Under a Starless Sky

Chapter 25

Loxy hugged him straight away. “You’re looking taller.”

Jon frowned at her. “How long do we have till LOS?”

“Don’t know yet. You’re coming in strong now,” Loxy said. There was playful edge to her tone which he

didn’t catch until she said, “Really strong.” It was playful the way a wife might be with a long lost

husband.

Shen glared at her, not happy about being teased. “Full staff meeting, please, Come High,” Shen

requested.

People came forwards to join the ‘Circle’ on virtual deck. Clearly, they were already in the background,

waiting- watching, evaluating. It was an interesting effect, as people emerged to stand on the circle as if

coming out of shadows- as if shadows were condensing to be light. The dome space was dimly lit, but

not shadowy- so the evolution of shadows into people was part illusion- and that part of vision where

you think you see something only to focus on it and it’s gone, or suddenly solid.

The glass dome was the source of light, as it presently reflected the nebula and stars in the novelbin

background. The floor held the illuminated circle, and was reflective enough to reflect the background.

Anyone and everyone was allowed on Virtual Deck. People were allowed to witness the debates and

the deliberations. Sometimes non staff contributed to the conversation. The rules of virtual deck were

not as stringent as the social protocols on Low. People were allowed to say what they think without

repercussions, and what was discussed on High stayed on High. No one was skilled enough where

that was a hundred percent, but mostly people who were inclined to share inappropriately, or lack

discernment in sharing, or if they were likely to use information gained in a negative way against a

person on Low, they would have restricted access. The purpose of High Conference was to make

informed decisions. They had the technology that could read minds, and so they could technically try to

police thoughts of anyone on the ship. They did not police; the ship’s AI was aware of the thoughts of

everyone and only would intervene if thought was to lead to action. What a person thought was sacred,

regardless of correctness. High Conference was a place for the sharing free thought.

The ship was essentially the Enterprise, Star Trek. Loxy renamed it ‘My-Enterprise’ to distinguish it

from the original series. It was not original series. It was not JJ’s reboot. This was a city state in and of

itself. It was created and grown in space in consensus reality, with the primary mission focused on

Jon’s evolution. It was about the captain- and being captain in this context was not necessarily the ideal

spot to be in. Yes, others came to experience evolution, but only in context to the ship, the others on

the ship, but primarily it was about the captain. Did drama play out on the lower decks? Sure, as not

everything needed to rise to the captain’s consciousness for him to benefit.

From a metaphorical and metaphysical perspective, his ship was the primary interface for ‘Others’ to

interact with him directly and indirectly, others being external entities, from fellow humans to alien

species, as well as whatever sub personalities that were in his makeup, known and foreign. The inner

personalities would come forth through tech interfacing with his conscious and unconscious mind; the

resulting reality maps overlaid in the Astral Realms were chosen because of its significance in his life.

Some people get Buddha, some get Ganesh, some get Jesus or Mohamed. He got Trek. Whatever it

was about Trek, the spirit guides moving him brought this path to him and he accepted readily- he had

an affinity for this world, and the vision shared with Rodenberry, not the darker visions that came after

Roddenberry’s death. He was not alone in this world, as many came to this spiritual paradigm.

The ship’s command staff came forwards. They, too, were derived through what some people would

call magic, some would call the collective unconsciousness, and others tech. ‘My-Enterprise’ could

create matter out of nothing. This was not ‘holodeck’ matter that dissolved and went away, but solid,

sustainable, undistinguishable from any other matter in the Universe. The personalities in a person’s

head during dreams, they were solid people, and the computer could animate these beings and make

them real. Ship computer and human brains worked together in tandem to create this reality. Prior to

coming to this reality, Jon had entered Tulpamancy: Loxy was the result. He and Loxy together turned

to ‘the invisible counselor technique’ established by Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and grow Rich.”

Invitations were sent, they were accepted, reality evolved. Carl Jung’s Active Imagination path opened

doors to new realities, and ‘the group’ solidified in unity; the complexity of them evolved to what they

presently were- family.

Jackie Chan, chief of security and Master of the Arts and Chi. Carl Jung, physiatrist, head of

psychiatrics and the expert in the subtle esoteric realities. Gregory House, chief of medical.

Sacagawea, navigator. Uhura, communications officer. Nicola Tesla, ship’s chief engineer and

metaphysician. Isis, as in Almighty Isis, spiritual advisor, presently in the form of a cat, came forwards

and took the line, which was a circle. They all were in line of sight. If there were more people behind

him, he was unaware of them.

“Is team Sol here?” Jon asked.

