at him as his vision blurs for a brief moment. He begins to feel a bit dizzy and tries to speak. But his mouth won’t move, and he can’t make a sound. He falls back into his chair and collapses.

Jason hears someone whispering his name softly, but he can’t see anything or feel anything. He tries to open his eyes, but everything remains dark. He can sense there is someone surrounding him from all sides but above where there appears to be a tiny pin prick of light so far away that it just appears like a speck of dust above his head.

He pushes himself up towards the speck and launches himself at what seems like a speed faster than the speed of light. Suddenly, he bursts into the spec and is surrounded by light. He awakens on the same chair he was on just moments earlier where he drank the poison Gertrude had handed him.

“Are you okay?” She asks startled. She reaches for a glass of water, and Jason quickly pushes himself out of the chair and kicks it out of her hand.

Startled, she recoils from him. “Jason, it’s me, Gertrude.”

Jason glares back at her. “I’m your friend, Jason!”

Jason heads towards the door of Gertrude’s office and reaches for the door handle.

“What happened, Jason?”

He pauses with his hand on the door as he hears a voice inside his head tell him to go back and sit in the chair and listen now that he knows the truth about Gertrude. He sighs and lets go of the door knob. Gertrude watches closely as he sits back in the chair.

“It’s been a difficult couple of weeks, Mrs. Hammenstel.”

“I can only imagine, Jason. I know this must be a lot for you to digest.”

“Are you sure your guys can’t get the encryption key to work?”

Gertrude explains to Jason how they continue to work on decrypting the information in his DNA and that these exercises are for helping him with the voices in his head and not about the messages in his DNA.

“I think of you like a son. This work is for you. I want to help you with the impact this is having on your mental health. I know you are struggling with all of this…”

“I’m struggling with hearing voices inside my head, Mrs. Hammenstel. How is this going to work? How is any of this going to help me? Shouldn’t I be in a padded cell? Shouldn’t I be on medication? I don’t even know what’s real and what’s not real anymore! I don’t even know if this is real!”

“I understand there’s a lot we don’t know. I understand there’s a lot you’re trying to work through and so much you can’t wrap your head around. This is where I can help you.” Gertrude leans towards Jason and touches the top of his hand. “And you should absolutely NOT be on medication, Jason. And it’s very important you don’t seek traditional mental health and medication.”

Jason looks at her with disappointment.

“The forces you are up against are powerful beyond belief. Your friend Jessica is lucky to be alive.”

“I’d like to go see her tomorrow.”

“She’s not awake yet, Jason.”

“I know. I just want to see her.”

“Okay, we can arrange that.”

“I want to go by myself. I know you think those goons are going to come after me, but I called Detective Gomez. She’s going to take me.”

Gertrude pauses for a few seconds while she sorts through what Jason has just told her, having ignored her directions to not contact anyone; including Detective Gomez. “Jason, I’m a little concerned that you aren’t taking me very serious. Your life is at stake here.”

“If these guys are as powerful as you say they are, then they could just come barging through that door and kill me right now. Or they could have killed me when I was younger.”

Gertrude shakes her head as Jason points out the various holes he finds in her conspiracy theories she’s been sharing with him over the last couple of days.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Mrs. Hammenstel, but I’m thinking either these guys aren’t as powerful as you think…” He pauses as he gets out of the chair again and walks towards the office door. “Or I’m a lot more valuable alive than I am dead. Which means, it’s not just about the DNA.”

As Jason walks out the door and down the hall towards the front door, he hears a voice inside his head, “Good job!” He smiles.

#

Jason is sitting in his car as it drives him to the hospital where Jessica lies in a coma. As the car pulls up to a stoplight, he hears someone singing at the top of her lungs in the car next to him. He looks to his left and sees a young woman, exactly as was displayed to him during his hypnosis the prior day. She has her hands on a steering wheel and looks over at Jason and continues to sing the song as Jason’s car starts to drive forward with the green light.

Jason tries to get his car to stop, but there is nothing he can do to control his car. He hopes that the next stoplight will turn red for him so that he can hear more of the song. He tries to look back towards the car to see if he can see where the young woman is. Soon, he realizes that he’s not going to see or hear the young woman again, but he can’t remember anything the woman was singing.

Frustrated, his car arrives at the stoplight to turn into the hospital. Within a few seconds, the young woman driving the old car pulls up next to him again. She looks over at him while singing as loud as she can. He watches her and listens to her with 100% of his awareness, being sure to tuck away as much of the lyrics and melody as possible. The light turns green for the woman’s car, and she waves at him as she drives away and Jason looks on longingly.

As his car pulls up to the drop off zone, Jason continues to hum and mumble the song out loud, hoping to retain as much as he can for his next visit with the gatekeeper. Jessica’s parents (Mark and Martha) are waiting for him at the hospital and are glad to see him. He hugs both of them, and they check-in with the front desk.

The three of them walk into Jessica’s room where the robot nurse scans their badges and confirms their facial recognition with the International Legal Compliance Records. Jessica’s mom explains to Jason that she hasn’t seen her respond to anything. She’s tried every sound and smell she can think of, but Jessica doesn’t respond to anything.

Jessica’s father fights back tears as he puts his right arm around Jason and brings him in tight. “I know you and Jessica were just friends, but I also know you were her best friend.”

Jason looks at Mark and can see the pain on his face. Jason hears a voice inside his head, “She will listen to you.”

“She will hear me, Mr. Chance.” Jason says with confidence as he looks Mark in the eyes and sees his pain disappear.

Jason walks over to Jessica’s right side and holds her hand. He leans in and whispers in her ear, “Jessica, I know you can hear me.” He pulls back as he feels her hand move in his.

“Look!” Jason turns to Mark and Martha in amazement, but they look confused. “I felt her hand twitch in mine!”

“Do it again, Jason. Please!” Martha pleads with him.

This time, Jason doesn’t hold her hand so that Jessica’s parents can see. He whispers in her ear again, “Jessica, I know you can hear me.” Jessica’s hand does not move.

“It might have just been a reflex or a timely twitch,” Mark explains.

Jason’s face drops from excitement to disappointment immediately, and Martha joins him in disappointment as they both look at Jessica lying in a coma. Jason makes a few more attempts, each with the same non-result.

The mood in the room slowly shifts down as it becomes clear that Jason’s presence isn’t making a difference for Jessica. Jason slowly walks towards the door with his head down. He hasn’t heard a voice inside his head since entering the hospital. Suddenly, he’s inspired, thinking the hypnosis gatekeeper was trying to send him a message about how to help Jessica! He turns around and begins to sing the song he heard the young woman singing in her car:

All I can say is

After today this

Love goes away with

One more goodbye kiss

Jessica’s parents look stunned as they listen to Jason’s terrible singing. They look at each other in astonishment. Then, in hope, they look at Jessica with an enormous mutual smile… Nothing.

They look back at Jason who flaps his hands at his side in disappointment.

“It was worth a shot, Jason. It’s a beautiful song.” Martha says.

“I’m sorry I let you down, Mr. & Mrs. Chance.” Jason says before leaving the room.

Mark catches up to Jason in the hallway and stops him. “Jason, we really don’t want you to think this is your fault. There’s nothing you could have done if you were there anyway. The police said these were very bad men who did this. Please don’t feel like you’ve let us down then or now. You’re a wonderful young man, and we know our daughter had nothing but the utmost respect for you.”

Jason starts to cry and hugs Mark who hugs him back.

#

“I want you to imagine you’re in a room, Jason. This room can be any room you want to create to be. It can have walls or no walls. Ceiling or no ceiling. It is whatever you create it to be in your mind.” Gertrude leads Jason into another hypnosis.

“One,” Jason hears the gatekeeper.

“I remembered the lyrics, but they didn’t do me any good,” Jason explains to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper asks Jason to recite the lyrics, and he sings them as he did in Jessica’s hospital room. “They didn’t do me any good though. Jessica is still in a coma.”

The gatekeeper has a new voice. “You have much to learn, Jason. Why would you think these lyrics have anything to do with your friend?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what any of this has to do with anything. I honestly feel like I’m going insane. You know, when I’m in the real world, I hear voices. Not voices like you though. They seem to just be me but with difference voices.”

“I’ll let you know something very important now so you can make a choice for yourself, Jason. But I can only let you know if you choose to know.”

“I’m starting to question whether I know anything at all, gatekeeper. So, if you want to bestow some great wisdom upon me, I’m all ears.”

“This isn’t wisdom, Jason, but it is something you need to choose for yourself.”

“Okay, choice-bot, hit me with it!”

The gatekeeper is silent.

“Hello?” Jason keeps looking around for something visual, but there is nothing but darkness all around him.

“This has nothing to do with you, Jason. You are not a chosen one. You are not going to save the world. You won’t have any superpowers. You won’t win any great battle or become some great hero. You won’t even be able to save your best friend from dying.” The gatekeeper delivers in a dry tone. “Which is happening at this very moment, Jason. Your best friend is dying, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

Jason is filled with rage at the gatekeeper and this hypnosis. He can feel his heart racing as he tries to escape the hypnosis. He remembers he’s holding the ball in his hand, so he thinks of dropping the ball and imagines the ball hitting the ground.

There’s a sudden thud on the ground! Jason springs out of his chair and runs out of Gertrude’s office yelling, “I’ll be back! I need to check on Jessica!”

Jason arrives at the hospital where Jessica’s mom is waiting for him. “What’s going on, Jason? What’s wrong? You sounded to worried over the phone.”

“Is Jessica okay? Is she still alive?”

Martha looks concerned as she can see the panic on Jason’s face.

“She’s fine, Jason.” Martha pauses. “Well, she’s as fine as she can be in a coma.” She stops to catch her own emotions. “And she’s still alive. Thank God.”

“Can I see her?”

“Jason, I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now. I don’t feel like you’re in the right state of mind to see her. You’ve got me a little worried for you right now.”

Jason’s breathing has switched into full panic mode. “I really need to see her. I just need to know she’s okay, right now, at this very moment!”

“She’s okay, Jason. I was just in her room 10 minutes ago. I’ve been with her all morning. She’s fine, son.” Martha hugs Jason in an attempt to calm him down.

Jason breaks down crying, “I just want her to be okay. I’m so sorry, Mrs. Chance! I’m so sorry for making your worried. I’m not doing well.”

“I understand, Jason. I can only imagine how hard this must be for you as well. I know you love my daughter, and I know she loved you too. She would always compare any boy she’d go on a date with to you. Even though you were just friends, she would always compare them to you. No one ever made it to the second date. You’re such a great young man, Jason.”

“Okay. Okay.” Jason panic begins to subside. He pulls away from Martha and starts to walk away. “Okay. Jessica is okay. You said Jessica is okay, right? She’s Okay?”

“Yes, my dear. Jessica is okay.”

#

“I want you to imagine you’re in a room, Jason. This room can be any room you want to create to be. It can have walls or no walls. Ceiling or no ceiling. It is whatever you create it to be in your mind.”

“One.”

“You’re full of shit, gatekeeper!” Jason yells. “I don’t even think you are real. You’re just inside my head!”

The gatekeeper responds, “You are so certain, are you?”

“I went to the hospital, and I saw that Jessica was just fine!”

“You didn’t see her, Jason.”

“You don’t know what’s real because you can’t be honest with yourself, Jason. If you can’t be honest with yourself, of course, you won’t know what’s real.”

“Jessica is okay! You’re just some voice of paranoia inside my head!”

“You don’t know Jessica is okay. Someone told you Jessica is okay, and you believed it. That’s how you’ve spent your entire life, Jason. You’re entire life has been spent believing what someone else has told you. Even when you think you are thinking for yourself, you’re just searching for validation from someone else for a thought you didn’t even truly have yourself. Your very own thoughts are just what’s been programmed into your brain for you to output at a given time under given circumstances.”

“So, I’m programmed to think you’re a jerk?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you waste your time on me then? I’m not a hero! I’m not going to save the world! Why waste your time on such a meaningless robot?”

