The atmosphere crackled with tension in the crowded room at Open Secret, but then Rachel began playing a sweetly dolorous tune, which drew Kalianna out of her angry interface with the man in the audience.  She sang a few lyrics with a good-bye theme, then said: "That wraps up our get-together, except for the Kirtan.  Us soulmates all like to chant together for awhile to lift our spirits and experience communion.  Usually we roll right into it, but this time I need to tend to some business backstage for about twenty minutes.  So feel free to take a break, then you're all invited back for the finale."

     Kalianna and Rachel disappeared behind a curtain, and the room was suddenly filled with voices and the commotion of people leaving their seats.  Jennifer and Kirk immediately turned toward the man who had betrayed such a preternatural presence.  He was looking at them with a big smile, and so was his female friend.  As they all stood up, he said, "Would you like to chat outside?"  They assented, and the young woman led the way down the aisle to their right.  They maneuvered through the throng, and emerged onto a sidewalk that was almost as crowded.  Now Jennifer took the lead, and brought them to a little alcove by an unused side door.  It was partly concealed from the street by shrubbery, and had a small table with four chairs, all empty.  "Well," said the man, "looks like it's just for us."

     They seated themselves, and he said, "Now we can do the introductions in a nice ambience.  I'm Gavin Paneskos, and this is my cousin, Aurora Reinhold."

     Jennifer and Kirk introduced themselves, and as they shook hands all around, they both noticed a heightened energy from physical contact with Gavin and Aurora.  And in fact it did not diminish as the four sat at the round table.  "Gee," said Aurora, "the Vril is very high here."

     "Vril?" said Kirk.

     "It's our word for psychic energy," said Gavin; "or actually a specific kind of it." 

     "There were some pretty mind-blowing kinds of psychic energy going around inside," said Kirk.  "And you seemed to be tapped into it."

     "I saw it too," said Jennifer, "and not all of it was positive.  Gavin, can you tell us anything about what was going on?"

     "What did you see?" he asked.

     Kirk and Jennifer looked at each other. "I don't know if we saw the same stuff," he said to her.  "Did you know that you and almost everyone else were totally tranced out when Kalianna was giving her first spiel?"

     "Yes, it has that effect.  She does it on purpose ~ it's like Shaktipat, but using her voice instead of physical touch.  It transports you into her alternate reality, the Kali Loka, where she reigns as Goddess.  Did you experience anything like that, Kirk?  I always wondered if it only worked for her soulmates."

     "Yow," he said, "that's almost exactly what I saw and felt ~ at first."

     "At first?"

     "Something happened to change the vibe, and it got weird ~ she turned into a giant female demon, like those icons of Kali as the Goddess from Hell."

     Jennifer looked shocked.  Gavin said, "I wonder which side of the vision is real ~ or both or neither?" 

     "My mind is still reeling from it," said Kirk.  "But when I came out of it, you and Aurora were the only ones who weren't tranced.  And then Kalianna tried to zap us with the evil eye or something, but you blocked it with an invisible shield."

     "What?" said Jennifer, "that's crazy!  Except. . . oh my God, it's like what I saw later on."  She looked at Gavin.  "You and Kalianna seemed to be fighting a psychic battle." 

     "Yes," he said with a wry smile, "the War in Heaven and Earth has already begun ~ in fact, it's been going on for a long time.  The dharma combat you witnessed tonight was a mere skirmish, but it was very important in the larger scheme of things."

     "This is incredible!" said Jennifer.  "You mean that you're on the opposing side to Kalianna?" 

     "And without even hoofs and horns or a pointy tail!  But of course this human form may be merely a clever disguise."

     Aurora giggled delightfully. "At least for the horns," she said.

     "Ssh!  Don't give away too much!" said Gavin, rippling with ironic humor.

     Jennifer looked confused and disconcerted.  Kirk said, "Unlike Jen, I didn't come here with any irons in the fire.  My life has been so messed up by the nitty-gritty guns-and-bombs-and-gang-war here on Earth that I never heard that it's also happening in Heaven, or the metasphere, or wherever the heck it is.  From what I've seen tonight I think there must be something to it, but I'm totally clueless as to which side is which or where I fit in, or if I do at all."

