Written by: September 52, 239 (E. 1570 ac)

Ihave always wondered how someone in the habitats felt when their feet touched Terra’s surface for the first time. What must it have been like to have only known life within an enclosed space, no matter how expansive, only to be confronted with what I imagine to have felt like an unfathomable expanse? To have gone from vertical travel to strictly horizontal?

How must it have been to understand the seasons only through the shallow portrayals of a video depicting the changing lengths of light and darkness, missing the complete physical experience? How must our ancestors have felt, living in such a calm and unchanging environment for generations, and then being exposed to nature in all its manifestations? They would have experienced the wind in all its guises, from gentle cooling breezes to stronger, more destructive forces, as well as shifts in temperature from day to night and from the height of summer to the depths of winter.

What emotions did our ancestors experience when the genuine warmth of the sun touched their skin for the first time? When they could feel the difference when a cloud came between them and a sunbeam? To stand upon the shore of an ocean, taste the salt in the air and hear the steady drum beat of the waves crashing onto the sand! How I wished I could live their experience!

One evening, after a day spent in a village located in Dike’s north, Alexandra seemed in a receptive mood. We were three days into our time here, which meant the adulation surrounding her visit had calmed, and the discussions were at last becoming serious. Our guest house was comfortable; some village cats decided to join us around our small fire, and I could see Alexandra beginning to relax. I had learned it was in times like these, when she might be inclined to tell a story in response to a carefully phrased question.

I knew her response would be different than any other I could glean from the ancient archives, but it was still worth hearing. My intent behind the question, “What did you experience the first time you ever returned to the surface?” was to explore her remembrance of once again setting foot on the world our ancestors had destroyed.

In retrospect, her answer shouldn’t have surprised me; she answered my exact question. Instead of learning about the experience of stepping back onto a surface not lived upon for hundreds of years, I learned about the history and technical details behind the Foundation’s introduction to the outside world.

The Pharos Project had been timed to the imminent probability of a human”made catastrophic situation. Responsibility for the project fell to the easternmost habitat in the central portion of North America, NAHE, since its recruitment region encompassed the nation’s capital. Those responsible for the project chose to lay temptation before all the officials elected to represent the residents of every state and territory, luring at least a few into a situation so ludicrous it garnered worldwide attention. (1)

The Foundation used land it already owned, located close enough to the habitat to run regular construction crews, yet distant enough to obscure what must be hidden. Woodville, West Virginia, was sparsely populated at best, and the actual site was far enough into a thickly wooded mountain area to discourage any accidental sightings. And so, on the Terran calendar date of January 20th, 2018 (pc), crews began building the stage.

Since the plan targeted elected members of the government, other aspects of the plan began to unfold before construction of the set even began. Foundation members mapped all network location addresses to congressional offices, enabling the identification of any elected officials who succumbed to the lure. Media and documentation were created and planted to gamify the system and establish the legitimacy of any overheard conversations.

By 2019, young members of the Foundation were participating in congressional internships and later joining the staffs of senators and representatives from both political parties.

Once everything was in place, the Foundation cast its bait upon the waters. On occasion, a few of the implants would have an easily overheard conversation regarding a luxury bomb shelter six or seven hours away from their location. Other implants in offices were used to confirm some information, and if they also worked in the offices of someone who had already taken the bait, they could report back anything overheard in return.

The aim was to entice those who chose themselves and their comfort over those they had been elected to serve. The Foundation was politically neutral and provided equal opportunity in this respect. When a search in the area contained specific phrases, we added our links to the results, allowing those targeted to find the materials we planted. Once the identities of those who took our bait were known, the same search results would also appear if they searched once they returned to their home states.

No one had to act on the lure dangled in their path, but over the years, some continued to access the breadcrumbs. And true to the Foundation’s initial hopes, those who did so regularly were among the worst of their kind. They thought only of themselves, angling for comfort, money, position and power. They used lies as cudgels, exposing the truth about themselves while trying to project it onto those opposing their grim, authoritarian vision of the world they wanted to bring about.

In June 2023, construction of the set was completed. It was then that Alexandra, along with other members of the Pharos team, traveled to view the completed stage before the other participants arrived.

