GATEWAY 1 & 2

Summary

Table Read – GATEWAY 1 & 2 (May 20, 2026) Podcast by Manifest Media / TABLE READ

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Episode Overview

This episode of Table Read offers a gripping, cinematic presentation of the first two chapters of "Gateway," dramatizing the infamous CIA Gateway Project through a tense blend of psychological thriller, personal journey, and government intrigue. World-class actors bring to life the story of Lieutenant Colonel Wayne M. McDonnell and his assignment to explore the boundaries of human consciousness for military intelligence. The immersive audio experience intertwines science, speculation, and deep human longing, producing an “audio movie” that’s both suspenseful and emotionally resonant.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Dramatic Opening: High-Stakes Plane Crash

• [00:28 – 01:36] The tale begins mid-crisis as a plane loses an engine, with CIA agents onboard. Agent Ortiz demands use of the radio, intent on “neutralizing the antigen that caused the crash,” escalating to violence and chaos in the cockpit.
  • Notable Quote:
    “If I don't get the engine restarted, we may crash. Return to your seat. That's an order.” – Pilot ([00:54])
  • The sequence abruptly shifts as the supposed lunatic reveals critical knowledge, raising the stakes and plunging the audience into mystery.

2. Introduction: The McDonnell Report & Project Gateway

• [01:45 – 03:24] Wayne McDonnell narrates directly to the listener, blending official history with personal anecdote as he recounts his military service and the suspicious origins of his new assignment.
  • Notable Quote: “I discovered things you might not believe, but should do. A quick Google search for analysis and assessment of Gateway process. CIA. You'll find an actual document from the CIA website written by none other than yours truly.” – McDonnell ([02:22])
• The narrative places McDonnell at Fort Meade, setting the stage for clandestine operations against the backdrop of the Cold War.

3. Secret Orders: The Gateway Experiment is Revealed

• [03:24 – 06:16] McDonnell is summoned by General Addis, who plays him a classified cockpit recording (connecting to the opening crash) and introduces shadowy details of Soviet and U.S. interest in psychic phenomena and remote viewing.
  • The incident is “another MK Ultra?” – raising the specter of infamous CIA mind control projects.
• Bentov, a scientist researching consciousness, is named as a key figure.

4. Into the Hemi-Sync Lab: Meeting Robert Monroe

• [07:26 – 10:18] McDonnell visits the Monroe Institute, led by Robert Monroe. The skeptical colonel embarks on Gateway training, embracing Monroe’s “hemisync” – a method to synchronize brain hemispheres for altered states.
  • Notable Quote: “You think it sounds like a bunch of bullshit. It… Don’t you?” – Monroe ([07:41])
  • Insight: The mix of skepticism and curiosity spotlights the collision of military logic with New Age experimentation.

5. Experiments & First Results: Remote Viewing and Contact

• [10:41 – 12:17, 11:52 – 13:26] McDonnell undergoes sensory deprivation and audio-guided meditation, reaching “Focus 12”—a state of consciousness allowing remote viewing.
• He’s transported (via consciousness) to a submarine off the Soviet coast, tasked with spying on Russian naval transmissions. During the process, he encounters an “entity”—possibly non-human—that avoids contact.
  • Notable Quote:
    “Be intellectually prepared to react to possible encounters with intelligent non corporal energy forms when time space boundaries are exceeded.” – McDonnell ([13:26])

6. Personal Stakes: The Search for McDonnell's Father

• [17:14 – 18:30] Between missions, McDonnell wrestles with a lifelong mystery: his father, lost in World War II at St. Mère-Église, Normandy. The Gateway Project offers a chance to solve this familial enigma.
• Flashbacks blur McDonnell’s military obligations with personal hauntings, revealing a complex, relatable protagonist haunted by loss and childhood trauma.

7. The Ethics and Limits of Experimentation

• [20:00 – 21:08] In a pivotal exchange, Monroe encourages psychedelic drugs to enhance results, reflecting the era’s experimental bravado.
  • Notable Quote:
    “They may help you get further into Gateway… Psychedelics, actually. If you want progress.” – Monroe ([20:16])
  • McDonnell hesitates, caught between legal/moral boundaries and the lure of answers.

8. Behind Closed Doors: Hidden Dangers & Collateral Damage

• [22:13 – 24:53] Subplots emerge: Nurse Fields and Dr. Alexander debate the risks, with comatose test subjects and hints of unethical practices lurking in the institute’s basement. The cost of experimentation is shown to be human and deeply ambiguous.
  • The institute operates at the edge of science, risking participants’ mental safety.

9. A Mother's Memory: Fragmented Past and Emotional Resonance

• [25:14 – 28:23] McDonnell visits his ailing mother, who provides emotional background and introduces spectral elements; she references friends long deceased, blending the theme of lost time, memory, and the possible permeability of consciousness.
  • Memorable Moment: The mother's confusion about time and identity echoes McDonnell’s own psychic wandering.