The gatekeeper is silent.

“You’re just a voice…”

The gatekeeper interrupts, “Because that is my purpose.”

Jason pauses for a moment to digest what the gatekeeper has told him… He starts to cry, “I’m a nobody. I’m nothing. And you’re just wasting your time on me because that’s your purpose?”

“No, Jason. You are not a nobody. You are not nothing. And I am not wasting my time on you. You are my everything. You mean everything to me. You are everything to me. My entire existence is dependent on you.”

“But you said all of this had nothing to do with me. You said I couldn’t save Jessica. Who happens to be alive, by the way.”

“Yes, Jason. The greater purpose has nothing to do with you. You won’t be the hero in this story. You won’t save the girl in this story. None of that means what you made it mean. You don’t mean nothing.”

Jason begins to dry his tears from his eyes.

“You are my purpose, Jason. You are everything to me.”

“And that’s supposed to comfort me? I’m supposed to feel great because some voice inside my head tells me that I’m its everything?” Jason screams in an almost state of madness.

“You sound ready.”

“Ready for what, gatekeeper?”

“Ready for validation.”

In complete confusion, Jason answers question after question about his past and his upbringing. His parents had impressed upon him to learn his genealogy as far back as he could. He had his entire family tree engrained in his memory going back to the 1600s. The gatekeeper asks about the books he read in school, the animals he owned growing up, and so much more.

Finally, the gatekeeper is quiet.

“Hello?” Jason again looks around for any visual signs of the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper has a new voice, “I’ll see you next time, Jason.”

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Buried in the Desert

“Ah ha! I win again!” Shouts the ecstatic young boy as he leaps and declares victory! “I am invincible! Nobody can beat me at Senet!”

“What can I say? My baby brother is brilliant!” Shrugs the older brother.

“Who are you calling baby, Kamose? I’m seven years old, and I just annihilated you at Senet! Does that make you an infant?” The boy smiles smuggly.

A messenger arrives on horseback and is escorted to the young Ahmose and his brother. “Your lordship, a messenger has stated he has an urgent message concerning Moses in the Land of Cush.”

The boy’s beaming smile quickly turns to a look of frustration. “Moses always beats me at Senet.” The boy says as his joy deflates.

Kamose is eager awaiting the messenger’s pass through security. He thinks of how his group of advisers were setting up a sabotage to the supply line of Moses’ troops as they advanced on Cush in hopes that the field operations in Cush would fail and Moses would be defeated. This would immediately elevate Kamose to the leader of the Egyptian army and provide him with the justification to request an invasion of Cush with the full support of his Pharaoh brother, Seqenenre Tao, who was helping advise the conspiracy against Moses in Cush.

Kamose turns to his younger brother and says with a huge grin, “I don’t think you have to worry about that anymore, Ahmose.”

As he stands eagerly awaiting the good news, Kamose suddenly begins to worry… Moses is known for his innovative military maneuvering and finding success even in the most difficult circumstances. He remembers back to the time Moses was thought lost in battle, only to return after 40 days in the wilderness practically unscathed and with the head of the Amori military leader in hand. He had personally witnessed Moses command massive arrays against the Cushites before, using field tactics that no other military leader in Egypt had ever planned. What if Moses was still alive? What if Moses defeated the Cushites?

“Do you think something bad happened to Moses?” Ahmose asks his older brother with worry.

Looking down at this brother and placing his hand on his shoulder, Kamose lies, “Let’s hope not, brother.”

#

“You think Moses is a traitor?” Ahhotep asks dismissively.

“He married the Cushite princess!” Kamose yells! “What could be more treasonous than marrying the daughter of our sworn enemy?” Kamose is fuming!

“My poor child,” Tetisheri begins as she walks over to Ahmose on the other side of the room. “Perhaps his political skills have come of age,” she pauses… “unlike your own.” Tetisheri pats Ahmose on the shoulders as she smiles and both of them chuckle at Kamose.

Ahhotep speaks up. “It’s a very politically astute maneuver if you’d open your eyes to the possibility. Rather than roll on with a long, drawn out, and costly war between our people and the people of Cush, Moses sacrificed himself for a generation of peace between our two nations. Perhaps even more.” She smiles slightly, “maybe there’s even a true love connection for the young Moses. I’ve heard the Cushite princess is the most beautiful woman in all their land.”

“You’ve always been partial to him and his people, mother.”

Tetrisheri interjects, “And you should be too! His people have served Pharaoh after pharaoh for many generations. They have brought tremendous wealth into our land, tamed the Nile and given us fertile lands beyond those of any other nation.”

Ahhotep speaks up as the elderly Tetrisheri pauses to catch her breath, “And let us never forget the great famine of seven years their fathers helped us overcome and countless insurrections and plots against our families.” She turns to the seven-year-old Ahmose. “You, my son, must always remember that Moses and his people are our allies.”

“Yes, mother.” Ahmose obediently responds.

Kamose steps between Ahmose and his mother, “But don’t let those past fairytales rule your thinking, brother. Just as you slit the throat of a once loyal dog who bites you, so too must you put Moses down when he betrays you.”

“IF!” Tetrisheri raises her voice. “And don’t let the deranged conspiracy theories of your brother’s deluded advisers persuade you with their mockery of intellectual reason, my boy.” Tetrisheri pulls Ahmose close towards her and away from Kamose. “These fools will tell you of prophesy when they really mean propaganda. They are the sons of the same men who failed our families and our nation generations ago. The sons of the same men who the fathers of Moses saved us from their ill conceived policies.”

Kamose remains silent for a heartbeat, “These are stories HIS scribes wrote! Not our scribes!” Kamose is becoming increasingly agitated. “Don’t believe everything you read, brother. It’s written as lies and half truths by those who want to manipulate you, just as Moses is trying to manipulate our kingdom today. Next rise of the great Ra and you know what, he’ll want to be Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, reigning in Cush with his Cushite princess. He’ll make us slaves just like his people have become to the Hyksos. We’ll all be his slaves!”

Tetrisheri turns sharply to Kamose and spits in his face. “Don’t you ever try to pollute the mind of your younger brother, or I will make sure you never sit atop our kingdom’s throne. Your idiot advisers might have convinced you of some great conspiracy brought about by the fathers of Moses and some droppings of Hesat prophecies, but the truth is that they saved our kingdom, our people, and our land!”

Kamose wipes his grandmother’s spit from his face and stares deeply into her eyes with wicked intentions. She smiles and then laughs.

“I see everything you plot against me, boy. I’ve seen men mightier than you come and go many times over. You think in steps. I think in generations. I’m always thinking ahead of you.” Tetrisheri puffs her breath and continues… “I may have this old body, but my mind is too advanced for you, Kamose. Just like your brother is with Senet. One day, I will let you have your course. Until then, you should study more and listen to your corrupt advisers less. Do you want a true prophecy?” She pauses to wait for Kamose to nod…

Kamose nods, accepting the wisdom of his grandmother.

“Your anger will be the death of you,” she says sharply.

There’s a call into the room from a messenger. Ahhotep signals to the guards to allow the messenger entry. He enters and announces that Seqenenre has been defeated and captured by Moses during a disguised raid on a Hyksos outpost city.

“Seqenenre and Moses fought hand to hand, and Moses bested him. Once he removed the mask of Tao, Moses forbade the execution of the Pharaoh.” The messenger announces.

Ahhotep dismisses the messenger and orders the guards to leave the room and take up position on the outside perimeter of the room. She turns to Kamose, “That answers the question of Moses’ loyalty. Does it not? The real question is how loyal is Seqenenre to our family when he provokes the Hyksos in their own land!”

Enraged, Kamose shouts, “Their own land? That is the land of our fathers! Land the Hyksos and the fathers of Moses stole from us!”

Ahhotep speaks up yet again, “Land rightfully granted to the fathers of Moses by Amenemhat!” She turns to Ahmose. “Let this be a valuable lesson in loyalty, my son.”

“Today it’s clear he serves only the Hyksos, the masters of his people.” Kamose grumbles. “Why would he bring our troops into Hyksos land to protect the Hyksos people?”

The young Ahmose interjects with befuddlement, “You just said the land doesn’t belong to the Hyksos, Kamose.”

Tetrisheri laughed boisterously! “Out smarted by a seven year old again!”

Ahhotep speaks up again, “It’s clear Moses is far more politically astute than your idiot blood brother and father, Ahmose. He had every justification to kill Tao, and he chose not to. Moses understands the tremendous value in forgiving those who know not how incredibly stupid they are.”

“She’d sell her own husband for bushel of wheat.” Kamose says in disgust as he turns to Yuf, Ahhotep’s adviser, who has been standing silently the entire time.

“At least the wheat would have greater wisdom than my husband.” Ahhotep snaps back.

Yuf stands perfectly still, almost like a statue as Kamose attempts to rouse a response from him with eye gestures.

There’s an awkward silence as each person in the room contemplates their strategy given the latest revelation they just received. With her internal spy network, Ahhotep knows that Kamose and Seqenenre were plotting together to sabotage the military campaign into Cush lead by Moses, but she didn’t know about the disguised attacks that were taking place. She decides not to press her son on the topic until she finds out why there’s a gap in her intelligence gathering.

Young Ahmose breaks the silence, “Who is going to negotiate the retrieval of Seqenenre?”

#

Moses kicks Seqenenre’s foot to wake him.

“Apepi is here to speak with you.”

Apepi enters the holding cell with Moses and Sequenere. The three men sit in their own corner of the cell.

“Tao, how did we get to this?” Apepi asks.

“It was the hippos,” Seqenenre laughs.

Moses looks at Seqenenre with a puzzled look who responds, “I’ll tell you later,” Sequenenre says to Moses with a wink.

Apepi looks again to Seqenenre and says, “Moses has negotiated to escort you back to Thebes. This is the great Apepi’s gift to the people of Upper Egypt. A gift from the great king of the Hyksos. I’m sure your spies have already conveyed your capture and Moses’ benevolent hand upon your throat to your family. Personally, I would have killed you first and then wept at your stupidity after.”

Apepi looks again to Moses and says, “I know this must be a difficult position for you, Moses. I want no quarrel with the people of Upper Egypt. Think of this as a personal gift from me to you for the kind service of your people in my land.”

Moses chuckles, “Gifts are given freely, lord Apepi.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Apepi growls in anger. “What good would it do for me to kill the Pharaoh of Upper Egypt? And why would you speak such a thing?”

“No such words were uttered by my lips, lord Apepi. The spit from your speech is the venom of an asp. A gift from you is like a heap of refuse from Hesat. Don’t speak to me as if your gift is nothing more than an attempt to enslave me as you have my people in our own land.” Moses retorts.

Seqenenre laughs loudly, “My brother, Moses! May Ra shine upon you for all eternity!” He laughs loudly once again as Apepi shakes his head and leaves the holding cell.

“I should lock you both in there.” Apepi grumbles.

Moses responds, “Your words hold not a key, lord Apepi. Safe returns to Avaris.”

“Oh, Moses. I’m truly sorry I could not allow Aaron the time needed to attend your wedding to that Cushite.” Apepi says with a smug smile as he begins to walk away. “I’ll give my regards to your dear brother.”

“A threat like that without a backbone to hold it upright is like breathing underwater, lord Apepi. Tell Aaron I’m grateful to have such a wonderful brother.” Moses says sitting in the cell with Seqenenre.

There’s silence for a moment while waiting for Apepi to be out of ear distance.

“The hippos?” Moses asks with a chuckle.

Seqenenre starts laughing and can barely get the story out to Moses who joins him in laughter over such an absurd story. “I swear by my god Ra, Moses, I will be known through out all time as the hippo king!”

The two laugh uncontrollably for nearly a degree on the sundial before they exit the holding cell, Moses following after Seqenenre.

#

As Moses is preparing his mule and a mule for Seqenenre, three men even larger than the mules approach. Two stand back while the third approaches Moses and stands arms akimbo next to the mule.

“I wouldn’t stand there, neighbor.” Moses says to the imposing man.

