A sea breeze harmony

The eye blinks, and then explodes.

The companions to my children disappear. A shower of sparks rains down on our heads.

Amidst the laughter and exuberance, Ariana shouts: "You did it, Daddy, you did it!"

She runs to me, laughing, and jumps into my arms. I catch her and we embrace, sharing a private, immense gratitude.

She kisses my cheek fervently and whispers in my ear: "I love you, Daddy."

With all my love, I embrace her more completely.

I watch my sons gather around Christina, and as we approach them, they meet us halfway.

We stand together in grasses that swish in harmony with the sea breeze.

In the eye of eternity

In less than a second, the colorful sphere, with a pattern like no other, collapses into a frozen, unblinking eye.

Time stops.

I cannot move ... no one can move.

I observe the frozen looks of astonishment on the faces of my children and their companions. I observe the frozen smile of Christina, who looks straight at me, her face a picture of serenity. I observe the frozen wings of the fairy-tale princess.

The timeless void suspends even private exchanges of thought and feeling.

Our silence is complete.

My silence is complete: I am a pure witness.

Looking through the eye of eternity, I ponder my place, my presence, my promise, my purpose, my progress.

I think about my place in the world, in a world where I can allow myself to be, have, do, or become whatever I will or desire.

I contemplate my presence in a world divided, where nothing is ever what it seems and where everything is exactly as it seems.

I recall my promise to serve those who would keep alive the essence of humanity before I consider my purpose in a future without this essence.

I ponder my progress as a caretaker on a path that would take away what remains of our humanity with relentless advances in technology.

And then I remember those who had chosen to die long ago as their technology overtook their humanity, perpetuating their memories by digital means but relinquishing their own subjective sense of continuity in the process.

From the solitary depths

I feel at an impasse. I am at an impasse. Everyone around me is still, silent, expectant.

The sphere is mirage-like, without colors or patterns, distorting the light coming through from behind it.

I might pull my hands away and let the sphere contract, but that would admit defeat.

I might grow virtually with the sphere, but that could go on forever, with nothing attained and nothing resolved.

I might have others join me and have them apply their hands, but this is my challenge, to be faced alone.

The expectant hush of those around me intensifies my feeling of being alone.

I realize, from the depths of my feeling, that this is a game that poses a mental, not a physical, challenge. I realize, from the expectant hush and with absolute certainty, that my expectation of growth, coupled with my intention to have a certain outcome, has nullified my power to manifest my desired result.

Looking and smiling at everyone in turn, I release both my intention and my expectation.

In a single moment everlasting, I catch a glimpse of the pattern, a magnificent pattern like no other I have ever seen.

With only seconds to spare, I withdraw my hands from the surface of the sphere.

On the edge of control

When I pull the palms of my hands away from the surface of the sphere, the sphere contracts, prompting me to apply my hands, and when I push the palms of my hands towards the surface of the sphere, it expands, prompting me to withdraw my hands.

At a certain radius, the sphere will produce a finely crafted and checkered pattern of colors, where no one color is the same as any other, but I do not know how large the sphere must be before I can pull my hands away and achieve the desired effect, and with only seconds to spare.

A checkered pattern of colors appears, and I pull my hands away, but I look and see that the pattern is not one of a kind.

I apply my hands again.

"Come on, Daddy, you can do it!"

A brisk virtual breeze blows, moving the sphere slightly away from my hands. I adjust the position of my hands.

Out of the corners of my eyes, I can see my children and their companions dance around me, chanting words of encouragement, and when I glance at Christina across from me, she smiles and waves, but says nothing, neither publicly nor privately.

I relax into the witness posture, becoming expert at modulating the enlargement of the sphere while taking distractions in stride and watching patterns of color appear and disappear on the surface of the sphere.

The sphere grows until it becomes too large for me to apply my hands for more growth.

The sphere grows until it can grow no more.

When faces appear and disappear

Smiling, I approach the sphere.

The size of a terrestrial globe ball, the sphere pulsates, bobbing level with my chest. A play of color flashes through and around its surface, but I can also catch glimpses of swirling patches of color inside of it.

As I draw near, I cup it from below with my hands, without touching, and it begins to expand.

My daughter, Ariana, squeals. "Not too much, Daddy, not too much!"

I laugh and pull away my hands. The sphere contracts. I move my hands close again, but only close enough to maintain some semblance of equilibrium with the circumference, and carefully observe the surface of the pulsating sphere for patterns of color.

My hands oscillate minutely around the expanding and contracting sphere, looking for that one optimal circumference that would allow me to detect that one prized pattern of color. When I see it, I will act decisively.

"Bigger, bigger, bigger!" I laugh at the chorus of voices rising up around me.

Bigger, yes, but not too much bigger. I am careful to modulate the sphere's expansion and contraction with fine-grained adjustments.

As expected, faces begin to appear and disappear inside the sphere as it expands, distracting my attention. Many of the faces are benign; some are not.

