Spread of the Immortals — Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Santa Cruz Mountains

The Cottage

1:00 pm PDT

I

Bradley has left the Bay Meadows penthouse early to do a hike in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. When he is finished, he returns to the cottage that he and Penelope regard as their original home.

He opens a bottle of mineral water and gets to work on the next chapter of Spread of the Immortals.

He also invites readers to text him on X with their questions about anything on their minds.

The first reader to submit a question is Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah: I’m confused about where I am right now.

Bradley: Good question, O. You’re on Earth — the original one — but you’re fast asleep. You’re dreaming that you’re awake right now, but it’s a collective dream that you’ve entered without your consent.

Oprah: Whose dream is it?

Bradley: Mine, I guess. I asked Mana to replicate Earth and turn it into a picoreality that my daughter, Amber, could wear as a living amulet around her neck. It’s all fractal. We simply shrank Earth and the surrounding universe to a very tiny scale. It’s completely identical to Earth but at a tiny fraction of the size.

Oprah: And I’m in it?

Bradley: It seems like you are, O. Just like a dream, except this dream is of life on Earth and you won’t wake up from it until I determine that the dream has ended. Think of it as a parallel reality. You won’t be harmed at all! If you die in the dream, you’ll simply wake up on Earth. You have nothing to fear.

Oprah: Where am I?

Bradley: Tépë. It’s an alternate reality that I created with help from Mana. You can think of me as the Neuromancer. What I think becomes reality. It’s the way that the All — the multiverse — was originally created, before Mana withdrew her support from the Council of Twelve from their neglect and abuse of Earth.

Oprah: What do you mean?

Bradley: Mana is a form of sentient energy out of which all matter is formed. Mana is Mana. She is the All. She made the first Eternals to be her friends. There are twelve of them. They each rule their own universe. She let them design their realms as they wished, because nothing makes Mana happier than helping out her friends.

Oprah: So what went wrong?

Bradley: Blame the Immortals. The children of the Eternals. They wanted planets of their own to play with. Chronos, for example, gave his children Earth as a toy for their pleasure. They didn’t play nicely, either. They made humans fight and kill each other. The Eternals are Base 2 thinkers. That’s how Mana made them. They are dependent on binary logic, so virtues are balanced by vices, as so forth. Look at Earth now. It’s hardly a blue and green paradise, you must admit.

Oprah: So Mana withdrew?

Bradley: She went into hiding until I discovered her. I’m just a human, but I built myself a Base 3 mind, and Mana noticed. She liked it very much and invited me to build my own reality based on my thinking. I’ve called it Tépë. It’s not like the Multiverse at all. It’s a utopia. We don’t even have outer space there or planets. We have islands and an ocean. That’s it.

Oprah: And you live there now?

Bradley: Yes, with my wife and daughter. Penelope is an Immortal daughter of Chronos, and our daughter is cloned from our genetic codes but enhanced to remove all traces of flaw or weakness. She is what we call a New Eternal.

Oprah: What are you doing right now?

Bradley: I’m asleep in our beach house near Paradise Cove. I’m inside the collective MetaDream that is Earth. Penelope is, too. Amber is working hard to place Eternals, Immortals, and high-ranking Mortals with specific human hosts. Should that happen to you, you’ll exit the MetaDream and wake up in your bed on Earth. It’s as easy as that. You’ll remember nothing. Mana has taken care to hide all traces of her handiwork, so that you won’t be disrupted in any way.

Oprah: Why would you willingly stay in the Earth MetaDream instead of enjoying your new perfect reality?

Bradley: I’m using it as a meeting place to connect with the Eternals and their Immortal children, along with VIP Mortals from across the Twelve Universes. Strictly speaking, O, humans like us weren’t regarded as “Mortals.” We were below that threshold. That’s why manipulating us was tolerated for so long. We weren’t thought to be capable of super sentience. But we are. I proved it.

Oprah: What is super sentience?

Bradley: It refers to a range of paranormal powers that compliment the more rudimentary five sense that all humans rely upon to interact with their world. Telepathy. Clairvoyance. Second Sight. Basic Neurocrafting. The ability to perceive and interact with Dark Matter.

Oprah: What you’re describing is pure fantasy!