Richard Forester - June 6, 2023

Waiting by the lifts, I found myself continually aware of the braids resting on my neck and had to resist the urge to play with them constantly. I'll admit to being nervous because it was an important day —the last tech check for Pharos before any players stepped onto our stage. It wasn't the stage I was worried about, just one particular player. I needed Alex to be all in, and I knew she wasn't yet. She'd been dubious when we first presented the plan to her, and I knew she was trying to reconcile what we were doing with her ethical worldview.

I didn't like seeing how uncomfortable this situation made her; it felt like we were pressuring her to take part, even though she had freely agreed to participate. She was our key player, so I just hoped she could find her own acceptance with our plan.

I finally saw Dusty's stocky figure wearing an old Phish festival t-shirt with cowboys singing around a stylized campfire, striding toward me. They had paired the shirt with a wispy skirt printed with orange and yellow flowers, reaching just to the top of their heavy socks rising out of a pair of sensible outdoor boots.

The outfit didn't surprise me; Dusty dressed to please themself. "Do you have a hat? The sun's going to do a number on you." I looked at my friend, their skin pale underneath their close-cropped red hair and beard.

They indicated a bag behind them. "Brought one and sunscreen. I remember what a sunny day in the East is like."

We got into a lift and set it to go up. As we settled in, I said, "Phish, huh? Where'd you see them?"

"Saratoga Springs, in 2013 and 2014. They were the last concert I went to before I came down. I love improvisational rock, and going to a show with no idea of what you were going to hear, just hoping they might play a favorite." Their brown eyes looked wistful for a moment. "I always had a great time at their concerts." (1)

I grinned, "Sounds like the Grateful Dead concerts way back when. Those guys would just tour and jam around the country. It wasn't just about playing the music from their last album; it was about sharing their creativity without any limits. I admire their independent artistry."

I've worked closely with Dusty, who heads NAHE's LPR visual media group, ever since Effie recruited me to the team. Who was I to say no when my home Foundation Board member specifically requested my participation? I mean, it wasn't like I'd been recruited into the habitat for my particular skill set; my partner, Shelly, was the one they wanted. She'd been an exceptional elementary-level teacher topside, if I may be so bold. Once we accepted, I landed a position in my area of expertise, media production.

Now, I was the head of Project Pharos. Well, technically, Effie and Alex were over me, but in reality, it was my game, my baby, and my responsibility to make sure things happened in the way we wanted them to, with no surprises. I was in charge of it all: research, infiltration, profiling, scripting, visual effects and media. And then there was our star, Alex.

Alex disliked the idea of being at the center of strangers' attention. I'd seen it at the Liaison Conference when she got her first taste of crowd adulation. She didn't lap it up; she endured. Outwardly, she was gracious and friendly, shaking hands, allowing attendees to hug her and posing for the constant selfies they asked for. But those two weeks had tired her out in a way I'd never seen in the three months since we had begun working together. If and when Pharos ever happened, it would be the same thing on steroids. While she would be shining a light on the Foundation and all of us who lived in the habitats, she'd be focusing a glaring spotlight on herself.

We exited the lift and walked to the shelter doors leading us to the outside garage, where I saw Effie, Alex and Jae standing beside a long van. Effie always looked elegant, even in jeans and a light cream shirt, unbuttoned enough to let a wide necklace of tiny perlescent gray beads fill the open space. Alex and Jae both wore t-shirts, but only Alex was in shorts. I couldn't help it; I gave her a questioning look; it would be a nice day topside, but not hot or humid by any stretch of the imagination. I was also slightly uncomfortable with the overtly political message on her shirt, which featured an image of Joe Biden, surrounded by a rainbow, shooting lasers from his eyes above the words "Dark Brandon". We wouldn't be able to stop anywhere now, the political slant of the area above us was deep, deep red and fully immersed in the cult building up around Trump. (2)

Alex, her hair pulled back into her usual ponytail, shrugged, "Even the seventies are too hot for me when the sun is out and bright, no matter the humidity. I've always had an issue with heat; it's just been more manageable for me down here. And yes, I ordered the shirt from the outside. I loved how the meme turned from a slur to something positive. Our alliance has been ordering a lot of items we won't be able to replicate in the future, and I couldn't resist ordering this t-shirt. I had no idea I'd have a chance to wear it anywhere appropriate."

