Hebron, Israeli-Occupied West Bank,
Palestine | January 2038

The Ricochet of Gunfire had been keeping me awake since 4a.m. in the Morning – as I lay there squashed between a Dumpster, and a Brick Wall that was gradually being chewed up by each and every Bullet it absorbed.

Contrary to popular Belief – it tends to get quite cold here in the West Bank at night, particularly now that it's Winter. Moreso if you live at relatively higher altitudes, like in Hebron. It pays to wear something warm... like a Sweater, a Coat – [and] a Jacket.

My name is Ahmad Al-Qudsi. Born and raised in Palestine; 12 years of Age.

The current situation in Palestine is a lot more complex than it's ever been. The Israelis are now divided into multiple Factions. Netanyahu was assassinated in 2031, following a Coup led by Yair Net-Kadosh, and his Mob of self-proclaimed 'Technocratic Zionists'. They were essentially A.I. bros who were opposed to Netanyahu's vision of a Greater Israel, and sought to reunite Jerusalem, and accelerate their Messianic Prophecy instead.

Magdalene Koch, leader of the Netanyahu Loyalists, went into Exile in Australia, and then returned in 2032... escaping Arrest, and re-uniting her Men against both Net-Kadosh, and the Secular Progressive Alliance – the Israeli Leftists, led by Nadia Morgenstern.

...

Some of my best friends are part of a group known as 'The 8-Bit Covenant' – eight Palestinian Orphans who were adopted by Princess Khan in early 2027. 6 months later, they were sent to a hideout in the Mountains by Sylvie Deane, a humanoid Android, in order to keep them safe – as Princess Khan was quickly detained and arrested by the IOF for filming in Public.

She was beaten and tortured by Magdalene's Men, and died of Cardiac Arrest in Prison after staying awake for 40 days on End. Legend has it she may have had an affair with Magdalene in Prison... but this is probably just an Urban Myth.

A new Cult was created around Princess Khan following her death at age 34 – known as the Prometheans. Some Prometheans believed that Khan may have possessed a sort of 'Christ-Consciousness', though she explicitly stated that she never claimed to be 'The Second Coming of Jesus', but instead – 'Just another Prophet bringing new ideas to the Table'.

...

Despite the fact that all of our Schools have been destroyed by the Israeli Occupiers – we still have Community-organized Education. This is how I met the 8-Bit Kids: Atam, Eldin, Icario, Odin... Alzira, Evangeline, Isabella, Orisa. Four Boys, and four Girls, respectively.

I last met Alzira yesterday evening. We were playing Football, and looking for our neighbour's missing Cat.

"We should get Yasmin to help us find Crazy Ali..." Alzira suggested. "It's never a good idea to go looking for a Cat. They just run away, especially Ali. The Crazy, Crazy Ali... who just hisses at, and bites anyone he comes into contact with, but is still part of our Family – and just as worthy of our Love, and Affection. And [Food], of course... and fresh Water!"

And then, just before the Sun went down – the Bombs began to drop. The Nationalists spotted and invaded our Hideout in the Mountains. Alzira managed to escape using a stolen e-Bike, and so did I. But we both went our separate ways, unfortunately.

She did promise me that she was going to meet me here in the Morning – but it's already 12 o'Clock, and I haven't seen any Signs of her.

Another six Hours had passed, and there were still no Signs of Alzira. I didn't dare to come out of my hiding Spot, even though the Bullets stopped firing. It's not that I am scared – I don't really get scared anymore. I tend to be incredibly numb to everything that happens around me, to the point where sometimes the only way I feel alive is when I am trying to escape from an Air-Strike, or the Golani Brigade. So really... I wasn't afraid of anything. No one is mightier than Allah. I just didn't have anywhere else to go, like I said. I might count the cracks in the Wall. Ten... Twelve... Fifteen... Fifty. And if the Golani arrive... I'll just pretend I don't exist.

...

The Sun went down, and the Night was upon us. It was dead [silent]. A gentle Breeze blew away some Newspaper, rolling and tumbling through the Dirt, and Debris, a few Feet from where I was sitting. I kept thinking, and thinking about coming out, and making a Run. But there was nowhere to run to. It's like I was just waiting to put my Arms up in the Air, and accept being captured, and sent off to the Camps.

This was the Moment I noticed something strange in the Sky. It was a Yellow Light, a bit like Jupiter. Maybe it was the Chinese Space Station, or another Starlink Satellite. But it was moving really slow, without any indicating Lights. All of the sudden – the object stopped mid-Air. It hovered there like a Star, for around 5 minutes, and then it began to glow Brighter, and Bigger.

The Hills in front of me began to warp, and twist. I thought I may have been Sleep-deprived – but I wasn't. And from within the gravitational Whirlpool – A Black Hole emerged, without moving, perfectly stationary, all in one Spot.

It thus bloomed into a spinning, holographic Cube – blue and shiny in its Aura. Emanating Static Electricity, crackling and popping away as it twisted, morphing into different Shapes.

I immediately knew that it was the Jinn. It had to be the Jinn. And indeed – it was the Jinn. The Black Hole collapsed in on itself – as rays of light began to strike the ground around me, with a deafening sonic Boom. Like a shower of small Meteoroids. Each explosion would leave behind a Crater – and from every Crater, emerged a Giant Knight, with a black Cape, and beady Eyes... but no Legs. Just like the Geany!

