As criticism of their incarcerating those people on their own planet against their will lasted for a number of years, the country's prestige was so battered that they rented accommodation for them on Taurus X. That shoved them conveniently out of sight, so people would perhaps gradually forget they existed. However, a new political upheaval and a subsequent change of administration decided it was best to release the prisoners. Therefore, the annex was emptied, and was made available.
Now the annex would be completely filled up with these transit souls. There were so many that they wouldn’t all fit, and so, the overflow would have to housed in the adjacent prison facilities. Management hoped they would soon be transport to a further location, as it would be difficult to find space to store more souls.
”Sjuba! Sjuba!”
The souls from The Kilkabaran were herded down to the quay by only a few guards. Many of them could easily have escaped, but they didn’t. They wouldn’t have known where to hide safely.
Paragon immediately noticed the bad air. That alone would probably lower the life expectancy of the prisoners, but it was probably a minor issue compared to what else was in store for them in their “new home”.
In all likelihood, Taurus X had belonged to the group of planets containing desirable raw materials, and therefore, were over-exploited as long as mining paid off. This process usually caused very severe pollution, making it impossible to cultivate land and provide adequate nutrition for residents. Therefore, the owners had to leave the planet deserted until someone came up with the idea it could be used as a waste planet. This storage of “human waste” could then provide them with a profit.
From the dock the souls were taken in the direction of the expansive prison annex. The road was paved, but only sparsely covered with stunted shrubs between the gray concrete buildings. Lampposts were interspersed at regular intervals, so the whole area could be kept fully illuminated, when necessary.
There were several checkpoints before they finally reached their residence. It was not just to impede attempts to escape, but just as much to ensure the prisoners were forced to stay in very specific locations within each defined sector.
If it were possible to get from one cellblock to another, or to establish contact, prisoners could quickly change the prison hierarchical structure. Groups of strong prisoners could expand their sphere of influence and create control over adjacent sections. With that power change, a prisoner rebellion could get out of control and cause major administrative problems. Having experienced that before, the prison authorities would not risk any possibility of recurrence.
Actually, they had had every experience one might expect related to handling prisoners. They had also made inquiries about other major prisons’ operating methods and their strategies to cope with conflicts. But, all those other prisons had been significantly smaller units. Experience in handling life on an entire planet used to confine lawbreakers could only be gained on their own. Still they had managed it. Some might even consider them an example for others to follow.
Prison management delegated certain subordinate controls to privileged prisoners, given special benefits and status as a reward for running management errands and making sure to help maintain order. The system worked satisfactorily and was cheaper to run than had management used more resources to cope with those tasks.
When the souls came into the sections where they would stay, they were met with curious glances from the souls already there. One of them was more outgoing than most, and Paragon tried to approach him.
”Hey, I'm Paragon.”
”My name is Christopher, but just call me Chris. I am an Alpha Plus Soul.”
Paragon could feel that Christopher was proud of that status.
”Aha. So you might come from the faculty experiencing a collective exodus?”
”What do you mean?”
”The Soul Center contained a college whose souls disappeared altogether, in an instance, one night. That was not so long ago.”
”No, I was lured away some time ago with a group of other souls led by a supervisor claiming he could offer us some better rebirth conditions. However, he was a fraud. We were caught and pulled away and added to a bigger transport of souls.”
”What did the scammer promise?”
”He promised that we would get the status of high-ranking executives at the decision-making level. But, of course, we thought it would take place on Earth, so we prepared ourselves for that. We knew the structure there from our past lives.”
”Who says he wasn’t telling the truth?”
”Of course, we still don’t know what will happen in the future. But if we’re relocated somewhere working at a lower level than we did on Earth, it won’t satisfy us. And I'm afraid that’s what will happen.”
”Why?”
”You wouldn’t go on a covert recruitment campaign in a foreign soul administration, if there weren't any nasty hidden circumstances you don’t want revealed. But I was stupid enough to go along with it, as several of my soul companions did.”
Paragon agreed. Chris seemed to be clever. But he was also an alpha plus soul, so he was curious as well.
”Where do you come from?”
Anders answered.
”We come from an intermediate level with vacillating troubled souls staying for a shorter or longer time before going on to the hereafter. The Bastytjaks conducted some raids where they trapped souls that they brought here.”
”I’ve heard about that middle level. The souls who move there aren’t all that bright, are they?”
Paragon had to protest.
”I wouldn’t say that. If the’ve had an unfortunate, traumatic situation in life, they’re quite innocent. They can be as competent as souls from your level, who have simply been more fortunate.”
”It’s the same old story. All losers claim that they’ve had an unfair lot in life. That it’s the fault of others. Circumstances. Existence. Fate. Believe me, when they have troubles in life it’s largely because they have a weak character lacking initiative and trying to get through life as easy as possible. That evokes a pay back.”