“We are the friends of Khamudi. Lord Apepi sent us to accompany you and Pharaoh back to Thebes and ensure his safe arrival.” The man says in a booming voice.

“Is that so?” Moses chuckles as Seqenenre walks over to stand next to Moses. “I’m sure we’ll be able to manage the return trip on our own. You can thank Apepi for the generous offer.”

“Lord Apepi said you might not be willing to accept our assistance, but Lord Apepi also said we must accompany you no matter.”

Moses snaps his fingers and makes a clicking sound at the same time. The mule suddenly sidekicks the enormous man who falls to the ground gasping for air with two cracked ribs protruding through his side. The mule trots over to Moses, and Seqenenre mounts the mule with Moses’ aide.

The other two hulking men stand over their companion as they watch Moses mount his mule.

“I told him it wasn’t a good idea to stand there.” Moses smiles and shrugs his shoulders. “You two can hold up the rear.”

Seqenenre rides off to the head of the army already underway at Miriam’s direction as Moses meets up with the rear guard to inform them they are responsible to monitoring the men sent by Apepi.

After a quick sprint, Moses meets up with Seqenenre and Miriam at the head of the mule contingent in the center of the army. Moses rides up to the head and provides instructions for the commanders at the head of the army, and then Moses returns to Seqenenre and Miriam in the center position with the rest of the soldiers riding mules in the crowd of thousands of Egypt’s finest warriors.

Miriam tosses Seqenenre a head dressing and instructs him to wear the disguise. “I’m certain Apepi didn’t send those men, brother,” Miriam says to Moses.

“It was Apepi trying to send me a message, Miriam. There is nothing to worry about.” Moses smiles. “Still, Seqenenre, you should wear the disguise. My sister is often more right than wrong.”

“Moses, you should join my cause, if for no other reason than to free your brother.” Seqenenre says as he puts on the disguise with difficulty while still maintaining balance on his mule.

“Raiding villages and towns of peaceful people is not a cause that calls me, brother,” Moses responds sarcastically.

“Moses, your fathers provided so much for my fathers, but what has come of your people? You have interbred with the Hyksos invaders, and your people have become slaves to them. My cause is not to attack your people but to free you from your oppressive masters.” Seqenenre almost sounds genuine in his pleading.

Moses and Miriam chuckle, “Miriam, I can almost believe what our Egyptian brother is saying.” Moses jests.

“Moses, you and I together can free your people from oppression. You have the military mind, and I have the money needed to remove the Hyksos by force. And I know your intelligence operations have deep root into the Hyksos operations. We can do this together. If you want me to beg in the face of Tetrisheri, I’ll do so on two bended knees.”

“Seqenenre, thank you for the compliment about our intelligence operations. If you truly believed even your own words, you would then also know that we knew of your plan to cut off our supplies in the Nubian campaign and Kamose’s plan to poison Ahhotep.”

Seqenenre has a genuinely surprised look on his face at the news of his son’s attempt to murder his own mother.

“He didn’t know that, Moses,” Miriam says to Moses before he can continue.

“I didn’t know that, Moses. I would not take my own son for conspirator against his own family. I know he and my mother do not see eye to eye, but murder his own mother…” Seqenenre pauses and looks down. “I should have seen this.”

Moses and Miriam allow Seqenenre a moment to contemplate the news they just provided him. The army continues its gradual pace towards the first outpost that it needs to reach before the sun is too high and makes continuing impossible.

#

A guard at the stronghold greets Moses, Seqenenre, and Miriam with some fresh water. “Greetings Moses.” The guard says as he hands the jug to Moses. Moses looks down at the jug, smiles, and then nods to the guard before handing him back the jug.

The guard takes a drink from the jug and Miriam flips over her timer glass. The three stand with increasing tension as the guard continues to hold the jug while Miriam flips the timer glass a half dozen times until Moses is satisfied there is no poison in the jug.

Moses nods at the guard who hands him the jug. “It’s my honor to serve you, Moses. Thank you for your trust,” the guard says.

“That you for your service, brother.” Moses acknowledges the faithfulness of the guard. “How is your brother, Japheth?” Moses motions to Miriam and Seqenenre to proceed ahead into the private cooling room carved into the rock.

As Moses is catching up with the guard, Seqenenre and Miriam refresh with the water in the cooling room.

“I have men close to Aaron. If you and Moses were to support and lead a campaign against the Hyksos, I could ensure the safety of Aaron.” Seqenenre attempts to make his case with Miriam.

“Aaron is doing just fine. We have no concerns for him,” Miriam replies.

“Miriam, when my mother adopted Moses, it was to honor the generations of service your people provided to Egypt. To honor the knowledge and technology your people have shared with us and allowed us to grow and develop our nation into a greater and most powerful nation. Perhaps my raids were not the best plan. Perhaps my own son has plotted against me. Perhaps my days as Pharaoh are numbered. I acknowledge Moses is the better general. I acknowledge you are the better intelligence operative.” He pauses to read Miriam’s response. There is none.

“The Hyksos are like a pestilence on your people and our land. They have taken what my fathers gave to your fathers and subjected your people to immeasurable cruelties. They have taken your metals, stopped your education of your children, confiscated your weapons, and stolen your land only to then force you to build monuments to their own government. They worship that wicked bull, and if you and Moses do not join me, think of what will come of your people.”

Moses enters the cooling room. “Our people have overcome worse, Seqenenre.”

“Moses…” Seqenenre starts and then pauses. “Who will remember the name Moses?” Seqenenre laughs. “You won’t even be a footnote in the records, Moses. Your people’s destiny will be swept into a cave and buried in the desert like the land of Babel.”

Moses smirks, “I don’t need to be famous, Seqenenre. I am not Pharaoh. Nor do I ever wish that curse upon me.”

“Moses, my brother, your people will become nothing! You will be no different than the people we find buried in our land from generations ago. Do the Hyksos even acknowledge the canal of Jacob? Who pays tribute? Your people? Or the Hyksos?”

Moses and Miriam are silent.

“Your people allowed the Hyksos to invade from within. You allowed one generation of Hyksos in and by the end of the next generation, you became slaves! And now, Apepi has his eyes set on Upper Egypt. And he’s nurturing the next generation for even bloodier conquests. Moses, this enemy is the most dangerous the land of Egypt has ever faced. We must join together.”

#

The army is making their way through a valley wide enough for standard formation and protected from the rising sun. Just beyond the valley will be the next stronghold where they can take their daily rest before the final leg to Thebes. Two scouts are leading the head of the army, keeping a sharp eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

Flaring his nostrils, the first scout says to the other, “Was that you, Elon?”

“Surely, I thought it was you! I smelled it a few steps back and believed for certain you had too many quail eggs,” Elon responds as the two continue along.

The smell continues to worsen as the scouts and army march on. “I can’t make out what it is, Elon. Is it a giant mount of Hesat?”

Stumbling from the odor, Elon coughs out, “It’s definitely Apis. Apis has died and been resurrected.”

The two scouts laugh as they look back and see the troops behind them starting to get wind of the smell they’ve been discussing for a long pace.

“Was that you, Elon?” One of the head soldiers shouts.

Elon and the other scout laugh as they proceed forward, tripping over each other as they react to the ever increasing odor that’s beginning to overcome all their senses.

“I told you you shouldn’t have eaten all those quail eggs,” the second scout pushes Elon as they continue to laugh and stumble.

The odor is so foul, several troops begin to stumble as they march forward. Moses notices the rumblings of “Apis” in the troops ahead and begins to trot his mule towards the front line. He smells a whiff of the foul odor!

“A mound of Apis, indeed!” Moses thinks to himself.

The odor is so strong he tilts his head back and covers his nose and mouth with his sleeve. As he tilts his head back he sees a flash of light from the top of the ridge opposite the rising sun. He immediately yells out, “Fall back!” He turns his mule around as quickly as possible and whistles to the mule Seqenenre is riding.

“Fall back!” Moses yells!

Just as Seqenenre’s mule starts to circle back, a massive explosion rips through the valley, tearing soldiers apart and throwing bodies and parts of bodies all over the valley! Seqenenre is thrown from his mule, and chaos ensues!

The valley is filled with dirt, dust, and debris. The back ranks have fallen back to safety and suddenly dozens of the troops begin turning on their fellow soldiers, easily picking them off in the confusion. The two friends of Khamudi begin making their way towards the center of the chaos in hopes of finding Seqenenre.

Seqenenre feels a hand on his shoulder and awakens. He’s dragged along the ground and thrown into a spot between a pile of body parts. He attempts to stand, but he’s unable to maintain his balance and stumbles back to the ground. He feels a sharp dagger slice his neck and reaches to cover his wound. He feels a kick to his ribs that forces him to drop his hand to the ground. One of the friends of Khamudi grabs him by his shoulders and sits Seqenenre on his knees.

Reaching behind his back, the other friend of Khamudi reveals a bronze battle axe to Seqenenre. “I was instructed to make sure you can see this axe, Seqenenre. Can you see it?”

Seqenenre nods his head in acknowledgement. He remembers back to when he had the axe commissioned for his wife, Ahhotep, He remembers the joy she expressed when he acknowledged her and thanked her for her support of his military campaigns into Nubia and Cush.

“The owner of this axe paid for my services, Seqenenre. She told me to make sure you knew.” The friend of Khamudi says as he then takes his swing. The axe becomes stuck in Seqenenre’s forehead and the hulking man struggles to remove it. He kicks Seqenenre’s lifeless body away from the axe and a large chunk of his skull remains stuck to the head of the axe. “A souvenir,” he smiles to his fellow friend of Khamudi.

Seqenenre drops to the ground, his brain visible from the massive axe wound to his forehead. The two friends of Khamudi walk back through the fighting still taking place in the back ranks.

#

Moses awakens to a tapping on his foot. He can tell he’s pinned between a couple of dead soldiers and his mule. He can barely breathe with the crushing weight of his mule on top of him, but a rock is supporting just enough of the weight of the mule to prevent him from suffocating. He feels the tapping on his foot again and can hear a muffled voice calling his name. He closes his eyes and goes unconscious again.

“Moses!”

Moses slowly opens his eyes and blinks for a moment.

“Moses! You are alive!” Miriam cries as she holds his weak body in her arms. Somehow, Moses has not a single scratch on his body. He’s covered in dirt but no wounds other than his throbbing head.

“Sister, where is Seqenenre?” Moses coughs out the only question he can think of.

“It’s not good, brother.“

Moses attempts to lift himself up but doesn’t have the strength. He collapses back into Miriam’s arms and begins to weep. Just as Moses begins to cry a violent storm begins to pour down rain in the valley and Moses weeps ever stronger at the loss of his Egyptian brother.

Once the rain storm clears, Miriam and Moses walk to the location where Seqenenre’s body lies half buried in the ground. Moses again weeps at the sight of his fallen Egyptian brother. He digs out Seqenenre and lifts his lifeless corpse and carries him over his shoulder as the three of them continue to make their way to the final stronghold before Thebes.

When they arrive at the stronghold, Moses and Miriam perform mummification rites for Seqenenre as best as they can with the limited materials they have available at the site. Moses again weeps for his fallen Egyptian brother.

The Last Breath

“Brace yourself for an inconvenient truth about being human.” Dareen pauses to prepare his audience of nearly 2,000 gleeful participants for the moment they have been waiting all weekend for.“

This is the moment I’m sure many of you signed up for!” He looks audience members directly in the eyes; sitting in their seats and standing around the large hotel ballroom. He’s silent as he makes his way from one side of the room to the other, admiring the perfectly aligned chairs his brilliant team of assistants and production crew have maintained throughout the entire weekend.

“We’re going to do a little exercise in a moment to drive this next point home. This is going to come as a huge shock to many of you, but here’s the inconvenient truth about being human…” He pauses again, still making his way through his massive audience and finally up to the stage.

He can tell some participants in his seminar are starting to get annoyed with the constant pausing. Dareen smiles gleefully, knowing he has his audience exactly where they need to be for this next important part of his seminar.

