Children of the Program

Children of

The Program

Brad W. Cox

Copyright © 2015 Brad W. Cox

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of Brad W. Cox. For information regarding permission, write to: P.O. Box 591, Bel Air, MD  21014-0591.

First edition.

ISBN-13: 978-1517361723

ISBN-10: 1517361729

Pride & Condolences

I would like to extend my deepest apologies and gratitude, to anyone who has ever chosen to take this hell-bent ride I call my imagination.  Your unwavering support has been a godsend — seriously, I appreciate your efforts.  This includes, but is not limited to:  My terrestrial friends, family, band mates, and, of course, the spiritual family acknowledged herein.  Above and
beyond
‘em all, and most importantly, I’d like to thank my beautiful and steadfast wife.  All things are possible when you have someone to catch your fall, or to rescue you from the shower.

CONTENTS

Steal their hearts or capture their imaginations…

(Dedicated to Grayson Miller)

Cast and Conspirators of The Program

Neco Baal – Baltimore, Maryland. 

(Referenced in 1
st
and 3
rd
person)

Simon Peter – Abu Ghosh, Israel

Ash McKenzie – Aberdeen, Scotland

Rand Backer – Kassel, Germany

Dez Nave – Tecolotito, New Mexico

Grayson Miller – Brooklyn, New York

Magnus West – Chicago, Illinois

Elisa Tate – Los Angeles, California

Benjamin Maynard – London, England

Zane Brennan – Dublin, Ireland

Juno Vestris – Palestrina, Italy

Icarus Kali – Piraeus, Greece

The Council of the Lords

Anan (Red Bird) – Time and Space

Ath (White Bird) – Knowledge

Isis (Black Bird) – Creationist

(Derives its name from the Egyptian God of magic and fertility.  Note:  This bird is
not
a terrorist.)

Than (Gray Bird) - Death

Chapter 1

Hallway of sorrows

The forgotten yet familiar smell of ash and sulfur bullied away the cleanest of air.  Time was of no real consequence.  Everything had an eternal value; just as every grain of sand is a moment, every moment a memory, and every memory a map of a person trapped between the past and the future.  We were trapped in the now.  

              “Is this hell?” I wondered.

              Our cells were cold, dank and littered with countless aggravated souls, all wrenching for peace.  Rust stains and blood antagonistically dripped and shrouded our naked bodies; we were thirsty for our confiscated dignity.  Our flesh was tattooed by the human fluids of anonymous hosts.  The aggravation and pain was unlike anything we had experienced on Earth.  The damned awaited trial.

              We were begrudgingly shackled to walls of granite, some elevated above others.  We were spared the inferno's unquenchable palate, but could still smell death's warning and hear the screams of less fortunate souls. These beings were mercilessly tortured and rejuvenated for amusement.

              This was purgatory; a backstage pass to the worst horror movie imaginable.  The only light came from the flickering underworld of burning bodies, miles below our unwashed feet. 

              It was ghastly.         

              In cycles, the Council of the Lords would allow 12 individuals to enter The Program.  Twelve was an undisclosed metaphor.  The odds of being chosen were in no one's favor; it was based on a spiritual lottery.  The Program did provide relief from the pressures of purgatory and judgment and had been in place since the beginning.  No one really understood The Program's complexity, only that there was no escaping it.

              As I lay lifeless, freezing and fighting for my willed sanity, a long oxidized iron rod reached toward the asphyxiating cuff around my throat and disconnected me from the Wailing Wall.  Instantly, I fell through a sea of chained bodies, and crashed upon a small rocky platform.  My shins buckled, thick skull cracked and muscles tensed.  A musing grotesque monstrous figure yanked me to my shaky hooves and dragged my nervous body down an endlessly dark and narrow hallway.  Misery lurked, as countless hands reached through the void and clawed my rebellious flesh, longing to lay their five-fingered oppression upon my fleeting moments of freedom.  Once human, these beasts howled like possessed animals.  By all indications, I was being escorted to judgment.

              As we marched forward, their staunch cries ceased.  For a moment, everything went deafeningly silent and uncomfortably still — even our footsteps were robbed of their guiding vibration.  We stopped before a gigantic golden door, framed by the darkness and bedazzled in precious stones.  It was carved with unfamiliar symbols; it began to open.  A radiant sapphire light briefly illuminated the long Hallway of Sorrows.  For a moment, I gazed back, before an energy pulled me from the creature’s grip and into a magnificent spherical room.  My demonic escort was paralyzed by a brilliant indigo light, unable to cross the threshold of divinity.

              The door slowly shut.  Death was left to its duty; my paramania quelled.

              The new floor felt smooth and sterile.  The feeling of being trapped under ice passed.  I was made comfortable and no longer aware of my naked form.  An unknown source of light seemed to be reflecting immense and unknown colors off of the crystal walls, while a choir of 6,500 languages gracefully danced through the reverent air.  The voices were humble, grateful and sanctified — a distant cry from the wails of the underworld or the moans of purgatory.  It was beautiful and surreal. 

