If he was angered by the way Michael spoke of them, as I’m certain he was, he did not show it. The session lasted nearly two hours longer than was programmed and the Normals were very tired. We stayed to take them to their homes, arranging to pick them up the next day and returned to Freddie.
Robbie was relieved. “That turned out better and worse than I’d expected.”
“I wonder if Campbell will tell them what he really plans. I expect he’ll take a leaf out of Michael’s book and soften his attitude. He can’t afford an out and out war yet.”
“Michael shouldn’t have told them about knowing he would return in time and be killed with his companions. Campbell will make the most of that, rightly claiming that Michael led his followers to a certain death and many Ipohin will desert Michael for Campbell.”
I mused aloud, “I wonder if there is a way to encourage the potential deserters to form a new group based on Michael’s asserted rules?”
Robbie was amused. “That’s the British blood in you. When we had colonies, we used the tactic of divide and rule. The more factions the locals broke up into, the less of a threat they were.”
Allan was worried. “I extended my senses to feel what Ahnì really believes. She gave me the impression she totally agrees with all he said today.”
I pouted. “You don’t love me anymore.” He was too worried to respond to my teasing. “You didn’t try to sense how I felt.”
“What do you mean?”
“I also agreed with all he said. It does not mean that I could not see that the future it would lead to would be the same as Campbell’s. Allan, how do you expect them to survive among the enemy if they are not able to convince themselves they are doing the right thing. If they didn’t, they would have been exposed long ago. Anyway, today was a magic day for us, it justified going through everything we’ve suffered because of the prophecy. We have found the healthy other end of the seesaw.”
Claudia was upset. “You must be joking! What Michael believes is exactly the same as all the Normals represent!”
“No love, he represents the healthy aspect of their society. Campbell represents all that is sick in their society. Just imagine all societies throughout the universe swinging between what we represent and what Michael offers. Neither extreme end of the seesaw are healthy but anywhere in between - that is the kind of society that will survive for the length of time we hopefully have.”
Never (well, not recently) has Freddie been filled with such sickly anger from so many Cherinians. Robbie quickly picked me up and held me tightly. His voice cut through and everyone concentrated on him. “I don’t know if Samantha is right or wrong. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between. I also feel the way you do, but I demand of all of us, think on all that was said, examine her ideas fairly and we’ll meet to discuss it tomorrow when we return from the debate.”
Back at home I was still being protected from the anger outside. Cherine cupped my cheeks. “Sam, are you certain? It makes sense, but you’ve frightened me.”
In a small but also filled with wonder voice I replied, “Ask the Unation. They had not realised it, but how do you think they survived being Cherinians for millions of years?”
“How can you be certain?”
“Don’t they still use and develop technology?”
Suddenly Michael appeared. “What is wrong! God, everyone can feel you on Earth.”
I cried out when we sensed Freddie open and the Unation ship leave. Freddie soothed me, “Don’t worry Sam, they needed to get out of Freddie to think, the strong emotions in here are making it impossible for anyone to think logically.”
I felt how disturbed he also was. “Can you join us, Freddie love?” Robbie let him take me from him, his heart touched by the love he felt Freddie emoting for me. All he said to me was, “God love, is there no end to…” and Freddie finished for him, his eyes staring into mine, “…the wonder of her?” For a second I was allowed to see through the gates into that heaven where Cherine lives. What a scary place!
Ever vigilant Earth saw the Unation ship leave and soon they saw Freddie open for all the spaceships within to spew out and leave at great speed. All the poor tired leaders were woken up and they tried to contact Hettie. Her office reassured them nothing is wrong, but they were not believed.
In our home we mostly ignored what was happening outside because Solomon had come to us. Sol shared with him and he was disturbed but also puzzled. He stood before me and then did what he rarely does, he knelt to take my hands in his as I sat on Freddie’s lap.
“Please explain Samantha.” He had to let my hands go for Gina had brought me a coffee almost pure condensed milk, it was so sweet.