10. Breakthrough and Encounter: Facing the Entity

• [29:48 – 33:52] Under deeper trance and possibly with chemical assistance, McDonnell finally pinpoints the Russian missile base but simultaneously re-encounters the strange glowing presence—possibly his late friend Robbie—who warns him not to go to France.
  • The lines between reality, consciousness, and the supernatural dissolve.

11. Confrontation & Climactic Support: Meeting Bentov

• [36:07 – 36:54] Unable to progress, McDonnell receives clandestine help from Itzhak Bentov (in disguise), who coaches him in advanced hypnosis.
  • Notable Quote:
    “This effort is worth my reappearance. I can’t hide forever. Let’s get to work.” – Bentov ([36:54])

12. Cliffhanger & Teaser

• [37:04 – End] Having gained new abilities and clarity, McDonnell is finally given permission to pursue his personal quest—and the episode ends with the promise of further adventures, both scientific and spiritual.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I discovered things you might not believe, but should do.” – McDonnell ([02:17])
• “You think it sounds like a bunch of bullshit. It… Don’t you?” – Monroe ([07:41])
• “Be intellectually prepared to react to possible encounters with intelligent non corporal energy forms when time space boundaries are exceeded.” – McDonnell ([13:26])
• “They may help you get further into Gateway… Psychedelics, actually.” – Monroe ([20:16])
• McDonnell’s mother’s haunting insistence: “You were sitting in that very chair telling me you were going to visit your father in France. He’s not there, you know.” ([26:42])
• Robbie’s spectral warning: “You’re not ready, Robbie… Don’t go to France.” ([33:51])
• Itzhak Bentov’s return: “This effort is worth my reappearance. I can’t hide forever.” ([36:54])

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Major Timestamps

• 00:28 — Start of dramatic cockpit scene
• 01:45 — McDonnell introduces Gateway Project and himself
• 03:24 — McDonnell receives secret assignment from General Addis
• 07:30 — Introduction to Monroe Institute, hemisync explained
• 11:52 — Remote viewing submarine mission begins
• 13:26 — Encounter with the non-physical entity
• 17:14 — McDonnell’s personal motive: the search for his father
• 20:00 — Introduction of psychedelics, ethical conflicts
• 22:13 — Subplot: risks and failures with other subjects
• 25:14 — Emotional visit to McDonnell’s mother
• 29:48 — Preparation for breakthrough trance session
• 33:51 — Climactic entity encounter and cryptic warning
• 36:07 — Meeting with Bentov
• 37:04 — McDonnell gains special help; cliffhanger towards D-Day

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Final Thoughts

Gateway 1 & 2 sets a compelling mix of historical thriller and mind-expanding speculative fiction. The episode masterfully balances cold war intrigue with a personal, existential search—brought to life by immersive sound design, emotive performances, and tight, cinematic pacing. The story builds a world where the frontiers of the mind collide with the machinery of state power, raising questions about reality, memory, and the cost of knowing.

For listeners seeking “cinema for the ears,” this is not just a podcast—it’s an arresting audio drama blending fact, fiction, and the great human mysteries.

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Transcript

[A]

So this is what I. What we generally start with. To see how in sync we are as a group. I want you all to say table read, gateway on the count of three. In a good voice. Cam, Clark. One, two, three. Table read, Gateway. High stakes. High stakes. Yep.

[B]

Why isn't engine number two spooling up? I just pushed throttles to full.

[C]

Must be a flame out.

[B]

Begin restart checklist.

[C]

We're losing altitude. Just crossed flight level two zero zero now at one niner zero. Dropping fast.

[A]

I apologize, sir. This passenger says it's CIA.

[D]

Agent Ortiz, I need the radio.

[B]

Get out whoever you are.

[A]

Engine two not responding to.

[D]

You need the radio? I need to speak to Langley right now.

[B]

If I don't get the engine restarted, we may crash. Return to your seat. That's in order.

[D]

The engine is gone. Soon you'll lose hydraulic pressure and flight control. We will crash. But first I need the radio.

[C]

10,000ft. There's no response to restart procedures. It's like the engine isn't even there.

[B]

Flight attendant, prepare the cabins for impact.

[C]

Master caution. We've lost hydraulic pressure and flight control systems.

[D]

Give me that radio. I have critical information about neutralizing the antigen that caused this crash.

[C]

Captain, we're below safe altitude.

[D]

Give me the fucking radio.

[B]

I sent it. Back to your seat.

[C]

You shot him.

[A]

Why would you give me the radio now?

[D]

I happen to kill them.

