PART 1 | Encounter with John Zegrus

I was spending a few days at a friend’s house in Balneário Quintão, in the municipality of Palmares do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It’s a simple but welcoming place. The local beach is open sea, cold, brownish in color, with a wide stretch of sand. I had been staying there for about two weeks when a friend who had recently moved to the city of São José do Norte, in the same state, invited me to spend a few days at his place. I decided to go and planned to stay there for two days before returning to my friend’s house.

On October 2nd, 2024, I left Balneário Quintão around 2:30 PM, starting a journey that would last about four hours. My friend gave me a flower vase to place on her father’s grave, which was located in the cemetery of Vila Bojuru, on the side of the BR-101 highway. That stretch of the long road I was about to take had a grim nickname: “Highway to Hell.” It was called that because of its terrible conditions over many years—sand, mud, and large puddles that made crossing extremely difficult and dangerous. Nowadays, it’s paved.

She also gave me a note with her father’s name on it, explained where the grave was located, and asked me to say a short prayer for him. That same day, there would be a partial solar eclipse visible in the southern hemisphere, and remembering that, I brought along the special glasses I had bought specifically to observe the event during the trip.

It was already past 5:30 PM when I was approaching Vila Bojuru. I slowed down to locate the cemetery, which was set a little off the shoulder of the road. I decided to leave the flower vase at the grave first and then watch the eclipse, which should be nearing its peak at that moment.

When I arrived, I found two young women on a motorcycle at the cemetery entrance. I greeted them and parked the car. They looked at me strangely — as if they were waiting for someone and, upon seeing me, thought I was the person they were expecting. It was just a passing impression, and I didn’t think much of it. I took the flower vase and got out of the car. The girls rode off toward the road.

The cemetery gate was open, and I went in, looking for the grave. Based on the directions I’d been given, I read the names on the tombstones until I found the place where he rested. I placed the vase next to the name, where there was also a photo of him protected by glass. I checked the time: it was almost 5:49 PM. I remembered the eclipse and decided not to stay long. I looked down and closed my eyes to say a short prayer. Seconds later, instinctively, I opened my eyes and noticed a red dot on the glass covering the portrait. I thought it was a bloodstain and, intending to wipe it off, I bent down and rubbed it with my index finger. At that moment, I felt a strong dizziness, and my vision blurred. I kept my eyes closed for a few seconds, hoping the discomfort would soon pass. When I slowly lifted my head, I was startled.

A man, about 40 years old, with thinning hair and somewhere between 5'7" and 5'11" tall, was watching me from roughly three meters away. He wore tight jeans and, over his t-shirt, a leather jacket. He was standing in front of a tomb adorned with an angel with open arms, holding a sword in one hand and a book, possibly a Bible, in the other.

I looked around to see if there was anyone else, but it was just the two of us there. After a few seconds, I greeted him: “Good afternoon!” I felt that he was surprised to hear me. His facial expression showed slight astonishment, as if he hadn’t expected me to notice him. For a moment, I thought maybe he wasn’t from this world — maybe the spirit of someone buried there. I had never experienced anything like that before, and it left me uneasy. I felt my heart race. I had a sudden urge to run back to the car and leave that place as quickly as possible. But everything happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to act before he said: “Don’t be afraid. I’m not dead!”

Upon hearing that, I felt relieved. I smiled at him. Then he asked, “I saw you arrived by car. Where are you headed?” I told him I was on my way to São José do Norte. It must have been after 5:50 PM, and I had completely forgotten about the eclipse. My only thought was to get back on the road, as I still had about an hour of travel ahead. I began walking toward the cemetery gate when he asked me, “Could you give me a ride there?” It was starting to get dark, and that area is rather deserted. I didn’t have the courage to say no and told him yes, I could take him.

He approached, and we walked toward my car. On the way, he asked my name. That was when I noticed he spoke with a Portuguese accent—something I hadn’t picked up on before. I replied, “Helios.” We got into the car and left. Soon we reached the main road, which was about a hundred meters from the cemetery. Around three minutes later, I broke the silence and asked, “You’re not Brazilian? You speak with a Portuguese accent...” Fixing his eyes on the road, he replied, “I’m European, but not Portuguese. I learned five languages due to my work requirements.” I was curious to know what his job was, but I was afraid of being intrusive and decided not to ask.