The faces in the sphere manifest and reflect my current moods, feelings, emotions, and intentions, both conscious and not so conscious. For just a moment, I am tempted to use my laser-like focus to close off the shouts of encouragement and the peals of laughter.

Instead, I laugh, buoyed by the love and joy that flows all around me.

A game called Omega Surprise

Four children appear, as if from nowhere.

"Surprise!"

I look more closely. I turn to Christina and smile with delight.

We stand on a knoll by the sea, in wind-swept grass, under a clear indigo sky. Our children, wearing elaborate costumes, wave at us vigorously.

Their constant companions suddenly appear beside them.

A she-wolf, sporting an idiotic grin, puts her arm around my youngest son; a fairy-tale princess, standing on the shoulder of my only daughter, throws sparkles to the wind; a friendly ogre, looming large behind my eldest son, spreads his arms wide as a greeting; and a strange little creature, the size of a small child and having no recognizable features, dances gracefully in front of my artistically inclined son.

"Time for some fun, Daddy!," my daughter shrieks. The fairy-tale princess runs circles around her head.

"Yes, father, it's time for a game called Omega Surprise," says the strange little creature, mimicking the voice of my son.

Omega Surprise.

I draw Christina close and pinch her playfully. She knows of my eschatological interests, and I am pleased.

This is her doing.

In private, she relays to me the rules of the game.

And then, my daughter, raising her hands palms up, produces a sphere.

For a new kind of world?

As the speech draws to a close, a state of high alert in my fellow listeners gives way to a collective sigh of relief.

After the speech, I contact my colleagues, and in a brief four-way conference, we agree to meet later inside the community that Keeps Abreast of Changes in the Free Zone to discuss our options in light of the speech. We would monitor reactions in the Free Zone to the speech from there.

As Christina and I leave the Theater of Delights, I ponder the motive behind the proposal. Could it be that we face an existential threat that only those on the cutting edge of growth and change could know about so as to avoid widespread panic?

Or could it be that the security measures were for the benefit of those on the cutting edge because we all faced preparations for a new kind of world?

Questions about motive would have to wait, however, because as Christina runs her hand around my waist, she stops me outside the theater. "I'm in the mood to have some fun, Christopher."

I laugh easily. "I'm with you, Christina. Lead the way."

We are not ready, just yet, to leave the world that is Creative Beyond Belief.

The substance of a speech

It is clear to my fellow listeners that the fate of Earth is a much broader issue than the fate of the Pleasure Zone.

"The proposal in question would have those on the cutting edge of growth and change excavate the moon, Mars, and the asteroids for essential minerals to build a new home for the Pleasure Zone and place it in a geostationary orbit around Earth."

Those on the cutting edge of growth and change are the most advanced BioSynthetics working with the most advanced Synthetics. Most of them had left the solar system centuries ago, but for reasons not yet clear to me, my colleagues, or the Council, they had begun to return.

The Leader is careful not to mention the dangers and difficulties of transporting more than ten billion souls inside the Pleasure Zone into a geosynchronous orbit, and careful not to mention that a significant source of entertainment for those in the Free Zone would be less accessible.

"The project in question would have those on the cutting edge of growth and change clear the necessary space on earth to build a base of operations. The stated purpose of this base is to enhance the security of Earth, and involves the creation of a force field around the Globe of Influence."

The Globe of Influence would include the Pleasure Zone in a geostationary orbit. The mind boggles at the ingenuity and resources required to create a force field that protects the Globe of Influence. The Leader is careful to give the stated purpose of the base, leaving open speculation about its real purpose.

"Those on the cutting edge of growth and change maintain that the course of this project would move too quickly for consultations with Council if course corrections were required. The Council, however, is not yet satisfied that this suggestion is in the best interests of the Solar Federation of Planets."

A shrewd move on the part of Council. Hedging on this one suggestion throws the entire proposal into question. At the very least, it would give us all time to think more clearly and carefully about the consequences of this most radical proposal.

A message sent far and wide

The face of a great leader looms large in the expanse above.

From previous discussions with colleagues, I have only intimations of the message to come.

A silky smooth face, through eyes that sparkle, smiles serenely. "Citizens of the Solar Federation of Planets, it is my privilege to broadcast this message far and wide across the solar system and beyond."

The voice pauses for effect.

"A serious matter of an urgent nature requires resolution."

Again, the voice pauses for effect.

"The matter in question concerns the fate of Earth, our sacred home, and its inhabitants. Beyond Earth, unrelenting pressures to grow and expand bring calls for fundamental change in the relationship between Earth and its neighbors. Accusations of complacency on Earth have been raised."

Again, the voice pauses for effect.

"In particular, accusations have been raised by those on the cutting edge of growth and change against those who resist said growth and change."

Again, the voice pauses for effect. So far, I've heard nothing I haven't heard before.

