"I did," Bill replied, puzzled by the sudden change in conversation, but treading cautiously in his reply not knowing where it could go.
"What did you think of it?" Hollister requested. "Especially the original tale – if you remember it?"
"Impressive movie," Bill replied, suspecting that was not really the answer for which Hollister was looking. "Innovative. Unique special effects. A very good modern-day production of the old theme of good versus evil."
"Yes and t was more than that," Hollister insisted. "Most people missed the entire truer meaning of what it was about, at least on a conscious level. The reason for the movie's popularity and impact on our cultures was because it struck chords deep within our subconscious. The side of ourselves we so desperately try to avoid." Hollister stood up, walked over to the life-size Luke Skywalker and as he fingered the clothing, "In this age of Pisces or what we like to think of as left-brained consciousness, esoteric knowledge is not appreciated. You've heard the term: 'what we don't know can't hurt us.'
It wasn't really a question so Bill refrained from answering.
Hollister carried on, "For those us aware of the sneaky subconscious suggestion of that manipulative belief is, what we do know can hurt us. That suggestive belief has made us afraid of true knowledge – not to mention the influence, the greater influence from the bible in regards to knowledge. We're living in what can be termed a second Dark Ages, an age where the subconscious is closely associated with death and therefore…" He now walked over to the life-size version of Darth Vader. "… feared, just as we fear death and change." He looked the figure over with what can only be termed apotheosis. Bill expected the man to bow down at the figure's feet and kiss its boots in a symbolic gesture of worship. Perhaps, Bill thought, in Hollister's private moments when no one else was present he did pay homage to the Hail Hitler of the dark side or perhaps it was Hollister's own not so repressed darkness he was privately idolizing. He started now to wonder just which of these characters were Hollister's most admired. He place a hefty bet. "Know what Star Wars really represented, Bill?" Hollister turned to Bill.
"Not sure… sir," Bill said, vaguely interested in hearing Hollister's acumen, dismissing it as fantasy musing.
Very animated and expressive with his hands, Hollister revealed, "It's about the merging of our conscious selves with the unconscious portion of our being. Becoming one, whole, acquiring true knowledge and power - The Force, Bill. The main character or element in Star Wars was the Force. Until we can accomplish that… until we become consciously welded to that greater force that is our essence, no matter what cultural, political and artistic achievements we accomplish there will always be the dark shadow of failure and war and turbulence that subdues us. Whether we label that shadow evil, Satan, bad luck or whatever – it will forever haunt us and prevent us from truly becoming the light until we accept who and what we are."
Bill was at a lost for words. Seeing that the man was so thoroughly sincere in his belief and his delivery contained an almost religious conviction, he began to comprehend the meaning behind what he may have falsely reasoned was Hollister's childish indulgence – this office, strangely and oddly, was somehow his spiritual oasis.
Now Bill's was peeked so ventured through that door by asking, "And who or what are we?"
Hollister smiled and said with unwavering certitude, "Gods and Goddesses."
Bill had no reply to that answer and if he had he would've kept it to himself anyway.
"Problem is," Hollister proceeded, "not everyone is or should be entitled to the Force. Basically it is available to everyone who knows of and believes in its existence, but… It is as it very well should be reserved only for an elite few to fully possess." Hollister turned his attention now to his elaborate collection and stood back with pride looking it over. "This is my sanctuary. I come here for inspiration. Whenever I'm weighed too heavily with a problem, this is where I come to get answers. There is energy in this room, Bill. Energy of intent and belief. But…" He turned again to Bill. "With your we can harness the Force."
Bill remained silent as he shifted uneasily on the couch.
Hollister walked back to his desk. "I digress. Wasting precious time. You'll understand soon enough." He reached for a file drawer that had been intelligently and secretively constructed on the right side of the desk, opened it, reached inside and removed a half foot-thick stack of papers, placed them atop the desk in front of Bill who regarded the pile curiously.
"Sir?" Bill said.
"You mentioned, Bill, that you still had connections from your past association with the MK-Ultra project. That will be helpful but I'm a man who enjoys finding things out for myself. I figured with my position within the agency and the authority it wields I would see what doors I could open." Hollister leaned back comfortably in his chair and indicated the files stack. "I haven't finished reading the entire contents, but I read enough to learn that the MK-Ultra project wasn't scrapped."
Bill's expression registered surprise mixed with a little confusion. He now viewed the stack before him with the sentiment of an excavator upon unearthing a hidden treasure.
"Apparently," Hollister proceeded, "the project instead went underground. Adopted by some as yet unknown Black Ops organization possibly outside of the CIA. Sponsors unnamed and unknown and still active."
"Shit," was all Bill could say.
"I did," Hollister said, " read the files on the Strahm Project. The the mother, Mrs. Strahm is particularly interesting even though the exact information on her seems limited. She was a part of the study for only a short while, barely a year, then abruptly quit."
Bill cleared his throat and said, "Yes. She had reservations about involving herself from the start. Jack managed to change her mind, convincing her of the benefits that could possibly help improve world conditions. After ten months she found out she was pregnant and ended her participation, but she miscarried what would have been their third child. Personally I believe her religious affiliation may have been the main influence in her decision."
"Catholic," Hollister said, acidly.
"Correct," Bill answered.
"Pagan," Hollister derided. "Are you Catholic?"
"No, sir."
"Good," Hollister said. "I would've hated to have to extend you an apology. But again I digress. Go on."
"She showed remarkable ability," Bill said. "Apparently, her psychic kinetic energy has the ability to affect matter at a sub-atomic level."
"Yes," Hollister agreed, "I read that. She can actually change her physical appearance her entire structure. Amazing unheard of ability."
