Virtually Real (13 page)

Chapter 16

Consequences

The virtual world

The pleas of Jeremy and Rabbi Moesh caused only a short-lived response in the nation of Israel. The allurement of wealth and comfort, the artificial friendliness of the surrounding nations and the hypocritical deferential treatment many Israelis experienced sapped their inclination to be whole-hearted in their regard for Y’shua. The predictions start to unfold.

As time went on laws were changed. Old restrictions, especially those of a moral nature, were softened so that the population came to enjoy new ‘freedoms’; freedoms that in fact brought bondage.

For his part, Antoni Meshiac was more than pleased with the progress being made – even if he had to wait a year or two. It was not like Antoni to have much affection for any person other than himself, but in the afterglow of a good meal and a more than satisfying time with I’isabel he almost felt a warm regard for Aaron Nawkish. He quickly dismissed these thoughts however since they could interfere with his main ambition – the complete rule of all the nations on earth.

This was the ambition that drove him. Patience was not a trait that sat easily with him, but his self discipline was extraordinary and he would never let any human weakness, or emotion, detract him from his goal. Even I’isabel would be sacrificed if this was required. He did not mind if he did not
appear
to rule foreign nations. He was quite happy to have front leaders who could take the accolades, or be sacrificed if necessary, but he had to know that they were totally subordinated to him. He would bring about his own aggrandizement when it suited.

Antoni started to consider the invasion of Israel. In spite of his previous accord with Chou Yi, he would make his own judgements on what to do and when. Treaties, agreements and promises meant nothing to Antoni unless they serve his own agenda. In spite of this, he called Chou Yi.

“Chou I think that it is time we moved on Israel. Most of their population now have given Y’shua second place and already the first stages of moral corruption are starting to grow. I believe that their protection is reduced to the point that we can now be successful. Do you agree?”

“Ah! Antoni! I have been waiting for your call. We are ready for the next stage. What are your plans?”

Antoni thought that was typical, with each of them trying to get information from the other first.

“Remember what we discussed last time? I will arrange a pretext to invade Israel and start destroying them as a nation. You will allow some to take refuge in China so that their technological skills are not lost, and you have promised to make those skills available to us also.”

I don’t trust Chou and will ensure that I can keep the best Israeli scientists in my own safe havens Antoni thought to himself.

“Don’t try to hedge your bets both ways and keep too many for yourself Antoni. We will only win out in this if we can rely on each other,” Chou Yi reiterated as if he had read Antoni’s mind. They knew each other only too well, but each thought that they personally would gain the upper hand.

Antoni decided to take a gamble and be more direct with Chou Yi.

“Look Chou, I know that we both have very strong ambitions, we both want much the same things that at the end only one of us can have. In time we may even have to directly out-play one another to see who wins, but in the meantime we can both make significant gains for ourselves and consolidate our positions in our own empires if we co-operate. If our enemies see any division between us this will be exploited, and cause us both much trouble and grief. By standing together no enemy will have any safe haven. Whatever else we may try to do later can only come about by trusting each other this time.”

Antoni’s skill with sincerity was magnificent.

Chou replied, “Antoni I know your deceptive ways and that your charisma holds sway over your domain, but you are right. The only way our mutual goals will be achieved will be by our co-operation in subduing Israel’s independence and by eliminating all those who claim Y’shua as their God or Lord as they sometimes call him. Each person can have only one to whom they give their final allegiance, and at this stage it must be either you or me. I cannot stand anyone who has a trust and allegiance to a mythical being – it means we have no control over them, and it means they can influence others to follow them. We both know that many in our populations hate us because of the firm way we deal with dissidents. We must keep the loyalty of our people through manipulated ‘love’ if we can, or fear if we can’t. So what is your scheme? I will co-operate.”

“As we considered previously, Chou, we will generate an excuse to invade Israel and we will do it in such a way that many of the intellectuals and skilled people will be able to escape. You will provide sanctuary for them in order to learn their skills and knowledge. You will share that knowledge with us of course, and after ‘a thousand flowers have blossomed’ you will be free to ensure that they are put out of the way before they have too much influence on our own people.

“That is the principle we agreed to, and I’m sure that we can get our generals and bureaucrats to work the details to a successful conclusion.”

“That sounds fine to me. But it is important that our two empires be seen as co-operating even when we are taking in Israeli refugees that you are persecuting. I have an idea that a suitable marriage between my daughter Ming Si and your nephew Hans Meitner would provide this evidence of our cooperation. What do you think?”

“I’ll think it over. I think it will be a good idea to do it when tensions may be high between our citizens. It will show them that we can have our apparent differences and still be friends.”

“One more thing,” said Chou Yi. “We must have an agreement that dissidents and Y’shua followers do not find sanctuary in either of our spheres of influence. I propose that our officials ensure that a suitable treaty is drawn up between us for this end.”