"A proposal with serious repercussions for the inhabitants of Earth now stands before the Council, with the following suggestions: one, that the Pleasure Zone be moved off-world into orbit around Earth; two, that the earth be used as a base of operations for a certain project, details of which will become available after this broadcast; and three, that the project be undertaken in a manner that is independent of the Council."

In the pause that follows, I feel a wave of agitation run through my fellow listeners as they await an outline of the project in question.

Through silence, in retrospect

Christina and I join hands.

Inwardly and outwardly, everyone in the theater settles into deep silence, a silence born of awe buttressed by wonder.

I expected to observe the quality and vitality of character of those who made their home in the community that Knows No Bounds, but instead, I was a witness to a performance like no other.

A performance whose function was a summary and whose substance was a story.

A performance whose essence is the evolution of culture from conscious intent in relation to nature.

A performance whose levels of integration and sophistication were well beyond the intelligence of its inhabitants.

I realize, in the silence that surrounds us, that the performance is a service to prepare us for the address.

In the depths of our silence, the Leader of the Council appears in the space above us.

A performance like no other

The units blend, one by one. By virtue of a deeper, larger, higher intelligence, hundreds of group minds become dozens of group minds. Our virtual bodies blend, and before long, we are one, in both mind and body.

We see nothing. We feel nothing. We hear nothing.

The void and the silence are absolute. Our perception of nothing is pure, made evident only by a presence that is us.

We gasp, in remembrance of our corporeality, full of awe, astonished beyond belief. At the moment of primal creation, we gasp because we blend with the moment and the movement that is the creation of a universe.

A universe that manifests our deeper, larger, higher intelligence, of which we were all once a part.

The events of this universe, from the moment of creation to the present moment, work and play themselves out on a sequential, evolutionary, developmental timeline, moving apart and coming together like a giant jigsaw puzzle, resolving myriad mysteries in the face of myriad masteries.

It all happens so fast, and yet, our intelligence is more than sufficient to assimilate its truth, its wisdom, its beauty.

The performance exhausts itself. We now know who we are, what we are, and why we are.

The intelligence releases us. We become individual.

We settle into our seats and wait.

In a matter of seconds

"Michael, your assistance has been invaluable."

"Thank you, Mr. Visionquest. Always a pleasure to serve you."

"Good-bye, my friend. Until next time."

"Until next time, Mr. Visionquest."

Michael bows out and disappears in a blink of the eye.

I summon Christina, from the Gardens of Ascension, to the Theater of Delights. In a matter of seconds, Christina takes the place of Michael and adjusts her manner of dress for the occasion at hand. I run my fingertips under her hair, around her neck.

"Hello, my love." She looks up at me, smiling with her eyes, and presses her virtual body into mine.

"Hello, Christopher." Her greeting runs like a silky caress through my mind, tempting me with the pleasure of making love to her in public.

Our group mind accommodates itself quickly to the arrival and presence of Christina.

We enter the theater as a unit, one among many hundreds of other units.

Into a theater of the mind

We follow a stream of virtuals into a theater.

The theater looks very much like a planetarium, but already, I sense that this is not a place for viewing planets and stars. The virtuals are dressed casually but smartly. Michael and I adjust our virtual dress to match. As we approach the theater, I observe the inflow at one of the entrances.

At one entrance, a woman greets us, giving us the customary greeting. "Welcome."

Her feeling and greeting are warm and intimate. I bring my fingertips to my temples and touch them with sacred intent, bowing my head forward slightly.

Inside the entrance, streams of virtuals congregate inside a foyer. Some of us send telepathic signals expressing a desire for interaction, while others wait to pick them up.

I send a signal, and in less than a second, a couple nearby looks in our direction and approaches us.

An exquisitely dressed couple of indeterminate gender greets us warmly.

"Your signal is highly advanced," one of them remarks.

I smile. "It takes one to know one. Have you been away from the Free Zone for long?"

"We just arrived."

The other one comments: "we're as much in the dark about the popularity of this event as you are."

"Which I suppose only adds to the element of surprise," I rejoin gamely.

I send another signal. Another couple approaches. All six of us exchange pleasantries, and we realize we're all recent visitors from the Free Zone, with nothing to add to the question in mind.

I send another more qualified signal. A slight delay ensues before another couple approaches. The eight of us establish a group mind as a matter of course. No exchange of pleasantries is necessary. We quickly establish the reason for the popularity of this event.

After the event proper - a performance from the world that Knows No Bounds - the Leader of the Council is scheduled to address the fate of the Pleasure Zone.

To the limits of my imagination

I create a world in a world that is creative beyond belief.

I populate my world with exotic birds and animals, plants and insects. I craft peaks and vales from undulating landscapes under multi-colored skies. I turn breezes into winds that blow one way and then another. I speed the arrival of sunsets and sunrises as I watch the rise and fall of sun and moon.

Here, there is nothing I cannot do within the limits of my imagination.

