”I am delighted that we are able to communicate directly. I had not dared hope for that. It makes things so much easier and unfortunate misunderstandings may be avoided. My name in your language would read something like Frunkazyl. I also have a military degree with you almost responding as Major, but it is probably irrelevant in this context, since I am also the commander of this mission with the Starship Kolossos.”
”Who sent you?”
Here came a guttural sound as if Frunkazyl cleared his throat. Could the transmutator translation also suggest that it meant some discomfort and a desire to gain time? However, it was hardly the case, for at one time or another Frunkazyl must have had the idea that he had to explain himself.
”I am sent by the chief consultative council on a planet in the star system Cassiopeia, which at this point you will probably name Phironsamir. I can inform you that that this council reflects a broad popular support and consensus. Thus there is no question of an autocratic regime deciding over the heads of the planet's population. I understand that you on Earth are aware of what form of government is implemented in crucial places.”
Paragon had to confirm that.
”That is true. We are very much concerned about that. So on what grounds has this popular assembly sent you so far away as to a distant solar system, apparently in search of souls?”
Again this cough, which could signal a certain reluctance, perhaps even shame?
”To answer that question, I need to explain certain factual circumstances about my home planet, Phironsamir. As is often the case with inhabited planets in the universe, our way of life has evolved slowly over time and has reached a level of development over the last millennia probably standing comparison with that which also has been developing on Earth. Allow me for the sake of clarity to simplify the circumstances. The essential would be correct.”
Here Frunkazyl hesitated a bit, maybe to collect his thoughts. Although he had prepared, it was perhaps difficult to make things as accurate as he thought was necessary and Paragon had the impression there would now be something serious about the subject matter. The presumption stuck.
”Continue. I can follow your presentation.”
”Well. Our planet unfortunately underwent a regrettable development, not meant as an excuse, and longer developments can probably not be associated with a critical evaluation looking back. In hindsight, everything looks much simpler. Our collective way of life made the mistake to use and abuse the planet's resources in a few hundred years and only belatedly realizing there were too few resources left for all groups of individuals in the expanding planetary population subsequently maintaining their accustomed consumption and welfare level. That resulted in a number of redistributive wars with an attempt for factions to keep as much as possible of the remaining resources for themselves. This led to the spread of collective disappointment among the survivors at the prospect that past wealth and life in luxury was now replaced by austerity and restraint in an existence that had to prioritize frugality and sustainability. I do not know if you understand...?”
”Believe me, Major Frunkazyl, I may well put myself into the situation you describe. Just continue.”
”Very well. As a consequence of this changed situation many individuals lost faith in the future. The struggle for existence had failed. It was impossible through an extra effort to increase one's material life style, now kept frozen at subsistence level, and one could not allow the planet's population increased. Obstruction of multiplying, the joy parents could have at raising offspring that might get better life conditions, disappeared too. A comprehensive emotional resignation spread. In an effort to forget this sad state of life conditions collective consumption of stimulants and narcotics increased. A majority of the population grew indifferent to everything and tried only to forget as much as possible by being stuck in an excessive consumption of various kinds of drugs. The number of responsible and hard-working individuals decreased and it is still dropping. As it has now become, it's hard to get people to perform daily work, which after all is necessary for the planet to survive.”
”How do the souls enter into the picture?”
”The Soul Service Phironsamir belongs to, has analyzed the incarnation level of the souls who circulates to rebirth on the planet. There has been noted a dramatic downturn. Earlier you had a fairly well calibrated composition of the planet's soul potential, but in recent generations, there has been a clear shift, so the majority of souls are plunged far down the ladder of souls’ spiritual level. There have simply come too many low status souls for the planet to sustain its collective life zest. Reborn souls have stopped to do their best, because you have realized it doesn’t make any difference. Hopes of progress that has been the driving force behind the souls’ ambition to work towards improvement has been broken.”
Paragon sensed what was coming, but he let Frumkazyl finish his depressing presentation.
”And what then are you going to do about it?”
Paragon could feel that Frumkazyl was reluctant to admit what he needed to say, but couldn’t avoid.
”We asked, of course, the soul federal services, if we could not be granted an additional subsidy of more qualified elite souls for rebirth, at least for a transitional period for the planet to come back on its feet, spiritually speaking. Unfortunately, it was a refusal. No place possessed an excess of high status souls that other planets were willing to give up, to help the sinking ship, as many now believed Phironsamir had become. It was seen as a waste of soul material to send souls there.”
”And so you resorted to vigilante action?”
Frumkazyl bowed his head.
”Yes, there it is. I come from the soul management behind Phironsamir, just as I have understood you represent the Soul Service on Earth, Mr. Paragon. It has been the question of survival for us to upgrade the soul level of Frumkazyl, and with these prospects, the planet's common soul bank allowed us to go on poaching other galaxies’ soul stocks from habitable planets, as a desperate expression of the desire for survival. Can you follow me?”
