“If they choose to blindly follow their leaders, it does not matter what their leaders are called, president, father or mother, all bear the guilt. I ask again, would you accept it as fair that your people find a way to pay?”
4131
Miserably he answered, “Yes.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“If I make a decision for you, will you, all other ‘Fathers’ and your people, accept it as being the only payment necessary. Can you then look forward again to creating a good, sane and healthy future?”
“If the payment is severe enough.”
“I see.” We could see and feel anger in him. “It has to be severe. You must suffer. Damn it, why is it that not one of you is thinking of the victims. You are only looking to find a way for you to live with yourselves. What about your victims?”
Softly Dommi soothed him. “They cannot ask it of you Roberto mou, you must offer.”
“It is not I they must ask. They must negotiate with the Inguel and Kinytians. There will be a fee, a debt which they must agree to pay some day when they have a world of their own.”
I thought Robbie had given enough clues for them to understand, but we could see that none of them did. To carry on like this, asking them to think of what is not possible to them is not fair.
“You have called me friend of all aliens, so I demand the right to speak for them.” I turned from Robbie to them. “Robert is suggesting that instead of your people looking for ways to punish yourselves, you ask him, the Inguel and Kinytians, to repair your home world so that those who stay behind also have a future. If there is a fee for this to be done, the Illera must assume the debt. ‘Father’, will you do so?”
“As your family is always saying Samantha, with all my heart. But you do not speak of our debt to Robert. We already owe him so much, how can we ask that he sacrifice again for us?”
“There is shame in asking him? Perhaps then the price you have to pay is in being willing to accept that shame? What you fear is as nothing compared to the biggest shame of all. You must show humility by returning to your planet, after the Eye of Life has departed, and telling the other Eminixx what your ‘Fathers’ did, explain you returned from the future to make right the wrong. That way, if they can learn to forgive you, you can forgive yourselves.”
With Alki and I helping, a deal was struck. Whatever technology is recovered by the Eminixx, the Inguel and Kinytians will jointly own fifty percent of the inter-system/species trading value. Robbie was pleased, because he saw this agreement as binding the three species to each other.
We jumped to the date when the Eye of Life was about to leave and watched as the colonists were delivered to the ship. We saw other vessels with colonists from the other blocks waiting close by, expecting to embark once the Illera colonists are all on board. The Illera were declaring incorrectly the number of people they were transporting so that the others would think there is still space for them. As the last ferry departed, the Eye of Life began to move.
A ship of that size cannot build up speed as fast as the smaller vessels and they were attacked. All the Illera vessels which had been standing by committed suicide, getting in the way of the attackers to buy time for the large ship to escape. The ship was damaged by a number of shots and it dwindled away with debris trailing after it.
I sat by Robbie as he moodily smoked. “What are you thinking of doing?”
“We have to evacuate the planet. The Inguel tell me they will need a few thousand years to correct the damage.”
“How can you do that!? There must be billions of them!”
“After all the deaths, we think there are about one and a half billion left.”
“You can’t fit them here!”
“If I could think of an answer, then so can you.”
4132
I smiled at him, “Did you find the solution on your own?”
My question startled him out of his moody thoughts and he grinned. “Nice try love. Yes, I thought of an answer on my own. I have not had it confirmed yet.”
“The numbers don’t stump me, the years do. Oh! That would take us years!”
“What did you think of?”
“You will take them in stasis to the void and jump forward in time to bring them back to their healthy planet.”
“No, I discounted that idea as being impractical. You work out the reasons for yourself. What else could we do with them Sam? Where else could we place them?”
“If we were in our own time the entities of the Anadir Worlds and ours could create enclaves for them to survive in. Carrying them to our time would not make sense.”
“You’re getting warmer.”
“The Sparklers!”
“You see, I told you that you can work it out.”
I laughed, delighted by the simplicity of the idea, but even more by the joy it will give the Sparklers. “They will all be inside Freddie and yet they will not! Dad, the Sparklers will want to celebrate again, you have found another way to help them be part of the saving of lives.”
Robbie grinned. “A sort of Noah’s Ark?”
“When do we get started?”
“I’m not certain. Sam, the ‘Fathers’ who made the decision to sabotage the others, they are mostly still alive and on the planet below, they decided they must not risk leaving in case it causes their people to learn of their guilt. If we tell everyone the truth, what will happen to them and all the Illera left behind?”