"Michael, it is time for us to go one level deeper into this world."

"To allow ourselves the opportunity to interact with those whose intentions are wholly benign."

"Yes."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest."

The scene shifts. No longer do we have the power to create on a whim. The scene is now set to enable social interaction.

Social interaction of the sublime variety.

A perfect match for my mood

Awestruck, I watch a vivid, complex scene of natural beauty, utterly sublime in its effects on my senses, blossom like a flower, coming into full bloom on the edge of eternity.

"Mr. Visionquest?"

On the edges of this scenic splendor lie hints of possibilities unknown, lending a sudden and inexplicable air to all that is strange and mysterious.

"Mr. Visionquest?"

Without taking my eyes off the scene before me, I raise my hand and touch my companion's shoulder. "Michael, I must confess: I have never seen anything like this. It’s a perfect match for my mood."

My companion says nothing, does nothing, knowing that no words or actions are necessary.

For the moment, I am content just to be.

The Moment of Temptation

Suddenly, the world is quiet.

The vibrations stop. The sounds fade into silence. A blue expanse of sky saturates my field of vision.

Having no frame of reference, I cannot tell whether we move.

"Michael, please explain."

"Mr. Visionquest, this is the Moment of Temptation."

The Moment of Temptation. Of course. The blue expanse is a canvas for the imagination. What I intend is what I get. I could see, hear, smell, taste, or touch anything I wanted. I could think, feel, say, or do anything I wished. I could be, have, or become my heart's desire.

"Michael, this is extraordinary."

"Yes, Mr. Visionquest, I believe that would be an accurate description of what you presently face."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Michael, but if I refuse to be tempted, then nothing will happen."

"Not knowing the full parameters of this situation, I cannot answer your question, Mr. Visionquest."

"And if I succumb to temptation, then I will be compelled to participate."

"That would certainly be the case, Mr. Visionquest."

"Fascinating." I have no intention of yielding to temptation and I have no intention of participating. "Michael, please take us to the community that is Creative Beyond Belief."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest, but were you not here to observe?"

"Yes, Michael, but not here. Take us to the community that is Creative Beyond Belief. If I'm not mistaken, we can access the community that Knows No Bounds from there."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest." Michael pauses, and then asks: "with or without the bubble?"

I smile in spite of myself. "Without, Michael."

In a world that is creative beyond belief, I knew that my safety would be assured.

Letting go and letting be

Less protection means less control. Less control translates into less control over stimuli.

The rush of color, flashing and streaking around the Bubble, increases gradually. More objects, faces, and bodies appear and disappear, and do so faster, with greater frequency. A faint hum arises, growing louder by the second, resolving itself into myriad sounds.

The Bubble begins to vibrate, increasing its rate of vibration with more and more exposure to the chaos.

"Michael, please hold this level of protection."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest, but I fail to understand the significance of your request for less protection. Perhaps if you tell me what it is you seek, I could assist you more fully."

I close my eyes to soak up the incoming stimuli, allowing them to invigorate my mind with their energy. "Michael, I appreciate your concern, but I wish to observe, as fully as possible, and not just with the sense of sight, the various stimuli that saturate this world that knows no bounds."

"Mr. Visionquest, would you care to establish a link so that I might observe and monitor your state of mind in response to said stimuli?"

"Yes, Michael, but only when I say so. I wish to approach the threshold at which I feel compelled to participate in the community that Knows No Bounds, on my own, without your assistance."

"I understand, Mr. Visionquest. And with your permission, you would have me establish a link so as to gradually increase the level of protection at the moment you feel compelled to participate."

"Yes, Michael. Or more precisely, at the moment I begin to lose my mind."

In the throes of ecstasy

The world is in chaos.

A rush of colors flash and streak around the Bubble as diverse objects appear and disappear. Faces in the throes of ecstasy appear out of nowhere and then fade into the background. Bodies in multiple scenes, all seeming to overlap, morph at breathtaking speeds.

It's business as usual in a world that knows no bounds.

"Are you comfortable, Mr. Visionquest?"

"Quite." The Bubble floats amidst the chaos, unaffected by the turbulence. "Tell me, Michael, what do you make of this world?"

"I have no opinion one way or the other, Mr. Visionquest."

"But surely it affects you in some way. Have you ever ventured into it?"

"Not at all, Mr. Visionquest. And yes, I have ventured into it."

"I see." I watch someone grow bigger until we lose all sight of detail.

"Mr. Visionquest, could I interest you in a less frenetic atmosphere?"

"Yes, Michael, but not at this moment. I would now have you lower the level of our protection continuously, in minute gradations."

On the edge of nowhere

"Ready, Mr. Visionquest."

"Thank you, Michael. As we enter the community that Knows No Bounds, I would have us placed inside an Observation Bubble."

"At which level of protection?"

"Full protection, please. My purpose is to observe."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest. We go when you say we go."

