The Symmetry of Life- Book 1: To See, To Know, To Be Human - 12. Chapter 12: The Great Summit

Chapter 12: The Great Summit

I don’t think I lived up to Brian’s hopes and aspirations. Yes, I did keep questioning and inspired even further questions, but I never could break the divide between life and death with my questions. I wished that I could have kept trying longer. I never stopped keeping Bobby in my heart, nor do I think he ever forgot me in his. Perhaps, our gulf was just too wide.

After we were transported back to the room, Ka’zel also returned, “I hope meditation suited everyone. We do not have the facilities of Arknor vessels, but our approximation is the best that the Kal can offer.”

Brian laughed, “Ka’zel, you have to stop offering me hospitality. I am deeply honored and I know you are doing it out of a genuine sense of gratitude for everything I have done over the eons. However, I did it due to my desire and other half’s hope to help your people.”

Ka’zel nodded, “Despite your words, we shall continue to extend our generosity to you and all your companions. Now, we must head to the meeting chamber.”

I looked over at Brian and he answered my silent question, “I should have told you Josh, before we go to our new home, we have to settle the new full treaty between the Gar’ta, the Kal, the Hork, Arknor, and benign Drake under the alliance I proposed nearly 8 years ago. It took that long for all the species to gather here on earth. President Eisenhower has also arrived on board as an observer, I would have wished to invite other world leaders, but as the competition between the US and Soviet Union has intensified, it is the best I can do without creating competing demands. The Soviet Union will be given compensation for this slight with a technology several fold in value by the Gar’ta. The meeting will be recorded for posterity and records, if one day this becomes public knowledge.”

In a flash, we were transported to another room. The room had a circular table with 9 silver chairs and one smaller half circular table to one side with one chair. Other than us, President Eisenhower was sitting at the distant side table away from the main table and Gary was sitting at one of the placements at the circular table. Brian guided me and Bobby to our chairs at the table; then, he sat down at his assigned seat next to me and Gary. Several flashes came one after another delivering four other beings to the room. First, Ka’zel, leader of the Kal arrived in ceremonial robes of brown and green. Then, a Hork covered in light brown fur carrying a large staff appeared. Then, a Arknor appeared in his sleek silver colored mechanical suit. Finally, another human being appeared of Asian descent with green robes and a large jade necklace around his neck. Being from California, I have seen many Asian people from the Japs to the Chinese, but there was something different about him. There was still one seat left empty.

Brian looked over at the Asian man, “Yu, if you do not mind, can you drop your illusion cloak, so the council may see your true face.”

At Brian’s insistence, the Asian man transformed into a Drake, startling me and Bobby with curses in unison, “Damn” and “Hell” echoed.

The Drake glanced at us and bowed, then spoke to Brian directly, “I am sorry for offending you my grace.”

Brian shook his head, “Don’t worry, you’re operating under my guidance, but I have to make sure that everyone in the room knows that you are not an imposter.”

Yu approvingly bowed, and then turned to Bobby and me, “I am Yu, the jade dragon emperor.”

Bobby eyeballed Yu over, questioning Brian, “He doesn’t look like a dragon.”

Bobby feared embarrassment due to silence at his simple exposition, Yu responded, “You are thinking of the symbolic dragons of western civilization derived from my Brethren, the Drake, who manifest destruction and upheaval. When my race was permitted through the “First” to return to earth in small numbers to help develop the human race after the Ainur were wiped out or exiled,” Yu looking over at Gary and Ka’zel sympathetically, “Our actions were later integrated into the belief systems of many polytheistic cultures such that the ancient Chinese and even ancient Egyptian, who would call us, dragons. In recent times, we have remained quiet and merely observe human beings rather than interact.”

Brian nodded, “He’s speaking the truth, also if anyone in this room has questions about certain issues, beings, and histories, please feel free to ask. Bobby, do not worry, there are no stupid questions in this council.”

President Eisenhower sitting on the side asked his question, “Why did your species split apart, Mr. Yu?”

Yu glanced over at President Eisenhower, “I sense you are a man of war, who has led millions into combat. As a soldier speaking to another soldier, my people and the Drake’s philosophies diverged far too sharply to ever bridge. They clung to the old ways of dominating worlds through force of technology, but we simply wished to acquire greater knowledge and extend our species survival through gradual expansion. It is a very long story that I can offer material to you after this meeting. I think you are positing this question due to the recent upheaval in modern Chinese civilization between the traditionalists and Communist factions. There may be parallels, but I assure you, the Drake under my guidance had refrained from intervention for centuries.”

