Chapter 40

Another year has passed, bringing with it significant changes. Most notably, the hotel will be completed in just a few months.

Thanks to our help in building the hotel, Karl has stayed in touch more frequently. Having him here allowed us to assess the rest of the inner circle and place them in the jobs that were best suited to their skills, which relieved me of even more responsibilities. Giving me time to make more You Tube content. Most were clips of the environmental cleanup of the mine. But we got messages the few times the Oasis was visible in the background, asking how why there was such a lush view from the mine’s entrance.

This led me to make my channel more horticultural, now covering how we were building the ‘Oasis’, which we informed the viewers was to be a gay, off grid co-op. With it came explosive growth to the channel. We grew so large in subscribers the channel was monetized, which allowed us to farm in earnest. With constant requests for more videos, I handed the job over to members willing to take my place on the channel.

A few months ago, Karl opened the park, promoting it with heavily discounted prices since we could currently accommodate only campers and RV’ers. The Oasis contributed by creating various promotional videos showcasing the park’s rides on You Tube, the unique tent camping inside the cave with its hot springs, the cave maze, and highlights of the mining museum, alongside the features of the RV park.

We began receiving comments from around the globe. Initially, subscribers were asking about gardening tips and self-sufficiency. This soon shifted to questions like, “Is this really in your backyard?” We quickly clarified that the park was on the other side of the mine and wasn’t our property—except for the camping area, which we co-owned.

To gauge viewer interest in the amusement park and our camping facilities, we offered half-price tickets for everything except the park itself. We also provided a discount code for those seeking additional price reductions on park tickets.

Later, we announced that subscribers who camped and visited the park would receive guided tours of our Oasis, led by some guys featured in our videos. Almost immediately, we were flooded with requests for specific guides. Most women asked about the more attractive guides, while the men favored the bear-types. Despite our community being gay, something our videos made very clear. We still received many requests from women for particular guides. When I discussed this trend with Jesse, he remarked, “women always think they can change a man’s mind with their looks.”

*****

As we find ourselves in peak vacation season now, visitor numbers are encouraging, but they are still not enough for Karl’s group to turn a profit. We will have to wait and see how things unfold once the hotel opens next month.

“Master, we bring good news.” The two dragons were in their corporeal forms, bowing on the ground before me, their eyes level with the bed on which I was relaxing. I hurriedly got off the bed and covered myself.

“This is the first time you’ve come here together in your full flesh and blood forms. Please at least give me a moment before you do that again.” I was so taken aback by their appearance that I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Both dragons transformed into their human-sized forms.

“We’re so sorry, Master! We were just too excited to hear the good news and had to tell you right away,” Ursus’s dragon said.

“What good news? It better be great to have scared me like that!” I exclaimed.

“Master, the day has finally come. Our world is satiated for the first time in known history,” both dragons said.

“Does that mean we can stop recruiting more men?” I asked, hopeful that the answer would be yes.

“We can slow down and be pickier about whom we let in, but to be safe, we will still need more men. While you and your inner circle will live forever, that is not true for your—our—followers. They age like all men do and will eventually die as a result,” Stone’s dragon replied.

I hadn’t considered that; I thought everyone in the Oasis was immortal. “How long will most of them live then?” I needed to know. No, they all needed to know.

“A man in the Oasis can live, at most, a hundred years—give or take a few. Currently, human men live between fifty-five and eighty-seven years. Those in the Oasis will probably all reach the upper nineties,” Ursus’s dragon answered.

“However, there are conditions that could cause some to die before then. While we always guard you and Jesse, and apply the same protection to your inner circle, the general members are mostly protected only by their leader. At any moment, there are a few thousand who are unguarded. If something were to happen to them at that moment, resulting in an almost instant death, we could do nothing to bring them back,” Stone’s dragon warned.

“Can you provide me with the current count of members?” I needed to know how close we were to capacity.

“You have not ordered the recruiting to stop, so the numbers are still climbing. As of now, we have fifteen thousand seven hundred and forty-two members.”

“So, I still have a significant buffer before reaching maximum capacity. That’s good,” I said, more to myself than to the dragons.

“Indeed, Master. In time, we may find another like you in this world. And even if we do not, your choice in the number of inner circle members will still carry us into the distant future,” Stone’s dragon said.

“We might ascend again, which could change the member count in your favor. You may never have to reach capacity. Sometimes I do feel that ascension is near,” Ursus’s dragon added.