[A]

Hello. This is Lieutenant Colonel Wayne M. McDonnell, retired. And I have a story to tell you. In 1977, I got the assignment to investigate and report on the Gateway project. A means for man to venture beyond time and space. Could we spy on Russia from a great distance? Were they spying on us already? I was a man tasked with finding answers that were needed. And quickly. I served a tour of duty in US army intelligence in the early 70s known as Project 404. I was in Laos, covertly assisting US interests in Vietnam. The report I submitted got me this far more controversial assignment. I discovered things you might not believe, but should do. A quick Google search for analysis and assessment of Gateway process. CIA. You'll find an actual document from the CIA website written by none other than yours truly. Click on that and have a read. Be advised, they might open a file on you for looking at the report. I don't know. I don't work there anymore. In 1977, I was stationed at Fort George G. Meade Army Intelligence Base in Maryland, near Washington, D.C. 5,000 acres of military personnel doing top secret intelligence work. Keeping the free world safe. At the time, we were transcribing and translating all of Russia's radio and TV broadcasts. Thousands of hours of tapes analyzed, looking for patterns, codes. It was a standard day in my lab. Until it wasn't. Captain Parsons, when you have today's radio transmissions entered, get started on the task news feed.

[E]

I'll have it done within the hour.

[A]

Lieutenant Colonel McDonald, General Addis. A rare pleasure. I didn't realize we had an inspection today.

[F]

No inspection, General. This room is secure and silent.

[A]

Yes, sir. Fully TS SEI Secure.

[F]

My briefcase, please.

[A]

Is this serious? I think I saw this on Star Trek last week.

[F]

Do I impress you as a joking man?

[A]

No, sir.

[F]

Everyone out but Lieutenant Colonel McDonald.

[E]

Sir.

[A]

You heard the General.

[F]

Everyone listen to this.

[D]

Give me that radio. I have critical information about neutralizing the entity that caused this crash.

[C]

Captain, we're below safe altitude.

[D]

Give me the.

[A]

Was that the plane that went down last month?

[F]

Yes.

[A]

Terrorists posing as CIA. A lunatic.

[F]

No. In fact, that was a legitimate CIA operation, Agent Manny Ortiz. Limited details on the operation are in this file. You think the Russians or some other hostile force.

[A]

You think a hostile force brought that plane down trying to get to someone?

[F]

What I think isn't being discussed. Just your orders.

[A]

Roger that, sir.

[F]

The cockpit recording you just heard has been shared with fewer than 10 people. That portion was cut out of the official NTSB version.

[A]

I. I don't understand.

[F]

Sometime back, scientist Itzhak Bentov made us aware of some facts. Facts regarding expanded states of consciousness that allow traveling by thought. The Russians have been studying it for years. They have been trying to get to our man Bent off.

[A]

You think they crashed that plane?

[F]

Ortiz was a decoy, flying under Bentoff's name.

[A]

How did they bring it down?

[F]

That's what you're going to find out. You're not going to mention that crash or recording, ever. The world's reaction to such information would be catastrophic.

[A]

Yes, sir.

[B]

Is.

[A]

Is this another MK Ultra?

[F]

No. You'll create a report, but it won't mention that incident or our spying or our missing spy planes.

[A]

The pair of SR71s that crashed. I thought they were mechanical issues.

[F]

So did we, until we got that recording.

[A]

Sir, it all seems rather incredible. Initially, I'm inclined to be skeptical.

[F]

You'll be on a transport to the Monroe Institute in Virginia at 0600 tomorrow. You're going to get to the bottom of this. I want faxed that buzz box on your belt.

[A]

It's a pager, General. You can reach me anywhere in the world. My assistant, Captain Parsons, handles all messaging.

[F]

Stay handy.

[A]

Yes, sir. I was given a puzzle without all the pieces, but on the 9th of June, 1983, I issued a final report. Sadly, before I finished that report, our brilliant scientist, Itzhak Bentoff, died on a doomed airliner in Chicago. Oddly, this time, even the cockpit voice recorder failed before anything else. No clues. You can Google that, too. American Airlines, Flight 191. It was a serious setback. This is the story of that report before and after it was released by the CIA. The things I learned and the places I saw. But please, read my report. You tasked me to provide an assessment of the Gateway experience in terms of its mechanics and ultimate practicality. As I set out to fulfill that tasking, it soon became clear that in order to assess the validity and practicality of the process, I needed to do enough supporting research and analysis to fully understand how and why the process works. Frankly, sir, that proved to be an extremely involved and difficult business.

[E]

Follow me to the lab. Sir. Mr. Monroe is waiting.

[G]

Lieutenant Colonel McDonnell. Nice to meet you. I'm Robert Munro. Welcome to my lab. Sit down, please.

[A]

Thank you. Munro, I've read the research.

[G]

You think it sounds like a bunch of bullshit. It. Don't you?

