“You have another problem?”
“Not a problem, just a question. It is obvious you have changed our world and there are further changes coming in the near future. We need to know, what is the attitude of your people to the monarchy?”
“That’s not fair mum. Even Cherinians tend to be more accepting of what they are used to. An example would be the Chinese in our reality.”
I grinned. “She only told you that because I’m an honorary Chinese - in a different reality. Let me give you another example then. Now that the people in our reality no longer fear, their governments could turn to monocracy, the Greeks are discussing the possibility of bringing back their monarchy. In the U.K. though, they still continue to talk every now and then of voting to abolish the monarchy.”
Jina gave a huge grin that made her look twenty years younger. “The British love pomp, why don’t you visit our king - it would boost his popularity.”
I gave her a moment to enjoy herself. “Sorry love, that would be a bad idea, it would only give the anti-monarchists an excuse to complain about how much it cost the working man. I suggest you do something different. Why not invite all the kings and princes from all over the world to a meeting to discuss ways that monarchies can play a more positive role for their people. You could also employ a PR firm to head a campaign to show that the modern royal families hold almost no power, but are there to act should their governments infringe on the human rights of their subjects. It might not be a bad idea that those royal families who have no powers, ask their people to give them the power to be their protectors.”
“You’ve given me a lot to think about, thank you.”
Back in Freddie, Hettie just shook her head. “You know they will not do anything? They’re too afraid of stirring up the people.”
Gina asked Edti to transfer some of the shares she’d left for him into Elija’s name and make him a Director of the company. Jakob stopped them from giving his son shares as he was already transferring most of his shares to his son. He is happy that Edti wants Elija as a Director.
When we jump in time and visit Jina’s family, we often bring them to Freddie. This time, since it was school holidays, when most staff take their holiday, Robbie asked them whether they felt like taking a trip. Since they would only be away from their reality for a day or two, they gladly agreed.
We first returned home to check that all is well, called to Henry and his wife to come with, paid a visit to a number of Cherines and Roberts, collected Richard and his boys and jumped to a dead reality.
“Richard, in one of the realities, when I stumbled through the future, I was asked to arrange for you and your boys to go to them. They were, or should I say, will be, under constant attack and they obviously feel you have powers that could help them. Since then I’ve been to that future and I suspect I’ve taken care of the problem or else I would have come for you long ago.” He smiled at our reactions. “Sorry loves, even erasing my memories did not prevent me from working that out. Richard, Henry also, you may not be needed there, but there is another future I think may need you. Let me tell you about the wet-heads and hard-heads.” Even though we’d shared the experiences with Robbie, we listened with fascination, amazed as always at how much is lost when words are used and how impressions and conclusions he’d come to differed from those he had when he first shared.
Richard made a moue of distaste. “What do you expect us to do Robert? Get rid of their hardware?”
“I’m not interested in battling the Normals, we need to find out what led to them adopting the use of their invention. How is it possible for an Earth to have Cherinians and still experience a nuclear war? We need someone who has dealt with frightened minds and has the experience of ignoring surface fears and finding the true facts and reasons. It could not be just anyone, the four of you have the qualities I want coupled with the ability to protect yourselves should you be attacked.”
He looked surprised. “The hardware? You’ve misunderstood me, I think you’ll have to protect yourselves from Cherinians - those who have a vested interest in the status quo. For all I know they may have brought about the situation. I would say, trust Pieter and the Teller family only…if Samantha is with.” Startled, I protested. “Sam, what if her Robert is to blame? Why did she have to use Pieter to send me a secret message?”
“They may not keep our arrival a secret, as they did with you. What if the Normals demand the right to use their hardware on us? Do we agree?”
“No. Point out that you are only visiting and will be leaving within a week.”
Robbie became the void and jumped to the reality-future to ensure he could go as the void. He was soon back, enclosed Richard, Henry and the two lads and they disappeared. We sensed Robbie return and leave again. Within minutes he was back with the four of them. The four were broadcasting anxiety but they waited until Robbie was back in his body.
