Chapter 6. Viroid Extraction
Relato called Mikala and Sitara to come and take Scott to the Viroid extraction chamber. “He needs a thorough Attitude Reversal and Emotional Immunity Enhancement Program.”
“Wait a minute! Where are you taking me? Taki! Help! Help me! PLEASE! I don’t want to go anywhere!” Scott cried. “No more adventures! PLEASE! I’m sorry. I’m … so sorreeee …”
At that entreaty, Taki swirled in his silvery shell. Smiling, he said in a soothing voice, “Don’t worry, Scott. We are all here to help you, but you have to get rid of your fear and hostility. This is for your own good and I promise you’ll feel better afterwards. You will learn from the Mind/Body Team how to build your energy shields against the Viroids.”
Mikala, leader of Positive Force in the battle brigade, and Sitara, Queen of Self-Esteem, led Scott into a room that had all four walls and ceiling painted a pale blue like the sky. It contained a small garden of plants with a waterfall and stream cultivating its own ecosystem. Four reclining chairs resembling spaceship bucket seats floated in midair defying gravity. Scott was carefully settled into one, and soon, as he was surrounded by faint music, soft lights, and changing colors, he slowly relaxed and closed his eyes.
He could hear a fading conversation between Relato and Taki, who had followed. Relato waved his scepter over Scott’s head and a warm blanket of luminous light encompassed his body.
“It’s a tough job watching over all the children, Taki,” Relato declared with a confident smile. “Youngsters must be taught to use their cortexes instead of their reflexes. They must be active instead of reactive. They must be taught to realize that their lives are up to them, and that their choices become deposits or withdrawals in their Inner National Bank of Worth.”
“Exactly!” said Taki, who was perched on Relato’s forearm like a falcon. “I’m teaching all who will listen,” he assured Relato, “but they must give consent! That means they are ready to learn. Grownups call it an open mind. With Scott, all I can do is stick to his shoulder and be there for him when he needs my help.”
The words of “Destiny Song” swirled like visions in Scott’s heart and mind, and when he finally opened his eyes Relato was smiling at him. “Better now?”
“Yes,” Scott said, “I think so. But why won’t the Viroids leave me alone?”
“Viroids are horrid creatures. Erupting emotions from within, they corrupt everyone. Not just you; even your mother and father.”
Scott started to jump up from the chair shouting in disbelief, “Not my mother and father!”
“Relax,” said Relato placing his hand on Scott’s shoulder urging him to sit back. “It is like getting a flu or a cold in your thoughts and feelings instead of your body. They saturate your energy field with negativity and throw you out of control. Feelings are easily spread to other people. They generate reactions of anger, self-pity, jealousy, greed, boredom, and hatred. It becomes difficult to think. But they can’t take over unless you let them.”
“But I don’t want them,” Scott insisted.
“Then you must think more of others,” Relato expounded. He looked at Taki who nodded in agreement. “That will build up your immunity. Viroids attack when all you think of is yourself. As I said, you are on a Path.”
“What path?” Scott was beginning to feel annoyed and frustrated again. “I still don’t get what you mean. I can’t see any path.”
“The Path is your experience and is always behind you, that’s why you can’t see it.” Relato gestured with a turn of his head. “Its stepping stones are the choices you have made in the past. You can choose the path of honesty, kindness, and love, or the path of deceit, anger, greed, and cruelty. The world you leave behind will impel you toward your future. Making the right choices on your Path in life is the key.”
“Can’t I just take a pill or something, like when I get sick?” Scott replied, throwing out his palms in dismay.
“Maybe for a cold infection, but not for an emotional infection such as anger or greed. There are, however, tools that will help. Did you notice how Zocko used his shield on the battlefield? Let me have Zocko explain.”
Relato waved his scepter and Zocko in his turbo-blaster wheelchair instantly materialized from the back garden area.
“Scott wants to know about your shield.” Relato patted Zocko on his shoulder as Zocko steered confidently over to Scott.
“Proud to be asked to help the lad,” Zocko said, “A shield is based on the importance of prevention. It’s like immunization. Sometimes it’s too late if anger and fear have penetrated your energy field. There is an invisible energy field around everyone. It’s called an aura, and it’s chock full of all our ideas, opinions, and feelings, both positive and negative. If Angroid zaps into your field with anger, all the colors and vibrations of the field change. The shield can hold off those attacks if we build it up good and strong.”
Scott was growing more interested, “What is immunization? Can I build a strong shield like yours?”
“Of course you can. Immunization is a resistance. If you are immune to something, it will not affect you.” Zocko held up his shield in front of him.
“Remember the importance of your choices. The shield is made of honesty and kindness, as Relato said. Each time you control your temper, the shield gets stronger, tougher, and more resistant to attack from Viroids, or anyone else for that matter.