              Resurrecting to my sturdy feet, my eyes were captured by a large onyx table with 12 golden thrones, all facing the Council of Lords.  Seated were the silhouettes of 11 individuals.  They were adorned in the finest of linens and robes.  An emerald hue surrounded them.  They seemed like statues, locked in a forward position and unaware of my arrival.  Scribed upon their chairs were the names: 
Rand
,
Simon
,
Juno
,
Icarus
,
Zane
,
Benjamin
,
Dez
,
Neco
,
Grayson
,
Ash
,
Elisa
and
Magnus
. 

              Crowded by disbelief, a thunderous yet compassionate voice requested my attendance.  I cautiously stepped toward the anonymous human frames and took my place in the vacant throne. 

              It was then I was able to recall my eternal name; it was Neco.  As I lowered myself into my throne, my body was instantly clothed in a golden robe and fixed into place.  My lifetimes were projected upon large crystal walls.  Every visceral memory came rushing back, as if it was being downloaded into my spirit.  I was forced to relive every tragic and beautiful moment of my physical journey.  I not only recalled my times on Earth, but could also feel the horror of my previous afterlives.

              I had been selected for
The Program
.

+++

              The Council of the Lords consisted of red, white, black and gray birds, small in stature and similar to a raven.  Each bird sat poised, stern and centered before couplings of three seated chosen ones.  Their legs, feet and razor-sharp beaks were golden and their eyes burned like rubies.

              The red bird represented time and space and was called
Anan
. 

              The white bird represented knowledge and was called
Ath
. 

              The black bird represented creation and was called
Isis
. 

              The gray bird represented death and was called
Than
. 

              Together they formed the basis for everything. 

              “Time is an illusion of space. With the division of space, there's time,” Anan repeatedly spoke. 

              “From nothing comes everything,” Ath crowed in all languages.

              The Council's message reverberated through the room, in a choir of echoes.  We could feel the gravity of their diction and understand inception through words.  Our souls shattered like heavenly mitosis.

              “All things have a beginning,” bellowed Isis. 

              “All things have an end,” whispered Than.

              Our eyes remained open, while the Council paused to allow infinite wisdom to illuminate our beings. 

              We were becoming angelic hybrids.

              With motion, the birds directed our attention toward the interior of the crystal expanse and merged into a singular entity.  A magnificent light vibrated through our souls, as the shape of a dual-gendered being reflected our image.  The Council's illumination allowed our enervated minds the ability to palate its presence, without suffering a swift cognitive obliteration.  It then morphed into a pulsating spherical energy and began expanding to engulf the entire chamber. We were surrounded by fire and light.

              The heavens spoke.

              “You have been chosen to lead a new world.  Your children will be part mortal and divine by decree.  They will be equipped with the knowledge of our ages, given dominion over past lives and the ability to feel the dimensionality of time.  They will have the authority to bring an end to what was begun and the wisdom to breathe new life into future generations,” it proclaimed.

              The room shook.

              “You will be imprisoned by physical dictates of life and death, unable to enter The Beyond, until a miracle child is born of a beloved mortal.  The children of tomorrow will be known as The Crystalline.  Failure to produce a child will result in a reincarnated life.  Once your child is born, your participation in The Program will cease and you will ascend.  Your free will cannot be interfered with,” it added.

              The whites of our eyes blackened, allowing our pupils to fully access to The Council's proclamation.

              “Your memories will be vanquished, until the earth stone has made 18 revolutions around the sun.  Your reintegration into society is of dire importance.  You must know their law, as they understand it, and relearn the basic principles of science, math and history, as to build a basis for the information that will be unlocked in your human body.  This will help you to avoid premature shock or brain damage.  To be a perfect union, your Earth born baby must be conceived with the person you hold most dear. This undeniable union is paramount in producing a Crystalline,” it furthered.

              Our heartbeats reverberated and pounded throughout the chamber.

              “When it's time, The Council will call you all back together.  Now, go and choose your earthly family!”

              Like a clock, we were then directed and isolated into 12 corners of the chamber and able to observe infinite projections of earthly couples, due to conceive.  It was up to us to determine the best scenario for actuation in The Program.  Most chose stable families, as they felt it would provide them security in the formative years, while others desired autonomy and deliberately picked dysfunctional homes; they felt this would best-equip them for the mission and limit any personal attachments or distractions, as darker forces would inevitably be out to stop us from bringing a Crystalline into existence.

              I could feel peoples' lives, as I reached into the vivid projections.  I could sense their pains and see their auras.  Instantly, their memories were uploaded into my spirit for discernment.  I dissected and studied thousands of potential hosts.  With time an immeasurable variable, we used dreams to communicate with potential surrogates.  When I chose my earthly father, we met in a vision and reviewed his significance and my purpose in The Program. 

              He accepted. 

              In this dream, landscapes still appeared earthly, but matter no longer existed.  We sat on a green hillside and gazed upon the ocean.  Even in transparency, we could still hear and feel the waves crash upon the shore and smell the fresh blades of grass.  These were the constructs of his creation, as he imagined them.  I vividly recall the skyline.  It was a beautiful combination of orchid rings and tangerine.  

                As we parted ways, he awoke with no memory of this account.

              Grace would guide him.