“Pieter kept us isolated the entire time. Robert, we suffered a number of shocks. First of all, we’d gained the impression you thought they are of the distant future. They are only sixteen years ahead of us.” We were all surprised and dismayed. How could things have deteriorated so fast? “However, this will be the greatest shock of all - the hardware was made available to the Normals by you. A team of Anadir, Unation and Inguel scientists developed it at your request.”
Robbie looked at everyone staring at him and he shrugged. “Maybe I’ll have good reasons.”
Richard continued, “That reality was only discovered after they’d had a limited nuclear war - should I call it a nuclear war? They used atom bombs. About a third of Europe is wasteland, London was obliterated and in America half of New York was destroyed. The missile missed the center and only part of the city and much of the countryside suffered the direct consequences. One of the Sparkler nations found them, healed those they could and you were called. You returned in time, found Robert, Cherine and a number of others and carried them forward. Your family became fond of them and that is why they have a Samantha.” He grinned at me. “She found it amusing to send you greetings to a time while she was still part of you.”
“Were you told why I provided the Normals with the hardware?”
“Not a clue, even Samantha refused to explain.”
“Have the family submitted to the law of being weakened?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t see myself doing that to my loves, but for Robert I can. I would be interested in seeing how he handles himself without his full gifts.”
We knew why he said it, but Cherine fell for it anyway. As her eyes flashed he laughed and pulled her to him before she could speak. “Did Samantha make any suggestions?”
“Not directly. We could not decide whether it was because Robert did not agree or whether they are monitored.”
“You did feel she wants us to bring an end to it?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a branch of ADFI there?”
I protested, “We can’t interfere. If your future self set it up as some kind of experiment he must have a good reason.”
Meli answered me, “Perhaps he will not bother to interfere because he knows we will.”
I shook my head, “Robert’s dislike of messing with time is too well known for me to believe that.” Meli just stared at me so I gave it some more thought and burst out laughing. “Of course! We all know he hates messing with the past and we are the past!” Everyone perked up, as if Robbie had confirmed we are going to help our future alternates.
Robbie continued with his thoughts as if he had not been interrupted, “It doesn’t make sense. Just for example, how do we open an ADFI? Do we go to the ADFI of that time or take our partners of the present with? The hardware, those who developed it should know how to disarm them. Do we go to them or do we look for ways on our own?”
Cassie said, “It would be more fun to do it on our own.”
Robbie glanced at Cassie and grinned. “No wonder my future self left it to us to solve - he didn’t want to deprive Cassie of her fun.” She blushed, but she also sensed that us girls were glad, so she didn’t feel bad. “Let’s talk strategy.”
“You’ll have to take the first step on your own. Go as the void and offer yourself as a target. If the hardware can’t affect you then we know you can be our protector.”
“I might as well check on my other Teller family. Have fun.” Before anyone could squawk in protest, Vincent was gone.
“What’s so funny?” I carried on grinning but shook my head, refusing to explain. I admit I did not think of the same thing Vincent had, but his leaving did sort of make it obvious. The trouble with my loves is that instead of concentrating on the reason for Vincent’s departure, they concentrated on me. They know I hate being tickled so they assailed me en masse.
Gasping I managed to say, “Each of us takes a Sparkler with.” At least it stopped the tickling as they tried to puzzle it out. Robbie sat back and gave me a wink. Should I look in his mind to see whether he’d understood or whether he was bluffing?
“You’ve got to be joking!” Cherine almost looked fierce. “How can hardware be the same as a mind?”
I explained, “The hardware must be opening the mind Cherine, otherwise, how would the hardware obey the mental orders of non-telepaths?”
Cassie grinned at Jade when she spoke. “Damn. It’s too easy! It won’t be fun.”
Robbie was upset with us. “It could work, but we won’t use that to stop them. How can any of you think of attacking Normals?”
I disagreed. “Enhanced Normals Robbie.”
“Still, Normals. Find another way.”
Rosie mused aloud, “The Cherinians are not the point of the exercise. We have to help rid the Normals of the fear they have of Cherinians. If we went there to attack the Normals, Robert of this time would get very angry.” Never mind the Robert of the future; when I know I’ve been clever and then I see how stupid I’ve been, it makes me very angry. I sent Rosie a blast of love.
