“The scary part is when the stars come back straight at you, man,” Charlie heard himself say to Dan. “Look at those stars trying to spear us straight through the heart. I think they’re trying to gather us up and bring us back. Back up to the gods. Look as they all come toward us, and then prepare to gather us up and sweep us back out. I got it. I got it. It mirrors the waves of the ocean. The ocean must be in rhythm with the gods’ breathing.” Charlie paused, struggling to find the meaning behind his revelation. “Fuck that moon,” he said suddenly. “It’s not doing shit. The gods are controlling everything, the back and forth, all of it from above.”
“Yeah man. Look. The Earth is going to be ripped apart. Stop gods. Stop gods!” yelled Dan as he stood up on top of his little chair so that he could get as close to the heavens as possible. “If you keep breathing, you’re going to tear the world in two. You’re going to tear it apart! You’re going to tear it apart. What will happen then Charlie? Where will we go after? The Earth will be split, like two pieces of an orange in space? Do you think we’ll still stay in orbit? What if it tears right between you and me? We would actually be looking at each other across space. And now you would be an alien to me and I an alien to you. We would be from two different worlds. You think if that happened, and I had sex with a girl from your world then we would have weird alien babies? Because now aliens are having sex.”
“Nah man. I don’t think so. It would be totally cool. Like if aliens came down right now from the stars, from another solar system, and we had sex with them. We would make sweet alien green human babies. They would be awesome,” responded Charlie.
“Like the incredible Hulk?”
“No, well maybe, I guess if they’re really, really strong, sure.”
“Cool, bro.”
“You think they would take us back to their world?”
“I don’t know.”
“You want to go?”
“You don’t?” Charlie asked.
“Imagine a new world. A world where you could think and do as you pleased. A world where you could wander wherever you wanted without the big eyes in the skies and walls watching you. A world where it didn’t matter to anybody if you got coffee here and breakfast there,” Dan said as he pointed left, right, up, and down. “What if we could be and exist however we want?”
Charlie sat and pondered that ludicrous, yet lovely idea. What if he could do as he wished? What if he could wander the streets without the fear of those robotic men in black? Sit outside from dawn to dusk and enjoy the sun without someone coming up to him and asking why he was sitting there. “I’m just fucking sitting here to sit here,” erupted Charlie.
Dan cocked his eyes at Charlie. “You tell them,” Dan yelled out at the world. “He’s just fucking sitting here to sit here.”
Dan removed the baggy and bit off a chunk of God’s Flesh. He handed Charlie the other portion, which Charlie consumed. Charlie thought for a second as he chewed. Didn’t we hide this? Because last time we decided to dive into more . . . Oh well, good job finding it Dan.
“Where are we?” Charlie exclaimed as they both floated in space, a space that wasn’t a void. It was as if a substance consumed them, thicker than air, but thinner than water. Charlie could hear what Dan was thinking. Charlie gazed at Dan, hearing his own thoughts swirling around in his friend’s head. The buzz of other people’s ideas began to intermix with his own. Charlie could now perceive crowds upon crowds of people. It appeared that everyone was ranting the same thing. Lights were everywhere. The lights flew amongst them. Every which way and that before combining, as if blending into one brilliant piece of illumination suspended in space. Individual lights in sync with the rest. Each had a job. Each a duty for the community at large. More lights. From everywhere. The same thing happened. They all joined together, forming as if into a supernova.
Dan and Charlie became the lights. They were among the stars, illuminating the night. Charlie found himself streaking across the sky, fusing with others, all around, in every direction. Everything was in sync. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t resist. There was no choice. There was no color. It was a sea of white with that universal presence, repeatedly forming together. From everywhere. They couldn’t change anything, not their paths, not their decisions. Charlie and Dan did as the group did.
And then it changed. They morphed. An idea formed. A decision formed. And it was over. An explosion of light so intense it lit up the heavens.
And then it started again, and stopped, and started, repeating over and over again, before all went black.
Charlie woke the next morning rolling around on the ground, screaming at the remnants of the previous night. He was flailing his arms and legs, scratching at his head. Dan was already up. He had a pot of water boiling to make some much-needed coffee. While tending to the grounds, Dan remained clear of Charlie, silent until he finally sat down in exhaustion.
“Perfect timing,” said Dan as he handed Charlie a cup of coffee.
Charlie took a sip. He let his brain catch up, trying to comprehend what had happened and what must happen now.
“Stars?” asked Dan.
Charlie looked at him in wonder.
“Combining until they exploded. Reforming. It happening over and over?” continued Dan.
Charlie had only recently managed to convince himself that everything had been a figment of his imagination. Charlie nodded and sipped his coffee.
“Don’t worry. Let your mind get right. It took me a bit,” Dan said as he rubbed his bruised forehead. “I had a minor disagreement with that bevy over there,” Dan continued as he pointed to their once erected structure, “and that tree over there.”
Charlie followed Dan’s gesture, taking note of the utter disorder their campsite was in.
“Your confusion is nothing compared to the hallucinogenic paranoia I started my day with. Your conscience is catching up with your subconscious, I think. Either that or we went insane last night,” Dan explained.