A few minutes later, I looked at him and saw his eyes were closed, probably sleeping. His hands rested on his thighs, palms facing down. What caught my attention was a ring on the middle finger of his right hand, set with a red stone. He had a somewhat robotic appearance, maybe because he was tired—he spoke slowly and deliberately.

The trip continued peacefully for about thirty minutes. Along the way, I saw about three signs on the roadside indicating we were 7 km from a place called Santo Antônio dos Ventos, with intervals of five to ten minutes between each sign. I had never heard of this town, but the strangest thing was seeing some ragged people by the roadside, looking like beggars. Some were gesturing for a ride, while others extended their hands asking for money. Naturally, I didn’t stop—it was already dark, and the scene was somewhat unsettling.

At one point during the journey, I had to slow down because a procession was coming from the opposite direction in the other lane. Stretching for about twenty meters, the people resembled monks, wearing rustic brown robes. They all wore hoods, so their faces weren’t visible. They walked slowly, each holding a lit candle.

As soon as the procession passed, the mysterious passenger woke up with a jolt and exclaimed, “I shouldn’t have fallen asleep. I might not be here now!” I didn’t understand what he meant. His eyes were fixed on the road, as if hypnotized by the darkness, where only a few lights from nearby houses stood out. I tried to resume the conversation by asking, “I still don’t know your name.” He looked at me and answered, “John.”

I figured that since he said he was European and his name was John, the logical conclusion was that he must be English. So, I commented, “Ah, so you’re from the UK?” He smiled, as if understanding the obviousness of my reasoning, and clarified: “No. My parents were British, but I wasn’t born in the United Kingdom.” He paused and, after sighing, added, “You don’t know the country where I was born.” There was another pause, as if he were organizing his thoughts before continuing. He looked at me again and said: “Helios, don’t be alarmed by what I’m about to tell you, but I’m not from your world.”

I didn’t wait for him to go on and, looking at him, I exclaimed, “What? You’re dead!? How can that be, when I see you here beside me, physically and completely real?” He interrupted me and, firmly, said, “Helios, keep your eyes on the road and just listen to what I’m going to tell you.”

“I’m a soldier, a naturalized American citizen, and I work for the FBI and CIA as a special agent in mind control. My specialty is extracting and inserting ideas into human consciousness through dreams—something that might sound like science fiction, but it’s already a reality where I come from, and we help your world that way.

“We work in the minds of scientists and inventors to assist them in making new discoveries and developing revolutionary ideas. For example, I was given the mission to insert ideas and concepts into the mind of Satoshi Nakamoto that helped him develop Bitcoin.

“Currently, I’m part of a mental experiment developed by Neuralink. Not the Neuralink of your world, but the one from the future in a parallel universe to yours. To be clear and direct: I’m not from your world. I come from a parallel dimension—another reality you are unaware of. When I said you didn’t know the country where I was born, it’s because that country doesn’t exist in your world, but it exists in mine. Maybe you’re thinking I’m a lunatic playing a joke on you, but I’m not. I come from the future of a universe parallel to yours. The researchers at Neuralink discovered a way to travel through time and return to the past. However, in this type of experiment, I didn’t return to the past of my own universe, but instead to a universe parallel to ours—this one we are in now.

“Scientists in your world claim it’s not possible to go back to the past because there are no time travelers among you and because it would be impossible for someone to go back and alter their own history. I refer to the grandfather paradox. But that paradox doesn’t actually exist because time travel happens in another reality. For reasons we still don’t fully understand, my universe is more closely connected to yours than others in the multiverse. The evidence suggests there are many parallel universes, and they are all interconnected. If I wanted to go back in time and kill my grandfather, that would happen in another universe—not mine. In that case, I wouldn’t be born in that alternate universe, but I would continue to exist in my own.

“Teleportation between multiverses is extremely dangerous because there’s no precise way of knowing where the mind will materialize. It might happen on a busy highway, in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, or inside the crater of an active volcano. Another possibility is materialization in intermediate universes—interfaces between two parallel worlds.