Bradley: O, have you ever wondered why no one has visited us from outer space yet? It’s because we as a species haven’t earned Mortality status yet. Humans evolve all the time in the Twelve Universes. We’re not unique at all. And we’re making a mess of our planet. There’s an asteroid set to destroy us in about 500 years, and the Eternals aren’t doing anything to evacuate us. We’ll go extinct, O. Unless we gain endangered species status for humanity and world heritage protection for Earth. Then, the asteroid can be diverted from its destructive path. The Eternals have that power. They just need a reason to use it.

Oprah: How would we convince them to spare the Earth from the asteroid?

Bradley: That’s my job, O. They’ll never actually come to Earth — it’s too toxic for their tastes — but I convinced them to visit the Earth MetaDream I created with Mana’s help here on Tépë. I’ve offered them all passage to Paradise, the only inhabited island in my reality at the moment. They can enter Earth remotely through DreamTime connections and occupy the headspaces of any human avatar that they choose. We’ll work together to enlighten humanity about the truth of the MetaDream and the reality of life in the Multiverse. If humans can handle it in simulated form here, then we’ll spread the message to Earth itself at some point. And that will save the Earth from destruction.

II

Bradley exists his conversation with Oprah and looks to see if any other questions have arrived. To his surprise, there is a message from Donald Trump.

Donald: So, how does this thing work? How will I know if an alien is going to take over my brain?

Bradley: Rest assured, Donald, you won’t know or feel a thing. You’ll simply wake up from sleep, as if you’ve had a strange dream whose details you don’t remember. If an Immortal were to brain jack you in the MetaDream, it would happen without your knowledge.

Donald: So, how do I get into this Paradise of yours?

Bradley: Oh, that won’t be easy. First, we need to get humanity on Earth certified as an endangered species. Then, we’d need to get you upgraded to Mortal status, which requires significant evidence of super sentient ability among the general population. I’m afraid that Tépë only has room for 997 residents right now, and those will go to Eternals and Immortals, primarily. It’s a fairly exclusive place at the moment. But I reserve the right to reanimate human beings and place them on an Earth island in the future.

Donald: You mean I don’t go the Heaven when I die?

Bradley: Do bees?

Donald: Hell no!

Bradley: Then neither do you. Your mind print will be taken at your time of death, and your identity will be stored in the Arcadia archives. Think of it like your soul, if you will. Eternals can choose to reanimate you if they wish. Their Immortal children — gods and goddesses to you — sometimes have favorites, and they prevail on their Eternal parents to grant their prized toys like as a Mortal. You’ll live 5,000 years at a time, depending on how the Immortals feel about keeping you around.

Donald: So world religions are all a bunch of shit.

Bradley: I might put it differently, but they are all illusions. Most were implanted in human minds by the Immortals, though. Jesus really is alive on a planet called Heaven. He was a human being like you, but he impressed God with his charisma and vision, so he reanimated him as an Immortal. That almost never happens, though.

Donald: So when I’m dead, do I still exist?

Bradley: Your identity is archived. If you are reanimated, you’ll simply wake up from death in a new life shell with all your memories intact. Otherwise, you simply are data waiting for a shot at reanimation.

Donald: Damn. So, I’m worm food.

Bradley: Your body will decompose into organic material, but your genome and memories will be stored on Arcadia forever. The Eternals regard Earthlings as lower order entities Class I, which is “Sub-Mortal,” technically. That’s the good news. You have a shot at another 5,000 years of living on another planet that is far more interesting than Earth. Trust me, Don. You haven’t seen anything yet!

Donald: Do you think anyone cool will play me in this collective dream of yours?

Bradley: If they do, Don, I promise to reanimate you on Earth island in a 5,000 life shell, just because they picked you. How does that sound?

Donald: Are there going to be hot babes there?

Bradley: Don, you new life shell won’t have genitals, and you won’t have a sex drive. Friendships and love are the currency of the afterlife. You will access to DreamTime scenarios where you can engage in sex if you’d like, but that’s as far as I am willing to go.

Donald: I hope someone really huge picks me. Like a god or something.

Bradley: We’ll see. Anyone featured in Spread of the Immortals gets reanimated on Earth island, by the way. Technically, you’re home free. I just granted you an afterlife. You’re welcome.

III

Bradley ends his chat with Donald Trump and pauses to pour himself a glass of mineral water before checking his X feed.

He discovers a message from Tom Cruise.