”I understand you excellent, Major Frumkazyl. When a planet's population is on the brink of extinction, it is prepared to do anything to avoid the looming fate that collectively seen is their own making. But that doesn’t justify attacking other habitable planets spiritual resources, primarily to keep such planets on course to avoid destruction.”
The Major straightened up.
”All right then. I had not expected any other reaction. My statement was primarily meant as an explanation of our actions, not as an excuse. We have discarded honored moral and ethical principles at Phironsamir, and we are well aware of it. If you ask me directly, you can also get me to admit that I am personally ashamed of that behavior, but there is nothing else to do. I will also have to lead this load of souls with higher incarnation level back with me to Cassiopeia, whatever you may think about it. I am sorry but it cannot be otherwise. We have conducted several shipments earlier, also from other star systems, and we intend to continue until we can detect an increased level of accountability and shared social consciousness on our ill-fated planet.”
With this remark, the Major turned round.
”Get ready to land on planet Taurus X.”
Paragon had one more question.
”We came here together with some freedom fighters from different planets. Autocratic despots had placed them in captivity at Taurus X because they meant a threat to the totalitarian regime at their home planets. Do you have an opinion about that?”
Frumkazyl turned.
”Dictatorship and despotism has never brought any good. Our planet's fate is also an example of that although it was greed destroying our living conditions in spite of it happening during a more popular governance. When asked directly, I have no motive to deliver your companions to continued incarceration on the prison planet. I will allow them to continue their respective freedom struggles. I would even wish for them to avoid a development that ends with the fate t
hat struck Phironsamir, and it is really quite simple. You just in time have to soberly assess the planet's resource quantity and put the collective management to avoid a bitter battle for the last goods. All planets could carry out that trade-off in time.”
”It’s a political issue.”
”Of course. In the end everything is, but avoid drug addiction and the collective resignation from spreading, as that development is extra difficult to reverse. We are also an example of that.”
”I must tell our companions, they are allowed to continue their escape from here.”
”Yes, do that. I have gotten news your spacecraft is in need of repair. I will make sure that they get help to sort it out. It's the least we can do.”
”I thank you on behalf of our companions. But the last word is not said in the question about the soul transfers.”
”I expect not. As the news spreads about our pirate actions, it will probably be harder for us to implement them, but we cannot turn back now. We will have to continue for a while yet. When our planet's survival is at stake, we have no choice. Although I regret it on a personal level, we feel compelled to continue. A higher regard has taken the decision for us, and we as Bastytjaks are not going to die without at least having completed our fight for survival until the very end.”
Chapter 28
TRANSFER
Kolossos prepared to land on the prison planet, Taurus X. It didn’t need any runway. As had been the case with the smaller transport vessel from planet Earth, this spherical spaceship could descend vertically down to just above ground level, and it did so close to the building of the prison with the souls still incarcerated.
Nearby, they could glimpse the strato fighters from Myrgol, now landed on the planet to help the prison administration in their struggle to regain control of the prison. Loud sounds of confrontation and struggle came from the different cellblocks.
A pillar of light appeared from the spaceship, and Bastytjaks went from the soul block and across to the column and brought onboard.
Major Frumkazyl went and welcomed the Bastytjak. It was the duty officer from the soul block.
”I hear Taurus X has been subject to a prison revolt. I thought it was a safe place to store prisoners?”
”We thought so, too, when we hired the storage facilities, but situations like this can obviously occur everywhere. We for our part must not complain.”
”So you have not been affected by the uprising in the rest of the prison?”
”Everything has gone according to plan. The souls are phlegmatic creatures who do not rebel. But you know that well from the past.”
”Yes, fortunately. So everything is ready for a new shipment to Kolossos?”
”It follows the plan. We note that there are already many new souls trapped in the Therinka camp. It is excellent that there’s now created more space here, so The Ultimate Solution can continue without delay.”
”Excellent. Then I leave it to you to lead the souls over here where the compression unit is ready to receive them.”
Now Paragon had a comment.
”I assume that the compression to pack souls reduce the oscillation frequencies and transfer them to a lower degree of dimension?”
”That is correct.”
”You may be well aware that when compression mode is approaching zero dimension there will be lasting damage to the soul material?”
”Yes, we have therefore opted for a compromise. A state of soul shrinking to 4.4 GB would mean an acceptable soul image without noticeable disruption.”
”They will become somewhat flaky, if you go up close...”
”They will have to exist with that.”
”But you are well aware that it is now possible to convert through a high definition technique so solubility is so much better within the same storing place?”
”We know, but we cannot afford to implement this new HD technique at a large scale within our framework. We are talking about many thousands of souls handled. It is a huge task, and it is expensive to boot.”
