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."