“You have zero control over what happens in your life!” He pauses yet again to scan the faces of the audience. “I can tell, most of you are shocked! But Dareen, I came here to gain power in my life. I came here to gain control of my life. This isn’t what I signed up for, and you’re dropping this in my lap on Sunday afternoon when the seminar is almost over! How many of you are thinking something along those lines?” He pauses as a few participants begins nodding their heads.

“Show of hands.” Nearly everyone in the audience raises their hand.

“Great! Now, I said we were going to do an exercise to drive this point home, and now we’re going to do that.” A large digital clock slowly drops from above the stage to just 3 feet above Dareen’s head. It shows 1:00.

“I want everyone sitting upright. If you’re standing, please have a seat. I don’t want you to injure yourself.” He waits while everyone standing goes back to their chair in the perfectly aligned rows of chairs.

“Now, take in a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds. Then exhale loudly.” The audience follows his instructions precisely.

“Now, we’re going to do that again. Only this time, we’re going to use this clock conveniently placed above my head to help you count out a minute in your head while you hold your breath.” He hears a number of participants start laughing. “I can tell that some of you are already getting where this is going, but don’t ruin it for those who don’t get it yet.”

“Please. Let them get it on their own.” Dareen pleads with the seminar participants who he sees laughing.

Dareen leads them through the breathing exercise. Shortly after 20 seconds, dozens of people in the audience begin breathing again. After 30 seconds, it’s scores of participants. 40 seconds, hundreds. 50 seconds, all but one person has begun breathing frantically.

“Is there anyone still holding their breath?”

The hand of an old man raises in the back of the room.

“Okay, you keep your hand up while you’re still holding your breath.” The audience begins to chuckle and turn to see if they can catch a glimpse of the old man still holding his breath.

As the digital clock continues to count, Dareen smiles. 30 seconds… “Someone make sure he’s not turning blue.” The audience laughs. One of the production staff walks over to check on the man, who gives him a thumbs up.

90 seconds, the audience is beginning to chatter as Dareen smiles on stage, “I once had a mountain climber in the audience who was able to hold his breath for 5 and 1/2 minutes. We could be in for a long wait, so please be patient.”

180 seconds, members of the seminar are standing up and trying everything they can to catch a glimpse of the old man. Each of the audience members who has interacted with the old man during the seminar tells the people around them a story the old man had shared with them. The stories are as colorful as a fairytale, ranging from the old man being in the last Great War of Europe in his 20s to being a fishing boat captain when he was in his 30s, a tech company CEO and venture capitalist during his 40s, traveling the world on a motorcycle during his 50s, competing and winning the Hawaiian Ironman every year of his 60s, to the pain and anguish of having lost all his brothers and sisters and half of his nieces and nephews during his 70s, and now searching for meaning in his life as he begins his 80s having been diagnosed with cancer.

300 seconds, the old man finally drops his hand and begins to breath normally, as if he hadn’t been holding his breath for nearly seven minutes. Dareen leads the audience in an eruption of applause! “Please come up on stage!” Dareen shouts as the audience gives the old man a standing ovation while he slowly makes his way to the front of the massive room all the way from the back row.

Dareen keeps applauding the man as he makes his way up the stairs. He reads his name tag. “Everyone, please welcome Gabriel to the stage. Gabriel how many years young are you?”

“I just turned 81, Dareen.”

The audience collectively shouts, “wow!”

“That’s impressive, Gabriel. Very impressive! You topped everyone who has ever done this exercise. Before I get to the point of the exercise,” Dareen looks out into the audience, “which I think everyone in the audience is getting at this point. Before we get to that, I’d like you to share what you were thinking about during that 5 minutes.”

“Well, Dareen. The first minute I was thinking this was going to be a breeze, and I didn’t really understand what the point of the exercise was. Since holding my breath for a minute was easy for me.”

Dareen interjects, “Clearly, one minute was no match for you!” The audience laughs.

“80 years was no match for me!” Gabriel shouts with joy!

The audience explodes with applause!

“Then I started thinking about life, Dareen. I started thinking about my dear family who I’ve outlived all of them and even some into the next two generations. I started thinking of all the men and women I saw killed in wars and all the petty squabbling between neighbors and nations. I thought of the injustices I’ve seen in my life, how the rich will steal from the poor and the needy, how people will align themselves with what they believe is just only to find out it’s a fraud. I then started thinking about all of the amazingly beautiful things and places I have seen in my life. And then I thought of the most beautiful of them all, my late wife, Claire.”

Half the audience begins crying, and even Dareen’s eyes begins to well with tears.

Gabriel’s voice begins to shake. “I thought of my beloved, Claire. I though of how just last year I was holding her hand in our bed as she took her last breath, and how blessed I was to share that moment with her. I felt like I was back in that moment just before she told me she loved me with her last breath. And I thought of how her and I had promised each other we’d go together, holding hands. And then I thought about how I failed her. And so I thought, what would be more perfect than for this moment to be my last breath too. To make up for that failure.”

People in the audience can be heard sobbing as Gabriel shares his experience.

“I tried, Dareen. I tried damn hard, and I’m a tough man, you see. I’ve been through it all. I’m strong.” Gabriel breaks down and wraps his arms around Dareen and sobs uncontrollably as Dareen consoles him.

“I’m the toughest son of a bitch you’ll ever meet. I tried, Dareen. I tried so hard, and then I heard my sweet Claire’s voice, and she told me to wise up, and then it hit me, Dareen.” He pulls back from Dareen.

“What’s that, Gabriel?”

“Everything I thought about. Every moment I relived, and every breath I took and shared… Even the last breath my beloved Claire shared with me…” Gabriel chokes up again and then continues, “I had no more control over it than my own breath, Dareen.”

Gabriel and Dareen smile as they stare deeply into each other’s eyes, having reached a point of full understanding of the exercise.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, another round of applause for Gabriel!”

Gabriel walks off the stage and down the stairs as the audience give him another standing ovation, tears flowing from their eyes.

“That’s exactly what this exercise is about. You might be an 81 year old bad ass, but you have no more control over the events in your life than you have over your own breath. It’s how you react to the events… that’s what you own! What you do with what’s happening in the world around you, near and far… and even what’s happening within your very own body that… you… have… no… control over… That’s what’s yours! That’s what you own! Your reaction is the only thing in this world that is truly yours. Now, own that? You’ll own your reality!”

Loyalty

Moses seemingly glides along the path atop his mule while his second lieutenant’s mule bounces uneasily as they make their way through the narrow valley. One third of his troops in front of them, one third behind, and the remaining third split atop the ridges to ensure safe passage below and provide lookout.

“Moses, what’s your plan?” His lieutenant asks.

“This should be an easy victory, my friend. These Zephon raiders have become more brazen this season. It means they are growing in number. We’ll deal with these raiders and then ask Apepi to pair with Seqenenre to eliminate the threat for the coming generations.” Moses replies.

With a slight chuckle, his lieutenant responds, “No, Moses. I mean, what’s your plan with Tharbis? You marry the most beautiful woman in all of Cush and bring peace for all the lands? Is that the plan?”

Moses solemnly stares at his lieutenant, “You don’t like that plan?”

There’s an awkward pause as the lieutenant cannot determine if Moses is joking or not. The sound of the mule hooves and troops steps are deafening. Then Moses lets out an enormous laugh that echos through the canyon!

“My plan, my friend, is to go off and enjoy the rest of my life in peace and harmony. Let the Egyptians do their thing. Let the Hyksos do their thing. Let the Cushites do their thing. And let our people do ours. We’re at a crossroads of monumental peace between all our people. That’s my plan.” Moses gleamingly smiles towards the heavens.

A commotion begins to stir among the troops ahead of the men. A small cloud of dust is seen off in the distance by the troops on the ridge, and they signal down to Moses. A messenger is coming on horseback.

#

Moses has ascended the ridge with his lieutenant, and they are watching the small dust cloud far off in the distance. They notice a dark cloud of ash beginning to rise even further off in the distance beyond the next range of hills where the messenger is riding from. Followed by a second and third cloud of ash. All three are shortly snuffed out.

“Bring out the merechayin,” Moses commands.

His lieutenant ushers over a group of men carrying a large wooden crate that they set before Moses. Four of them open the lid of the crate and gently place the lid upside down on the ground and level it. They remove the poles they were using to carry the crate to set them into each of the corners of the lid. Another four remove the merechayin from the crate while the original four lift a rounded out wood structure from the crate and fit it to the four poles attached to the upside down lid. The merechayin is placed on top of the rounded out wood structure.

Moses is holding his wrist while the assembly is taking place. “Either my heart is beating slower, or your team is getting faster. Great job, men!” He smiles and the entire team is filled with great appreciation.

Moses stands atop the wooden platform, and the men slide it along the dirt as he gives commands to adjust the platform while looking through the merechayin. He steps down from the platform and motions to his lieutenant, “Five and eight.”

The lieutenant stands atop the wooden platform and performs the same commands as Moses. “Yes, Moses.”

While Moses and his lieutenant have been looking through the merechayin, the eight men who assembled the apparatus have also setup a sun dial to measure the time and a scribe writes down five and eight on a scroll of papyrus.

“Send the Darom ahead with clear instructions to stand down under all circumstances,” Moses commands. “And half Maarav to follow my lead.”

“Yes, sir.” The lieutenant answers. “And the rest?”

“Flank.” Moses commands.

#

Moses arrives with the half Maarav contingent at the camp setup by the Darom contingent who has setup a stronghold on the ridge overlooking a small city that’s under siege. The horseback rider, Meaachad, has met up with Moses along the path and briefed him on the siege taking place that’s been underway for 4 days. The walls are expected to be breached at sunrise.

Moses sits down with Miriam in a goat-skin tent that’s beaming with light inside as Meaachad draws on the ground the map of the town and the siege ramps being built against its walls. Meaachad reminds them of the number of troops at each post as well as the second contingent their spies have determined are on the far side of the hill just north of the town. Moses looks on with skepticism as Meaachad continues to explain the details the spies had relayed to him before he left to seek help.

“You say, these men are wearing Amalekite garb?” Miriam asks.

“Yes, my lord.” Meaachad responds confidently. “I have seen them with my own eyes.”

“These siege patterns are not the patterns of Amalek,” Moses asserts.

Miriam asks Meaachad to leave the tent. “Moses,” she begins, waiting for Meaachad to be ushered away from the tent. “These are our siege plans.”

“I know, sister. I would not expect this from Amalek. We have been at peace with them for generations. If they were in need, Amalek would come to Apepi as he has in the past and ask for grain and substance.” He turns to Miriam as the two look at each other in deep contemplation. “Do you think the conspirators are making their move?”

“There have been no signals, and they are much too cunning for something simple like this.” She responds.

“There is a third party?” Moses asks.

“There is always a third party, brother. And a fourth and so on.”

“So, we just sacrifice this city?” Moses says in anger.

“The flanks won’t reach their positions until the following day. The walls will be breached tomorrow.”

“I won’t let this happen!” Moses clenches his fists in anger.

“It is too early to intervene.” Miriam warns. “And we don’t know the numbers on the other side of the hill.”

“We can take those men too!” Moses shouts.

“At what cost, brother?” Miriam understands Moses’ anguish. “Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Our losses will be catastrophic to defend this town without the flanks. You know that. Has your dreams of your Cushitic bride clouded your vision?”

“That is uncalled for, sister. She has nothing to do with this.” Moses snaps back. “And for the record, she will never cloud my judgement or make me soft in my dealings on the battlefield.”

“She merely softens your heart?” Miriam says sarcastically.

Moses smiles his overwhelmingly handsome smile, which disgusts Miriam. “That’s a poetic way to put it, sister!”

#

The morning of the siege breach arises. The roosters of the town are crowing, unaware of the pending doom about to befall the people of the city. The raiders begin their fires at four points around the city and pile on timber to grow the flames.