“What do we admire about the Normals Solomon? No, I’ll make it easier. What did we admire and love about pappou Alki while he was a Normal? Was it only his Cherinian qualities? Wasn’t it partly his strength, his practical no-nonsense attitude? Wasn’t his ambition partly that which made him strive to grow and be better at everything than all his competitors? Wasn’t he compassionate, quietly helping those who deserved his help? Didn’t he have a big heart that made him love a young Englishman who was not very loveable? Who was the first to stand by Cherine? The way Michael described the Ipohin, didn’t it sound as if he was talking about Alki?
What Michael described has a sterile end to it, for the drive and ambition he talked of, it can lead to excesses and inequities causing great misery and many deaths, but, with time, it too will soften with old age. Even Cherinians can grow old you know, well, not old but mature, just look at us, are we as we were when you first met us? Haven’t some of the rough corners been smoothed?
When I thought of the seesaw I suddenly saw that Cherinianism, as we think of it, is also condemned. Solomon, unlike the Sparklers, even the best of us have a baser side to us at this stage of our evolution. To demand that we constantly live at the ideal is impossible and unrealistic, it can be achieved for short periods, not forever. Not as we are now, not even Cherine is attracted to being The Light permanently. Maybe after millions of years spent seesawing between Robert and Michael, we’ll evolve so that the balance of the two creeps towards the ideal, no longer needing to be as Michael. Even Michael will not, perhaps long before many of us.”
Robert here. As you can imagine, none of us slept that night. We talked until it was time for us to collect the leaders. When we arrived at their residences we found they too were exhausted, having worried the entire time they should have been sleeping, only relaxing when the return of spaceships was reported.
At the U.N. we suggested that the meeting be shortened to three hours so that everyone can have enough time to recover. Samantha will write about that. The only reason I have written is to tell you that for the first time ever, Samantha was not allowed to write on her own. We crowded around her and forced her to write all she wrote so that you too would understand that not only have we arrived at the most important moment Cherinianism has ever faced, but that Samantha was responsible. By the way, we have adopted the name ‘The Seesaw Theory’ for the revelations she brought us.
All Cherinians know what happened and the theory and it was obvious all others worried about what was causing so much turmoil among us. When we realised that the Ipohin know, then the Normals and Campbell’s group, it proved to me that there are people with divided loyalties, either among the Ipohin and or Cherinians or both. It is more likely a Cherinian spoke to an Ipohin as Michael and family did not tell or share with their group.
The Normals have analysed all of us to death and they know that if they are polite, speak out of concern, Robbie is unable to keep a secret. They pressed him, wanting to know what had caused such activity the previous night and he gave in (partly) and told them that I was to blame, that I’d come up with a new theory that had upset many species. He asked them not to press him for details as we need to think about my theory first and calm some ruffled feathers among our own people.
“Two groups explained their position yesterday. We have another two groups we’d like to hear from. Will someone representing the Normals speak first or would Mr Campbell prefer to speak?” We all noticed David did not call him by his first name.
Campbell shrugged. “Either way, I don’t mind.”
“If the information is not confidential Mr Campbell, how many do you estimate are Future Men?”
“I’m certain it is not a secret, not with Cherinians and Ipohin keeping a close watch on us. We number slightly over five million.” He glanced at Michael as if daring him to contest his numbers. We all kept quiet, we can let the Normals know, in private if we need to, that they total three million over all the realities known to us.
“How do your principles differ from those of the Ipohin, as Michael declared them yesterday?”
“Not by much, the main cause of our schism was not a difference in ideology, but our lack of trust in Michael Teller himself. As far as I am concerned, the Ipohin might as well rename themselves Cherinians if they intend keeping him as their leader.”
“It has been implied that you intend grabbing whatever you wish, if that is true, the ideology does differ considerably. Is that a false accusation?”
“Most definitely! If that was what we intended, would we be sitting here? David, everyone present agreed to come here with the understanding that we would all be candid and once we understood what everyone wished for, we would use that knowledge, as mature adults, to negotiate and iron out the differences so that no group feels threatened. I get the impression after listening to all that was said yesterday, that only I am expected to be candid, the other two sticking to their public proclamations and withholding all that they secretly plan without any of you calling them to task.”
“If you have information that they have not been candid, please share it with us. Mr Campbell, the future of all of mankind in a great number of realities depends on us learning all there is to know about each other and working honestly to find compromises acceptable to all.”