He returned with a smug look and held his arm up. “When I got there I didn’t take on a form and searched for those who’d robbed me. I got my watch back.” He’d been smarting about that as it was a gift from Dommi from that brief affair they’d had before he met Cherine and he treasures it. He chuckled. “You should check in my mind to see their faces when they tried to knock me out and I refused to fall down again.” Of course we all rushed in to share and laughed.
Later, after supper, he verbally started ticking off his thoughts. “The Normals were offered food machines and we supplied them with the hardware - even if they don’t know it. The sick were healed by the Sparklers so I doubt they’ll think of us as the benefactors. Their populations are declining, but for the wrong reasons. Theirs is a hard life, so I doubt theories and principles will motivate them. What’s the second step?”
“Has the land been healed of the radiation? We should also check how their ecology has been affected before looking to heal their bodies so that they can have more children, allowing them to rebuild their populations.”
“Right, second step goes to Shiyra - thanks love, I like it.”
We concentrated just as much on examining the remains of the cities as we did on our healers healing the land. This must be the ugliest world we’ve been to up to now! Everything seems to be grey concrete and the variation in designs only exist for the purpose of defining the purpose of the buildings. Their cities are claustrophobic, they do not seem to have discovered the need for green belts to help their cities to breath and the roads are narrow. The only favourable development is the lack of private vehicles. I suppose they decided it made more sense to provide public transport. I’d never realised how much brighter and more interesting cities can become because of advertising.
We projected and went to visit their art galleries and museums. We were depressed in advance, not expecting to see anything exciting or beautiful. As we entered and saw their paintings and sculpture we stood without moving, not believing our eyes. Such ethereal beauty, such a sense of soaring, reaching out as if for the stars! It was therefore with puzzlement that we sensed Jade’s mind scrunch up is if it had bitten on a lemon. The minds of Robbie, Wendy and Meli soon followed. All we could see is extraordinary beauty, so we remained puzzled.
“Imagine our art all being variations of any one artist you love; Van Gogh, Picasso, Greco, Rembrandt. It does not matter who you choose, think of what we would lose. It seems to me they decided art must be the antithesis of their practical natures as shown by the buildings - even the art galleries! There is no creativity here, no expression of the inner world of the artist, just a conforming to certain rules.”
I tried to imagine what it must be like to be one of these people and it was depressing. Without paying attention I wandered off by myself. After a while everything blended. I wondered whether time spent here would teach me to notice subtleties that made certain artists more popular than others. I reached a part of the gallery that was obviously not visited by many. As I entered the room I gasped. Instantly my loves shared and then rushed to me.
My gasp must have been aloud, for an elderly woman stepped out from behind a frieze. She stared at me solemnly and I felt she by herself was reason enough for me to gasp again. She was the first real individual I’d seen on this planet. Her hair seemed uncombed and her clothes were bright and ugly with mixing of colours that clashed.
“You must be from a small town or village. This is the first time you have been to the ugliness of the Plague of Madness section? Stare hard child, examine each piece, for this does not belong to your world. Then go as all the others do, back to your world of sane limits and forget the only pieces of real art on this world.”
“Are you the artist?” The others had stopped outside so as not to intrude, sharing with me.
“But there is purpose!” Jade walked in. “Look here, see this curve how it swirls and soars to be cut by sharp lines, like dreams that are shattered by the merciless slicing of the razor blade of reality.” She walked from one piece to the other and it seemed she found the rooms in the minds of the artists, bringing to life and finding reasons, however crazed, enabling us to see the messages. As if in a trance the woman followed our slight seven year old Jade and tears filled the cracks in her worn cheeks. When they made their way back to us she stood without speaking, shuddered and closed her eyes a moment.
“Thank you, I am free now.” Her voice rose, exulting. “I understand! I could see there was something of other worlds, of minds not like mine and it hurt not understanding. Now I can return home to die.”
