The Writers Cafe

The perfect job for the right person.

The Writers Cafe

Prologue

We humans are not the only creatures that dream.  It's just hard to prove it to people that have not given it much thought.  However, there are a lot of people that would be more than willing to agree that their dog or cat or bird or fish dreams.  We watch them and see them tremble in their sleep and we just know they're dreaming.

Over many thousands of years humans have developed associative bonds with their companion species.  To our special friends we have granted certain anthropomorphic rights.  For example, the right to feel what we are feeling, the right to think as we do and to see us as we truly are.  If we have a certain philosophical outlook on life or a particular political leaning then we almost always assume, on some subliminal level, that they share the same views and sentiments as we do.  Why is that? 

Perhaps it's because we never really try talking to them.  We never really attempt to communicate with them on any meaningful level.  And, if we do, it's usually at the  adult-child level or some other hierarchy where we assume ourselves to be at the top of the universe of all thought. 

To help us get a better sense of this unique relationship let us imagine for a moment a person we shall call Marge.  Let us imagine that Marge is having a "chat" with her four-legged companion.  It might go something like this:

"Does momsy womsy's little pookie snookums want a treat?", said Marge.  "Marge,  I'm as round as a beach ball.  Why do you keep stuffing those things down me?  You know I can't resist them!  You're not trying to fatten me up so you can eat me are you?", thinks Pookie.  "You're such a good pookie snookums!", says Marge.  "Marge, if you knew what really happened to your new shoe you might not say that.", thinks Pookie.  "Is that why you want to fatten me up and eat me? Because of that stupid shoe?!  Marge, you're an animal!"

Of course that's just a fantasy to illustrate a relationship that is almost always one-sided.  What could these non-human creatures have to say to us that would be of any value or interest?  After all, we are the superior species are we not?

Adrian

Adrian is awake, up and in the shower twenty minutes before the alarm goes off.  It isn't unusual to wake up earlier than normal but this morning the air seems charged with a strange energy.  An energy that flows through every muscle, synapse and neuron giving Adrian a momentum that is well beyond the norm.

Adrian is dressing quickly.  The bus is coming soon and it doesn't wait.  Adrian really likes to go to work because the job is very special.  Adrian is one of the few employees that is paid to read.  Paid to read and to dream... big dreams; and to imagine things that might be... in some way, of benefit to the company.  Adrian reads about many different things but mostly about things that appear in science fiction, fantasy and science journals. Prose and poetry are wonderful, useful too... anything that evokes emotion or seems of interest or in some way related to the company's mission.  The company has many missions.  The company is everywhere.

Adrian arrives at the office and settles into the large cushioned chair by the window.  The one that overlooks the harbor.  The assistant staff has placed a cup of coffee, juice, a plain bagel and some bland nutrient spread on a nearby coffee table.  It's enough to last until lunch.  There is a slight grey-blue overcast to the sky and a cool drizzle of rain runs down the outside of the smoky window glass.  Perfect reading weather.  Perfect for dreaming with eyes and mind wide open.  This place, this corner office - it's well off the main route of normal foot traffic and there are few distractions.  It's a good place to read... a good place to resonate with the mind of "the author" dujour.

Adrian knows that some of the authors are special but doesn't know exactly why.  There's only "the theory" to act as guide; to help in the sifting, winnowing and ultimate selection of items that will be entered into the report.  It's a special report.  One that is read by only a few highly-placed people in the company.  They never provide any feedback.  But that doesn't matter.  The pay check and benefits are very generous and provide a base of motivation for "the work."  It's good that they don't know - Adrian would probably do the work for free.  Adrian really likes to read and, after all, it is a very intriguing theory. 

A theory that seems to bear fruit in the most unusual places.  A fruit born of thoughts and ideas and concepts that are both unique and connected by a commonality that is measurably significant.  It is this significance, a scientific tour du force confirmed by a select group of scientists, mathematicians as well as a cloud of computers that provide the basis for the theory - and the work.  But, it is Adrian's input, the daydreams, the insights, the unexplainable mental connectives that guide the process beyond mere attribute-classified selection.

Some have tried to explain the success of the theory by using esoteric concepts such as sixth sense, spooky action-at-a-distance or quantum entanglement.  But those big words, those big ideas have yet to produce any results like that of Adrian, "the reader."