“I think that should be the decision of the Eminixx dad. We can protect them if we have to.”
“It cannot be their decision love. They are riddled by guilt and not thinking straight. The decision has to be ours.”
“I’m glad you did not bring back the captain yet. I know what she would demand.”
He raised an eyebrow as he asked me, “Would she be wrong?”
“Ethically? Yes and no. It is not always right to just do what is ethical, not if you don’t include within your considerations of your ethics a way to save all lives.”
“It is not always possible Sam, she did not have any other way to stop them. In this case though, I agree, we have to save lives, or at least allow them to live their allotted times.”
“No. We have to deal with this now. There is bound to be despair and millions will die if we do not show them there is hope. Just because we were forced to do it to the world of Millevin, it does not mean it would be right to do it here…or ever again, if we are not forced to by potential time paradoxes.”
He sighed. “I was hoping for a day off. Call the Eminixx.”
I saw him as he really looked. It was obvious his healer is not looking after him as ours do. His eyes are dark with lines of strain around them.
“Can we have a few days to ourselves first? I need to be held.” I sat on his lap and reverted to a baby. He grabbed at me as I toppled and looked into my eyes with a smile.
4133
*Perhaps I should have held you as a baby?* I offered, but he ignored me, gently rocking as he kept me close to his heart. The others gathered around and we jumped back home. Alki was asked to join us and he played backgammon with Robbie and as they teased each other we pampered them with little plates of meze and ouzo.
We kept Robbie from seeing anyone and he slept many times through an afternoon. On the fifth day he woke up and his eyes were clear and alive. When we arrived at the taverna Alki smiled, pleased. I went off to call the Eminixx.
“As Sam explained, we will protect the ‘Fathers’ and all Illera, though, if you do your job correctly they should not need protection from others, only from themselves. I am going to bring the ‘Fathers’ here so that you can explain what we are here for.”
“What is your ultimate plan Robert? If you are going to help the planet bound Eminixx survive, what of those here and still within Sparklers?”
“Our Eminixx will have their own planet. That is the price they must pay. They will not be allowed to return to their home planet, apart from small groups, if they are invited.”
“We are exiled?”
“You are getting what you wanted. You left your world to find another. We’ll find you a good planet, but my offer to bring you back to this world is cancelled. Am I being unfair?”
The ‘Fathers’ (two of them had died) listened as they were told we know of what they had done. Guilt had already torn at them and they waited to hear their punishment, not even questioning our right to judge them. With disbelief and slowly a growing joy they heard of our plans.
Robbie felt he had to ask, “If we do as we said, would the same rules apply and having your people at separate solar systems cause a war someday?”
“We cannot say for certain, but we think that the changes brought about by your presence will alter the projections.”
Robbie nodded. “We will do our best to see that it happens that way. You may stay here or return home. We will not allow any more wars, but what of your own people, will they turn against you?”
“We will withdraw, allow them to choose new ‘Fathers’.”
“We’ll see,” was Robbie’s only comment.
A platform was created. It had to be awe-inspiring so it was huge, with a circumference of over three kilometres. Robbie transferred it into normal space with a flourish. First there was a burst of dazzling light and as their eyes and instruments recovered, they saw the platform in orbit around their planet. Battles being fought swiftly ended as they all quickly withdrew, due to what they saw as a common threat. We broadcast a message over and over until we had replies from all the governments.
“We are children of the Eminixx who recently left to colonise another planet. We have returned in time to help our mother world. Please cease all hostilities and allow us to speak with you. We are waiting for your invitations before landing.”
It was decided our Eminixx ‘Father’, Emmie and Indripp will be accompanied by Robbie alone. It was felt that the presence of aliens should be minimised at this stage. As a compromise, it was agreed we will meet their leaders in space. Robbie created a small transparent platform so that they do not fear we are armed. Despite that, they were ringed by warships as they approached the flagship of the Eznitaen. Huge metal doors opened and the platform slid in.
They were not accorded diplomatic status, treated more like prisoners. As Robbie released the dome and they stepped onto the deck they were surrounded by armed Eminixx and led into a large hall.
Three officers entered after them. “You say you are from the future? How many generations?”
Without taking umbrage at their abrupt manner, the ‘Father’ replied, “Millions of years.”
“Liar!”
4134
“You recognise me as a ‘Father’ so you know I do not lie.”
“Recognise you as a father? You only look like the mutant you are.”