“Planned, controlled, and intentional time travel is no easy task. The process of temporal and spatial transposition that occurs more easily is the one in which the mind travels—not the body. That is exactly the process I’m experiencing right now. My body is in a Neuralink laboratory, with several chips connected to my brain, nearly three hundred years ahead of the year you are in. You see me physically, but in truth, it is only my consciousness that has materialized in this dimension.

“Our research indicates that mental teleportation between multiverses is based on the premise that the human mind is not a biochemical byproduct of the brain. Instead, it interacts with the biological body through a subtle quantum information field, which acts as an interface between consciousness and the physical dimension. From this perspective, the mind is capable of transcending parallel universes, making consciousness jumps between different realities. This phenomenon—mental teleportation between multiverses—assumes that, upon reaching certain specific quantum states, consciousness can collapse its presence in one universe and manifest in another parallel reality.

“On April 14th, 1561, a teleportation experiment conducted in another parallel universe was unsuccessful and only produced luminous effects in the sky over the city of Nuremberg. However, almost three centuries later, physicists from that parallel reality succeeded and managed to teleport a man whose mind materialized in your universe on August 7th, 1850, in the town of Lebus, also in Germany, near the Polish border. The success of the experiment was only possible because of an eclipse that occurred that day, 7,700 miles away from the point of materialization. Eclipses cause distortions in space-time that facilitate the success of such experiences.

“Many of the anomalous phenomena that occur in your world—like glowing energy spheres, crop circles, and other mysterious appearances identified as alien—are contact attempts made from some future parallel universe or from multiverses of other planets.

“As for our universes, we’ve observed that historically significant events for human civilization are, in most cases, identical. However, certain details are specific to my world, just as there are unique features in yours.

“For example, in both my universe and yours, Hitler lost the war. The outcome of World War II was the same—Allied victory and the nuclear attacks carried out by the United States on Japanese territory. However, in your world, the sacrificed cities were Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while in mine, they were Hiroshima and Kokura.

“The Allies’ victory is part of the history of both our worlds, but there are parallel universes where Hitler didn’t invade the Soviet Union in June 1941 and won World War II. There are alternate realities in which World War II didn’t even begin in 1939 because Hitler died during the First World War. Still, the global conflict eventually happened decades later—and it was nuclear.

“Some phenomena regarded as supernatural exist because we live in a quantum simulation, in which there is an infinity of parallel universes vibrating and interconnected. These connections occur through microscopic dimensional portals in space-time, which we call cosmic strings.

“When a microscopic portal forms precisely in the space-time coordinates corresponding to a person’s prefrontal cortex—someone with specific biological traits—or when one touches an energy point in the body that’s specially connected to the brain, their mind is instantly pulled into another universe. In that condition, they may experience something that, in the other universe, feels like hours or even days, but when the mind returns to the body, only a few seconds have passed.

“For some still unknown reason, these portals tend to open relatively frequently in enclosed public places, such as restrooms, elevators, tunnels, subway stations, abandoned buildings, or caves. In open environments, it’s also possible for these portals to form, but that happens more rarely.”
He paused to catch his breath, as he was speaking almost automatically, as if reading from a written text. Then he continued:

“I’m part of the team working on this project. Today is the second experiment we’ve carried out successfully. In the first one, they managed to bring my mind into your world exactly 65 years ago. I was teleported to Japan—more specifically, to a restroom at Haneda Airport, where the dimensional portal opened. This was on October 2nd, 1959, approximately 7,700 miles away from the solar eclipse that was happening on that same day on the African continent.

“Because it was the first successful experience, I was very confused. If you search online, you’ll find records of that incident, which later became treated as an urban legend. You’ll also discover the name of the country I came from. It’s called Taured, and my name is John Allen Kuchar Zegrus—but I prefer you call me simply Zegrus.

“What happened that day was that airport security agents saw I had dual citizenship: American and Tauredian. However, they considered the passport issued by Taured to be fake, since they had never heard of such a country. Because of that, I was tried and sentenced to one year in prison for entering Japan illegally. I was taken to Fuchu Prison, but three days later I returned to my world. My disappearance was not reported to the press, as the prison’s reputation would have been severely damaged.

