Mesopotamia - The Redeemer (20 page)

She was so shocked that she was
unable to respond. He continued, “I am the Socratics' chief expert
on consciousness. I was sent here in order to warn you about a
Gnostic invasion.”

“What? Gnostics? What invasion are
you talking about?” She struggled to understand. How come he
suddenly remembered now? Could she even believe him? Could it be
that in spite of everything, Thales had been correct to assume that
he was an impostor or Gnostic spy?

Enosh took a deep breath. 'Slow
down,' he told himself. “Let's sit,” he said. They sat beside the
dining table in the corner.

“Sophia, the Socratic intelligence
has gathered information regarding a Gnostic plot to mount a
takeover of Samos.”

“Wait, what do you mean, a
takeover?” she interrupted.

“Please, listen to me and I will
explain everything,” he said while looking steadily into her eyes.
She nodded.

The Socratic recounted the story of
the module. She shuddered as he told her about her father's fate in
Uruk, Sin's plan to destroy the compound and how her father carried
it out in his stead. He also told her about Sin's arrival on the
planet Dust and the circumstances that prevented him from coming to
Octavia. She struggled to absorb and contain all of this new
information. She felt bombarded by a dizzying array of emotions and
facts, but she remained undeterred: it was her duty to think
practically and understand the significance of his words.

“If this is true, then why didn't
the Socratic Council inform us prior to your arrival?” she
probed.

“The communication gap was too
wide, but that is not the reason why I am relaying the information
in person. We could have sent a probe as a delivery station, but
there is a reason for my presence that I will reveal to you
shortly.” He took a deep breath.

“How can I trust you?” she asked,
and secretly hoped that he was an impostor who had made up the
whole invasion story. She debated whether to summon Thales and his
scouts but decided to wait.

Enosh removed his left shoe. He
twisted a tiny knob in the shoe's heel and the sole slid to one
side, revealing a tiny compartment. He pulled out a yellowing paper
laminated in transparent plastic.

“This is yours,” he said, handing
it to her.

“What it is?” she asked.

“Read it,” he replied
confidently.

Sophia held the page in
astonishment and began to read aloud.

“On the second of August, 2260, and
with a sound mind, I, Attar the Pythagorean, am writing the
following words with the awareness that I shall soon perish.”
Sophia's hands shook and a large lump choked her throat. She raised
her eyes from the page and stared at Enosh. He nodded and she
resumed reading.

“During my work, I was kidnapped by
Gnostics, who imprisoned me in the Uruk complex. The Godly spark
has passed over this cursed place. In all my days, I have never
seen such ignorance and such evil. They planned to torture me,
extracting any information from me that may serve their purposes
and finally, to kill me.

“But here I found Sin, who informed
me of their plans. They had been formulating and developing these
plans over the years and were now in their final stages. The
Gnostic scientists had developed a module that, paired with the
processor, could annihilate the entire galaxy. Sin opposed the
plan, but he realized that the only way he could thwart the plan
was by blowing up the complex. He decided that this was what he
must do, even if it cost him his own life. I succeeded in
convincing him to escape so that he could warn humanity about what
was happening in Uruk. I explained to him that I should carry out
the explosion in his place, since my life had already reached its
end anyway. Sin is a brave man and my friend; you can trust
him.

“Orithea my wife: I was lucky to
live by your side and every moment we spent together is eternal. I
await you in another dimension and another time, I promise.

“My daughter, Sophia,” Sophia
struggled to continue reading. She recognized his handwriting,
which quivered through the moisture in her eyes. “I love you
always. Even when you were very young, I could see that your wisdom
is matched by your benevolence. I am certain that you will fulfill
your dreams. I will stand proudly by your side at the future
milestones in your life as you become a Pythagorean woman
fulfilling her purpose.

“My heart only feels compassion for
the poor Gnostics languishing here on Earth. Their anger spawns
deep hatred. We must consider our role and take action toward the
rectification of the injustice committed against them.