“That is true, we did mutate. The planet we settled on had a higher gravity and we had to change so as to survive.”
“You will consider yourselves our prisoners. Order your ship to surrender.”
“We asked to meet the leaders, where are they?”
“Since when do traitors dictate terms? Order your ship to surrender or else we will execute the other two mutants. What is the alien, why have you brought him with?”
“If I may speak ‘Father’? I am their servant. May I request that you ask your men to fire at me first?”
“A loyal servant! It does not wish to live if its masters are killed?”
Robbie smiled and gave the ‘Father’ a wink. “Yes, our servant is very loyal, why not do as he asked.”
Robbie was careful to protect the others also when their laser weapons tried to cut him into pieces. He turned to the ‘Father’ and asked like a simpleton, “Am I doing something wrong? Are we supposed to allow them to kill us?” Emmie upset them all by laughing. “Shall we return home and wait for their leaders to decide to meet us?”
“That we must do. No ‘Father’ negotiates with the military.”
A golden haze formed around them and Robbie brought them back. Within minutes the platform was attacked. The only problem for Robbie was when a kamikaze pilot tried to ram his ship into the dome. He wrapped it in his energy, allowed it to fly through the shield and sent it out the other side.
Everyone stared up at the dome as it flared again and again while Robbie examined Haven’s legs as if he had just discovered something of extraordinary beauty. Lightly he kissed her nose. “It really isn’t fun being too powerful. I wonder if I can find a way to lose some of my powers.”
She giggled. “Why now? You should have done so when you met me.”
He stared into her eyes. “No. I could not risk losing your heart. I had to be strong to win your love.”
Athia kept quiet, the smile she exchanged with Haven saying all that was needed. Aganthi silently mouthed the words, ‘he is selling her flowers’ and I grinned back at her.
While we were enjoying ourselves, the Eminixx were suffering, embarrassed that all species were witness to their fellow Eminixx attacking Robbie. Solomon and Ordinx spoke to them, explaining and soothing. Robbie turned the platform so that the dome is pointing at the planet so that our Eminixx can look at their home world as it turns. From our point of view it feels and looks as if we are looking up at the planet.
Two days later the Qinsar beamed us a message offering to meet us. We replied we will only meet with the leaders of all the power groups at the same time. It took another two days for them to agree.
“We mean no discourtesy, but it is important you understand why we are here, so please allow us to speak first.”
“You are offering to help us? How? Your vessel is large, but we have examined it and you have no technology that we can see.”
“It is not our ship, it is only used as a ferry.”
“Prove it.”
They did not react when Robbie disappeared, but when Freddie suddenly appeared there was pandemonium. A ship the size of a small planet would terrify anyone, especially if it is capable of appearing out of nowhere. Robbie had now betrayed the fact that he is the one in control, so when he jumped back to them they looked at him, while asking the ‘Father’ to explain about the alien.
4135
The story of The Eye of Life began from its arrival at their first destination. When they heard about Robbie saving the sixty females, we decided seeing is the best part of believing so they were brought over. The story described their arrival at the heavy planet, the problems they had and the adjustments they had to make.
They were also taught how the role of the ‘Fathers’ has evolved. They spoke of their religion and their prayers to be released from the hell they lived on and their reaction when the Sparklers arrived. Thinking they were to be taken to a heaven that was the equivalent of their home planet, as they’d idealised it, they welcomed their deaths.
“Though the story of our ancestors trip and our suffering as colonists is amazing, at least there is nothing there outside of what you know as possible. Our history thereafter takes a twist that will sound like a story for children. Please keep an open mind as this female describes to you her awakening and what she learnt. She is a very special female, I dread to think how those who became our friends would have reacted if they had chanced on another first.”
Emmie described what happened, how her soul was captured and held by the Sparklers. She gave a brief explanation as to the history and motivations of the Sparklers. She then described how it felt to her, the terror of facing an alien being who has powers only a god should and yet demands she treat him as an equal. I knew our storytellers were listening closely, sensing every nuance of her emoting as she relived those days and from now onwards our tellings will be more detailed in this part.
Unfortunately for Emmie, and she sensed it, her story went from the fantastic to the more and more fantastic until she lost her audience, their reactions now of anger. It was time for Robbie to prove the words of Emmie, but he sat waiting for one of the Eminixx to ask him to take over. Sol left her body and soon appeared as Solomon. Almost stuttering now, Emmie introduced him.
