“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” J. K. Rowling IInstead of trying to clean up a stable or converting an outbuilding to house the sophisticated equipment used in the Hermes Project, they had constructed a 120 by 40 foot steel shell. The building was functional, sterile and boring. It had its own diesel power generators so any sudden increase in electric consumption wouldn’t raise eyebrows at the local power company. Dr. Altman was like a proud papa as he showed Penelope his fMRI machine. The fMRI took up half of the room; next to it was an area with a gurney and a wall of machines that Penelope couldn’t identify. Aft er removing all metallic objects, Penelope laid down on the table and felt totally relaxed. “This is the room where we do all of our initial work with subjects. What we’re going to do, Ms. Spence, is get a baseline fMRI of you. This will allow us to track any future changes and, based on the results, determine which programs would be most beneficial for you.” Spence flinched when she felt the table she was lying on begin to move. “Just relax. This is just a preliminary scan and won’t take very long.” Walker and Altman both stared intently as the magnetic resonant equipment thumped to life and the image began to build. Altman gasped audibly. “Is there a problem?” Spence asked. 235 The Fourth Awakening “No,” Walker said calmly. “We just spilled something on the desk. Please remain still.” Walker fl ipped off the intercom so Penelope could not hear. “I warned you that this was a possibility,” Altman said, his face bright crimson. Walker placed a firm hand on Altman’s shoulder. “Not now, Carl.” After a steady stream of chatter the sudden silence was a bit unnerving. “What are you two talking about over there?” asked Penelope. There was faint click as the intercom was reactivated. “Okay. We’re all done.” Walker entered the exam room and helped her off the table. Dr. Altman, limited by his cane, was slow arriving. Spence smiled. Dr. Altman reminded her of her late grandfather. He told wonderful stories of his wild adventures from his younger days, and had a speaking style similar to Altman’s. He used crisp precise language and full enunciation of each word. Walker had been correct to wait and let Altman explain the process. Without context or being able to see the actual facility, the effort would have been unproductive. Dr. Altman kept using terms such as “k-space formalism” and “inverse Fourier transform” and at one point Altman put a complex math formula on a chalkboard that was perfectly logical to a Nobel Laureate such as him, but to Penelope was nothing but squiggles and lines. “In a nutshell, Penelope, different parts of the brain serve diff erent functions. Here,” Walker said as he touched the upper back portion of his head, “is one part that is very important to our work, for example.” “This is the part of the brain,” Dr. Altman said, “the posterior superior parietal lobe, that assists with determining your reality and orients you to the physical world, thereby clearly defining what is you and what is everything else so that you can function….” “Carl,” Walker said softly as he saw the confusion cloud Penelope’s face. “Let me try.” Altman bowed slightly from the waist and yielded the fl oor to Walker. “That part of the brain is always busy determining distance, interpreting sounds, checking the temperature. It is what lets center fielders catch fl y balls. People who have had this part of the brain damaged due to injury have diffi culty functioning. They will try to lie on their bed and end up on the fl oor instead.” “So far, so good,” Penelope acknowledged. 236 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “It has been well established that when people are in deep meditation, activity in this part of the brain changes significantly.” Walker drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Scientists currently believe that this is one of the gatekeepers that separates you from the carefully craft ed world this part of the brain has created, and the larger universal world that we are all a part of.” “Whenever a person starts to glimpse the greater world that we all share,” Altman interjected, “this is one of the key parts of the brain that immediately wants to pull the curtains shut and go back to the reality it has created for you.” “I’m not sure I understand…” “We can go into this aspect later,” Walker said as he glared at Altman. “For now let’s just say this is a part of the brain that is constantly working to fine-tune your perceived world.” “Okay,” Penelope said, watching Altman struggle to keep from jumping in. “The brain is a complex biochemical system. What we’ve done is isolate some very precise electromagnetic, or EM, wavelengths that aff ect certain parts of the brain. By sending very carefully tuned electromagnetic pulses, we are able to cause different parts of the brain either to relax or to be stimulated. We have found that when we alter the input the posterior superior parietal lobe receives from other key areas of the brain, as well as other sections such as the right temporal lobe, all sorts of interesting things start to happen.” “For example.” Walker and Altman exchanged worried glances. “When this section is …” Dr. Altman couldn’t restrain himself any longer. “Occupied trying to figure out what is going on due to the stimuli we are providing. Th e other parts of the brain are more responsive to other stimuli.” “What Carl is saying… without certain gatekeepers to stand guard, various parts of the brain start doing remarkable things.” “Such as?” “With the proper combination of EM pulses, we can give the test subject a brief spike in psychic ability.” “We,” Altman added, “can even give them a glimpse of Enlightenment.” “That was the breakthrough Senator Horn was so worried about?” “No,” Walker answered. “Researchers have been doing this at a clinical level for years, mostly with drugs and by implanting wires and electrodes 237 The Fourth Awakening in people’s brains. Our breakthrough is that we are now able to do this without any physical contact, and without the subject ingesting any drugs.” “What?” Penelope’s eyes and mouth were both wide open. “So you’re saying you have developed some type of a ray gun that can alter a person’s reality without touching them or attaching any wires?” “I don’t think I would characterize it as a ray gun, but the answer to your question is yes. This also isn’t new, the government has been able to do this for decades, but it never occurred to them to use it in the way we have. Some of our results have been rather stunning. That’s what we want to show the people from The Washington Post.” “So people don’t even have to volunteer; you can just blast them as they walk down the street.” “Pretty much.” Walker answered. “I