Flight of Fancy

After their meeting with Keffler, the true rulers of the world had a meeting in an undisclosed location in central USA. They called themselves Sages, however nobody knew them by that name. Some called them Illuminati, some called them Shape-shifting reptilians – people had all sorts of names for them. Nobody, however, was truly aware of the scope of their influence and their background. In truth, though their lineage was known for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years, they didn’t really know where they had come from or how they came to their position of power. They had merely just always been there. People had believed kings, emperors, popes, tzars and politicians wielded all the power, however most people never realised the true masters and the true power behind the official puppets in charge.

At first, it was easy to be in charge, hiding in the shadows, nobody any the wiser of their existence. They could extend their reach as far as they could and people had just ignored them. In later days, especially with the advent of the Internet and social media, their secrets were under threat and their very existence was becoming more and more public. Had they known what the Internet would bring with it, they would suppress the technology for as long as they could. As it was, they saw an opportunity for greater control of the people, especially their adversaries.

The conspiracy theories flooding the Internet had been amusing at first, but soon there were people who actually did research and were digging deeper and deeper. They were uncovering the richest and most powerful people in the world, getting closer to them. It was still a long way to go before anyone discovered their actual existence and especially their true purpose and intentions, but the threat was there, looming ever closer.

They had been getting rid of their adversaries carefully and meticulously, however as soon as one was gone, it appeared there were ten others in his or her place, picking up the pieces and adding some new ones. Their web of deceit was coming apart and there seemed no stopping it. They had tried everything, from attempting to dumb down population with mindless music and entertainment, even hypnosis through advertisement and other inconspicuous means. Still, some people remained impervious to the effects, immune to the signals intended to damage their brains and make them obedient drones.

It wasn’t just for their benefit that they were doing this. Oh no. Humans were much happier in the state of ignorance, where they had just enough information to be able to function and most particularly consume. If they would just give in to the lifestyle that the Sages had laid out for them, they would be able to enjoy life. Instead, they would come up with such strange notions as a non-monetary society, self-sufficiency, living off the grid and all sorts of nonsense. Some people actually imagined this would make them happy. It would mean working much harder and using a great deal more of their brain. Most people weren’t capable of that. Why did they even bother? They should leave the thinking to them. The Sages had already resolved all the problems and handed them the solutions on a platter.

Indeed, some humans were ungrateful for what they were being offered. Some appreciated the Sages’ effort and happily enjoyed in the splendors modern society had to offer – its games, music, light entertainment. Unfortunately, those who did not see the benefits of this spoiled for everyone else and the Sages could not let that happen.

The Sages had had many crises in the past, many situations that were potentially dangerous, however they always handled them with logic and they always prevailed. There was a new threat, though, a threat that could possibly not be seen. During all the years of their existence, they had heard of cases of unexplained phenomena, however they did not give much stock in old wives’ tales. They relied on logic and what they could see. As far as they were concerned, the unexplained events were merely rumours or wild fantasies of people who were hallucinating.

They had encountered actual aliens who had come to visit Earth. There were many reported cases in their files, however the Sages didn’t really see them as a threat. Most of these aliens had superior technology, but they appeared to be peaceful creatures, eager to get to know humanity and their customs. They were no match for the cruelty of the Sages. The aliens’ very existence was a threat to the Sages. If humanity ound out about an alien race, a race that was living peacefully in splendor and well-being, many humans would rethink their priorities and would demand changes. A revolution would be evident. The Sages could not permit that. There was too much at stake. Humanity was not at that sort of level. They needed to be controlled. So every instance of alien incursion was quashed with hardly any repercussion. True, there were rumours and photos circulating, however they could easily be dismissed as falsified or some other means. The Sages’ means were indeed a bottomless pit.

But how do you fight someone you cannot see, someone who might know your true identity? They had never met a foe as formidable as this and even though there was no physical danger, this was far worse. It was waiting for something to happen, for some grand gesture. In previous instances, they could plan for anything, but with this they had no use for plans. Plans were obsolete in the face of an invisible enemy who could do things you could not even imagine.

These and other problems were on the mind of the Chairman of the Sages. He was simply known as Number One. They never used real names. Number One was waiting for the delegation which met with Steven Keffler to arrive in their headquarters, which they also used for their meeting. In case of some unexpected emergency or world disaster, in case some lunatic tried to blow up the world, they would be safe here underground, with hundreds of feet of steel and concrete to protect them from any harm. They had state-of-the-art technology to provide them with clean water and everything they would require to survive a potential apocalypse. There was a negligible chance it would actually happen, as the whole world was under their thumb, but one always had to plan for an unknown in an equation.

Number One had a pretty good idea what their delegation would say. They would have nothing new. This enemy was too cleaver to reveal itself. They would have to do something big themselves in order to lure them in and make them reveal themselves.

They have no idea with whom they are dealing.

A light flashed on Number One’s screen and he could see the SUV of the delegation turn into the parking garage. They parked the SUV near the escalator, then got out and got onto the conveyer belt, which would take them towards the meeting room, where they would disclose their findings.

Number One got out of his chair and walked towards the meeting room. By the time the delegation got there, he would be able to meet them.

As the delegation was nearing the meeting room, Number One was already walking towards them: “Welcome back.”

As they approached, they nodded their heads. The security guards and the emissaries had remained by the car, so they were free to talk.

“Come inside,” said Number One. “Tell me everything.”

As the group entered the meeting room, there was a number of other Sages already in the room. Altogether, there was about twenty of Sages in the world and they were all coming here. It was an important time in their lives.

As they sat down, one of the members of the delegation was motioned to speak by Number One: “There is not much to say. There is still no sign of these aliens and the people building the devices have also vanished. We have given Keffler orders to keep a closer eye on all the properties involved, however we do not have much hope anything would come of this. It appears we are dealing with a very clever adversary.”

There were murmurs in the room, then Number One decided to speak: “Very well, Number Eight, however keep your conclusions to yourself. We do not benefit from jumping to false conclusions. You have given us much to think about, though. All of us need to think about the situation. I suggest we reconvene here at 6pm tomorrow, when our heads our clear and we have had time to think about the situation. If any solution to our problem comes to mind, please present it at the meeting tomorrow.”

Number One looked at the group. These were usually very stoic and placid men, never revealing their emotions, however on this day, there seemed to be a sense of urgency and anxiety in all of them, including him.

“I know we are all under great pressure,” he said. “But it will do us no good to resolve anything without thinking about it logically and with a calm demeanour. So, I suggest we all retire to our quarters and hopefully tomorrow we will all be more capable of discussing the issue in a manner befitting our group.”

There was again a sea of murmurs within the group, which was unusual for them.

These are unusual times.

“Was there anything else?” asked Number One. He waited for a few more seconds and when nobody came forward, the group disbanded for the evening, each member left with his own thoughts on a situation which could potentially end their existence, or at the very least uncover their identity.