“Would it help you believe if you saw some of my people? Here or in the void?”
“For now, here would do.” Robbie dimmed the sky and hundreds of thousands of Sparklers appeared. A few of them flew down to us and passed in front of their eyes, almost close enough to touch.
“The female is known to us as Emmie. She has told you the truth. The spaceship you see outside was created by one person. He sits here among us. Robert, may we invite them to visit Freddie?”
“My family and I would be honoured.”
* * * * *
“You have explained everything and we cannot pretend we do not believe you. Taking us to the void and allowing us to see you become the void was enough to convince us. We have long suspected the void is more than it appears to be to our senses. We are puzzled though. You say you refuse to change the past and you came back to our time to watch us die so that you have an empty planet to rebuild. What changed your minds?”
“We did not come back to see you die. I became curious when we arrived and saw four ships. We’d only known of one. My personal expectation was that each would fly off in a different direction, in which case it would be good to know where they went to. Seeing the ships sabotaged and the reasons for their sabotage forced us to change our plans.
We recorded a meeting that happened in secret. We warn you, it will anger you. We also plead with you, get angry, shout, do whatever is necessary to relieve yourselves of your feelings, but then, as seasoned politicians, sit with us again and let us find a way to undo what has happened. We do have a plan so do not despair.”
Freddie had to jump to another reality to give them time to regain their senses. Our problem was that they do not externalise their anger as we do, so we could do little to defuse it. Keeping them with us against their will did not help either.
“You are the leader of this ship-world so from now onwards our discussions will be only with you.”
“You have misunderstood my role. I do not interfere where problems are internal, between family or species. You must come to terms with our Eminixx so that they can tell me what they want me to do for you.” As he spoke there was a mischievous twinkle to his eye as those of every species heard him speak his lie so boldly and reacted with either shock or amusement. “Ask the Sparklers, the Anadir, any of the species.” We crossed our fingers hoping they would not ask the Kinytians. They have not learnt the art of lying, saying there is no sound reason why they should.
4136
“It is bad enough that you expect us not to disclose to our people the truth, to also demand of us that we deal with the descendants of those treacherous ‘Fathers’ is beyond belief. Surely you cannot be so alien that you cannot understand the position you put us in.”
“I’m sorry, I think you have misunderstood me. We would prefer that you tell your people what the ‘Fathers’ of your time were responsible for. We expect you to do so with those ‘Fathers’ at your side and we think you should do it in such a way that you convince your citizens that the ‘Fathers’ ultimately acted for their good - even if it was by accident and not by design.”
“We would be overthrown and killed the same day.”
“Even though you offer them a new world, virginal and teeming with life? All Illera and ‘Fathers’ will be removed so there will be more space.”
The leader of the Civar had been more thoughtful than the others and had asked questions. Ignoring the arguments and shock of his colleagues, as if he thought they were unimportant, he asked, “I have a question of you Robert. I heard why you do not want to alter the past. Why are you helping us? What if we grow, build an empire? We could influence your future.”
“I think it is highly unlikely, distance of time and space notwithstanding. This might be an opportune moment for me to present you with the alternatives you face. You have three choices, continue living as you have been, adopt the same reverence for ‘Fathers’ or else become Cherinians. The first choice guarantees you will bring your world back to its present condition within a few generations. The second one gives you an extended life as a species, but even then, I do not believe you can survive for millions of years. As for the third alternative, you are not ready for us. If those who become Cherinians are not attacked, but are admired and emulated it would still take a number of generations. If we see the third alternative has a strong possibility of happening, we will transfer you to our present. That would also be of benefit to your ecology, giving your world time to fully recover. It also means we will have to find a way to provide your sun with more energy.”
“In other words, as a species it is unlikely we will survive.”
“Apart from species like the Sparklers and Kinytians, which species has eternal survival guaranteed? Not my species. We all live, try to plan for the next generations and hope for the best. The arrival of Cherine on our world has changed things, but even then, we have no guarantees. We study what we have become and extrapolate possibilities. To answer your question, yes your species will survive, it already has survived because of the Sparklers. I must point out, none of us, none of the Eminixx of our time are happy that the survival of your species does not represent all of you. Survival should represent the finest of each species.”
One of the other leaders could not help tossing his bitter remark at Robbie, “In that case none of your Eminixx deserve to survive for they come from the worst of us.”