It never mattered what role she was in; she wasn't always the steel wall to me that she was to most people. I've always had the knack for knowing what's going on inside a person; it's how I've known Alex wasn't 100 percent on board with this endeavor. Her signals were subtle, but I could usually get a read. For one, the overtly political shirt was a dead giveaway; she didn't want us to stop anywhere.

Dusty introduced their technician and our driver, who would be riding in front. The rest of us entered the van, found our seats, and arranged ourselves in a circle. Our travel route was supposed to be as unobtrusive as possible. It would take us a while to reach the site since it was well off the beaten path, as any good bomb shelter should be.

Once we were seated, the van began to move. Everyone agreed to share updates before activating the outside view, and Effie offered to start.

"As a summary, the Foundation Board tasked NAHE with creating a situation in which to introduce ourselves and the habitats to the rest of the world. The board has chosen to shine a floodlight on the hypocrisy and lawlessness of those elected to serve in Washington, DC, who, instead of representing their constituents, give every indication they yearn to rule. The Board approved the project around the same time Alexandra was recruited.

"When the LCO Initiatives came into being, we presented our plan to the group focused on interpreting the Charter. They ruled that it is within the spirit of the Charter and restricted us to revealing the location of our trap only through a target's direct action. To mix metaphors, we can lay a trail of breadcrumbs, but the net only closes when someone stands on it.

"Members of my group have been able to set up a system allowing us to monitor specific keywords sent through the internet within the grounds of Congress and its offices, and associate the devices used with a particular location. In the last year, we've put the technical infiltration to work and begun to spread our trail. Whenever outside media attention has been concerned with wars and threats, interns and staff we've placed in congressional offices have made sure they're overheard discussing the luxury bomb shelter near Woodville. Their conversations have been held in places where senators and representatives gather, pitched to be overheard.

"Once the honey was poured, over forty-five separate searches were made with the key phrases mentioned by our interns. All these searches were conducted from network addresses in and around the congressional office buildings. Once we were able to associate each search with a particular congressperson, we expanded our reach to ensure the same results appear where they live, both in DC and their home states, enabling them to receive our planted information from all locations. While many of the inquiries have dropped off, searches continue, and certain of our online assets are still accessed by eight individuals, two senators, and six representatives.

"I've focused our external intelligence gathering on those eight, and we've developed detailed personality analyses for each. That analysis has been passed on to the profiling and scripting teams. While we're still open to new information and will pass it on, the foundational aspects of each possible person's personality are known now." She looked at Alex, who sighed.

"Honestly, Effie, I'm the least important person on this trip. But I can speak on behalf of the scripting team. We've implemented a technical solution using decision trees, allowing us to link scenarios together and run searches to find connections. I'll be able to seamlessly find the relevant portions during the event and use the exact wording we've determined will move us to our predetermined end.

"And that's our main focus. Our team has been thinking of as many scenarios as possible and linking them together. Each scenario must be identified as somewhere we want to lead them toward or away from. We use the profiles and intelligence you give us to craft language for each of our possible bait-takers to lead them through to the ultimate ending."

Dusty took over, "My team has been focused on building the set and creating the bait found in the searches. We're using a model called Alternate Reality Gaming, which basically means we've created a series of viable rabbit holes for our potential players to discover and explore. We are also relying on apophenia, the human tendency to create meaningful connections between unrelated things. It's basically how the QAnon conspiracy theory ballooned: people are more apt to believe in a mystery they have to research and solve themselves. (3)

"We created and set up content over a wide range of consumer-sharing applications, as well as creating a few websites of our own, which are returned through searches of the specific trigger words spoken by our interns. We've laid out a path requiring a deep dive down a particular rabbit hole, a photo from an old newspaper announcing a transfer of ownership, a segment purportedly from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, along with some other confirming details, including schematics, all scattered around on various websites we either control or were able to display through other means. We've been subtle; not everyone who's taken the bait is stupid. As Effie said, the videos and websites we've created are repeatedly brought up through the same IP addresses."

