This is part 6. See previous posts for parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
On a sunny, brisk fall afternoon, Mira met Kim for a walk around a lake. The wind was constant, with occasional uncomfortable bursts. The oaks and maples in the park surrounding the lake wore shades of orange. The friends met and started off down the lakeside pathway.
"Long time no see," said Kim.
"I'm here now," said Mira.
"It only took a thousand texts," said Kim. "And now that you're here, how are things with Tanner?"
"Fine," said Mira. "Normal. Boring. Do you really want to talk about my boss?"
"Don't you?" asked Kim. "I would've thought you'd be dying to tell me."
"I wish," said Mira, relishing her new professional secrets. "Oh, there is one thing I found out that you might like. About Elliot. Turns out his whole controversy was staged for publicity, to drive web traffic to his sites. Part of what he calls his public relations algebra."
"No way!" said Kim.
"Datawar was in on it from the start," said Mira. "Other conspiracy and alt-right websites all piled on later, but Datawar got the whole ball rolling when it accused Elliot of secretly being a CIA agent trying to start a second American revolution."
"So all of it was theater?" asked Kim. "How cynical am I that that doesn't surprise me?"
"He's the most organized person I've ever worked for," said Mira. "He has a schedule for everything. Even tweets."
"Tweets?" asked Kim. "Like, for old people?"
"Old people are his audience," said Mira, shrugging.
"There's totally something different about you," said Kim. "You're not sleeping with him?"
"No way!" said Mira, more forcefully than she intended to. "I might, someday," she added, mostly to scandalize her friend.
"Well, I found something," said Kim, not taking the bait. "While you've been busy, I've been getting way spiritual. I'm listening to this crazy book on philosophy. It actually makes a lot of sense."
"Oh yeah?" said Mira. "What's it called?"
"'Transforming With The Pattern,' I think," said Kim.
Mira stopped walking involuntarily. Kim was listening to the Hearken bible? She wasn't sure she could handle that.
"What's up?" asked Kim.
"Nothing, it's just ... ," said Mira, resuming the walk. "What made you decide to check that out?"
"Someone I follow is into it," said Kim. "I can send you a link."
"That's cool," said Mira, doing her best to not sound sarcastic. "I'm already reading too much for work. But great that you like it. Any profound insights so far?"
"They say that the world is made of cooperating advanced consciousnesses, including us," said Kim. "I kind of like that. Then there's a bunch of stuff about choosing how you see things. Choosing what you feel. I think it's empowering."
"What's empowering about it?" asked Mira.
"It's complicated, but I'll try to explain," said Kim. "Imagine that we're in the matrix, only the matrix isn't running on a computer, it's running in the neurons of basically gods, and we're some of the gods running this matrix. They call this matrix The Pattern. The key to a good life is placement in and alignment with The Pattern. Placement in The Pattern is usually out of our hands, but alignment with The Pattern is something most people can learn to control."
"Wow, it sounds like you're really into this," said Mira. "What do your other friends think?"
"I'm just trying it out, is all," said Kim. "The only people I've talked to about it are online. There's a meditation retreat I'm thinking about going to in spring, but that's a ways away. Knowing me, I'll probably be sick of it by then. There is an event next month, a channeler who channels a matrix god, that looks fun. I'll go if you go!"
"I don't know what channeling a matrix god means," said Mira, determined to keep her secret. "But sure, I'll go with you. I mean, if it's not too expensive."
"Fifty bucks," said Kim. "Shouldn't be a problem with your fancy new salary."
"I keep forgetting," grinned Mira. "So what exactly will this event consist of?"
"A channeler sits in the front of the room, goes into a mystical trance, and then temporarily becomes a non-human, spiritual entity," explained Kim. "People ask this entity questions, it talks about other worlds and different layers of reality, that kind of stuff."
"Have you been to one of these before?" asked Mira.
"No, but I've seen a bunch of videos of them," said Kim. "Sometimes the channelers talk in funny voices, and the good ones have whole, seamless personalities that they take on. Good channelers are either way better actors than anyone in Hollywood or they're tapped into something real."
"So is the channeler we're going to see connected with the book that you're reading?" asked Mira.
"Yeah, he's part of the group that put it out, Hearken, they're called," said Kim. "His name is Grant Fisher. Heard of him?"
In her mind's eye, Mira saw the grainy portrait of Grant Fisher pinned to the wall in her boss' secret office. "Rings a bell," she said. "Send me a link?"
"For sure," said Kim. "I think we're going to have fun!"
"Can we bring a bottle?" asked Mira, only half in jest.
"Drinks after," said Kim. "Maybe we can find a group to go out with."
"We'll see," said Mira, who had no desire to go out with this theoretical group.
(Feature image from Pixabay.)
Read my novels:
- The Paradise Anomaly is available in print via Blurb and for Kindle on Amazon.
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