[A]

Sir, my personal opinions don't enter into this. I'm here to fully evaluate your process from an objective viewpoint. Monroe wasn't dumb. He knew it really did sound like. But he needed credibility with the military, and my report could provide it.

[G]

You've been ordered to keep an open mind.

[A]

That is an accurate assessment.

[G]

Can you start training tomorrow?

[A]

Sure. I need somewhere to drop my personal items, but I'd like to start today.

[G]

Perfect. I'll have Nurse Fields show you to your quarters and we'll get started.

[A]

Initially, based on conversations with a physician who took the Gateway training with me, I had recourse to the biomedical models developed by Itzhak Bentov to obtain information concerning the physical aspects of the process. The long hours of training were eased somewhat by the caring hands of Nurse Fields. But even she turned out to be more complicated than she first appeared.

[E]

Please lay back down, Lieutenant Colonel. I'm going to attach some electrodes. Relax. Get comfortable.

[A]

Will I be hypnotized?

[E]

Probably not today, but eventually, yes.

[A]

Do I have time for a cigarette?

[E]

Nicotine disrupts the process. Are you nervous?

[A]

Why would I be nervous? I'm just listening to some sounds.

[E]

Did you read all of the materials?

[A]

You may want to, Mr. Monroe?

[G]

Are you ready, Lieutenant Colonel?

[A]

Ready as I can be.

[G]

Okay, now you're going to listen to some sounds and speech in this sensory deprivation chamber. A series of tones will help bring you into hemispherical synchronization. Left brain and right brain brought into sync. We call it hemisync.

[A]

Okay.

[G]

You will note flashing lights on the ceiling as you reach hemisync. Both halves of your brain finally working as one. If you need us, we'll be in the control room. All right. Relax and observe the flow of energy around you. You'll be guided through each of these flow focus levels. You'll find increasing abilities in each as you rise.

[A]

Upping my focus level, huh? Sounds like mumbo jumbo.

[G]

Relax and observe. You'll be aware of each focus level and its meaning as we progress. Today, we'll aim for Focus 12, where you can traverse time and space. I'll join you there.

[E]

Focus 12.

[H]

12.

[G]

The standard protocol is suspended for these tests. Lieutenant Colonel McDonnell has had years of military training, a level of discipline we can only approximate here. We will forego many of the early sessions.

[E]

Yes, Mr. Monroe.

[G]

Continue the preparations. Nurse Fields, have my hypnotic items ready, please.

[A]

I admit to seeing little promise in Gateway. At first, I would put the headphones on and lay back, following Munro's voice in the various tones. Frequently I just fell asleep. But I was surprised to discover that after a while, images started swirling out of the darkness. Munro was right. Eventually, I was able to advance in the training with some effort and gained new abilities. But all attempts to attain usable intelligence on Russia ultimately failed. So a few weeks later, they got me closer. Much closer. They flew me out to a secret submersible base next to the USSR. I found myself 1,000ft below the Sea of Okhotsk. In 71, the CIA had discovered a Soviet deep sea transmission line. We wanted to listen in, so we installed a tap. This was Operation Ivy Bels. It was a joint CIA and NSA project with help from the US Navy. You can Google that, too. Ivy Bells. Fun little project. They decided it would be good to physically transport me to the undersea Soviet military transmission lines. So there I was.

[I]

Sir, we're nearing the cable tap location. Time to do your thing. I'll connect your headset to the feed.

[A]

Ready? It worked. I had followed the training and achieved Focus 12 in Gateway. This is one of the highest states of consciousness. It unlocks the ability to remote view at will, unrestrained by time or distance. But a surprise awaited me.

[C]

There.

[A]

I was investigating the secret missile base, invisible to the motionless soldiers frozen in time. There I was, trying to read a computer screen, when I realized that one of the other beings there was different. It was like me. Unbound by time or location. Floating. Hello, Privet. My Russian had an Accent. But this simple hello should have worked. The entity merely scurried up a wall and vanished into the ceiling. Hey, wait. All my further attempts to locate the entity that day failed. I returned to my body on the sub and got another surprise pilot. Hey, hey, did you see that. That. That thing out there? Looking into the porthole, sir.

[I]

Not calling you a liar, but we're 1,000ft down. Nothing but fishies out there.

[A]

I can see it right now. There. It's looking at me.

[I]

Okay, okay. Copy that, sir. I'll note it in.

[A]

They didn't believe me at first. Who would? But I would meet the entity again. I included a couple paragraphs about this in my final report. A warning, more or less to those who would follow. Be intellectually prepared to react to possible encounters with intelligent non corporal energy forms when time space boundaries are exceeded. It may also be possible that individuals encounter thought forms while in an out of body state which mingle with physical reality and are not easily differentiated. Yeah, you heard that right. Word for word from an official CIA report. I knew there was much more to investigate and explain. Meanwhile, I kept working back at the institute. Next time on Gateway. Things heat up when I finally find that Russian missile base. But that's not even the big event. Courtesy of a surprise guest visitor, I find my way back in time. All the way to Nazi occupied France in 1944. But in more danger than I ever was before.

