Episode 4: Constrained Freedom

Narrator :I stared at my notepad, my heart racing. The message read, "Welcome, Arthur." Confusion enveloped me. The instruction was clear: report any contact made. Yet, something within me tugged like a persistent voice. I continued deciphering the sequence on my notepad.

"Arthur, you have a choice to reveal what you have learned to your supervisors or to go deeper into this mystery. If you have received the calling and want to know more, take a portable radio communicator, tune to channel 123.45, and send a hello. The truth is the most noble of all if you will befriend it."

With that, the cryptic message ceased. A choice lay before me. Cioran's obligation clashed with my personal interest. In the midst of this internal discord, Kondi's words echoed in my mind, bringing clarity.

I knew what to do.

Siesta would arrive soon. The portable radio sat within the supervisor's office. As the bell rang, I walked towards Kay.

Arthur:
Kay, hey, how are you?

Kay:
I am well. Listen, we need to talk. Can we meet after dinner?

Arthur:
Yes, sure. But I need a favor from you.

Kay:
What? Why?

Arthur:
There isn't much time, but I promise I will explain everything. Can you help me distract the supervisor? There's something in his office I need.

Narrator:

Kay approached the corridor leading to Tom-L72's office, her eyes scanning the surroundings to ensure the coast was clear. Spotting the supervisor across the office floor, she subtly adjusted her course to intercept him.

Kay:
Hello, Mr. Tom-L72. I've been encountering some irregular patterns on my computer screen. Could you look at my chart? Perhaps you can offer some insights.

Tom-L72, intrigued, looked at the charts.

Tom-L72:
I don't see anything irregular. These seem like regular patterns. If you are asking for a new style to decipher the patterns, I can help. But these are just normal patterns I've seen since I started working here 25 years ago.

Seizing the opportunity, I slipped into the supervisor's unattended office. I moved with quiet efficiency, locating the portable radio communicator amidst the neatly organized desk.

Meanwhile, Kay engaged Tom-L72 in a conversation about the peculiar computer issue, skillfully diverting his attention from his office. As she spoke, I completed my task and discreetly exited the supervisor's office, leaving no trace of my presence.

I had it. I finally had it all along. As I sat in the bus, I touched the portable radio in my bag. I really wanted to know who was behind the voices, but I couldn't risk it. Kay returned to the bus.

Kay:
You have some explaining to do.

Arthur:
Later. I promise to tell you.

Kay:
Alright then. Tonight. My place.

As soon as I reached home, I went to my room. For the first time, the rhizome didn’t look attractive to me. Something was washing over me—curiosity or a sense of adventure. Something within wanted to defy the dry, monotonous life of rhizome doping.

What if I skipped the rhizome today? No, not possible. The machine would record I didn't plug in, and that'd be trouble.

Sigh. I lay on my bed and plugged into the rhizome. Suddenly, ecstasy gripped me. But it wasn't from the rhizome.

This felt like a path within my mind had opened. The ecstasy, the vision of stars singing melodies—something incomparable to the rhizome. Then, a loud sound, and one word: PARAGON!

With that, my eyes opened. It was time for dinner.

Narrator:

At dinner, I couldn't eat much. I quickly rushed back to my room and locked the door. Finally, I was alone. I took out the portable radio and began to tune it to 123.45. I set it upon my desk and said, "Hello."

There was a static sound, and then a voice slowly echoed back.

Voice:
Hello, is this Arthur?

Arthur:
Yes.

Voice:
My name is Unitas. It's great to hear from you again, sir.

Arthur:
Again? Sir? What do you mean? We just met, or are you referring to the message?

Unitas:
I will have to explain all in due time. I suppose you have questions for me.

Arthur:
I suppose the significance of the message would be a start. Who are you, and where are you?

Brief pause.

Unitas:
I am Unitas, pilot of the Elysium. I am currently based on a small asteroid near Alpha Centauri. I have been based here for 11 years and 10 days by Earth's calculation. We are part of the last remnant of the Earth space wanderers seeking stellar solutions.

Arthur:
What? I have never heard of such. What is Earth and space and all those things you just said?

Unitas:
Sir...

Arthur:
Why do you call me sir? I am just a kid.

Unitas:
Sir, I'd like to ask, have you ever heard of Paragon?

Arthur:
Yes... I think so. I was asleep, and I heard the words Paragon.

Unitas:
What if I told you, sir, that what you are experiencing is nothing more than a dream? A dream of falsehood designed to fool you. What if I told you that the reality in which you are is nothing more than a simulation designed as a way to extract truth from you?

Arthur:
Truth about what?

Unitas:
Sir, you are not a kid. In the real world, you are Commander Arthur Livingston, commander of the Elysium. You are 45 years old, and you have a family and people who love you and care about you.

Arthur:
That is insane. I am real, and I am not 45 years old, thanks.

Unitas:
Something is blocking your memory, but you know that I speak the truth. You have known my voice since I was a child. It was you who taught me that the limits of space are the limits of my imagination, for eternity...

Arthur:
...dwells in you. How did I know that?

Unitas:
Sir, you have known me since I was a little boy, and I have been faithful in all things.

Arthur:
This must be some trick. I can't believe this.

Unitas:
Belief is a construct from trust, and trust is derived from fact. Look within, sir, and you'll know the fact. Learning isn't assimilating new things; rather, it is the art of remembering latent knowledge within. We share a bond that is beyond machinery or space or time. Look into that same eternity within you, and you can recover who you are.

Arthur:
How is all this possible?

Unitas:
You are a prisoner in a prison not easily detected: the mind. Your ally and your foe. Someone has put all your mind in a prison so that, through your sleep, they may map the secret of our survival. If you give up now and stay in this dream, you will doom the rest of humanity.

Arthur:
No, no, this is too much.

Unitas:
Until you are willing to accept the truth, I cannot help.

Arthur:
How can this be the truth? Everything you've said contradicts everything I know.

Unitas:
Not everything you know. Just lies you've been told.

Narrator: My head was about to explode. All this sounded like a story, a foolish story of a mind that had strayed into hysteria.

Unitas:
If you want to know the truth, stop using the rhizome.

Narrator: The static returned. I was left alone with my thoughts. What just happened? Could it be true? My mind fought hard, and then my alarm chimed.

Arthur:
Kay!

To be continued…