“I have no sorrow in my heart. My
destiny has brought me here. I was blessed to be able to fulfill my
purpose in this incarnation. My final wish for you is not to fear.
Eternity can be found in the infinite segmentation of each moment,
in the participation in the chain reaction called life. Live your
life and discover eternity.

I depart from you with everlasting
love,

Attar.”

In her mind's eye, Sophia could see
her father standing over her as she remembered him from her
childhood: tall, calm and loving. The emotional outburst
overwhelmed her and she sobbed. Enosh embraced her and she clutched
him tightly. After a few long minutes, she let go of him.

“Thank you.” She slowly sipped the
glass of water he had handed to her. He looked at her expectantly.
He now understood the significant process that she had undergone in
the past few days.

“How did you get hold of that
letter? Why haven't I seen it until now?” Some of the questions
that were racing through her mind began to trickle outward.

“I will tell you about the letter.
I'll tell you everything,” he said. His voice had changed. An air
of confidence and authority that had previously been absent now
hung about his words.

“With my probing questions I
awakened in you pain over the loss of your father. I burdened you
by showing my feelings toward you. I guided you into a state of
confusion that enabled you to feel and be aware of your feelings.
But most of all, it is your love for Thales that undermines your
Pythagorean faith.”

'How does he know?' she wondered.
“Excuse me? How dare you tell me what I feel!” she seethed.

“I'm sorry, I know how it looks. I
am crassly intruding into your private life. But it's
critical.”

“Critical for what, exactly? And
how is the letter connected to all this?” Sophia accused
emphatically. Conflicting thoughts raced through her head. She
wanted to deny his words, to banish him from the station and never
see his face again. But at the same time, she recognized sincerity
in his words. The intuition that had always guided her in the past
urged her to trust him. His eyes revealed dedication and
benevolence. Something within her wanted to know the truth, as
difficult at that may be.

“Critical for our future,” he said,
and she discerned fear in his voice.

A
great
storm raged in the remote Soka mountains on the planet Dust,
threatening to wrench control of the hovercrafts away from their
drivers; it had actually happened only months earlier. The fierce
wind threatened to hurl the hovercraft convoy toward the tall
coniferous trees lining the path leading to the depths of the
forest. There was no choice but to lower the wheels and switch to
traditional ground driving mode. Sitting in the back bench, this
didn't bother Enosh and Diotima in the slightest. The consciousness
expert and the Minister of Defense were deep in conversation. The
driver was concentrating on the winding road, and wouldn't have
understood the code words and private jokes they were exchanging in
any case; they were the product of a strong and enduring
friendship.

There were no identifying marks on
their destination nor on the security team that guarded it. It did
not appear on any map. The armed sentry at the entrance to what
looked like an isolated and well-kept farm was expecting them. He
requested that the driver of the hovercraft leading the entourage
identify himself according to protocol and then opened the
gate.

They drove along the path into the
forest. On the side of the mountain, susceptible to the fierce
winds, stood a small cabin topped by a smoking chimney. The scene
looked like it came right out of an old fashioned postcard.

They arrived at Sin's house. This
house had served as his jail from the moment he landed on Dust
decades earlier. Filan, the Atheist president, would never have
disclosed Sin's presence to the world. He certainly would not have
allowed anyone to see him, not even the Minister of Defense. But
ever since the day Diotima found out about the matter, she
campaigned for his release. She objected to the freedom that he had
been deprived despite innocence. She continued to raise the subject
in vain, despite Filan's firm refusal. She was forced to wait for a
window of opportunity, one that finally presented itself in light
of the imminent danger now threatening Filan's fortune as a result
of the Gnostic threat. Only then did he agree to permit a meeting
with the prisoner.