[B]

Hey, before we move on, can we do your mini sub captain again? Kevin. And like. So since we have yours, can we do one where you have fun with it but also projects as he said. But I. Especially since you say cuckoo bird later. I'd love for you to cabin it up.

[I]

Sure. So where do you want me to start from?

[B]

Just take it from that initial one because we got the more official version that Jack wanted. But for your.

[C]

Well, why don't we do.

[G]

Why don't we do.

[A]

You know, we'll come in at Zeke on pilot.

[B]

Hey, I want to grab the server. Nearing the cable to application.

[A]

So middle of 13. Oh, copy.

[G]

Got it.

[I]

Oh, 13.

[B]

Got it. Because we got a more formal version now we'll have your. So that when you say cuckoo bird you can like you hit him. Got him.

[A]

Are we reading all the way through?

[B]

No, I think let's just do a pickup with mini sub to ready and then we'll go to 14.

[A]

Okay.

[J]

Age 13.

[I]

Sir, we're entering in the cable tap location. Time to do your thing. I'll connect your headset to the feed.

[A]

Great.

[B]

Go to 14 and then we'll just pick it up from. Pilot, do you see that?

[A]

Pilot? Hey, do you see that. That thing out there looking into the porthole?

[I]

Sir, not calling you a liar, but we're 1,000ft down. Nothing but fishies out here.

[A]

I see it right now. There. It's. It's looking at me.

[I]

Okay. Okay. Copy that, sir. I'll note it in the log.

[J]

Cuckoo bird. This is the first step along your path to a gateway. A gateway beyond which is discovery. Your own discovery of reality. Of truth. Of who and what you are now. A simple preparation. Because of the special audio techniques used, it's important that certain sounds reach your right ear and others your left ear. To be sure of this, you should be hearing my voice in your right ear at this moment. If you are not hearing my voice in your right ear, turn your headphones around now. So that you are hearing my voice in your right ear.

[A]

Hello, listener. Lieutenant Colonel Wayne M. McDonald here. Last time you found out why I issued a report to the CIA about Gateway and its ability to let you traverse time and space via your mind. This time, we delve deeper into the mystery. Buckle up.

[E]

Lieutenant Colonel McDonald, good to see you back with us. You're looking well.

[A]

Thank you, nurse. That mini submarine was quite an experience.

[E]

Mr. Monroe says you're making great progress today. We're moving into hypnotism. Should help you concentrate.

[A]

If it'll help me get closer to finding what happened to my father, I'll try it. Once I achieved Focus 12, I wanted to know what else I could do naturally. I wanted to use it to find unobtainable answers. Answers to the questions that hang on through the years to the mystery of St. Mary Iglises. On June 7, 1944, my dad made it ashore at Normandy. It was even a photo. But he vanished a day later and some mere gleese and was declared mia. I spent my life wanting to know what happened at school. A boy had started a rumor that my dad was a coward. A drunken deserter who ran off with a French whore. I still remember how it felt when I heard that. And how it felt breaking that kid's nose.

[G]

How is everyone today? Is our star subject prepared?

[E]

He's wired up. Chambers ready too.

[A]

I want you to prep me for a trip to 1944 in France.

[G]

I know it's important to you, but that's way off our program. Let's revisit this after you've progressed further, okay? We need to prove that we can get past the information distortion issue and provide actionable intelligence and we need to figure out those entities you've talked about.

[A]

I don't think you understand. When I'm moving into those other areas, I hear voices. People talking. Sometimes I know them. Conversations from the past. I'm pretty sure I hear him. My dad.

[G]

Stay inside your energy resonance balloon and ignore those voices. Continue on into that missile site. We need details.

[A]

If you want me to report that your method works, you need to prove it to me first. Then it goes in my report.

[G]

Let's agree on a deal. You get me the location of the missile base. I'll facilitate you visiting D day,

[E]

wherever you go, whatever they get into. From chill time to everyday adventures. Protect your dog from parasites with Cridellio Guattro. For full safety information, side effects and warnings, visit cordelioquatrolabel.com consult your vet or call 1-888-545-5973. Ask your vet for Cordelio Cuatro and visit quattrodog.com.

[A]

roger that. And finding my father?

[G]

I can help you. Hold on. Have you heard of psilocybin?

[A]

Excuse me?

[G]

Known as magic mushrooms.

[A]

Yes, I've heard of those.

[G]

How do you feel about them?

[A]

They're illegal. And I put my assistant on report for using them in Laos.

[G]

They may help you get further into Gateway.

