Seven Point Eight (42 page)

He sat in his study, reflecting on what had been achieved so far and where he could possibly take the project from this point onward. Idly, he listened to the radio and after reading through his notes, he closed his journal, feeling dissatisfied. Despite the journeys he’d documented, he didn’t feel a sense of achievement, he felt empty. After deliberating, Paul decided to share his desires with Tahra on the phone. She sounded delighted to hear from him, but wondered why he’d called out of the blue.

“Is everything all right?” she asked him.

“No disasters,” he said, with a flat tone of voice.

“Well, what do you want to talk to me about?” she asked, with a note of hope.

He paused, unsure how to begin.

“Tahra, do you think that the OOBE project isn’t… fulfilling its potential?”

“Are you not happy with my work?” she replied, genuine concern underlying her question.

“Oh, yes of course, that’s not the problem,” he answered quickly. “No, you’re wonderful, absolutely wonderful.”

“Then you’re not satisfied with the project itself,” she concluded.

“I’m not,” he admitted. “I need more, I need…other worlds with alien beings, an undiscovered civilisation…contact with some other race in the cosmos, something outstanding.”

She fell silent for a long moment then spoke, quite humbly.

“I don’t know if I’m powerful enough.”

Paul sighed, as if in disbelief.

“You’ve already exceeded my expectations. This project would be nothing without you, and I’m indebted to you for taking it so far already. It’s just me, I never feel…satisfied. I don’t know if you understand where I’m coming from.”

Tahra sighed and answered, “You’ve spoken the thoughts that have rattled around in my brain for most of my life. There is always more, and I know Allah, or God put me here on Earth to accomplish something important. Maybe we’re both meant to accomplish that…together.”

A huge surge of relief welled up inside him.

“This is the most important project I’ve ever been involved with, well, the most meaningful one to me anyway. I’m honoured that you’ve shared this journey with me and given it meaning. In fact,
you
have given my life meaning. We did this together.”

“You know I’d do anything to make this project successful,” she said, with both affection and ambition.

Paul valued her commitment. God had indeed deposited great fortune into his lap.

“I take it you’re willing to push the boundaries further.”

“I want to know what’s out there as much as you do. I remember as a child listening to ‘Journey into Space’ on the radio, wishing I could have adventures on the Moon, and no one took me seriously when I wanted to be an astronaut. Now I can realise those aspirations.”

“Then we’ll take this a stage further. I couldn’t do this without your encouragement… I couldn’t do this without
you.
”

“And you have given my life meaning too,” she told him. “You believe in me, and push me to develop my capabilities to their full potential.”

“I’ll see you on the twenty-first then,” he said. “I can’t wait.”

“Looking forward to it,” she reassured him.

Paul hung up and allowed his fingers to linger on the receiver, as if maintaining that thread of connection with Tahra. Was striving for the stars a dream that could be realised? How far could Tahra really venture, and what would they find out there? Deep down, he’d wanted this all along, and it had been a huge release to share that desire with her. In addition to being the instrument of exploration, she offered him true friendship, and he valued her unshakeable belief in the project. If only she believed in her own abilities the way he did, those unique gifts, like a blessing from the gods themselves. Had she found her true purpose in life?

While Paul remained lost in thought, Eleanor moved away from the door to his study at home. She felt sick to her stomach, but she’d known the truth all along, Paul had feelings for someone else. The way he spoke to the person on the other end of the line implied the sort of affection normally only expressed to a love interest. She wondered if it was the young woman he spoke to at the New Year party, as ever since then, Paul had become emotionally distant. Their relationship scarcely involved any interaction now, and quite a few months had passed since he’d shown any interest in sex. This OOBE project he’d mentioned in passing consumed his time and his passion, and Eleanor knew she could never compete with this, or share this with him. Obviously, the other person at the end of the line could. Eleanor knew what to do now.

In the background, ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’ drifted over the airwaves, unnoticed by Paul, but Eleanor didn’t miss its significance.

***

The study door remained open, as Paul became engrossed in star charts. Potential destinations filled his mind, and there were a number of stars relatively close by in astronomical terms. For example, Alpha Centauri lay only four light years away, and Sirius neighboured their solar system too. It occurred to him that even light took several years to reach them, but consciousness appeared to possess a quality that superseded light, as Tahra seemed to travel almost instantaneously to the planets she’d recently visited. An explanation of this expediency eluded him at the moment, but the mechanics of it were not a matter of urgency, only the practicalities.

At 3:00am, he sat in his armchair, chin nodded to his chest and star maps on his lap. The lamp still cast its low level illumination into the room, and the radio had stopped broadcasting for the night. He never noticed the activity going on upstairs, and didn’t wake until late in the morning. By the time he opened his eyes, the sun had already risen, although the heavy curtains blotted out the full intensity of its rays. However, the sound of the door closing woke him. A strange silence filled the house and he sat for several minutes before moving the map, with the intention of making a cup of tea.