The Theory

Quickly scanning and selecting several items from the pile of books and papers on the coffee table Adrian sets them aside while logging into the company computer; a vast network of people, machines and systems that make the work feasible as well as very lucrative.  Adrian begins each morning by reviewing the postings within a circle of online acquaintances affectionately known as "the friends."  The friends are writers - authors of strange and ragged verse, unusual stories, and written fragments of ideas, thoughts and emotions; most imaginary, some real.

The theory assigns only a superficial weighting between input that may be tagged as imaginary or real.  It is the thoughts of the reader that provide the distinctions, the attributes that provide the essential factors that, when fed into formulas of mind-numbing complexity, yield the distilled essence of "the message."  And the message is no less than the greatest oxymoron ever encountered.  A message of such complex simplicity that most reject it out-of-hand as pure nonsense upon first reading.  Some speculate that the human mind is pre-wired to think such thoughts.  Thoughts such as the ones that are the essential components that comprise snippets of the message.  In the theory, the message is said to resonate within the minds of singular individuals.  Much in the same manner and as simply as a string vibrates when plucked by the hand of a musician.  It is as though mind and instrument have each evolved and been created for the sole purpose of receiving the message.  Collectively they are referred to as "the receiver."

Adrian recalls the many notable receivers identified by the theory in just the past century:  Jules Verne, Samuel Clemens, E.E. Doc Smith, Arthur C. Clark, Robert A. Heinlien, Kim Stanley Robinson, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, J. R. R. Tolkien, Andre Norton, Stanley Kubrik, William Blake, Louisa May Alcott, Percy Byshee Shelly, John Keats... the list goes on and on.  There is always a pool of receivers.  They are self-renewing, self-perpetuating and they occur throughout all of recorded history; and perhaps, some not yet recorded or long forgotten.  The antikythera mechanism comes to mind.

In the theory, the receiver is said to have the property of self-assembly.  Adrian ponders this and envisions the human mind evolving over time into a form and structure that eventually is able to resonate with certain components of the message.  But the receiver is not a single thing, not a single organism but rather a collective of individuals, of minds or mind-components that each provide certain bits of data, parts of the message, that when assembled in the correct order become a report.

There is also the polar opposite.  If there is a receiver then it is reasonable to assume that there should also be a sender or a plurality of senders.  But the essence of the sender is ephemeral and yet all-encompassing.  It stubbornly refuses quantification or classification and can be described only in broad stokes of the brush, in general terms at best.  It is the nature of "the sender" that is the most perplexing component of the theory.  That a sender exists is irrefutable because the message exists but as to its source and essence there can be only wild speculation.  Such localization and confirmation is beyond the current state of the theory.

The Work

As the day unfolds, Adrian selects certain key concepts and mentally compares them to similar ones by other authors, even though they may be stated in dramatically different fashion.  It is this perception, this resonance of the color and shape and form of thought that permits an n-dimensional structure to form in the mind of the reader; in Adrian's mind.  Taken individually they are of little concern. But to Adrian it is noteworthy that an author in one period in history conceives of a unique and here-to-fore unstated concept such as the vibration of mind.  A vibration that can span any physical distance instantaneously.  Does such an ancient thought overlap or evoke a resonance with the concept of quantum entanglement in the physics of this age?  It does and Adrian makes a note of the relationship and inputs it into the system.  The theory will determine if it is significant and include it in a report if there are sufficient occurrences within the existing corpus of humanity's authorial output.  Each report contributes to the message as humanity tries, desperately at times, to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.  There is a sense of urgency.  Everyone feels it at some level.  It is akin to the strange energy that pulled Adrian out of bed well before the normal time today.

Relaxing in the chair Adrian stares out the window for a moment, looking at nothing in particular.   Attention wandering back into the room,  a strange feeling draws Adrian's gaze upward where  a small spider is vibrating in its web in a corner of the ceiling.  A small thrill of electricity ensues as each corner of the room reveals a similar sight.  Spiders in each one.  Each vibrating in unison with the other.  What are the odds?  Why are they doing this?  As Adrian thinks the final question each spider stops vibrating simultaneously.  Another electric thrill courses through Adrian's body after looking at a particular spider and thinking, "Hello!" only to have the chosen spider seemingly respond with a frantic gyration and then stop.  Each spider responds in exactly the same way to the same thought as if reading Adrian's mind.  It is a particularly odd occurrence.  One worthy of note and entry into the system.

