Official Intelligent Beings: How Our Devices Became Us, And The World Consumed Itself

by Greenfield, Josh

  “That sounds great, it really does, but all of that is a lie. Don’t you think it’s strange that one day you’re meeting an Alien—which we now believe to be a lie—and then the next you’re gaining millions of supporters? Can’t you see? They are trying to build you up to wipe you out. They know you will be forgotten. They are using you for their little plan. You need to release that control, that absurd idea that you were meant to be a leader. But before you do, we need you to do one thing for us.”

  “And what might that be?”

  “We need you to send out one last Quack.”

  “One last Quack? I’m beginning to think you are the ones using me.”

  “I can’t tell you what to think. I can only ask you to look at the facts, to feel what your gut is telling you, and to act accordingly. Look, if you don’t want to be part of our plan, we will find another way, but regardless, I can’t have you telling anyone about us. If you do, I will find out and we will come for you. If you don’t want to join in in our plan, then you will have to keep your mouth shut, go on living like this never happened and just wait for the fall.”

  “For the fall? What do you really expect to happen when the interweb goes out?”

  “While we can’t say for sure, we know it is a necessary step to restore order. The world is a twisted place. People feel free but they are robots. Why do you think you are sent UrDg? Why do you think you have an endless supply of a drug that keeps you happy? If that supply ran out you would begin to see just how messed up the world you are living in is, which is why this is all happening to you.”

  “Because I stopped taking my UrDg?”

  “Exactly. Since you stopped, has anything hap-pened that has surprised you beyond belief?”

  “Yes, actually. I made love for the first time and it was better than anything I have ever felt on UrDg. It was real, it was pure, it was beyond belief. Everything felt right. For a moment it felt like everything was going to be okay.”

  “Jagz, that is just one of the many human emo-tions, human experiences, one of the very things that makes you who you are, who you ought to be. The things we experience day to day, the things that come natural to us, that is just one of the many human emotions that you are stripped of when you live in a world by their rules.“

  “Their rules?”

  “Yes. They may convince you that they know what is best, but the Beings are just your rulers and they will do anything to keep you playing their game, convince you that you are free when you are anything but.”

  “Come to think of it, that sounds an awful lot like what President Herd, the CYO, said of the Aliens, that they would come and run the world as they saw fit, that they wanted to co-inhabit, but what that would actually mean was that they were our rulers. At the time it made sense to fight it, but now, I suppose you’re right. We already live in a world where everything is controlled. I guess what I’m saying is, what can I do to help?”

  “Good to hear. Smart move. As I said, we have some people on the surface who are actively working on shutting down the interweb. Schoron is of vital importance to the continuation of the all powerful interweb. Remove him and you remove the connection between everything on the surface, thus destroying the great system the world has been built on. You destroy the foundation and the rest comes tumbling down.”

  “What will happen if you are successful?”

  “It’s hard to say, but I know that we will be alright. We will be able to restore order in the world. We have lived down here for over 40 years. We have lived a normal human experience, preserving tradition, which we will restore. Natural order will return someday. You will be looked after. You will be taken care of for all of your help.”

  “So what can I do?”

  “All we need is for you to send out one Quack. A secret code to reach the thousands of us above ground. The ones that we are not in direct contact with. Some are in powerful positions. They will know what it means, they will know what to do, and it is cryptic so no one will suspect a thing.”

  “What is that message?”

  Redd handed him a piece of paper. It read:

  “Study our mythology, I.E. Chronos”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It’s a calling card to those above ground, a call to action to a few of our members in particular.”

  “How am I supposed to send out a Quack like that without raising suspicion?”

  “It’s simple. Share another bit of truth as though you’ve made a link to where the names of all of the Official Intelligent Beings are from.”

  “What’s that link?”

  “Look back on ancient Greek mythology. The original gods that ruled the world, Aphrodite, Chronos, Hera, Athena, Demeter, Apollo, Hades, they all share a link to the ones you call your present day OIBs. Just look at their names, rearrange the letters.”

  “What about their names?”

  “You want to know what ‘Study our mythology! I.E. Chronos!’ means when decoded?

  “Yes.”

  Royy, Log, Youth! Schoron must die!”

  “So if I send a Quack to my followers with this message,” Jagz pointed to the paper, “your people will know what it means and what to do?”

  “Precisely. We just need a way to get to them as soon as possible before anything drastic happens. You can’t trust those slimy bastards up there and with all of this Alien business there is no telling what they might do to you sooner rather than later. We have good men and woman in the field trained to look for signs. This one will be plain as day to them and absolutely random to anyone else. ”

  “Alright, I can’t see how anyone would know what I mean by this phrasing anyhow. I’ll get to it right now. I just need to get out of here.”

  “There is one more thing that I think you need to see. I’ll get you on an elevator out of here, but first I need you to see something that we just found out, something that has got us expediting our plan. You’ll know why when you see it.”

  “What is it? Just tell me, enough suspense for one day already.”