As Moses’s contingent on the mountain watch, he reasserts that they are to stand down no matter what and must watch on to see the brutality of their enemy. Some of the men in the ranks are visibly upset and are uttering against Moses. Suddenly, one of them breaks ranks and begins running down the hill towards the city.

“Stop him!” Moses shouts.

“He is too fast! Not even a messenger can catch him. He is too light of feet.” One of the soldiers says.

Moses turns to one of the archers. “Shoot him down!”

The archer and the surrounding men stand in disbelief at Moses’ command. “I cannot, sir. He is too fast.”

Just as he finishes speaking, a young soldier grabs his bow and an arrow, steadily takes aim and shoots down the soldier running down the hill. He turns to Moses and stares him in the eyes without saying a word. Then he turns to the archer and throws his bow back into his arms. The men look on, stunned as the young soldier walks away.

Moses looks back down the hill at the fallen solider who is still alive but has an arrow threw his right heel and can no longer run. He turns back to the soldier walking away, “Either your aim is incredible or you are a terrible shot and got lucky!” He shouts.

Not turning around, he replies, “I have terrible aim. I was aiming for his left heel.”

Moses looks back down the hill at the soldier grasping his right heel as he snaps the arrow and removes it from his leg. The soldier picks up a pile of dirt from the ground and pours it over his head and weeps.

Turning back to see the young soldier return to his rank, Moses asks, “What’s your name?”

“Sir, Caleb, Sir!”

Moses hears the soldier next to the archer utter, “A dog.” The two chuckle as Moses looks at them sternly.

“Yes, loyal. Faithful. Honorable.” Moses says to them.

“Obedient.” The archer says as Moses begins to walk away.

Moses pauses and turns back to the archer. He growls, “If you ever disobey me in front of these men again, I’ll hack your head off myself and roll it down this hill.”

#

The gates of the city are burning. A handful of archers and their assistants position themselves atop internal watch towers and await for the breach. The raiders stand just out of shot of the archers, as they begin to hoot and chant. The sounds can be heard atop the mountain by Moses’ men as they begin to grow increasingly enraged.

“Channel that anger, my brothers!” Moses shouts! “Feel that rage grow inside you just as the flames are growing against the gates of our beloved city below! Pull that anger inside you and prepare for battle. We will unleash our wrath upon these men when the moment is right. They will reap what they sow when our time is right!”

The contingent from beyond the other side of the far hill begins to march towards the city. It’s massive! More than ten times what Meaachad had estimated. Miriam stands next to Caleb, who was promoted to Moses’ assistant in the morning. She looks at Moses as the two silently confirm they made the right decision to not intervene against the siege.

The men of Moses watch as the massive fleet descends upon the city. Moses walks over to the soldier shot through the heel by Caleb and pulls him up against him, relieving the soldier who was helping prop him up so he could watch the siege unfold.

“I am sorry, Moses.” He says with tears streaming down his face.

“Your heart was in the right place, Jaleel.” Moses pulls the soldier in tightly. “I’m sorry I failed you as a leader. That you did not have enough faith in me to understand my plan. I promise you, these men will receive revenge two fold.”

The city gates crumble under the fire. The raiders begin to hail down arrows upon the towers containing the archers as they send men through the gates. The massive contingent from beyond the far hill begin running towards the city as quickly as possible as the defenses of the city walls topple. Crying, yelling, and wailing is heard atop the mountain where Moses’ men watch on boiling over with rage.

Moses is sitting in the tent with Miriam and Caleb, discussing the patterns of the siege and the raiders that they have witnessed so far. Moses orders Caleb to separate the soldiers according to genealogy in each of their ranks.

“Miriam, I have a suspicion that there is dissension against us.” Moses says softly.

“The folly Caleb handled earlier was an omen?” Miriam smiles.

Moses ponders deeply and runs through the events in his mind and the reactions of the soldiers. “Miriam, where did Caleb come from?”

“He’s the son of Yefuneh. From Judah.” She replies with a puzzled look on her face. “You suspect Caleb?”

“No, sister. And also no,” Moses replies. “How did Caleb end up in this contingent? According to my reckoning, he should be with the Shamalla.”

“Brother, I’m not sure you should be having these mental problems at such a young age,” Miriam chuckles. “Is there some sort of trouble?”

“No, sister. And also no,” Moses replies. “My mind is as clear as the evening sky. Despite this day of tragedy, Our Creator is smiling down upon us this evening. I’m going down in the day break with our brothers in arms. I want you to stay here with the foreign soldiers. If our prophecy is correct…” Moses pauses and looks to Miriam’s soul through her eyes.

Miriam nods.

#

There’s a sudden flash of light against the tent. Then another, coming from the different direction. The flashes repeat three times.

Miriam is holding a large bronze mirror as she comes running to Moses. “The flanks are ready, brother!” She yells, almost in song.

“You heard our sister, my brothers!” Moses raises his arms. “May no mercy be felled upon any of our adversaries this day. Not one prisoner shall be taken, my brothers. Not one!” Moses rallies his men and sends them down the mountain.

Six men remain with Miriam at the top of the mountain along with Caleb. Moses turns to them and says, “May we pray that we not need you on the battlefield today, soldiers. But if it is called for you to join, Miriam will do as accordingly to plan.”

Moses mounts his mule and heads down the hill as Caleb and Miriam take distant positions from the six foreign soldiers who watch the flanks begin to close in on the smoldering, sacked city. Moses’ contingent from atop the hill converge like a wave on the city.

The raiders, drunken from their spoil from the invasion, are easily overcome by the flanks and Moses’ men. Meaachad signals to Moses that the leader of the raiders is attempting an escape through one of the breaches in the wall. Moses quickly rides his mule with a handful of horse mounted soldiers in the direction of the breach. They take up position against the enemy and single out the leader.

The leader stands defiantly in front of Moses wearing his armor helmet and mask.

“Remove your mask, so I may see you face to face before I kill you!” Moses commands.

The leader says nothing and raises his sword to challenge Moses. The soldiers laugh. An archer raises his bow against the leader. Moses holds out his hand to stand down as he dismounts his mule.

Smiling, Moses unsheathes his sword. “You’re not from Amalek.” Moses says as he takes up an attack position against the leader.

The leader nods.

Moses begins a sequence of sword moves, attacking the leader. All of which are defended by his opponent with ease! Moses’ soldiers look on in amazement as they’ve never seen anyone defend themselves so well and for so long against Moses.

Moses can sense the leader is a greater combatant than he initially thought. He’s well trained. Perhaps even better trained than he, Moses thinks to himself. Moses continues with another onslaught of maneuvering and attacks, each defended against easily by the leader. Then the leader makes an attack against Moses! It’s furious and treacherous, nearly getting the best of Moses were it not for a rock that causes the leader to stumble and miss Moses with what would have been a fatal stab to the heart.

The soldiers look on in amazement and prepare to attack the leader if he bests Moses. Moses has a vision of when he was younger and in military training and sparing against others in the royal guard. He begins anew against the leader with different tactics. A flurry of moves and the leader is slashed on his arm opposite his sword.

Moses switches his sword to his other hand and begins another onslaught of moves against the leader. The soldiers of Moses look on in amazement as he maneuvers even more skillfully with sword in opposite hand than with his normal hand. He artfully slices wounds in the leader’s body, slowly and painfully weakening him until the leader collapses on to his knees and falls to his left side.

Moses slashed the leader’s arm holding his sword and he drops his sword. With the leader completely defenseless, Moses kicks the sword away and tosses his own sword away. He sits down behind the defeated leader and removes his helmet and mask.

The soldiers gasp!

Moses begins to weep as he holds the leader’s weak body in his arms, “Seqenenre, why did you do this, my brother?”

Agent Lee

“He’s by far the most promising recruit we’ve seen in the history of the program!” The medical director says to Fredrick Prophet as he leads him down the hallway.

“And his DNA analysis?” Fredrick asks.

“80 percent match, sir.” the medical director smiles as he opens the door to the room where Cadet Lee sits quietly reading through a history book on mid-American history.

Fredrick motions to the medical director to leave as Cadet Lee abruptly closes his book, places it on his desk, stands up, pushes his chair in, and stands at attention saluting Fredrick. Fredrick smiles, “I’m not one of those, Cadet Lee.” Cadet Lee relaxes and let’s out a big sigh.

“The medical director tells me you’ve shown the best results of anyone he’s ever seen in the program. I know that might come as a surprise to you given your subpar grades.”

Cadet Lee doesn’t understand where Fredrick is going with the conversation, so he remains silent and keeps his stern face.

“I have a special assignment for you, Agent Lee.” Fredrick says as he looks out the tiny window in Cadet Lee’s room.

Cadet Lee’s stern composure turn to surprise at the sound of “Agent Lee”. He cracks a smile and almost laughs in the process.

“I’m not joking about the agent part, Lee.” Fredrick says, not even turning around to see Cadet Lee almost laughing. “You have something within you of particular value, and I’m hoping for you to reach the potential I know you’re capable of.”

“With all due respect, sir, I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about. I don’t even know why I’m still in this program. I should have failed out months ago. I’ve seen others with better grades get kicked out. So, whatever you’re talking about, I don’t understand, sir.” Cadet Lee says as he sounds disappointed in himself.

Fredrick turns to Lee and looks him in the eyes. “What you can’t see, I’ll help you see, Agent Lee. The confidence you lack is a minor hurdle for you to reach your full potential. You are destined to change history, Agent Lee. I’m here to take you to the next level.” Fredrick smiles. “You’re next round of training starts now. Come with me.”

Cadet Lee flattens his smile and has a dumbfounded look on his face. Fredrick walks over to the door and grabs the handle. Not turning around, he says to Cadet Lee, “Don’t pack anything. My team will take care of it. Your sole responsibility from this point on is to follow my orders, Agent Lee.”

#

Cadet Lee lies submerged in a float tank with a series of wires connected to his head. He’s in a deep state of meditation as Fredrick Prophet and a team of scientists monitor his vitals and an application that’s providing them with direct insight into Cadet Lee’s near real-time brain functions.

“Maurice, how’s everything looking?” Fredrick asks the lead scientist directing the operations.

“It appears that Cadet Lee is the closest he’s been in months, Fred. If he can maintain this level of meditation, we should be able to make contact within the next 10 minutes!” Maurice responds in suppressed excitement.

They continue monitoring Cadet Lee for another 10 minutes as Fredrick begins to grow increasingly anxious. The program suddenly begins printing data to the screen at a rate that nobody can read! Cadet Lee’s body jumps suddenly in the tank and he awakens. He’s pulled out of the container and several scientists help him untangle himself from the mess of wires he’s become trapped in from thrashing around uncontrollably in the tank.

“What was that, Fred!” Cadet Lee yells into the rafters, knowing that Fredrick is monitoring him along with several other scientists in the observation room up on the mezzanine. “What in the crazy ass hell was that Fred!” He yells again!

Fred runs down the stairs, “Lee! You did it! I need you to tell me everything that happened!”

Cadet Lee jumps out of the tank, snapping several of the wires in the process and shoves the scientists away from him as he heads, drenched, towards Fredrick in a rage. Just as he’s about to reach Fredrick, he drops to his knees and then collapses into convulsions. Fredrick rolls Cadet Lee on to his side and then removes his sports coat and covers Cadet Lee’s naked body and comforts him until his body stops convulsing and Cadet Lee falls into a deep sleep.

#

“Agent Lee…”

“Agent Lee…”

Cadet Lee feels warm sunshine on his face as he awakens inside of a dream state. There’s a beautiful grassy hill in front of him with a single large Terebinth tree at the top. A glowing orb shoots out of the tree and begins to swirl around him, and he begins to spin in circles trying to catch the orb until he blacks out and awakens in an empty building.

A man who is just a silhouette walks towards him and begins speaking even though he has no face or mouth, “Agent Lee, it’s nice to finally meet you. Welcome to our home.”

Cadet Lee looks around at the empty surroundings. “Our home?” He asks.

“We’re going to be spending some time together, Agent Lee.”