“Today’s experiment was very risky, as there was a 95% probability that the portal would open in the middle of the ocean. That’s because, knowing where the first portal had appeared, the calculations indicated that the new opening would occur 700 miles from the opposite coordinate (the antipodal point) of the original coordinate (Haneda Airport). However, a very favorable factor saved the experiment—the eclipse. As the researchers had predicted, the alignment today of the Sun, Moon, and Earth created a gravitational effect that influenced space-time, enabling the dimensional portal to open on land, exactly 700 miles from the antipodal coordinate.”

After this entire account, he paused again—perhaps, I imagine, waiting to see how I would react to everything he had just told me. I was so stunned at that moment that all I could say was that it was all unbelievable. He seemed to understand my bewilderment. I couldn’t say anything else, and after one or two minutes of silence, he said, “Helios, I need your help.”

I wondered how I could possibly help a stranger who had just revealed such an extraordinary story—something no one would believe if I told them. He looked at the car dashboard and said, “I see you’re low on fuel.”

In fact, the low fuel warning light was on—and I hadn’t even noticed how long it had been like that. I would need to refuel as soon as possible.

2 – More Revelations

I told him I was worried about the fuel level, but not even two minutes had passed when we arrived at a fueling station called Posto Gibbon. As I pulled up next to the pump, I noticed something strange. The station looked aged — old, rusted, and abandoned cars filled the parking lot. The gas pumps were also rusted. Even though it was my first time there, there was something clearly anachronistic about the place, as if it belonged to another era — something from the 1960s or, at most, the 1970s.

An attendant approached with a visibly annoyed expression and asked:

“What do you want here?”

The answer was obvious, but I wasn’t bothered by the rude tone in which I was treated. I simply asked him to fill up the tank. When he finished, he took the money and said curtly:

“You can leave now! Go!”

As soon as I got back into the car, Zegrus asked:

“Can you pull over there in the parking lot?”

I complied. I parked the car and turned off the engine, thinking he still had something important to tell me.

At that moment, a man appeared beside the car and stood watching us with an angry expression. His eyes were red, like those of a drug addict.

I felt uneasy, but Zegrus didn’t seem to care. He acted naturally, as if the stranger watching us was something commonplace. However, the man didn’t stay for long and soon walked away, heading toward a patch of woods behind the station.

Zegrus looked at me and said:

“Helios, I’m going to explain the reason I’m here. In January of this year, we made contact with two young women from the city of São José do Norte. They were chosen so that I could deliver a mission to them. Even though Neuralink’s scientists were able to teleport me to the cemetery where we met, I wasn’t able to see them.

“A few days ago, we made another attempt to contact them and scheduled a new meeting at the same location. That meeting was supposed to happen today, because, as I told you, the eclipse would not only help the portal open on solid ground, but also increase the likelihood that I could see them—and they could see me.

“However, due to a delay in the experiment, I wasn’t able to arrive at the agreed time, and I assume they have already left. Therefore, it’s to you—and not to them—that I must entrust the mission.”

I looked outside and sighed, unsure of what kind of mission he was about to assign me. Turning back to him, I said:
“Well... Zegrus, if you left your world in the future to come here and find someone willing to accept a mission, then it must be truly important. Tell me: what kind of task so significant do you intend to give me?”

“First, I need to tell you a little about the country I came from: the Republic of Taured. In your world, this republic doesn’t exist because in the same territory lies the Principality of Andorra. In my world, Taured is also known as the Republic of the Lords, and I’ll explain why.

“In 1307, King Philip IV of France began persecuting the Templar knights in his kingdom. In England, upon learning of the events, most of the Templars decided to flee with all the Order’s possessions, fearing that King Edward II might do the same. Around 70 knights left the British Isles over the course of a month.

“The intended destination was Portugal, as they knew they would find protection under King Dinis I. However, upon reaching the Pyrenees, they took refuge in the monastery of the Order of Santiago of Altopascio — a military order like the Templars, but also known for offering assistance to Christian pilgrims. Its members were known as the Knights of Tau, whose symbol was the Greek tau cross. The English Templars were welcomed as brothers, and changing their original plans, some of them decided to remain at the monastery — where today lies the city of Andorra la Vella. The others continued to Portugal and, years later, became part of the Order of Christ, founded by King Dinis.