The driver stayed inside the heated
hovercraft. The security team stepped out, scanned the area and
dispersed around the building. The formidable security guards did
not move, despite the wind and rain. The head of the team opened
Diotima's door. Diotima and Enosh emerged from the hovercraft,
holding onto one another against the gusts of wind while the
slanted raindrops pricked at their exposed faces. Upon reaching the
iron gate, Diotima pulled the cord and heard a brass bell announce
their arrival inside the cabin. A curtain was pushed aside and a
head with long white hair peered out at them. The curtain fell back
in place. The old man opened the door and, leaning on his cane,
walked slowly along the path leading to the gate, his long hair
fluttering in the wind. Despite his hunched back and wrinkled face,
his smile was childlike. He knew that Diotima would not rest until
he was released.

“I've been expecting you. Come in.”
He leaned on Diotima's arm while Enosh walked behind them. “It's
nice to finally meet you. Your letters inspire hope in me.”

“The pleasure's all mine. I hope
our next meeting will be in my home,” replied Diotima.

He introduced them to his smiling
wife Simone, who offered them barley bread with a legume spread,
radishes and fresh shallots. He explained that he and his wife
cultivated most of the ingredients and prepared the food
themselves. When she finished serving, Simone sat down close to
him. He clasped her hand without shame. Sin told them of Filan's
betrayal, how the president had forced him into confinement and
because of this, Sin had not been able to keep his promise to Atar
and deliver the message to the Pythagoreans. Enosh wondered why
Filan had even left Sin alive. Did Sin seem like an asset to him?
Or maybe he couldn't find a way to kill him without the blame
falling on him. Or maybe there was a limit even to Filan's
heartlessness.

Simone placed steaming mugs of tea
brewed from a mixture of wild mountain herbs on the large crate
that served as a table. Sin added a log to the fire, lit his pipe
and changed the subject to the purpose of his guests' visit. Simone
disappeared into the adjoining room.

Diotima told him about the
Gnostics, who were once again working on developing the module, and
about the Atheists' military preparations.

“How can I help you?” asked
Sin.

“Tell us anything you know about
the Gnostic culture that may help us prepare for war with them,”
asked Enosh. “The Atheists recruited us so that we can try and
influence the Pythagoreans to defend themselves and so that we can
try and persuade the Gnostics to make peace. To that end, any scrap
of information about the Gnostics could be very important.”

“Tell me more about yourselves, the
Socratics,” the old man requested.

Enosh detailed for him the Socratic
training procedures, explaining the strategy of influence from
consciousness to consciousness and spoke about his intention to
personally arrive in Samos. Despite Sin's advanced age and his
isolation on the mountain, he exhibited remarkable knowledge about
the ways of life of the different cultures and soon understood the
logic behind the Socratic system. The fragrant tobacco smoke
mingled with the smoke from the cedar in the fireplace. He puffed
his pipe and replied, “While you have a far better command of
diplomacy than I do, it is possible that I may be able to give you
a deeper understanding of the internal struggles within the
culture.”

Diotima and Enosh waited
attentively.

“The Gnostics' name precedes them;
they are a rough and cruel people with fanatic ideology, absolute
discipline and a structured military hierarchy that cannot be
shaken.”

Diotima and Enosh nodded.

“You know that they sanctify the
principle of the nullification of the universe. They are devoted
heart and soul to the Master of Light, the Supreme God, and the
Aeons under his command, as well as to the leaders who represent
the Aeons on Earth. You must understand the secret of Gnostic
charm; if it were possible to isolate this charm from the
devastation, you might extract something from it to benefit the
people of Dust. As you know, Dust has been struck by a severe wave
of depression. The secret of the charm is in devotion. You, the
Atheists, have no method, technique, or procedure to express
devotion. Materialism, fashion, money, even knowledge, cannot tempt
you toward devotion. You have tried to create an artificial value
system that will infuse meaning into people's lives, but the wave
of depression has not subsided. These goals are nothing compared
with the privilege of serving the Gnostic God, the Master of Light.
Please, drink your tea.”