I have never been inside this community without full protection, but I did study it closely as a student. In many ways, it is similar to the community that is Creative Beyond Belief, but having the distinction of knowing no bounds, it is far more dangerous and unpredictable.

My overall purpose is to observe the quality and vitality of interaction between virtual participants, to gauge responses and reactions of virtual observers to this interaction, and to get a fine-tuned sense for what these communities have to offer to visitors from the Free Zone.

The most sophisticated communities in the Pleasure Zone provide the most entertainment value. They tend to be less violent, less predictable, and with greater quality of production and vitality of interaction. They tend to be more creative, and are constantly improving.

I have no idea what to expect.

"Go."

Inside the Pleasure Zone

The leaves above rustle in the breeze. Her kiss leaves a pleasant tingle on my lips.

I look up. Her eyes, half-closed, are moist with sex. Christina swings her head to my chest and snuggles. I close my eyes, encircle her with my arms, feeling grateful for the warmth of her love. When I wake, she is virtually gone.

I assume she has left our private virtual suite to visit the Gardens of Ascension, her favourite communal space, where she can be with other women of her kind to experience and enjoy the most divine states of mind imaginable.

Before the AeroGlider had docked, Christina and I had agreed to spend some time together before going our separate ways. After the AeroGlider had docked, we went immediately to our private chambers and surrendered ourselves - body, mind, heart, and soul - to our desired simulation.

Now that I am virtually alone, I am ready to observe. I summon Michael, my virtual guide, who is uniquely programmed to serve and protect my interests - the fastest, most intelligent, most advanced virtual agent of its kind.

"Mr. Visionquest, I am pleased to see you again. How might I assist you?"

"Thank you, Michael. I would visit three of the most sophisticated virtual communities in the Pleasure Zone, using all available criteria of excellence, in the following order, with the following classifications: one that Knows No Bounds, one ..."

"Mr. Visionquest, please forgive my interruption, but this request you make is most unusual for you. A community that Knows No Bounds would put you in danger of a mental breakdown."

"I am well aware of the risk, Michael. Thank you. Please allow me to continue."

"As you wish."

"Thank you, Michael. The following communities, please, using all available criteria of excellence, in the following order, with the following classifications: one that Knows No Bounds, one that is Creative Beyond Belief, and one that Keeps Abreast of Changes in the Free Zone."

"Thank you, Mr. Visionquest. With just over ten million virtual communities in the Pleasure Zone, your request will likely take at least several minutes to process."

"Please proceed, Michael."

"Processing."

A scape in stasis

Christina runs her fingertips across the nape of my neck.

"Let us enjoy this trip together."

The words enter my mind seductively, like a caress, but I detect a subtle plaint in her tone.

I rise from my seat and offer my hand. Joining hands, we walk to a window with a panoramic view of the Free Zone.

Putting my arm around her waist, I draw her close. "What do you see, Christina?"

She smiles equanimously, pressing her body into mine, whispering into my mind: "The Free Zone."

"Yes, but what do you see?"

I watch her scan the Free Zone. "I see beauty."

"Yes."

Her eyes settle on an impressive array of buildings. "I see order."

"Yes."

She pauses, realizing that I need a less obvious answer, and then looks me in the eyes. "I see a scape in stasis."

I give her a squeeze. "Exactly."

"And so ..."

"And so, how can such a place as this ..." I sweep my hand across the Free Zone. "... be free with no hint of growth?"

"The Free Zone is a sacred place."

"Yes, but ..."

"But what?"

I release my thought process.

Sensing the release, Christina regards me pensively. "We're going to the Pleasure Zone for more than just pleasure."

I reflect her gaze without thinking or saying a word.

Every conceivable pleasure

On my way to the Pleasure Zone, I think about its history. I think about its lack of freedom.

Many centuries ago, a powerful Council divided the land on Earth into two Zones: the Free Zone, where industrious, ambitious persons could realize their most lofty goals, and the Pleasure Zone, where anyone with even the slightest trace of humanity could gratify any conceivable pleasure.

Humanity had evolved to a place where this division seemed natural, but it was the Council who made it official.

In the beginning, inhabitants of the Pleasure Zone were free to enjoy, even indulge, their deepest, most cherished pleasures. Limited only by their imaginations, they were free to experience every conceivable pleasure in their own separate domains, from the most depraved to the most refined.

For them, it was one pleasure after another, with no respite from the pursuit, a constant pursuit that made them oblivious to effort of the painstaking variety, where they no longer cared to imagine living any life other than a life of pleasure. For them, life in the Free Zone was a colossal waste of time and effort.

Those in the Free Zone, the freedom lovers, however, knew better: the pleasure seekers could no longer keep up with advances made in the Free Zone.

Freedom lovers knew what the most advanced BioSynthetics in the Free Zone could achieve with the most advanced Synthetics. Ceilings of attainment had been reached in many areas of endeavor on Earth, drawing many aspirants into the environs of Earth, through the solar system, and beyond.

