“It will be difficult for you to accept this answer, but yes. Remember what I told you about the human heart generating an electromagnetic field? These fields can be positive or negative. Now think of our planet as an energy grid, its own magnetic field, generated at the Earth’s core, affected by the balance of these billions of electromagnetic impulses. When human society flourished, the grid remained stable and the magnetic core flowed, free of seismic disturbances. When humanity was engaged in warfare and other negative behavior, the core was disrupted and disasters struck, both natural and man-made. A decade before the Great Die-Off, the world was mired in two wars, with a third looming while banks and corporations engaged in unbridled greed, causing millions of families to lose their jobs and homes. These events coincided with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis—and eventually the Great Die-Off. The Mayans and other ancient cultures understood this cause-and-effect relationship quite well, warning us of the doomsday scenario we eventually inflicted upon ourselves. Or do you honestly believe the Great Die-Off occurred simply because modern man ran out of oil?”

“You still haven’t explained how that asteroid struck the moon, when every astronomer predicted it would pass us by.”

“The asteroid’s trajectory was altered—that was the effect. The cause? Our grief and anger and rage as we were forced to watch our loved ones perish in the GDO. Four billion people were wiped out. Multiply the anger in your heart by the population of the planet during those dark times, then calculate the electromagnetic deviations necessary to alter the trajectory of that asteroid just enough so that it struck the moon.”

“It’s an interesting theory, Dharma. I don’t believe it, but it’s interesting.”

“Denial is a trait of the spirit of the Hungry Ghost. It comes from the inner rage fueled by your past lives. It remains harbored in an internal emptiness that can never be filled.”

“Maybe you’re wrong about that. Maybe I can fill that emptiness by saving the cephalopeds from annihilation.”

“As I told you before, you cannot achieve enlightenment from anger.”

“What you call enlightenment, I call seeking justice.”

“Seek justice or seek happiness. You cannot have them both.”

I turned, registering the big male’s presence even before he entered our section of the cave.

Revitalized with my blood, Oscar was again an imposing beast. Moving to the hot springs, the cephaloped slid into the water, then extended two of its powerful tentacles, placing one sucker pad over my solar plexus, the other over Dharma’s.

Focusing my thoughts, I greeted my friend. It’s good to see you.

No reply. Not even a simple ‘thank you.’

YOU EXPECT GRATITUDE?

So you can hear me. As for the gratitude, you were less than a minute from death. I did manage to save your life. Of course, you’ve saved mine on numerous—