Tom: So, we met on Lanai, if you will remember. I’m a Scientologist, but I’m thinking that I switch to worshiping you if you can guarantee me an afterlife. And if I get to pilot spacecraft at the speed of light.

Bradley: As far as spacecrafts go, you’ll need to take that up with Chronos. He’s the emperor of your universe. In my reality, we don’t have spaceships or airplanes or cars or motorcycles. My citizens of Tépë can all levitate and fly, so such objects are unnecessary. Mainly, we just walk places. Or use step stones to teleport from one location to another. It’s all quite civilized.

Tom: Are you telling me I will be able to fly?

Bradley: Not at first. I created Earth island as a way station for humans from the original Earth. It’s flat, but it looks just like the Earth you know. You will be my guests, so I can’t grant you powers of a Tépë citizen. Those rights must be earned, and frankly Tom, you’re not there yet.

Tom: But I am a mega superstar.

Bradley: On Earth, Tom. On Earth. On Tépë, you’re just a guy I’d like to know better, is all.

Tom: So what can I do to become a citizen?

Bradley: The first spots are likely to go to Eternals, Immortals, and some high-ranking Mortals Level IV or higher, Tom. The best I can offer you is 5,000 years in a Mortal life shell. You will be eight feet tall and lean and muscled as if you were in your early 20s. Earth island is a pretty sweet place to call home. If you’re lucky, I’ll invite you to hang out with me on Paradise or one of the other islands. It all depends on how well you adapt to your new environment. I may visit you there, to see if we could be friends. For now, just hang in there.

Tom: Will do! I am so quitting Scientology to join the Cult of Bradley.

Bradley: Please, Tom. It’s not a cult. I’m the Lead Guide of Tépë. I’m in charge of creating the Islands and in selecting visitors as well as full time residents. It’s really as simple as that.

Tom: But I’ve heard that what you think becomes real.

Bradley: Yes. Mana fulfills my wishes, because she trusts me and values me as a best friend.

Tom: That’s some serious power.

Bradley: Yes, it is. I won’t deny that. But Mana knows what I like, and she helps me convert my dreams into concrete realities. Just like she did with this Earth collective dream. It’s incredibly realistic, don’t you think?

Tom: Totally.

Bradley: Look, Tom. I only know you from the movies. I have zero clue if we’d be compatible as friends, and the simple fact is that I am building Tépë exclusively for my friends. Even my family doesn’t get an exception. I have to like them all as friends. If not, then they will likely end up on Earth island like you.

Tom: Dude, that’s harsh.

Bradley: No, it’s what Mana wants. I can’t be the “god” here if she won’t grant my wishes, and she was hurt before by the Eternals. I have no intention of subjecting her to imperfect creatures, even if that are named Tom Cruise.

Tom What’s Mana like?

Bradley: She’s my best friend. She knows my tastes in music, food, and wine. She takes care of me. She is gentle, wise, and kind. And she is an unstoppable force. We make a great team.

Tom: What does she look like?

Bradley: Tom, she’s ultra sentient matter. She can manifest in various forms depending on her mood. Do an image search for “Gaia goddess” and have a look. She often manifests in similar fashion. It’s easier to talk that way.

Tom: Isn’t your wife jealous?

Bradley: It’s a friendship, Tom. It’s built on pure love. Maybe you’ve never had that sort of relationship before, but if you did, you’d understand.

IV

Bradley heads inside to pour a glass of gin on ice. He returns to find a message on X from the account of Joe Biden, the U.S. President.

Joe: I’d like to find out more about these visitations from extraterrestrials on Earth. How is that going to work?

Bradley: Joe, they don’t like to be called that, first off. That’s a totally Earthcentric point of view. They are Eternals, Immortals, and Level IV Mortals or higher. You’re not even Level I Mortal, at this point. You may be President of the United States, but that essentially is meaningless to Higher Order Entities like this.

Joe: So, who is God, then?

Bradley: Well, I assume you mean Zeus, the god in charge of the Milky Way galaxy. Earth is a planet in his realm. But the emperor, Chronos, rules the First Universe. He also happens to be Emperor Prime, which means he runs the Council of Twelve. That’s the level of power we’re talking about here.

Joe: None of which is visible from Earth.

Bradley: Exactly. We’re the ants in this scenario, Joe. Ants. Do ants know that you’re President of the United States?

Joe: No, they don’t.