[A]

Wait, you're suggesting illicit narcotics?

[G]

Psychedelics, actually. If you want progress. We've got to understand where this is going.

[A]

I am. I'm not prepared to plunge into illegality.

[G]

I'm glad you have plenty of time to invest and can forego their assistance.

[A]

My mother's in a home and failing. I need to tell her the truth before she's gone.

[G]

This could help you get her the answers. In time,

[A]

Perhaps. I could make a single exception. Is there any danger I'll experience unpleasantness?

[G]

Take these, then lay back. In 45 minutes or so. We'll run the audio. Enjoy your journey. Then have another look for that missile base. Yes.

[A]

It went against everything I stood for. At least then. Vietnam was a war against bra burning hippies. At least to some of my colleagues. But I tried it. I was going to eventually find my father. The truth about my father. But I needed to find that missile base first. Waves of color and light washed over me. I imagined a field of grain waving in the wind, waving at me. I found myself giggling at ridiculous thoughts. And I found it worked. Does that make me a hypocrite? Life eventually does this to a lot of us.

[E]

Yes? I'll be right down. I need to see another patient for a moment. I'll be back.

[A]

To make an omelet. You've got to break some eggs. Nurse Fields went to visit them while I entered the world of altered states. I didn't know yet, but there were secret rooms in the basement of the facility where they kept the broken eggs. She was visiting them?

[E]

Yes. Dr. Alexander.

[B]

Are you running more tests upstairs?

[E]

How is that your concern?

[B]

Because my comatose patient just sat up and moved his eyes.

[E]

That's not funny. You turned him into a zombie. You fix him.

[B]

I'm not joking. For just a few seconds, he sat up.

[E]

I don't know what to tell you.

[B]

If only it Sock was here, he could figure this out.

[E]

They've hidden him away where no one will find him.

[B]

Hidden away so well, they effectively halted his work. Bad guys won. Maybe you know where they hit him.

[E]

In any case, Itzak isn't here. And Captain demarc here has gone off on a mental walkabout forever.

[B]

Apparently, he'll find his way back.

[E]

Eight months is a long time to be clicked out.

[B]

I really believe your tests upstairs are having an effect. If we could coordinate. Get in touch with Bentov.

[E]

Random neurons firing. He's mentally gone. Just like the poor saps in the next two rooms. We're taking a big risk putting McDonald through it.

[B]

We've improved the process, refined it. If I could just see McDonald's charts.

[E]

Not gonna happen. So long, doctor.

[B]

Yes, I'll see you at your performance review next week. Good luck, by the way.

[E]

I sometimes leave things on my desk at night.

[A]

Uh huh.

[E]

Lt. Col. McDonald's.

[A]

Come in. Nurse Fields. This is unexpected. What can I do for you?

[E]

I hope you're enjoying your free time. I wanted to check on you and bring you this.

[A]

My pager. I didn't realize I'd left it in the lab.

[E]

Mr. Monroe had me remove it so you wouldn't be distracted.

[A]

Wait. Don't you have weekends off?

[E]

Not usually. I have tomorrow off to go to church.

[A]

Very good. I'll be traveling to Staten island to visit my mother.

[E]

She's in an elder care facility there, correct?

[A]

Yes, she has. Good days and bad days. I'm hoping to get some answers about my dad for before she's completely gone.

[E]

Best wishes on your visit. Have you noticed anything odd during the test here?

[A]

Well, odd has new meanings now. What do you mean exactly?

[E]

I don't know. Do you ever get lost out there?

[A]

No. I can always just transition back to focus 10, then focus three and then poof, I'm right back here.

[E]

Sorry I bothered you.

[A]

Oh, if something comes up, just Call my contact number from the base. Captain Parsons can reach me.

[E]

Yes. Have a nice visit with your mother. I'll ask the facilities people to drop some flowers off before you go.

[A]

Her visit didn't make me feel at ease. In fact, quite the opposite. When the flowers showed up an hour later, I was still thinking about her. Worried look. What did she know? What wasn't she telling me?

[C]

She's been fairly good this week. Had a couple better days. Even did a painting. Been asking about you a lot.

[A]

Yeah, well, I've been out of town on a mission. When I finish, I'll be able to visit more.

[C]

I hope so. She's always talking about you. Gets her days and visits confused sometimes. Be adaptable. Keep smiling, even if she doesn't make perfect sense. Mrs. McDonald, your son Wayne is here to see you.

[H]

Well, what are you waiting for? Send him in.

[C]

See what I mean? Still got that spark. Go on in,

[H]

Wayne. Have you been eating properly? You look thin.

[A]

Yes, Mother. I had roast beef last night and I brought you something.

[H]

They're lovely. There's a vase in the bathroom.

[A]

Where would you like them?

[H]

There, by the window. The red ones glow in the sunlight.