“I didn’t realize we had recruited this many members. I suppose it’s to be expected since I’m no longer involved in every decision that the Oasis makes.”

“I need you, spirits, to send me the inner circle members who are in charge of recruiting, placing new members in jobs, overseeing security, and maintaining morale, plus one more who knows the different types and classes of members in the Oasis,” I instructed the two dragons.

“Master, do you want them all to attend the meeting?” Stone asked for clarification.

“I’m sorry, but I need to speak with each person individually, unless multiple members have the same or very similar tasks assigned. In that case, I will need to see them together. Once you notice I have finished with one member or group, please send the next one in. I’m unsure how long each meeting will take, but I need to understand what I haven’t been informed about, as the circle has been working on the tasks I assigned them.”

“It will be done, Master,” they replied in unison before transforming into their spirit forms and fading away.

That night, when Jesse returned from wherever he had been, I said, “I’ve lost touch with the daily routines in the Oasis. I feel completely out of the loop. Take you, for example: you leave for hours and come back. We have dinner, enjoy some fun, and go to bed. You never tell me about your day or what you do when you’re away.”

“I thought that’s what you wanted—to be left alone and not bothered by every little thing. This is the first time you’ve mentioned it,” Jesse replied, studying my face. “Wait, am I missing something? Are you okay?”

“Calm down. I found out that today we are officially meeting the needs of the spirits’ home world,” I told him.

“Well, that’s great news! We should celebrate and tell the entire Oasis!” Jesse exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. I gently pushed him away.

“Wait, let me explain first.” I finally had his attention, and he released me.

“Yes, that’s good news, but I also discovered we have over fifteen thousand members. I’ve been kept in the dark about many other issues—ones that could threaten the stability of the Oasis. I’m not blaming you or the inner circle; this is on me. When I stepped back from making decisions, I felt so relieved that I lost track of the day-to-day operations. I should have called weekly meetings with the circle to prevent problems from escalating.”

Jesse hugged me again, this time more gently.

“We all thought you needed time for yourself. You come out almost every day and see for yourself what’s going on in the caves and up at the farm. I thought you were asking the men for the information you wanted.”

“I felt like they all wanted me not to talk to them, like they were afraid of me or that what they said would push me over the edge. So, I just looked around and observed everyone approaching no one. Sometimes men would approach me, but they were men I already knew, and our conversations were brief. I want you to sit in on these meetings with me,” I told Jesse.

“Okay, what are the meetings for?” he asked.

“Exploratory for now. We may have some issues that need to be addressed based on what the Omegas told me and what I’ve seen. If I’m wrong, I’ll have the inner circle meet weekly to keep everyone informed of what’s going on in the Oasis, not just me,” I replied.

“When will the meetings be?” Jesse asked.

“Whenever the spirits send the men here. They start tomorrow.”

“Looks like I’m all yours for a while then,” Jesse smiled as he carried me to bed.

*****

‘Master, wake up. You need to wake up.’ This hadn’t happened in a while. I was hearing one of the spirits in my dream. I knew what I heard was not part of a dream.

‘Is that you, Cetus?’ I asked.

‘Yes, Master. You wanted to meet with the recruitment team. Grey is outside the portal with Paul,’ Cetus replied.

‘Let them in and tell them we’ll be a few minutes,’ I instructed.

‘Of course, Master. They’ll be in your study.’ Our cave lacked a proper meeting space, and since I often found myself lost in thought, Jesse had a room added, which he called the study. There are a few books, but it hardly qualifies as a true study.

I nudged Jesse awake. “Time for the meeting. Grey and Paul are waiting for us.”

“What meeting? I spoke with Grey just yesterday,” he mumbled, still groggy. I left him to wake up, to take a quick shower.

When I returned, Jesse was sitting up, looking irritated. “You could have at least helped me wake up so I could shower,” he grumbled.

“If I had, we’d still be in there. Grey and Paul are really busy. What I’m going to tell them will let them relax for a while,” I said as I formed clothes for myself. We headed to the study, with Jesse still grumbling about missing the chance to enjoy a shower with me.

As I entered, I overheard Paul saying to Grey, “You sure this is the study? Just look around—hardly any books or magazines; almost…”

Grey noticed us and cleared his throat, prompting Paul to stop mid-sentence.

“See, I told you,” I remarked to Jesse.

“You could have filled it with books if you wanted,” Jesse replied, rolling his eyes.