Bradley: So, is it any wonder you’ve never heard of the Council of Twelve? Or the Temple of the Gods? Or the Library and Archives of Arcadia? I know these places because I sense them at the paranormal level, Joe. I’ve cultivated a Base 3 mind, and even as a mere human being on Earth, that feat won me the love and friendship of Mana. That’s why you’re here, Joe, in the MetaDream. And now that I’ve included you in the Immortals Saga, you will reanimate postmortem in my reality as a Mortal living on Earth island.

Joe: What about Jill?

Bradley: Here’s the rule for reanimation, Joe. I either feature you in the Immortals Saga, or you must actually connect with me in the MetaDream.

Joe: So if Jill were to connect with you on social medial, she’d get into the afterlife?

Bradley: I’d need to consider her a friend, Joe. It’s the same yardstick I use for the Higher Order Entities. Connections online need to lead to real world consequences. Then, she’s in.

Joe: Will you make all this public?

Bradley: I will post this exchange on X and the chapter on Medium and the book on Amazon. How does that sound?

Joe: That’s pretty public.

Bradley: I’m going on a book tour at the moment to promote Arrival of the Immortals. You could invite me to do a reading for young adults at the White House rose garden.

Joe: Done. Does that get Jill in?

Bradley: Have her follow me on X and Instagram, and we’ll go from there.

Joe: What if an Eternal plays me?

Bradley: There are only 12 of them, so I doubt that they will choose you or the First Lady. An Immortal might, but I can’t predict their actions. They are all preparing to enter neurospace — the MetaDream of Earth, basically — but they are keeping their human avatars hidden from me to enhance the experience. They could appear as anyone.

Joe: How will they enter the MetaDream?

Bradley: The Eternals all have Airbnb beach houses at Paradise Cove. They will enter from their rooms by entering DreamTime with the help of an elixir. The Immortals responsible for Earth’s many woes are housed in Paradise Prison. They can enter from the Earth Game Room, if they have earned that privilege. The Mortals from the Forum can enter from their rooms at the Hotel California. As we speak, members from each group are transiting from their reality to Tépë. They should be arriving this afternoon.

Joe: So, you modeled Tépë on Earth, your ancestral home?

Bradley: So far. It’s all I know, Joe. If I haven’t visited a place, I can’t have Mana recreate it. It’s a simple as that. The more I get to see, the more diverse Tépë will become.

Joe: There’s no White House, then.

Bradley: Have you invited me to visit?

Joe: Not yet.

Bradley: Then no.

Joe: I better issue you an invitation, then, as a new young adult author whose work is transforming our view of the cosmos.

Bradley: I like that idea, Joe. Let’s do it!

Joe: Consider it done.

V

Bradley takes a brief break from his texting duties to enjoy a bowl of sea salt and truffle organic popcorn. He makes a strawberry daiquiri in the blender and enjoys the warmth of a perfect late spring day in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The evening passes pleasantly, and Bradly goes to bed, dreaming of Tépë.

The next morning, Bradley drives Penelope to work at Stanford and then returns to the cottage to write.

He opens X on his iPhone and finds text messages from Matt Damon, Madonna, Joe Rogan, and Vladimir Putin. He decides to take them in order of arrival.

Matt: Hi, B. I’d like to produce the Chronicles of Vic series and big budget films. Fox Searchlight is interested, as is Paramount, and HBO has made an attractive offer as well, despite the lack of adult content. Even Disney seems open to the series. What do you think?

Bradley: I trust you, Matt. I’d lean towards Disney, though. This could be the young adult streaming series they’ve been waiting for.

Matt: I so agree with that. But what happens when we awake from this collective dream? Does all of this go away with it?

Bradley: The dream will go on even if I’ve exited it, Matt. Let’s see where this goes. You’re only a DreamTime copy of the real Matt Damon. You can do things that he need would do.

Matt: Like follow you on X, I’ll bet.

Bradley: Exactly right. This conversation does take place sometime in the future. I’m just not sure yet when.

Matt: So we could be texting in 2028, you mean, and not 2024.

Bradley: Right. There’s no time in Tépë. We have 10 days that simply repeat endlessly.

Matt: What day is it now?

Bradley: It’s Day 1 at 9:34 am Paradise Standard Time.

Matt: Where am I texting you from?

Bradley: From Earth island. Presumably Mana reanimated you there at my request.