Poor Jade’s face fell and then she burst into tears. Robbie quickly picked her up. “Don’t worry love, she’s not really going to die, there is still much more for her to learn to understand. Why don’t we take her to see your paintings?” He spoke to the old woman, “This is Jade and I am Robert. Would you come to our home to see our paintings? We have art from many worlds and minds to stun you with delight.”
She trembled as she stared around her at Freddie. “You are prime Robert? This is Freddie?”
“Lady, you have surprised me, I did not know you were aware of us. Yes, I am Robert and this is my family. The rest are friends close enough to be called family, but I’d only confuse you if I did call them family.”
“Husband of my younger sister is in Security. He spoke of you and your gifts to our world. Why?”
“You are not asking about the food machines, you are puzzled as to the hard-head equipment? I have no idea, I come from your past and was hoping to learn why I will do this.” The fact that she hardly seemed to consider it strange that we came from the past showed us that she truly does live in a world of her own.
“Her husband, he does not allow me to visit. He told her the caps saved everyone from becoming crazy like me.”
“What would cause it, I mean, the loss of control?”
“The insanity of minds that do not think as they should and yet are more effective. I also do not understand how it is. How can fancies and ignorance of the practical make anyone stronger?”
The weight that had been pressing on our hearts fell away as we saw our future Robbie had acted to save the Normals. We were left with many questions, why bring them their Cherinian family then? What did he hope to achieve by bringing about both? Still, now we could wait to find out. The old woman, Nelwa, was given time to recover, protected from a bombardment of visual and mental stimuli and only after a few days did we take her on short tours. We helped balance her mind whenever we felt it fraying, about to collapse. Jade, Wendy and Meli mostly accompanied her, talking, explaining what she saw. Wendy was very careful, keeping her music as simple as possible, only gradually adding variations without ever making it complex enough to spin her out of control. Over a couple of weeks she stabilised in a fashion, while simultaneously careering off to the verge of insanity as she assimilated all she learnt. We had tended to her body and her health gave her mind a new resiliency. It was Diana who helped bring about an understanding of her people.
“What was the plague you spoke of, did it come from rats and their fleas?”
“The gallery we met in, it was kept as an example of the chaos and meaninglessness of the minds of the insane compared to the beauty and depth of our art. For years now it is not visited, apart from the few people who might stray there out of ignorance - for it is forgotten that the room exists.”
I cannot say that Nelwa has blossomed over the last month, but she is learning not to think of herself as insane, still smiling doubtfully when we explain that it is the others who lack a part of what is human nature but growing to accept who she is, as a being different from most of her people. We were pleased when, one evening, she wondered aloud, “There must be others like me, are their lives as sad as mine was?”
We asked her about the atomic war (or, the Great War, as she called it). “We are told that the last of those from the plague years insinuated themselves into power and deliberately tried to rid the world of us.”
“How did the coming of Cherinians affect your people?”
“Even I feared for my sanity - I cannot imagine what it was like for the others. The insane of our world paled before the insane minds that came among us with such terrible powers. We questioned ourselves, could it be that such insanity was part of the evolution of mankind and we would be consigned to history someday?” She looked embarrassed. “I am still in doubt about your sanity. It has helped that I have seen that if you truly are insane, there is a special kind of beauty to your insanity. The people grew depressed, many not working and some killing themselves. That was when you brought us the caps and explained how they would give us powers over the Cherinians of our world.”
Once she had gone to bed, Jakob shook his head. “It does not make sense to me, if all, or nearly all, are as those she calls sane, why are the Cherine and Robert you will find not sane as they are? What of their Alki and the others?”
“I wish I knew…” He laughed. “I guess I will know. What about Pieter? He must be a new Cherinian of this reality only.”
“Not necessarily, we might find others in our future.”
“Still…” He looked frustrated. “I can’t even travel in time to find out as I will be there.”
Angel asked Jade, “Could you paint a series of paintings, childlike and similar to the main art of this world, but just different enough to stir their curiosity without making them fear it? If you can, perhaps we could lead them by stimulating their imaginations gently in other ways also?”