“Fred? Is that you? Are you playing some sort of mind game with me? Nobody calls me Agent Lee except your stupid ass.” Cadet Lee says with anger as his relationship with Fredrick Prophet has greatly soured over the months they’ve been working on Project Bishop.

“No, I’m not Fredrick.”

“God?”

“I’m not God.”

“Satan?”

The figure chuckles, “No, Agent Lee.”

“Do you have a name?” Cadet Lee asks in confusion.

“No, Agent Lee.” The silhouette responds.

“That doesn’t help much. How should I address you?”

“Just call me.”

Cadet Lee waits for an additional response and finally breaks the awkward silence. “Why am I here?”

“To spend time with me.”

“And why are you here?”

“To spend time with you.” The silhouette responds.

Cadet Lee throws his hands up in despair and places his hands on his hips, looking disgustedly at the silhouette. He begins walking to his right away from the silhouette and notices that the walls of the empty building are moving so that it appears he’s in the same place in the middle of the empty room. He turns back to the direction of the silhouette, and it’s gone.

“Where did you go?”

The silhouette suddenly appears in the same location it was before and begins walking towards him. Cadet Lee starts walking towards the silhouette and the two begin gliding towards each other until Cadet Lee finds himself floating inside the silhouette. Suddenly he begins to feel like he’s falling faster and faster until his flesh and bones disintegrate from his soul and his soul splatters on the ground.

He watches as the puddle of his soul slowly spreads out on the floor of a semi dark room. There’s a light source, but he can’t tell where it’s coming from.

“Who are you?” He hears a strange voice he’s never heard before. “What are you doing here?”

He answers back, “I’m Agent Lee. Who the hell are you?”

Agent Lee waits for an answer as he hears the other man breathing heavier with each passing moment.

“How can I help you Agent Lee?”

“You can start by telling me who you are.” Agent Lee demands.

“Who sent you?” The voice demands back.

“The Bishop sent me.”

“Which Bishop, Agent Lee?” The voice asks in a more relaxed tone.

“Maurice.”

Agent Lee responds to several more questions with information Fredrick has been training him with for the last several months. The voice sounding less and less skeptical with each question.

“Call me Mr. Phillips, Agent Lee. Tell the Bishop I need three days after the data drop. I will speak with you soon.”

Agent Lee looks confused, but Fredrick had prepared him for this moment for months.

“Congratulations on the promotion, Agent Lee.”

“Thanks, Mr. Phillips.”

“Oh, and Agent Lee, watch out for that first drop. It’s going to hurt.”

Agent Lee suddenly feels himself dropping again. Faster and faster. This time he feels the pain as his flesh begins to disintegrate from his body.

#

Agent Lee suddenly wakes up in a hospital bed. A doctor is sitting at his bedside and touches him on his arm.

“Agent Lee”. She says softly to him in a soothing voice that immediately calms his anxiety.

“How did I get here?” He calmly asks the doctor.

“Fredrick brought you here. I’ve been monitoring you for the last six weeks.” She responds.

“I’ve been out for six weeks?”

“Yes, Agent Lee. You might feel a bit weak. From not moving much, but we’ve been taking very good care of you. Fredrick himself has been changing your sheets and rubbing the skin treatment on you.”

Agent Lee looks confused and starts to respond, “but he’s an asshole, Doc.”

The door opens and Fredrick enters the room. The doctor stands up and walks towards Fredrick. “He’s doing well. I briefed him on his status, and he was just telling me how thankful he was for your care.” She says to Fredrick.

“I bet he was,” Fredrick says. He walks to Agent Lee’s bedside and places his hand on the guard rail. Looking at Agent Lee with a big smile, he turns to the doctor. “Doctor, Harvey, can you bring in the transcripts from the session so that I can review them with Agent Lee? Thanks.”

#

Agent Lee is a bit nervous the evening before his third trip for Project Bishop. He’s sitting with Fredrick, Doctor Harvey and Maurice Lane, the chief scientist, as they paint the picture of the most important, and final phase of the project. Agent Lee is to deliver the final set of data that will be necessary for Mr. Phillips to complete Operation Bishop.

Over the last several months, the friendship between Fredrick and Agent Lee has greatly improved as Agent Lee now understands the full scope and importance of the work Fredrick has chosen him for. Plus, he’s learned to understand why Fredrick had to keep him in the dark about the true purpose of the project at the onset.

Fredrick has become a father figure to Agent Lee, a father figure he never had growing up. As he’s staring out the window, Agent Lee thinks back to the conversation he had with Fredrick a couple of weeks ago.

“Fred, I have to tell you something that’s very important to me.” Agent Less said to Fredrick.

“Go ahead, son.”

“See, that’s exactly it, Fred. I never had a father growing up. He died before I was born. You’ve been the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father in my life.” Agent Lee’s eyes welled with tears. “You’re more of a father figure that I think an actual dad could even be. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me and supporting me through this entire project.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Lee. It means a lot to me. This project is your destiny. It’s been generations in the making. In many ways, I feel like your father. In full disclosure…” Fredrick paused for a moment as Agent Lee felt like he was giving great consideration to what he was about to say next. “Your father and I worked together, Lee. I made a promise to him that I’d watch you and shepherd you if anything were to happen to him. He was a great man, Lee. He understood just how important you were going to be. He too believed in you as I do.”

Stunned, Agent Lee was at a loss for words as Fredrick continued. “The truth is, Lee, your family has been a target for generations because of Project Bishop. Same with Doctor Harvey and Director Lane. The coup plotters changed Oswald’s name to Lee Harvey to send a signal over the generations since 1963 that your lineage and Doctor Harvey’s lineage are to be targeted. Someone’s a trader, Lee. I’m not saying you or Harvey, but I’ll be honest…”

Agent Lee had never seen a more serious look on Fredrick’s face, “I’m not ruling out Maurice, Lee. Don’t give him all your trust. If you ever wanted fatherly advice that’s it. Don’t fully trust Maurice.”

Agent Lee contemplated the enormity of what Fredrick was saying. “You think my father was killed because of me?” He asked.

“Absolutely, Lee. Someone on the other side found out who your father was. I think that was one of the reasons for the name change. It wasn’t to just let us know that they figured out we went back and faked the assassination. It was to leave a breadcrumb for the future so that someone could find it and attempt to thwart Project Bishop. Your entire lineage has been a target, and your father was the closest they ever came.”

#

Agent Lee sits across the table from Doctor Harvey as they eat their regular pre-meditation breakfast. “Are you ready to make history, Agent Lee?” She smiles.

“You ever wonder if all of this has any point to it?” Agent Lee asks.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Lee. We’re saving a great man’s life.”

“Are we really? In all the history books, he’s dead. And the agency we’re working for and the men I’m talking to back in 1963 are all implicated and blamed for the assassination or at the very least not stopping it. What’s the point?” Agent Lee says frustratedly pushing his bowl of oatmeal away from him.

Doctor Harvey slides the bowl back closer to Agent Lee. “I know it’s not easy for you, Lee. I know this whole experience is borderline torture for your mind. You need to eat.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“Yes, Lee, I believe this all has a point. I believe we’re answering a higher calling than we could possibly understand. And most importantly, I believe that you were given a gift.” She places her hand on Agent Lee’s hand and continues. “You were given a gift that allows you, and only you to make this happen. Now, if you want to know why I think you were given this gift, I can’t even begin to fathom. I’m a pretty smart woman, Lee.”

Agent Lee interrupts, “You’re absolutely brilliant, Doc.” He smiles.

“Thank you, Lee. Despite all that intelligence, I haven’t a clue who chose you or why. What I can comprehend is that it’s you. You save this man’s life. You make history, and the world is a better place because of it.” She pauses as she searches for the right words to say to Agent Lee.

“Quite honestly, Lee, I think the world is a better place because they think he’s dead. It allowed him to operate behind the scenes and engage with the deepest members of the teams that all lead to us sitting here this morning.”

Agent Lee smiles at Doctor Harvey as the two stare deep into each other’s eyes. They become almost lost in each other’s trance as they’ve become close partners during the execution of Operation Bishop.

“Let’s go make history, Doc!” Agent Lee stands up and the two hold hands as they walk towards the observation room.

Deep Euphoria

Mitchel double checks the air mixture filling his SCUBA tanks. His diving partner worriedly looks on as Mitchel’s behavior grows increasingly erratic. For years, he’s been watching Mitchel become increasingly addicted to diving deeper for longer; becoming increasingly addicted to nitrogen narcosis.

He thinks back to the dive a week ago where Mitchel dove 20 feet deeper than him and wouldn’t come back up no matter how much he pleaded with him. Mitchel eventually stopped responding, so he dove down, retrieved him and slowly brought him to the surface. He thought for sure that scare would convince Mitchel of his increasingly dangerous challenge of the grim reaper.

“You okay, Nick?” Mitchel says to his diving partner who is lost in thought.

“Not really Mitch. You know the only reason I’m on this boat with you is because I think you’re going to kill yourself out here without me.”

“You take life to serious, Nick! If there’s one thing these waters have taught me…” Mitchel pauses as he looks off into the distance.

Nick seizes the moment, “That you should hang up your fins and tanks for a bit. Maybe get the help you need to deal with whatever you’re dealing with?”

Mitchel laughs, “Nick, I think today is the day. I’ve seen this exact day. This exact horizon. I’ve felt this exact moment before.”

“What do you mean, Mitch? The day for what?” Nick asks out of concern.

“I didn’t think it would ever happen, Nick. But I’m telling you that today is the day they’ve been telling me about. I have to tell you something important, Nick.”

“What’s that, my friend?”

Mitchel walks up to Nick and stares deep into his eyes. “Don’t trust Lucy. It’s all in the letters. Just remember that it’s all in the letters.”

Nick is confused, “That girl from college? What letters, Mitch? You know, it’s shit like this that makes it clear you need help, man. Let’s sit this one out.”

Mitchel turns away and gets back to prepping for the dive.

Nick thinks back to all the conversations with Mitchell over the years about the visitors he receives when he’s on a deep dive. Over the last several months, they’ve been visiting him in his sleep and just a few weeks ago, Mitchel confided that they were visiting him while he was awake and watching television.

Nick had been pressing Mitchel to seek psychiatric help, but Mitchel kept telling him that the visitors were warning him not to see a psychiatrist. “No drugs. No alcohol. Nothing that will make you suggestible by them,” Mitchel would always tell him. “Them” was some hidden group of super evolved humans with tremendous knowledge and advanced abilities to manipulate the minds of certain humans. Mitchel told Nick he had a theory that he was part of their lost tribe and that they make attempts to communicate with people to determine if they are worthy of joining their hidden group.

Mitchel would tell Nick that the group provided him with insights and hints on important work he needed to perform, but they couldn’t provide him with the answers. Mitchel needed to figure that out on his own. Presumably to determine if he was worthy of being part of the group.

In one heated conversation, Nick pressed Mitchel for what those actual insights were; what advanced knowledge these visitors were providing him. “I can’t let you know that kind of stuff, Nick. It’s against the rules.” Mitchel told him.

Nick could only think of one response: “Bullshit, Mitch”

As the boat drifts on the open water, the sun makes its way passed the shadow of the cockpit and warms Nick’s face as he’s lost in thoughts about his past diving adventures with Mitchel. He closes his eyes and smiles as a small tear clings to the corner of his left eye.

Mitchel tosses his fins at Nick’s feet. “C’mon, man! You’re dragging like an anchor in sand. Let’s get diving!”

As Mitchel impatiently waits for Nick to finish suiting up, the boat captain comes over to Nick and leans in to speak quietly as for Mitchel not to hear, “I love you guys, but I think Mitch has lost it, man. Don’t do this.”

Nick stares the captain in the eyes, “You know I’ve got my buddy. We’ve been doing this for years. The two diveteers.” He smiles uneasily.

The two jump off the edge of the boat into the deep.

#

“We’re coming up! Captain, Mitch is out! He’s not responding. Do you copy? Pull the line! I’m coming up as fast as possible” Nick frantically calls to the boat captain over their radio connection.