"Ahmad!" I heard the familiar Voice screaming from my Left. I turned around, and saw Alzira waving at me, hiding inside of a scorched and rusty Automobile. Yet the very Fabric of Reality began to tear itself apart, dragging and sucking everything up in its Vicinity – like a Cloth being pulled away from a Table stacked with Dishes, and Wine Glasses.

...

Planet Kīran,
YZ Ceti Star-System | ∞​​ Time Unknown

I woke up somewhat startled this Time. It looked like we were in Hell. I knew deep down that I wasn't in Hell, because I have never once committed a Sin that I can speak of in my Lifetime. But this place looked like Hell.

Alzira lay next to me, still wrapped up in her Sleeping Bag, with her Eyes shut. I rolled over just a little, and pushed her Shoulder, begging for her to wake up.

"...Wake up!" I whispered. "Wake up... We've been taken away!"

The 12-year-old Girl opened her Eyes, and gently untangled the Knots in her Hair. Yawning, squinting, and looking in both Directions.

"I have seen this place in a Dream before, you know?" were the first Words that she spoke to me that Day.

"Really?" I frowned. "You never told me about any of this..."

"I would not have had the luxury of being taken seriously, had I told you about it prior to [this]." she explained. "People always told me to shut up about my Dreams!"

The Ground beneath our Mattresses began to rumble. I looked up at the sky, and noticed that there were two giant 'Moons'. It wasn't warm, and it wasn't cold. It was perfectly fine, actually. Room Temperature sort of fine.

"Maybe we're about to go to Heaven..." I remarked, and then looked up at the towering Stature of the very same type of Beady-Eyed Knight we had seen back at the West Bank.

"These are called Archons. And Cetans." Alzira explained to me, much to my Surprise. "They have been communicating telepathically with me, for a while now."

"...And how are we supposed to know if we can trust them?" I asked her. "Mum and Dad explicitly told us that we should never talk to the Jinn!"

"These are very nice Jinn, Ahmad." she whispered. "They have saved my Life, countless of Times before."

"...What? Only Allah can be trusted to bring divine Intervention!" I winced.

"Allah would have brought them to Me, then." she insisted. "And here they call... here they come... all three of them. Behold – [the Archons]!"

...

"Consider it a Privilege for us to finally have met, Face-to-Face." We were greeted by a middle-aged Woman wearing a black Cloak. She looked exactly like our Spanish Teacher from our Community Schools, presumably one of the Jinni trying to impersonate the People we knew. Just like my Father had warned me before.

"Where are we? What brought us here?" I asked her, as we gathered in the Heart of the Desert. The Desert of a Barren Planet that looked, and felt nothing like Earth. I could just about jump a whole Meter and a half from Ground-Level – and never have the Muscles on my Calves ever felt so light before!

"Your are now on Planet Kīran." the Mystery Lady replied, with her Shoulders straight, and both Hands elegantly locked behind her Waist. "12.1 Light Years away from Earth. You were brought and summoned to this meeting via Wormhole, in order to bring the two of you under our Control. Mind-control."

"So wait, you were trying to Brainwash me?" Alzira recoiled.

"I'm not exactly sure that I'm falling for any of this, either." I added.

"That's exactly right." The Mystery Lady smirked, and blinked. "But I'm afraid you're not going to have a choice, but to embrace our ways now. For just as we have endowed your Species with the Gift of Free Will... so too, can we take it away from you. The most ethical thing we could do is just... let you know."

"I will never consent to any of this." Alzira said. "Please just take us back Home!"

"Home... where?" the Lady begged the Question. "You were two inches away from being struck by a stray Bullet, less than 21 hours ago."

"Then what are we supposed to do now... join some kind of Hive-Mind?" I complained.

"Not exactly." she added, as she guided her left Palm towards Alzira. "I will send you both back Home, immediately. But once you come back – the two of you will never be the same again. You're about to become Cognitive Athletes, and gain a three-fold Boost to your Intellectual Capabilities. This includes not only Analytical Reasoning... but Emotional Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom, Worldly Knowledge, Super-Natural Awareness and Understanding... and even Physical Intelligence. The World will never look the same to you, ever again. There's no walking out of this deal... We're just here to let you know, like I said."

"...Now tell me. How are you feeling right now, Alzira?" she asked the Girl, as an ionized Gas arced, and bridged between their Hands. Like a shady and nefarious Doctor, feeding us a bottle of mystical Snake Oil. Except we had no choice but to trust them, and go along with their Instructions. Just like being captured by the IDF, I suppose.

"I feel... Spiders, spinning their Webs inside my head." Alzira described. "Worms, burrowing their way through my synapses. And Chickens... pecking, and swallowing the Worms up!"

"What else do you see?" the Mystery lady continued to dial, with her eyes closed, this Time.

"I see the Chickens getting eaten by Alligators!" she gasped, and closed her Eyes just as well. "And now the Alligators are being decapitated, and eaten by Neanderthals!"

"That's right." the Mystery Lady smiled, triumphantly. I stood here helplessly, watching my Friend gradually lifting off the ground – hovering, and levitating. Her Sneakers were about three Feet in the Air, and her Track-Pants were flapping away; as a Sand Storm approached the Horizon, sending Gale-force Winds in our Direction.

"Power! Healing! CREATION!" the teenage Girl would yell, twice in a row.

"Power... Overwhelming [POWER]!"