Once the first positive step is shown, it is amazing how quickly others are presented. “What if we project to be like them, rent a house and make friends. We could have parties where Cherine creates a golden circle of love. If it is done gently, they will enjoy it without feeling it is a threat to them. Over a number of such parties, the experience should change them in little ways.”
“The parties would be the high points, the day to day interactions could do more to open their minds to new ideas.”
Meli nodded. “Their stories are all dull. I could write a few just slightly less dull than theirs. If they become popular, I could slowly-slowly make them more interesting.”
“I’ve written something on it for you. You can use it for putting you to sleep.” Candy leant over and read a tiny part of it, her eyes widened and she read another part from a different section. She screamed with laughter. It did not take long for all of us to collapse with tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. Meli had filled the pillow with quotes and jokes from Cassie. In the end Cassie did score a strong tick. With tears in her eyes she hugged Meli and thanked her, telling her it will remain one of her most prized possessions forever. Meli laughed as she hugged her back, giving her a huge tick on our mental scoreboard.
Can you imagine what a sheepish looking Inguel looks like? The poor guy had volunteered to speak to us, but he was fervently wishing he hadn’t. Robbie took extra care to enquire after his family, his work and so on before sitting back with a smile. “I’ve lit a cigarette, I have a coffee and two of my loves are sitting on my lap - I’d suggest it is safe for you to ask now.”
“That which we will invent, could you secure us a copy for examining?”
“You intend inventing something by examining a copy of what you invented? Wow!” He sent to us, *What if I always first check with the next day to find out which of you I made love with?* He smiled at our reaction of intense dislike of his proposal. “I suppose we’ll soon have everyone wanting to jump to the future to examine what they will invent. But then, why limit it to that? Why not jump ten years to see who will be our friends and who will only pretend, it could save us so much heartbreak.”
Two others jumped to us, an Anadir and a Unation scientist. “Robert, we apologise.” They gave the Inguel gesture of apology and respect. “an-Spilh, our apologies, we should have come as a group. Robert, we withdraw our request. We will create the machine on our own.”
“an-Spilh, I am pleased that you asked. It has highlighted for us why we must be careful when dealing with matters outside our own time. Would an-Mirrik be free to meet us?”
an-Mirrik arrived and Robbie explained to him our strategy. “You told me that your power only works with those of your own species. Would you please allow one of the Inguel you trust to project you as a Terran? I think it might expand the range of your powers. If we are to do any of the things we are planning for, your power would make it easier for us.” An emotional an-Mirrik was taken away by another Inguel.
“Why have you waited so many years Robert, he is a good person.”
He nodded, agreeing. “I was about to ask him to become a Cherinian a long time ago. Then I sensed he was struggling with doubts when we tried to enact the terms of the prophecy. His heart is strong now and I think you should link him if he wants.”
The Unation have estimated it could take up to three hundred years for us to affect the locals permanently - that is if we do not want them to develop an unhealthy bundle of neurosis. Robbie looked angry. “I wish I could get my hands on him! The bastard knew, that is why he set us up.” Guess that gives a new slant to the saying, ‘he was angry with himself’. Everybody tried to work out why he was also chuckling in his mind - I mean, three hundred years!
“Have you factored all the possibilities when programming your AI analyst? For instance, did it take into consideration that they would be at peak health and their minds and emotions will be affected by their bodies?”
“We did Samantha. Without peak health you might find it impossible to change them permanently, unless you did as you have done for those you called the bubble kids. We presumed you would not find that an attractive alternative.”
“All included in the parameters.”
“I know!” Lucy called out. “What if we enter their minds while they sleep and give them exciting dreams? Would that increase their levels of interest in new ideas?”
Nelwa confirmed, “My dreams were part of the process of changing my thinking. The strange art I’d seen kept on appearing in my dreams and I would feel that I could almost understand them.”
Those of the Unation discussing it with us hesitated. “We had not included that possibility, but we did include subliminal lessons during sleep. We’ll need to research the new possibility. If it affects them it could decrease the time needed.”