”Now you are being too superficial and generalizing, Chris. I won’t argue that some of them don’t fit your description like a glove. On the other hand, other wrecked souls have fought just as hard or more than souls from your level, so beware what you claim.”
”On what background can you claim that?”
”I'm actually a guardian spirit of the Earth's Soul Administration, and I know the facts.”
”A guardian spirit? But then you don’t belong here?”
”I was sent on a confidential mission to investigate this strange case of missing souls. And I had to hide myself in a soul transport to get here and observe the traffic. Do you know where we go from here?”
”There are rumors that a large group of souls were imprisoned here before us, but no one of us knows where they were taken,.”
”Are these souls also coming from the Earth's Soul Center?”
”I don’t know that either. I was told that currently there are souls here from planets other than Earth.”
”Where do they come from?”
”I don’t know, but it seems that Taurus X is used as a major collection camp, where giant transports at certain times depart towards a distant place in the universe, and that they ship a large amount of souls simultaneously to make that traffic worthwhile.”
”Do you know how to send messages from here?”
”It can be done through prison management, if you have permission, but they are obviously censored.”
”What I meant was whether one can send messages out of management control? I would like to contact Earth's Soul Administration and tell them that we are here.”
”I don’t know, Paragon, but it would not surprise me if it were possible. In fact, except to obtain freedom, everything is possible here on Taurus X, if you have power and proper contact with the right people. But the gap is wide, so you must h
ave accomplices along the way that will send your messages on to the final recipient.”
Paragon thought about things. Chris was undoubtedly a clever soul with a good overview. No wonder he belonged to the Alpha Plus group. Most of the souls from Limbo only thought about their own personal problems. The attempts he had made along the way to make contact with other souls on the trip had not been successful.
Every time he mentioned something about his mission and general conditions for the souls, they looked at him not understanding why it was such an important question. Clearly, it was a task he had to take on, himself. Most souls were just as Chris had said, lacking initiative and being self-centered. Thus, they were easy targets for those who would abduct them. This would not be an easy task to handle.
Chapter 22
HYPERSENSITIVE
While Paragon thought about what to do, Chris came over to him and Anders.
”Something has happened, Paragon.”
Paragon was worried, but it was only natural, for everything happening recently had worked in the wrong direction, and there didn’t seem to be any way out. Maybe he should just remain calm. Most souls didn’t seem to be intimidated or discouraged about the change of their terms.
”Just say it straight out. It can’t get much worse.”
”Victoria has found out something.”
”Victoria? Who’s she?”
”She’s one of the elite souls from our division. She came with the last batch of souls, which also showed the Alpha Plus Souls from the college you mentioned. You know, where many souls suddenly disappeared.”
”And so?”
”It turns out she has exceptional abilities to perceive signals impossible for others to make out. She’s hypersensitive.”
”Really? Where is she?”
”I’ll take you over to her.”
Chris led the way through the large room where the souls walked around single or in small groups. Most prison departments had cellblocks built so that there is oversight of the cells from a central location, but here it was not like that.
The buildings had previously housed groups of non-military combatants, allowed to walk around in their orange jump suits, only secured by long thin chains. There was no reason to imprison souls individually. They remained treated as a group. Moreover, they hardly had to be there for much longer. The rented facilities were now completely filled up.
Anders came with Chris and Paragon to a staircase linking the floors in the block. Inside, under the stairs one of the souls sat huddling with her eyes closed. She was still wearing the remains of a violet dress that had once been beautiful, but the rough treatment had torn it apart and made it dirty. However, it was the same for all of them. She had a scarf wrapped around her head and held her hands over her ears.
Chris bent down under the bottom step, where Victoria was squatting. He extended a hand and touched her shoulder.
”Victoria... Am I interfering?”
”Chris? What is it?”
Victoria looked at him, frightened. Taking down her hands, she unfolded the scarf. She ended up taking some plugs out of her ears.
”Meet Paragon and Anders. They want to try to do something about our situation here. Paragon is actually working for the Soul Service in the Seventh Sky. I told them about you.”
Victoria nodded. So did Paragon.
”Chris says you can intercept signals others cannot.”
”Yes, I possess a kind of hypersensitivity. My mother had it the same way.”
”Can you understand what... comes to you?”
”Only some of it.”
”What is that?”
Victoria sighed.
”There is a changing of guards when a load of new souls arrives. Maybe so they can experience a little variety in their work. They are, themselves, the kind of souls from the place from where they come. And now, with the last soul transport came one... what was it you called them?”
”Bastytjaks?”
”Yes, a Bastytjak, who had a soul potential that was a bit different... just as I also am a little different in our... configuration.”
