Disconnected (Connected series Book 1)

by N. P. Francis

  Da’Cince called a gathering of the core members of the Guild of The Punku. He needed to ensure that everyone and Pachamama was okay, he and Ma’Kusi were very concerned that the return of Adam could trigger many events that could not be controlled if they did not act fast. Ma’Kusi warned Da’Cince not rush to decisions but to listen to what was said, and what was not said, by all present.

  They were gathering in Da’Cince’s favourite small room adjacent to their private quarters. It meant that three people were standing, Illary with Cauca and Jane were stood to the left of the table watching and listening to the conversation. Cunac was the first to sit after Ma’Kusi and Da’Cince had taken their seats. It was just after lunch and all were tired from the previous three days’ confusion, worry and concern as Da’Cince asked for everyone’s thoughts.

  Cunac had allowed himself some shrouple mid-morning to help him calm down, gather his thoughts and quell his alarm. For a second time in the last three days he had uncharacteristically let his guard down at the invitation to express his thoughts. He had let fly again with his concerns about Adam exposing DiPacha and risking their safety and resources. He realised what he was doing and was now quickly calming down and chastising himself for almost showing his hand. The news had been shocking an it reduced his influence and control of the situation. He needed to regain his composure or Da’Cince may guess his motivations!

  Taking a deep breath before continuing, head bowed he said. “You have spoken wisely, Uma, in bringing this table and guiding us to this point. I was too quick and jumped to a conclusion that Adam may try to come back with more people from WaytaPata. I had forgotten how he understood the reasons we had all agreed upon, for keeping this information between ourselves.” He hoped that statement would remove the focus from himself and adopted the listeners pose leaning forward over the table and with his palms up on the table.

  “Thank you for your understanding, Cunac. However, Cunac does have a point, Uma. My friends, can you vouch for Adam?” Asked Cauca addressing the remaining four from Earth.

  “Yes, and I’m shocked you are worried about Adam. We’re more concerned that if he does try to tell people about Pachamama and DiPacha he’ll end up in a nut house, let alone this possible Eden connection!” replied Jane. She was not ashamed to speak up for Adam even though it was common knowledge that she now spent most nights with Cauca.

  “What do you mean?” Asked Illary.

  “He’s not a grass!” said Dan also upset.

  “No,” said Illary in confused agreement. “I know he’s not grass but what is this nut house?”

  “And please do not take any offence by anything said today,” interjected Ma’Kusi “We’re all friends interested in peace, gainful sharing and the safety of Adam.”

  Dan, Jane, Tracey and Betts were now laughing. Illary and the others were looking more confused and a little troubled. Private jokes are only funny when you’re in on the joke.

  Dan explained, “They’re slang, terms from home. If you’re a ‘grass’ it means you’ll tell on people, tell their secrets. The ‘nut house’ is a place where people who have gone nuts go. People who have lost their mind. Gone strange. Most normal ‘sane’ people on Earth do not believe in other worlds or aliens. Hell, we only just walked on the moon two years ago. We’ve never visited other stars, not even sure we could…”

  “It’d take lifetimes in spaceships like the ones we have at the moment, many generations,” interrupted Betts.

  “If Adam starts telling people he’s visited another world they won’t believe him. They’ll think he’s lost his mind. Gone strange. Gone nuts,” finished Dan.

  “Had too much weed or too many trips!” added Tracey with a grin on her face.

  The others from Earth smiled ruefully at her.

  “I think we all understand,” said Da’Cince. “It would be like one of us going to the palace at HuñuyPacha and suddenly announcing we could all go to WaytaPata, follow me let’s go! After so long and no warning, no one would believe me. They’d think I’d been on the shrouple for days! But that’s the point; I could give them proof and persuade them.”

  There was silence for a while as everyone considered what Da’Cince had said. Nobody made eye contact with Cunac who was feeling very exposed and offended.

