Smenkhkare Part 6

I walk with Kepra-la and she leads us to a small residence on the outskirts of Akhetaten. As we walked I momentarily flash backed to all the Egypt movies I've seen: The Egyptian, Cleopatra and even Yul Brynner as Pharaoh in The Ten Commandments. Seeing the real deal makes all the MGM sets and costumes seem so corny and fake. It's not just the architecture and costumes - it's the people that make the biggest difference. The people are real and so unlike the actors posing as Egyptians in street scenes and the like.

We finally arrive and she enters first, motioning me to follow.

My eyes adjust from the bright mid-day sun to the darker inside of a home.

"Greetings in the name of Aten."

As the person before me becomes clear, I am taken aback almost to the point of shock. It is a young man, perhaps twenty or twenty-five, and he looks like he could almost be my twin brother. The face, particularly the eyes and nose are nearly identical in appearance to my own. His head is shaved, which is the most glaring disparity between us. He seems just a bit shorter than I am and I see his skull is larger than normal, but not nearly as large as Akhenaten's. I turn and look at Kepra-la with an inquisitive glance.

"Is this..."

"Yes. You are meeting your past self."

The man is staring at me with about the same look of amazement and shock I must have on my face right now.

"You...you look like me?"

"Apparently, we share the same Ka."

I think of all the science fiction tales I have read which involved the end of the universe if you should meet yourself. It seems the universe does not implode or explode. Thank goodness for small miracles.

I know there should be a million questions to ask this man, myself, and the only thought I can manage to muster is to wonder how my Ka can support two bodies in different states of development at the same time.

Kepra-la is smiling broadly. And my other self, between curious stares at me, is smiling even more broadly at her. It's nice to know I appreciated the finer things already over 3500 years ago and at the same time it sort of bothers me to see him ogling her.

"What is your name?"

He turns to me again, "Smenkhkare. I am Pharaoh's younger brother."

I try to recall my history and know he (me?!) is also doomed to a very short reign after Nefertiti's and Akhenaten's murder.

"You are my living proof of the continuity of the Ka. Seeing you has ended the doubts that have plagued me. You are from the future, I was told this and believe it. How far into the future are you from?"

"We are from 3500 years in your future."

"Praise to Aten! This is wonderful. And what is life like 3500 years from now?"

"It is different, yet the same. There are many more machines that do things, but the people live with many of the same needs and desires they live with now."

I turn to Kepra-la. "This is why Akhenaten and his family treated me like family isn't it?" She smiles and knows I've answered my own question. Meritaten's asking me "Do you remember" makes total sense now. Seeing myself is bringing things much clearer. Perhaps too clearly. Flashes of this past life emerge. Images, scenes and feelings from out of this time.

I look at Kepra-la who speaks in my mind.

"I understand there is a certain shock and adjustment as you oscillate here with your old self. It is natural to feel confused and a bit disoriented."

I look back at Smenkhkare, I realize he is secretly in love with Nefertiti - his older brother's wife. Scenes of him with Nefertiti in private flash with great detail and force to the surface of my consciousness. He is quite frustrated as he loves her madly yet can't betray his brother.

Amazing. I wonder if I have always had this type of problem - falling for women who are not available or out of my league. Either way it makes sense of my great attraction and admiration for Nefertiti. Even as a child I could hear her voice in my mind - a voice through time from the past. Now I know why I knew what her voice sounded like.

Smenkhkare speaks. "I do know you both. This future life...how is it I can see images of this life if it has not yet happened?"

Kepra la explains it to him, that the Ka is timeless and unique parts of it extend throughout all time periods.

I realize he is seeing small vignettes of my life, like I am seeing small vignettes of his. I wonder if he can see my future. Watching him is like watching a mirror, and just like watching a reflection it seems rather boring.

Kepra la is again in my head "Yes, you are being repulsed by yourself somewhat. The shared signals you share create a repulsion."

Smenkhkare reaches out to shake my hand. I reach out hesitantly and when we touch the repulsion almost seems like revulsion. It is almost physically painful to touch him! I see he has had much the same reaction.

"We are too alike. We repel each the other."

It is fascinating. In some ways he is the most unsympathetic person I have ever met and yet we share so much in common. Identical twins may share the same Ka, but their spirit is divided, like a deck of playing cards, so that no two cards are identical matches. Here, like this, way too many signals in our respective fields match and I realize I have to get out of here. My stomach is upset and I feel quite anxious.

"It was nice to meet you." I say.

"Yes, I am grateful to Aten for showing me myself."

I walk out of the residence in a hurry. The world is spinning and I notice Kepra-la has followed me out only after giving a very big hug to Smenkhkare. I would be jealous, but I realize it is me she is hugging and I can almost feel the hug even as I bend over and try to catch my equilibrium.

"Why is it worse for me than him?"

She looks at me, "It is because your fields don't like the older versions of themselves. Those signals have all been updated by another 3500 years of experiences. The natural reaction is to get away from them, for fear of reversion."

"How can my Ka support both bodies at the same time?"

"Easily. A developed soul can support many Ka's in the same time. You could support several without any great dilution in your ability to manage them. Like controlling a marionette - one for each hand. Now, if you have many more hands, the number increases proportionately. I think it is time for us to leave."

I smile at Kepra-la, she has shown me all this for a very important reason and, like her sister, she keeps those reasons often close to the chest, letting me get the full benefit of figuring it all out.

In a flash we are back in Shamballa. She disappears, leaving me alone with my communiques with teams in the Egypt of today and my thoughts. I have much to ponder and even more to understand.