“They do? I’m not convinced of that. You all knew you had destroyed your home world. You knew your natural wealth had been wasted and you could not afford to squander any more. Yet you still could not work together for the good of your species and waged wars to prevent the others from succeeding where you might not.
That incredible debate the ‘Fathers’ had, they could not have postulated their theories if you had all worked together. The ‘Fathers’ did not see you as a threat because of differences in nationality, race, philosophy. They did so because you are like children who have not learnt self discipline. I guarantee you, within one hundred years of our returning you to a revitalised planet, you will be waging wars, destroying each others wealth. You speak of common heritage in words, but your actions show the same instincts as of a child. What is mine is mine and what is yours is mine.”
Alki said, “Bitter words Roberto.”
“You are right, very bitter. I see our own Normals in them, that is why. It hurts me.”
“May I put things to them in another way Robert?” I spoke to the leaders. “Robert has been abrupt in introducing you to the truth. You could say he was testing you. He expects those who lead to be smart and tough with a need to care for their people. The rest of us are not that romantic. We know most leaders acquire their positions by and for other reasons. Unfortunately you do have to deal with Robert and his sometimes childish expectations of you.
4137
It is said that in difficult times the best in us is called forth. You must try to rise above your political differences, forget you each represent one section of your race and think as leaders of all Eminixx jointly. There are ways of preparing your people so that they find it easier to accept the truth without causing them too much pain.”
I turned to Robbie again. “That is the truth Robert, the anger you see in them comes from their pain.”
The Civar leader asked me, “How can we present the truth without causing a massacre?”
“Present the positive aspects first. Tell them of what we plan and give them hope. Play on the emotional aspects also. The Eminixx, not the Illera, the Eminixx who left, they spoke with such love and sadness of their home world and those they left behind, that even after countless generations the children yearned to return and save their home world. When they met Robert and he offered to help revitalise your world, they came back in time. Later on we can tell of how the future Eminixx found out the truth, of how shamed and pained they feel. I’m certain you have experts better than I at manipulating the truth so that they end up weeping with love for them instead of getting angry.”
“She speaks as a ‘Father’.” The Civar leader said, and I thought I detected a hint of amusement. I only realised later that he was insulting the ‘Fathers’ by his comment (because I am a female and a child) and was amused because he knew they will have to treat his comment as a compliment.
Once Robbie has done his bit, of upsetting everyone, forcing them to face whatever it is that angers or hurts them, he then leaves the rest to us. He did the same this time also and even took a tour of the planet (as the void) with Jade, so as to inspire themselves. Since our house was redesigned, they tend to paint in the same room at the top of our house. He designed it with a skylight so that the lighting is perfect for them.
It was decided that once the excitement is at a certain pitch, people will be asked to come to the void to meet us and be shown where they will live while their planet is being healed. Solomon took the leaders and they returned filled with awe and a new enthusiasm for our project.
I was properly pissed off with Solomon. When the leaders made their announcement, they all added that they are officially declaring Samantha a friend of the Eminixx. I do not mind being their friend, nor does it upset me to be designated a friend; what I ‘knew’ was that Solomon must have painted a picture of me that I can never live up to. It had to be him while they were in his Sparkler world. Solomon stayed as Sol until he felt I’d got over the worst of it and it pissed me off, because she spent the entire time with poorly concealed laughter in her eyes.
Theoretically nothing bad should happen to us in Freddie. If we fall, trip or jump off a cliff, we should land safely, and that is without us using our own abilities. Freddie has the same compulsion as Robbie and watches over us all the time just as Vincent does.
It has been a long time since we’ve seen any of us hurt, so it was a shock when it happened to Annavi. She was running around the house and was laughing as the girls tried to catch her. She dodged an arm, her foot slipped and she slammed into a large pot that smashed. Her eyes filled with tears as she felt the pain, but it was mostly the shock, since the healer took away the pain almost instantly. We saw a cut to the side of her lips with the bone showing before blood welled up. She also had another cut as a sharp corner pierced her left eyelid, just above the eyeball.
Robbie, Dr Maria, Alki, her mother Ashiir and Dommi were by her just a fraction of a second before the rest of us. The corridor became overcrowded so the rest of us had to leave. We waited in the lounge, sharing through those with her.