  Betts came back with, “What you have is influence and credibility. Power. Adam has none of those. As Hippies we were outside of normal society and everyone will put it down to drugs or attention seeking. What proof does he really have?”

  “Even if some do believe him most would put it down to some kind of conspiracy story.” The Pachamamans looked confused by Dan’s comment. “A conspiracy story is something where a very unlikely story exists and no one can prove it. A leader in America, their Uma, was killed eight years ago and some people don’t believe the way that we are told he was killed is true. There are lots of theories and suspicions that he was actually killed for reasons that our leaders do not want us to know about.”

  “Basically, even if Adam tried to tell anyone official nobody would believe him and he would risk being shut up in the nut house,” said Tracey summing up.

  Ma’Kusi said, “So you are saying he will not come back through the Punku with lots of people?”

  “No… Well, the only risk is that he decides that he preferred living here rather than on Earth,” said Betts. “I know that there are many advantages we find here and the five of us are not motivated by the same material possessions as most people back home. Your society and way of life fits our philosophy. Adam may want to return but only because he has found a better place to be. Why would he do that if it risked ruining it?”

  “So,” said Cauca, “what you’re saying is that if he wants to stay he won’t risk telling anyone about Pachamama because he could lose his freedom or reputation but if he wanted to return he would not risk damaging Pachamama.”

  “Yes,” said all four from Earth.

  “This sounds logical. I would like to talk to Adam myself on telelink,” said Da’Cince. “I would like to see how he is and listen to his own words. His plans. Let him open up. However, I would like you, Betts,” he said pointing at her politely, “to talk to him first and make sure he is safe and happy to talk to me. Can you ask him if I can talk to him tomorrow and let me know this evening?”

  “Sure.” Said Betts.

  “Excellent. If there is nothing else anyone has to add I would like to see you all after lunch in two days.” With that they were all dismissed.

  Betts met with Da’Cince in the palace the next morning. She had spoken to Adam who was now near Glastonbury in Somerset. He was safe and with a friend who was asking no questions aside from concern for his immediate well-being and safety. Adam had agreed to talk to Da’Cince. Adam had decided to go for a private walk so he could be alone in the autumn Somerset countryside for the private talk with Da’Cince.

  Adam found talking over telelink the weirdest experience. It was like a cross between being telepathic and talking on the phone.Standing under a large oak tree with acorns and leaves dropping in equal measure and the grass still wet from the morning dew he readied himself for the conversation. With his back resting on the thick rough bark of the tree Adam closed his eyes and concentrated on Da’Cince. Almost immediately Da’Cince replied in his head, just like a thought appearing unbidden.

  “Ah, Adam. Thank you for talking to me.”

  “Hi Da’Cince, I hope you are all well?”

  “Thank you for your concern, Adam. I am concerned for you too. It came as a shock, your leaving. Although I think I can understand why. But I must admit this past cycle or so is stretching my paradigm of DiPacha.”

  “Do you mean your understanding of the world?”

  “Yes I do,” said Da’Cince smiling.

  “I can only say I missed home,” said Adam. “It was a spur of a moment thing. Now or maybe never. I had to take my chance.”

  “I can understand that. However, are you safe, are you okay?”
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  “Yes. I’m with a friend I met earlier this year at a fair. We have little history, but in my lifestyle I move around so much that I appear and disappear from my friends’ lives on a regular basis. As many people who live like me do. It is normal in our community.”

  “That is good to hear. Has Betts told you what I wanted to hear?”

  “No, Uma. However, I remember when you first told us of Eden and WaytaPata. I remember the discussions we all had and the fear of the consequences if the revelations were revealed in your DiPacha or here on Earth. Almost as soon as I arrived I was overcome with this fear. It is knowledge I do not wish to share with anyone here. A burden of knowledge I will have to bear.”

