A Soulless Destiny (On hold, pending major revisions)

Part 4 - Scarier Than Nukes

Grabbing a piece of paper and pen from a nearby table, he began writing in their language. It comprised sounds that were impossible to make with human speech, so this was the only way he knew how to communicate.

'The humans know more about reincarnation than we do, but they have no means of controlling it.'

That wasn't the whole truth of course. By 'knowing more', he really meant that they had more stories and myths surrounding it, not the science that the Lemurians had come to understand. He then told his supposed comrades that the monk's memories of reincarnation were vast, and he needed a human sleep cycle to process it. That all sounded reasonable to them. Believing their plan had worked, they loaded the new person onto a transport craft for delivery to a base nearby.

***

The frown on Andrew's face only grew deeper and more furrowed as he read the report. He shook his head several times, letting out small, irritated breaths as he did so. Maya watched him from the opposite couch. She had brought out a box of pastries from Sino's cafe to share, but she was the only one eating, taking nibbles off the crust as she trained her eyes on his face.

"So then he stabbed the pilot of the craft, took control of it and eventually piloted it to Terran? We're not that close to Tibet!" 

"Did you gloss over an entire paragraph? He first took refuge at a Chinese resistance base before being sent our way. It was in danger of being overrun and they figured he would be more useful in Terran anyway. Even at that time, we were the most successful resistance unit, and had already made some headway in understanding reincarnation. His arrival saved us at least two years, and who knows how many lives."

Andrew placed the report back in the folder and handed it back to Maya. He grabbed a cupcake as he did so, but remembered that Priya was still waiting for him back in his apartment. 

"I find a lot of it hard to believe," he said, putting the cupcake back down. "I've been to some meditation sessions when I was a graduate student, and they don't teach you how to deal with an excrutiating amount of pain."

"Are you seriously comparing your meditation experience with that of Tibetan monks? Well whatever... Now you know his backstory, what do you want to do next?"

Andrew leaned back on his couch and stared down at the blue folder, hoping some inspiration would manifest. 

"Is there anything to do next?" he asked. "Hooke already said they won't approve of this idea."

"Hooke can be convinced," said Maya. "We just need to spin it into a matter of terrestrial security. I don't know about this whole summoning God thing, but if we know how to create souls we might be able to destroy them too."

Andrew dropped the blue folder next to the box of treats, repulsion in his every limb and neuron. 

"You're so convinced the Lemurians will return? You want to re-invent their most terrible weapons and allow them to fall into the hands of politicians? A soul-destroying weapon is way scarier than nukes. What kind of world would we be rebuilding with this specter in the foreground?"

Maya turned away from Andrew, slightly ashamed of her careless words. She got up from the couch and began pacing around the living room, something she always did when emotions got too close.

"We don't have a choice, Andrew! We are funded by the CMC. We're only in the Sacred Circle because we help disrupt the enemy's tactical advantage. And as you yourself know, the victory you helped us achieve came a little too easily! There's no reason for the Lemurians not to return, so the sooner we're prepared, the better."