Zosimos of Panopolis

by Yasmin Esack

  He placed the sketch aside and looked out the window. Olsen wasn’t daunted at all by his challenge to find a new age. His gusto was sturdy, sturdy as his large frame.

  Five years ago, he had come to the US. Without full-time employment, he kept himself busy deciphering his data and doing analyses for agencies such as Marin’s Earthquake Surveillance Unit. It was through Marin he’d met Hart and their friendship had grown quickly. They were really two peas in a pod, both intensely determined to achieve their end.

  The astrophysicist had survived an emotional drain caused by a bust up he’d had with his colleagues back home in Copenhagen. His problem began when he had suggested prophecy as a solution to the global crisis at the Summit of the Environment. From there it was downhill for him. He had taken enough heckling about a crystal ball and had left. Still, his calculating mind churned with the same belief: the Inca prophecy was about to unfold. His certainty welled when he glanced at the actual Quipu perched on his wall. It held more power than Dionysus’s Oracle, he thought. It was testimony of an age of enlightenment, a time when man became god.

  The sun in Lake Forest was high when he opened his front door to put garbage out. He closed it, shutting out the noise from the dumpsters and a party next door. Olsen was reclusive. He had never met his neighbours and didn’t quite know what they looked like. Hopeful movie types were as much as he’d gathered. Continuing his Saturday routine, he picked up the mails scattered all over the floor and, with a cup of coffee in hand, dropped his weight on his leather sofa.

  “Rubbish, rubbish,” he mumbled going through the pile.

  He flung the ads for loans and car sales into the bin but stopped short when he came to one that said, Travel to the Caribbean for less than five hundred.’ The offer was a deal, he thought, ignoring the bright pages of beaches and hotels that came with it. He dialled a phone number marked in red. Ten seconds later, a voice answered and it wasn’t one ordering him to press one or any number for that matter.

  “Hah,” he relished. The day looked good.

  “Sunway Travel, how can I help you?”

  In less than five minutes, he was booked on flight VA 209 bound for La Joya Island. He felt great, more so than he did the past few days. His task of deciphering the Quipu was nearly over. His decoding system worked beyond his expectation. He just needed to speak to the archaeologist, Arthur Bentley, and then, head to Colombia to return the Quipu. He was moving to the shower when his doorbell rang. Opening the door, he found Hart.

  “Hey, come in. A pleasure to see you,” he said with a grin. Hart reminded him of the past. With his long hair and attire, he really seemed like a medieval official.

  “Same here,” Hart replied. “You look a lot better than the last time I saw you. Mission accomplished I take it.”

  “Deciphering Incan data is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Believe me when I say the Inca had time on their hands to construct such intricate numerology.”

  “Have you found the date for the new age, Olsen?”

  “Just about.”

  The words sent a thrill through Hart. “I hope we don’t have to wait long.”

  “No. Let’s talk about your work.” Olsen led Hart to his living room. “We haven’t spoken much since that time in New York, have we?”

  “I recall you being very sceptical about my work on an inner human realm.”

  “Still am and I’m guess you still haven’t found the Universal Mind. Have you found the realm, at least?”

  “Theoretically, yes and, I’m still sure messages can come from it.”

  “Can you prove it?”

  “I think I can.”

  Placing cups of coffee down, Olsen looked up as Hart opened his briefcase and pulled a document out. He placed it on the table and put his palm on it.

  “We need to start from the beginning, Olsen.”

  “Sure, Tom.”

  “We’re not separate from creation but a part of it. For long, we have deemed ourselves superior and apart because we have minds. However, it’s my fervent belief that humans were meant to co-evolve with creation.”

  Excitement welled in the Dane as he took a seat facing Hart. “I leave it up to you, my friend, to tell us who we really are.”

  “I’ve been saying a long time that there are aspects of our being that’s supernatural.”

  “I know.”

  “We need to understand how it operates. A debate regarding a relationship between the material world and the immaterial mind has been going on for centuries. It’s not new. The fact that humans feel a whole lot better in a natural environment as compared to seeing four walls is testimony to a connection, but that’s merely superficial. I assure you, the relationship goes deeper.”

  “Are you sure we can receive cosmic messages?” Olsen needed to be certain about that.

  “The question is how?”

  “Well, of course.”

  “I’m suggesting there’s a grand design.”

  “Let’s have a look, then, Tom.”

  Hart opened the document. “We know that matter can be converted to pure light. From recent studies, we also know that light can be converted back to matter.”

  “It would be logical to assume a realm exists.”

  “And, we need to examine aspects of it.”

  “Certainly.”

  “Let’s examine one very important one.”

  Olsen reclined to listen further.

  “Particles in the realm vibrate at high frequencies but there’s a quality that sets them apart, a quality which gives us a whole new perspective. It would mean that the things we thought were absurd weren’t. Prophetic messages can be sent. Apparitions can appear. There’s a different world out there.”

  “What sets them apart?”

  “Particles in the realm travel faster than the speed of light.”

  “You’re sure?” Possibilities ran through Olsen’s mind. If Hart was right about particles in the realm moving faster than light speed, then, cosmic messages were possible. “Are you sure about this?” he repeated.