Annavi was pampered and shown love by everyone and she was soon laughing again. If Annavi were ugly and not a Cherinian, I think she would still be loved by many. She has such a cheerful disposition and laughs so easily. Robbie was not given a choice that night, we all wanted him to love her for us and I’m certain even Ashiir must have felt her all the way from the Anadir living area. Her body has such a lovely natural scent that even after they stopped making love she was handled, kissed and licked for a long time. Cassie imagined her as a little kitten being licked all over and we liked the idea so we took her to another orgasm and when she fell asleep it was with a dozen or more lips and tongues still gently nuzzling her. When we get carried away in loving the one with Robbie, he waits for us, lying with eyes half closed and we feel he finds it erotic, but is also happy that we love each other so much.
4138
“If you could maintain a dome over eight cities while we work on the rest of the planet, they could return to a civilisation they know and understand. It will be less of a culture shock, while making it easier for them to support their populations.”
“an Fisp, why is it none of our technologies are able to handle it instead of me? In the stories I love to read, among the first inventions is an energy dome.”
An Fisp turned to his fellows and told them in their language that Robbie is in a joking mood. They relaxed, knowing it could take long.
“These domes they invent Robert, are they made of energy only or are they physical structures?”
“Sometimes the one, sometimes the other. If they are of a physical nature then it is implied a new plastic metal has been developed with amazing strength and the glass is also of plastic.” Robbie grinned. “Those are always shattered at some time in the story. How about an energy dome? You have the sciences of the Anadir, Kinytians and the empire of thirty races you can utilise, and nothing has been developed along this line?”
“It should please you to learn that such domes have been developed. They do have a few drawbacks though. They only work in a vacuum with a maximum gravity less than one tenth of your planet. The other disadvantage is that they are nuclear powered. Being constantly created out of energy, the domes radiate and some of the rays are harmful to the DNA of most species. That means the inside of the dome would have to be dressed with a thin film that blocks the radiation. Unfortunately it also blocks the necessary energies of sunlight. We can create such domes if you prefer us to.”
Now Robbie was seriously interested. “Could you create such domes in space and fill them with an inert gas?”
“Yes.”
“For what periods could such domes survive unattended?”
“If the space they are in is clear of meteors and dust, without a planet close to them for gravity to affect them, perhaps for periods of up to twenty thousand years. You are talking of non human articles being stored in them?”
“One of my greatest problems is saving the libraries, books, films, computer hard disks and so on. If we could use such domes when returning to collect tissue and souls from the victims of the fire-world, it would make life a lot simpler for me. Once the planet is being healed, the Inguel and Kinytian teams can undertake the maintenance of the domes?”
“We could. I am curious Robert.”
“About what?”
“You started off this conversation to tease us. How is it you do so with usually something good or practical coming out of it. Were you pretending to tease us to lead us in this direction?”
“No. I was in a silly mood. Why not examine the possibility that when we tease or joke we allow our minds to work without the restrictions of common sense?”
They took him seriously and promised to study the phenomenon. Who knows, they just might come up with something useful - and the joke will be on Robbie. As for the domes over the cities, Robbie agreed to create them, but insisted the dome should be there only to protect material objects and that all Eminixx must leave. The teams healing the planet will be able to enter the domes, by teleportation, to perform whatever maintenance is required.
Looking back now, it feels as if our first efforts at saving species were rather slapdash compared to the direction our efforts are now taking. I suppose we will become more and more sophisticated as we go along. I hope we don’t lose our sense of excitement and wonder.
During one of the broadcasts our Eminixx ‘Father’ was interviewed. As pre-arranged he was asked whether any of the colonists will be returning to their home planet in the future. He replied that all colonists plus all Illera will consider themselves in self-exile and will not be returning. He was asked to explain why and he did so. He did manage to edit the long debate into a fifteen minute explanation that helped everyone understand why the ‘Fathers’ had acted as they had.
4139
Immediately after the broadcast, various personalities made comments claiming the Illera should not be punished, passionately arguing the descendants have paid for their crime and by returning to help their mother world they have proven themselves to be worthy Eminixx. Some clever things were said and some stupid ones, but they were all calculated to tug at the heartstrings and buy some sympathy and understanding for the Illera and their ‘Fathers’. What shocked the governments was that a movement grew out of this with large parts of their populations reverting to the ancient system of ‘Fathers’.
Luigi argued that customs that are created in the earlier history of any people come out of a ‘depository of folk wisdom’ and that is why we fall back on them when our newer attitudes to life fail us. I am still trying to work out whether there are any profound truths to what he said and what effect they could have on Cherinians.