“I am here to speak about Future Man, if I start pointing fingers we will not get anywhere, it is up to them to speak about their secret plans - if they honestly wish the good of all men as they claim.”
Campbell was relaxed throughout the probing questioning by David and the Normals. Michael and us kept quiet, knowing there was no point in us trying to prove him a liar. The time will come when we will have to deal with him on our own.
“Cherinians of every species consider themselves children of the Normals they grew out of. It goes further than that. Should the Normals of any species be threatened, all Cherinians would respond as if those Normals are their parents. The Ipohin are not a group that grew out of a different method of acquiring their gifts and powers. We may disagree on a number of issues, but we remain one as far as our determination to safeguard every man, woman and child.
Over the decades we’ve heard the accusation that we intend taking over, many times. Does our history not prove that it is an unreasonable fear? If there was another way we could provide you with proof we would have done so. All we can do is use our gifts to improve the lives of all and trust that our actions calm all fears you have of us. Please do not forget that every single Normal is a potential Cherinian. If not in you present life, then in one of your next ones. That is our dream and promise.”
“Then you do intend taking us over by turning us into Cherinians.”
“How can you say that, we cannot force anyone into becoming a Cherinian, all we can do is rejoice when we are approached and we sense that person has enough good qualities to qualify as a Cherinian.”
I spoke up for the first time that day. “May I comment? If I am correct, most of your fears are born out of two distinct reasons, both emanating out of one instinctive fear. Our species fear mutations and you think of us as mutants. When the atomic bomb was first discovered and then all the subsequent discoveries that made warfare unthinkable, what was the greatest fear? Was it the large number of deaths? I don’t think so, it was mostly the fear of creating mutants.
I find that fear irrational. For reasons that have little to do with the survival of our species, you have been retrogressively mutating our species with pollution and the chemicals you allowed in our food and water. Those destructive mutations you accepted as being inevitable and the price the main body of mankind had to pay to maintain a comfortably luxurious standard of living for the so-called elite. There were other solutions, but you did not adopt them as they did not make economic sense, which meant no profits and therefore no taxes - plus no special advantages for those who wanted to control the world.
I believe and our Cherinian scientists have strong indications, that a Cherine could only have been born on a world that creates the kind of mutations you find acceptable. Is she the only mutant? No, nearly every person in this world is a mutant. We are never exactly what our parents are, in some infinitesimal way we are each a product of evolution.
Isn’t it interesting that Cherine herself, the obvious mutant, had very limited gifts while she was alone? She needed to join, become part of a non mutant with his inbuilt human aggression for his gifts to strengthen her.
All other Cherinians, Ipohin or whatever they wish to call themselves, are not mutants. They are normal human beings who have found a key to their own minds, unlocking doors that have always existed within us as a species. Cherine is only a key. How can you fear a key?
Now, to get to the two fears you have. One is that because we are fairly impregnable to your weapons, do not become ill or age, you fear we will inherit the Earth. I’d like to ask a very simple question: why should we? There are pristine Earths out there where we would not have to expend such immense resources in correcting the damage you’ve caused. Why should we have to spend so much of our inner strength in helping our Normals? We could have a world or worlds tailored exactly to our specifications. Which would you choose if you were part of a mutant group? I assure you, you would only stay here if you truly loved all humans.
The second reason is trite to us and to most of the people of this world, but important to the governments and large corporations. The arrival of new technology and the creation of the ADFI frightened you because you see them as vehicles towards conquest. According to the history of mankind, money equates to power. Levels of power indicate whether you will subjugate or be subjugated.
I could sense my family mentally cheering me on, but I was discomfited by the feeling that Campbell was actually enjoying my speech. I desperately tried to find what he could use against us out of all I’d said. I gave up and accepted that he’d just enjoyed it.
David interrupted by declaring this session over and everyone returned home.
“You are over your anger of last night?” Robbie asked.
“For most species, becoming Cherinians was a brave change in our thinking, often forcing us to turn against the customs and traditions of our people. When Samantha announced her conclusions yesterday, our first response was anger, was all this for nothing?”
Robbie nodded. “For a moment I felt the same way. You’ve changed your minds?”
“We have spoken to all the species represented in Freddie. Yes, we had to calm down first, but we’ve recognised that, as always, Samantha spoke wisely.”
