For the purposes of legalities, proliferation, and the well-being of society, products from Pathway that Eliza and her Delegates deemed ready for public distribution were placed under official review by the US Government, before they were made available to the public.
Much of this happened seamlessly and had been given the critical blind-eye of the public personas that had any inkling of what might be going on, due to the seemingly shared overnight successes, medical breakthroughs proliferated, and much more, which engendered acceptance, understanding, and excitement of Eliza’s published and released book just a month prior.
She thought about those moments in 2010, and as she did, she was grateful Pathway had been given the “blessing” by the ANSSI. This was one of several covert US Governmental Advanced Science and Spatial Development Agencies. Due to her keen sense of ethics and humanity, they had given Eliza and her company permission to engage in unmonitored activities and studies in any manner she chose. With these permissions, as provided by this high-level governmental organization, Pathway could operate with the benefits of officially-sanctioned shielding from the scrutiny of the public or by any other prying or uninformed agency or entity.
Unlike other government contractors, everything that could be produced by Pathway and subsequently proliferated was pro-bono to the government and cost nothing to the taxpayer, as well as any of the other agencies or entities working with them. This furthermore reduced overall costs to any of the industrial sectors that had signed on to increase the quality of life. This idea had been presented by Pathway and agreed upon by the government for many reasons having to do with the innate nature of everyone in Pathway of guiding humanity to a more promising future. All of this required a unique balance of protection and transparency for the sake of the advancement of civilization, its well-being, and its longevity and legacy.
Her book had turned into a worldwide phenomenon within just a month, and University and Science journals were now filled with her writings. Newspapers, blogs, and even television stations, all of which had put in requests to Eliza, Yesha, and James for countless interviews over a short period of time, filled the internet and newsstands of every street. Talk shows and ideologues had been abuzz about Eliza’s recently released quasi-political, utopian, and scientific masterpiece. It was a careful balance at that time to share with the masses only what they were ready for while protecting humanity from the malicious minds that sought only destruction, unbalanced and uncontrolled forms of chaos, and both physical and emotional brutality.
Eliza wanted to share every detail that ought to be released to the public sooner to save lives, but she also knew she had to protect humanity from something much worse should these powerful tools fall into the wrong hands without proper and protective mechanisms in place.
Eliza and Yesha shared many ideas with each other growing up. Following Yesha’s admonition, moral support, and their mutual efforts with James and his crew toward the build-up and expansion of Pathway, Eliza had followed Yesha’s and James’ advice to write a book and released her ideas for the entire world to see. With the quick success of her book after its release, she had gained a renewed hope that humanity just might be ready to take this opportunity to begin moving forward in science and travel through space with a noble purpose. Enthusiasm for science had started to increase in public due to the book giving it a gentle nudge. It had caught on like wildfire and all because people were yearning for something that would provide them with hope, something that would give them meaning to put their focus on, and a special something that would imbue a renewed sense of depth and purpose, based in science.
The end of her time as Pathway’s President was coming by all too quickly, to Eliza. She knew, however, that it was time to pass the torch on to another highly trusted leader of many. During her five years, after being sanctioned by the ANSSI, and of leading covert, public, and economic advances with very astounding progress, she was ready for her next role in leadership. She was prepared for the political arena. It was essential to both her and the rest of humanity’s future.
By 2015, Pathway LLC had grown to be one of the most beloved and influential employers throughout the world, had matured quickly to become Pathway Industries, and shortly after that, it became a mighty titan of influence, commerce, and advancement as Pathway.
Eliza had built a mega-employment and societally-advancing powerhouse which included every one of the major industries throughout the world. Amidst so much, she had developed some of the most advanced of medical help-aids. Eliza had brought to reality lush living quarters for free, to read-in members of Pathway, and to those non-read-in, a level that was just as lush yet affordable by way of Pathway’s public safe homes, which were available within many communities worldwide. She had upgraded, improved upon, and created a vast array of enriching educational opportunities and capacities while enabling anyone wishing to attend school an affordable opportunity to do so. She had increased the utility, longevity, and safety of Pathway-based entertainment products and gadgets, and she had even developed environmental scrubbers and healing mechanisms. Her inventions and ideas were always released with proper safeguards in place to improve the quality of life and protect those who were most vulnerable.
Each of the items and services under Eliza’s purview, once developed initially, was tested and perfected in every possible way, and when ready, they were released with permission from the US Government, courtesy of Pathway’s political liaison wing.
Currently, late in 2015, Eliza was getting ready to step down and hand operations over to her dear friend, confidant, and fellow genius, Yesha Alevtina. Many years before, Eliza had the gifted foresight to see the need for a newly established political party that would allow her to bring a positive influence on the Legislative Branch of the United States as well as inside many other positions of leadership throughout the world through her party’s other delegates and representatives. She had known she would eventually need to run for political office and that it would become a long political career. Eliza would be dedicated to a good cause and would see it through. For now, after beginning her official bid for Congress, Eliza settled into her family’s estate, which she had inherited from the trust her parents had ever so wisely developed many years ago, and she had since upgraded internally in so many advanced and useful ways.