”What do you do, in practical terms?”
They went over to the room where the process was to be implemented.
”We send the souls through the scanner, and the images are stored on large storage disks and redefined at the destination.”
”If a storage disc is injured you lose all its contents.”
”That is the risk we run. We are trying to save some backups through a raid connection.”
”There is a ban on this piracy business.”
”We know, but within our stressful timeframe we have to ignore it.”
”How big is the loss ratio currently at redefinition?”
”Fifteen to twenty.”
”That means about every sixth soul gets lost?”
”It's probably true, but we can’t afford to be fussy. It’s also a resource issue.”
”If you let the souls undergo a slow frequency equalization process on arrival you would be able to save a good deal of them.”
”That balance we have already considered. It will be too slow, costly and cumbersome, so we have written off any such prudent handling.”
”Then you’d rather shanghai more innocent souls from other galaxies?”
”There’s no other way for us as things stand right now. Life on our planet is about to go completely down the drain, so we must use all means to recover, whatever the cost.”
”They’ll not appreciate hearing that in the UOJMIECCC, the Universal Organisation for Joint Managing of Indvidual Elements of the Common Cosmic Consciousness.”
”It must work as it can best. We intend to continue our activity no matter what.”
Paragon went over to compression check. The first souls were about to arrive. The idea was that one after another had to go into the beam, which brought them into Kolossos. Already inside the scanner hall some souls were ready for treatment. Patiently they were awaiting their future fate.
A transfer technician came over to Paragon.
”You seem interested?”
”Yes, I haven’t seen this before. What will happen?”
”One by one, the souls come to the scanner and checked for items that cannot go through the scanner, These are put in a tray. The contents of the tray are then placed in a depot, so the souls can get it back on arrival. The souls then pass through the large frame, you see there, thereby scanned and converted to digital mode before completely disappearing. The registered image is then stored at the soul inventory disc for later recall on the planet Phironsamir.”
”I haven’t heard about that process earlier.”
”It’s also quite recent. Previously they experimented with storing copies on magnetic tape, but that has now been completely abandoned. The solubility of the copy was not satisfactory, and it was worse when the magnetic tape copied again to create a usable soul image. Some souls had to live with injuries and disorders. It proved to be quite unsatisfactory.”
”UOJMIECCC wants to execute this transfer in order to ensure quality. Piracy is and remains an illegal activity and will be prosecuted by the Institute of Authorized Soul Managers if they discover what happens.”
”I think they are already familiar with it, but what can they do? Interplanetary agreements are entirely missing penalties for this kind of business.”
”Would you pay for it if you could get legal transfers sanctioned by UOJMIECCC?”
”As things stand, I don’t think Phironsamir could afford to pay for it. They are known to require an unfair high fee for legal transfers, and we have to use many souls, perhaps many tens of thousands before we can detect the development is reversed and the planet deviates from its destructive collision course with disaster.”
”But UOJMIECCC may also be interested in preserving all planets housing cognitive lifeforms. There is after all not so many of them left on cosmic level? You should probably organize a common universal rescue mission to preserve a habitable planet. Can you at all afford to lose a habitab
le planet?”
”So we have argued, but in my opinion a matter of policy principles has prevented that.”
Paragon listened attentively. Perhaps this was something not informed about through the official channels.
”How?”
”There are several other planets caught in the consumption trap. If UOJMIECCC stepped in and held a hand out securing Phironsamir, it would send a signal to other planets of matters not faring quite so bad if similar things happened and they let the uneven development continue a little further. If it then ended up going completely down the drain, UOJMIECCC would step in and ensure survival of the planet. That precedent effect UOJMIECCC will not allow. The planets must know that it’s their own responsibility to turn the tide in time if they are heading for the abyss.”
”So Phironsamir is destined to become a frightening example?”
”Yes, that is many people's perception. Other planets should be able to look at the case with Phironsamir and realize how bad it can get. Then they may choose to implement some unpleasant but necessary decisions before it gets too late. Unfortunately, it is a common feature of all intellectual life forms that you only can get together to change things when the planet is facing extinction. As long as it goes well and only a few groups feel negative consequences, you continue driving for the abyss at first class.”
”Phironsamir is therefore appointed as a scapegoat?”
”Not officially, of course. You don’t say these things openly, but the overlying soul management organization will apparently run the hard line now and set an example.”
Paragon nodded. That assessment seemed likely. It didn’t surprise him that there were no reports about this problem in the official cosmic bulletins circulated in the universe between local soul administrations. One would not openly acknowledge that the umbrella organization had a hidden agenda about the survival policy waged for the habitable planets of the Universe.
This information didn’t affect Paragon and his mission to handle the local management of the Earth's soul mass defending it regardless of the policy carried on higher level.
Paragon- Ghost Hunters Page 23