I was not too bothered to wake up at 9:15. One of the perks of being alone and having no formal employment is that no one expects you to wake up early, so my activities last night had no repercussions. My thoughts went immediately to my rendezvous with Doctor Mafukidze. Noetic science had surely piqued my interest and I hoped he’d contact me soon for that assistant role. Maybe I will take part in that experiment, after all, how bad could it be?
Hopefully there would be a small reimbursement for my troubles. Following my completion of my undergraduate degree, I had switched focus to master Search Engine Optimization and it had done a lot of good to keep me afloat. I was working part-time with two South African start-ups. The money was ok, enough for me to stay afloat, but an extra source of income was always welcome.
I got up and headed to a nearby truckshop for bread. “Manje proton yapera,” said the shopkeeper as I handed him a dollar. He laughed at my visible disappointment. I was relieved when he handed me a loaf from Proton bakery, he knew it was my favourite, the best in the country in my book. Within minutes I was back home, eating my modest breakfast of bread, fried eggs and a glass of orange juice. It was too hot for a cup of tea so I decided to stay indoors for the day, maybe scoop one or two more SEO clients in the process.
A loud beep came from the lounge, another one followed almost immediately. I realised I hadn’t bothered to check my phone all day. The notification bar displayed two new WhatsApp messages from Doctor Mafukidze. “Okay let’s do this!! See you tomorrow at 2.” The second message was a pdf file. From the thumbnail I could tell it was a textbook on Noetic Science. While I was downloading the file on my slow internet connection, a third message came from the doctor. “Go through this textbook so that you may get up to speed.”
“Thank you and see you tomorrow,” I replied as the download finally completed.
I dived in the book sitting on the sofa. I never liked reading textbooks. Even in Uni I often skipped them and relied on PowerPoint notes and group discussions instead, but I found myself quickly engrossed in this one. It was titled ‘Noetics – Unveiling the Mysteries of Consciousness,’ and I found myself eagerly delving deeper and deeper into the realms of this intriguing subject with each passing page.
The book was a treasure trove of knowledge. It contained the most intricate details and mind-boggling theories about the nature of consciousness and its supposed connection to the universe. The book explained how Noetic science is on a path to explore the power of the mind and its ability to influence physical matter. It delved into some experiments conducted by Noetic scientists, which revealed that our thoughts could alter the behaviour of subatomic particles thus challenging the very foundations of classical physics.
As I read, I was in constant awe at the profound concepts that presented a vivid world beyond our perception, in which thoughts and intentions held immense power. The implications of all this are literally out of this world. If our thoughts could shape reality, everything is possible. Could we heal ourselves through sheer willpower? Could we manifest our desires into existence?
After a few hours I began to lose focus and my mind drifted towards Dr Mafukidze. How can someone in their right be studying this? Well, scratch study, I mean actually pursue it for life. But at the same time, here am I flipping the pages with an unmatched enthusiasm. Who am I to judge?
I grew up going to church and to this day I still am. Were all those miracles we read about in Sunday school an evidence of the application of Noetic Science? The feeding of the 5000 men with only five loaves of bread and two fish by Jesus? How prophet Elijah summoned fire from heaven in front of the prophets of Baal? The list goes on and on but I forced myself to stop thinking in that manner lest I become blasphemous.
As my fascination deepened, so did an underlying sense of fear. The more I learned about the supposed power of consciousness, the more I realized the responsibility it carried. Has the doctor already mastered this? It was as if a veil had been lifted with possibilities but also fraught with dangers.
The book also warned of the potential consequences of uncontrolled thoughts and negative emotions. It explained how our collective consciousness could shape not only our personal experience but also the world around us. The thoughts of individuals inadvertently causing harm through unchecked intentions sent shivers down my spine. This engulfed me with a sense of awe mingled with trepidation. Can you blame me? My preconceived notions of reality had been challenged, I was forced to question the very fabric of existence. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
I began to understand the Doctor’s need for secrecy as his research would definitely be a game-changer and the danger of it falling in the wrong hands was evident. His emphasis on discretion was smart, given the potential implications of this power in the hands of influential governments and religious leaders.
I wondered about the potential mastery of this science and the immense power it could bestow upon an individual. Was Doctor Mafukidze already proficient in it? His laid back demeanour made sense now. He had an aura of fearing nothing. However I hesitated giving him too much credit, as he appeared new to the subject.
*
Out of nowhere, my heart started beating fast. I felt as if something bad was about to occur. Another form of pre-recognition? This Noetic jargon must be messing me up, I thought. But I couldn’t shake the feeling, adrenaline kept rushing through my body.
In a way my feelings were confirmed when someone knocked loudly on my door. I walked to the door slowly, even though it was only 3pm in the afternoon I was scared. A wiry muscled guy was standing on my doorstep. Without introducing himself, he quickly stepped inside and slammed the door shut behind him right away. I just stood still, his audacity was spine chilling.
“Mafana tell me about that Mafukidze guy!’ he bellowed.
I managed to gather courage to respond, “I don’t know. Honestly mukuru, I just helped him with a tire puncture…”
“Don’t play with me son. I saw you with him last night coming from his ‘hide-out’ and I may not the type of dude you want to mess with!” he said, placing a gun on the table.
I had never felt this numb all my life, the interaction had escalated so quickly, and from a peaceful day, to fearing for my life.
“Now talk to me about your doctor young man, no-one has to get hurt.” His tone was a bit controlled now but his sadistic grin didn’t comfort me.
“He’s got a lab where he works on a new branch in science called Noetics,” I stammered.
“That wasn’t so hard, any chance you are going back there soon son?”
“Yes, tomorrow.”
“That’s perfect,” he said, handing me a burner phone. “Text me when you are on your way and don’t you dare tell Mafukidze.” I grabbed the phone and nodded. There was only one contact saved: ‘Cobra.’
The guy left and my heart was still pounding. What have I gotten myself into, I thought. And so much for being discreet…
11 October, 2023