After supper, Robbie casually said we will be needing hundreds of millions of food machines. I got the giggles and soon everyone was chortling along with me. Robbie will never spoil a joke by peeking as the others do and sat without expression, waiting for me to explain.
“When you said that, I thought to myself, we will have to go back to the alternate reality of the CherInguel planets for the machines. While we are there, we will have to respond to some other emergency and so it will go on to the end of time without us finishing one job.” I giggled again. “If that happens Robert, and for all of them no time passes as far as we are concerned, because we can return whenever we want to within hours of leaving, will time end for us with them waiting forever because we intend returning?”
Robbie smiled, but before he could answer me, I had a fresh bout of giggles. He raised his eyebrow so I explained. “I just thought of my diary and Arthur. If he lets anyone read his story they will tell him he doesn’t know how to tell a good story effectively because he abandons everything in the middle and goes on to the next adventure.”
“Are you telling me we should time ourselves according to what would make a good story for Arthur!” He acted as if he found my comment incredible and everyone was amused at my expense.
“Well, I don’t see why not, it is as good a reason as any other. After all, it would not make a difference to us or to those we are saving.”
He stared at the others with the kind of look that says do you believe what you hear? He grinned. “Actually, Sam is right. It doesn’t make any difference.” Allan sat grinning at us and he suddenly found himself the centre of numerous suspicious stares. He picked up Jessie and burying his face in her hair said, “Oh baby, how they tangle themselves! I bet he is also laughing at them.”
Arthur, I’m going to look in your memories and woe is you if I find you were laughing at me. My copy that loves you will make you pay for it.
You could say the Anadir are the first. Would you mind if we take care of the Eminixx first? We have them with us and they are all highly excited, it would be a letdown if they have to wait a few years, even if they know no time is passing on their home world. Emmie is just too sweet and precious for us to do that to her.
He might surprise you someday.
4140
Operation Emmie is on.
Before leaving we were asked by a number of Eminixx journalists, philosophers, scientists and others whether they can come with. We had our Eminixx first explain what such a trip entails and they enthusiastically agreed. We told the others we will be back soon and jumped forward into our future to meet the CherInguel.
“Many of the older members of the council have died or withdrawn and there is a new generation growing up. Attitudes are softening Robert.”
“Do they allow you to visit your home planets?”
“Not yet.”
He grinned. “But you do anyway?”
“Yes. We have had some success in convincing family and friends that becoming Cherinians is not a dead end, that ours is a better way to grow.”
“Have you been bringing them here?”
“A few. They are slow in deciding to come.”
“If you agree with what I’m thinking, it might make sense to leave them there. Link them as Cherinians and let them stay to convert others. Do you have enough with the gift of linking?”
“We have discovered we all can.” This they said with a mixture of pride and fear, as they know we consider it the gift of Cherine. Robbie beamed at them, emoting a great pleasure.
“I am very pleased.”
“Do you think this is a gift belonging to their species only?” Savirre asked.
“I don’t think so. I’ve suspected for some time that the ability is inherent in anyone who becomes a Cherinian. Because of the way we started, we did not develop our ability and because of you and other species spending so much time with us, you have been affected by our beliefs. For proof of that, look at the Inguel who travel with us. None of them have developed the ability to link others.”
“You are not worried at losing control of who is chosen to be linked?”
“Should I be? If people without the attributes of Cherinians could do so I would worry. Who am I to dictate who other Cherinians are allowed to link to? Most of our early rules were made out of ignorance and fears that came out of that ignorance.
Which Cherinian would want to link to a mind that is selfish, evil, greedy, thoughtless and so on? It is far more likely that in the beginning Cherinians will out of fear not link those they are not absolutely certain of. We are aware that some will be linked because they are family and loved. Hopefully the linking will open the good side of their nature and by reinforcing it, make them worthy Cherinians.”
Cherine added, “I would also be pleased if you could all learn to link.”
Robbie said, “That does bring up a point. Cherine, even if we of your family learn to link, we will not do so. Not if we are linking someone to our family. I think we will find that it will work that way with all Cherinians.”
“Robert, you must all learn to link so that you do not depend on me. Please.”
“No. Not us and not those close to us. Not even if we should become a million.” He sent to her, *Later love. I promise.*
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)21st December, 2019
* posted: 21st December, 2019