Jae spoke, "I'm coordinating with the production side for the day. We're discussing the set, Alex's look, and the available camera angles. We're working with the scripting team to coordinate camera shots with the scenarios they envision. We anticipate monitoring each person with a camera on them at all times, but planning will only go so far; it will be a very dynamic production."

Finally, it was my turn. "I call my group's focus 'Operation Shining Light'. We started by creating a Foundation channel on YouTube. In the beginning, it contained content by a few creators discussing subjects drawn from Asimov's Foundation books. We arranged for a television series loosely based on the books to be pitched to several production companies, and Apple eventually picked it up. Once they began streaming, we started posting videos discussing specific aspects of the episodes. We've created and promoted a lot of content while improving our rankings on YouTube and other popular social media platforms. We're already among the top five channels on YouTube for our subject matter and usually in the top ten or twenty when the word "foundation" is searched on other social media sites.

"Every habitat has teams working on documentary videos showcasing our cultures. We're covering how we live, what we hold dear, and how we're working toward guaranteeing humankind's future. Once the trap is sprung and our play begins, we'll hide our decoy material and make our showcasing videos public. We've also created a video for the reveal to introduce the world to the Foundation and the Habitats. Once it's played on stage, we'll pin it to the top of our channel, and we expect it to start trending significantly."

Jae's honey blond hair obscured her face as I saw her nod and make a note to herself, so I kept going.

"We've also negotiated with national and international networks to broadcast live on our signal. In return, we've promised to schedule time for Alex and the spokespeople from LPR in every habitat to be available for interviews the next day. We're scheduling English-speaking interviews for the first day, mostly through video setups on different floors in her section. We think most designated spokespeople can handle any other necessary spots, and we're planning to set Alex up for some longer interviews the day after."

Jae continued taking down notes as I looked right at Alex.

"I'm sorry, Alex; I know it means a lot of work in a few days, but there's no choice. I'd appreciate it if you would relay that to your staff."

Alex nodded and said, "I realize what I'm being asked to do. But I need you to hold the interviews for only those two days. No bleedover. I'll have other areas I need to focus on, and I'll also probably need at least a little downtime before the next act happens, which I hope with everything within me never does."

Effie and I both nodded; Alex's efforts would only begin with this play, continuing long after our curtain closed.

Once everyone had shared their progress, we agreed to enable the cameras to show the outside. I swiveled my chair to face outward, and suddenly, the van's interior transformed into an expansive view of the land and sky around us. We were skimming over a road hemmed in on either side by tall trees leafed in the greens of late spring. I could see vines rising from the ground and twining themselves around trees, obscuring any view of the land beyond.

Looking up, I could see some clouds still in the sky as the sun rose to my right. Dusty and I had been out a few times to view progress, but I didn't think the others had. I remembered how it still felt like a video while we drove the first time, only to spend a few minutes just reveling in it once we got out of the van. I decided everyone needed the same experience, so I got up and whispered something to the driver.

End Scene 1

We pulled into a trailhead's dirt parking lot and loitered until we could verify no one else was around. Then, we continued along the mountain as the van moved silently, hovering just a foot or two above the dirt road.

The driver parked the van in a small turnoff just before the road entered a thick stand of trees. One by one, each of us stepped out of the van and into an actual warm day. It was beautiful; the weather was mild, warm enough to be enjoyable, with a soft breeze wafting the green scents of the forest over us as we strolled, enjoying the exuberant reality of nature around us. The trees were impressive, even if most still weren't fully leafed out, with tall, rough brown trunks waving branches of bright green leaves high above our heads. I heard birds above and around us, trilling and singing to each other, and suddenly I just laughed. I flung my arms wide open and spun myself around, enjoying the feel of the dappled sunlight and just being here. Everyone stopped, smiled, and relaxed to enjoy this particular moment. I was glad I had made a spectacle of myself to lighten the mood.

