“Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?” I turned to leave—coming face to face with Dharma Yuan. She was barefoot, her body cloaked in nothing but a longgua, a traditional Chinese surcoat once worn by a court concubine. The sheer, dark apparel was made of silk and gold-wrapped metal thread, ornamented with dragon medallions and a variety of Buddhist characters, including bats, which according to ABE, symbolized happiness. Over her heart, tossed in the waves of the sea was a light green disc representing the moon.

She looked quite ravishing, but my attention was elsewhere.

“Robert, we need to talk.”

“Can’t it wait until morning?”

“Why are you here?”

“I was hoping to get a six-pack to go, but the principal said no.”

“I meant, why are you here on this training mission?”

“I thought you were figuring that one out?”

“I have been trying … channeling in an attempt to understand. The messages I have been receiving are quite disturbing.”

With Andria waiting for me, the last thing I needed now was to engage Dharma in some wacky Buddhist philosophical diatribe. “If you must know, I’m here because the Pentagon was worried about the mental health one of the male members of Omega’s crew. Everyone checked out, so it’s all cool. False alarm.”

“I know you believe this to be the reason you are here, but there are forces in play among the higher realms of existence that are pulling the strings. Robert, every soul born into this physical realm is bound by karmic law to complete its own journey. Your presence onboard this vessel marks the beginning of a journey, the effects of which shall ripple beyond our days. The karma that draws you to this place … this moment in time … it is very powerful.”

“If you say so.”

“Do not mock me! I am sixteenth-generation Buddhist, disciplined by Mañjuśrī, transcendent deity of wisdom—one of the four great Bodhisattvas. Your chi disrupted my aura on the ice sheet. For anyone, especially a westerner, to break into my soul consciousness—it is simply not possible.”

She was a firecracker, I had to admit it. “Listen, Dharma, don’t feel bad, I’ve sort of jacked up my chi with a biological implant. ABE allows me to focus my brain waves in ways you’ve obviously never experienced before.”

“Karma cannot be affected by a neurological device; karma is a reflection of past lives.” She paused. “I can see by your reaction you do not believe in reincarnation.”

Oh, boy … “Dharma, no disrespect, but I really have to go.”

She moved, blocking my escape. “As a clairvoyant, I am trained to tap into one’s past life experiences. I have accessed yours in an attempt to understand the nature of your karma and the journey that lies ahead. Would you like to hear about your past lives, Robert?”