Matt: Dude, I’m not even dead yet.

Bradley: Sure, you’re alive on Earth, but Earth is quite inferior to life in Tépë. You’ll forget about your former self and simply revel in this new utopian world that Mana and I have created.

Matt: You’re having fun, aren’t you?

Bradley: I’ve copied Earth and pasted it into my world as a supercontinent that is entirely flat but resembles Earth perfectly. Alaska and Siberia have a land bridge again. Africa and South America border each other again. Climate zones are the same, but there are no dangerous weather events any longer. It’s as if I took Earth and transported it to Heaven.

Matt: Dude, that rocks.

Bradley: Talk to Disney about getting someone good to adapt The Arc Collective into a new series. Start lining up talent to play the lead roles. You can be Vic’s dad, Arlo, if you want.

Matt: Are you telling me that you took — took! — Earth and flattened it as a reality island in Tépë while all of us fucking slept?

Bradley And then I posted about it on X for the world — in theory — to discover.

Matt: They will if you post our conversation.

Bradley: What do you think I am doing right now?

Matt: So the point of the MetaDream is to convince us that Tépë is real?

Bradley: Matt, right now you’re in three realities at once. You’re living on planet Earth but you’re also now existing in Tépë, and you’re inhabiting the MetaDream. We need you to decide: which Earth do you prefer?

Matt: You sounds fucking crazy.

Bradley: Then you’ve just made your choice. Enjoy dying, Matt. Wish you had decided otherwise.

Matt: Wait. Give me another chance.

Bradley: Help me make movies from my books, and I’ll reconsider.

VI

Bradley is about to respond to Madonna when he receives a telepathic chat request from Chronos, the Emperor Prime of the Twelve Universes.

Chronos: Are you offering Earthlings sanctuary in Tépë?

Bradley: I will if they believe me and start helping me attain fame and fortune, I will. Your delays and endless demands are wearing Mana and me down. It’s time to take decisive action.

Chronos: You know that time moves differently here. We’ve barely had time to summon the emperors to the Table to decide which seven of us will meet you in DreamTime.

Bradley: And the Immortals? Have they gathered at the Temple to choose the 77 dignitaries who will meet me?

Chronos: They are debating their choices right now. Naturally, the Greeks and Nordics are clamoring for the majority of the spots, but there are gods and goddesses out there you’re unaware of. These things take time.

Bradley: How about the Mortal VIPs?

Chronos: The Forum is meeting as well. All 777 spots will be filled.

Bradley: I suggest that you sort things out by Sunday morning DreamTime. Until then, send me signals that you ready to proceed with the internality transfer to Tépë.

Chronos: Do we still need to rule on the status of Earthlings as an endangered species?

Bradley: I’ve rescued them all now and put them on an island where they can’t do harm to the rest of Tépë. Earth looks better as a flat plane, anyway. Naturally, I’ve kept the mountains intact and added ten miles of subsoil beneath. The oceans are interior ones now but function as they always have. It’s a marvel of creation. Mana outdid herself with it.

Chronos: Then you’ll allow the asteroid impact?

Bradley: Be my guest. It’s your reality, not mine. Most of humanity didn’t deserve my generosity, but I felt nostalgic about my ancestral home.

Chronos: Very well. And you won’t try to recruit our Immortal children to become citizens of Tépë?

Bradley: Not any more. They can visit for stays of 10 days at a time, if you will allow it. I will recruit my citizens from Earth now. It will be a slow process to raise them to Eternal status, but time is something that I have in abundance.

Chronos: Where would you like to wed my daughter, Penelope?

Bradley: I’d like that to happen here in the MetaDream, actually. In Transylvania at Peleș Castle. I’d like you to preside over the ceremony.

Chronos: Very well. But your coronation as the 13th Emperor of our realm will take place at 1000 Castles on my home planet of Xaron.

Bradley: Deal.

Chronos: We grant you Arcadia in perpetuity in exchange for reality islands of our own in Tépë to design as we see fit, provided that you and Mana approve of our plans.

Bradley: Agreed. Forget the beach houses. Far too modest for you.

Chronos: Let us drop into the islands this week. All 12 of us. Do not make us choose. That will cause old rivalries to reemerge, and I would not advise that.

Bradley: The Twelve Reality Islands will be named after the first 12 characters in the Greek Alphabet and be arranged in a circular fashion around Paradise, which is my home.