As we walked further along the path, we saw the trees ahead, lying broken on the ground to either side. Coming closer, I could see the trees were downed in a curve, their branched tops pointing inward, while the trees closer to the middle had fallen outward. It looked as if the area had been blasted into a perfect circle of broken trunks. Their staggered heights were inversely proportioned to the length of the tree laid before them on the ground, with broken branches scattered haphazardly around. The unobstructed path led directly to a familiar-looking building, its thick cinder-block walls weathered by time. Three wide stairs led from the end of the path to a heavy metal door set deep in an elevated recess.

"What do you see, Alex?" Dusty's voice in my ear next to me brought me back to the moment.

"It looks deliberate and precise," Alex replied. "Everything has fallen away from the circle of standing trees, as well as the building in the middle. It looks familiar; is it modeled on a TV series?"

"Well, yes," Dusty admitted. "We used the visuals of Sarah from Eureka as an inspiration. We had to mock up exteriors early for the bait videos and wanted to tie into popular culture. Since I knew someone who had connections to some of the show's set designers, I was kinda able to pick their brains. I mean, I didn't even lie to them; I just told them I was thinking of making a show with a bomb shelter and asked for information on things like exterior dimensions. Having a familiar-looking set should help our targets accept our version of reality." (4)

I heard Dusty speaking softly into their mobile, and suddenly we were surrounded by a net of iridescent colors, shimmering high above our heads before descending into the trees around us. The lights darted in random, erratic patterns, appearing as lines and pulsations, only to vanish and reappear. Lines of bright red lights appeared in a steady criss-cross pattern around the bottom edge of the circle in the trees just beyond. This pattern mingled with the random lights, which began about ten feet from the ground. Looking behind me, I could see those same red lights shining clearly across the path we had walked.

"Jae and Alex, could you tell us what this feels like?" I wanted to hear from them since neither had been on the teams creating this, and I hoped their first impressions would be slightly more objective.

Jae stopped and looked around before answering, "With all those trees still standing around us and all the lights above and around, it feels like we're trapped. But it looks like the path and parking lot were cleaned up after. Why didn't we drive up here?"

Dusty's face split into a wide grin as they replied, "We wanted you to enjoy being outside before we brought you here. It's harder to appreciate Mother Nature when surrounded by this stage".

Alex spoke, "Even knowing all of this has been staged, it seems like a contained explosion happened. The trees have all been broken at different sheared-off heights, similar to what I've seen after a few derecho-like storms. But it's not straight-lined; the sheared-off parts have fallen in a circle, including around the shelter, at least from what I can see." (5)

"We're treating this as an immersive theater experience," I explained, "unlike most of the producing any of us has done in the past, we need our targets, who will be both actor and audience, to be convinced it's real. Every detail has to be perfect to add to the story we want them to tell themselves in their heads. Most of this is aimed at subconsciously persuading our participants of the reality of their surroundings. You know, as well as any of us, what some of the psych projections have shown about what they're capable of. All we have for any defensive purposes is stagecraft." (6)

Effie asked, "How was this stagecraft accomplished?"

Dusty was eager to explain, "Some of our engineers developed a quieter blasting method. It's not perfect and won't stop all the sounds, especially of falling trees. But the initial blast sounds like a shotgun, and the sound waves travel similarly, so we figured we could be pretty discreet. We blasted the middle first to move most of the debris away from where we would be building. We then determined our area, built a steel-and-ceramic composite fence around the trees we wanted to destroy, and set up new blasts. When the trees near the edge were caught, they hit the perimeter and rebounded. After that, it was just some creative chopping and cleanup to create a perfect circle."

Holding out a tablet, Dusty showed us a live feed of us walking from above. Then they toggled something, and I could see images of us all appearing from different angles and distances. "We have small cameras set up everywhere we can. They're in the net, in the tree trunks around the cleared areas, around the entrance and inside the shelter.

"The net also projects a video to be seen from above, shielding us from being seen by a plane or satellite. We set up the transmitter rod, which contains the relays for the transmittal between here and the hotel, first, and used it to support a 360 camera for a few years before we blasted. Then we anchored the net to the standing trees, supported by the transmitter pole, which we secured to the roof of the bomb shelter. We can control everything here from NAHE."

Dusty giggled, "We can trigger the pretty light show whenever we want."