As he walked through the sitting room, he realised something seemed awry. Paul wandered into the kitchen and proceeded up the stairs. Entering the bedroom, he was surprised, albeit not disappointed to see Eleanor absent from the bed. However, she wasn’t in the bathroom either. None of her clothes were draped over the back of the chair, and she’d emptied the wardrobe of her things.

Paul sat on the bed, trying to absorb what had happened. He admitted he’d practically ignored her since New Year. If anything, he almost felt relieved she’d gone. However, now he had no reason to turn down Tahra’s amorous requests, and he was free to choose with no restrictions. If he revealed Eleanor had left him, she’d make her move and he’d succumb. They had to keep their relationship professional, in line with researcher and subject ethics. Paul decided to keep his new status quiet, for his and her sake.

***

Tahra arrived on the 21
^st
of May, buzzing with nervous energy. Synonymous with the new impetus the project had taken, Paul had also adopted a new look. He asked her opinion on the sideburns he’d begun to cultivate and the length of his hair, which started to curl past the collar of his shirt. She reassured him it was acceptably fashionable, although she didn’t add ‘for his age’.

They exchanged glances, communicating a ‘we’re about to do something really important here’ with their eyes. Paul sensed her apprehension, and she looked less confident than usual.

Taking the hot seat now became taking a step into the unknown. Paul showed her the star map and pinpointed the location of Sirius, not the nearest star to Earth, but certainly the brightest. It had connections to ancient
Egypt
and out of the many potential stars, he deemed it the most worthy of a visit. On carrying out a little research on the importance of Sirius, he found that the first night it became visible in the sky, or its rising, marked the New Year which coincided with the flooding of the
Nile
. Therefore, its marking of a new cycle seemed highly appropriate in terms of the next step taken in the OOBE project.

Sensing her trepidation and without thinking, Paul gave her hand a squeeze and she reciprocated with a nervous smile. Briefly, she detected a subtle change in the way he looked at her, but now wasn’t the time to ponder on its significance. She simply studied the star map, pictured the desired location in her mind, and allowed her consciousness to work its magic.

The initial process flowed as smoothly as normal. Tahra hovered above the Earth instantaneously, but the objective of the mission lay so far away she found it difficult to visualise Sirius. Usually, she could picture the terminus of the journey and ‘snap’ to it with relative ease, but for some reason, it didn’t happen this time. Previously, she’d conquered her doubts and used pure determination, however, the sheer distance made the target more elusive.

“I just can’t do it. I’m not powerful enough, and no remote viewer has ever done this before,” she said, exasperated.

“It’s all a matter of self belief,” he reassured. “Remember, you’ve had doubts like this previously, and you pushed beyond your fears.”

Nodding and taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and he focused intensely, pinpointing the target from the stellar background. All she thought about was the distance, and she questioned the ability of her consciousness to detach so far from her body. She felt too weak psychically, her concerns regarding her abilities not unfounded.

“I don’t have a clear enough frame of reference,” she explained. “Maybe we were never meant to travel so far out of body.”

“Practice makes perfect,” Paul insisted. “What difference does it make if your target is five hundred million miles away, or eight light years? To your consciousness, there is no more of a separation.”

“I’d have to train my mind on a daily basis for months, possibly even years,” she complained, in resignation.

“Don’t give up on me,” he said. “I know you can do this.”

“Everyone has their limits, even me.”

He sighed, frustrated she’d had a crisis of confidence.

“I can’t force you…maybe we could try another day.”

“I don’t want to spend months training the hard way. You’re a scientist, you build machines.” She pointed to the camera he’d used to observe electromagnetic fields. “Create something that will help me and speed up the process.”

He ran his hands through his hair, mentally masticating what she’d just suggested. Could he build a machine to push Tahra’s consciousness to the stars?

“It’s certainly something I could think about.”

It was definitely something he should think about.

“Fantastic! Call me when you’ve got an idea, then we can make progress.”

Paul surrendered the day to move onto a bigger concept, although he perceived no loss. She demonstrated her enthusiasm for moving the boundaries and extending out of the comfort zone. Like Tahra, he’d do whatever necessary to make his project a success, and after she’d left, he dragged all his previous research from the filing cabinets of his office.

***

The new direction Tahra had instigated for the OOBE project definitely gave me something to think about. While I made no promises to her that I’d be able to construct something, I had a few ideas worth exploring, based on my research from the fifties conducted at The Establishment. In fact, it tied in to the project Max had assigned me concerning blocking remote viewing, the project that I’d stalled in favour of OOBE, one which Max would soon expect a progress report.

My previous work had revolved around the effects of electromagnetic fields on people, both targeting their physiology and mental state. I’d attempt to adapt the methodology and equipment to affect the electromagnetic field of Tahra’s body. While she’d already demonstrated the strength of her abilities and electromagnetic field, I wanted to use technology to assist the projection of her consciousness.

For the more advanced task of stellar travel, I’d amplify this field to give her a boost. Resonant frequency looked like another aspect of my research that was worth investigation. During my prior assignments here at The Establishment, I’d highlighted some destructive frequencies with mild to powerful effects upon the physiology of people. There had to be a frequency which would enhance the out of body experience.