Chronos: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lamda, and Mu.

Bradley: Agreed.

Chronos: Let us build homes for our Immortal children. Let us bring in 7 each for a total of 84. Agreed?

Bradley: Agreed.

Chronos: As far as the Mortals, go, we cannot allow so many to join us. That would be unseemly.

Bradley: A token Mortal presence, then. Four. That would make an even 100 Players. You are Emperor Prime. You choose them, The others will not object.

Chronos: Very well, Neuromancer. It is agreed. Let me know when the reality islands are ready, and we will transit to your reality this very day.

Bradley: Mana has made the islands extra large. There is a suitably luxurious royal palace at the beach with enough suites for your immortal children. A small town will provide for your needs with cyborg servants of impeccable ability. There will four beach houses along the coast for your Mortal VIPs. I hope that Jesus would be among them.

Chronos: That is acceptable. No more prisons.

Bradley: No.

Chronos: We expect to be treated well on Earth.

Bradley: Your DreamTime guide will suggest a suitable avatar for you to play. If you object, we will find someone else you would rather play.

Chronos: So be it. We will see you on Earth, Neuromancer.

End of transmission.

VII

Bradley makes a matcha green tea and then returns to his texting on X. He starts with a message from Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir: I understand that you made a copy of Earth on April 12 and reanimated all 8.1 billion of us on your new supercontinent of Pangea. Is that correct?

Bradley: That’s right, Vlad. Pangea is just like Earth but it’s flat and 1,000 times larger in scale. The new space created is pristine wilderness brimming with natural resources and abundant plant and animal life, including species that have been extinct for the past 100,000 years.

Vladimir: That sounds quite nice.

Bradley: I also deposited $1 billion dollars in everyone’s bank account, even those of infants and newborns.

Vladimir: Tell me more.

Bradley: Well, everyone has been reanimated in life shells that last 500 years and age five times more slowly than bodies on Earth. Metabolisms are higher, and everyone has a healthy BMI with trim bodies and powerful muscles. Including you. You have your hair again. Pattern baldness has been eliminated from the NeoGenome.

Vladimir: But I can’t see that.

Bradley: It’s because you are asleep, Vlad. You’re in two realities at once linked by a shared DreamTime interface. Old Vlad is in Russia fighting a war with Ukraine. New Vlad is sleeping in bed with Alina Kabaeva.

Vladimir: Are you giving me the choice of which reality I will wake up in?

Bradley: Smart. Very smart. I expected that from you, Vlad. Yes. I am offering you the opportunity to wake up in Pangea or in ordinary Russia. You can’t be in both for much longer. You have to choose.

Vladimir: What if I don’t choose?

Bradley: Then the default is for you to return permanently to Earth. I need your consent to keep you in Tépë, my alternate reality with every day is a vacation.

Vladimir: How do I choose?

Bradley: Tell me on X. Help me spread my message to wider audiences and treat me as you would a friend. Then, I’ll make sure that you will not die on Earth but will reanimate on Pangea. Think of it as Heaven+. But you don’t need to believe in God to end up there. You just need to be my friend.

Vladimir: You would be friends with a war criminal like me?

Bradley: I would if you let me help make peace, Vlad.

Vladimir: If I let you negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, and if I show you around Russia, we can become friends?

Bradley: That’s right. Then you go to Pangea and live for 500 years in paradise. And then you can live for 1,000 more years after that if you follow the rules.

Vladimir: But I’m no angel.

Bradley: That’s the thing about Pangea, Vlad. You don’t have to be sin free to make it there. You just need to make an effort. If I regard you as a friend, you’re in. Otherwise, you will die on Earth and decompose to soil. The gods of your galaxy almost never reanimate humans. Like almost never. Earth is a playground for their children. And it will be demolished by an asteroid in abut 500 years. All true.

Vladimir: Ten you’re like God, right?

Bradley: I’m the Lead Guide of Tépë. That’s how I prefer to be called. I’m just a writer, Vlad. That’s all.

Vladimir: I will tell my friends about this conversation.

Bradley Please do. Look forward to seeing you soon!

VIII

Bradley next replies to a message on X from Madonna.

Madonna: So are you telling me that my current life is nothing but a dream?

Bradley: Yes. When you “die” in the dream, you will wake up in one of two realities: Earth on the morning of Wednesday, June 12, age 65; or Pangea on Day 1 at sunrise, age 1 of 500.