The Hork roared at his description, “Drakes should have left the earth and never came back. Your era ended 65 million years ago, when God bombarded this world. We were what came next before the Ainur and humans. We were taught to use technology properly by our benefactor. We were the best species to evolve on this world. Our claims are superior to any of you.”

Yu, Gary, and Ka’zel each held expressions of anger at those remarks, Brian tried to diffuse the situation, “The Hork may have developed spacefaring technology relatively quickly with the aid of certain angelic beings, but your species never held the population levels to be able to support more than a nomadic lifestyle. The Hork left earth due to your nomadic compulsions. Even today, due to your expansive civilization, you are stretching yourself into extinction. It is why you have agreed to this meeting, in hopes that we may negotiate a better way for you to cross-breed with human beings to keep up population growth. You’re situation is no different than the Gar’ta or the Kal.”

The Hork emissary went quiet fairly quickly with Brian’s admonishment, the Arknor emissary spoke, “We wish to establish a process for all species to survive equally and fairly. The “First” has agreed to this ideal, there are no superior claims or inferior claims. Let us discuss the reproductive problems of each species.”

Gary’s skin turned white for a moment, then he spoke, “The Gar’ta have been working with the humans to alleviate our genetic issue due to the prohibition against Ainur procreation set nearly one hundred thousand years ago. Due to those prohibitions and our continuous use of cloning, we have exhausted the replication ability of our genetic pool. In addition to our base genetic issue, our mutual enemies have begun attacks against my people, which compound our genetic issue, so we broke the original peace treaty and returned to earth seeking aid. In the earth standard year of 1947, we agreed to a new treaty brokered by the “First” to allow limited research and study of human beings in order to help repair our genetic pool. While we have made some progress, our population decline is far too steep to be countered by limited research. It is our hope that through the joint council that was proposed in that first meeting, we may be allowed to experiment on live human subjects with genetic traces of the Ainur race.”

President Eisenhower frowned at Gary suggestion as he did 8 years earlier, but Ka’zel surprisingly agreed, “Yes, tragically, we are also experiencing the same problems our Gar’ta relatives have experienced due to the prohibition against breeding with human beings to the Ainur. We left earth centuries before the war, led by the “First” and his other half to the ancestral Arknor home world. Thus, instead of using cloning technology like the Gar’ta, the “First”, and Arknor helped us alter our body chemistry and genetic structure to extend our lives by nearly a thousand fold. However, in order to do that, our birth rates have decreased substantially over the last hundred thousand years. We still possess the capability and stamina to reproduce, but our fertility is far too low to support our civilization if the we are engaged in conflict as we expect to be due to our mutual enemy rising. We also second the Gar’ta representative’s point.”

The Hork nodded, “I will thank the “first” for his wisdom earlier, even though I still hold my belief in my species superiority, despite our problems. Yes, our lack of settlement has resulted in our species dying off far too quickly. I also agree that human experimentation is inevitable.”

Yu transformed back into his human form and affirmed, “My people do not have biological issues such as your own, but we are also dying out due to the corrupting influence of the enemy. Many have begun to turn towards the Drake ideals of warfare and dominance due to the allure of power. For eons, our worlds were able to fight off the Drake separatists, but in the last few centuries, many of our worlds have fallen. The Drake made alliances with the Enemy, who use corrupted humans to create powerful beings of unimaginable power. We call them Dar’akh. We must learn more about humanity, if we are to defeat the Enemy. I also agree with the other Emissaries.”

Bobby looked at me as Yu was speaking; I nodded and posed the question, “Are these human agents of the Enemy, Demons?”

Gary and Yu nodded; then Brian gave the revelations, “Demons are a religious concept in human terms, but the factual reality is they are human spirits corrupted by hatred and pain. Josh, you have faced only one demon. You have defeated him only through his love for Melissa, which ignited the last part of his humanity into action. When facing an army of these beings, there will be no such luxury. I wish there was another way. I know what the “First” has agreed in terms to the Gar’ta over the eventual allowance of human experimentation, but I personally cannot agree with him. As I am in conflict with myself, I must abstain.”

I questioned Brian, “Why can’t they do what Bobby and you have done? You told me that learning from perspective was the best way.”

