1
Oren guided the last of the cleansed souls into the void. As soon as they were gone, he returned to the podium and waited for his next instruction. It was the same thing he had done since the creation. There were almost always six souls to process in every batch. Occasionally batches were smaller, but that did not faze him in the least. He performed his function and asked no questions. He did as Zoron instructed.
The podium signaled its red light and Oren’s head cocked to one side, almost as if he were listening for something. Zoron communicated the next pod location. Oren’s form vanished from the chamber. He transported himself to the coordinates of the next pod. He stretched his hands out over the pod and concentrated on the six souls within it. The force field encompassed the occupants in its red glow. He then intensified his energy to a level sufficient to transport them all to his chamber. At the highest intensity levels, even Oren could see nothing but the brilliance of the crimson light.
They materialized in the chamber, each in one of the six seats. Oren stood at his position behind the podium.
.....
The six of them in the cell observed as the red glow intensified and the rumbling grew to enormous dimension. The intensity of the light reached blinding proportions, and the six suddenly felt themselves accelerated into a wild spin, as if sucked up by a crimson tornado. They were aware of the spinning sensation and the upward force, but that was all. The next instant they were somewhere else. The blinding red light was gone, and they looked around to see where they were.
.....
Joan found herself seated in an oval room. There were a total of six seats with their backs along one of the long curved sides of the oval. On the other side was a large black opening on the floor. To the left of the opening stood a cylindrical lectern with a man-like figure standing behind it. The figure was clad in a red robe, tied at the waste. He was looking them over, and he appeared to have the slightest hint of a smile on his glowing face. His form was no different than the rest of them, but he had a pink coloration, rather than white.
Judging by her own size, Joan estimated the oval room was about twenty feet by twelve feet. There appeared to be no ceiling. She was seated at the left end of the row of seats, and the others were to her right. All of them were in plain view due to the curvature of the row. The lectern was semi-transparent. She could make out the shape of the red robe through it. There was nothing on the lectern, as far as she could see.
The black hole in the floor opposite the seats seemed strangely out of place. It seemed sinister to her. Something about it raised fear in her mind. She instinctively wanted to avoid it. The room lighting didn’t seem to illuminate anything in the hole. It didn’t seem like a shaft or anything like that. It simply appeared to be a hole clear through to nothingness below them.
There didn’t seem to be any specific order to the seating. The sixth and last one to appear in their cell, the only other woman-like figure, was seated third from the right. At the far right was the one she had been staring at when the rumbling first began. Joan turned back to the new female and studied her features for the first time. Obviously this new figure was disoriented. She hadn’t had enough time to discover anything on her own before the rumbling started. She was groping at the seat and then she started to lean forward. To Joan’s absolute amazement the female stood up and took a step forward...
“Stop!” came the command as loud as could be. But who said it? The robed figure stepped out from behind the lectern and extended his arm and hand to signal the female figure to halt. “Sit down, please,” he seemed to say. But his lips did not move. At once, Joan understood he was using telepathy to communicate. And the others must have heard him also, because she saw them all look up the instant he uttered the word “stop”.
Joan watched the robed figure walk to the female and assist her back into her seat. Joan’s thoughts were focused elsewhere, however. She walked! The woman just stood up and walked! Joan thought to herself that this was a very important fact, and she made a permanent mental note. The rules are different for this part of the game! She turned her attention back to the robed figure as he walked back to the lectern with all six of them watching in awe.
.....
Oren turned toward the group. He scanned their faces and saw that they were all paying attention. As he had done thousands of times in the past, he began the telepathic briefing....
2
“Welcome to the Processing Station. I am called Oren. I know you all have many questions, and I will answer most of them for you as I explain what is happening. When I am through, I will permit you to ask me questions if you so choose. But, I will not repeat what I have already said, so I advise you to pay close attention.”
The six of them sat motionless as they “listened” to Oren.
“In the beginning, God created the souls of mankind. He then created mankind in His own image and He issued forth souls for each of those He created. He created the Processing Stations and He created the Distribution Stations. And He created the conduits through which the souls could be transported. And each of these He created as worlds unto themselves, and only the souls could pass freely between these worlds. For it was God’s intention that mankind would control its own destiny, and interference would be strictly forbidden.
“And these souls were sacred unto God in that each living being would possess one of God’s souls to serve as both consciousness and conscience. For that is what separates mankind from all other living things that God created.