What the pleasure seekers didn't know now was that their habitat of pleasure had become an essential item of negotiation within the Council.

Dark clouds on the horizon

Like a statue, Christina sits in meditation in the living area, in a lotus position, wrapped in silence. When I brush her shoulder with my fingertips, she is already smiling, already aware of my presence.

I walk to the balcony and scan the Free Zone, a sprawling cityscape visible for hundreds of miles through my bioelectric eyes.

I think a thought: pay a visit to the Pleasure Zone. Christina stirs, sensing my intention.

With a wish, I summon the AeroGlider, and within moments, it hovers in front of the balcony. Moments later, Christina is by my side.

She takes my hand and I follow her through an opening in the balcony into the vehicle, and with another wish, I direct the AutoPilot to move through Sector Zero, which it does smoothly and swiftly, over and above the Free Zone, toward one of many entrances to the Pleasure Zone.

On this day, I am pleased by the sight of ominous clouds gathering on the horizon: a special treat from Weather Control, whose preference these days for sunny skies seems too persistent for my liking.

Perhaps someone at Weather Control has caught wind of the threat that faces the last vestiges of our humanity.

No time like the present

"C, this is serious," I say.

"I concur, V. The Pleasure Zone is in grave danger."

"We still have time, C," says S.

"This is true, S, but there is no time like the present to act decisively."

"C, I suggest we begin by finding common ground with certain members of the Council."

"I concur, S. Bearing in mind that finding common ground is necessary but not sufficient, any common ground that we do find with the Council can only help us in the long term. E, what can we do to facilitate this process of finding common ground?"

The conference spanned the entire morning. We plotted strategy, envisioned possibility, and prepared for the execution of our plans.

All in an effort to save the Pleasure Zone from almost certain extinction.

Today is a day of promise

Her touch is electric.

I turn to greet my companion. Her iridescent eyes never fail to captivate my gaze.

"Christina." I speak her name intimately, aloud, and slide my hands around her waist.

"Christopher, today is a day of promise."

For her, this is a unique expression, one I've never heard from her before, and she conveys it warmly, erotically, telepathically.

I reflect it back to her, in the privacy of our space, a virtual space reserved for feelings and desires: "Today is a day of promise."

I kiss her tender lips, and together, we rise on a pleasurable surge of warmth and gratitude.

I caress the rim of her jaw. "I would be alone, Christina."

In response, she applies a delicate touch to her temple, leaving me alone with my thoughts, and moves aside gracefully.

I go inside to my enclosure and call on my colleagues.

Yesterday, the Council made a move that threatens the peace and prosperity that is everywhere present.

In the Free Zone

As I walk through the living area of my luxurious suite, its interior warms ever so slightly, casting a muted yellow-orange hue. Everything I need, and everything I could possibly want, is literally at my fingertips. For now, from my balcony, I am content just to watch the sun rise.

In the Free Zone, the silence is pure, the ultimate in quiescence. All day, every day. For the remaining persons, like myself, who still carry some trace of the organic human, this silence might pose a problem. But for me, I can no longer imagine what it would be like to live without it.

And for this silence, we have the Synthetics to thank for the peace and prosperity that is everywhere present.

In such a world as this, one might imagine that there is little anyone needs to do, and in a way, this image rings true. Our every need is met with a wave of the hand or the caress of the fingertips. But the image also rings false. In the Free Zone, we're as free to do as much or as little as we aim to do.

In the Free Zone, there is much we can do, if that is our wish.

My wish, for now, is simply to be as I am and let the sunrise saturate my awareness with its beauty and splendour.

I have the best of everything

I wake with a start and take a moment to remember where I am.

I was having a most unusual dream, a dream where I was running to the edge of a summit, lunging beyond the edge, and then falling, plunging into an abyss.

One moment I had a body; the next moment, I had none.

There has never been any conclusion to this recurring dream. I am tempted to get it checked out by a qualified hypnosis specialist, but I can never find the time.

You see, I knew in my heart that I would soon be faced with deciding the fate of more than ten billion souls.

Alone.

Although I am one among a select few who remain in the Free Zone by virtue of my willingness to forgo myriad pleasures, I am still the best qualified person to make executive decisions for the Organics and BioSynthetics who live in the Pleasure Zone, in co-operation with the most advanced Synthetics.

Not long ago, humanity had evolved, at least in principle, beyond the limits of its biological heritage. Many among us had opted to incorporate synthetic enhancements to varying degrees in various amounts, but many more had not. Most occupations had become obsolete. Finding the balance between work and leisure was no longer an issue for most.

Earth had become a playground.

Now, you might think this is a good thing, but as almost anyone knows, too much of a good thing can flip, all too quickly and easily, into its opposite.

I wave my hand above a panel. The platform of my sleeping chamber tilts towards a position perpendicular to the floor until the soles of my feet lie flush with it.