Unknown to Adrian, the system produces a special report.  The report contains a section providing statistics of significance correlating descriptions of mental communications between human and non-human life forms as noted by various authors over several thousand years.  Language-specific words, phrases, descriptions, and contexts are processed by using the theory.  They are distilled into several of the most probable interpretations.  Each interpretation is considered and selected by upper-echelon readers that select one or more for inclusion into the message.  The message is growing.  The message is... alarming.  It is about us.  It is to us.  The message asks if we are listening.  It asks if we are awake?

Dreamland

Adrian is tired after the bus ride home.  The energy of the morning is gone.  It is dark.  It is late and the bed is soft and inviting.  Eyes close and there is a rush and jumble of thoughts and voices that appear within Adrian's mind.  Swashes of color and sound become scenes and images; of people, places and things.  Some familiar, some so strange as to defy description.  In that moment before darkness overtakes the mind a single image, a single thought reaches out over vast distances without the perception of time.  Adrian is standing on an alien landscape and there too stands a giant spider that is at least Adrian's own height.  The spider moves closer and extends a pedipalp toward Adrian's shoulder.  A thought resonates in the mind commingled with a sense of fear and well-being, a salutation of greeting and friendship, "I will eat you when you die."  It is an alien thought borne of an alien mind existing within an alien culture, an alien civilization... and it shocks Adrian as no other thought has ever done before.  The message, the greeting of friendship... Adrian drifts motionless into the mystery of dreams.

Author's Note

ROUGH DRAFT

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I have done poetry workshops monthly before the coronavirus. The gathering of many good writers. Create a energy to write and create. You question many things. I dream write and I keep a notebook near. Poetry and stories are whispered into my dreams. I believe if we read the ancient writers. They give us extra thoughts to add to our work. Thank you for sharing your amazing words and your thoughts.
Coyote

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

We blush ... such praise is great reward. Thank you, Coyote!

[Coyote Poetry]

Was my pleasure and you are welcome.

[Throwing Romeo]

Wow! good stuff.
Have you ever wondered
if human brains are overgrown.
just to big to adapt in a sustainable way.?

[Maece]

I am jealous of Adrian's job.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

LOLOL! ... so are we! ;-)

[NoelleRash]

Oh my goodness your voice reminds me of Douglas Adams in hitchhikers guide, but different... somehow. I love it nonetheless. I also love that this is a like a sci-fi/ fantasy piece but is concerned with human and our relations to the world. It's really great and I cannot wait to read the final draft.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Hi, Noelle!

I know you mean "voice" as in writing style/tone of the omniscient narrator but I sorta thought, hmm, I wonder if there are any youtube videos of Douglas Adams talking about his books? At any rate, I'm pleased that you like where it's been; now if I can just follow through on where it's going. Thank you for taking the time to read and review! :)

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Douglas Adams: Parrots, the Universe and Everything (REF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZG8HBuDjgc)

[Bell-lala]

rough draft?? This is already like perfect alone. :) I love this. It's very well constructed. You did such and amazing job. :)))))

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Ahem.... well, perfection is such an arbitrary, sketchy thing - you know. Anyhow... Thank you very much, Bell. I do appreciate your comments!

[M.]

This is a draft? *Confuse* When i read this i thought is was a finish product but then i saw the author's note and was "Oh my God, You got to be shitting me" Anyways, i just wanted to say wow. Your really good, this piece is just wonderful. Hope you'll finish this one. 10/10

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Your words are much too kind, Daemon. I thank you, sincerely. However, it is indeed only a draft; a sketch if you will. There is real-world complexity to support this sketch that is, to me at least, absolutely astounding. The truth (or at least our perception of it) is, to use a well-worn cliche, much stranger than fiction.

[John Phoenix Hutchinson..]

Am currently learning to teach myself to write better and a friend sent to this page....am glad he did....enjoyed the ebb and flow.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Thank you for your kind comment, John! As I have said before, I like to think that we are all students of some sort. (For me... one step forward, ten steps back.)