As Charlie enjoyed his recent hallucinogenic clarity, the workings of the world unfolded before him. The effects of the mushrooms were still rampant in his system. The streams of consciousness sprouted all around, melding together before his eyes. Each individual opinion shot up from its owner. As it met and mixed with the other streams, the construct bent and morphed to the will of the majority. Each changed as a beam of light refracted across an imperfect mirror. The number of individual streams reduced as they blended together, resulting in a single morphed subconscious view. The bending and morphing action was the processing of The Proxy, creating decisions in response to the world’s actions.
None of this was initially apparent and during the majority of this consolidation, Charlie remained within his bewildered state, enjoying a new sense of freedom. Rather than trying to control what was happening before him, Charlie let the virtual symphony of minds sweep him up. The array of consciousness gathered Charlie’s mind in with the masses. He was within the meld. He became another contributor to the mass gaggle. His mind was one voter in a sea of voters, where each contributed to the outcome. His mind became part of the foundation of the single consciousness. And in this way, society executed its most vital decisions.
Charlie’s revelation arose as he came crashing down from his euphoria. He glanced over at his buddy and noticed the blank expression signaling a similar reaction. Neither appeared to be at the peak of delirium, but Charlie knew they were far from being within their right minds. They were somewhere between, more high than not. In these moments, it was plain to see the mix of minds as opinions united to form one. Charlie and Dan witnessed pure democracy in its unrefined state, as the masses of people collected to provide the verdict for one thing or another. All humans bidding for an outcome. It was remarkable to watch the power of minds and the responsibility that followed.
As the formations of thought continued, Charlie noted the inclinations of each individual stream. It was difficult to recognize the true intent of a single stream when
observed as a solitary item. As they combined, the transformation of intentions became apparent, revealing a clear adjustment. The majority of the streams remained untouched, while the many minorities adapted to conform to the resultant conclusion. The majority ruled, absorbing minorities to form one homogeneous society. The mainstream would be content as the world bent to their vision, transformed as such into the tyranny of the majority. This, unfortunately, couldn’t be said for the variations, the minorities that peppered the world.
The ideas, opinions, and thinking of individuals constituted a minority or majority in terms of The Proxy and its form of decision-making. Whether the basis of a person’s reasoning originated from ethnic, racial, or varying social groups, was immaterial. The fact was, the majority decided and the minority coalesced.
“Our minds were linked Dan,” said Charlie. “Our minds were linked with others too. Hundreds,” continued Charlie.
“Thousands,” said Dan.
“Millions… Billions,” said Charlie. “I’ve seen this before. I didn’t know what it was at the time. I didn’t know it meant something.”
“What?”
“In the hospital. I got into the neuro area. I had this slimy jelly thing stuck to my eyeballs—”
“What?”
“Doesn’t matter. What does is the fact that those streams were present when I was using that equipment. I could see my thoughts move up and combine with…others, I guess. It had to be. Who were they?”
“The world, man,” Dan said. He continued after pausing for a moment, “There was slimy stuff stuck to your eyeballs?”
Charlie nodded and they both reflected in silence. Man this coffee is bad, thought Charlie.
“Everyone ended with the same point of view. What the individual wanted seemed irrelevant. There was no debate,” said Charlie. “That was chaos. That was ridiculous.”
“Well bro, that’s the government,” concluded Dan.
****
Charlie and Dan entered the blue restaurant set against the hillside. They pulled up on their bikes laden with camping equipment, propping them against the restaurant wall. The restaurant had a relaxed vibe, bustling with locals hanging around, enjoying a late breakfast. Outside, dark clouds threatened the ambiance as they massed over the coast, covering the area with a constant drizzle. Charlie and Dan grabbed a table in the corner of the restaurant next to a long rectangular window overlooking the road. Brick constructed décor gave the establishment a friendly appeal. Local artwork hung along the walls. Insiders knew that each was for sale, the price tag stuck to the backside of the paintings next to the wall. Such entrepreneurship was illegal due to the questionable ability for accurate taxation, so the sales were not advertised.
“Check out those three paintings,” said Dan as he looked over what was for sale.
“Huh?” Charlie responded.
“Those three. You could put them together to make one big scene. Pretty sweet, right?”
Charlie wasn’t interested. He was brooding over the way things had shattered in front of him the night prior.
“My name is Sarah and I’ll be your server today. May I start you off with some appetizers?” asked Sarah the waitress.
“Coffee,” answered Dan.
Charlie nodded.
“Okay, two coffees coming up,” said Sarah.
“Dan, we need to do something,” opened Charlie. “Everything has been off for so long. Nothing has seemed quite right. All we do is try and get by. We make do, appreciating beauty where we can. When that’s gone, we look for the next thing to get excited about. This is bullshit. This system is nuts. We got to do something about it all.”
Dan scanned the restaurant, visibly alarmed that people might be eaves dropping on their conversation.
Charlie knew the wrong person may not tolerate this type of small talk. The wrong person may feel this type of small talk presented a threat. He didn’t care right now. He was consumed by what he had seen.
“Charlie, I get you,” replied Dan. “What did you think was going on? Shit has been messed up for a long time. We all know that.”
