by D F Capps
Theo was stunned by the implications. “So everything we do in the first thirty years of our life, they do in thirty seconds?”
Charlie turned his palms up and shrugged. “Pretty much, yeah.”
“Damn, talk about efficiency,” Theo said. “Are they smarter than we are? I mean—it’s a computer.”
“Take a look at the progress that has been made in computer technology in the last fifty years,” Charlie said. “Your scientists are already talking about singularity—where a computer will match the capacity of the human brain. Where do you imagine computers will be in forty thousand years?”
Theo reached out and held on to the autopsy table to steady himself. “I don’t think I can. I have trouble imagining what computers are going to be like in twenty years.”
The implications were staggering. If the Zeta Greys reached singularity forty thousand years ago, Theo thought, and the neural network brains and the artificial programs were still advancing?
“Well,” Charlie said. “That’s where they are now.”
Theo’s mind was spinning, trying to grasp the consequences and scope of what he just learned. The Zeta Greys were about as alien from humans as it got, despite the similarity of internal organs.
“So they’re a lot smarter than we are,” Theo said.
“That depends,” Charlie replied. “Do you understand how to manipulate the subatomic electromagnetic fields to control gravity and the time-space continuum? Can you adjust the subatomic fields so you can pass through supposedly solid walls?”
“No,” Theo replied. In our level of science, that’s just not possible, he thought.
“Then they’re a lot smarter than you are in that area. Earth humans are evolving. Eventually you will have the same level of technology the Zeta Greys have. The difference is the Zetas are devolving. They have become an interstellar parasite. Once they lose access to hosts, such as your population, they will eventually die out.”
Theo understood “eventually” to mean something that wasn’t of any practical use in the near future, which is what concerned him now.
“So why two brains?” Doc asked.
“It’s simple,” Charlie replied, turning back to Theo. “At its most elementary level of operation, what does a computer use?”
Theo thought for a moment. “Instructions and data.”
“Precisely. The front brain contains the instructions and the processing capability . . .”
“And the back contains the data storage,” Theo replied. “But if they are essentially a computer, how can they be telepathic?”
“It’s a function of biological synapses and the electromagnetic fields it produces,” Charlie said. “That’s what an EEG records. A neural network is, by definition, capable of telepathic communication. Now you have a better idea of what you’re up against.”
Chapter 10
Martha Andrews sat with her husband, the President of the United States, in the private dining room in the residential section of the White House as the staff cleared away the breakfast dishes.
“Coffee service for three and that will be all,” Andrews said. He waited until they were alone, which worried Martha.
“He’s a nice young man. Being telepathic, he can be unnerving to be around, but I think it’s important for you to meet him.”
She shook her head slightly and looked up at the ceiling.
“I’m not sure I want him knowing my thoughts.”
He nodded, clearly sharing her concern. “I know. For him it’s as if everything we think we’re saying out loud.”
She turned, pulling away from him on the couch. “And my feelings?”
“He feels what you feel, just not as intensely.”
She shook her head. “That’s extremely personal.”
“Very much so, I’m afraid. But you can get used to it, at least to a certain degree. I’ve had to. It’s not as bad as you think.”
Martha was uncertain at best. “So if I feel this is getting too personal, I can just get up and leave?”
Andrews shook his head. “I wish it were that simple. He’s on his way up here with a Secret Service escort. He’ll already know what we’ve been discussing when he arrives. He can hear our thoughts from a distance.”
She glanced at the door. “From how far away?”
Andrews shrugged. “I don’t know. My best guess is that he can tune in from anywhere on the planet.”
A look of alarm appeared on her face. “That’s really spooky.”
Andrews nodded.
“Look, I’m not comfortable with this.” She got up and started to leave.
He reached up and gently held her hand. “Please stay, I think you’ll find it worthwhile.”
“Is he going to know everything I’ve ever done or thought or, heaven forbid, felt?”
Andrews shook his head again. “He hears or senses only what you think and feel right now. Nothing else.”
A gentle knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
Andrews said, “Enter.”
She glanced at the door, sighed, and sat back down. A Secret Service agent opened the door and ushered Charlie in. Andrews stood, shook Charlie’s hand, then said to the agent, “Thank you. That’ll be all.”
The agent nodded and left the room.
“Martha, this is Charlie.”
Charlie smiled. “It’s not that bad. With me, telepathy isn’t an invasive process, and it’s selective. I can tune into your thoughts when I need to and ignore them the rest of the time. Consider what being in a room filled with seven billion people all talking at the same time would be like. It would be so loud you wouldn’t be able to think. It’s more like the three of us, here, in the same room, confiding our thoughts and feelings with each other. It’s personal and private, with everything kept in strict confidence.”
“So you’re proposing this is a privileged conversation, like between doctor and patient?” Martha asked, skeptical.
“Yes, precisely like that. Because the two of you talk things over and discuss what course of action you should take, I need to bring you up to date on what’s happening.”