Robbie grinned. “And what conclusions have you of the Unation come to with regard to her comment about you?”
“What comment?” He told them.
“She was able to infer that from such a superficial reason? We came to the same conclusion Robert, but we are pleased that she said so independently, as it proves it was not just our bias or wishful thinking on our behalf.”
I cringed as I saw the Muyzith egg Msito forward to speak on their behalf. I relaxed as I saw a twinkle in her eyes.
“Arthur has asked, but it is Samantha who has made it possible. Cherine, the first of us are ready, will you link us?” I was the only one that cried as Cherine linked them, for I’d had a terrible fear they would not because of me. As they felt me I found them surrounding me with love.
Michael appeared with five of his top Ipohin and his family. He sensed what had happened and welcomed our new Cherinians with a blast of love. He’s always liked them. He then grinned. “Are any of you ready to become Ipohin?”
Msito spoke for them, “Yes Michael, the day Samantha does.”
I giggled. “Sorry Michael, that means you’ll never have any Muyzith Ipohin. Do you know why?”
“Tell me my little mother.”
“Because I am too much of an Ipohin already. That is why I will always have to remain a Cherinian. They’ll need me now and then to guide them when it looks as if you are gaining the upper hand.”
I felt him soar at my words. “As convoluted in your thinking as always my dear mother.”
Robbie smiled, “Are you going to introduce us son?”
“A drink gentlemen? When your questions have been answered, will you join us at our party? We are celebrating the first linking of Muyzith Cherinians.”
I was tempted to delete the above paragraph because I changed my mind, but I liked his teasing, so it stays. I could not stay away as I’d been the last person to speak and maybe they wanted to argue the points I’d made. What Robbie did was take me away, during the night, to another reality and he then left me alone to walk and think. He was by my side the instant I felt the need to be held in his arms. It was not a time for either passion or talking, so we sat watching the sunset with his arms around me.
When we arrived at the UN, we saw a screen had been unfurled. David explained they have some footage from Freddie that one of the Normal governments wants to show for accentuating the points they wish clarified. We had no objections.
The entire world watched as the edited footage showed us attack alternate Earths and dictate terms. I quickly squelched my anger and called to Freddie. As soon as their film ended I jumped, took the footage prepared by Freddie and returned.
The representative from Italy took the floor with his first attack, asking how it was I had made claims about loving Normals and only caring for them when the scenes we had just watched proved that (mostly) Robbie and I are arrogant, demanding our way as if we are gods. His words were vitriolic and we could sense the growing anger as other Normals reacted to him. I handed the footage to Robbie and he paced the floor with the disc in his hand. He stopped before the Italian representative.
“Would you object to David allowing us to refute your accusations with almost the same footage you showed?”
I went to the room from where the film had been shown, was given a headset with a microphone and played the first scene they’d shown.
“This was what we saw.” I waited for the scene to end. “It is easy to make anyone look evil if their history is professionally edited. Here are a few scenes leading up to what you just saw.” I repeated the procedure to the very last scene they’d shown and returned to my seat.
As I sat at my place I saw the Italian representative leave his seat and walk over to Robbie.
“Signor Roberto, my profuse apologies. I had not seen what was just shown. My assistant who is a Cherinian brought me the film we showed, assuring me it was an exact copy of what Freddie provided our media with, only edited to shorten the viewing time.”
“A Cherinian!”
The man looked really miserable. “So I was led to believe.”
Nobody needed to point fingers, we all knew that Campbell had been behind it. Robbie was very gentle with the man, apologising in return for the Cherinians causing him such an embarrassment.
What had been done affected everyone and the rest of the discussion sort of fizzled out, everyone trying to find the right words to end the session with positive feelings. David thanked all of us for taking part and speaking so openly. They led us to a room with a bar for us to wind down and socialise a bit. Campbell downed a drink without talking to anyone and left abruptly.
Alki asked us to stay another two days as he has some problems that need his personal attention. Us girls had seen some nice new fashions so we went to London to buy clothes, taking our counterparts from RT with us. Both Wendys and Candys preferred to check what new music there is and returned with their computer loaded with new songs. Our Cherine left us early, with Dommi, to browse some bookshops and returned with dozens of new science fiction stories for Robbie. She complained it is becoming impossible to find anything good printed on paper - Robbie does not like reading off a book screen - not even the one that is projected, so you do not have to hold it up while you read.
