Soul Reader Series: Book1: Touch Enabled

by Dante Lupinetti

  “Yes,” replied Zeke.

  “So would you say that you have a supernatural ability to make people tell the truth?”

  “Yes,” replied Zeke.

  “Let’s take a break,” said the examiner. “Zeke, the guards will escort you to the restroom. We’ll resume when you get back.”

  The guards disconnected Zeke from the machine and escorted him down the hall to the restroom.

  Meanwhile, Agent Johnson stepped into the examination room. “How’s he doing?” he asked the examiner.

  “No deception so far,” responded the examiner. “The rest of this is just verifying what he’s put on his security forms. Unless he’s hiding something there, I don’t think we have a problem. We already knew about the bomb scare.”

  “I better get back to the observation room,” said Agent Johnson.

  When Zeke returned with the guards by his side, they connected him up and continued the questioning for another two hours, but it was uneventful.

  “Zeke,” said the examiner. “We are done. I will leave you in the care of Agent Johnson. Thanks for coming in today.”

  After Agent Johnson walked into the room, Zeke impatiently asked him, “Did I pass?”

  Agent Johnson looked at the examiner who was still in the room and asked, “Well, did he?”

  The examiner looked at them both and said, “I still need to review the results more carefully, but I can tell you that I saw no deception.”

  Zeke breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m exhausted,” he exclaimed.

  “Well done, Zeke,” said Agent Johnson. “Let’s go, and I’ll tell you what’s next as I escort you out of the building.”

  “Can we lose the armed guards?” asked Zeke jokingly.

  “You guys are dismissed,” responded Agent Johnson with a smile.

  As they walked down to the lobby, Zeke noticed their conversation becoming more open and revealing.

  “Zeke, I wondered how you were going to handle it when the examiner asked you if two teachers died as a result of that bomb scare? I thought for sure I would hear the polygraph needle slamming the side of the machine. But I have to give you credit. Your answer was spot on. It forced the examiner to come at you from a different angle, and you didn’t say yes until he rephrased the question to the way in which you could answer in the affirmative. Great job! I need to check with the examiner one more time to get him to submit his analysis. Then, I’ll arrange for your California eval. This will happen fast, probably by tomorrow.”

  “OK,” said Zeke. “I’ll be ready.”

  Zeke left the building and started his drive home. His mind drifted so much that he hardly noticed the scenery. He had spent about five hours under a polygraph and had not even stopped for lunch. He was so tired that he did not even realize that he was hungry. The next thing he knew was that he was pulling into the driveway of his home. All he wanted to do was to go to bed, but he wanted to call Abby first and let her know how it went.

  “Abby, this is Zeke.”

  “How did it go?” she asked.

  “It went well,” said Zeke. He proceeded to fill Abby in on the details. “Hopefully, Agent Johnson will call me tomorrow about my psychic eval. I’m going to bed now. I’m exhausted.”

  “Yeah, get some rest,” replied Abby. “Great news.”

  “Abby,” said Zeke. “When this is all over, we should celebrate.”

  “You got it,” said Abby. “Now get some rest.”

  Zeke fell asleep and awoke the next morning to a call on his cell phone. “Zeke, this is Agent Johnson. Good news. You’ve been cleared to proceed. I booked you a flight to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for later today at 3:10 pm EST and a hotel three miles from Menlo Park, California for psychic evaluation. You’re to report to the lobby of Science and Research International Corporation (SRIC) in Menlo Park, California for testing at 8:00 am PST tomorrow.”

  After Zeke got out of bed, he called Harvey. “Harvey, my government contacts want me to go out of town for a few days for some testing.”

  “Look kid, you’ve got to give me something better than that. Do these government contacts work for the agency I think they work for?”

  “Who do you think they work for?” asked Zeke.

  “CIA, of course,” replied Harvey.

  “I can neither confirm nor deny,” replied Zeke.

  “So if you told me you would have to kill me?” asked Harvey.

  “That’s right,” replied Zeke.

  “OK, kid, go ahead, but when you get back, we’ve got to talk about a new arrangement. Think stringer. For now, I’ll just consider you away on assignment.”