Charlie poured himself a cup of coffee.
“I was going to . . .” Martha said as she reached forward.
“I know. It’s fine,” Charlie replied as he sat down in the chair.
“Many generations ago, in my father’s world in the Tau Ceti star system, we were like you. We had our disagreements, our secrets, our deceivers, and our greed. We were a broken civilization, hopelessly divided against ourselves, just as you are now. The Zeta Greys arrived quietly, one or two at a time. They offered us power and advanced technology with the implied promise that we could defeat our enemies and rule the world. Our leaders found the offer irresistible.”
He took a sip of coffee.
“They gave each group just enough technology to believe they could have it all—control of our entire planet, plus the ability to travel to the other planets in our star system, and eventually to the stars beyond. We fought among ourselves and struggled for power and control. In the end, when we thought we had won the battle and the world was under our control, the Zeta Greys simply replaced our world leaders with hybrids—beings they made by combining their DNA with ours, and took control. The advanced military we developed to conquer our enemies then became the enforcement arm of the Zeta Greys, coercing us into compliance—a state of slavery in a world we once thought we owned.”
“But you’re free now?” Martha asked. So far the exchange wasn’t as scary and intrusive as she imagined.
“Yes. In our broken world of nine billion lost souls, one man rose against the Zeta Greys. He exposed their hidden agenda and the corruption that allowed them to secretly control us. He inspired our people to unite against a common enemy and to overcome our differences. He showed us that honestly caring for one another and standing united against the Zeta Greys was the only solution.”
Martha’s clenched stomach relaxed a bit. The id
ea that honestly caring about each other as a way of overcoming corruption piqued her curiosity.
“Together,” Charlie continued, “our people broke down the walls of corruption, secrecy, and greed. We exposed all those who cooperated with the Zetas and all of the hidden agendas that contributed to our downfall. We lost billions of people in the struggle, due to the inequity in technology. The final blow to the Zeta Greys came when we forced ourselves to become an open and completely honest society. When there were no more secrets and no more lies, there were no places left for the Greys to hide and work their deceit and corruption. Through openness and brutal honesty with each other, we gradually became telepathic and eventually joined the other human races in the interstellar community.”
Your whole population became telepathic? Martha thought. How could that happen?
Charlie smiled and looked at her, a gentle expression on his face. “If I may?”
He waited until she nodded.
“In your world, children learn various languages, first by being exposed to the sounds, imitating those sounds, then eventually connecting the sounds to words, ideas, and concepts. They learn language slowly, word by word. In a telepathic society, babies learn the same way, based on thoughts rather than spoken words.”
But how? Martha wondered.
“Telepathy is a natural ability,” Charlie said. “What you may not realize is that your babies are born with both telepathic and verbal capabilities, but because your main system of communication is verbal, and older children and adults have not used their natural telepathic ability, the new child is forced into a verbal language out of a necessity to communicate. Telepathy has to be practiced and perfected, just as a spoken language does.”
We’re born telepathic? Martha thought.
Charlie nodded. “Every single person is born telepathic. Because that skill is not recognized or used, it never develops, with rare exceptions, of course.”
Martha’s mind was beginning to spin. “There are people in our world who are telepathic?” she asked aloud.
Charlie finished his coffee and set the cup down on the tray. “To one degree or another, yes. They hide their ability because using it is considered taboo in your society.”
How could that be? she wondered. How could we not know?
Charlie gazed at her calmly, patient understanding radiating from his face.
“You said your world used to be like ours,” Martha said. “What is it like now?”
“If you will allow me to share my father’s world with you telepathically, you can experience it for yourselves, just as I did when I was there last year.”
Martha and Andrews looked at each other, then at Charlie, and both of them nodded.
Chapter 11
“Close your eyes,” Charlie said.
Martha found herself standing next to her husband in a strange but beautiful city. The air was clean and fresh, pinkish-white clouds drifted slowly against a turquoise sky. Glowing eclair-shaped craft of different sizes slipped silently through the air between gigantic sculpted structures. They docked periodically against the side of what had to be buildings of some kind to let people on and off.
Martha reflexively put her hand on her chest. This view of the city was breathtaking to her. She turned slowly, taking in the grandeur all around her.
The buildings were large, exotic, sculpted works of art, shimmering in the bright daylight. Where buildings on Earth were mostly shades of gray and black, these were all of the colors of the rainbow. Some were a little on the intense side, especially the rich greens and deep blues, but most were pleasing pastels.
A glowing silver craft set down in front of them and a door opened. They stepped in and the craft moved quickly into the air and through the city. While the tallest building on Earth was just over twenty-seven hundred feet tall, these structures reached more than a mile into the sky.
The portrait of a man looked back at them from the forward wall of the craft. He had light brown hair, tan skin, and light blue eyes. Martha felt drawn to the image. She walked over and touched the face on the wall. His charisma clearly portrayed that he was a natural leader. But who was he?