“Good morning. Yes, Paul, this is the study, but it also serves as a meeting room.” I settled into the sole recliner, specially crafted by the spirits to match the table surrounded by five ordinary chairs. Jesse took the seat next to me.

“Did Cetus mention what this meeting is about?” I directed the question at Grey, who oversaw recruitment.

“Not really. That’s why I brought Paul along—just in case this discussion relates to the system rather than spying program or recruitment.”

“I’ve been out of the loop regarding the behind-the-scenes action—mostly my fault. I’m calling these meetings to get updated. If things are more chaotic than I realize, I may need to involve additional groups. After these meetings, I plan to establish regular sessions, either weekly or monthly, with the inner circle.” Grey and Paul looked puzzled.

I continued, “yesterday, both Omegas visited me. They shared some good news that shocked me: we now have over fifteen thousand members. For the first time in their history, the Omegas said their spirit world was satiated. You both understand what that means.”

“We’ve reached our goal!” Grey exclaimed.

“Yes, but there are qualifications. Just like in our world, things can change; what seems sufficient today might be too much or too little tomorrow. Since spirits are eternal, I doubt this situation will remain satisfactory in the future. The timeline is unpredictable, but for now, we can slow down and be more selective about who we accept. You two should take some time to rest. I know how you’ve both worked so hard to get to this point.”

“I don’t know what I would do with that time,” Paul replied.

“I’m not suggesting you act on this immediately, but I’ve learned something important. While the inner circle and I are essentially immortal—the spirits won’t allow us to die—the rest of the Oasis don’t have that same protection. The spirits are constantly watching over us, every moment of every day. However, the general population of the Oasis isn’t always under guard. For instance, if José is driving to Chile and, for just a moment, his spirit leader isn’t watching him, a car could crash into his, and there’s no guarantee of his safety.”

“He would be dead,” Jesse said.

“Yes, men can die in countless ways in the blink of an eye,” Grey added.

“This led to another question. How long do members typically live? While the spirits continuously rebuild us, members remain healthy but can still succumb to old age. I asked them what lifespan a member might expect. Any guesses?”

“Longer than most men, right?” Jesse suggested.

“Yes, if they avoid accidents, members will live past their nineties. However, they won’t age like typical elderly individuals; they’ll look young and feel fine until one day, they simply don’t wake up.”

“What do you want us to do about that?” Paul asked.

“Can you create a program that tracks the total population of the Oasis daily? If there’s even a drop of just one, it should search for the missing member. Since we haven’t heard from anyone in the Oasis about friends or loved one's dying, I suspect the spirits are removing the bodies. I could be jumping to conclusions as I’m not aware of the age of our oldest recruit. We should also consider the possibility of accidents. Set a flag at a current member count minus two hundred. If we drop low then that, let me know, and I’ll ask the Omegas if we’re still providing enough spirit energy to their world. We’ll restart recruitment until we meet their expectations, continue running the program to identify potential recruits, flagging those who match the deceased, if any. When that happens, we can recruit two hundred members all at once.” I explained my strategy for staying informed about the men of the Oasis.

“I’ll check with Cetus to see if there’s a quick way to tag everyone for the computer to track them easily. If that doesn’t work, using the cameras to locate every member could considerably slow things down.”

“When you find out there are issues with the computer, let me know. We’ll look for one that can handle both tasks and still have extra capacity,” Paul grinned at the thought.

“On another note, have either of you noticed any morale issues?” I paused. “Actually, never mind—I have a better idea.”

“Care to share?” Jesse asked.

I raised a finger to signal them to wait. Then, I sent a message to everyone in the Oasis: “Hey everyone, it’s me, Keith! Sorry it’s been a while since I last reached out. I’d like each of you to suggest anything you think we need or would like to see here at the Oasis. It doesn’t have to be a physical object; it could be something like a specific sport you’d like to play in the caves. I’m also curious if any of you had pets before coming here. If so, suggest having them here, too. Please send your ideas to your leader, and they’ll pass them on to me. Thanks!”

“Does that clarify things?” I asked.

“You might regret that,” Grey chuckled. “I bet the top suggestion will be to allow pets.”

“Yeah, that crossed my mind too,” I admitted.

Over the next three days, I held meetings, and a clearer picture of the Oasis formed in my mind. The most pressing issue was that with so many members, there were more men without jobs than those with jobs. This situation could fester until it eventually exploded.

I called a meeting with the inner circle and invited anyone they thought could help address the problems I had identified. The meeting would be held in the new amphitheater.