Jade had made a list of what materials she and Robbie might run out of and visited an art shop. She bought what they needed, but returned very excited with a new art program that she raved about. As for me, well, we have thousands of movies we can watch in Freddie, even a large number from other realities that were never made in ours, but I like the feeling of going to cinema, munching on butter popcorn and losing myself in the story. Efineh chose to come with me, but the girls insisted that as a newly married wife she has to have new clothes and took her with them. They also made little Cherine and her parents go with them and made them buy enough to keep them happy for a long time, not forgetting to buy her some toys.
When they went to buy clothes for Robbie, all the girls asked Angelica to choose his clothes so she went to an alley and changing herself to look exactly like Robbie she was able to try on and be certain she liked what she bought.
In Freddie we tend to forget how much we enjoy such mundane ways of passing our time, so all of us returned home vowing (for the umpteenth time) to do this at every Earth we visit.
Robbie spent most of those two days with Bruce and Hettie visiting various leaders for private discussions. He stressed again with each one that they must not take action against any ‘gifted’ person/s, promising to keep an eye on our home world. Not one of them could understand why Robbie refuses to deal with the accusation since the reason he’d attacked the four children is now common knowledge.
On the third day we were ready to leave, but had to wait for Jesus and the enigma still living in Freddie to return. They arrived just in time for us to keep our word and Freddie jumped.
Robbie asked all the species to appoint two persons each to join a multi-species committee whose sole purpose will be to study and define the differences between Ipohin and Cherinians. They should then lay out a new composite that is achievable, allowing those of either group to feel comfortable with their lifestyle. I refused to take part, claiming I’ve done my fair share. I was booed by my loves, but Allan volunteered on behalf of Eleni, so she took my place. Since she is just as fanatical about Cherinianism as I am, they will not find it any easier to slide into make-believe debates.
The Muyzith felt that enough had occurred to justify them returning to their home worlds to update their people. Since both groups of Muyzith feel that way, we have to visit both realities. Robbie suggested we visit the first Muyzith, then the Eqkee and then jump realities. Sheena protested, wanting to know why he was skipping her home world, so he added them in. He would have done anything to cheer her up, for she is missing her ‘son’.
“We have tried hard to emulate the views of the galaxies as shown in Freddie but the only way we are able to do so is by first passing the view through a computer for enhancement and dyeing with filters. How does Freddie do it?”
“We use exactly the same methods. Without the filters that show up the dust clouds and enhance features of planets and suns, the galaxies are not half as beautiful to our limited vision.” We had not thought of it and felt rather stupid for believing what we were seeing was what Freddie was seeing. Robbie had cheated for he had done the same when we went out in platforms. Of course, we’ve also been out in our sheathed bodies, but those times our thoughts tend to be involved in other matters.
After a brief telling to bring them up to date, they asked to see the latest Arthur image. Robbie felt it might be prudent that he releases the image on a regular basis to augment whatever energy has been lost in the slowed down time of the stasis, so he agreed. It makes no difference whether he does so in the void, in space or in an atmosphere, so he offered to bring him to Freddie. We waited while they ferried their scientists and equipment and a ship of theirs jumped to another reality. I was asked to chat with Arthur while they probed his image with their instruments.
What a dampener! We were all so happy, enjoying our visit and then that image causes us so much heartache. I truly was convinced we’d find a way to bring him to us someday, now we have another negative possibility to worry about. If we do not manage to get him, the grief will be doubled because we’ll fear it means his death was a final death. To imagine an entire planet, generation after generation facing only final death, no rebirth, no glorious potential, all life a waste. It is too cruel to believe.
At first I felt that if this was to happen, it should not have happened while we are here with the Muyzith. Only those who travelled with us are stronger and we worried how it would affect them. One of their scientists brought copies of all their results for our scientists to study and he was told what Arthur had suggested as an explanation.
The Muyzith were surprised to hear that a number of those with us had linked. They were featured on all their media and they were questioned even more deeply in private. When they realised how linking had strengthened them, they began to discuss the advisability of having all their citizens linked. We’ll correct them when and if they ask.