He’s the man who set us free, Charlie’s voice came into her mind. Drufallo.
That’s his name? Martha thought.
Yes. Now, the name means Great Soul. You’ll find his portrait everywhere. His image symbolizes the ultimate service to others. We all aspire to be like him.
The craft docked at a tall, spiral-shaped, golden glass tower. They got off and walked through the open space. Martha paused and stepped back, surprised at the appearance of the people. They were much taller than she and her husband were, with men ranging up to nine feet tall. The women were closer to seven feet in height. Their hair was light to medium brown with gray tones present in most of them. She looked at Charlie and quickly recognized the genetic connection: his tan skin and light brown hair color. His eyes, too, were light blue, just like the Tau Cetians.
She opened her mouth to speak, but her mind was still locked on the people. They wore elaborately embroidered tunics in rich colors, textures and styles. Four distinct races were apparent: some had an almost copper colored skin; some a light green tone; some, tan like Charlie; and others with a red colored skin, much like the southwestern Native Americans on Earth. She turned to Charlie.
He smiled. Yours is not the only racially mixed planet. We overcame our differences a long time ago. Your planet can, too.
Mounted on the wall of the first intersection they came to was the same portrait she had seen in the transport craft.
There are so many shops, Martha thought. How do people afford things like this?
There is no money, Charlie’s voice came into her mind. People create these things because they love doing it.
But what about food, clothes, homes, water, and utilities? Martha thought. Who pays for those?
It’s a simple barter system, came Charlie’s voice into her mind again. All people are provided with everything they need: a home, food, health care, transportation, entertainment, and an opportunity to be of service to others.
The image of large apartment complexes came into her mind. They were tall and spacious, providing, for each unit, a view of the city around them.
This is where some people live. Each apartment complex has its own food and basic needs provided on the ground floor. People can pick out what they like. They do their own cooking and cleaning.
Does everyone live like this?
No, Charlie’s thoughts returned. If you want more, you become entitled to more to the exact extent you are of service to others.
Where do they work? Martha wanted to know.
All over. Work is voluntary.
So how do you get people to work if it’s voluntary? Martha wondered.
We actually have the opposite problem, Charlie’s thoughts came to her again. People do what they love. Farmers love to grow food, chefs love to cook, doctors love to heal, pilots love to fly, athletes love to compete, and some people simply love to help others. We have trouble getting them to take time off.
And those who serve others?
People who dedicate their lives to being of service to others live in much more luxurious accommodations. Professional cooks and housecleaning services are provided for them.
Martha wandered into the store in front of her. Beautiful bowls, utensils and other objects were fashioned out of different colored crystal materials, each one exquisite in workmanship and design.
But stores like this? Can anyone just walk in and get what they want?
No. In a telepathic society everyone knows the rules. Everyone knows what they’re entitled to receive. There’s a computer system that recognizes people and identifies them by entitlement. The entire transportation system is connected to the computer database. The transportation system won’t take you to a place where you aren’t entitled to receive what they have, so there’s rarely a conflict.
* * *
This can’t be right, Andrews thought. Where are the poor, the sick? Where are the police and the criminals? Where are the soldiers to keep the peace?
No one is poor. No one is sick. People are occasionally injured, and doctors work hard to heal them, Charlie’s thoughts answered.
What about substance abuse? Andrews wondered. Drugs, alcohol?
We don’t allow those things on the planet.
A virtuous society? I’m not buying it, Andrews thought.
We have an elaborate planetary shield system in place.
The image of multiple spheres of protection and a type of customs enforcement appeared in Andrews’s mind. No one could approach the planet without being stopped and inspected. This is where the police and military operate, Andrews thought. Off planet—out of sight, out of mind—clever.
What about criminals? Andrews thought. What about power hungry maniacs and dictators? Where are they? I know people. Not everyone wants to help. Some people only want to hurt others and take what they have. You can’t tell me you don’t have any people like that.
We do, Charlie’s thoughts came to him. We have two societies. Our home world—what you see as a virtuous society—is peaceful and law-abiding. This is our manufacturing and technology base. Our peaceful society is the foundation of our space-based military.
The scene changed in Andrews’s mind. They were standing in a military academy with young people dressed in uniforms, laughing and smiling as they walked down the hall.
What is this? Andrews wondered.
The military colony on a moon in our solar system, Charlie’s thoughts replied.
But how do you know? How do you determine who goes here?
The images dissolved. Andrews and Martha opened their eyes.
“You have to understand,” Charlie said. “In a telepathic society there are no secrets. Everyone knows. By the time a child is three to four years old, the basic personality has emerged. By the time the child is eight, everything is clearly defined. The psychopaths, the sociopaths, the criminally inclined are all identified. Everyone knows this child’s future is in the military. The parents have had several years to adapt to who the child really is, and where he is going and who he really is. Everyone accepts that. The child is removed from the family and sent to the military colony.