     Gavin said, "Would you both be interested in hearing our side of the story?  It's fairly well known in certain places, but what publicity it gets on your media is always distorted."

     "Or outright fabricated," said Aurora.

     "Our media?" said Jennifer.  "It sounds like you live in a different country."

     "We do," said Gavin; "it's called Thule." 

     "I never heard of 'Thuley'," said Kirk, "but it sounds more like a different world if you have some kind of separate media network."

     "It's just that it's outside the Matrix," said Aurora.  "We can tune into the media-grid whenever we want to, and we often do for strategic info an' stuff.  But we're aware that the media-generated worldview is a mass fantasy concocted by the forces we oppose.  So none of us waste any time getting ourselves indoctrinated by TV or other so-called entertainment media."

     Kirk asked, "When you say 'the Matrix', do you mean like in that old flick?"

     "Right," said Aurora.  "All of our people are unplugged from the Matrix, and those of us who were lucky enough to be born and raised in Thule were never plugged into it in the first place."

     "And where exactly is Thule?" said Jennifer.

     "We have provinces or colonies on four continents," said Gavin.  "Our own is right here in Northern California, and we live in Sonoma County."

     Jennifer was seized by a terrible intuition.  She said, "You've got to be kidding!"

     "Yeah," said Kirk, "it's dangerous up there, with all those drug gangs and terrorist groups."

     "It's probably less dangerous," said Jennifer, "if you happen to be in a terrorist group yourself.  Like the one I heard about on TV just tonight ~ they attacked the National Guard.  Am I right, Gavin?"

     "That's the latest case of fabrication," he said.  "It was the Norteños who attacked the base."

     Now it was Kirk who was astonished.  "But wait a minute, does that mean you're admitting to being in this terrorist group?"

     "That, of course, is a distortion.  We're people engaged in a life-and-death struggle, defending our homes, farms, and families by the best means at our disposal.  And we've gotten pretty good at it."

     Both Kirk and Jennifer were flustered and speechless.  Aurora said, "I guess this brings us back to the original question: would you like to hear a little about our side of the whole thing?"

     After a moment Kirk said: "Y'know, I really would.  I have a feeling it's gonna be a lot more interesting than chanting with Kalianna.  But how about you, Jen?"

     "Well, the Kirtan usually goes on for about a half-hour.  But now that I'm getting over the initial shock of hearing all this, I'm wondering why I'm not. . . well, terrified.  That's how I would've imagined myself to react in a situation like this, confronting someone who's part of the forces my spiritual teacher says are destroying the world, and who admits to being a. . . a. . . ."

     "How about 'warlord'?" said Gavin.  "I believe that's the most popular media term."

     "And is it accurate?"

     "Oh, he's the best!" said Aurora, with an admiring glance at Gavin.

     "Wow!" said Jen. "So there it is.  Yet somehow I don't feel afraid of you at all."  Her mind formed the words: In fact, I'm really turned on by you!  But she caught herself before she voiced the thought.

 

2. Masters, Supermen, and Übers

 

     Aurora put her hand in Gavin's, resting on the table.  They looked at each other and took a couple of deep breaths in unison.  They squeezed hands, released the grasp, and sat back smiling at Kirk and Jennifer.  Then Gavin began speaking: "Aurora and I were raised in an intentional community that shares a deep spiritual bond.  We worked hard to become self-sufficient because we knew that the world order was breaking down, and were not caught by surprise when it manifested dramatically in the economic bust and the political fragmentation that followed." 

     "How were you able to know that in advance?" said Kirk.

     "For one thing, we took the planetary alignment to be in Aries."

     "Wow," said Jennifer, "so that's really a big deal, like Kalianna says.  I was never sure how seriously to take the whole trip about those astrological events at the turn of the millennium."

     "Yes," said Gavin, "but astrology only reveals the framework of reality, not what can be done within it.  Its reliability is limited to these broad patterns.  It's possible for an expert astrologer to divine exquisite details, but those are subject to fluid elements like human free will, and have a much lower probability ratio.