[A]

Have you been. Mom, you look really good.

[H]

I should. Eva did my hair yesterday. She really knows her way around the curlers.

[A]

Yeah, she does good work.

[H]

Did you get a haircut, too? You look different from last week,

[A]

Mom. My current mission has me posted in Virginia. It's been two months since I visited.

[H]

Nonsense. You were sitting in that very chair telling me you were going to visit your father in France. He's not there, you know. Been dead a long time. But he did love you. Sent letters every day. They're here somewhere, I think.

[K]

Mom.

[A]

The work I'm doing is experimental. It's got me thinking about dad.

[H]

Do you ever wonder, where's that friend of yours? That one from high school? Robbie Allen, wasn't it? He was with you last time, but never said a word.

[A]

A chill blew through me. Robbie had been dead for 20 plus years at that point. Gassed himself with a pickup truck while we were in high school. Birthday gone horribly off the rails. But I hadn't spoken of him in decades. Though he was often on my mind. Okay, Mom, I. Hey, are those chocolate chip cookies I see over there? I sure could use one. Yes, you could.

[H]

Too thin. Please, help yourself. Mildred Barris baked them.

[A]

Mildred Barris. Okay. Thanks, Mom.

[H]

Maybe the kitchen here made them. I get confused now.

[A]

It's. It's all right, Mom. Don't get upset. They're delicious.

[H]

I think My watch stopped. I keep forgetting to wind it.

[A]

No, no, it's the right time. 2:00pm it runs on batteries, so you don't have to wind this one. Mom, you got it for Christmas.

[H]

Batteries?

[A]

Why?

[H]

Why do I wind it every day?

[A]

Then I found the visit somewhat disquieting. But it was her insistence that I'd recently been there that really got to me. I'd certainly been thinking about her quite a lot. I returned to the institute. Mr. Monroe. A rare pleasure. Come in, please. What brings you to crew quarters?

[G]

I could hear you typing from down the hall.

[A]

Yeah? The brass requested an interim report and I've summed up the training as relatively successful.

[G]

You've taken the process to heart. But.

[A]

But we don't have proof of effectiveness yet.

[G]

I'm aware.

[A]

I wish I could report something, anything, that demonstrated positive results.

[G]

If you don't, they might pull my funding. Then you'll never get your answers. Your dad?

[A]

I can't help that. I can only report the truth.

[G]

Can you give us another few days? I've got a surprise coming that I think can better prep you for your next journey.

[A]

Okay. I'm willing to try. Although I'm not convinced that the mushrooms are the best path.

[G]

I think I have something better.

[A]

Good. Look, I can hold the report off for a few more days.

[G]

Thank you. I'll see you in the lab after lunch.

[A]

I already ate.

[G]

Okay. Let's go get those answers.

[A]

Roger that. We were both motivated, but for different reasons. If I could pinpoint where that base was or gain some operational intelligence about it, we could both move forward. Continued failure wasn't an option. Niels Bohr, the renowned physicist, once responded to his son's complaints about the obtuse, obtuse nature of certain concepts in physics by saying, you are not thinking, you are merely being logical. The physics of altered human consciousness deals with some conceptualizations that are not easily grasped or visualized exclusively in the context of ordinary left brain linear thinking. So, to borrow Dr. Bohr's mode of expression, parts of this paper will require not only logic, but a touch of right brain intuitive insight to achieve a complete copy comfortable grasp of the concepts involved. Nevertheless, once that is done, I am confident that their construction and application will stand up to the test of rational critique.

[G]

How's he doing?

[E]

He's getting close to the REM state.

[G]

Switch to Focus 15 content. I think we can get him there this time.

[E]

Perhaps Dr. Alexander should be here.

[G]

That quack. He's turned three soldiers into potted plants. He's not screwing this one up as you say.

[E]

Switching to focus 15 content now.

[G]

Let's get the location of that base.

[E]

You can understand why he wants to find out about his father, can't you? We've offered him an opportunity he can't pass up.

[G]

I'm not convinced he's going to to like what he finds.

[E]

Knowing is better than not knowing.

[G]

I hope you're right. I think he's moving into REM state. Watch him.

[A]

I found myself at the missile base again. Wandering the halls in a bleached out reality. I serenely moved into their space with no time passing. I tried to read the signs on the base. I know the Cyrillic Alphabet and speak some Russian. But still couldn't make sense of anything.

[E]

He's in deep rem. Hopefully he's found the base and avoids that presence that always upsets him.

[G]

Don't encourage him with that entity talk. I wish he would just avoid it until we. Until we get the funding secured.

[E]

Really? Things don't work that way.

[B]

Lab.

[E]

Nurse Fields, it's Dr. Alexander for you. Tell him I'm busy with an experiment. He says it's important. Let me have the phone. Dr. Alexander. I'm busy, ma'.