After taking care of some miscellaneous duties that day, she watched the news as the countless personalities talked about her bid a few hours before for Congress, as well as the formation and mission of her recently publicized Universal Party. She listened to a variety of interviews from people who she had known while growing up, testimonials from political refugees seeking asylum from violence and corruption, workers rescued from toxic places of employment who had been struggling to provide the basics for their families, and a multitude of others, all of whom she and her friends had helped. She also listened to the praise and critiques from pundits, politicians, lobbyists, and demagogues. All of this took her about twenty minutes in the real world, using the advantages of time dilation in the Virtual Universe, reviewing every detail and view, absorbed by the Twelve Database Moons that day. Once she was sure she had a full grasp of the pulse of society in her state and worldwide, she left the Virtual Universe and began to meditate. Eliza did so with Tyson by her side, thinking about a series of events that led to the rise of Pathway LLC, the development of Pathway Industries, its maturation into Pathway and the voluntary optimizations and heroic acts of so many of the amazing people she had worked with and met along the way.
Eliza allowed her thoughts to drift back to May of 2010, five years prior.
Yesha was her best and dearest friend, her scientific confidant and cohort, her lifelong kindred spirit and extended family member who lived with Eliza on her estate and had worked with her for the last four and a half years post-doc to build Pathway LLC and all of its mysteries from the ground up—in every way that mattered. Together, they both had instructed at Harvard and MIT full time fr
om 2006 to 2008 and then had moonlighted from 2008 to 2010 as part-time Senior Professors—Eliza, in the Departments of Biotechnology, Quantum Physics, and Law, and Yesha, in the Departments of Neurology and Psychology, while engaging in other projects that would lead to the building of Pathway LLC’s infrastructure. James Cooper had joined them in 2008 and became a member of their professional collaboration with his crew. Tyson was back in her life, always protecting her estate and enjoying the company of Yesenia, Yesha’s mom—who resided in Eliza’s estate as a close and extended family member, entertaining any visitors.
Eliza was at home and on a break meditating with Tyson cuddled beside her, while Yesha was going over her students’ paperwork in her office at Harvard. Eliza and Yesha had paused for a short time from their activities within Pathway LLC. With Eliza’s optimized mind, she could hear every word of the news about her new book while her music played on in the background.
Yesha could link with Eliza mentally, and she rather enjoyed going back and forth using her link with Eliza, James, and any of the other twenty-million members of Pathway at that time. However, for some reason, Yesha found that she still had an appreciation for the shrewd technology of cell phones and the excitement of the latest public advances that went with it.
Yesha frowned upon the lack of longevity, adaptability, and upgradability of these tech gadgets, however, but she didn’t dwell on that for too long, at least without making plans for improvements. It appeared that these, among many other devices and tools, were built by many for the sake of monetary gain alone, while using up and depleting the natural resources of Earth to drive up costs. At least it was clear from the public purview that those motives for advancement were commonplace among the economic titans of the day. Nevertheless, Pathway had developed cold fusion and implemented it quietly, and only for the sake of safety from the hands of those with the direst of ends toward others on Earth or anywhere that life existed. With resources no longer an escalating question of concern, Yesha saw a definite purpose in any form of technology. She saw opportunities to adapt genius-level thinking and residual production to ends that resulted in benevolence. She saw the ability to fuse great minds and ideas together to come up with greater solutions. Thus, she texted Eliza using a smartphone from time to time. Eliza felt likewise and decided to take a break from her meditation to read her texts:
“Congratulations, Eliza! Your book is a hit!
“Everyone at school is talking about it!
“I wanted to pass this on to you. I had a visit from a government official earlier today asking about you—apparently, they’re going to read us in for a clearance of some sort. They want to establish an ‘arrangement’ to form an internal liaison arm or branch between Pathway LLC and the US Government. Have you heard from anyone yet?
“A lot of people throughout the world have shown quite an interest in what you wrote. It’s good to have your influence within their grasp because conducting leadership and governance with common sense, kindness, and care, should help to reduce the potential for malicious activities while providing a technologic boost to the medical industry, other industries, and our economy as a whole. An air of intellectual progress, a desire for well-being-oriented innovation, a pathway of getting out to space, and colonization where we can setup up safe areas, study these locations, and then adapt to the environments we find ourselves in, is among many things our leaders could use.
“These ideas all seem to resonate with the masses, Eliza.”
Eliza’s phone rang...
Ignoring the ringing of her cell, Eliza typed back fast, “I’ve heard lots of ‘buzz.’ There was so much going on, I went through quite a bit of it and watched many of the broadcasts in the Virtual Universe. Yesha, it looks like someone is calling. At any rate, we can only hope that our lifelong efforts, dreams, and ideas will reach the right minds.
“Everyone has an opportunity to play a significant role with their unique talents and their integration with the long-overdue effort in the upcoming years. Let’s hope that those that can influence the changes necessary and those who are brilliant enough to make good things happen are receptive and productive.
“Just a second, Yesha, the phone is ringing.”