Aganthi was about to speak when Robbie interrupted her. “It does not matter what we think of, I agree with your analyst, the changes must come about over a long time.”
Themi spoke his thoughts out aloud. “It is easy to allow facts to mislead us. As is accepted, all species seem to share common fundamental mental levels, perhaps originating from the commonalities of our souls at their deepest levels, but we must not use that to think of all of us as being the same. The higher levels are affected and guided or even restricted to an extent by the deeper ones, but they also have a life and nature of their own - that is not only true of species, but also of individuals.
We see a planet of humans, of Terran origin, and the bulk of them resemble certain types of people we know from our own world, lacking in imagination, only interested in what is practical, dreary and dull of personality, so we automatically ascribe to them the same psychological profile. Nothing could be further from the truth. We need to relearn certain ‘truths’ we ‘know’ so that we can recognise how and where we wish to lead them to.”
Luigi asked, “Have you taken into account that there are criminals among them? Surely the act of turning towards criminal activities suggests a different mind set - including ambitions that are lacking in the majority?”
“Ah, the attack against Robert? You must not make the mistake of seeing them as a chiaroscuro of personality traits…”
We have become immersed in refining our plans and in the times between, when we should be socialising, we debate, as in the example I gave above. Nobody expects to score any telling points, all we are doing is crawling our way to understanding them. For instance, there could be certain aspects or traits we should not meddle with or even try to preserve in the hope of leading them to a better future than ours.
I suggested we bring their Cherine to Freddie to study the ways the hardware damaged her mind and ways of healing her back to her original strengths. I was upset when they decided it was not a good idea, that we should first bring their Samantha. For the first time since our arrival, Robbie went as the void to examine the building they live in. He checked the surrounding area and found it occupied by troops. Their guns were not trained on the family, they were there to prevent any attacks from the Normals.
*Robert, greetings. Are you monitored within your home?*
*Welcome. We are not monitored by Normals.*
*Be more specific, are you monitored by non-Cherinian talents?*
*The Cherinians are just as much a threat Robert. Their agitation at your return will alert the Normals that something is happening. Many of them are angry with you.*
*Can they visit Freddie in the void? The Sparklers will provide them with temporary bodies.*
The family consist of the following: Cherine, Robert, Dominique, Wendy (split from a Wendy), Samantha (split from me). They have no children - I guess we wouldn’t either under these conditions. Common close friends and family: Alki, Nicko, Elia and Claire. All of them, family and friends, apart from Wendy and myself (Samantha), were found as souls as they would not have become who they are and the same methods we’ve used with others was used to divert them into becoming the persons they now are. Unique close friends: Pieter and his wife Annelene. Outer circle of Cherinians are eight, five men and three women.
The Sparklers provided them with bodies according to their self image. We found it strange that one of the outer Cherinians, a middle-aged man called Kurt, is a dwarf. It made sense, but still confused us when we learnt that his real body is no longer a dwarf. He gave a grin that threatened to split his face in two when he sensed the body he’d been given.
As soon as we greeted them, one of the new Cherinians asked, “You are from the past?”
“We are.”
“So the experiment is not over? Are you willing to go against the wishes of your future self?”
“How can I? If, at the present time, he knows I’ve done something, won’t that be a part of his past? If he disapproved, he could have warned us off. If, by your question, you are asking whether we’ll get rid of the hardware used against you, the answer is no. We’ve spent some time studying the Normals and we estimate it could take up to three hundred years to bring about the changes needed for you to be accepted by them without fear.”
All of them were upset. Cher glowered at Robbie so Cherine glowered at her. A man and woman touched hands before the man spoke angrily to his Robert, “Robert, we’re not staying. Three hundred years is too much.”
“I understand…”
Robbie interrupted him. “Hold on. Enjoy a meal with us while we ask and answer questions. When it is time for you to return to your bodies you can make your decisions then.” Freddie jumped realities to give everyone time to relax.
Angel, Aganthi and Gina came with me to the shore, to talk to our alts. “Sam, can you tell us your story from the beginning?”