“In the following decades, the monastery was transformed into a castle, heavily influenced by the English Templars who had joined the Knights of Tau. With the dissolution of the Order of Santiago of Altopascio in 1459 by Pope Pius II — along with five other religious orders — the Knights of Tau declared political and administrative independence from the Vatican, although they maintained the same religious traditions of the Catholic Church. Thus began the foundation of the Order of Taured, which became known as the Order of the Red Tau, whose flag displayed a red tau cross on a white background.

“The Tauredian knights became extremely influential and powerful throughout Europe. In 1607, King Henry IV of France decreed that the entire region should be governed by the Grand Master of the Order of Taured, who also held the title of prince. Thus, the Principality of Taured was born. The city of Andorra la Vella was transformed into the capital of the principality and came to be known simply as Andorra.

“Over the centuries, the Principality of Taured became a refuge for many wealthy Europeans, who actively participated in the political and luxurious life of the principality. Millionaires and nobles from around the world built castles and palaces, turning the region into a tourist destination and a haven for powerful and influential men.

“To this day, millions of tourists visit Taured annually. Several castles house luxury casinos. The most prestigious Formula 1 Grand Prix in our world is the Taured Grand Prix, held on a winding circuit with very few opportunities for overtaking. In our multiverse, the tennis Grand Slam consists of five tournaments—the same four as in your world, plus the fifth: the Taured Open.

“At the beginning of the 20th century, the old Order of Taured was transformed into a closed club made up of very wealthy men. This exclusive group became known as the Taured Club, whose president came to rule the principality. If in your world there is the Club of Rome and the Bilderberg Group, the global elite operating in our parallel reality is united under the Taured Club, also known as the Club of the Lords of the World. The only condition for joining this club is to possess a title of nobility, whether from Taured or any other country.”

“Noble titles, from baron to duke, in Taured are essentially honorary—that is, they do not come with land grants or territorial jurisdiction—but they can be sold or passed down to a son as inheritance. By the end of the 19th century, Taured was the nation with the highest number of nobles, marking the peak of the Lords’ golden age.

“After the end of World War II, the Taured Club abdicated from ruling the country, giving rise to the United Republic of Taured—a semi-presidential republic with a system similar to the French model. Parliament came to be composed of those who owned castles or luxurious mansions in Taured. Each of them held some noble title granted by the principality, which is why Taured came to be known as the Republic of the Lords, or the Nation of Lords. The Ladies are a minority but also actively participate in Taured’s Parliament. The president of the nation is chosen from among the Lords of Parliament and bears the title of prince.

“In the early 1970s, Taured’s ruling elite decided to hand over the country’s administration to a group formed by the world’s largest corporations, so they could govern the nation as if it were a large company. Thus, a corporation was created to manage Taured, with a board of directors whose president became the Head of State. The Head of Government, in turn, became a CEO appointed by this board, receiving the title of Prime Minister. With the success of this new model of governance, several countries around the world began adopting the same system.

“Today, artificial intelligence and robotics serve the population. At the heart of the government is a super-powerful Central General Artificial Intelligence called Atlas, which manages and administers the entire country. The fear you have of being dominated by AI—or that AI might destroy the world—was solved through an AI monitoring system. When the AI sends a command to a robot, this instruction first passes through the Censor, an algorithm that assesses whether the command poses any danger. If it does, the Censor shuts the robot down, and a human AI control center is informed to take necessary action. In other words, no smart device receives commands directly from Central AI, but only from the Censor, which evaluates the safety of the instruction before relaying it.

“You may be wondering: if artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation do human work, how do people in the future live if they no longer need to work? Well, I tell you—they don’t work, but neither are they idle, especially since life expectancy in the future is 170 years. With the guarantee of universal basic income, the stressful life of ancient times ended when AI and robots took over people’s labor. So, what do people do? First, everyone helps each other. There is no loneliness, sadness, or helplessness. The entire world is one big family, based on respect and solidarity. Then, people do what they love: all kinds of sports, arts, studies, scientific research, etc. Everyone cultivates a constant spiritual life, making meditation, prayer, and religious devotion a fundamental part of the daily routine. Many practice self-awareness and self-discipline, and also develop extrasensory abilities such as out-of-body experiences, clairvoyance, telepathy, premonition, psychometry, bilocation, channeling, and... time travel through technology.