  “Hey, thanks Boss. It’ll pay off for you in the end. Trust me,” said Zeke.

  “It better,” said Harvey.

  8

  Psychic Spies

  For nearly twenty years, the CIA had been researching and using something they called remote viewing based on psychic, clairvoyant ability. It gave them the ability to see remote places without actually being there. The CIA had some success using this but concluded that it had no value as an intelligence tool and ended the program in 1995.

  Still, an appetite for it remained in the CIA, and they viewed Zeke’s ability as a psychic phenomenon. So, as part of Zeke’s onboarding process, the CIA wanted to evaluate him at Science and Research International Corporation (SRIC) in Menlo Park, California.

  Zeke boarded a plane at Reagan National Airport at 3:10 pm EST bound for San Francisco International Airport. Zeke arrived in San Francisco at 5:00 pm PST, and was surprised at the cool sixty-degree November weather. He naively expected a minimum of eighty-degree temperatures year-round through-out all of California.

  After renting a car at the airport, he drove to his hotel in Menlo Park. The next morning Zeke reported to SRIC. After entering the main lobby, he told security that he had been sent by Agent Johnson at Langley for psychic evaluation.

  “Oh, you’re Zeke Jackson. We were told to expect you. Dr. Powell will be right down.”

  After about ten minutes, Dr. Powell came down the stairs into the lobby. “Hello, Zeke. We’ve heard a lot about you. We’re excited to have you here this week.”

  “We?” asked Zeke.

  “Yes, my team. We have four people who will be working with you to determine the nature of this ability that you have. Come with me to our Remote Viewing Lab on the second floor.”

  When Zeke entered the Remote Viewing Lab, it was as if he had walked into Frankenstein’s laboratory. Aisles of lab benches with electronic devices filled the room, their red, blue, and green LEDs blinking.

  Zeke touched one of the devices. “What’s this?”

  “That’s an EMF Detector,” said Dr. Powell. “It’s also known as a TriField Meter. It detects fluctuations in magnetic, electric, radio, and microwave energy levels.”

  “That’s another name for a ghost detector,” said Sean, one of Dr. Powell’s assistants. “It’s a ghost detector.”

  “Zeke, meet Sean Davidson,” said Dr. Powell. He’s our electronic tech here.”

  Zeke looked and touched another device. “How about this?”

  “That’s a Thermal Anomaly Detector,” said Dr. Powell. “It detects small changes in thermal fields that can accompany paranormal phenomena.”

  “That’s also another name for a ghost detector,” said Sean. “It just detects thermal changes.”

  “Might I ask, what your doctorates are in?” asked Zeke.

  “I have doctorates in parapsychology and paranormal science with a masters in physics,” said Dr. Powell.

  “So you’re the chief ghostbuster,” said Zeke.

  “I guess you could say that, but that’s not a term I like to banter about,” said Dr. Powell. “We have enough trouble maintaining credibility around here.”

  Zeke spotted a cranial looking device with electrodes and wires hanging off. “What’s that?” he inquired.

  “That’s what we’re going to be putting on your head to monit
or your brain waves when you’re doing your thing,” replied Sean “It’s called an EEG Brain Wave Monitor. You can buy these things off Amazon now for like two hundred dollars, but they don’t do what this does. Dr. Powell designed this himself. I know it looks kind of Frankenstein, but it monitors areas of the brain no other EEG monitoring devices can look at.”

  “OK, Sean, if you’re done playing with the toys, take Zeke in the back room and hook him up to the EEG monitor,” said Dr. Powell. “We’ll start the testing there.”

  “OK, Boss.”

  The back room was much like the polygraph room at Langley. They had a one-way observation window, but they didn’t have armed guards.

  “This place is not quite as scary as Langley,” said Zeke as he entered the room.

  “OK, Zeke,” said Sean. “Have a seat and get comfortable. I’m going to place this helmet on your head. It has several electrodes attached to it. You won’t get shocked. Dr. Powell will be monitoring your brain waves on a fancy oscilloscope in the next room.”

  After Sean hooked Zeke up, Dr. Powell came into the room. “Zeke, I want you to interview Sean the same way you interviewed others on whom you exercised your gift. You choose the questions. I’ll be in the next room. I can hear everything you say.”