[H]

Am.

[E]

And if he calls back, I'm even busier. Yes, ma'.

[A]

Am. I missed all of the drama in the lab. I was far, far away. I found the Russian base. I finally knew where it was and couldn't wait to get back and tell my superiors. But there was a problem. A glowing one staring at me from across the missile silo. And it didn't look happy. Hey. Who are you? Why are you following me? Please answer me. I need to know. I. I want to know. You're not ready, Robbie. But you're gone. You can't. Maybe I'm someone else. Don't go to France. My shock at this point was extreme. I thought I'd started to recognize the entity, but its shape and voice shifted again. Was it my friend who killed himself in high school? Now I wasn't sure. Why not explain things to me at this point? The entity grew massive. Massively into a glowing ball of light racing toward me at impossible speed.

[E]

I'm bringing him out. His heart is racing.

[G]

You're thwarting our progress.

[E]

I'm saving our test subject.

[A]

She leaned down and spoke in my ear.

[E]

Wayne, it's time to come back now.

[G]

It's not good to talk to him while he's coming.

[E]

Now he's with us again.

[A]

Robbie. Hold on. Wait. Where did he go?

[J]

Who?

[A]

My friend Robbie.

[G]

Where does he live?

[A]

Never. Never mind. If you're looking for an address for that base, start in Yakutsk. Send your blackbirds there.

[G]

You're sure?

[A]

Roger that. And let me know when you've located it.

[G]

I'll inform the brass

[A]

I had their answer, but nobody knew the cost yet.

[E]

Calm yourself, Lieutenant Colonel. Your heart rate's still elevated. You can relax now. You've proven the program works.

[A]

I'm gonna finally meet my father. It's kind of hard to relax knowing that.

[E]

Get you settled back in your quarters. You need to rest.

[A]

Okay. Fair enough. But you tell Monroe I expect him to start the training for my DDay mission tomorrow.

[E]

Yes, Lieutenant Colonel.

[A]

Was I right?

[G]

Yes, indeed. You were hidden underground in a forest as you described. But I still advise that you hold off on this D Day thing.

[A]

Give me one valid reason.

[G]

You. You aren't prepared.

[A]

I said a valid reason. My family has waited 40 years for this answer.

[G]

Then what's a few more months? The answer might not make you happy,

[A]

but I need to know what happened to my father.

[G]

There's someone here to see you. To offer special help.

[A]

Special help?

[G]

I'd like to introduce you to the man behind the science, Itzhak Bentov.

[A]

Wait, what? No one can know where you are. What are you doing here?

[L]

That is why I'm dressed as a janitor and just spend a half hour mapping the hallway. I want to see you achieve your goals. Munro tells me you're close. I have some ideas.

[A]

I'll give it a try. But you really shouldn't be seen by anyone. Concerned that I wasn't making enough progress, Munro had gotten Itzhak bent off himself to come push me over the top. Munro wanted a favorable report and the funding it would bring.

[L]

This effort is worth my reappearance. I can't hide forever. Let's get to work.

[A]

So I got my wish. Itzhak broke protocol and provided special training in hypnosis. Monroe kept his end of the bargain. And I got more. Much more than I bargained for. I'm here. I can't believe it. I expected to be an observer, as before. Turns out I was a participant. No, wait, wait. You can see. And there you have it. I progressed through the ascending consciousness phase phases and got my wish. But it wasn't what I expected. Funny how life frequently works out that way. In any case, if you want to know more about that journey and how the rest of my report came out, come back for our next episode. You won't be bored.

[G]

Nice.

[B]

I don't want to get two more reasons.

[C]

I love doing the shrine horn.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yes, and I have one request, and that is Nurse Fields. Random neurons firing. Maybe my ears are failing, but I do hear neurons.

[B]

Good, so find that line. In the meanwhile, Nick, let's get two more from your halts. What? How were you saying one was both of them more intense. One more fear, one more anger.

[C]

Okay, sounds good.

[A]

Yeah, by all means, I'm gonna stand up.

[B]

Yeah, please do stand.

[A]

We'll pick it up right then.

[F]

Okay?

[E]

Yeah, just yell at me, Nick, can

[A]

we go back and forth? Your line, my line, your line, my line. Okay, so I can match your energy.

[C]

Harch. Weinehund.

[A]

No, wait, you can see me.

[C]

Hunch. Find a hunt.

[A]

No, wait, wait. You can see me. One more.

[D]

Halt.

[C]

Schweiderhunt.

[A]

No, wait, wait. You can see me. Like a bulldog.

[E]

Page six.

[L]

Hey, you.

[A]

You found it?

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay, what page is it?

[E]

Page six. Random neurons firing. He's mentally gone. Just like the poor saps in the next two rooms. We're taking a big risk putting McDonald through it

[K]

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