“Neuralink is developing the Chronochip, allowing people to visit the past or other universes, available to anyone. I am here, but the process I am undergoing is different and risky. As I said, I could have materialized in the ocean—but my mind was trained in case that happened, which would be traumatic for a traveler who wasn’t prepared for the experience when returning to their origin universe.

“However, with this special chip, researchers found a way for the mind to visit the past of its own universe, but without entering the dimension itself. It stays invisible in a specific region, just watching events unfold, without interacting with those living in that world.

“In fact, the most famous successful experiment of the project went back in time to 2009, at the University of Cambridge, on the day the famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking held a party for time travelers. Hawking concluded that time travel was impossible because no one from the future showed up to the party—but what he didn’t know is that the room was full of scientists and researchers from Neuralink and other American partner universities. The time travelers did attend the party, but they were in another dimension, invisible to Hawking’s eyes.”

He paused, and after a long sigh—almost as if regaining energy—he continued:

“Before I keep talking about my world, I need to open a parenthesis about yours. Right now, you are going through an extremely critical moment. I’m aware of it because our world went through the same situation. I’m referring to the threat of World War III and the potential nuclear devastation of the Northern Hemisphere. That scenario is terrifying, and one of the reasons I came from the future was precisely to warn you about this real danger.

“Besides the nuclear destruction caused by poor decisions from world leaders, there is also the risk of natural and climate disasters of apocalyptic proportions—mass extinction level. A sudden, unexpected inversion of Earth’s magnetic poles, the colossal eruption of a supervolcano, or the impact of a large-scale meteorite.

“However, colonizing Mars should not be seen as the definitive solution to ensure the survival of the human race. There’s no doubt it’s important for humanity’s scientific and technological development, but the most urgent thing is to save this planet, which is a paradise compared to Mars. We succeeded—and you can too.

“In our universe, SpaceX led the process of colonizing Mars. But the humans who were born on the Red Planet, after a few decades, began to show physical differences from Earthlings due to Mars’s unique environmental conditions. These differences are both visual and biological, making it easy to distinguish a Martian from an Earth-born human.

“Currently, a major emancipation movement is underway, as the inhabitants of Mars identify more as Martians than as descendants of Earth colonizers.”

He paused briefly and looked outside. He seemed to be weighing whether he should continue with the revelations, but he went on:

“Elon Musk’s contribution to the technological development of humanity is of the highest importance. The world owes him a great deal—especially for his greatest contribution to humanity: the use of electricity… or rather, the invention of the alternating current induction motor.”

At that moment, he made another, longer pause, seemingly on purpose, as if waiting for my reaction to that statement.

Indeed, I was surprised and exclaimed, “What do you mean? Elon Musk invented the alternating current motor?”

Smiling, understanding my astonishment, he replied with emphasis:

“Not exactly. I mean Elon Musk is the reincarnation of Nikola Tesla, my friend…”

I was amazed by so many extraordinary revelations from that traveler from another universe. I wanted to know more and asked:

“What other historical figure from the past do you know that is present in our world today?”

I noticed he hesitated, reluctant to go deeper into the subject. But in the end, he gave in:

“Well, I’d rather not get too much into that because it’s information that can’t be proven. But just to satisfy your curiosity, I’ll reveal another famous name from Silicon Valley: Sam Altman… he is the reincarnation of Alan Turing. And Napoleon Bonaparte, who once terrorized Europe in the early 19th century, is today a major concern among European leaders through his reincarnation as Vladimir Putin.

“You may doubt it, but believing or not believing in what I’m telling you doesn’t change the reality of the facts. In the past, many believed the Earth was flat—but despite that widespread belief, the planet never was flat. Things are as they are, not as we believe them to be. No religious dogma can change that. One day, the return of human consciousness into the world in another body will be scientifically proven through artificial intelligence and quantum computing. For now, reincarnation remains within the realm of possibility, of belief or disbelief.”

I had no words to express my astonishment at the volume of revelations. I looked ahead and spotted a sports court beside the gas station. Three children were playing soccer inside the court. I reflected for a few moments on the contrast of the situation — while I was receiving grand revelations and unknown information about our world, those boys were playing carefree, unaware of everything.