Effie said, "I must admit I'm curious, what are the lights for?"

I answered her, "It's part of what we consider our protective armor. Given the caliber of person we've attracted, the psych profiles the team has put together indicate there's a real chance they'll bring weapons and militia members who will know how to use them. Another feature of the net is that it camouflages a thin, hard-alloy shell above the building and around the entrance. Any projectiles shot upward will be deflected back upon anyone stupid enough to fire. If necessary, we hope Alex can draw attention to what's around them and warn them of the consequences of using their weapons. We may not need the light show, but if necessary, we can trigger it at any time."

Alex nodded thoughtfully, "I'm glad your team was able to create it for us. We have several scenarios where a bluff like this might help us move our players toward our desired outcome. We can start working on adding the details to the scripts of possibility."

She must have seen a few quizzical looks on our faces; I knew I was confused.

"It's what we call the script program. Nothing is certain; everything is possible."

I pointed to the red lines behind us. "Not everything is a bluff; see those red lines across the road just before the trees start? Those are actual industrial cutting lasers. Anything moving through them will be damaged beyond repair. It will be up to Alex to try to keep them from doing anything stupid before it reaches that point, but there is help should they hurt themselves."

Dusty pointed out the twisted trunks still standing along both sides of the path near the shelter. "We've rigged a few broken trees to hold first aid kits of varying types." The bashed remains of a tree next to me quivered as a panel I hadn't noticed opened to reveal a first aid trauma kit, one generally used for gunshot wounds, as well as a blanket.

Effie peered into the opening. "While I, for one, appreciate the unnerving finesse of the reveal. I have to ask, if someone should be injured through the consequences of their stupidity, how far is the nearest hospital?"

I had the answer, "The nearest hospital is about 30 minutes away from the trailhead parking lot we first came to."

Before we continued to the building itself, Dusty showed us the last defensive measure we had available. "This can be used along with the net." Certain bricks dropped from the front, and articulated metal arms emerged, two on each side of the door, each holding what looked to be heavy weaponry, all aimed directly at us. As Dusty played with the controls on their interface, the arms moved, and the weapons re-oriented on other targets. "The most they do is blow air," Dusty said, "but when it happens, you'd swear you're feeling a bullet go just past you." I had to admit their appearance was impressive.

Dusty reset the arms, and after they retracted into the wall, the technician began restoring the bricks. We walked up the stairs toward the door. A video screen suddenly appeared as we stood there.

Effie looked at the door and said, "This is where they'll first see you, Alexandra."

Jae made another note, observing, "We'll have to figure out your set and staging for the overall shot framing. Dusty, can we get the dimensions and screen placements? We'll need the information to help frame her for the immersive and psychological effects."

Our technician demonstrated the secondary screens, which were quite ingenious. They resembled projections of images onto screens made of water, but without any liquid. Dusty told us these projectors were set up all along the cleared portions and inside the building. It meant any image, Alex's or otherwise, could appear in many places at once.

We showed them where other equipment was placed at the entrance, including speakers, image scanners, audio microphones, and the all-important relay equipment. Effie asked, "Will we be able to destroy the relay equipment after this is over?" I assured her we could destroy this relay and the one we used at the hotel with just one command.

Dusty said, "But wait, there's more." The door began to display a dramatic light show of its own and swung open, allowing us to walk inside. The room was empty, with just a concrete slab beneath our feet. "18 inches of solid concrete, six inches buried below the ground."

I commented, "Not something they could break up easily, even if they did bring tools, and it would just waste their time; there's nothing underneath." I paused for effect, "And while we won't demonstrate the end of the play in its entirety, all I can say is, for them, I hope it ends as 'Shaka, when the walls fell'. " (7).

Almost everyone looked puzzled, but I could tell Alex at least caught the reference.

End Scene 2

We finished exploring the site and returned to the van, letting the scene behind us fade as we drove away. I was satisfied. Everything we had created had worked when demonstrated, and the stage was set. The van was quiet as we rode, and everyone was focused on their devices.

I had just removed my headset when I heard Alex and Effie talking, so I turned to join them. "Are you still trying to reconcile this project and your ethical code?" Effie asked Alex.