Additional people emerged from the shadows. An elderly Chinese man tapped in with his cane; his

name was Lester. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and coat with elbow patches. He had the beard and

mustache of a Chinese magician. He generally disagreeable, but fiercely loyal. Alish, a tall, thin, green

female, human in appearance, but in truth was an original tree spirit- first generation. More precisely,

she was the Tulpa of a Sentient tree. The Tree had a personality of its own, but lived vicariously

through it’s free wandering tulpas. Her clothing was a silk mesh allowing light to pass and as much her

as a leaf was to a tree. Keera, Japanese female, wearing what could only be considered a knock-off

anime ‘want-to-be’ outfit of unknown origins. It had just enough details to be allude to any number

fantastically drawn characters, resulting in furiously heated debates between nerds. Fersia, human cat.

Depending on what Universe you found her, she was either full cat, human furry, or a blending of

human cat characteristics. She nearly rushed Jon but Keera and Lester took her arm.

“But he’s so cute! I just want to hug him,” Fersia said.

“We’re here. Clearly you have something to say. Spit it out,” Lester said.

“Unless the cat has your tongue,” Loxy said.

“I would like to,” Fersia said.

Jon raised his hands to indicate he was seriously not playful and still sorting. There was not good way

to say what he wanted to say, so, using Lester’s advice, he simply said it”

“I violated the prime directive. I intervened in social affairs. People died.”

“The Prime Directive isn’t applicable in this particular circumstance,” Loxy said. She could be serious,

she could be empathic and appropriate, and she was all these things, and always in the right time. She

personified loving acceptance.

“I agree,” Jung said. “You’re in a pocket universe outside the parameters of what you know as reality,

and outside of Fleet’s jurisdiction.”

“In other words, when in Rome…” Lester said.

“I am officer in Fleet, and where I go, the fundamental principles of our existence that guide our

interaction go with me. I failed,” Jon said.

“You’re like what, all of nine?” Lester said. “We’re not holding you accountable…”

“I am not nine!” Jon snapped.

“He’s so cute when he’s angry,” Fersia said. The stare that came from Jon made her bite her lip and

look down.

Jon looked to Jung. “I am fucking angry all the time. What’s wrong with me?”

“You assume something is wrong with you,” Jung said.

“You’ve never really fit in, Jon,” Loxy said. “Maybe your frustration is related to an undiagnosed autistic

spectrum disorder. That would explain being adapt at wonderlands. Maybe this is an autistic fantasy,

and you are exaggerating the role you need to play. Or maybe, and more likely, you were regressed in

age and you hold the memories of that age from your first life, and being this young again is unlocking

the emotions you had at that time in your life.”

Jon didn’t respond verbally. It was clear his eyes were tracking that as he considered. It explained his

anger better than he was just unhappy with the people in the world he found himself in.

“That’s rather profound insight,” Jung said.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Loxy said.

Jon’s eyes were filling with tears. “I killed people.”

“Oh, don’t do that,” Lester said.

“Oh,” Fersia said, wanting to go hug him. She looked crossly at Lester when he took her arm again.

“Don’t reward crying with hugs,” Lester said.

“Captain,” Chan said. “I know you. We know you. The last thing you want to do is go to war. If you

fought, there must have been good reason for it.”

“I didn’t have to fight. I could have withdrawn, and just avoided people,” Jon offered.

“You want to be a hermit?” Keera asked.

“Are there trees there?” Alish asked. “You’re not alone if there are trees there.”

He sighed. “I killed people and another completed suicide because of my failed intervention,” Jon said.

“People die,” House said. He was the same House, minus the cane and the limp and the addictions.

“You can’t take on a suicide. You may have been involved in the circumstances, nothing happens in a

vacuum, but that is not yours to hold,” Loxy said.

“How is it not mine? How is not society’s? I didn’t even consider it a possibility or I would have…”

“You would have intervened, just like you intervened,” Jung said.

“I want to come home,” Jon said.

“We’re working on it…”

“If I kill myself, I wake up here, right?” Jon asked. “You make a clone, and I just come back here.”

“No,” House said. “The procedure is not that straight forward. We can clone your body, that’s easy. We

can make a transporter clone in an instant. Technically, all transporter operations result in clones,

original form is destroyed and consciousness is downloaded into new form. Or, if you prefer Jung’s

version, your soul simply bounces to the new form.”

“Or, your body is just a receiver, and the new body tunes into channel Jon,” Tesla said. “We have

superior tech. We could download a person from brain into a computer. They could clone a body using

transporters, or use a template stored in memory banks- and then download the older consciousness

into a younger body. From this tech’s perspective- brain is just hardware and personality is nothing

more than a program that could transfer from vehicle to vehicle. From my perspective, the download

process is a tuning process that aligns the crystalline structure of the brain to receive specific telemetry.