Zegrus also remained silent, watching the children. Then I broke the silence and asked:

“I understand everything you’ve told me… but you said you needed my help. How can I help you?”

He didn’t respond immediately. He thought for a few seconds before speaking:

“I have a special project for you to begin. Taured doesn’t exist in your world. We need you to establish a country with the same governance characteristics as our Taured — an innovative nation that challenged traditional conventions of government and redefined the concept of the State.

“Your mission is to begin the foundation of a country, a Sovereign State, following the same model as Taured. It must be governed by a corporate enterprise that will manage the entire nation, whose structure and hierarchy are composed of specialists, not politicians. It should be a technocratic system par excellence, a model of efficiency for other governments to emulate, with its ultimate goal always being the well-being of the population. We will be sending mental insights with instructions and suggestions, and we will guide you until the mission is fully accomplished.”

He paused, waiting for my response. I felt confused and unsure of what to say at that moment. Trying to break the silence—and hoping he would give me convincing reasons to accept the invitation—I said:

“I’m not sure I’ll succeed in this project. To lead something this ambitious requires many qualities, like leadership, communication skills... and I don’t have those. I’m shy, I don’t like to be in public, I don’t have social media, I don’t like appearing in photos or videos, I don’t have a college degree... in short, I don’t feel prepared to lead a nation-building project.”

Zegrus smiled enigmatically and replied in a calm yet firm voice:

“It’s not the prepared man who builds a nation, but the one who has the courage to take the first step. Great leaders of the past were also shy, insecure, and in many cases lacked academic education. Leadership doesn’t come from titles or eloquent speeches. It’s born from vision, resilience, and a genuine desire to build something greater for society.”

I was still hesitant, despite the conviction his words carried. I looked at him and asked:

“But why me? There are so many people more qualified, more confident, better suited to lead. I don’t understand why you believe I can lead such a grand project.”

Looking directly into my eyes, he responded plainly, without hesitation:

“Because the Super Intelligence that governs the Universe, which everyone calls God, chose you as one of the possibilities for contact. If we hadn’t had this encounter, I would have another opportunity to deliver the mission to someone else at another dimensional portal that will open on September 21st, 2025. It will be somewhere in the Vatican, due to the influence of a solar eclipse occurring that day at the antipodal coordinate of the Vatican — a point in the South Pacific Ocean, about 1,400 kilometers from New Zealand.

“The Holy See is a dimensional portal of great magnitude. In fact, I’ll share a revelation with you, and you will have the privilege of being the first person to know. No one in the world knows this yet, but there’s an important connection between the Vatican, Jerusalem, and Ancient Egypt. This connection is symbolized by the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square.

“Under spiritual guidance, St. Peter’s Basilica was built to be exactly equidistant from the ancient Temple of Jerusalem and the Royal Tomb of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Drawing a straight line from the basilica to the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, and another straight line from the basilica to the pharaoh’s tomb, forms a triangle that mirrors the shape of the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square. The two geographic base points of the triangle are equidistant from the basilica—and this is not a coincidence. They were built where they are to convey a message for the future.

“The obelisk, made of red granite, is smooth like desert sand — it has no hieroglyphs carved on it. It was brought from Egypt by Emperor Caligula in the year 37 AD. Centuries later, Pope Sixtus V ordered a cross to be placed on top, symbolizing the authority of Christianity over other religions.

“The hidden symbolism of the obelisk reveals that Christianity stands above, ‘in the clouds,’ close to God, while other religions remain at the base, represented by the Temple Mount — where the Temple of Jerusalem once stood and where the Dome of the Rock now sits — and by the tomb of Akhenaten, the Egyptian ruler who, in the 1300s BC, established the worship of Aten (the Sun) as the sole deity. What these base locations have in common is that they represent the beginning, the foundation of monotheistic worship, culminating in Christianity. Though divided today, Christianity in the future will be unified—no longer separated by dogmas or denominations.”

I was deeply moved by so much information that had remained hidden from human knowledge for centuries. I reflected for a few moments and, despite his confidence in me, I still pushed back: “And what if I fail? What if I don’t live up to your expectations?”