  Redd led Jagz to the elevator, pressed a few buttons, and gestured for Jagz to get in. The elevator had a dim red light that reflected off of Jagz, making him look as though he might be of another world. Just as Jagz stepped into the elevator, music came out of the small speaker. It sounded just as alive as the Jazz music he had heard with Redd.

  “Take care of yourself. We will find you and alert you if anything else comes up,” said Redd.

  “Wait, what about this important message that I need to see?”

  “It will begin playing in the elevator just as soon as I press this button. And one more thing, take this,” Redd handed Jagz a small, translucent and unsuspecting circular object.

  “What is this?”

  “Place it over your right eye as soon as you can and leave it there. It will allow us to be in contact with you when the crap hits the fan.”

  Redd pressed a button and the elevator doors shut. As Jagz began his ascent, a new light hit his face. A screen played video footage, which, at first, was a most beautiful sight.

  Jagz looked straight into Shera’s beautiful and comforting eyes. Just as he was about to say hello, thinking it to be a live video broadcast, Shera began talking, to someone else.

  “President Herd, so far so good. I made contact with Jagz and he felt comfortable around me. We spent our day together. I think he is already taking a liking to me. Everything is going as expected. I even hid some mugwort under his pillow to help me influence his dreams.”

  Jagz’s heart deflated. He watched on, slowly realizing this was a pre-recorded message Redd had hijacked somehow.

  “We met again today. This time I shared some fruit and kissed him. He is starting to trust me and I think we will be growing very close to one another by our next visit.”

  Jagz began to get sick to his stomach. He tried to look away but he wanted to know more.

  “Today we made love in the park. I could tell that he really
feels a deep connection to me and trusts anything I say. I don’t think it will be a problem to convince him to share what you showed him.”

  The video of Shera ended, but was followed by another video of Redd.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that. I really am. But now you can see how severe this is. You can’t trust anyone. You need to get that message out. Don’t let everyone down.”

  The elevator reached the surface. The doors opened and Jagz was let out into an unsuspecting place. Before he could even begin to think about where he was his mind immediately went to the message. Feeling betrayed by the one person that he loved, Jagz was more determined than ever to help the cause.

  He thought about the right way to disguise his Quack, a way that would not bring about any additional attention, a way that would seem in line with his previous ones. For all he knew, this could be his last Quack and he wanted it to mean something. He began to type.

  What do you know about the Gods of our ancestors’ past? Recently I was visited in a dream by what appeared to be the Gods of the past and they told me about the way things used to be, about how humans once prayed to the heavens above, believed in something greater than themselves. It’s quite interesting stuff, I recommend checking it out. As a start, study our mythology. I.E Chronos. Chronos was the ancient god of time. Pretty wild the things our forefathers used to believe.

  As Jagz sent his Quack, possibly his last mark on society, his final gesture to his followers, he realized he was far closer to his home than he original thought. Panic kicked in and he wondered what to do when he arrived home, assuming Shera was there waiting for him, and likely a bit worried as to where he had been.

  Jagz was certain now that he could not trust her. But trust was no match for the heartbreak that he felt. He was destroyed inside. He didn’t even think that he could look at her, but he also knew he could not cause any alarm that might trigger suspicion and call Mr. Herd in to take care of the situation.

  Jagz approached his apartment. Keep it together, keep it together. If she is there, you’ll just act like you don’t feel well. Chalk it up to feelings. Try to grab a few things, make an excuse and just get out of there, find a place to hide out for a few days, you’ll figure it out, he thought.

  Jagz entered his building, hoping as each second went by, that somehow everything would magically change, that somehow any moment could be the moment that erased everything he just saw, that it would all just go back to normal. Maybe he wanted some UrDg after all. Or maybe Redd’s plan would go into action before he opened the door.

  He opened it carefully and was met with Shera’s loving eyes, only this time he could not see the beauty, he felt only disgust, disdain for them.

  “Jagz!” shouted Shera. “It is so good to see you, I was beginning to wonder where you were. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, of course everything is okay. Why?”

  “Oh it’s just that you took off so quickly and you’ve been gone for over a day.”

  A day, Jagz wondered, had it really been that long?

  “Yeah well, funny story actually, I fell asleep in the park. Hadn’t realized I was out for so long though. I must have been really tired.”

  “You fell asleep? Strange indeed. Are you sure there isn’t something else that you want to tell me about?”

  “Something else? What do you mean something else?”

  “Well, You sent out a very odd Quack just before coming home and I’m really not sure where it came from. Did something happen to you? You can tell me. You can trust me.”

  “No, not at all. Like I said, it’s just been really crazy and overwhelming, what with all of these new followers, the Alien stuff, it’s just a lot to handle right now and it made me have some odd dreams. I thought I would share them with the world.”

  “I understand. But somehow I get the feeling like there’s something you’re not telling me. Something you are afraid to share. You’ve never acted like this before.”