     "Another major factor in our foreknowledge was and continues to be our contact with higher conscious forces who have a Godseye view of the world.  They know what's been going on since the beginning of history, and are able to evaluate current developments in that light."

     "Are they like the Ascended Masters?" said Jennifer.

     "What people usually mean by that term is conflated with a lot of fantasy and with projections of their own desires.  However, the notion does overlap with reality in certain limited ways.  There are souls who have transcended the human condition but are still actively involved with humanity.  Many of them have developed superhuman powers."

     Kirk said, "I've heard plenty of stuff about these guys, mostly from Jennifer and some of her friends.  But my big question, which none of them were ever able to answer in a convincing way, is: if there's this great benevolent brotherhood that oversees human affairs, why is everything so screwed up?  I mean, it was always pretty much the pits, but now it's gotten downright hellish."

     "Well," said Jennifer, "I'm sorry you weren't convinced, but I still think the bad stuff is a matter of human free will, like Gavin said, plus the fact that the Godseye view of the Masters can see what's really best for the long term, like thousands of years.  So they weigh the short-term sufferings and self-inflicted disasters of humanity against that."

     "Both of those observations bear a lot of weight," said Gavin, "but the bottom-line answer is that not all the 'Masters' are benevolent."

     "Oh my God!" said Jennifer.

     "Yow!" said Kirk, "you mean it's true that they use secret powers and psychic mind control to manipulate everybody into supporting a New World Order?"

     "That's the other extreme," said Gavin: "occult conspiracy theory, usually with a strong paranoid flavor.  But the more astute researchers often strike veins of truth there too."

     "Come to think of it," said Kirk, "This is what came to mind when Kalianna was talking about the 'secret inner circle' that she's so happy to be a member of."

     "Yes," said Gavin, "a lot of conspiratologists would recognize her associates, at least in the lower echelons of her circles: bankers, media moguls, individuals with all manner of psychic talents, and would-be 'post-humanists' ~ those who want to attain superpowers by merging with the machine."

     "Now I'm the one who's not convinced," said Jennifer.  "I always imagined that her inner circle reached up into the ranks of the Masters.  Have I just been naïve?"

     "No," said Gavin, "because it does.  But again it all hinges on the real nature of those 'Masters'.  The theorists who assume they're all simply evil would take that word in the sense of masters and slaves.  Whereas the Pollyanna camp assumes that anyone who has attained the more exalted stages of psycho-spiritual development must be a saint or a Boddhisattva, dedicated to the salvation of humanity and all sentient beings."  

     "So what's the true story?" asked Kirk.  "What's your view of the Masters, or whatever you want to call these supermen?"

     "Ah, that's close.  We call them Übers."

     "As in Übermensch?" said Jennifer.

     "Right ~ the word reflects the origin of the concept of the superman, at least in modern times.  Except we shorten it to 'Übers' for verbal convenience, and because they're not all men."

     "They're not all ascended either," said Aurora.  "In fact, in our usage of the term, Kalianna would qualify.  Or almost."

     "She needs one more breakthrough," said Gavin. "I think she's right on the threshold, but if the opportunity presented itself to her right now, she'd take a giant leap in the wrong direction."

     "And so she wouldn't become an Über?" said Jennifer.

     "Oh, but she would," said Gavin, "and that would be the worst possible outcome for the rest of the world."  He looked grim as he added: "And for herself as well."

 

3. Secret Wars

 

     "I'm getting the impression," said Kirk, "that you don't see the Übers in simple, dualistic terms of good and evil.  Maybe they're like a higher level of human life, with the same complexities of motivation and broad spectrum of ethics."

     "That," said Gavin, "is an excellent impression."

     "In which case," said Kirk, "the War in Heaven must not be God and his angels vs. Satan and his devils, but something a lot more complicated, just like human wars."

     "You're on the right track," said Gavin, "but there are differences.  Among higher beings, positive spiritual motivation is a much more potent source of strength and power than it is among incarnate humans.  The will to serve Spirit and one's fellow beings, even the adversary, has tremendous practical force.  It can win battles, and in the higher realms it's always the key to victory in war.  Species of beings with this upward orientation have a tremendous tactical advantage over those more susceptible to the lusts and pleasures of the descent into matter, and who therefore tend to be self-serving."

