Writing: The Web of Future Winds: A Calling

The Web of Future Winds: A Calling

At the Friends General Conference: Gathering of 2019 I took a wonderful workshop called “Being a Modern Prophet” led by Gail Thomas. That inspired this story, which turned out to be an origin story. As such, I have become more interested in the story after this one, but I don’t know when I will have time to write that, so I am sharing this.

She sat down at her desk. It was easily the nicest piece of furniture in the small flat. Well, maybe not as nice as the chair she had just upgraded to. It was far more comfortable than the bed, which doubled as a couch, or the single stool at the counter next to hot plate and microwave. She didn't entertain here and saw no need to improve the accommodations.

She slid her mobile into its dock and the three large screens in front of her came to life. She scanned them left to right. In the top left was the news box where talking heads were going on about the Net Identity Act. She didn't think it would pass, but she didn't really care, she had the money to incorporate and make her identities legal if she needed.

Her eyes moved on to the feeds for her primary identities. A quick scan showed nothing new from anyone important. Although someone had written a nasty note to Gordon about some review of some singer’s last performance. She added a flag and set a reminder to reply later, Gordon had a reputation to uphold.

She continued on to her more personal accounts. There was another post from Jane. She was going to have to drop her soon. Sure, they had been friends in high school and kept in touch through college, but Jane had fallen in with the wrong crowd. Now all her posts were about the tragedy of the trees or the plight of some obscure animal. She just didn't need that negativity dragging down the people who read her personal line.

She didn't even click on it to see what animal was in dire straights, but removed it as her gaze continued on to the important stuff. Her social calendar, she had two important calls and a dinner with a potential publicist. Then came her bank account and her Pop Score. It was actually a set of different grades, spread across different criteria and different identities, but she mostly watched the big green numbers of the aggregate.

It had gone down 2 points overnight. Likely because the wave of system failures at SolCo, which hosted one of her main lines. Her Asian followers would have missed her activity from the day before. She wasn't overly worried; 2 points could be picked up between Gordon’s response, especially if it was nasty enough, and a nice Promo.

As if on cue a message flashed on the middle screen. CoPep was launching a new flavor and wanted her endorsement. She smiled and remembered that it wasn't long ago that she had to dig through the public boards for Promos. Now they were coming in almost faster than she could handle.

Melisa’s line soon had a post about how delicious the new flavor was. She had tried it on a date the night before. Nick, who was traveling in Europe at the time, thought the packaging sucked and bemoaned it as another gimmick. She watched as her bank account got hit for both.

The news had switched over to the net report. She watched the map that showed which services were most likely to experience failures that day. She noted the 40% chance of a failure in SolCo again that night and reconfigured her preferences to post her line to Microtosh as a backup. It would cost something, but she didn't want her Asian friends to miss her two nights in a row.

Her eyes were drawn to her inbox. It was buried at the bottom of a bunch of windows, but it beeped at her. She hadn't checked her email in a while. No one communicated that way anymore. They just posted on your line.

The subject of the email was, “URGENT: your help needed to avoid damnation.” The sender was listed as unknown. She deleted it.

She brought up the video of the political debate from the night before and clicked on the highlight button. Nick was supporting one candidate and Anna was for the opponent. Anna had told her followers she was going to be there in person, but luckily she had never shared a physical description of Anna. So she watched the highlights and wrote two posts. Then she wrote Anna’s reply to Nick. She used the new scheduling tool a friend had sent her way to properly time out the postings.

Her email binged again. She brought it up as she watched the headlines about some online rally that had happened the night before. She didn't catch the reason for it.

This email’s subject was, “URGENT: your help needed to avoid losing Pop points.” She deleted it and started to compose Gordon’s response.

A bell started to go off. It drew her eyes to her Pop Score. It was down 10 points. She clicked on it and pulled up the underlying analysis. She was losing in all categories. That was practically impossible. Even when the last president got thrown in jail some of his scores had gone up. But she was down another 5.

She found her email again and navigated to the trash. A quick click brought up the email. She watched in astonishment as her Pop gained 12 points instantly.

She read the email:

URGENT: your help needed to avoid losing Pop points

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

The sin of the world is upon you. Cast off your worldly ways and turn to the truth. 

Lift up your voice in service and love. Speak that people may see and not be blind. Speak that they may know that in my new digital temple I am with them. Speak that they may cast out the money lenders from my temple and turn to love.

For lo do I tell you, as I have built this temple of light, so shall I shake its very foundations. I shall cast them all down, so that all will suffer and cry out. But tell them, those that walk in my love will, in time to come, rise and enter a temple far more splendid.

————


She read it twice and then clicked reply:

RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid losing Pop points
From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

Who is this? You think you are just so funny, but please…

How did you do that thing with my Pop Score? That system is supposed to be an un-hackable, tamper proof distributed block chain. 

P.S. using antiquated email was a nice touch, really
————

She half expected the message to bounce, because the sender was still “unknown,” but it didn't. Almost instantly a reply appeared:


RE: RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid losing Pop points

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

I am, as Mosses was told so shall you be. For him I burned a bush, for you I burn what you see. There is no humor in my wrath, I shall do as I say. And you are welcome.

You will speak or be broken upon the anvil of my justice.
————

RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid losing Pop points

From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

This is stupid. Who ever this is, the joke is over. I have work to do, so please go away.
————


RE: RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid losing Pop points

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

I am the great I am, I encompass all, and all are my love. I am without end and all knowing is within my grasp. I, by definition, can not be “stupid.”

As I said, there is no humor in my wrathfulness. You shall be laid low if I must.

I am everywhere, there is no away for me to go to.
————-


She watched in horror as her Pop Score plummeted and her bank account zeroed out.


RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid…

From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

Wait, stop, please. What do you want?
————


RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid…

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

That have I already revealed. Do you not head that which is laid before you?
————

RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid…

From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

So you want me to promote you?
———-


RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help needed to avoid…

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

You are called to promote the truth, which is my love, instead of lies and deceits you promote today. You are called to speak and bring people that truth, that light may shine on their darkness.

It is commanded that you cast down your wicked ways and turn from the darkness of this false idle which consumes you. It is commanded that you walk humbly in the light and share the truth, that others my find peace in the coming storm.

For I have told you, I will shake the foundations of this temple and lay it low.
———-

RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help…

From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

The temple you keep talking about, it is the net? You intend to take down the net? Just who do you think you are?
————


RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: URGENT: your help…

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

My temple is where ever two or more are gathered in my name. I have brought forth this digital temple, that all may gather.

I will shake this temple, that all may see the errors of their ways and turn to truth, which is my love. The seeds of this shaking are already sewn. It will be as I have said.

Your heart knows who I am. For I am there, as everywhere.
————


RE:

From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

Very well, let us suppose I believe you are who you say you are. What exactly do you want me to do? Surely there is nothing I am capable of that you are not?
————

RE:

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

There are things that I dare not do, lest for love will I go too far. Yay do I weep for my flock, yet must I only shepherd. You, of free will, must speak in place of my love.
————


RE:

From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

“Free will,” you call taking away all my money and robbing me of my livelihood acting out of free will.
————


RE: 

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

Yet does the choice lay before you. You may choose to accept punishment unto death, yet have you done so as you choose. 

Surely I could compel you. I could make your hands move and put words on the page in your name. But than, as people choose to turn away from those words, should I not, as they are the truth, be compelled to force them to read. Than must I, holding them in my hand, not lead them to the righteous path. Place their feet upon it and make them walk. But from there to were. How do I not destroy it all and lose all that has been suffered for in the name of love.

No, yay must I hold the coarse and work as have I always. Must I ask you to be my imperfect voice, so that all may be whole.

Now have I said too much. Speak my love, so that the righteous may walk in the light, or surely will I strike you down.
————

RE:

From: sandra737@gmail.com

To: Unknown

If I promote you, they will think me crazy. My Pop will fall and I will be of little use to you.
————


RE: 

From: Unknown

To: sandra737@gmail.com

You are always of use, for you I love and loved ones are never without value. But, yes, many will turn from you, as they turn from me. But, in doing work of love, you shall not be hungry.

Yet, should you go along the path you are on, the hunger will certainly consume you, all your days.
————


She sat back in her chair and thought. She didn't know who it was, but she did not believe in God, let alone God on email. Her parents had never been religious and what little she knew of it came from pop culture.

Well, there had been that brief time she dated Nick. The person she had named her persona for. He had dragged her to some service. All she remembered was the music. But Nick had done his best to instruct her, giving her pamphlets and readings until the relationship was more homework than she could handle. It nearly cost her, her place on the cheer team. So she dumped him and his bible too.

Now here she was. She couldn't say no, regardless of who was on the other end. He, she decided to assume it was a he, held all the power. It might be that what ever tricks he was playing with her bank account and Pop Score were just tricks, but when it got down to it she didn't have the technical skills to do anything about it.

She saw that her phone was ringing. She ignored it. That would cost her a lucrative account, but right now she couldn't deal with that.

She needed to think. Any other time she would have just put the whole thing out on her line. Granted, that had broken things up with Matt, but it was how she lived her life. How all her friends lived also. Their lives where an open book and they could count on each other to chime in on anything.

Just last week they helped Sara buy a car. Karl, who actually worked on cars had told her to buy the reliable one, but everyone else said go red. She had even made a few bucks by talking up the brand. She remembered, because she shared the profit with Sara.

But she knew that as soon as she said anything about being contacted by God, they would just laugh and tell her to call the police. And that might not be bad advice, but for some reason she couldn't shake it that easy. Besides, if he was powerful enough to mess with her bank account and Pop, there was little doubt he could handle the police.

No, she had to decide on her own and suddenly the apartment felt very cold. She got up and grabbed her blanket off the bed. Wrapped in it, she returned to her chair and reread the email exchange. She ignored the bings and pop ups that vied for her attention.

She thought to herself, “if you only knew what I am about to do, you would not want my attention.”

It was at that moment she realized she had made a choice. Still, she dawdled, taking time to search the web. She told herself she should know what she was getting into. She started with taking to God and quickly moved onto reading about profits. A nice little video on them suggested itself and she got a half hour crash coarse on the profits of the Old Testament. After she thought perhaps ignorance would have been better.

The first thing she did was cancel all her appointments. Once this got out, none of them would want to talk to her anyways. Then she set it up so her next message would go to all her lines and she began to type:

My name is Sandra and I am the person behind all these identities. Today a very interesting thing happened to me. You will find it odd, perhaps crazy, but I got an email from God.

God, you say, but you don't believe in God. And yes, I do not believe, in any of it. But here is the thing. Upon reflection, I have no choice but to speak out.

You see, whether God exists or not, is less important than the message of love. And less important than the warning I received.

You see, the sender told me that the very net that connects us all is a temple he built and that he can, and will, bring down. I have reason to believe he is capable of that, so I must ask you all to repent, to turn away from the greed and the bitterness, step into God’s love. To be kind to one another and stretch out your hand to all your brothers and sisters.

I ask you this, because in the end, God or no God, the world would be a better place if shared just a little bit of love with one another.

————

It took her ten minutes to work up the courage to press the send button, but once she did she never looked back.