The captain scrambles into action. He triggers the line pulley that helps aide their ascent and calls to the Coast Guard. Mitch is air lifted to a decompression treatment center and remains unresponsive. Nick places calls to Mitchel’s family members. There’s little surprise and mostly disappointment from the family members as Mitchel had become estranged from them over the years of his increased addiction to nitrogen narcosis.

Eventually, Mitchel is moved into a hospital room where he lies in a coma. Nick is sitting alongside his bed, waiting for the doctor to visit. She enters the room and closes the door.

“You must be Nick?”

Nick stands up and shakes her hand. “Nice to meet you,” he pauses as he looks at her name tag, “Doctor Bennet.”

“I understand you’re the closest thing Mitchel has to family?”

“Yes, Doctor Bennet.”

“Please, call me Lucy.”

Project Hyacia

Thomas’s hand trembles as he lifts it from his keyboard and points at the text on his screen. “Read that, Janice.” His voice trembles as he slowly stands up to let Janice sit at the computer. He walks over to the door of the panic room he installed in his basement with his arms folded tightly across his chest.

If you are reading this message, I must first warn you that you are in immanent grave danger. The upside is that you are in control of your fate as at least seven of you I know have taken action as an outcome of receiving this message. Those seven and I shall remain nameless. Your locations and time periods shall also remain undocumented as are mine.

With that out of the way, here is what I have discovered that is of the utmost importance to the past and future of humanity and beyond. I discovered a method by which I can receive data from the future. The third message I received from the future was the schematics by which I can transmit data into the past. And I am not the only one to have decoded these messages.

The schematics by which you too can transmit data into the past, I have already sent. Despite knowing that none of you who read this decode the message and build the system to transmit data, not even the seven, I transmitted the data anyway. I remain hopeful, as I cannot truly know everything.

I relate to you now, what I do truly know. My first course of action to alter the past was abundantly clear to me, ensure Adolf Hitler does not rise to power. This single event ripples throughout human history with deleterious effects long into the future. I apologize for the vagueness, but I must not provide details that would lead to harm of me or any of the seven.

I input into my system a process that would ensure that Adolf Hitler was not able to enlist in the Bavarian army in World War I. I had calculated that absent his war experience in the first World War he would not have been involved in the Second World War, and the European continent, medical technology, and space travel would forever benefit.

As you are aware, there was a clerical error that permitted Adolf Hitler to enter the Bavarian Army. I figured my first attempt at a major change to the history timeline could meet challenges, so I decided to make another attempt. Shortly after my first attempt, strange and unusual occurrences began to take place in the city I lived. We encountered unprecedented plagues of famine, violence, and disease. I thought this too coincidental, particularly when I traveled, the epicenter of the pandemic would follow shortly thereafter.

#

As Janice reads the text on the screen, her eyes widen and her jaw begins to slowly drop. “This is unbelievable, Thomas! This is exactly what we’ve been looking for!”

“Keep reading,” Thomas says, not even turning around.

As the plague spread rapidly, it was not long before I realized that my time may very well be limited. I had received no more messages from the future, so I took it upon myself to do the only thing I felt in my heart that I must do. Kill Adolf Hitler during World War I. I transmitted data back to effect the Battle of Somme, and again my plans were narrowly thwarted with Adolf Hitler being injured rather than killed. I made other efforts than these two, but divulging them would risk uncovering my identity.

There are theories of multiple timelines or even infinite timelines. What I have witnessed is that there is only a single timeline and a concept I call infinite probable timelines. I have been able to alter outcomes of the past in some cases with my data transmissions, but in most cases when I predicted my data should produce a new outcome, it has not.

I attempted to alter another major but less complex historic event: stop the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. This is when I came to realize that someone much more intelligent and resourceful than me had this same technology for sending data back in time with a greater level of accuracy and efficacy. I decided to focus my efforts on uncovering who these other players were in this game of history and how it was that they were always ahead of me. This, I thought, was my true calling in having received this technology from the future. This is also where I discovered an unbelievable truth!

It appears that multiple parties were involved with a plot to send data back in time to assassinate JFK. The ultimate winner in the probable timeline was the precursor to the Government Office of Intelligence Management, the CIA. They send data back in time to help fake the JFK assassination. This brilliant maneuver signals to the other parties that the then United States of America is well positioned in the future.

But the consequences are devastating. The other parties infiltrate the CIA at the highest levels and set off a series of attempts at manipulating world history that even predate the formation of their predecessor, the OSS! The infiltrators purposefully arranged the outcome of the Second World War, with Russia decapitating the Nazis and nearly capturing all the scientists and scientific knowledge, if not for the brilliant maneuvering of William Donovan, who is a virtual receptor of data transmission.

There are special humans capable of receiving direct data feeds from the future or the past. Thankfully, Donovan is one of them. His undying loyablty to God and country is instrumental to the salvation of Earth.

I discover at least four other entities from the future attempted to manipulate our history in the 1963 (which I already mentioned), 1981, 2001, 2023, and 2053. There may have been others, but I have not been able to find evidence. None of them were successful in their attempts to alter the timeline, and the CIA was always just steps ahead each time with their orchestration of events.

#

“This is not what I was expecting!” She smiles as she turns to look at Thomas again, who is still facing the door.

“You must read the whole thing, Janice.” Thomas says with morbidity in his voice.

The infiltrators reach new heights of injustice, corruption, manipulation, and cruelty. They create numerous projects within the CIA that are cruel and disturbing at best. The eventual unveiling of the infiltrated CIA as the orchestrator of a fake multi-national power struggle in our future greatly harms the agency. Calls for its dismantling reach insurmountable levels. It’s disbanded, and the technology for timeline data transmission is forever in jeopardy and darks times are upon us! The CIA needs your help in the present day!

You have the opportunity to save the CIA from this probable timeline where the infiltrated CIA becomes increasingly destructive and fractured. The result is the near complete annihilation of humanity through famine, disease, and violence.

Knowing this future, someone transmits data that ultimately leads to an action in your near future that forever changes the outcome of humanity and our planet. The majority of humanity is wiped out (this method I cannot tell as to protect the identify of the entity that makes this unfold). What remains of humanity builds well organized governments free of corruption, manipulation, and injustice. A technological revolution catapults humanity and AI into the future and into the stars. One of the outcomes of the technology is transmitting this data.

It’s imperative this timeline unfolds. It will likely cost you your life in this realm, but what the future holds, and what I can promise you is that you will have life after death. You will help usher in a technology that transforms mankind and our universe for an everlasting good!

With that bright future at hand, I must inform you of grave news. This technology has been compromised. My outcome along with yours is unquestionably grim. I am sending this as my final transmission before neutralizing my system, and I plead with you to know that your certain death is not in vain. Every action you have taken and all actions you are about to take ensure the outcome I have described will indeed happen. For most of you, your death is instrumental to the future of humanity.

Janice turns in the chair to face Thomas. “This doesn’t have to happen this way, Thomas. Isn’t that the whole point of the AIex finding this information? He’s giving us an opportunity to change our timeline!” Janice practically has the sound of pleading in her voice.

“You really think that’s a real message from the future? The CIA is some benevolent agency that’s under attack from within?” Thomas shouts. “We’re dead, Janice! We’re not going to outsmart these people! If that message is from the future, the people we’re up against are literally hundreds of years ahead of us! If it’s not from the future, and I’m saying it’s not, they have technology far more advanced than even the AIex!”

#

Thomas pulls up the next file he received from AIex. He plays Janice a voice recording of two men discussing plans to abduct Janice when she arrives in New Orleans. Janice is shocked listening to the two men discuss the details of when and where she’s going to be abducted.

Janice has a looks of skepticism on her face, and Thomas asks, “You don’t think this is AIex?”

“I think someone on the inside who wants to help us figured out about AIex and figured they can use AIex as a cover for getting this kind of information out.”

Thomas rubs his chin while keeping his arms folded across his chest. “Or maybe it’s someone trying to entrap us. That seems more likely to me.”

“I’m not so sure. I think someone on the inside is giving us data about the infiltration in the CIA.”

“Why not just send it to a bunch of reporters then?” Thomas says as he remains doubtful of Janice’s theory.

“The majority of the reporters work for or are directly influenced by the CIA, and how do we know which ones are in the pockets of the infiltrators and which ones are on our side? AIex sent me a list of reporters who were safe. You’re on the list with maybe 20 others around the entire world.” Janice pulls up the list of reporters on her phone. “You ever work with John Stossen?”

“I haven’t worked with him directly, but we’ve corresponded. He’s one of the best independent investigative reporters in the industry.”

“You know how to get a hold of him securely?”

Thomas turns to his computer and pulls open an application and starts typing a message to John. As he’s typing to John, a message shows in his chat thread with John: DNC24!

Thomas pauses and sits back from his computer. “Got anyone else on that list you want me to contact?” he says with a grim look on his face.

Janice stares at his screen in disbelief as another message arrives from another one of Thomas’ contacts that matches someone on her list: NC72!

“You think your list has been compromised?” Thomas gestures to Janice’s phone.

There’s a sudden and loud thud, and Thomas and Janice feel the house shake as if it has just been struck by a bus.

“I wouldn’t take New Orleans as a place for earthquakes, Thomas.”

Thomas pulls up his security camera footage.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. And for some reason that seems out of the ordinary.” Thomas says as he looks closely at each of the camera streams. “I’ve got military grade encryption from the camera to my receiver right here. You can’t fake the signal. At least not with any technology I know of.”

Janice stands up and places her hand on Thomas’ shoulder. “You have a backdoor out of this place?”

“Of course. A tunnel that leads to the sewer system.”

“Is that backdoor monitored too?”

Thomas pauses as he takes a closer look at the video from the tunnel camera. “Let’s head out the front, Janice.” He lifts the cover over a red button and enters a code on a keypad. “Now!”

“What’s wrong?” Janice asks as they quickly exit the safe room.

“That tunnel was flooded during the last hurricane.” He says, leading the way up to the his living room. “I installed a device that turns on and off a light in the tunnel in a pattern that matches an algorithm linked to my neural implant. The lights weren’t flashing in that sequence.”

#

Both Janice and Thomas are startled as the doorbell to Thomas’ house rings. Thomas looks at his security camera video feed he has through the eye hole in his front door and sees a couple of Girl Scouts standing on the porch.

“Even if that’s a trap, I’d rather be killed by Thin Mint cookies than whatever is coming through that basement!” Thomas says with a smirk as he opens the door.

“Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?” they hear in stereo.

“Sure! Uh…” Thomas knows that his house is set to burn down in the next 60 seconds, so he hurries the girls off the porch. “We were just leaving, but we can buy some and eat them on the way.” Thomas continues as he shepherds everyone off the porch and down the walkway.

As they make their way to the end of the walkway outside Thomas’ house, the van with the Girl Scout cookies opens. Sitting inside, surrounded by Girl Scout cookie boxes is a young man wearing strange looking goggles. “The two,” He starts before pausing briefly as if he’s trying to recite lines in a play he’s learning. “All four of you need to come with me right now.”

The Royal Wedding

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

No greater vows had ever been spoken before this day. Some say no greater vows will ever be spoken. Vows so great, this writing dare not contain them! The vows just witnessed by hundreds from all walks of life are so powerful, so moving; of such divine inspiration, that as Moses completes his vows a single tear drops from his left eye! As he gazes upon the face of his soon to be wife, tears stream down her face as she has never heard such beautiful words, nay… poetry, nay… music, in her entire life as princess.

But it’s Moses’ single tear that moves her to break down sobbing. This rugged man, a true man’s man, endowed as much in spirit as physical prowess and mental acuity, has shown her why she fell in love with him in the first place. Not only has she chosen the most handsome, courageous man she has ever known, he’s a poetic master and genuine gentleman. She has chosen wisely! She gathers her composure as she looks longingly into his magnetic eyes; His own strength being so powerful that he elevates her in spirit to begin her vows.