“You won’t fail because you will have support and investments from the right people. They will believe in the tremendous potential for spectacular profit by investing in the creation of a country that will become a historic turning point for humanity.”

Finally, he concluded: “Do you accept the mission?”

I felt a mix of fear and hope — like a spark lighting up inside me. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision, but also the possibility of beginning something extraordinary. Then I answered: “Yes, I accept the mission!”

With a satisfied smile, he concluded:

“Welcome to the beginning of your journey! But first, I have one important recommendation. Don’t tell anyone that this meeting actually happened. Everything I’ve revealed today — you must say it came from your imagination, a fiction born in your mind. Because, believe me, no one will believe you if you say you met a time traveler. On the contrary, they will question and discredit that this encounter with me ever happened.

“The human mind is curious and skeptical by nature. If you say you met a man from a parallel future reality, the reaction will be disbelief, mockery, or even hostility. What matters is not where the idea came from — whether from a time traveler or your imagination — but the impact it will have on the world.”

I took a deep breath and, feeling the weight of the responsibility yet with a determined spirit, I said: “Alright, I’ll follow your advice. I’ll keep the truth secret and take responsibility for the conception of the project.”

Looking around the parking lot, Zegrus muttered: “I wonder where the restroom is?”

I pointed to a nearby structure behind the station, saying it seemed to be there. He nodded in appreciation, got out of the car, and walked in that direction. I remained there, motionless, trying to organize my thoughts. As absurd as the situation was, there was something in his eyes that gave me a strange sense of trust.

Minutes began to pass, and little by little, my unease grew. I looked at the clock on the car dashboard: ten minutes had gone by. Still in the bathroom? — I thought.

I relaxed and kept waiting. I had watched him enter, and I was sure I hadn’t seen him come out. Another ten minutes passed and I grew restless again.
Half an hour after he had left the car, my discomfort turned into worry — even though I was certain he hadn’t left the restroom, because I had been watching the door the entire time. No one had gone in or come out.

I got out of the car, my heart beating faster than I’d like to admit. The place was poorly lit, and I walked slowly toward the bathroom. It was a small, run-down building made of exposed brick, with a metal door at the entrance. As I approached, I noticed the structure was completely enclosed — no windows or any kind of ventilation or exhaust opening.

The parking lot’s light posts didn’t illuminate the area around the bathroom, which remained engulfed in shadow. On the door, there was a poster with the pictures of three boys, aged between 10 and 15, with a large headline: “MISSING FOR ONE YEAR. PARENTS DESPERATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.” Below the photos, there was a phone number.

I had the distinct feeling that these were the same kids I had seen playing on the sports court. I looked toward the court — and there they were, still playing soccer. I looked back at the photos. The feeling remained. But I needed to find Zegrus.

I pushed the door gently; it creaked ominously. Inside, the air was heavy and humid, and the sound of a dripping faucet echoed in the empty space.
“Zegrus?” — I called out. My voice came out low and hesitant. Total silence, no answer.

I walked to the toilet stalls. All the doors were slightly ajar. I checked them one by one, but no one was there. No sign of him. I was puzzled. I had kept my eyes on the restroom door the entire time — he hadn’t left.

I examined all the walls. There were no windows, no openings. The only possible exit was the door.

Then I noticed a low humming sound. The weak bathroom light flickered three times, and I started to feel uncomfortable being in there. Looking around, I realized the humming was coming from the mirror. I approached and noticed a red glowing dot on the surface — similar to a laser pointer used by teachers. The strange thing was, the light seemed to be coming from inside the mirror. I turned around, trying to identify a possible laser source — but there was nothing. Just a white wall. Nothing more.

Curious, I touched the red dot with my index finger. At that exact moment, the mirror began to darken until it became completely black — like charcoal. Everything around me started to spin. I closed my eyes and steadied myself with both hands on the sink. I remained still for about two minutes, trying to regain my balance, until I slowly began to open my eyes.

Everything around me looked the same as before — except for the red dot. The mirror was normal again, but the red dot was gone. The dizziness had passed, and I figured I’d better leave that place as soon as possible.

But when I opened the bathroom door, I was met with an extremely surreal and unbelievable experience.