     "That makes sense," said Jennifer.  "Does it mean that the positive forces are destined to win the secret war that's behind the global crisis?"

     "No.  In the realm of dense matter the darker forces have the advantage.  It's easy for them to manipulate incarnate souls who share the downward inclination, which is always the majority of people, and in times like these it's a vast majority."

     "So," said Kirk, "you seem to think that Kalianna is aligned with this downsliding darkside, if that's not too dualistic of a term to use.  Why do you think that?"

     "And anyway, what's the alternative?" added Jennifer.  "What do you stand for?  So far the biggest contrast I see is that Kalianna promotes peace while you seem to relish warfare."

     "That's a very fair question," said Gavin, "because that's certainly how things appear to be.  But appearances can be deceiving.  Think back on the scene you witnessed psychically in Open Secret."

     Jennifer gave a little gasp. "That's right ~ she seemed to be furious at you ~ and Kirk said that before that, she attacked you directly."

     "The promotion of peace," said Gavin, "can be a deadly martial tactic, especially if the war is being fought on fields that are invisible to the onlookers.

     "And now, if I may, I'd like to answer both your questions.  Kalianna makes no secret of the kind of world she's trying to create, so whatever judgment she may deserve pivots on what that would really be like if it came to pass."

     "It would be paradise!" said Jennifer.  "All the worst problems of history would be solved ~ it would actually be a change in the human condition, as Kalianna said."

     "But would it be an improvement?"

     "Of course!  How could it not be?"

     Aurora looked at Gavin and said, "Can I do the honors on this one?" 

     "Be my guest," he said with a smile.

     Her sparkly demeanor turned deadly serious as she said: "The war is a battle for the soul of humanity.  Before the breakdown, the world was turning into one big mechanical hive or ant farm.  People were driven by the goal to get wired into the Matrix and stay that way, to be constantly mobiley connected to their networks of fellow ant-bots and robo-bees.  And of course they were still plugged into the previous layers of zombie-hypnotic movies, TV, and games.  Nobody seemed to notice that this all caused a drastic decline in self-awareness, empathy, autonomy, and all the other qualities that make up the human soul. "

     Jennifer was shocked.  "It can't be that bad!" she said.

     "My mind is blown again," said Kirk.  "The only remotely similar thing I ever heard was that cell phones cause cancer or that media immersion shortens your attention span.  I didn't know it affected my soul.  Well, to be honest, I didn't really know if I had a soul.  I was never very religious or spiritual, except for what rubbed off when I was dating Jen."

     "Forgive me," said Aurora.  "I know that life is still pretty much that way in the parts of the world that are still in the Matrix."

     "It's okay," said Jennifer.  "I guess we shouldn't take it so personally."

     "Yeah," said Kirk, "and if there was some way I could escape from being a wired-in worker-bee, I'd jump at the chance."

     "I'd like to get out of the mess too," said Jennifer, "but I've been pinning my hopes on Kalianna to do it ~ and she says that tech is the way."

     "So the question," said Aurora, "is the real nature of technological civilization.  I think the problem we're faced with is the same as when the characters in the movie tried to explain the nature of the Matrix to the people who were still wholly inside of it.  Maybe the only way is to show you what it looks like from the outside.  Can we do that, Gavin?"

     "Yes, if they're willing."  To Kirk and Jennifer he said, "Would you like to take a look through the eye of God?"

     They were too astonished to speak.  He continued: "It requires an altered state, which is never without some risk, though I feel in this case it'll be minimal."

     "But how can we get into a high state on the spot?" said Jennifer.  "I usually have to sit in lotus for at least a half-hour before it comes on. . . except in special circumstances, like with Kalianna."  She stopped short, remembering how contact with Gavin had delivered her into an exalted state.

     His eyes twinkled as he said, "That part will be easy.  We just need your free-willed assent."

     "Yes," said Jennifer, "I trust you ~ though again, I'm not completely sure why."

     "I'm in," said Kirk.  "What do we have to do?"