[TLK]

Most assured writing. You show a well-developed style, for example: "A thought resonates in the mind commingled with a sense of fear and well-being, a salutation of greeting and friendship, "I will eat you when you die.""

The only part that I couldn't accept was that Jules Verne was listed as a receiver and not H. G. Wells. He's got a time machine, y'know, he might visit you and ask why you're being unfair.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Ha ha! Well put, TLK, well put! I assure you (and H. G. Wells) that their omission was only due to faulty wiring. I hold their work in exceedingly high esteem and should they ever appear and begin to engage me in such pointed conversation I will, with great delight, escort them to the nearest establishment offering fine beverage. There I will attempt to elicit their most recent adventures; by hook, crook, or copious caffeine. That you for your thoughtful yet whimsical review! :)

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

...oh drat, these awful keyboards!

[marlayesterday]

This is extremely thought provoking. This is something I could read again and again. Your imagination, or are you privy to real reality, is truly stunning.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Well, I would be delighted if you read it as many times as you desire. I like to think there's a little something there for everyone that cares to scratch around a bit. I might even come out a bit different on each reading. I'd be interested to know if that's the case for you.

Also, forgive me, I _am_ smiling... but in a really nice way. I love your term"real reality." It's such an interesting turn of phrase! Do you mean like the movie, "The Matrix" or something like that? If so, then all I can say is that I think that movie just scratches the surface of one of an infinite number possible realities.

Perhaps because it's possible that you, me, we are, in this existence, all creatures of "mind." For the moment, I think of it like this... water takes the shape of the container, not the other way around. This seems to have profound implications for what we term, "immagination."

What shape is your container? I'll be it's very, very interesting. :)

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

I found this piece to be provocative, perplexing, thought inducing, and strangely expanding...I'm in a bit of a mind tangle over it. It was superbly written, as always, and I was drawn into the almost dreamlike...yet, not...surreal...yet, not...mind tingle of the whole thing. You are smiling and thinking that I have no sense and am just typing thinking...who knows...aren't you? Well, here is my take which may miss all that you intended but I like it...and I am possibly one of "the friends" which I love that you italicized those that you defined as part of "the theory" .

From the introduction about cross species communication, I then went onto your fascinating story of Adrian and "the theory". I loved the parts about the "receivers" and "senders" - oh, my.
When she seems to communicate with the spider's and finds a response, or "sending" perhaps from them that takes me where I went with this. There is a whole other dimensional, interplanetary, dreamlike...I'm not sure what it is that is resonating somewhere in my stomach...could it be your screen name that pulls me this way? The Dreamland part - She goes home to dream of the spider who is actually a 'superior species" -although the reality counterparts are conceived as lesser -this was my favorite part!

The spider seems to be represented as friendly and yet is so alien to all that she knows that she is not sure what to make of it's frightening at first thought statement. This is where my mind does pretzel twist's of delight that there are so many ways to go with it!
I have written too much already, since I am not even sure what I am trying to say. Suffice to say, that this will have me thinking for a while, and it was an experience to read.
I have quite possibly just left evidence that I am way too far out there and missed the point entirely...oh, well...somebody has to step up and be vulnerable!

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Claire, I must confess, I will need to read and reread your review several times. You have conferred upon me the treasure of an old master that has been painted over on thrice-used canvas; each a treasure atop the other. Furthermore, please know that you gave me great satisfaction when you used the word "she" in your commentary (regarding the character, Adrian). One of the precepts of this piece is that Adrian could be anyone; any reader. Therefore the use of an androgynous gender-neutral name. I just may have succeeded in nailing that particular rafter in place and your comments are a confirmation toward that end. As to leaving your mind doing pretzel twists of delight, well that's just icing on the cake!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment! :o)

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

I just supposed the person was a she! That is awesome, never entered my mind that there was any question. I love that. You are far too clever and most likely way over my head, but the mind exercise and expansion is delightful.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Perhaps you'll dream when next you sleep. If so, and you find it appropriate, please be sure to share. :o)

[NoelleRash]

I thought Adrian was a he. So you definitely picked the perfect gender neutral name. Very clever.

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAuthor]

Cool! Now we have a check mark in both columns. Thanks a bunch, Noelle!