The Inguel asked for a private meeting. “Robert, are the Muyzith strong enough and confident of our intentions for us to ask them a question?”
“May I ask what the question is?”
“How do they travel to other realities? We cannot and even the Unation ships cannot without Cherinians on board.”
“I’ve also wondered about that. Your people might be the right choice, they should not be upset if you ask.”
“Throughout the last five centuries we have only made three trips to alternate realities. In the last trip our ship nearly remained trapped in the alternate reality as some of the energy required had mysteriously vanished. It costs us a lot of energy to accumulate the kind of energy needed so we did not consider it a method of travel to be used often, just for scientific observation and experiments.”
Robbie leapt to a conclusion. “You need negative matter?”
“That is correct. You have used the same technology?”
He grinned. “No, our fiction writers have used it as a method of explaining how their characters are able to travel immense distances. We have created negative matter, but only in very small quantities.”
“With Cherinians on board we can now do so without immense cost?”
“Yes. They need to be trained first. We’ll see to it - actually, I’ll ask for the Unation ship to take a few of you with them for that purpose.” His eyes widened slightly. “Would you really like to dazzle my people? When your station is completed, why not have your Cherinians jump it to orbit around my home world? I doubt they’ve ever seen anything this beautiful.”
Today we learnt what her secret was. While she was at the party she had mentioned that she found the décor stunningly beautiful and the host offered to have his decorating team redecorate our home. She chose instead to have them decorate her apartment. Her mind was childishly peeping at ours as we visited and she could hardly contain her glee as she felt our responses. I think she particularly treasured those of Cherine and Robbie. She offered to ask them to decorate ours also, but Cherine refused on our behalf, determined that our little Angel have the most beautiful corner of Freddie.
Years ago we used to feel sad when it was time to leave the friends we are visiting. Now we are less sad, for it is so easy to return whenever we want. In practice it does not work that way, we have so much to do that years, our end, tend to pass. Angelica was distraught when her friend Msito decided to stay. She felt it was her duty to remain at home so as to help prepare more of her people for linking. Robbie let his little Angel suffer for a while.
“Msito, how long do you feel you need to stay?”
“At least five years Robert, perhaps more.” He’d expected her to say one year would suffice. With surprise we felt him harden his heart. “If Christós and Jesus agree and Angelica wants to, she may remain with you. Angel love, we will jump and return here in five years, we could not bear to remain apart from you for that long. Do you want to stay?”
I’d hate to be in her shoes, I thought to myself, he’s really given her a horrible choice. “Dad, why don’t we jump a year, return, and jump again. That way she sees us once a year.”
It made it easier for her to decide and she quickly packed. With hugs and tears in her heart, but filled also with nervous excitement they jumped to the planet. Robbie sat for a few minutes drinking his coffee and smoking and then Freddie jumped. We did not feel him jump back so we stared at him.
“Is a week here long enough?”
After the third jump back Angelica returned to Freddie with her clothes. In many ways she has always been the odd one, sticking out in little ways. For the first few days she was scrutinised by all her loves with a mixture of wonder and a little bit of fear in case she’s changed too much. She has picked up a few Muyzith mannerisms, but before we could grow used to them she shed them.
Robbie waited for three weeks this time and we jumped back for Msito.
“May others visit Freddie?”
“Of course.”
Over the next few days we must have had Muyzith wandering around in the hundreds of thousands. Cherine and all of us kept our senses extended, but we did not feel that anyone not suitable had been linked. I think that for a long time they will remain Cherinians, only later some of them drifting towards becoming Ipohin.
An invitation arrived requesting the pleasure of the company of every single person in Freddie with an addendum asking for Bitsy to also be brought with. Robbie waited until we were all on planet, moved Freddie into the Spartan World and arrived with Leonidas and Freddie at his side.
As with all other aspects of their life, they’d gone all out to decorate the areas the party was held in and even by the end of the party there were still people walking around admiring their artistic talents. I’d say, as a general comment, that some of the Unation species were more affected. They did approach the government through our ‘Freddie Muyzith’ to suggest trade between their nations, indicating they want to buy Muyzith artwork and asking what they can offer in return.