  “I am.”

  “So how do we actually capture messages?”

  “Waves from the realm enter the human brain. When these waves vibrate, they emit radiation and flash a message as a thought. Thoughts are triggered by signals and in this case, they aren’t external signals but internal ones.”

  “Information can be uploaded. If you find proof it’s in us, it would give your notion credibility, assuming of course, some supernatural force exists in it that can send the waves.”

  Hart thought of the ancient text but said nothing of it.

  “Have you ever wondered about the speed of thought, Olsen?”

  “It’s much faster than the speed of light. There’s isn’t any comparison to it. Thought speed can’t be measured.”

  “That’s why I believe a force triggers thoughts but I still can’t account for it, at least not scientifically.”

  Hart stopped at the sound of a buzz in his ear.

  Chapter 21

  “Tom,” the time traveller called.

  “Yes?” Hart replied in his mind.

  “Gosh, you still seem so bewildered. You shouldn’t be, you know. The ancient text will address all your concerns, such as how humans connect to their realm and the presence of the universal mind. Don’t worry so much.”

  “I guess I do. Can’t help it, can I?”

  “Well, don’t. I’m delighted to see that you’re making some headway with your mission. You’re right about particles moving faster than light speed. I’m here, am I not? You can’t see me but I’ve come from far, believe me, and, into your realm.”

  “You do traverse the heavens, don’t you?”

  “I certainly do.”

  “How’d you do it?”

  “I was an alchemist. After many years of meditation in a monastery, I transfigured my matter to pure light.”

  “And, what happened next?”

  “I landed in heaven. Now, I trave
l through dimensions.”

  “The problem is that we know nothing of the universal mind. It has to trigger signals. Information has to travel very fast.”

  “And, it does. It triggers visions and thoughts. Information travels fast. The Great Mind gave you your mind. If it didn’t, than who did?”

  “Ok, it did. Why won’t it make this world better?”

  “You sound angry, Tom, but remember, it gave you free will. It cannot take it away. It was a gift to you.”

  “I see.”

  “What a mess you all have made. Nonetheless, you do have an inner realm. It created a platform so you can have and do all you want. You should be looking for the ancient text, shouldn’t you? I’m still waiting on you to start looking. So, get on with it and put an end to all your misgivings once and for all. Bye, Tom.”

  “Hey wait!”

  “Tom!” Olsen’s call jolted Hart from his silence.

  “Sorry. My mind drifted.”

  “The universal mind is truly unparalleled. No one can find it.”

  “Many have claimed prayer gave them answers. It’s an amazing phenomenon.”

  “It is.”

  “Something’s guiding consciousness.”

  “Seems so.”

  “I need to find an ancient text.”

  “An ancient text?”

  “I was told there’s a text that describes it all. I really must find it. The realm takes us to freedom from pain and all that binds us.”

  Brushing back the hair from his face, Hart took a sip of coffee. Olsen’s living space was dead quiet except for the hum of an air condition. Neither said anything for a while.

  Chapter 22

  “So, what’s this ancient text about?” Olsen’s question broke the silence in the room.

  “I don’t know. I was told to search for it.”

  “By whom?”

  Silence lingered again. Hart fidgeted thinking how best he could answer. He had no intention of mentioning his time traveller. He still had no idea of how he would find the text and it weighed heavily on his mind.

  “Nature’s a hard nut to crack, Tom.”

  “Someone did. I know someone did.”

  “You’re searching for an ancient text and you don’t know which. How’s that?”

  Hart changed the topic. “It’s interesting to note, Olsen, that ancients’ mindsets were stronger than ours.”

  “Why d’you say that?”

  “Their minds were powerful. Visions, messages came to them easily.”

  “I agree.”

  “You must’ve heard of the Dogon people of Mali and their knowledge of the Sirius star system.”

  “It’s amazing. We didn’t find Sirius B until later. It really boggles the mind.”

  “Nummo’s the goddess who sent information to them. In the sixth century, an apparition appeared to a woman in China. She then became pregnant with the first emperor who instructed in Taoism. He ascended to heaven. Way back, in the eleventh century BC, a divinity called Ahura Mazda, appeared to Zoroaster in what was ancient Persia. He said humans were created to fight evil through thought and will. There’re Pre-Columbian artefacts that look like fighter jets. Space crafts and nuclear warfare are all recorded in ancient Sanskrit.”

  “It’s uncanny. I found records of the biblical flood in the Inca Quipus.”

  “You did?”

  “The story of Genesis was etched onto tablets that came from ancient Sumaria. That’s two thousand years before its entry into the bible.”

  “It’s a great pity we’ve lost the power of supernatural communication.”

  “It is,” Olsen acquiesced.

  “Andre Laveau told me why.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s an organ called the Pineal Body which resides in the brain and traps radio waves. In modern man, it has degenerated.”

  “Our fantastic evolutionary trend.”

  Olsen took note of Hart’s anxiety again. Hart was a thinker for every waking moment of his life, it seemed. His eyes were glazed with passion. He was unstoppable in his path to truth. He watched him raise his head to look at the Quipu that hung from his wall. Then, he turned. Hart’s expression told him he had more to say.