  “I understand and I am grateful, Adam. We share a trust. I would like to share some knowledge with you now. The implant you have that allows you to access the neural-net will stay with you for life but it will not work if you are far from the Punku. I cannot tell you how far away you will be before you cannot access the neural-net or telelink, with us here on Pachamama.”

  “Like the range of a CB?” Asked Adam.

  “I do not know what a CB is.”

  “Oh, err, a device we make that works on emissions. If you are too far away from the emissions, the ‘signal’ cannot reach the other device. If you are in range you can talk to the other person. If you are out of range you cannot.”

  “Exactly that,” said Da’Cince. “You have a ‘CB’ you can use to talk to any of us here. A link back. You need not share the burden alone. You can share it with your friends here.”

  “Thank you, Da’Cince. I appreciate that.”

  “Adam, I thank you for calling me and I have one more piece of advice for you. The babel device behind your ear. I can only talk to you if you are wearing it. But if you are wearing it you will be able to understand anyone in WaytaPata, no matter the language they are speaking. However you will not be able to talk back to them in their language. This could expose you. To take off the device simply push down on it for a short while. You will feel a small sucking force come away from your skin and you can keep it somewhere safe. It cannot be broken, but it can be lost. Please be careful. You can keep it stuck to other parts of your body without it working.”

  “That is something I had not thought of in all that has happened. My thanks again.”

  “Until the next time, Adam, goodbye.” With that Da’Cince was gone.

  Adam stood under the tree for a while contemplating the conversation with Da’Cince. He was committed to keeping the secret of Pachamama and had forgotten all about the babel device. He’d gotten used to words and mouths not syncing. Carefully he reached behind his ear and pressed down on the small device. After about three seconds he felt a sort of love bite crossed with injection feeling behind his ear. The small device came away on his fingertip. He put it in the palm of his hand. It was about the size of large of a thumbnail and a similar colour. There was no way he was losing this baby, the fun he could have with it! He put it on the inside of his left arm. It looked like a birthmark.

  On Pachamama Da’Cince contemplated the conversation with Adam. He had heard the right words. He just had not known these people from 'Earth’ long enough to fully trust them. The information that Illary had gathered from their TV and radio was in such sharp contrast to the five hippies that had arrived in Pachamama. Not for the first time did he consider the possibility that they were here for suspicious reasons. Were they really here by accident as they claimed?

  Was Adam's return an accident?

  How could he tell?

  He had to protect his Pacha brothers and sisters. This was by far the biggest challenge he had ever faced.

  Becoming a father himself seemed to pale in comparison to this responsibility. However, he was much more excited about meeting his new child. “Half a cycle to go!” he said to himself. Aware that his decisions could affect the safety in which his child grew up in.

  13Shocked and Awed

  Chris knew he was losing time on Adrii. She would be at or approaching the house and his friends but right now he needed to really take stock of everything. Adam had made it home but that seemed like a fluke. There was no way of opening the Punku on demand that Chris could see from the memories and camping out by the Punku did not seem to be a practical solution.

  Could they really be stuck here? On a world that could watch his home world but to which they could never return.

  That thought sent him into a long moment of despair. The white sun shone down on him and glinted off the water that could be seen between the rice in the paddy fields. No birds sang. Chris had not seen a bird on Pachamama, bar the odd chicken. He needed time, time he did not feel he had. He needed to be with his friends to support them with the revelations Adrii was about to unleash upon them, Bliss flower or not they would need to be together for moral support.

  Getting up he began to walk towards Millham, his friends and whatever destiny had in store for him. Moving felt better than sitting, as he had told Adrii, already walking helped him sort through things in his own head. The feelings of despair that had tried to settle on him slowly fell away and were replaced by a determination to find a solution. First, he knew he needed to fully understand the problem.

  As his mood started to lift Adrii’s words slowly started replaying in his own memory, she had said the True Listeners were on WaytaPata. What had she meant? The thought of calling Earth, WaytaPata, on his phone struck him. He was beginning to think of Earth by another name, like beginning to think in a foreign language. If the True Listeners were on Earth how had they got there? Who were they?