The Hork emissary shook noticeably, while Kaz’el and Gary glanced downward, Brian answered, “It is not so easy to enter a life cycle. Consciousness is unique within each species and each individual. The Arknor, agents of death, you, and I are able to separate our primary consciousness and reform a portion into creating a modified human consciousness or soul. The Hork were taught that manipulating such things were morally wrong, while the Drake, the Gar’ta, and the Kal are being actively prevented from joining the human life cycle. God does not like the idea of manipulating consciousness for beings not ready to learn the secret of universal relationships.”

The Arknor emissary appeared to glow and affirmed Brian’s statements, “We have learned much about the human perspective, but we have also learned much about human intolerance. Logically, only human experimentation can suffice to answer these biological questions. However, we cannot agree based on our frame of reference, thus we must abstain as well.”

President Eisenhower having been silent for so long made his appeal, “Brian, I am grateful for everything you have done. I am also grateful for what Gary has offered in his knowledge and technical services to keep us in competitive footing with the Russians. However, I cannot in good conscience accept these terms that these beings are proposing. There is a trust between my people and their leaders, as I discern you all hold as well. It would be inhuman to allow forced experimentation.”

The Hork emissary snorted, “Yes, like the experimentation your own government performed on a segment of your population due to their skin tone, age, or mental capacity. You speak of grand ideals and great conscience as an individual, but when your own people act in the same way we have proposed, you do nothing to stop them.”

President Eisenhower coldly assailed that insinuation, “We are not the Nazis, their kind of research was unorthodox and the United States would never allow anything of similar note.”

The Hork Emissary countered, “Oh, my people have learned of research facilities in a place called Tuskegee in a province of your nation called Alabama. Under the false guise of food, medical attention, and easy transportation, your medical personnel are exposing darker skin toned males to diseases in order to research the effect of the diseases; then forcefully sterilized these males. The Arknor will soon see your experimentation, when their latest group returns from the human life cycle. In a place called Willowbrook in your province of New York, there is an educational facility that takes in those with perceived lower mental capacity. A man named Krugman is infecting your young with a virus to create a vaccine for the rest of your people. You have done no worse than what we are proposing.”

At that point, I didn’t know about the Tuskegee experiments, which would not be made public knowledge until the 1970’s. The accusation of the Hork emissary was true and sadly reflected the realities of racism and eugenics in the mid-20^th century. The Tuskegee study would take healthy African Americans from rural areas, usually poor and under-educated. They would be promised hot meals, medical care, and access to cars into town, if they agreed to certain “flu” shots. The injections were filled with the syphilis disease, along with other diseases. Beyond that study, mandatory sterilization for African Americans was not uncommon in Southern states.

The stuff about the mentally disabled kids was also true. Among them, the Arknor were mistakenly labeled due to their advanced communal consciousness creating interference and apparent aphasic tendencies. The Arknor are the eldest living silicon based life forms in the universe; it is ironic that in the human life cycle, we perceive their high level of intellect to be a mental incapacity.

President Eisenhower looked as if a car had ran him over as the revelations flowed out to the members. I don’t know how much he knew, but by the pained expression on his face, it was obvious that he did not want to talk about it.

He stared at Brian pleadingly, maybe for mercy or just a kind word, but Brian’s face turned extremely red with anger, “I just witnessed what was done and what is still continuing, I have no words to describe it. Mr. President, while I applaud you as an individual, I cannot look away at this.”

President Eisenhower nodded somberly, “We have many problems in our society. I do not know where to begin ending that chain of prejudice.”

Brian softly replied, “Educate them about one another’s differences and do not allow perceived prejudice to fester into mass murder.”

Before we all could consume that piece of reasoning, a flash of light blasted in the room, a human like being appeared at the 9^th seat, “Teacher, I am sorry to be late, my duties took me further away than I’d imagine, but I was listening the entire time.”

Brian, noticeably surprised and made happier by this appearance, answered back “I did not expect a representative of the Heavenly body, but knowing your father, I still prepared a chair for his emissary just in case.”

The Hork emissary kept his head low, while Gary was noticeably incensed that this being appeared. Ka’zel showed signs of discomfort to see this guest. Yu seemed indifferent over the appearance, but he made a hand gesture that I think is equivalent to the middle finger. The Arknor emissary glowed slightly blue, which I think meant curiosity as I later learned.

As for us, Bobby was shook up by the sudden appearance, much more than Brian with noticeable joy. President Eisenhower was struck in awe by the simple beauty that the angelic being exuded. I could feel that there was more to this being than meets the eyes as a feeling of joy seemed to overcome me, like opening gifts before Christmas.

The being addressed all of us, “Humans call me Michael, but you may call me Mike.”