can see why this was classified. Can it be used as a weapon?” “Yes,” Walker said. “But only against people and not military targets.” “What does that mean?” “Most high-end command and control facilities are already shielded to block the EM pulse from a nuclear blast, so our pulses couldn’t get through even if we wanted them to. It would be like trying to throw a spitball through a brick wall. But it can be used to aff ect unshielded populations.” “What does that mean?” “In the early stages of this research Dr. Altman did a demonstration with an auditorium full of students. He used one of his early prototypes to make half the room think they were freezing. They were huddling up with their teeth chattering.” “You are kidding?” “He always had a flair for the dramatics,” Walker said with a laugh as he glanced over at Altman. “Those on the unaff ected side of the room thought it was a trick until it was their turn.” “Why didn’t I ever hear about this?” “Altman had touched the third rail of science…” “Th e what?” “You know? The third rail on a subway train that if you touch you get electrocuted…” “I know what the third rail is, but what on earth is the third rail of science? It sounds like one of your Timothy Leary theories.” 238 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “Not quite,” Walker said while shaking his head. “There are certain things you simply don’t discuss among other scientists if you want to be taken seriously within your peer group. If you touch any of those rails, your funding will dry up and no one will publish your fi ndings. Th ey send you into intellectual purgatory and you become an outcast.” “Do you have any examples?” “Tons of them. Scientists are some of the narrowest minded people on the planet and if you question the current scientific consensus they will turn on you like a pack of wolves.” “Once again you are talking gibberish. Are there any examples in my future?” “How much funding do you think a climatologist would get for research into global warming being caused by a natural solar cycle instead of manmade pollution?” “Okay. Th at’s one.” “What about a geneticist who wanted to do a comparative study to see if race is a factor in a person’s intelligence?” “That’s settled science and borderline racist.” “Perfect example.” “What do you mean by that?” “That is the exact argument the scientific community would use. Political correctness is killing science.” “Political correctness?” Penelope shook her head in disbelief. Walker shrugged. “In any case it is well off the point. Dr. Altman had the nerve to touch the biggest third rail out there.” “Which is?” “He is doing research like the Hermes Project. Very few scientists would have the courage to do this type of research, much less talk about it.” “Why?” “It would be impossible to get tenure at any major university. Funding would be out of the question…” “He got funding.” “True, but he is a unique case.” “Why?” “He had actually gotten measurable results, plus he doesn’t give a damn what his peers think about him. He believes they should be more worried about what he thinks about them.” 239 The Fourth Awakening “What gives him that luxury?” Dr. Altman couldn’t keep himself from interjecting himself in the conversation. “Sometimes I feel like Gulliver in the land of the Lilliput. Why should I care for one moment what someone who would struggle to even get a passing grade in one of my classes thinks of my scholarship?” Walker put his hand on Altman’s arm. “Plus he’s 81 years old and has already won every award available in his field, including the Nobel Prize.” “He must drive the scientific community nuts.” “There isn’t much middle ground. The scientists who do their best work in the faculty lounge and cocktail parties hate him; those doing cutting edge research or dealing with anything the slightest bit controversial love him.” “Would shining a mind control ray gun on an auditorium full of hapless students fall under the controversial category?” “Ray gun?” Altman folded his arms across his chest and glared at Penelope. “What would you call it?” “A precision controlled microwave pulse,” Walker answered. Penelope shrugged. “Still sounds like a ray gun to me and I’d be more than annoyed if you used it on one of my kids.” “We had full disclosure and signed consent forms from everyone,” Altman offered in his own defense. “There was even a waiting list. Besides, it’s relatively easy to shield against these pulses, even for individuals.” “How?” “We’re working on a special hat…” A smile broke across Penelope’s face. “So you’re saying those guys who wrap their heads in tin foil might be on to something?” “The Pentagon has been working on special liners for their combat helmets for years.” “Really?” Penelope scratched her head. “So people without their little protective caps would be at risk to being exposed to your ray…EM pulse…” Penelope paused then smiled. “That’s why you want this technology made public, so people can protect themselves, or at the minimum know what’s going on.” “Knowledge is power, Penelope,” Walker said with a smile. “The power of thought?” Penelope answered with a wry smile. “Exactly,” Walker answered. Penelope glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’re on a very tight 240 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin deadline. I already have an overview of the project, which I got from your grandson’s excellent work. What else should I know before the people from WaPo start arriving? “I suppose,” Dr. Altman said with a sigh. “I could show you some progression fMRI images that show… “Dr. Altman,” Penelope cut him off. “Do you have any before and aft er shots, preferably in .jpg format that will be easy for the average reader to see the diff erence?” “Of course.” Dr Altman took Penelope’s arm and started to guide her toward his office. “Please. Call me Carl.” “Only if you will call me Penelope.” “Penelope. That’s an unusual name.” “I was named after the wife of Malcolm Drayton, who signed the Declaration of Independence and represented South Carolina in the fi rst Continental Congress.” “Michael told me you were from a well-established and wealthy family in Charleston.” “Well-established, yes. Wealthy is another matter.” “I thought…” “In the South, Carl, the real wealth passes to the oldest son, not to the youngest daughter.” “I see.” “Can I see those fi les now?” “I’ll have Jerold fetch whatever you need. For now I want to show you the pièce de résistance,” Altman said as he ushered Penelope down the wall to a large room. There was slight swooshing sound as he opened the door and announced, “I give you the Hermes Project. This is where we’ve made all of our more recent breakthroughs.” She wasn’t sure what she had expected but this was certainly anti-climatic. The room was parti............