Antoni thought for a while.

“I agree. But we must have a mutual extradition agreement on this. It is better that we have the right to deal with our own in ways that our respective peoples will understand. And by the way, initially they won’t be persecuted for being followers of Y’shua – that would be too blatant. They must be charged, at least initially, with things like sedition, treason, terrorism, fifth column activities and such like. This will enable us to keep an image of tolerance and of being hard on those who would cause harm.”

“You think of everything my friend.” Chou Yi smiled.

The two left the subject and went their own ways.

Chapter 17

Darkness

The real world

Eli was closely observing the machinations of Lucas’ influence on Antoni and Chou Yi. His heart ached for the many friends he had among the v-people – even those that had preoccupations with the enticements of the v-world yet still believed in Y’shua. But those who were tepid and lukewarm were the most distasteful to him. He loved all passionately but, like any human relationship, the degree of response determined the depth of intimacy.

Those that were truly devoted to Y’shua were a minority of the total v-person population, but as far as Eli was concerned, this made it all worthwhile and countered the sadness he felt for the majority who just wanted to go their own way, live life on their own terms, choose not to know the truth and not to have concerns about their final destiny. Eli knew that some were aware of an existence beyond the life they experienced in the v-world and that somehow they would continue to exist in another world of different dimensions.

Those who ignored Eli and sought only their own selfish ways would have to be separated from Eli’s world. But since they would continue to exist, they would have to have a separate existence with Lucas, because Eli had determined that when his own purposes were complete Lucas would have to be incarcerated and his followers with him – whether v-people or Lucas’ colleagues in the real world. At present Lucas truly believed that he was going to win and rule in Eli’s stead. He initially had some nagging doubts but the intoxication of his arrogance cemented deception firmly in place.

“You seem lost in thought Eli,” chipped Anna as she came through the door. “And I don’t like the way the scenarios in the v-world are unfolding. Are you sure you know what you are doing? Lucas is getting his puppets, Chou Yi and Antoni, to attain complete domination and to finally eliminate all v-people who have any knowledge of, or allegiance to, you. It looks as if your friends in the v-world will undergo much suffering and premature death. I know you have explained before, but I still can’t take it all in.”

“Ah! Anna! The one who had done all the practical mathematics that made this project work. The one who has so much knowledge and insight still cannot see the beginning from the end,” he teased.

“Look,” he went on, “within your own equations you will see what I see. Our position relative to the v-world is of another dimension which means that we can transcend their sense of time and its direction. The speed at which we run the project is not discerned by the v-people themselves, but from our perspective we can see their beginning and their end before they experience it. I want you to look again at the relational mathematics you have been using, but, this time, see how it is that we are living outside the v-world time domain.”

“That’s a difficult assignment Eli. Conceptually I cannot quite see it.”

“Don’t worry if you can’t ‘see it’ at present. Just study the equations themselves and you will recognise that our reality and theirs are different, even though they run in parallel in so many other ways. Let me know your insights once you have done the research.”

Anna looked puzzled but went on her way.

Meanwhile Lucas was boasting to Ramgee about his success so far.

“Eli thinks he knows it all, and he thinks that the mathematics of this project will work in his favour in the end. But I believe I understand the workings of this project better than he does and I know him better than anyone. He has so many scruples that he will not violate. Because of that we will gain the upper hand.”

“So what do you think his ultimate aim is in all this?” Ramgee enquired. “If we do not know his ultimate purpose we may be out manoeuvred.”

“I’ve said it before. He wants v-people of similar character to himself. He will then cause them to become like us by using the self adjusting codes embodied in the v-people. So even if he gets a few we will still out number him and take over the whole project for our own benefit. We can do what he is doing but our plan is to have v-people who are completely submitted to us for our own enjoyment and pleasures. Some of our team have already played around sexually with the v-people – but that was mainly before the v-world flood that Eli sent. That is the difference between us. He wants people like himself; we want people
for
ourselves.”

“So we cannot let him get too many in his camp I guess.”

“No! I hate Eli and as soon as he has no more believers in Y’shua in the v-world, we would have won. The v-world
will
be completely under our control – and with it, Eli!”

Lucas went on, “You know my plans Ramgee, and I want you to be very careful and thorough in how you manipulate Chou Yi. I want Antoni, who I will personally deal with, to be the total ruler of the whole of the v-world, and I want Aaron to be totally in charge of all the forms of the Nimrah religion that will hold these people in bondage. Let us not delay any more.”

Anna returned about three weeks later to Eli.

“I have it, I have it!” she said beaming all over.

“Well tell me! What you’ve discovered that is on a par with Archimedes’ discovery of mass and density?”