Everyone gets angry, sad, jealous, greedy, or hateful at times. For example, your brother, your friends, and sometimes even your parents have those feelings. We all need mental fitness training as well as bodily fitness training.”
“Do I have an energy field?” Scott inquired as he copied Zocko’s martial arts moves with an imaginary shield.
“Everyone has an energy field. We call this study the New Physics.”
Scott’s face lit up. He remembered that Tia had mentioned New Physics. “What is that?”
“First off,” Zocko answered, pleased to be able to show off his knowledge, “Physics is the science that studies matter and energy, and the interactions between the two. This includes the study of gravity, magnetic forces, electricity, and heat, as well as atoms and nuclear energy.”
Scott was impressed. “Wow! That sounds complicated!”
“Our New Physics studies the emotions, and positive and negative forces. We have discovered that some people have strong energy fields while other people have weak energy fields. We are learning how to make weak fields stronger. Don’t forget, it’s up to us to build up our bodies and our minds.”
“What does that have to do with your shield?” Scott interjected as he gestured with his imaginary shield.
“The shield is for psychological immunity.”
“What’s that?”
“Psychological immunity is when you are able to build up a resistance to emotional outbursts such as anger, fear, greed, and hatred. The shield holds off negative reactions.” Zocko spun his wheelchair around, holding his shield in a defensive position as if to ward off an attack.
“If, for example, you have been insulted, hurt, cheated, or bullied in school, the shield gives you a chance to stop and think. Time to stop – think – and make a choice, instead of just reacting.” He raised his hand as if he were a school guard directing traffic.
“Let’s say your brother breaks one of your toys, or calls you a bad name. But, instead of getting mad, you stop and think. Why did he do that? Is he mad at me? Does he want attention? Why did he call me that name? Maybe he is just reaching out for a friend in the only way he knows how.”
Scott grimaced. “Breaking toys, punching, and calling names doesn’t seem like a good way to make a friend.”
“If you understand what’s behind a person’s actions, you’ll have a better idea of how to handle the situation. Try it next time with your little brother, Joey, and the kids at school. Put yourself in their shoes,” Zocko said kindly.
“Ask yourself, ‘Would that ac
tion hurt me?’ If the answer is yes then you know it will hurt them. When you understand a person’s feelings, your emotions change and Angroid is pushed far out of your energy field, and you can take the Path of kindness. You can usually turn another’s nastiness away with humor, sympathy, or a friendly comment – you never know!” Zocko winked.
It sounded logical to Scott, but he had another question. “How am I supposed to find a path I can’t see because I’ve already walked on it?”
“The Path is your life, Scott. When you become aware of other people and your environment, you will have learned from the Path of experience and you will know truth, happiness, and fun.”
Sitara and Mikala who had been standing near the doorway, and Tia, who had approached by way of the back garden, gathered around Scott, and broke into a song as they gazed out the window toward the magical fountain …
Fountain of Truth
Performed by Lady Gaga
Featuring Grandmaster Melle Mel
(Visit www.theportalinthepark.com for audio)
Everybody just clap your hands.
All the children just clap your hands
and have a ball, y’all.
(Repeat 3 times.)
I’ve always been looking, been trying, been yearning,
Continually seeking, and searching and burning,
Exploring and hunting and everywhere turning,
For that powerful fountain, that fountain of truth.
No answers at all, in the streets or the mall!
I sought in the ocean; found raging emotion.
Nothing was stable; I’m really not able
To find that powerful fountain, that fountain of truth.
The future is yours; the time is now.
The place is near, shout loud, so every ear can hear,
So every woman and man in the land can understand
The new world inherited by the children,
Free from famine and war, disease and strife.
Free from the gun and the knife, forever for life.
Free from all the mistakes that we made in the past.
Throw your hands in the air and let the truth last.
I’ve always been looking, been trying, been yearning,
Continually seeking, and searching, and burning,
Exploring, and hunting, and everywhere turning,
For that powerful fountain, that fountain of truth.
No answers at all, in the streets or the mall!
I sought in the ocean; found raging emotion.
Nothing is stable; I’m really not able
To find that powerful fountain, that fountain of truth.
You have the power to win in every hour,
To blossom like a flower up under a rain shower,
To reach like the branch of the trees in the sky.
So reach high and soar with the eagles as we fly.
Flights with great heights, and fight the great fights,
Strong to sing songs of wrongs that’s made right.
In the never ending search for the fountain of truth.
In your youth you’re bound to find the fountain of truth.
I’ve looked in the city, a place without pity.
Seen mountains of wealth; no fountains of health.
Nothing is stable; I’m really not able,
To find that powerful fountain, that fountain of truth.
Everybody just clap your hands.
All the children just clap your hands
and have a ball, y’all.
(Repeat 3 times.)
Fountain of Truth (Repeat 3 times.)