Incarnate- Essence

by Thomas Harper

  Kali laughed, “you’ve done your homework, haven’t you? I guess I should have expected someone in your line of work would be suspicious of every motive. I’m sure you have a more pressing question that’s brought you half way around the world…”

  “Your half-brother…he’s still alive, isn’t he?”

  “Gopal,” she smiled knowlingly, “yes.”

  “You think he’s in danger,” I said, “that’s why you setup businesses in the U.S.? To keep him safe? From what?”

  She sighed, the winning smile wiped from her face. “Faking his death may have been…premature. My half-brother has a lot of enemies. I couldn’t be sure. I didn’t know if someone was trying to kill him.”

  “Enemies?”

  A faint smiled passed over her lips, “both my father and grandfather were patriots. Most of our family are believers in the ultimate truth of Hinduism. My grandfather, Jaidev Sanyai, was a small child when India was partitioned, working in a textile factory. His own father worked for the British and was killed during the violence of the partition. To my grandfather, it was always the Sikhs and Muslims who were at fault. This view was passed on to my father. That’s why he volunteered for military service during the coup in Pakistan twenty years ago, despite being a rich man with many friends in the government. The Indian government intervened and installed the puppet government Pakistan has now. My father came back from the occupation after two years and found my mother pregnant.”

  “She cheated on him.”

  Kali nodded. “My father’s younger brother told everyone that he died of a broken heart. But he killed himself. My uncle blames Gopal.”

  I shook my head, “and you think someone would be willing to kill him over that?”

  “No,” she said, pausing a moment before saying, “are you familiar with the concept of reincarnation?”

  My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t able to get any words out.

  “My family believes Gopal is the reincarnation of my father,” Kali said.

  “Wh-why?”

  “Because before my father killed himself,” she said, looking back out the window, “he performed a ritual. Its apocryphal to any other Hindu teachings. Part of an underground sect my grandfather fell into back when he first started his own business sometime in the nineteen sixties. There is only one copy of this apocryphal Purana containing this ritual that we know about.”

  “And your uncle wants it to, what? Make himself immortal?”

  Kali giggled, “don’t be silly. My uncle isn’t a believer. But the Purana is ancient. One of a kind. He wants it so he can sell it for a lot of money. He’s convinced my mother gave it to Gopal since she believes he is the reincarnation of my father.”

  “Who’s Gopal’s real father?”

  Kali shook her head, “to this day, I don’t know. My mother used to swear it was my father, but now she refuses to talk about it. I think it’s too painful for her.”

  “Does Gopal have the Purana?”

  “No,” she said, a grin spreading across her lips, “I do.”

  “Do you believe Gopal is your reincarnated father?”

  “No,” she said, “even if I believed that to be possible, my father wasn’t performing any rituals from the Purana. It’s written in an ancient language from the Indus River Valley that he wouldn’t have been able to read. It predates the Sanātana dharma by at least a millennium.”

  “So, it’s just about the money,” I said.

  “You almost sound disappointed,” Kali said, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d think that you wished the ritual worked.”

  I laughed, “well, who wouldn’t want to be able to live forever through reincarnation?”

  Kali giggled. “Don’t get me wrong, I believe in reincarnation. It’s why I have an interest in the sciences.”

  “She met her last boyfriend at a scientific conference,” one of the other women, Aparajita, said.

  Kali glanced at her, smirking, and turned back to me. “Please, excuse my friends. They tease me about my romantic life almost as much as the tabloids. But I’m not as interested in how to do science as much as I am about what it means.”

  “What it means?”

  “DNA, for instance,” she said, “is like an ancient text that our distant ancestors passed on to us. It tells a story. The story of humankind. I find something very…mystical, about that. Don’t you?”

  “I’m not sure I buy into mysticism,” I said.

  “Of course not,” Kali smiled, “you are a practical man. That’s why you came here. Looking for mutual ground between the two of us.” She looked to her friends, “between all of us, as a matter of fact.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m a little embarrassed to ask,” Kali said, “but I was hoping to form an arrangement in exchange for your help. You and all of your terror- er, rebel group.”

  “Arrangement?”

  She looked back to her friends, all of whom were forcing smiles again. “Any one of these three women are willing to marry you.”

  I grunted. “Marry me? You’re trying to arrange a marriage?”

  Kali chuckled, “yes, I know this might seem like an outmoded practice. But, I assure you, all three of these women could make amazing wives.”

  “I…uh…well, you see, I already have a girlfriend,” I said.

  “You do?” Kali asked.

  Her expression was difficult to read, but I could swear there was relief in the faces of the other women.

  “Yeah,” I said, “you, uh, you might have heard of her. In the news. She’s part of our group. Her name’s Laura.”

  Kali gave me her winning smile, “I see. Well, that’s wonderful,” the smile quickly disappeared, “now I’m especially embarrassed at having asked you.”

  “Don’t be,” I said, “I’ve been asked a lot of strange things.”

  “Well, then,” she glanced back at her companions, lips pursed, “should I even bother asking what I wanted in return?”