“There isn’t much to tell. After we split I only had the memory that your Robert would arrive from the past, needing our help. The rest you had erased. We started off looking for potential Cherinians with the help of your family. Those you see here plus two that left to start their own Cherinian Earth are the only ones we found. Pieter was the same as Nelwa, we found him walking the streets, convinced he was insane. As I’m certain you’ve sensed, he has a very sweet soul. He brought in Jake the dwarf once he became a Cherinian.” She smiled. “Pieter was a scrawny man with severe skin problems. He chose his looks from descriptions in ancient books that are not supposed to exist.
As your Robert knows, the effect of an attack by hard-heads is extremely painful. He was unlucky in that he was attacked by thieves who had stolen the sets. They have not been trained and three of them attacked when the law is that not more than one is allowed to use his computer-enhanced powers to disable us - unless we attack first. The governments were afraid of prime Robert returning, so they provided us with the houses we stay in, moved all the families out from the area and surrounded us with troops. We are not allowed to leave our homes and they provide us with groceries and other necessities. Once every six months the Controllers visit us and we have to submit to an attack on our gifts.” She shrugged. “There isn’t much else to tell you, if we are in danger it is mostly that of dying of boredom. That is why we cannot bear the thought of living like this for another three hundred years.”
“You won’t have to. When they use the computer enhancement, can you resist?”
“Does it damage the brain?”
“We suspect it does.”
“You mean you become less intelligent over a number of attacks?” She nodded. “Wow! A stupid Samantha, that would be something to see!” She found my teasing callow and tears came to her eyes. I pulled her for a hug. “I’m teasing love, we’re going to fix that right away.” I asked for Robbie’s healer but he’d heard and had instantly sent it to Cher. Cherine sent hers to Robert and Dommi to Wendy. I stopped anyone from sending theirs to Samantha. “As soon as Robert’s healer is finished with your Cherine it will fix the damage. While we wait, Aganthi, can you enter my mind to block personal memories? After Sam has been healed, I want to merge for a while with her.”
Robbie’s healer reported to him and he fell to his knees before Cher and tears coursed down his cheeks. “Oh my love, how could I do this to you?”
“It was our choice Robert, you did warn us in advance.”
“Robert, we better send some doppelgangers to their house. I don’t see why they should return there. As a matter of fact, they should have been using doppelgangers all along, at least whenever the Normals came to use their hardware to damage them.”
I heard Cherine, but I was holding Sam to me and she was just as precious as any daughter could be. I kissed her wet cheeks. “No Cherine, there will be no three hundred years. When they are ready to return we’ll take them back. Before we do so, we must collect millions of Terran Cherinians to bring them here for healing. The Sparkler healers are not as effective as our healers are.”
There was silence as Robbie sat in his chair again, a fresh coffee before him. He was feeling down and needed time to recover. He finally asked to peek in my mind. He paled. “We can’t do that Sam.”
“Diana, Claudia, have you checked?”
“What?”
“Their history. This reality split off from ours before the time Nelwa calls the plague years. Their Catholic inquisition lasted longer than ours, spreading all over Europe and then to the rest of their world and millions died that lived in our reality. They culled their populations of all intelligent and creative people and their society became so restrictive that all the attributes we admire they suppressed. They brought this upon themselves. We’ll help them, but not at the cost being paid.
There is nothing we can do for those alive today. We must bring millions of Cherinians so that as children are conceived our healers correct their genes and DNA, mapping for imagination, intelligence and creativity. I don’t know if guts can be spliced back into them, but we will have a say in how the children are brought up. Robbie, first thing, once your healer is finished, you must collect all those infernal headsets and destroy them.”
“I don’t consider that a wise decision…”
“Pieter, wise or not, we destroy them. Our Robert will explain to your governments that we provided them for using only if their Cherinians harm any Normals…not for them to systematically torture and destroy your minds and gifts!” I shook my fist at Robbie, trembling with anger, “Damn you Robert, how could you be so stupid! Why didn’t you explain and define the conditions under which they may use them?”
“Sam,” she pulled at my arm, “he did - he will explain. As soon as he left they passed a law.”
“Then you should not have submitted!”
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