DNA is essentially a crystalline radio…”

“Or that, if you like. Bottom line, none of this is a hundred percent without ritual, or preparation. If we

know where a person is, and we know when their death occurs, we can be there and recover them,

redirect soul to new form. You’re not even in our Universe. Who knows where you’ll end up?”

“Hell,” Lester said.

“People don’t go to hell for suicide,” House said.

“What book are you reading?” Lester asked.

“You don’t go to hell for broken arms, why would you go to hell for a broken brain?” House said.

“His brain isn’t broken. He is rationalizing ending his life,” Lester said.

“Jon?” Loxy said.

“I attempted,” Jon said.

Fersia cried, wanted to go to him, but Keera hugged her to her.

“Dumb ass,” Lester said.

“Yeah, well, you’re not here to cheer me up, so fuck you,” Jon said.

“It shouldn’t matter if we’re there. There would be emotional fall out that would send ripples across the

Universe. You don’t get the privilege of being promoted to captain if you’re suicidal.”

“What the fuck do you think happens when I order the self-destruct option?” Jon asked. “What is that,

murder-suicide?”

“I would like off this ship…”

“Just saying, there are time when people recognize a need for suicide…”

“You’re not there,” Loxy said. “And those times are not to be made in isolation. They require a

committee of rational, thoughtful people. It requires the agreement and authorization of three souls.”

“Good luck on this ship,” Lester said.

“Take a shuttle. Tear your ass. Anyway, I don’t have a committee. I am alone here…”

“You’re never alone,” Loxy said.

“Apparently. There was an intervention. Aliens. High Tech,” Gon said.

“You made contact with the Others?” Uhura asked.

“They gave me this,” Jon held the ball up to them.

Tesla wanted to hold it, made a virtual copy. He opened up a virtual display in front of him that

dissected the ball and zoomed in on internal structure. “Nice. Crystalline structure resembles a

blending of diamond and pearl. Filaments of pure gold. This was either grown, or printed. It resembles

the psychic amplifiers we use to increase AI telepathic signal.”

“I want to come home,” Jon said.

“You’re a magician,” Lester said. “Open a damn portal and come home.”

“You have a bag?” Keera asked.

“I don’t have my bag,” Jon said.

“Your bag isn’t magic, Jon. You are magic,” Loxy said.

“You really should talk more with the trees,” Alish said.

“Why do I feel like the lot of you are conspiring to keep me here,” Jon asked. “I want to come home.”

“You will either need to find or construct a portal,” Tesla said. “I believe we can connect a bridge

between yours portal and our ship’s portal by piggy backing off yours and Loxy’s psychic bond. You

might need more of these.” Tesla twirled the gift orb in his hand. “You will either need super conducting

materials to create directed magnetic fields, or perhaps rotating directed intense lasers…”

“The people here have some tech, but we’re just barely out of the Bronze Age,” Jon said. “I am not

likely to be making portals any time soon.”

“Then find some silver slippers,” Lester said.

“They’re ruby slippers,” Fersia corrected.

“Read more, watch less,” Lester said.

“Then you’re going to have to find a way to contact these Others,” Uhura said.

“I am interested in this Dorothy meme that was just activated,” Jung said. “Maybe this is a path you

have to walk.”

“I am not fucking Dorothy Gale,” Jon said.

“Well, I should hope not,” Lester said. “She is what, all of 9 years old?”

“Not in the movie,” Fersia said.

“Jon’s nine,” Keera said.

“Why the hell did I invite ya’ll to my circle?” Jon asked.

“I have been asking that since we got here,” Lester said.

Jon turned to Isis. “Are you going to add anything?”

“Don’t yell at the Goddess,” Fersia said.

Isis meowed.

“I am not looking for Glenda,” Jon said.

“This meme is definitely activated now,” Jung said.

“Seriously,” Jon said.

“If not Glenda, how about Obi Wan?” Sacagawea offered. “I like him.”

“What?”

“You said Obi and Glenda are the same characters,” Sacagawea reminded him. “No one can tell you

your path, Padawan. You’re an adult. Well, you’re nine, but where I come from you’d already be making

adult decisions, and so you’re on the path to becoming. And, in the Obi-Wan’s paradigm that is true,

too, because you have to start the training in childhood. Oh! You’re on the path! You needed to become

a kid again to get it right. You need to walk your path, Jon.”

“Through the shadows,” Jung said. “The light is on the other side.”

“Signal loss in five…” Uhura said.

“No, I am not ready…”

Shen sat up from the tree as if waking from a dream. He stood up and begged for more. He put his

head against the tree and sobbed.