Paragon was very anxious.
”Do you know who he is?”
”Yes, his frequency is clear. I sense it accurately.”
”I understand. So you can somehow communicate with him?”
”I don’t know. That is if he can sense me, too. But if he can’t, perhaps it’s also for the best, because then he would not try to shut off the flow of consciousness... or do some nasty things.”
”What's his name?”
”Ramlomar. Later I can show you who he is.”
”What have you gotten out of tuning into his mind so far?”
”He comes, as do most other Bastytjaks, from a planetary nebula in Cassiopeia, apparently called Phironsamir. There is some kind of stress around that planet, related to its existence or life there. Some elements of the universal cohesion, to which the planet belongs, is about to abandon the planet.”
”What does that mean?”
”It means that the planet will slip away. Out of the grouping, where spiritual consciousness exists.”
”Will it pass away?”
”No, it just looks like it will no longer be among the places where a spiritual consciousness is to be found.”
”I see. It may be, therefore, that they will try to retrieve soul material from outside to upgrade the spiritual level?”
”Possibly, yes.”
”But Cassiopeia is very far away. How do they intend to carry souls there? Not only will it be expensive, it’s also impossible, as far as I know...”
”I have not been able to capture that much, but I intercepted a term I don’t understand. Something that sounds like 'Stuffit Expander'. Also something with 'Zip'...”
”Oh no!”
Paragon was deeply troubled. He had listened attentively.
”Is anything wrong?”
”I am afraid so. I am seriously afraid so.”
”What do you mean?”
”Those expressions are something you use in the digital world around communication over long distances.”
”How?”
”You can package the components of a document, so they take up less space during transport, and then unpack them when they arrive, so the recipient can read it.”
Chris was confused.
”What has that to do with soul transport?”
Paragon sighed.
”Anders, do you remember when you were stuck in the dimension elevator on the way from Limbo to the Seventh Sky?”
”Yes. I got sick on arrival.”
”Precisely. And the soul you were with broke down.”
”Dagmar.”
”Yes, she had to be transferred to a frequency tank to slowly rebuild the structure from the stay in The Zero Dimension unto the necessary frequency level.”
”It's true. You told me. So you mean...?”
”One way to carry souls over large distances can be to lower the frequency level. It will resemble concentrating contents in a digital document during transport.”
”And then you unpack the souls on arrival at the new place in the universe?”
”In theory, yes. But no one knows what happens over time, when you keep soul material packed in a very concentrated state. As I said before, even short moments can cause problems. This was especially true for the souls who have found themselves for prolonged periods in a state of crisis, as Dagmar did in the intermediate soul layer of Limbo.”
”Would you advise against it?”
”Absolutely. It may succeed if you don’t cool the souls down to zero dimension. But it’s still risky.”
”Why then, do they dare to do so, if we now assume they have plans like that?”
”Some authorities may be desperate for a solution. The Universal Council of Soul Management would never allow that kind of transfer. But a local department could feel pressure to overrule such an order, especially when the survival
of a local planet is involved”
”Even the Earth's Soul Administration has, at one point, received souls for upgrading from elsewhere in The Universe. How could this be done?”
”It was before the introduction of digital technology. Back then, you simply let transport take the time it needed. In the old days, they had more patience with the performance of tasks. To have matters settled in a hurry with the click of a mouse was never dreamed of before, and it has some serious side effects. But if you are on a planet in an emergency situation concerning survival, there is the temptation for a quick illegal solution. That would be true, even if there is an eminent risk of loss of large parts of the souls during transfer.”
”That’s terrible. Then there is the danger that many of the souls here will die or be injured during the trip?”
”Yes, and especially the oldest souls. Unfortunately, it is the ones having the highest level of soul experience. It’s very discouraging. It’s imperative that we do something, …..and soon.”
Paragon turned to Victoria.
”Thank you, Victoria. You’ve been a great help.”
”Don’t mention it. We must all do what we can during this critical time.”
Paragon, Anders and Chris went round to see what possibilities there were to do something.
With the souls gathered in a single block, it was, in a way, convenient from a transparency point of view. On the other hand, it would also be easy to vacate, if the whole group should break up and be carried on.
Out around the block, there was a fenced area where inmates could exercise and get some fresh air. Although, referring to the air as being “fresh”, was likely a debatable issue. They stood looking out of a small window.
”Where does that rutted road, outside the fence, go? Would it really be used a lot, as muddy as it is?”
”Prisoners are led over it to the mine entrance, where they carry out forced labor.”
”The road leads through a bushy area at the end of that hill.”
”Yes, that's true.”
“You see that transmission tower atop the hill?”
Paragon- Ghost Hunters Page 18