     "Let's join hands," said Gavin, "and go with the flow."

 

4. The Pellucid Viewer

 

     They held hands around the table ~ like a seance, thought Kirk.  After a minute or so he noticed a subtle spinning motion, as if the air around them, or perhaps the whole external scene, were revolving.  When he glanced at it, though, everything seemed perfectly stable, nor was there a breeze.  A few moments later, Jennifer slightly squeezed his hand; he looked at her, and she motioned with her eyes at the table top.  Kirk looked down at it, and suddenly shuddered with vertigo: the round surface was a porthole through which he was viewing the ground far below, or so it seemed.

     "I think we've established the nexus," said Gavin.

     "How are you doing this?" asked Jennifer, incredulous.

     "We call it a pellucid viewer," said Aurora.  "The scene is coming from a variable observation point in the sky ~ or actually in the metasphere."

     "But the scene is in daylight," said Kirk, "and it's night here."

     Gavin said, "In the metasphere it's possible to access more than the basic four-dimensional continuum.  We can alter the view at will across a broader spectrum ~ time as well as space."  The scene shifted as if they were swooping across a vast expanse of territory, panning in and out and varying the angle to the ground.  It went through several changes of day and night, and then a complete cycle of the seasons, all within a couple of minutes.

     "It's spectacular!" said Jennifer.  "And I feel as if we're actually flying and floating in the air."

     "In a way we are," said Gavin, "but it would probably be too unsettling to experience it that way, so we retain the overlay of the physical setting around us."

     "Whoa!" said Kirk, "you mean somehow we're really up in the sky?"

     "Not physically," said Aurora, and tightened her grip on his hand.  His fear dissipated, and he felt more grounded.

     The view shifted to a stationery point just to the northeast of San Francisco, a couple of thousand feet higher than the top of the TransAmerica Pyramid, which they could see as a landmark in a semi-panoramic view of the entire Bay Area.  The focus was much sharper than human eyesight, and they could discern the flow of pedestrians in the streets as well as car, train, and maritime traffic.  There was also military activity at certain places, since this formerly paradisiacal piece of geography was now a Green Zone, its felicity secured by a concentration of armed might within heavily-fortified barricades.

     "This is amazing," said Jennifer.  "I really get a sense of looking through the eyes of God."

     "Actually it's 'eye', singular," said Aurora.  "God has only one."

     "You mean like on the back of the dollar bill?" said Kirk.

     "Yes," said Aurora.  "But you ain't seen nothin' yet!  This is just the 3D view, the portion of reality made of hard matter.  We call it the terrasphere."

     "That's right," said Gavin.  "Should we add a couple of dimensions and show you the metaspheric overlay?"

     Kirk tensed for a moment, then said: "I guess that's the whole point, so yeah, I'm ready."

     "Me too," said Jennifer.

     "Okay," said Gavin, and the view began to change.  It was subtle at first: vibrations arose from the people and traffic and buildings, then gradually became visible currents of energy.  It coursed through the landscape in a pattern concatenating on a number of focal points, one of which was the blinking red aircraft beacon atop the TransAmerica Pyramid.  It began to look as if a giant living creature was sprawled across the city and the surrounding area.  Jennifer thought she could make out the shadowy forms of arms and legs ~ and the beacon was at the crown of its head.  It became more tangible, and now she could see that its body was actually constructed of the city and towns themselves, and of the objects and people they contained.  The streets and railways and shipping lanes were its veins and arteries, implying that the people who traveled in them were its blood cells.  Refineries, factories, and other industrial facilities were major bodily organs; the communication network and media were its sensory apparatus.

     Jennifer struggled to digest the import of this incredible imagery.  Evidently we're all part of something larger than ourselves, she thought ~ something invisible, that we're not aware of.  She wondered if the creature were sentient, and if it exerted some form of control over the miniscule humans who were the cells of its mystical body.  Was it a God or a beast or a titan, or what?

     The view sharpened, and its form became more solid, if not yet pellucid.  Jennifer gasped, and cast a frightened look at Kirk.  "Do you see it too?" she asked.

     "I sure do," he said; "it's a fucking robot!"