  I took a deep breath, looking around the room. “I’m already all the way out here, and you’ve gone all out on the accomodations. The least I can do is hear you out.”

  Her smile returned, “I’m glad to hear it.”

  This time when she turned to her companions, she gave them a nod. All three women stood, said goodbye and left in turn. Harendra gave me a curt nod and followed behind them, closing the door on his way out. I turned back to Kali, who had a smile, but it now didn’t have the same well-rehearsed look.

  “You’ve heard of this free trade agreement, I’m sure,” Kali said, her voice soft and graceful, but now taking a much more familiar tone.

  “The Global Prosperity Free Trade Agreement,” I said, “it’s been on my radar.”

  “Yes,” she said, “the GPFTA. It’s going to have an affect on the entire planet. But my concern is with a European corporation called Sovereign. They’re negotiating for influence in India and its neighbors. The GPFTA will allow them to exploit the people in India and in the Middle East. The globalists in the Rajya Sabha are going to approve it.”

  “What is it you think I can do for you?”

  “Disrupt the negotiations,” she said, “stall it and hopefully stop the GPFTA from getting passed.”

  “How would I do that?”

  “Your group,” she said, “the forty-eights. You were able to topple the Mexican cartel government. Exposing details of their connection with the U.S. government resulted in the world’s most powerful nation fracturing and becoming a series of second-rate nations at best. If you put your resources to it, you should be able to expose malfeasance all over the GPFTA.”

  I grunted. “I’m sure this free trade agreement is just lousy with corruption, but I don’t have all the resources we did in Mexico.”

  Kali nodded slowly. “Most of your people are down in Peru at the moment, yeah?”

  I took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do me any good to tell her I wasn’t working with Sachi anymore. Or that I had l
ost my best asset, Akira.

  But if she wants something, it means I can bargain. I’ll have to try something.

  “I’m willing to help,” I said.

  She gave one of her well-rehearsed smiles, “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “But I need something else in return,” I said, “without too many questions…”

  “Intriguing…” she said.

  “I need to rescue a child from China,” I said.

  “Another trafficking victim?” she asked.

  “No…” I said, searching my mind for a way to explain things, “this child is still only an infant. She’s Filipino. Named Imelda. She was taken by the Chinese government.”

  “Where in China?” she asked, “and why did they take her?”

  “I don’t know where,” I said, “and I can’t really explain why they took her. But…she’s important.”

  “That’s not much to go on,” she said, brows furrowed, “I don’t know if the Indian government could pressure the Chinese into giving up a prisoner, much less me by myself.”

  “Actually…” I said, feeling a grin spread over my lips, “I think we could work on both our issues at once.”

  Kali gave me her non-rehearsed smile. “What do you have in mind?”

  “If I remember correctly,” I said, “there are going to be GPFTA talks in Atlanta in a few months.”

  Kali nodded, “yes, that’s true.”

  “And the Chinese president will be there,” I said, “along with other important members of the National People’s Congress. If I can get to them…”

  Kali pursed her lips, “you want to threaten the Chinese president?”

  I shook my head, “not necessarily using force. I was thinking more like…I don’t know, blackmail maybe.”

  “How do you plan to do that?” she asked.

  “I don’t know yet,” I said, “but the bigger problem is actually getting there. I’m considered a dangerous terrorist in the CSA. If I can even get through their territory, I’m not getting anywhere near those negotiations.”

  “The CSA is currently running an election, are they not?” she asked.

  “They are.”

  “I was planning to back a candidate,” she said, “to help expose the GPFTA. A man named Tory Goodwin.”

  “I’ve briefly heard of him,” I said, “he’s just one of several opponents Director Mitchell had arrested. He didn’t pose much of a threat, though, did he?”

  “No,” Kali said, “but that wasn’t the point. If he could get on the news and debate stages, he could talk about the free trade agreement and expose its corruption.”

  I nodded, “I see where you’re going with this. As a candidate, he’d have access to the Director’s Mansion where the negotiations are happening.”

  “Yes,” Kali said, “but he’s still illegally imprisoned.”

  “Do you know where?”

  “Little Rock, Arkansas,” she said, “I’m already trying to get him freed.”

  “How?”

  “His imprisonment isn’t legal,” she said, “he’s a political prisoner. He’s not charged with anything. I have BRP members in the Rajya Sabha criticizing the Mitchell regime for this.”

  “You think that will get him released?”

  “I’m hoping…”

  “I can get people in the LoC to start making noises about it,” I said, “if they free him, I can go along with his entourage and get into the Director’s Mansion.”

  “That could work,” Kali said, “but it still leaves the issue of how you’re going to convince the Chinese president to release this girl. Do you know something about the president you can use?”

  “That’s something I’m going to have to think about,” I said, “but if it works, I am going to need your help with something.”

  “And that is?”

  “I’m going to have the Chinese hand Imelda off to your people.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Two reasons,” I said, “one, if the Indian government looks to be involved, it comes off as a humanitarian mission. Not a terrorist threatening a legitimate government and kidnapping a child.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “Two,” I said, “I may not make it back out of there. In that case, I need you to give Imelda over to Sachi.”