  “Like I told you, I am fine! Please, stop asking me. Everything is fine and dandy web damn it!”

  “I’m just trying to help, to be here for you. Like I said, you can trust me, I just want to help.”

  “Maybe you’ve done enough to help! Can’t you just give me some space? Just let me be!” said Jagz, realizing he had probably gone too far. He just couldn’t hold back his anger. He felt betrayed by the one person he cared about. His emotions were pouring out of him.

  “Fine. If you are going to act like that, then I’m out of here!” Shera slammed the door.

  Jagz, breathing heavily, tried to relax but it was of little use. His heart was pounding and he searched the house for something to distract him, take his mind off of what was going on, give him an idea for what to do next.

  For a moment he considered taking a pill, but he knew it wouldn’t help. He knew it was just a band aid for a shotgun to the face.

  Just as he started to pack a bag and seek shelter, the door opened. Shera was returning and he took it as a chance to apologize and try to calm the situation. “Look,” he said. “I didn’t mean to yell, it’s just so much…”

  He looked up and locked eyes with President Herd.

  “Nice to see you again. My sincerest apologies for barging in like this. It looks like we have a few urgent things we need to discuss.” President Herd he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, elongated device that looked like an electronic branch of a tree. He turned on the device and a light vibration started to ring in Jagz’s ear.

  “It appears that some people have been playing with your brain and we can’t have that. No, we can’t have that at all.”

  Jagz’s world went from blurry to blank.

  Chapter 18.

  Jagz woke up, blinded by a bright white light. His body was buzzing from head to toe.

  Hums and chants overcame his ears. He involuntarily began to join in on the ever-growing vibrational sound, his voice synced up with the rhythm. Foreign sounds rose out of his throat, flowing naturally in the infinite space. He was at peace, he was one with the universe and nothing else mattered.

  Maybe he was dead. Maybe his previous life was no more, he thought. He remembered a time in the distant past when a man came into his house and turned on a small device, he wasn’t sure who that man was, but it didn’t matter much at the moment. Perhaps that man took his life, perhaps he was in a new dimension, a place where pain was no longer prevalent. Whatever it might be, he didn’t care, he just wanted to stay present in the moment. It was absolute bliss.

  The deeper he climbed into the depths of his spirit, the brighter and more powerful the sounds and colors got until they reached a peak. Before him appeared Lopola, the Being of the Arts.

  “This is what it truly means to be whole. To be at peace. To be one with the universe. You are coming from a world that relies on pills to feel complete, to make sense of your surroundings, of the way in which everything works, but what you are feeling right now is the way we were meant to feel. By harnessing vibrations and colors we can truly connect to the world. UrDg is of temporary relief, something that we created once we disc-overed that humans wanted to take the easy path, the less meaningful path, the quick fix to enlightenment. But it is here with me now that you truly feel the power of art, the power of being present, the power of the eternal connection, in its true form.”

  Jagz said nothing. He felt everything and nothing all at once. He didn’t want to speak, for he knew speaking, at best, would diminish the moment. There was nothing he could say to make this moment more meaningful, nothing he could do to deepen this feeling, he was basking in all of its glory and it was perfect.

  “Remember this place, for it will soon be gone. It is not a place that someone like you can stay forever. No, not on Earth, but it is a place that you can tap into, a place that will take work and dedication to reach, a place that you can find within yourself and share with those around you. But you have to practice being present. Connecting with simple rhythmic vibrations
through music , movement, meditation and dance. You can’t take any short cuts—no drug, no substance, no pill, can truly give you what this simple vibration can. But you must be patient and gentle with yourself.

  Chapter 19.

  Jagz awoke and found himself strapped to a table. He tried to recapture the moment that Lopola shared in his dream. He didn’t want to lose that feeling. He couldn’t lose that feeling. It was still lingering, but just as soon as reality kicked in and he realized that he was strapped down, trapped, he started to panic and could not break free.

  After a few minutes of fearing for his life, he decided the best thing that he could do was try and relax, to accept what might come, to try and remember that everything happening to him had it’s place, that it must be this way. These thoughts, though momentarily comforting, were of little actual help.

  The door to the room opened and in walked Shera.

  “I’m so sorry that it had to be this way,” she said. “I need you to know that I…”

  “Save your apologies. What a load of crap. I know you’ve been in on it this whole time. You played me for a fool. I congratulate you for that, but please spare me the phony response, you are nothing but lying scum.”

  “Jagz! Please!” cried Shera, “you have to under-stand, I had no idea what was going on. I loved you. I love you. More importantly, I don’t know how, but I think I’m pregna…”

  She fell to the floor, unconscious.

  Jagz confused as ever, unable to see her, called out. “Shera? Shera? Is this a joke? Hello? Shera?”

  Nothing.

  After shouting for a few moments, he heard the door open again. In walked another familiar face that he had nothing but hate for, President Herd.

  “I’m sure you can imagine why we had to lock you down. We can’t trust you now, can we?”