“Yeah, but it’s bad. The whole premise behind the—” Charlie coughed and lowered his voice this time, “The Proxy, is that the system is using the subconscious decisions of…of…of humans, of us…” Charlie said as he pointed to his chest and Dan. “To govern. You saw what was going on. You saw what was happening.”
Dan nodded.
“It was as if the beliefs and inputs from so many didn’t even matter. If that’s so, then what’s the point? What about the little guys? They don’t get to choose. They have no say,” continued Charlie. “So who’s to say that any of those decisions are what we want?”
“Here you go,” said Sarah as she set down the coffee. “You guys hungry?”
“Yeah, please. Pancakes for the both of us. Chocolate chips too. Butter and maple syrup.”
“Will do,” said Sarah.
“That’s the way the world is,” said Dan. “The world has changed. The system is in place. Everyone is surviving. We both have jobs we like. You want to risk that? For what? What can we possibly do? Life is how it is. Those in charge are those in charge. People like us are here to live and survive. And dude, we do a pretty good job of surviving. We don’t do too bad.”
“We don’t do too bad? Dan, you described us as guys who don’t do too badly. That’s not me. That’s not us. What do you always say when you see my equipment ready for the job?” asked Charlie.
“It’s pristine. You’re anal as hell,” Dan answered.
“My cooking and my job. That’s what I love. That’s what has to be perfect. I know that and that’s how I live. I’ve been fine with that. I have. But, you saw. We can’t go on,” said Charlie. “What if they took away your loves, man? We’re okay now but what if some decision takes from us what we love?”
The pancakes arrived, with extra butter and syrup, topped by Sarah’s sweet smile aimed at Dan. They finished every last one, along with the butter and syrup, nothing wasted. Charlie paid, and they walked out to their bikes.
Dan turned to Charlie. “So what?”
“We need help,” said Charlie. The seriousness of all that had happened lingered, giving rise to a devilish idea that kept rushing around in his brain. He thought he had figured it out. He could beat this thing and take back everything. Charlie needed some help. He needed the right tools, and he needed the right people.
Charlie smiled and jumped on his bike. “We need some help Dan,” Charlie said as he pedaled toward San Francisco. Freedom. That’s what Charlie felt as he glided back through the hills toward his home. Not City 55 but San Francisco. He felt exhilarated. The ideas creeping through his head were enough to make him tingle. His heart beat faster. His mind was overrun with possibilities. There was nothing else. Nothing else at all.
“Shit!” Charlie swerved as he hit a bench and flew over the handlebars into the bushes lining the roads past Sausalito.
“Charlie,” yelled Dan. Dan skidded to a stop and ran over to see where Charlie had gone. “Charlie,” Dan yelled as he scanned the bushes.
Charlie popped his head up and smiled. “Okay, one thing at a time. Let’s get home,” Charlie said. The two resumed their travels and made it back to Charlie’s apartment that afternoon. The clouds had let up, and the sun was shining upon them as they rode up to the apartment stairs. Charlie was going to have to pitch his plan later this week to get his buds on board. Without their support, Charlie wouldn’t be able to begin his little crusade.
****
“Thanks for coming,” opened Charlie. “I know it’s the middle of the week and our schedules don’t often marry up, me being on nights all the time. So, I appreciate you two making it during your lunch hour. Well, Jerry at least. I know you work whenever,” Charlie finished motioning at Dan. Across from him, Jerry and Dan sat with perplexed looks on the couch.
Charlie had managed to scrounge up a huge whiteboard. He hadn’t been able to find anythi
ng to prop it up with, so it was sitting on the TV stand leaning against the flat screen. Charlie had a set of markers and had drawn up an intricate diagram with arrows, lines, and quotes all over the board. Charlie also had a 3D holographic representation of something off to the side. Companies used 3D holographic representations that were capable of enacting a scenario for the audience. Presenters didn’t need to get up out of their seats, because these new gadgets did everything for them. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything. The figures will make sense. I know it looks a bit random but stay with me,” Charlie said as he continued to observe Jerry and Dan’s confusion.
Charlie continued, “Dan, are you happy?”
Dan looked up, caught off guard with the simple question. “Yeah?”
Charlie looked at him again, his eyes widening. “Dan, are you happy with how our world is operating?”
“Oh, no, no Charlie,” responded Dan. Dan and Charlie had practiced the opening, hoping to project a unified front for Jerry. Dan had already messed it up.
“Me neither Dan,” Charlie continued. Charlie described his initial observations in the neuroscience department, and then the camping trip Dan and he had taken. “And then we were floating in the ether, the stars shooting around us, swarming in masses, until dispersing in ultimate brilliance,” went on Charlie. The speech continued for another five minutes. Jerry sat there smiling, sipping the beer Charlie had bribed him with when he first entered the apartment. Jerry waited until Charlie finished, and then waited a little longer for the silence to get uncomfortable.
“So you guys got high as kites, and you didn’t invite me?” Jerry retorted. “Guys, you know I’m down to party. Why didn’t you call me up man?”
“You had to work. You were working the next day. We were staying there overnight and no way you would make it back in time for your job,” Dan responded.
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