I knew the answer, but needed to confirm it, “As in the Archangel, Michael?”

Mike nodded, “Yes, I am…”

Gary interjected, “…butcher, murderer, and assassin. Your lies led my people to the brink of extinction. You dare show your face here!”

Gary levitated above the ground, preparing to strike down Michael, but Ka’zel with one glance transported him back to his seat. Then, the Hork emissary held him down with noticeable force as his large staff, which appeared like solid metal, became malleable and turned into a metallic rope.

Michael looked over at Brian, “I see the Gar’ta still have not accepted that my father did the right thing those centuries ago.”

Brian looked over at Gary, Yu, and Ka’zel, “I do not think anyone of Ainur or Drake descent would agree with what he did. I welcome you to this meeting though as his emissary and leader of the Angels.”

Michael accepted the response stoically, “I understand, my father’s plans are not always noticeable just as your own”; he then glanced over at Yu, “I wish to offer appreciation from the heavenly host for your services in our recent engagements with the demons.”

Yu scowled, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If they are busy engaging your forces, my people will be safer.”

The Hork emissary disdainfully warned Yu, “Show Michael some honor, or else you may have another enemy at your gateway.”

Brian with speed tried to diffuse the situation, “We should get back to business of humanity and the wars that are presently before us rather than plan for wars to come.”

With that the meeting continued, Michael offered his point, “The body of heaven agrees with the Teacher’s assessment that at present no other course is possible in the short amount of time before the Ka’zel, Gar’ta, and Hork become extinct. We propose unlimited human experimentation and biological research on those corrupted. However, we also desire to reduce the amount of demons being created through active intervention based on the established belief systems. The Teacher has outlined his plan, which my father supports, but my father wishes to add to it.”

President Eisenhower shook his head trying to understand, “How can we teach people not to hate, hold prejudices, or believe in their own superiority to others if you propose something this type treatment. Even here, our furry friend earlier exemplified the human response towards favoritism. If I may be so bold, why can’t your father return and deliver us into grace as he did before?”

Michael shook, “He does not wish to return at the present. If he did, then he would probably destroy humanity for its grotesque actions. My father is very displeased with mankind as he witnessed your two world wars. The heavenly body is also angered by the fact that your people dare to use our names to glorify violence and destruction. We only commit to violence, when there is no other option. Yet, you seem to believe that we enjoy fighting demons, including our fallen brethren.”

President Eisenhower based on his knowledge of the Bible added, “Then, the story about Lucifer is true? He rebelled against your father and fell into corruption. Humanity believed that he fell due to his lust for power and his denial of bowing to humanity.”

Michael showed great pain at that retelling, “Yes, his corruption came about due to power and humanity, but your story does not cover the entire ordeal. He was a strong warrior during the Drake and Ainur conflicts, but those wars changed him. His once shining idealistic light had diminished as the wars wore on. After the Ainur war, he secretly sought to know the reason that we were fighting and encountered the Enemy. He learned a Truth that we were prevented from learning by our father. Then, he spread that truth throughout the Heavenly body, until many Angels were corrupted. A large group of us was sent on assignment outside of Heaven after the war, so we never knew the secret that drove them to betray our father. Then, we made war on one another, until both my Father and the Teacher intervened to end the bloodshed. My father banished him.”

Brian appeared distant in his thoughts, “Your father did not need to banish him or the others, if he would have allowed Lucifer one more chance. He might have been redeemed. Mercy may have given meaning to that war and all the ones ever since.”

Michael somberly replied, “We will never know Teacher if he could have been redeemed.”

I thought back at his words and asked a simpler question outside the big history lesson, “Why do you call Brian, Teacher, instead of the “First” like the others?”

Michael inspected at me, “I see much of the Ainur curiosity in you, perhaps their best trait, if only they held their warring ways in check. To answer your question, Brian, as you know him in his earthly vessel, the first sentient consciousness in all reality, but my father was the first living being and created the universe as a result. My father learned much of the old order from the “First” and they both explored the current universe together. My father knows much about the space we dwell in, but the realm of thought and darkness is not something he can teach us easily. When we were created, my father sought out the “First”, who agreed to teach us about thought and darkness. Thus, all Angels today consider him as our revered Teacher.”

It’s interesting to imagine. Everything, I had learned from Brian, was the same type of training that the Angels had received from him eons before. Things started clicking in my mind at that point about the little details that I was taught along the way. Brian was preparing me for a quest of my own; something dangerous and all consuming.