  “Do you know what the realm does, Olsen, besides sending us information?”

  “No, tell me.”

  “It monitors our deeds and thoughts.”

  Olsen chuckled. “You’re the best my friend. You haven’t found it but you’re ascribing functions to it?”

  “We must find a way,” Hart said ignoring Olsen’s comment. He got off his chair as if he had a pressing need.

  The Dane was truly startled. “What is it, Tom?”

  “We need to reverse our evolutionary trend and find a way to enlightenment. We’re darkened souls and we don’t need to be. For long, I’ve pondered the human mind. It’s the only part of us that’s non-matter and there’s reason for that.”

  “It’s to progress, surely.”

  “And to become super-conscious like a god!” Hart’s tone intensified as he continued. “Why do we fill our minds with hate, envy and all types of obsessions when our realm keeps calling? Why chase illusions when we can have all we want?” He sat, gazing around trying his best to calm his growing anxiety. His eyes didn’t miss Olsen’s laundry that was hanging from chairs drying in the aircondition and a telescope he was assembling. He closed his eyes for a moment. Humans could naturally enhance their state of mind he knew, but, if he didn’t find the ancient text, no one would believe it.

  “Let’s go to lunch.” Olsen decided on a change of scenery. He didn’t like the dismal look on Hart’s face. “I know a great place, Tom. We need to talk about the Inca date for the new age.”

  Chapter 23

  Starting his car, Olsen drove along Sunset Boulevard passing through Holmby. He took a turnoff onto the Pacific Coast Highway and was soon on his way to Santa Monica. The drive would give him a chance to talk about his work and to clear up issues that troubled him.

  “Tom,” he said, “I need to level with you on this whole scene.”

  Hart looked with concern. Olsen was the one person he could talk to. He sure didn’t want to be dismissed by him as well. “What’s wrong?”

  “Be careful about bold assumptions.”

  “Like what?” Hart’s tone rose.

  “Hey, cool it, man.”

  “Is it so wrong to believe that matter holds the key to our future, our journey beyond this life?”

  “I know you believe in creation and matter.”

  “It’s my life!”

  “Understanding matter has always been a challenge for scientists. Even if you’ve identified new forms of energy, you really need to be careful about going beyond that. Don’t step on sensitive toes. Don’t go ‘round making big claims about a realm.”

  “I don’t care, Olsen. I really don’t. Maybe…maybe this is an audacious step but it’s one in the right direction. I agree there’s much more to learn and explore, but, hell Olsen, in matter we’ll find answers.”

  “For example, the radio waves that you say come from the realm aren’t identifiable.”

  “But Andres Laveau identified them using his SQUID tracker. He found them to be common in people who pray and meditate.”

  “He said he didn’t know that much about them, didn’t he? Far less for a realm in us! It’s hard to conceive it exists.”

  “It does, Olsen. An ancient text will tell me so.”

  Olsen took the cue. Hart was truly irrepressible. It’s not that he didn’t believe him but finding proof of all he claimed was going to be rough. He didn’t want to see Hart crushed.

  “By the way, Dr. Bentley is looking for proof,” he said changing the subject.

  “Of what?”

  “Of alien visitation. Well, I found it in the Quipus.”

  “You did?”

  “The Inca god, Inti, built Sacsayhuaman with his mind. He made big boulders weightless by manipulating magnetic forces.” />
  “You found proof of a perfect mind?” Hart was beyond himself.

  “I did, but it’s not sufficient for you to make claims, like your claim that Man’s journey is to acquire one.”

  “You’re sure of your interpretation of the Quipu data?” Hart questioned.

  “I’m sure.”

  “That’s amazing. Inti came from another time and into our realm. I wish we could find it, Olsen.”

  “It’s elusive.”

  “It’s time we started searching for the text.”

  “You really expect to find it?”

  Hart remembered Aristotle’s words: Do some searching. You’ll find an explanation for everything in an ancient text. If only Aristotle had said which, he bemoaned.

  “I do.”

  “Ok.”

  “Our realm is connected to others, I believe. Enoch traverse the heavens. So, how did he? I want answers as to who we are and where we’re headed. The universe is in us. It has to be.”

  Olsen pressed his foot on the accelerator hoping to kill time. He was getting hungry. Still, he was sure the obstinate Hart was being overly ambitious.

  “You want to change the world, Tom? Is that it?”

  “No, but humans can be all they want to be.”

  “You’re a long way from proving that.”

  “We’re starting to understand the universe better.”

  “We are?”

  Hart sighed. Olsen truly doubted his inner realm.

  “We should stop thinking of the universe as something external rather than something internal,” he argued. “And, what about alien civilizations? You believe they exist, don’t you? According to Hindu philosophy, space travel occurs faster than the speed of a thought. We need to think of it at a sub-atomic level. We need to think of the universe in terms of light.”

  Olsen glanced at a signpost. “We’re almost there. God, I’m starved. Maybe you’re right, and maybe, just maybe, the Inca data will help us understand things better. We still need to find this ancient text, Tom, and I doubt if we ever will.”