  “OK, Sean, give me your hand,” said Zeke. “Now make eye contact with me. You have no armor.”

  “OK,” replied Sean.

  “You are wandering in the woods searching for something,” said Zeke. “Is your name Sean Davidson?”

  “Yes,” said Sean.

  “Your heart is anxious and fearful. You’re frustrated because you cannot find what you’re looking for. What are you looking for, Sean? Sean, what are you looking for?”

  “Forgiveness,” answered Sean. “Forgiveness and God.”

  “Forgiveness for what, Sean?”

  “For cheating on my girlfriend,” answered Sean.

  “Does she know?”

  “No,” answered Sean.

  “How did you meet your girlfriend?”

  “She was my girlfriend in high school,” answered Sean.

  “So, why don’t you tell her and beg her forgiveness?”

  “Because I cheated with her best friend,” said Sean. “I feel so guilty.”

  “That’s enough for now,” said Dr. Powell over the intercom.

  Zeke let go of Sean’s hand. Dr. Powell came into the room and removed the helmet from Zeke’s head. Sean appeared dazed but soon recovered. Dr. Powell asked Sean if he remembered telling Zeke about his girlfriend. Sean said he remembered telling him about his cheating.

  “Zeke, great job,” said Dr. Powell. “Just the kind of thing I was hoping to see.”

  “What happened on your scope?” asked Zeke.

  “My scope showed your brain waves consistently between four and seven point nine hertz frequency. Your brain was in the alpha state, which is where the mind is relaxed, and ‘in the zone.’ Have you ever studied or practiced meditation?”

  “No,” replied Zeke.

  “What I need is to see is what is happening to Sean’s brain,” said Dr. Powell. “I think we need to run the experiment again with an EEG helmet on Sean also. But for now, why don’t we break for an early lunch.”

  “Sean,” said Dr. Powell. “Why don’t you gather the team together, and we’ll take Zeke out to lunch.”

  “Where to?” asked Sean.

  “How about that Caribbean restaurant that you guys love so much?”

  “Great idea,” said Sean.

  As Sean gathered the team together, Dr. Powell and Zeke talked. “I hear that you don’t think this is psychic,” said Dr. Powell.

  “No, I don’t,” said Zeke.

  “What do you think it is, then?”

  “I think it’s supernatural or divine in nature.”

  “What do you mean by supernatural?” asked Dr. Powell.

  “I think it is an ability or gift bestowed on me by the Holy Spirit, at this time, for some reason.”

  “You mean, like one of those gifts in the Bible, like speaking in tongues or healing?”

  “Oh, you’re familiar with them?”

  “Yes, I would be remiss if did not do my homework on various forms of paranormal ability,” said Dr. Powell. “We’ve investigated many of those claims and found them to be fraudulent. What makes you so sure that yours is the real deal?”

  “Well, for one thing, I’m not trying to make money from it. I know there is an entire industry that has been built up around the proclamation of having these abilities,” said Zeke. “And, there are around two hundred Christian evangelical denominations built around these gifts. They are the cause of much contention in the Christian community. Personally, I think these particular gifts of healing, miracles, and tongues were meant for the early church to give testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ and to identify the work of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think they were meant to become a sales pitch for televangelists.”

  “Well, I’m with you there,” said Dr. Powell. “I think the team is waiting for us. Let’s go.”

  Zeke and Dr. Powell met the team in the lobby where Dr. Powell introduced him to all the members. “You know Sean, of course. Sean is our electronic tech. He has a B.S. in Electronic

  Technology and fixes a lot of the equipment in this place. This is Marie Sanchez. She has a PhD in parapsychology, and is our senior researcher. This is Paul Mayers. Paul is our neurologist, M.D. specializing in…”

  “Let me guess,” interrupted Zeke. “The effects of psychic abnormalities on the brain.”

  “Exactly,” said Dr. Powell. “And, last but not least, Jason Milford. Jason is our lead designer of paranormal and psychic detection and measuring equipment. He has a PhD in electrical engineering and a masters in biology.”