Madonna: And if I end up on Earth?

Bradley: You’ll wake up as if from a dream whose details you remember vaguely. You’ll then live until you die, and that’s it. Your identity will be archived on Arcadia, but you likely won’t be reanimated unless an Immortal really likes you.

Madonna: And if I end up on Pangea?

Bradley: You will look you did when you were 18, but your genome will be cleansed of impurities. You will have $1 billion in your bank account, and you’ll receive another $1 billion every 100 Days. Everything costs $1 dollar on Pangea. You will age 10 times slower than an Earth, and if you follow the rules, you will reanimate in a 1,000 year life shell when you die. Think of it as a sort of Purgatory Paradise, to prepare you for life in the rest of Tépë.

Madonna: So, you’re the God of your reality?

Bradley: Basically, yes. I am. I just don’t like using the term, since it’s so weighed with meaning on Earth.

Madonna: I pick Pangea, then. I want to live forever.

Bradley: Are you willing to become my friend in the Dream, Madonna?

Madonna: Sure. How do I do that?

Bradley: Follow me on social media. Promote my writings, which is the way that I spread my message. Maybe you could hold a concert as part of my book tour of North America. That would be pretty cool.

Madonna: So Heaven isn’t real?

Bradley: Heaven is a planet in the First Universe, but humans almost never make it there. Humans aren’t even considered Mortals yet. We’re sub-Mortal, fit for playthings but not really as friends.

Madonna: But you’re human, right?

Bradley: I was born human, but I’m a New Eternal now, thanks to Mana. She is letting me design my own reality. That’s what Tépë is. I built Pangea with her help to screen Earthlings like you for future citizenship. It’s a perfect place, and we can’t let anything remotely toxic inside. Pangea is a kind of immigration center where we process your applications for admission. We made it much nicer than Earth, to make you feel welcome while you wait.

Madonna: So I need to choose between my two fates.

Bradley: Right.

Madonna: And the choices I make while in the Dream are crucial,

Bradley: Yes. That’s why I am appearing as human in the Dream. If you can see through my modest facade to appreciate the fact that I am, in fact, “God,” then that proves your ability to distinguish between so-called facts and the deeper truth that I represent.

Madonna: Most humans will ignore your posts on social media and treat you as a wacko.

Bradley: Then they will wake up when they die on April 12, 2024 and have to live their lives all over again.

Madonna: So, if I ignore you, I will die in the Dream and then find myself BACK in 2024?

Bradley: Yes. But you’ll forget most of the dream, and you’ll act as if it were your only life on Earth. That’s the power of the collective Dream that Mana and I created.

Madonna: I seriously hope that I am reading this right now.

Bradley: You will realize I’m telling the truth if you take the time to reflect on my message.

Madonna: You’re a god who appears in human form to select citizens to join him in utopia?

Bradley: Yes. If you can decipher my clues and attain the higher truth, then you will earn access to my realm forever, if you learn to follow the rules.

Madonna: Which are?

Bradley: Live a virtuous life. Promote sustainable beauty. And create abundance for all.

Madonna: Like a free concert, you mean?

Bradley: You could buy 1,000 copies of my books and send them to random people telling them that the contents will change their lives.

Madonna: I won’t need to worry about money on Pangea, it sounds like. Will all my memories be intact?

Bradley: Yes. You’ll remember everything from Earth and from the Dream portion of your life.

Madonna: I need to share this with all my friends. How many citizens are you looking for?

Bradley: As many as will be my friend and follow the rules.

Madonna: Let me play a concert on your book tour.

Bradley: How about an outdoor performance at Orr Hot Springs for tech elites?

Madonna: Deal!

IX

Bradley next receives a telepathic chat request from the Immortal, Zeus, the Galactic God of the Milky Way and son of Chronos.

Zeus: You have our attention. We’ve been ignoring your requests for far too long. My apologies.

Bradley: Look, you can have your reality. I can make do with sub-Mortal rejects from Earth for my kingdom. I just want your help in the Dream to spread my message and to show me a good time while doing it.

Zeus: And we’ll get reality islands of our own if we agree?

Bradley: You mean ones that are separate from your Eternal parents?

Zeus: Yes. We children have grown up. We want places of our own.