The phone rang, again... and Eliza linked to Yesha and James, so they could hear.
“Hello, may I ask who is calling?” asked Eliza.
“This is Agent Epstein from the A. N. S. S. I. May I speak to Doctor Eliza Amber Williams?” inquired the Agent.
“Yes, this is she, how may I be of assistance?” Eliza asked, hoping it wasn’t someone pretending to be who they said they were, while she quickly combed over her databases through her neural link to the Internet and the Virtual Universe. After doing so in a microsecond, she was pretty sure the individual she was talking to was someone who was legitimate. They were good with encryption, so little was found, but what was found seemed safe enough. Eliza and Yesha had fielded a host of calls over the last month. It was usually a hassle since none of the callers were linked; which meant scrubbing and combing over the Virtual Universe to double check.
Agent Epstein, who picked up on Eliza’s cautious tone, responded, “Doctor Williams, I am sure you have received a lot of calls from those with less than an honorable agenda, but I assure you, I am very confident you will be satisfied once we have met. Plus, I won’t be a bug in your ear for too long. I represent a more covert Federal agency, and we’re very interested in meeting with you to support you in all the ways that matter in your endeavors. We would like to meet at a location and at a time of your choosing, at your earliest convenience to go over some important matters, if that is okay with you? Do you have any questions?” With much more to do and several briefs to give, Agent Angela Epstein had decided to cut to the chase and sate Eliza’s need for clarity and answer any questions proposed, in the most precise and quickest way possible.
“It does sound interesting, but please enlighten me? Yes, you are correct; the phone has been ringing quite a bit, and of course, I need to make sure this call is legitimate. I am aware of the ANSSI and that they invest in technologies in the interest of space travel, health, and human advancement; however, I don’t know too much other than that. So, if I may, I’d like to ask you what it is that you need. And, can you deliberate on the ANSSI a little bit more?” In truth, within these few brief moments, Eliza knew everything possible about the ANSSI, yet she also knew that this visit and agreement was necessary and would put Pathway in safe footing when it came to legal matters. She knew it was best to be reasonable and somewhat play the fool.
“Sorry, of course, Ma’am. I work with the US Agency, called the Advanced National Science & Space Initiative or ANSSI, pronounced “An – See.” Our agents and subject matter experts have combed over each page of your book. They have seen some of the technologies you have proliferated through the FDA. We believe you might be able to assist us concerning matters related to medical care, neurological health, national welfare, global security, and advanced developmental science—among many others, all related to proper preparation for deep space exploration. This is an item of a sensitive nature, however, so we would very much prefer it if you could withhold from talking about our conversation with anyone else, except your friend, Dr. Yesha Alevtina and perhaps Mr. James Cooper, until we’ve had a chance to meet with and talk to you in a private setting. We’ve already met with Yesha briefly today, and we’d like both of you to be there for the next visit. James can be there too, or you can brief him later.”
“That should be fine, Angela. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to reach me. I thank you for the time you and your team members have taken to read and examine what I wrote and what our organization has done. What you’re saying sounds intriguing, so I believe we would be happy to listen and potentially work with you. To make sure you are who you say you are, for security reasons, I’d like for us to meet first in the visitor’s lobby, at Harvard University. I’m sure you’ll understand our need to check your or
ganizational badges and scan your personal identification before we can proceed to my office. Is tomorrow at fifteen-hundred hours okay with you?”
“Yes, Dr. Williams, that time will work for us, thank you. I also appreciate your keen emphasis on security. We’ll gladly show you our badges and IDs before we get started.”
“That sounds good. Oh, you don’t have to ‘ma’am’ or ‘doctor’ me. Please, in the future just call me Eliza? If you have any questions, or if you can’t get ahold of me for any reason, please contact Yesha or James. They’ll be able to get ahold of me and relay any details.”
“Copy all, Dr. Williams. We’re looking forward to meeting with you.”
“We’ll see you then at fifteen hundred tomorrow,” replied Eliza. “Again with ‘doctor,’” she thought to herself as both ended their call, but her title was written in the introduction of her book, “Pathway to the Stars,” Angela was obviously trained that way, and Eliza understood governmental protocol and professionalism. Eliza had written draft policy for her state and federal representatives on a regular basis for several years, but it seemed that some people had a better sense as to when to let rigid obedience go for the sake of fluid communication. Still, the Agent had called, and clearly, this arrangement was going to be non-standard, so perhaps she was acting overly professional as a sort of cover. With that thought in mind, Eliza was pretty excited to meet with Agent Angela Epstein but kept her excitement between herself, Yesha, and James.
She then dispensed with texting and talked with Yesha and James using her neural link, “Did you catch all of that? It looks like we need to meet together at the visitor’s center at work, tomorrow at 3 pm. Will you be able to make it?”
“Of course, and yes, I will, Eliza, and I’ll be home in a few hours, so we can relax, watch the news, and chit-chat!” She and James smiled, and Eliza picked up on it mentally.
James then responded, “That sounds fair enough to me. Thank you for the heads-up!”
Further than Before- Pathway to the Stars Page 10