“And it came to pass that mankind was fruitful, and mankind’s numbers increased. And for each living being born into the world, a soul was issued forth from those that God had created. And the souls were issued forth through the conduit that God created. And with each death of mankind, a soul was released to join the other souls that God had created. And these souls also joined the others through the conduit that God created.”
Oren paused and studied the six. He wondered how many of them would actually comprehend what he was about to tell them.
“And God intended that as mankind multiplied, souls of the dead would be cleansed and issued forth anew so that mankind could ultimately increase in number to the same number as that of the souls that God had created; this number and no more. And the cleansing of the souls was proclaimed by God to be sacred and necessary, for each returning soul was contaminated with the knowledge of good and evil, having tasted of the fruit of the tree of life. And God forbid that any man shall enter the world possessing this knowledge, lest he shall then become the equal of God.”
As Oren looked about the chamber, he allowed himself his usual amusement of reading the thoughts of each of them; not entirely, but enough to see which of them understood the last words he had told them. He was quite surprised, for there were four among them that understood completely. Never before had he seen that many in one group. Having completed his scan, he continued with the briefing.
“And God so loved mankind that He proclaimed that each soul shall know the truth of His creation before that soul shall be issued forth anew. And this proclamation was set forth by God so that each of His beloved souls might know a moment of true, glorious jubilation, despite having lived through the harshest and cruelest of existences. For God wanted each soul to know that existence is unending. And God deemed that this truth shall only be known for but a brief moment before the cleansing of the soul.”
With this, Oren walked out in front of the podium. It was necessary that the six understand exactly what he was about to tell them. He doubted that they would grasp all of the significance, but his coming forward of the podium would have the effect of causing them to pay even closer attention.
“God made known to man His promise of eternal life. He taught man that, upon death, the spirit of those who believed in Him would live eternally in the Kingdom of God. For God knew that the goodness of mankind would flourish and dominate the world only if man believed with certainty that goodness was the way of God.”
Oren paused for another moment. He was about to make a point that was particularly subtle, and he wanted to drive it home.
“Thus God instilled inherent goodness into the very heart of mankind. And although God made known this truth to mankind, He deliberately chose to conceal the fact that He, in his infinite goodness, would ultimately make no distinction as to good and evil in His treatment of the souls returning unto Him. Thus with each cleansing, God replenishes the world with souls inherently uncontaminated and unbiased. Man is thus the true master of his own destiny, as God intended.
“So God in His infinite wisdom created a true paradox in his promise of eternal life after death; for the Kingdom of God is that very planet upon which mankind walks. And Heaven exists not but for the Kingdom of God. And thus each soul is eternally reborn to walk forth in God’s Kingdom. And yet each soul must be forbidden the knowledge of that simple truth. Heaven and earth are one and the same.”
Oren searched for reactions among the six. He was quite exhilarated by the high level of understanding this group exhibited. It was now time for him to explain how the cleansing worked.
“To carry out the will of God, I will cleanse you of all earthly memories and then lead you forth into the void.” He pointed to the black hole in the floor. “The cleansing will be painless and instantaneous, and you will each be reborn to a new life on earth. Now I will allow you to ask of me any question that has not been already answered. It is God’s will that I do this, and it is forbidden that I answer again that which has already been answered. If you have a question, simply communicate it by thought and I will allow each of you to hear the thoughts of the others. So it was decreed by God, and so it shall be. Now I will accept questions.”
Oren looked back and forth among the six. It was a theatrical gesture at best, because he heard the thoughts of the six whenever he chose to do so. Joan thought up the first question.
“You may proceed,” he stated as he pointed to her.
“What happens when we go through the void?”
Oren contemplated his answer. “This is a fair question,” he stated. “Communication between the Processors and the Distributors is strictly forbidden. However, it is said that the Distributor will receive you immediately and dispatch you to the next human being born within his territory. There are two hundred fifty-five such territories and two hundred fifty-five Distributors.”
He turned away from Joan and it was apparent that his answer was finished. “Are there any other questions?” he asked.
The next question was from David Pearlstein. Oren recognized him by pointing to him. “Where is God?”
Oren had heard this one many times before. “God is nowhere to be found.”