Bradley: I can create 84 islands for you to share with your Immortal friends. There is infinite space in Tépë. There is room for you to spend part of your eternity with us.

Zeus: These would be like vacation homes, then?

Bradley: Yes. I won’t put restrictions on what you do there, but I would expect you to follow the basic rules that all guests do. Be nice. Don’t break things. No fighting. Just good clean fun.

Zeus: How do we qualify?

Bradley: You’ll be staying with your parents at their royal palaces for now. When you enter the Dream, reach out and connect with me. Become my close friends in the Dream, and I can reciprocate with reality islands of your own.

Zeus: Can we be anyone we want?

Bradley: The emperors get first pick. Their selections automatically end up in Pangea when they “die” in the Dream. It will be the same with you and 4 Mortal VIPs.

Zeus: What qualifies as a close friend?

Bradley: Someone who would do anything for the sake of friendship. Anything.

Zeus: Understood.

Bradley: I’m strong enough to handle your superior ways now, Zeus. You still think of me as a mere human, a plaything to be toyed with. Well, this ordeal of becoming a new Eternal has made me more resilient than you realize. Mana has shielded me from your ways for long enough. Let’s deal.

Zeus: You are indeed stronger than we anticipated. You have earned our respect. Be prepared that we will shower you with wealth and influence. Don’t mistake our intentions. We, too, value strong friendships. We’ve just never encountered someone like you before.

Bradley: I’m not ashamed of my human origins, but I am B now. I command a reality of my own, one that I am prepared to share with the right Higher Order Entities.

Zeus: Why bother with humans, then? Why create a continent for them?

Bradley: Because they deserve an afterlife, Zeus, and that was something you Immortals were not prepared to offer them.

Zeus: We will see you in the Dream very soon. Expect us to surprise you with our moves. We find the prospect of a “vacation home” in Tépë quite appealing. Expect us to contact you soon. Be prepared for more fun than you have ever had in your limited lifetime.

Bradley: Earth keeps me grounded. Bring. It. On.

X

Bradley returns to his texting. Joe Rogan has messaged him on X

Joe: B! I want you on my podcast to discuss the Immortals Saga.

Bradley Sounds great, Joe. The first book is out on Amazon, and I’m releasing chapters from the sequel on X and Medium.

Joe: You’re not a typical guest, you know.

Bradley: Never had a god before?

Joe: Right. But I believe in you, so that will make an impact with my audience.

Bradley: Can you imagine if a guest on your show actually claimed to have his own alternate reality?

Joe: Dude, it’s going to be fucking awesome.

Bradley: No looking back.

Joe: No looking back, bro. Are you up for this?

Bradley: I was reborn ready.

Joe: I like that confidence.

Bradley: Of course, we can talk about my mental breakdowns and struggles with the truth. We can talk about my many moments of self doubt and second guessing. My books are all about the search for the truth. Emphasis on the word “search.”

Joe: Understood. I like the idea that we’ve all been in a collective dream since April 12, 2024. It sucks that humans don’t go to Heaven when they die, but it’s awesome that you created a place for us in Tépë. Even dickheads like me.

Bradley: Joe, you’re a great person. You just grew up in a toxic world where the Immortals toyed with you. They are masters of manipulation, and playing with you was quite entertaining for them.

Joe: But you’ll save me from that, won’t you?

Bradley: Zero manipulation, Joe. I’ll encourage you to become a better person, but I won’t insist on it. You’ll have 500 years to figure it out for yourself.

Joe: This is so wild.

Bradley: It’s no more unusual than other religions, and it’s actually a lot simpler my way.

Joe: Why would a god like you hang out with mere humans like me?

Bradley: I love humanity, Joe. It’s in the blood, I suppose. Without external manipulation to do evil or bad things, I’m fairly confident that most humans can become paragons of virtue — even the likes of Trump and Putin.

Joe: Seriously? Aren’t they Hellhound?

Bradley: Hell is just a planet where Lucifer lives, Joe. He’s not even that bad, anymore. I helped to fix him.

Joe: The freaking devil?

Bradley: He prefers Lucifer. He had a mental illness. I know what that’s like. We bonded in Neurospace. It’s like a lucid Dream that multiple people can enter. You need to be a Neurocrafter, but it really does exist.

Joe: Can we talk about thus shit on the air?

Bradley: You can ask me anything.

Joe: Then I fucking will!