I have a wide-angle view of my place of residence and I can never fail to marvel at one simple fact: I have the best of everything.

And I do mean everything.

Until next time, Christos

The recent preview of my life on a small planet in a solar system on the edge of an ordinary galaxy among billions of other galaxies in one among many millions of galaxy superclusters had gone well enough. I had requested that I spend some time with Sophia, my twin flame, before I took the proverbial plunge.

With Sophia, the scene on the balcony was just one of several rehearsals of my life on a rather dense planet called Earth. The Elders had warned me that Earth was a particularly difficult place to go to fulfill a serious purpose. They told me that many who go there are easily lured into distractions and lose their way.

Now, on the edge of a summit, I know the time is near for me to take the plunge, but I feel uneasy about leaving before I can be sure about my fitness to meet my purpose in a place where the reality of need and pleasure dominate the overall social climate. My question is simply this: am I ready?

"The time is near, Christos."

I nod thoughtfully. "And so it is." Humanity on Earth had reached a point in its cultural evolution where any one of its members could access any and all knowledge relevant to practically any purpose, but its members also had access to the most exquisite entertainment, making many of them immune to effort.

"On one level, you will forget everything you know here."

"Yes, I know." And that was part of the problem. Without the benefit of my knowledge and wisdom here, I was vulnerable to losing sight of my ultimate purpose on Earth. My only recourse, if I could remember it, was to undergo a spiritual hypnotic regression there to recover my memories here.

The trees below the summit shimmer like a mirage under a noon-day sun, a signal for me to prepare myself for the plunge.

"Any last words, Christos?"

"Will I see you on Earth, Sophia?"

"I would like that very much." She speaks softly, almost wistfully, into my mind.

I sigh. We both knew that our journeys on Earth carried the possibility of not meeting. I knew this uncertainty to be integral to my purpose.

I turn to Sophia, place my hand on the rim of her jaw, and caress it with exquisite care. "Good-bye, my love."

We embrace.

She steps back, tears welling, speaking these words aloud: "Until next time, Christos."

"Until next time, Sophia." My voice breaks. I kiss her long and tender on the lips.

I walk away from the edge. I turn suddenly and run back to it with all my might, lunging and plunging into vast empty space.

On the edge of a summit

On the summit, the breeze is brisk, cool and refreshing, wafting the scent of pine trees nearby. The sun sets yonder, setting the sky on fire on a distant horizon. Lakes and trees dot the landscape in the valleys below. I sit on a rock and beckon Sophia. She comes over and stands before me, waiting for my question.

But I'm not ready to ask it just yet.

"I carry a burden, Sophia, a burden so heavy it presses me down in the twilight of my youth. I cannot be satisfied with the invention of a purpose that would merely secure the means of my survival, that would merely satisfy all of my needs, both physical and psychological."

"I understand, Christos." Sophia conveys her words soundlessly, from the depths of soul: warmly, intimately, sympathetically.

"I cannot be satisfied with a calling that would merely have me serve the good of others. Good by what standard? Good for whom in particular? I'm rather inclined to think that those who claim to serve the good of others have their own conception of that good." I convey all of this soundlessly to her, but then I feel compelled to speak aloud.

"From a witness perspective, I can allow myself to step back and see my central focus in life, my core concern in life, my ultimate purpose in life, through the ways and means and ends by which I choose to live, love, and learn. My purpose in life is about what I decide to do for me, for my own good, with goals, values, and interests that are mine."

I stand to face Sophia. "Does my egoic stance necessarily preclude what others might think or feel, say or do?"

Sophia smiles, sending me her thoughts: "it might, Christos, but then again, it might not."

"If the feedback I get from others resounds with my ultimate purpose, then I would do well to listen and learn."

"Yes."

"If I leave the most important concern of my life - the ultimate purpose of my life - to what others would ask of me, then I would expect to lose my bearings before long."

"Christos, I trust that your strong egoic thrust to meet your purpose in life is matched only by your deep concern for what others might contribute to that purpose. You stay the course with your daily central focus amidst the comments, questions, suggestions, and requests of others in relation to this purpose."

"Sophia, I couldn't have put it better myself."

"Which, I suspect, brings us back to your question."

I turn away and walk to the edge of the summit.

For a change of scene

I send a telepathic signal to Sophia, indicating that I feel ready to resume our conversation, and wait patiently for her reply.

As I mentioned before, I could not help but feel that our love of power had been kept a secret for a reason. I knew well that the shame associated with the dark side of that love, in tandem with the pride associated with the bright side of that love, kept it secret and alive.

I gaze upon the cityscape, watching millions of lights twinkle in the night, my mind caught inside a delicious reverie.

"Christos."

Sophia whispers my name and I smile, sensing her divine presence behind me. I turn around to greet her with my sacred presence, thinking that it is so like her to show up before she replies to my signals of readiness.