"Yes." Bill affirmed.
"Remarkable," Hollister said. "Can she do this on permanent basis?"
"We didn't get the opportunity to explore it any further."
"Amazing," Hollister repeated. "Did her sons show this ability?"
"No," Bill said. "Not at that time. Maybe they weren't even aware that they could I don't know. Unlike her sons her telepathic influences were not limited to or determined by proximity. Whether a subject was standing right beside her or on another continent she could affect or communicate with them. And also unlike her children whenever she did make these contacts she experienced no physical or mental exhaustion. In fact, she became even more energized."
"Fantastic," Hollister said. "Did she display any weaknesses at all?"
Bill paused a few seconds and then said, "Yes… and no."
Hollister waited as Bill hesitated. "Well, Bill, don't torture me."
"After each test we performed on the subjects we always followed up with not only psychological analysis, but we also conducted thorough physical exams: EKG's, blood test, CAT scans…"
"So forth and so on," Hollister inserted impatiently. "Get to the meat of it."
"How best to explain this," Bill mused aloud. "Uh…it appeared at one point that she was undergoing some kind of… change or alteration."
"Mental?" Hollister inquired. "Physical?"
"Both," Bill said. "It even affected her at a cellular level."
"Interesting," Hollister said. "This change… to what degree and did it at all affect her abilities?"
"As I mentioned before, sir," Bill said, "that much I don't know. It was nearing the end of her participation and therefore impeded any further investigation in regards to the effects on her. I do know if the change was drastic. Almost… almost as if there were hints that there were actually two different personalities existing in one person."
"Was that, you think, a result of the experimentation?" Hollister wanted know.
"Possibly," Bill said. "Or it just could've been a preexisting condition made more obvious because of the experiments."
"When you said it affected her at a cellular level," Hollister inquired, "how so?"
"Her… her physical appearance… everything from the complexion of her skin to the… the tone of her voice… even her facial features."
"And you witnessed this, I presume?" Hollister asked.
"In fact, sir, we have it on film. It was very brief, but shocking."
Hollister's eyes lit up. "What else do you have I don't know about?"
"That's it, sir. Just the films."
"I want them," Hollister ordered. "Today."
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, Hollister uttered ruminatively, as he looked toward the waxed image of Princess Leia. Bill followed the trail of his observance. "We must get the two of them – the son and mother – together. Our formula for success will then be completed. Princess Leia, you know, represented the subconscious. Once she and Luke Skywalker, who was the conscious one, united they were able to battle against the Dark, but Leia… Leia was the light. As this woman is." Hollister looked at Bill. "Take these files with you. I'll give you something in which to place them so they won't be exposed as you leave t he building. Combine what you learn in them with your own experiences in the project and come up with method we can use and a strategy."
"Sir…" Bill started, "we still don't have the canon created by Lawrence. We searched his apartment through and through, including all of his computer files and we haven't found it as yet. Without that we'll remain observers to them at best, if not victims of their ability."
"You have children, Bill?"
"Excuse me, sir?" Bill found the question off base and was completely surprised by it.
"Children - little ones, you know."
"No… sir… I don't. Not yet at least. Why?"
"Don't," Hollister said.
"Why… why would you suggest that, sir?"
"Evil. Evil's going to soon dominate this world. Fact is it already has." Hollister's eyes now seemed to be focused on images beyond the world in which he and Bill currently occupied. "Only it's going to get worse."
"Sir… you have children, don't you?" Bill asked.
"Yes. Unfortunately." Hollister said.
"But you love them," Bill said.
Hollister returned himself to this reality, as he looked at Bill and said," You think that's enough to save them?"
"From… what, sir?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Hollister promised, darkly. "I see you're a romantic, Bill."
"Maybe, sir, I don't know. With all due respect, sir… I… I don't see how this relates to the matter at hand."
"Romantics, Hollister persevered, ignoring Bill's respectful interrogation, "wind up either gravely disappointed and heartbroken or dead."
"Doesn't that bode for all of us, sir? Romantically inclined or not?"
A smile sketched across Hollister's face, but it contained more hints of derision than favor. He leaned closer toward Bill for emphasis and said, "Let me tell you something, Bill, and this I know for a fact: There is not enough love in this world, if ever it has been, to stop what's coming."
There was no way Bill could be certain to what Hollister was referring. He really didn't want to know. He was all too aware of Hollister's association with secret societies, his annual retreats to the Bohemian Grove - a two thousand seven hundred acre campground located deep in the woods in Monte Rio, California, that host a yearly three week encampment to some of the most powerful men in the world - and his participation in the weird rituals said to occur there. Bill very well believed Hollister was privy to dark secrets of the elites world plans that would not only disturb his personal sense of security, but may endanger both his and Hollister's life were he to reveal them. So Bill chose not to further encourage the mystery of Hollister's insinuations. Instead, he chose silence.
"In answer to your earlier comment," Hollister said, "I firmly believe Leonard is in possession of the canon. That is my gut feeling. I further believe he found it at his brother's house, which is why he took so drastic a move to elude our agents and frame two of them. And he has help."
"What do you suggest, sir?" Bill asked.
"We get the woman and through her we will get the son."
"And if Jack gets in the way?"
Hollister hesitated to reply, just briefly and then said, "Terminate him with extreme prejudice."
Transiently Bill meditated on that order and then asked, "Will that be all, sir?"
"For now," Hollister said. "And don't forget to send me those films."
"I won't, sir."
Hollister rose to his feet, his inadvertent glance registering the silk portrait of Darth Vader, as he turned and headed toward the door and exited.