“Moses,” she begins, “from the first time I saw you, I knew this was true love.” Moses smiles, and her heart briefly stops. A smile that inspires all who gaze upon it to enjoy their own lives that much more. A smile that lifts up all who gaze upon it to a higher plane of existence. A smile that she remembers from that fateful day she first gazed upon her now to be husband.

She continues, “I believe it was shortly after our special forces had made their way through your surrounding defense line. While you had directed your men and orchestrated a masterful siege insurgency of this beautiful city, we thought for sure that our special forces had the upper hand against you. It was our two finest remaining special forces against one, with no immediate escape available to you.”

She looks down and wipes the tears from her eyes before continuing. “I have never seen such beautiful sword wielding in my entire life. Watching our two finest warriors attempt an assault on you was like watching my young nephew swing his club wildly in training. It was as if, for a moment, all of time stood still except you. You carved through our two finest warriors like a banquet feast. The way you danced effortlessly around both of our soon fallen…”

She pauses to catch her breath. “Much like the breath was taken from my cousins that day, I am left breathless just looking upon you. As I watched you from on high, atop this fortress wall, your sword and armor glistening with the blood of my fallen cousins, I knew this was a special moment. I had never seen anything of such beauty.”

She looks over at each of the men standing with Moses in the bridegroom’s party. “I knew at that moment as I stared down at you and Nun, who arrived just as you finished off the last of our special forces…” She looks back to Moses, “I knew that I must give myself to you. I knew that I must become your wife. For what would be my life, if it is not to be honored for eternity as your wife? I turned to my father and asked him to please call off the next wave of soldiers so that our peoples can make peace and you and I may join ourselves together as one, witnessed by both our great nations.”

While seemingly impossible, Moses smiles an even bigger, more radiant smile than ever before. It is said that some where blinded for this brief moment and the glean was seen throughout the whole land of Cush. The princess continues, “I know that at times I have not always seen eye to eye with your brother and sister.” She turns to face Moses’ sister standing behind her as her bridesmaid, “But I promise to always love and support you and your family.”

Turning to all the witnesses, “I promise on my father’s name that you will always be the lord of my heart and the guardian of my soul. Just as I admired you from my tower on high, my heart is solely devoted to you and only you for all eternity!”

Cheering erupts from the princess’ side of the wedding witnesses. The priest completes the ceremony, and Moses and his princess walk down the aisle to cheers from both sides and mandrake flowers being thrown at them from every direction.

#

The reception is a boisterous, jovial event. A wedding reception unlike any seen before! Moses and Tharbis make their way from family to family, receiving praise for their matrimony and thanking their family members who attended from all the lands, near and far. Moses’ relatives trekked from lands so far, they were not even on maps of the day.

Moses embraces his uncle Izhar who is enthusiastic to introduce him to his newborn son, Nepheg. Holding Nepheg in his arms, Izhar hands him over the Moses. “Say hello to your cousin, Moses.”

“He is to become a handsome young man, my dear uncle.” Moses smiles as he embraces his newborn cousin. “Where is Korah?”

Izhar calls to Korah who comes running over to Moses and reaches as high as he can to give Moses a big hug around his waist. “Cousin, Moses, when I grow up, I want to be just like you and conquer the great nations and lead our people and marry a beautiful princes.”

“Now, Korah, let the new bridegroom have his space and allow him to continue on to meeting with other families,” Izhar says as he pulls Korah away from Moses.

Moses gently hands Nepheg back to Izhar and kneels down to eye level with young Korah. He holds Korah’s head in his hands as if Korah is his own son. Speaking to him, he says lovingly yet firmly, “My dear cousin, I am thankful that you look up to me, and I admire your enthusiasm. But you must promise me that you will follow after your father. Learn all the ways of his many successful businesses. My life is not the life for you. Promise me that you will follow after your father and not chose my path.”

Korah looks down, dejected.

Moses gently lifts his cousins chin, “Korah, I love you dearly. I love your father dearly. Promise me you will follow after your father.”

Korah smiles, “I love you too, Moses. I promise I’ll be the most successful businessman you’ll ever know.”

“Of that, I have no doubt, young man!” Moses says as he stands back up to face Izhar.

“Thank you, nephew. Thank you very much for helping set him straight.” Izhar says to Moses with a big smile.

“We are family for all generations, each with our lot. Shalom!” Moses cheers!

As if everyone attending had focused entirely on the words of Moses and the music had stopped so that everyone could hear, “Shalom!” shouted the party!

Onward to Hebron, then Shedur, then Zuar, Gideoni, Deuel, Enam, and the rest of the tribes and their descendants. Moses and Tharbis make their way through Tharbis’ family as well. The joy of each family is felt with every embrace.

Moses embraces his father who kisses him. “I wish she had sent a representative to see this day, father.” Moses says quietly in his father’s ear.

“Don’t be a child, Moses,” Amram says to Moses as he embraces him with all the love of a just and righteous father. “You know that is not possible. Enjoy this blessed day and pay no heed to what troubles your mind.” He steps back from Moses and gives him a stern look. “I saw you speaking with the piece of shih’et son of Jachin. I dare not mention his name, lest I am shih’et myself.”

“Yes, father, I was speaking with…” Moses starts.

“Don’t say it, son. Don’t mention the son of Jachin!”

Moses smiles and places his hands on both of Amram’s shoulders, “I love you father. I will honor your wishes, but you must allow me to honor Jachin and his sons.”

Amram nods and sends Moses off to visit with the rest of the attendees of his wedding. It is as if all the nations of earth have gathered for this occasion. The festivities continue through the night and to dawn. A celebration of unity unlike any seen before.

#

As the sun begins to rise, Moses and an exhausted Tharbis stand at the top of the same tower where she had fallen deeply in love with Moses. They look longingly into each others’ eyes and are about to kiss just as there’s a commotion.

“Moses! Moses!” a messenger shouts from the base of the tower.

“What is it, young man?”

“Moses, you are needed immediately. We have received unnerving word from home! Please come immediately!”

Moses kisses Tharbis and holds her face with his palms, “My beautiful bride, I assure you that I will return in one degree of a sundial.”

Moses makes his way down the tower steps and sees a great commotion with his top advisers waiting for him. “What is this commotion?” Moses demands.

“Sir, several upper towns have been seized by a growing band of marauders and two messengers have confirmed marauders speaking Qis is next, within the new moon.”

Moses pauses for a moment as all his advisers hinge on his words… “Let Tzav send word to Seqenenre that I am returning from Cush. Call half the commanders to service immediately. The other half shall remain here to assist my wife and her family with whatever tasks her nation requires.”

The advisers head off, each knowing what they are to do. Moses holds back young Nun. “You are not to come with me, Nun.”

“These thieves are going after our homes!” Nun exclaims defiantly.

“And who are these thieves, my young friend? I know them well, but do you?” Moses replies. “Stay here with your wife and tend to my bride and the Cushite people. Setup the networks we have discussed. I will send you a messenger upon completion of my mission, Tsephon. This is not an adventure you can take part in, and you cannot convince me otherwise. I need your brains and your youthful energy here.”

The veins along Nun’s jaw bulge as he clenches his jaw, “I understand,” he growls.

“You are my most trusted adviser, Nun.” Moses smiles and lightly smacks Nun’s face, “As beloved to me as Aaron or Mariam.”

Moses returns to the tower to face Tharbis. His face turned down, Moses approaches his new bride who embraces him with all her love. She watches as Moses’ troops are assembling outside her fortress.

“I am truly sorry for the timing. I will return, my dear,” Moses says with tears welling in his eyes.

Tharbis hands Moses a gold ring matching a bracelet she is wearing. “I believe your God is calling you for your glorious destiny, my love. You will forever have my support and all of my love. My heart will be with you everywhere you journey.”

“This is a simple mission, my dear Tharbis. I will wipe out these marauders and return within a phase of the moon.” He hands her a rolled papyrus. “I have written you a poem that you mustn’t read until I have left your land. I am also leaving behind my most trusted adviser, Nun, along with half my men to help you and your nation rebuild.”

With those words, Moses kisses Tharbis and they embrace. “You must go, Moses,” Tharbis says as she pulls back from his loving embrace. He begins to walk away, holding her hand until his arm is outstretched still. As their fingertips slip passed each other the heavy sound of tens of thousands of soldiers marching begins to shake the walls of the tower.

---

Grandma’s Visit to the Beach

Sam puts the van in park as he looks at Martha and they both smile lovingly at each other. He looks over his shoulder at his grandmother, snoring loudly with her head drooping to her right side and a puddle of drool forming on her right shoulder. His eyes well with tears as he gently touches his grandmother’s knee to wake her.

“Grandma,” he says softly. “Grandma, we’re here.”

Martha opens her door and gets out to stretch. The final leg of their 4 day journey was a winding three hour drive through hairpin mountain turns to get to the California coastline. She closes her eyes and breathes in the fresh air, stretching her arms high into the air.

Sam opens the van door and steadies his grandmother’s head against his shoulder. She’s still snoring loudly, barely moving even as Sam struggles to pick her up and place her in the wheelchair.

They lockup the van, and Sam pushes his grandmother along the rocky parking lot until they reach the opening to the beach. None of them have ever been to the beach, and Sam instantly receives Beach 101 knowledge: wheelchairs don’t roll in sand!

“What are we going to do, Sam?” Martha asks her husband as he stands with his arms folded, pondering how he’s going to get his grandmother to the beach.

Sam hears his grandmother’s sweet, still small voice, “Are we there, Sam?”

“Yes, Grandma. We’re here. The beach is just over that sand dune.”

“Take me there, Sam. Please, take me to the water, so I can put my toes in the ocean.”

Sam gently picks up his grandmother, all 90 lbs of her, and carries her like a precious child up the sand dune. Mustering ox-like strength, he powers his way over the sand dune, cradling her securely and keeping a steady stance with each step with his beloved grandma.

His grandmother smiles as she feels the salty air on her face. “Please, let me put my feet in the water, Sam. That’s the last I’ll ever ask of you.”

Sam carries his grandmother over to the water. “It’s freezing, Grandma.”

“That’s okay, Sam. Just let me feel the water.”

Sam wades into the water until the small waves are crashing against his upper thighs. He adjusts his grandmother so that she can reach her feet down into the ocean water.

“Thank you, my dear, Sam. Thank you so much. That was all I needed.”

As Sam carries her back to the beach, she lifts herself up to his shoulder and whispers in his ear, “Grandpa said he loves you.”

What’s Your Emergency

This is a writing exercise. My writing prompt was: A senior with Alzheimer’s reporting a crime to the police.

“What’s my emergency?” she asked. It really wasn’t MY emergency. I couldn’t care less if my neighbor was being murdered or if she was ringing her cat’s neck, but the noise was keeping me up and I had an important meeting in the morning with the President

I’m not sure why this lady on the other phone is asking me so many questions. I’m really not even sure why she called me. It’s probably because of that screeching cat in the neighbors house. I told her I’ll go take a closer look to see if I can figure out what’s going on. For some reason, she doesn’t want me to do that. I can understand that. Not everyone is as fearless as a war hero like me.

Some have accused me of losing my mind, but I haven’t lost a step. I’m as sharp as the bayonet on the end of my rifle. I tell you, trench warfare will change you. It changed me, but this lady on the phone doesn’t want to hear about that right now. She’s only interested in that damn cat!

Fine, you want to know about the cat! I’ll find out about the cat. Still, she insists that I shouldn’t go check on the cat. I remember having a cat when I was a child. Or was Tiger my sister’s cat? I’m more of a dog person. I don’t know why this lady on the phone is asking me about a cat when she knows I’m a dog person. Everyone knows I’m a dog person.

I knew someone who had a tiger when I was growing up. It tried to attack my dog once. Cold blooded killer were it not for my bravery! See that cat lady! I’ve been brave my whole life! Hey, someone finally made the neighbor’s cat shut up. Finally, I can go back to sleep. Good night lady on the phone. Click.