  Chris stopped as he put two and two together realising that he knew of at least two Pachans that had made it to Earth. How?

  Standing stock still on the top of the slope that he’d watched Adrii walk down only minutes before, he suddenly understood that there was still considerably more to know. Knowledge that may get them home, give them hope. In that moment Chris made a decision, he would try to find the answers before he got back to his friends, whether Adrii wanted him to or not. After all she was more concerned about her realm’s safety and something in the new knowledge the Guild of The Punku had discovered that day had really spooked her. Chris was not sure what or why, but understood something was up…

  Chris knew that the information was available, Adrii had viewed the new memories, he was sure he could too. He sat on a large stone on a corner of the nearest paddy field and entered the neural-net once more.

  14The Guild of the True Listeners - Enlightening

  (Earth Year 1971)

  Cunac soon found that his initial elation at the discovery of WaytaPata was over shadowed. The realisation that over the thousands of cycles since WaytaPata had been lost their cultures had separated beyond repair. His Listener kin in the Garden seemed to have irrecoverably lost their way. He wondered if it was even possible for WaytaPata to be saved. The people of the realm seemed beyond help. It was no longer the true Garden of legend. Cunac felt lost and adrift as though his reason for being was lost forever. He mourned for WaytaPata losing himself to meditation and shrouple.

  Enlightenment came to him suddenly in the darkness of meditation. Like a blinding light across his mind’s eye. Religion was their weakness and he, Cunac, could exploit this. If he could just get some evidence that WaytaPata existed, evidence that was not under the control of Da’Cince and the Guild of The Punku, he could use it to rally a following in DiPacha. He could set himself and his son up as the true leaders of the Listeners, leaders in exile but with the vision to lead them home, to restore their birth-right.

  In Cunac’s vision he saw himself and his son going through the Punku to the bountiful Garden as representatives of the Earth’s long lost God. He could unite the Pacha realms and reinstate the Listener Guild as not just the guardians of the Garden Realm, but as living Gods. The people of Earth were weak and trusting enough to believe in Gods for which they had no proof. He had seen what they were capable of in the name of that
belief. With proof God existed, and himself as leader, they would be unstoppable. First he needed disciples, here in the known realms, to follow him.

  Slowly Cunac’s vision faded as he woke from his meditation. He opened his eyes and rapidly blinked, covering them again with his hands. The white light of morning sun was shining directly on to his face through the open window. He cursed himself for forgetting to close the shutters again. Groaning, both verbally and physically, he sat up on his bed knocking the empty flask of shrouple onto the floor. As it clinked on the flag stones Cunac looked down at it and remembered his vision. He slowly smiled to himself. No longer need he mourn for WaytaPata.

  Cunac spent the remainder of the morning quietly in his home contemplating his vision. He was sat in a quiet dark corner of his kitchen with a bowl of porridge Sarenen had left him when Da’Cince contacted him over telelink.

  “Cunac, I hope I am not disturbing your meditations. I know you have a lot to contemplate.” Da’Cince announced. Cunac winced at his words.

  “Uma, I am here and ready to listen and give council if I can.” Cunac replied with respect but feeling none in his heart.

  “Following Adam’s return home I need to see you and my other advisors in my chambers before we speak with the remaining four hippies.”

  “I will be there.” Cunac replied.

  Later that day Cunac walked across the city and joined Da’Cince, Ma’Kusi, Cauca and Illary in the Uma’s small gathering room at the palace. Cunac knew he would have to make a special effort to sit in respectful silence listening intently, as a good listener should, he was still smarting from Da’Cince’s dig about his use of shrouple. Obviously Da’Cince had no idea how useful shrouple was to meditation, the enlightenment it had offered on many occasions, and today had been no exception. He now knew the true path of the listeners, even if the Wilaq did not know how to lead the Listener Guild back to WaytaPata.