“I see what you have done. In the virtual world we have created, the only really free choice that the v-people have is that of what, or rather who, they believe. This is an on-going and underpinning activity that permeates everything they do and all the tangible choices they make. But why do they make the belief choices they do?”

“You’re telling me, Anna.”

“We cannot predict the individual choices that v-people will make as to what they will believe. They have many things presented to their minds, but will choose to believe that the ‘Unknown One’, as you are sometimes termed in their world, does exist and has a moral order on everything – in spite of what Antoni and Chou may do. Or they choose to believe that somehow they can go their own way independently of you, even when circumstances are pressuring them otherwise. And I have observed that they are not usually aware of what they are deciding or doing.”

“You’re doing well. Keep going.”

“Now the question is; since these v-people can freely choose what they believe, and from those choices flow consequences that affect circumstances in the v-world, how can we know the beginning from the end? I perceive that you know. I had to see it for myself how this is possible, but I can only describe it by reference to quantum physics.”

“Go on.”

“When a beam of light is shone through a diffraction grating, the beam splits and creates light and dark bands on a screen. Now if the light level is so low that individual packets of light energy photons or quanta are passing through the grating, we cannot tell where that individual quantum will go, but we can tell statistically what will happen. What you have done is given individual freedom to the v-people but statistically the predetermined trends and outcomes will occur and will achieve your purposes. The only indeterminate dimension to this is the length of v-world time it takes to work itself out.”

“You have just about got it Anna. From our perspective we can see and know from the equations all the potential v-world scenarios before they happen, and furthermore I have inserted factors that will make certain and specific events to occur anyway. But that is enough for now. Do not be worried about Lucas. I know he gives the appearance of having the upper hand in this project, and he certainly has full control of the v-world people and environment within the parameters allowed in the initial set up. Let’s proceed to see the outworking.”

The virtual world

Antoni felt pleased with himself and had a sense of his destiny starting to be fulfilled. (Although the concept of destiny, with its implication of a higher reference, seemed at odds with the way he thought of himself.) Yes, he would rule all the nations, and while Chou Yi may be a difficult contender to deal with, fate would be on his side. He almost felt sorry for Chou. He had so many ruthless characteristics like himself that he may miss the adrenaline rush that came from pitting wit against wit and lie against lie.

Chou Yi for his part had similar feelings. His empire had a greater population, his citizens were more disciplined and cooperative than Antoni’s, and he had fewer followers of Y’shua to undermine the affections of his people.

So in accordance with their agreement, Antoni started to find fault with Israel. He started slowly by commenting on a ‘disagreement of perspective’, then creating some trade scams that implicated Israel. He also instructed Aaron to start explaining that the belief in Y’shua was undermining the Nimrah religion from delivering its full potential to the populace. So step-by-step Israel, and the believers in Y’shua, came to be despised. Now a pretext for invasion had to be found and for that purpose Antoni called in Aaron and his chief military and intelligence officers.

“I have called you here so that we can invade Israel, destroy the followers of Y’shua, and eliminate all reference to either El or the “Unknown One”. We need Israel’s wealth and we need to get the expertise she has. We do not want our populations to have any sympathy for Israel but rather we must engender such hatred that we can do any inhumane thing we like, and have the full support of our people!”

Antoni could be brutally blunt when the occasion needed it, and now was such a time. His top staff knew without doubt that his threats would be carried out – and on them if they did not perform! It was summer in Brussels but the participants were feeling decidedly cold. It was best to begin to carry out these orders and well! The fear of Antoni had a unifying effect on his team for each knew that without the help of the others their own performance could be questioned. So for that reason personal pride and ambitions were held in check. Opportunities would come later.

Antoni went on, “Chou Yi has promised to co-operate with us and will allow Israeli refugees into his realm for the purpose of us both getting their expertise. Do not hinder him – at least in the meantime.”

“How much is Israel aware of what we are doing?” someone asked.

“That Jeremy Hilkiah will know what we are up to. He warned the Israeli government previously and seems to know many things before we do. He is a very close follower of Y’shua and often has information revealed to him by someone he calls Hagos Neuma. We have never been able to find this person so it could be an outside ‘influence’ that is helping him. Whatever it is Jeremy seems to know the truth and recognises any lies we might try to put out. He is the most dangerous of our enemies and must be eliminated as quickly as possible. He is probably aware that we are having this conversation now.”

“If he is that good how are we going to get him?”

“He is still human as we are, and if we are determined we will get through the protection around him. I suggest that we invite him to meet with us, ostensibly to discuss our emerging differences and to seek his help as someone with much wisdom and insight.”

“Right I’ll arrange a meeting,” piped up Victor Cabero, Antoni’s Chargé d’Affaires and, incidentally in charge of Antoni’s inner intelligence operations. “But I want you, Pierre, as head of covert military operations to ensure that a suitable means of despatching this Jeremy is in place.”