Effie's question brought back the nervousness I had earlier. After Alex told us she had reservations, we put the question to the LCO Initiative group charged with interpreting the Charter. We all continued working on the plan while waiting for the foundational aspects of the Charter to be agreed upon, which had to occur before the group could reach consensus on our question. Once they agreed that our plan met the Charter's criteria, we began implementation. Alex had agreed to participate throughout the process, but even after the opinion was issued, she confessed to having "internal concerns," as she had put it.

I was curious; from what I understood, her reservations had to do with her spirituality, which I knew only a little through reading various articles. Even though Alex and I were friends, I had never been comfortable asking her, and she never volunteered.

I braced myself before asking, "Is this about what your religion follows? Do no harm?"

I thought the look she gave me was a slight smile, but it could have been a grimace; with Alex, the difference was subtle sometimes. Her answer, though, was straightforward and thorough.

"The portion of the Rede you are mentioning is:

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will. (8)

"It doesn't mean what so many think it does. It doesn't mean we shouldn't hurt anything. Everything any of us does harms someone or something. If we were genuinely enjoined from doing no harm, we would be paralyzed, unable to choose a single action, fearful of creating the slightest harm and trying not to cause even the slightest ripple in the universe.

"Instead, we know that whenever we choose, each one of our actions has repercussions and reverberates beyond our initial act. When we choose to take an action, we also choose to accept the responsibility for it, and we do so even when the choice is in accordance with our Will."

"So, as long as you accept responsibility, you can do whatever you want in your religion?" Jae had turned around at some point and was looking pointedly at Alex.

"No," Alex said, her eyes sweeping over each of us. "It means exactly the opposite; since every choice we make may cause harm, we have to consider our choices carefully. Will, in this context, isn't about wanting or even needing. Will is the resonance of your innermost self to the universal source connecting us all. When we act in accordance with the vibrations the universe has placed within us, that is our Will."

I admit I shifted in my seat when I observed her words.

"As long as my Will resonates, I don't have to consider anything other than taking responsibility and accepting the consequences of my actions. When the LCO Charter committee established that the aims of Pharos aligned with the Charter and defined its boundaries, I could use their decision and information to determine if Pharos was in accordance with my Will. And I did find resonance, even though the actions to achieve it are barely within my personal ethics.

"But the Rede isn't the only tenet I have to consider. I also need to heed what we commonly call the Threefold Law of Return. A simple explanation would be to say that whatever energy I put into the universe, especially that which is in accordance with my Will, will be returned to me by a factor of three. If I choose to do this, I must accept personal responsibility for my decision and understand that it will affect me significantly. How might this reverberate out? How much harm might it cause in the world? How much harm will I have to take on myself? Those are the questions I've been weighing. Will I be able to handle the consequences I take on by participating? How can I mitigate the harm, both to others and myself?" (9)

Everyone was silent then, and I appreciated the distinction she was trying to make.

She continued, "At least those who are nibbling at our bait are among the worst. Not only are they all working to place someone back in office who actively tried to overthrow the last election, and is under indictment for 74 felonies, but it's also apparent they either actively support Trump's authoritarian tendencies, even when he openly announces he'll create a dictatorship, or they just don't care. They repeat his lies and even make up new ones with impunity. They've voted against every measure Biden has supported and then taken credit for the money it brought to their communities. Hypocrites, every one of them. (10)

"I have no idea why they support Trump's naked desire to place this country under authoritarian rule, but the motive is most likely to be self-serving. They want the ability to do as they please while restricting the rights of ordinary people, and I'm sure they believe supporting him is a means to that end. Those who continue to respond to the lure we've thrown out seem to take pleasure in the fear, uncertainty and doubt they promote to those they hold in thrall. They know precisely what they're doing and choose to act this way. So, as far as I am concerned, they can all reap the repercussions of their actions.

"I take no pleasure in choosing to proceed with this, but with the outcome clearly in accordance with the Charter, my Will and the venality of those who will come, I'm willing to accept responsibility for my actions and whatever repercussions rebound onto me."