  “What a team,” said Zeke. “Very highly educated.”

  “Now that we’re done with the introductions, let’s load into the ghostbusters’ van and go to lunch,” said Dr. Powell.

  They walked out into the parking lot and Zeke saw a ridiculous looking van.

  “You weren’t kidding,” said Zeke as he inspected the van decked out like the ghostbusters’ vehicle.

  “Yeah,” said Dr. Powell. “It’s good advertising for the company. We drive it in the Rose Bowl parade and in the homecoming parade for Stanford University with whom we’re also affiliated. Most people think it’s a joke, but, as you can see, we are very serious and so is SRIC. We have earned millions in government research and studies and mission critical operations. The CIA has tabled their support for now, but we feel it’s only a matter of time before they come back to us.”

  Everyone loaded into the van and they drove a couple miles to the Back A Yard American and Caribbean Grill. The smell of jerk chicken greeted them at the door.

  “What do you recommend here?” asked Zeke.

  “Jerk chicken, of course,” said Sean. “Can’t you smell it? After that, it’s all about the sides.”

  After sitting down, and looking at the menu, Zeke decided on the jerk chicken with white meat, collard greens, and rice and beans. The rest of the team went with the jerk chicken but varied on the sides.

  “How long have you guys been working together?” asked Zeke.

  “Marie and I started the group at SRIC about ten years. ago,” said Dr. Powell. “Jason came about a year later. Then, Paul came three years after that. Sean is our newest member. He joined us a year ago. People in this field all know one another. We’re a close-knit bunch.”

  After they finished eating, Dr. Powell spoke up, “Are you guys ready to get back at it?” Dr. Powell picked up the tab and they went out to the ghostbusters’ van, and Dr. Powell drove them back to the office.

  “Thanks for lunch, Boss,” said Sean.

  They all proceeded to the lab.

  Dr. Powell, Sean, and Zeke went into the testing room inside the lab. This time Dr. Powell put his customized EEG helmet on Zeke and a duplicate on Sean before going to the observation room.r />
  “OK, Zeke, you can begin,” said Dr. Powell over the intercom.

  Zeke grasped Sean’s hand and looked him in the eye.

  “You have no armor,” said Zeke. “Again, you are wandering in the woods searching for something Your heart is anxious and fearful. What are you looking for, Sean? Sean, what are you looking for?”

  “A way out,” replied Sean.

  “A way out of what?” asked Zeke.

  “A way out of this relationship,” said Sean.

  “What relationship?” asked Zeke.

  “The relationship with Heather.”

  “Who’s Heather?”

  “My girlfriend’s best friend,” admitted Sean.

  “Why can’t you end the relationship with Heather?” asked Zeke.

  “She’s threatening me.”

  “How is she threatening you?”

  “She’s threatening to tell my girlfriend. She knows I don’t want to lose her.”

  Across the intercom came Dr. Powell’s voice. “OK, enough secrets for today. Let’s end the session.”

  Dr. Powell entered the room and removed the helmets from Zeke and Sean. Dr. Powell approached Zeke.

  “I believe what you uncovered in there,” Dr. Powell told Zeke.

  “Yeah, but I’m getting tired of sniffing around everyone’s dirty laundry. This gift has to be for something bigger than that,” replied Zeke.

  “I’m just glad it wasn’t something illegal you uncovered,” said Dr. Powell. “This ability that you have is uncanny. Tell me one thing, Zeke. On both interviews, you made the statement: ‘You have no armor.’ What did you mean?”

  “The armor refers to the armor of God, a reference to the book of Ephesians in the New Testament,” explained Zeke. “The fact that Sean did not have any armor means that he’s susceptible to any and all attacks from the evil one. He has no defense or offense, for that matter. He is open to any temptation. From a spiritual perspective, he is wandering, lost and unprotected.”

  “But, what about self-control? What about being responsible for your actions?” asked Dr. Powell.

  “He’s certainly responsible for his actions,” said Zeke. “‘Make no mistake, your sin will find you out,’ the Old Testament says. As far as self-control goes, without the Holy Spirit and the armor of God, it’s whatever he can muster up in his own ability. He has no help from God.”