  “The Japanese woman,” she said, nodding slowly, “the one in Peru?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can do that,” she said, “but how are you going to expose the GPFTA corruption for what it is?”

  I sighed. “I’ll have to hack their network while I’m in the mansion. I have even less of an idea about how I’m going to do that. Atlanta is too far for some kind of remote uplink. They’ll intercept it if I try sending it through the internet. Even if it’s encrypted, they’ll be able to see where it’s going.”

  “That is a problem,” Kali said, bringing herself to her feet, “one that I may have to think on while you focus on your problem.”

  I stood up. “Is there some way I can contact you?”

  “You can talk to Bita,” she said, “she can relay anything you need through her.”

  “I see.”

  “I will have the jet ready to bring you back to Denver tomorrow,” she said, walking to the door, “a driver will pick you up at one tomorrow afternoon.” She turns around at the door. “Until then, please enjoy yourself. Everything is already paid for by me.”

  “That’s very generous of you,” I said as she opened the door. Outside stood the three other women. Harendra was gone. “Before you go, can I ask a favor?”

  “You may certainly ask,” Kali said, turning back to me with her well-rehearsed smile.

  “Do you think you could find me a traditional Indian sitar?”

  She exchanged glances with the other three women and then turned to me with a warm smile and said, “of course. I’d be delighted. I didn’t know you played.”

  “I dabble.”.

  “Sure. Yes,” she looked to the others again and said, “I’ll send it to Bita and have her deliver it for me.”

  “You want me to wire you the money through her, too?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Kali said, “it’ll be my gift to you.”

  Before my flight the next day, I spent the morning exploring Kolkata. I went to the construction site where the Geoscraper was being built. Unfortunately, it was all fenced off too far away to see anything interesting. I went to one of the enormous buildings built amongst the slums, likely there only because it was the only place with enough room.

  Being up close made the juxtaposition all the more jarring. The building was finished only in the last five years. It was exquisitely built, with fine gold-plated arches. Fountains made splendid geometical shapes with water coming from finely crafted marble statues of Hindu gods.

  All of it was off-limits to me, though. A twelve-foot wall of beautiful brick surrounded the building, patrolled by private security. I was able to find out online, however, that the building, standing some hundred stories tall, housed only twenty-four families. It was essentially mansions stacked on top of each other. All around, outside the wall, were beat up shacks with dirt floors.

  As I travelled about the city, I couldn’t help but wonder about Kali’s initial proposal to have me marry one of the other women. The other Mahavidyas. Looking into it online, I did find that they were all single. Gossip about this group of women was common, making their status easy to find. The youngest one, Sadia, was only fourteen. Lochana, the short-haired girl, was twenty. Sadia and Lochana were sisters and both famous as online personalities. The other woman, Aparajita, is twenty-seven. And a lesbian, which made Kali’s proposal all the stranger.

  And none of those women looked too thrilled to be there. Kali was forcing them into this somehow…

  The whole meeting felt more and more strange as the day wore on. Kali wielded a lot more power than she let on. Having Harendra, the owner of the hotel, follow her and get our tea for us like som
e toady was almost comical. That she was able to put me up in such luxurious accommodations hinted at wealth far beyond her successful, but still modest company.

  Not to mention her half brother, Gopal, being extracted from the LoC and put in hiding at the first sign of danger like he’s royalty.

  Looking deeper into this free trade agreement – the GPFTA – did confirm that it was doing what Kali was afraid of. The GPFTA was ostensibly between a handful of powerful nations – China, India, Brazil, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Australia, the CSA, the European Union, Israel, Saudi Arabia – but it was, in fact, written primarily by Benecorp and Sovereign. Enduracorp seemed to be putting pressure on Brazil to drop out of the agreement and most experts expected them to do so.

  Specifics of the GPFTA were difficult to come by. The official story was that it would bring jobs and goods to all the countries involved, as well as neighboring countries. Conspiracy theorist blogs claimed it was the tool of globalists to create a one world corporate-government-military dictatorship.

  Reading what I could on the spectrum between the two views, it did seem that the GPFTA would essentially allow Benecorp and Sovereign to carve the planet up between themselves. Sovereign would obtain economic hegemony in the EU, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and India. Benecorp would get everything else. Kali’s BRP was fighting this trade agreement with every ounce of influence they could muster, but it was an uphill battle. Most of the Indian government seemed to think they could use the trade agreement to their own benefit and were more than happy to sign on.

  When the time came, I got back on the jet and headed home. I tried not dwelling too much on what just happened, so I went back to watching movies again.

  Chapter 25

  “You’re not taking off to India again, are you?” Laura asked after I came upstairs from the laboratory. She wore only a bra and a pair of boxers.

  “I have that appointment today,” I said.

  “Letting people poke around in your brain again?” Laura said as she pulled an unopened bottle of vodka out of the freezer.