I could feel a shift inside my own body, resonating with one I felt from her. Was this what she meant by Will? I could feel a resolve emanating from her, beneath her matter-of-fact tone and businesslike words, leaving me in no doubt that she was ready to do this to the best of her ability—a clear reminder of the first day we met. Of how she would protect all she claimed a duty toward.

I felt slightly sorry for the players who would be on this stage with her. She was going to crush it.

And now all we could do was wait for the players to appear so our play could begin.

End Story

Written by: Alexandra Hanlon 20744/06/05

Even now, Pharos is not a fond memory. But I have no regrets.

It began a pattern I still follow when I can, when the results are consequential: making very sure of my motives, choosing each time and reaffirming my choices.

Even back then, I knew our subtle understanding of the Charter would change. Those tasked with interpreting the Charter worked to maintain a steady balance, avoiding the vagaries of extending a right only to snatch it back.

Those who joined the Charter Committee, first sponsored by the LCO Initiatives, were able to examine the consequences of poorly thought-out decisions in real time. Decisions made neither in service to facts nor the law, but in service to an ideology seeking to demean those whose health and well-being are intrinsic to our species in real time.

Weeks after the trip to Woodville, a United States Supreme Court decision rocked the country. Although a draft had leaked a month earlier, it was still shocking to realize that Justices who, during their confirmation hearings, each of whom had testified under oath that they upheld the constitutional right of a woman to control her body’s reproductive system, had lied. It was the only explanation when a decision made 50 years before, upholding the right to privacy in one’s own body, was overturned with no apparent thought to the practical implications. (1)

States began to pass draconian laws aimed at criminalizing not only a medically induced loss of a fetus but a spontaneous one as well. Women were treated as guilty without recourse and denied medical care by hospitals and doctors who feared legal ramifications. Children raped by those without a conscience were forced to bear those children and, most likely, to raise them in poverty. (2)

The justices had sworn an oath by the Constitution to administer justice, but the majority on this court did anything but. They accepted phony cases to justify discrimination against those who were not socially conforming to the court’s majority view of what America should look like, no matter the Constitution. And it certainly didn’t help when it became obvious that many of the conservative justices were being paid for their decisions. Ogliarchs were providing lavish vacations and vehicles, buying property the justices were selling, some for far above a reasonable price. Not to mention refusing to recuse oneself from a case in which one’s wife was involved. (3)

While the justices strained their oaths to the point of credulity, many Republican members of Congress openly broke theirs. They opened fake financial investigations into the son of the current President while ignoring all the very real financial irregularities of the children of the previous one. They kept the evidence from the investigation secret because what they were discovering wasn’t something they wanted to brag about on their favorite propaganda shows. Instead, they hid the evidence and lied to the people they were supposed to represent. (4)

They lied during public meetings, seeking a sound bite to get coverage, and then used it all to send around donation requests. The donation requests on both sides were egregious, but the Republicans were actively lying about what was happening. (5)

By the time we traveled to the fake bomb shelter, I had ample evidence of the venal and self-serving motives of each of the members of Congress who had continually availed themselves of our honey trap. Each one blatantly placed their self-interests and biases above everything else, lying, deflecting, and grandstanding to raise more money to maintain their power. Money and power seemed to be the only things they embraced.

The differences observed while living under the Charter, which guaranteed our rights in a way the United States Constitution did not, were stark, especially when seen in light of those who interpreted these foundational
documents and the decisions rendered.

When it came to Pharos, I didn’t have to decide whether those who might stride onto our stage deserved the
consequences of their actions; they self-selected. Anyone who chose to prioritize their own comfort above that of
those they were sworn to protect and serve deserved the opportunity to reap what they had sown.

My focus was on myself and how severe a consequence I was willing to endure for any harm I caused. How heavy a burden was I willing to carry and still be able to love and care for Kevin and all the others in this family we had become a part of? What could I do to mitigate the consequences to myself?

Verifiable facts and truth do much to abate harm, and so I did my best to avoid malevolence and kept to unvarnished truths, even if my disdain might have leaked through here and there. I’ll even admit to taking a bit of
schadenfreudean pleasure as I witnessed those who became our players experience discomfort and confusion.

End Notes

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