Gary, having calmed down, demanded the emissaries return to business, “We must get back to present time, not ancient history. We need to now hear the voices of Bobby as representative of the agents of death, and Josh as the Protector of our legacy.”

Michael dismissively shook his head, “Why do the Gar’ta need to hear from them if you have reached a majority based on all the beings assembled here, including both myself and Brian. There is no more point to be made; my father’s orders shall be done.”

Brian breathed deeply and answered, “A large majority does not validate an action. Without the voice of all intervening parties outside humanity, there can be no treaty. I wished humanity had a voice here as well, but alas they are far too divided to join us on this level of discussion. In a way, I operate on a concept of democracy that values all voices even if we may never agree. A voice in opposition may be able to carry more weight than a million voices in support, because in opposition, you gain perspective and new outlooks, in unity you will only stagnate. Your father and I have disagreed on many things, including this point about the need to hear opposition.”

Michael at first gave me a feeling of immense joy and satisfaction; I guess that is the fulfillment of heaven and Angels with the happiness aura, but at that moment I could tell that Bobby, myself, and even President Eisenhower outside the circular table had realized something. There’s a fundamental concept that God in all his wisdom holds, which cannot be justified, no matter if the final choice is right. There’s a problem with Judeo-Christian ideology that I first learned from this encounter with one of the pillars in their belief system. In order for God’s reign to hold absolute value, there can be no opposing voice. Perhaps, God is always right about everything, but it does not mean that we should be ignored if we are wrong. A benign dictatorship, no matter how well it is run or how much you love their systems, is still a dictatorship. This is where I began to truly understand the difference between Brian and God, Darkness and Light.

Bobby spoke first, “I don’t remember what it feels like to be an Agent of Death, but I know what dying feels like and what death looks like. There’s a release in it that allows you to end the pain within life. It is a type of comfort and peace that all people yearn for eventually; though hopefully, they will wait for their time. However, the experimentation that you desire to be performed on humans would dramatically draw them closer to death in search of peace away from your torture on their bodies. Yes, Brian and Josh have told me that you can block a person from remembering those experiences, but those blocks cannot hold forever. Also, I am betting that any person experimented on will not be a singular event; each successive experiment will increase the risk of a block being released until they are faced with the memories of their mutilated and abused bodies. Mankind may not do any better in their own experiments on other humans, but I hope you reconsider your votes or at least try to reduce the harm with as few experiments as possible.”

Bobby looked towards me, I really didn’t know what to say to top that, but remembered what Brian said to me about questions so I posed a few, “Why did all this have happen? Why are so many of you dying out now? Why are human demons being created at such an alarming rate that it is threatening the beings not dying out like Yu’s people? You all know that these issues are linked together; they create the other issues as you keep this up. You might not have any other choice now, but you do not need to continue on a path towards further destruction.”

Around the table, everyone made slight gestures indicating that they were in deep thought, except the Hork emissary and Michael. Brian gave an approving glance at both of us and the Arknor emissary seemed to glow in amusement at our words. I almost could imagine a smile coming from the Arknor emissary. I think Isaac Asimov probably would have wanted to see a silicon based being smile.

Everyone looked towards Brian, who delivered the final words of the summit with a long sigh, “This alliance is now formal. Our first decision on human experimentation has passed by consensus. Everyone shall agree to formal rules stipulated 8 years ago by me to the Gar’ta on limits to human experiments. Also, in addition to those rules set earlier, all humans that undergo experimentation must be documented and their human governments given acknowledgement. If the memory blocks do break at least others may be able to help them deal with what they faced. This concludes the summit.”

With those words, a series of light flashes occurred. In moments, we were transported to the front of a three story colonial home. Greg, Patrick, Sarah, and Maggie were also with us. They were smiling like all their troubles had been taken away. The Kal nectar and psychic counseling is an awesome treatment for deep depression, but it is not a cure. It reduces the pain that is created from experiences, but Brian told me that unless I had endured serious trauma and torture, the Kal treatment would be a crutch that could destroy me. Even though Bobby suffered much more abuse than the younger kids; Brian did not permit him to go through the Kal therapy either. I later learned why, but it perplexed me at that point.

I stared at Brian, asking the same question that had been in my heart throughout those years, “What am I?”

Brian looked at me and answered, “You are the Protector, not of any specific being, but the legacy of the Ainur. You will hold the two keys to the future, while my descendant shall hold the Last and First key to save us all.”

The End

For Now………