The answer displeased David, and he tried to get a clarification. Oren was expecting this. He looked directly into David’s eyes and said, “God does not wish for you to know the answer to that question.”
David was still dissatisfied, but he got the point.
The next question came from Jack Casey. “Do we have to pay for our sins?”
Oren’s answer surprised everyone. “Yes, you do.”
They all waited for a clarification, and none came. Then Ann requested the floor and continued the line of thought. “Please clarify how we pay for our sins.”
Oren answered, “That is not a question.” Then he added, “I will clarify nonetheless. You pay for your sins as you live the very life in which you commit them. Beyond that, I will say no more. I have already answered the question.”
Ray Williams was hesitant to ask his question, but Oren pointed to him. He asked, “Why are we in these strange bodies?”
“God knew that man could not comprehend the true nature of a soul,” began Oren. “He gave you form as a distraction for your consciousness. Without form, your thoughts would have driven you insane, and you would not have been able to understand that which I am telling you now.”
Oren turned to Hank and pointed. “And your question?”
“How do you cleanse us?”
“This is a proper question, but you would not understand the answer in its true sense. In terms that you can understand, this podium will irradiate you with a force that will erase your memories instantaneously.” He gestured to the podium. “It responds to my will, and my will alone.”
Ann was next. Oren pointed to her and she asked, “Will we be born with the same gender as we are now?”
Oren answered from rote, “God makes no distinction between male and female souls. You return to this station in whatever form you exist in your earthly life.”
Everyone was confused and, given a moment’s more thought, they would have come up with more questions. But Oren cut things off abruptly. He made a quick scan of the six and told them, “This concludes your indoctrination.”
He stepped over behind the podium and looked up at the six. He raised both his hands over the podium and spoke the simple words, “God’s will be done.”......
3
Nothing happened. As they all sat expecting their minds to go blank, Oren seemed frozen in his position. They looked back and forth at each other and then back to Oren. Oren’s eyes suddenly seemed void. His form collapsed right in front of them and they were stunned.
Ann jumped from her seat and ran to Oren’s form. She reached to try and help him, but her hands and arms passed right through him and the robe. She turned to the others as if for help. The others just sat stunned and watched.
.....
Joan watched in disbelief. She knew that something had gone terribly wrong. She tried to sort out what the right course of action should be. Then she saw the man at the other end of the row stand up. It caught her attention immediately. He wasn’t rushing to the aid of Oren. He was aloof. He made a sudden dash and jumped into the void. He disappeared into nothingness.
Joan was aghast. She looked around and saw that the others were all staring at the void. Then they turned to look at one another. The same thought seemed to come to all of them at the same time. They stood up in turn and lunged for the void. Joan was suddenly left alone in the chamber with Oren’s collapsed form. She hesitated for a moment, and then jumped into the void behind the others.
.....
Joan was in total blackness for what seemed quite some time, but she had the distinct sensation of falling. Then, as if a switch had been thrown, she was flooded with light. She was seated in a huge circular room. It was something like the cell she had first occupied with the other five, but it was huge. There must have been thirty or forty other souls seated to her right. The five immediately to her right were the five others she had just been with in the chamber. She turned to her left and saw sequential flashes of light depositing other souls on the seat. They were appearing one next to the other, lining up in succession on the seat. She spun her head around to the right and saw that there were now only about ten or twelve figures where there had just been thirty or more.
Things were happening too fast for her to comprehend. Then she saw the lone robed figure to her right, walking along the souls in a clockwise direction. Its left arm was extended and it touched the head of the last soul on the seat. A bright flash seemed to vaporize the soul, and the figure continued to the next soul and vaporized it also. It was coming toward her so quickly. She didn’t have time to think. She tried to stand, but could not. Then it was down to the six. She watched in amazement as it vaporized the five others and then moved its hand over her own head and.......
4
Zoron signaled and got no response from Oren. He signaled again. This was impossible. He lowered his head and he was instantaneously in Oren’s chamber. He saw Oren’s collapsed form by the podium. No Processor had ever before ceased to function. Zoron knew that a replacement was necessary.
With a bright flash, Oren’s form disappeared from the chamber. An instant later, Zoron also disappeared.
.....