"Sophia, let us dive yonder."

"Let us dive yonder" is my way of saying, "Let us have a change of scene".

As much as I enjoy the cityscape scenario in our simulated reality, what with its balcony and its city lights at night, I sometimes need a change of pace when I wish to discuss a question in depth, which is what I wanted to do now. We tend to be creative with our scenic transitions in virtual reality.

Sophia and I levitate to the top of the balcony railing with our backs to the cityscape. I take her hand. We look at each other and smile.

We dive off the balcony into empty space. The rush of sound is deafening, and the freefall is deliriously terrifying, at least for me. In the midst of our dive, our perception of time all but disappears into the space around us.

When our backs hit a fabric at bottom, our sense of time returns with a jolt, and the fabric stretches for what seems like an eternity until it can stretch no more, catapulting us back up into our next scene: the top of a mountain on a spring-like evening with a commanding but gorgeous and panoramic view.

We land on the summit feet first, touching down in a feather-like motion.

"You had a question, Christos."

I raise my hand to caress her cheek. "Yes."

Our secret love of power

"I would be alone to consider your question."

Sophia touches my temple with sacred intent and blesses my third eye with a tender kiss, cutting our telepathic link and leaving me alone with my thoughts. She walks away with a knowing smile.

Her question resounds: "Do we stop the world with our love of presence or do we engage it fully with our secret love of power?" I knew it contained essential clues to my purpose.

Our love of presence and our secret love of power. I knew enough that she did not mean our love of presence or our secret love of power. She spoke from, and for, the perspective of humanity at a juncture in its evolution when it was evolving beyond its biological limits.

Sophia is well aware of our schizophrenic relationship with power: the power to manipulate, deceive, and exploit with one hand and the power to persuade, enlighten, and create with the other. Abusive power and authentic power. As we evolve away from abusive power toward authentic power, a very fine line was being drawn between them. I could not help but feel that our love of power had been kept a secret for a reason.

But what might this reason have to do with my purpose?

I release my question to the Universe, allowing myself the pleasure of a cool and caressing breeze in the bosom of a separate peace.

Do we stop the world?

Out of a peace so profound rises an inkling of purpose from the depths of this presence to the moment in which we find ourselves. “This presence is pregnant with life,” I tell Sophia soundlessly, in the silence of our peace.

She half turns her head. “This presence is pregnant with life, Christos, but also with law, and with mind, and with spirit.”

“With law, with life, with mind, and with spirit,” I say, adding continuity. “This presence is forever giving birth to an evolutionary disclosure of matter, life, mind, and spirit – an ever-widening circle that promises to reveal more of itself with the passage of time from within the depths of space.”

Sophia turns around inside my embrace to face me. “Until the circle is whole.”

“And complete,” I add, after a pause.

“In the meantime, Christos, with bodies as vessels, we might dwell in the peace of this presence from time to time, to contemplate the objects of this world with sacred intent through sacred encounter.”

“And with bodies as vehicles, Sophia, we can soar on the updrafts of this presence, and celebrate the objects of this world with divine intent through divine experience.”

“And remember, too, where a sacred encounter is a religious encounter, a divine experience is a …” Sophia pauses to reflect. Or was she playing with me?

I smile knowingly. “A spiritual experience.”

“And so, a person fit to live in this world is a person who …”

I laugh away my delight. “Is a person who … celebrates the divine dimensions of mind and spirit without neglecting to cultivate the sacred dimensions of law and life.”

Sophia embraces me, and as I experience a rush of pleasure inside her embrace, I am pleased to know that we have come to harmony through yet another act of intercourse.

I rest content, happy to feel the love of Sophia, until our everlasting embrace gives way to a rather potent query from Sophia: “Do we stop the world with our love of presence or do we engage it fully with our secret love of power?”

A pervasive presence

"At the moment of creation?"

"No, Christos. At the beginning. At the moment before creation."

I frown. "Before?"

Sophia sighs inside my mind. "At the moment before creation, which is now and forever, is a presence, contained and complete, changeless and formless."

"I understand."

"A presence, Christos. A presence that pervades all that you presently see and hear, taste and touch, sense and feel – a presence that pervades and a presence that pervades itself, not unlike a motherhood without end."

Sophia steps through the doorway onto the balcony and parks herself in front of me, backing into me gently. Her body is soft and pliant and I catch my breath, wrapping my arms around her waist; the feeling I experience with her is exquisite beyond belief.

Her words sound in my mind – warm, soft, steady, and resolute: "though there can be no name for it, this presence is, in potential, the sum and source of all, by which the fill of life becomes manifest and by which the spirit of life becomes obvious."

"Sophia, please stop. I need a moment ... I need a moment to absorb your words of wisdom."

She remains silent, and her silence becomes an all-pervasive silence that rises from within us, spreads out between us, and envelops us both. A profound peace pervades every part of us, a peace so profound that it makes further communication momentarily impossible.