Zoron called the High Council meeting. It was only the fifth High Council meeting since the creation. The six Deciders of the High Council of Zoron sat in Zoron’s chamber wearing their crimson robes. They were aware as always that something of grave consequence had happened. The chamber was much like all the other chambers, except, instead of a podium and a void on the one side, there was a raised platform with three seats upon it. Zoron sat in the center seat. The other two were empty. The Deciders sat in the six seats along the opposite wall.
The Deciders had always been the Deciders. Zoron had always been their leader. The names of the six Deciders were Arlen, Tomak, Bokar, Darma, Lorus and Jonah. They sat in that order, as they had always sat, with Arlen to the extreme left of Zoron and Jonah to the extreme right.
Zoron held his arms out to begin the session. “Oh, great Deciders, we are met again to contemplate a situation of grave concern. One among us has failed. Oren has ceased to move among us.” Zoron’s words were telepathic, but they had the effect of being “heard” as very loud. “We have in all our existence never before lost one among us. It is now before us to contemplate the action of the High Council.”
The Deciders looked only at Zoron. They were forbidden to do otherwise in the presence of Zoron. This was only a formality, anyway, since they telepathically communicated with each other. Seeing one another was simply not required.
Arlen spoke next. “Oh, wise Zoron, we must have a replacement at once for our brother Oren, but that surely cannot be a reason for a meeting of the High Council.”
Zoron was pleased with the response. “Brother Arlen, you are indeed perceptive. When I summoned Oren, he did not respond. His chamber was empty, and I know not under what circumstances it became so.”
Darma asked, “Oh, wise Zoron, was he responsive to your previous command?”
Zoron again was pleased. He turned to Darma and spoke. “In this question lies the crux of the dilemma. For I know not whether it was so. As I am forbidden to record our Transactions, so too is my memory lacking. For there are two hundred fifty-five Processors, and a number of Pods so large that it is forbidden to speak the number.”
Zoron was careful to study the reaction of each of the Deciders to his admission of his own forgetfulness. He feared that it might be construed as weakness. But the reaction he sensed was good. They did not consider him the weaker for his admission.
Lorus was the next to speak. “Oh, wise Zoron, it is not likely that a breach indeed occurred. In order for a breach to occur, not only must an uncleansed soul reach the conduit, but it must reach the conduit with the full knowledge and understanding of existence.”
Zoron contemplated this for a moment. “Brother Lorus, are you suggesting that we are to weigh possibility against probability in this matter?”
Lorus again spoke. “Oh, wise Zoron, I am indeed suggesting this.”
Zoron was pleased, but still a bit skeptical.
Bokar now spoke. “Oh, wise Zoron, beyond this mere possibility and probability, we must also consider that we have no factual basis to assume man’s capability to use that knowledge.”
Zoron was angered by that remark. “Are we then to simply ignore such a breach, brother Bokar?”
Bokar cringed at Zoron’s reaction. “Oh, wise Zoron, please forgive me my ineptness in communication. I am simply suggesting that if we are satisfied with brother Lorus’ assessment, then these factors that I speak of are all the more in favor of that argument.”
Now Zoron was quite pleased. He was upset with himself for failing to catch on to Bokar’s point initially.
Tomak spoke next. “Oh, wise Zoron, let us also consider in our assessment of possibility and probability, that it is very probable that Oren did not respond to your first instruction.”
Zoron considered this and the other arguments. “Brother Jonah, it is you alone who has remained silent. Have you anything to contribute to this Council?”
Jonah was always last to speak. His words were usually offensive to Zoron, but wise, nevertheless. “Oh, wise Zoron, I would suggest that no breach did likely occur, but it must be God’s decision to take action in such matters as grave as this one. And, I presume that Zoron must summon God to replace Oren or otherwise remedy the void left by Oren’s demise. Ergo, I advise that when Zoron summons God, the matter of the breach be set upon Him, and Him only.”
Zoron almost smiled. “Thank you brother Jonah. You have indeed demonstrated great wisdom and practicality. Then, how sayeth the Council on the matter of Zoron summoning God to replace Oren?”
The Council members indicated unanimously in favor.
Zoron stood, and the rest of the Council then stood. “Oh, great Deciders, we are met again, and we are adjourned.”
The Council members immediately vanished from Zoron’s chamber. Zoron was pleased. He was concerned that they might have lost respect for him because his memory had failed him on this matter. He thought to himself, if I am not perfect, then so be it. And the Council chooses to leave the matter in God’s hands instead of mine. Perfect!
