All Freddie’s and RT’s will have platforms ready to be launched into normal space filled with cameras and other instruments. Our return will be one folding/unfolding so that we are back home on the day after Cherine's birthday (Dommi’s idea).
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 10, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:
7371
Another amazing first. This is the first time all five Treehouses will be full of guests. Lusalith is very excited about this extra trip so the Unation promised to compile detailed tapes for her to give each City Empire when she returns with an extra copy for herself. To her, half the pleasure of going on this trip is because Arthur suggested it.
It was nice seeing many of our friends that we do not see that often, and Dirkie and his family were part of them. Daisy suggested we name the trip ‘The Great Trek’ which might be true, but might also upset some people as it is a very Afrikaans description. Oh well, I’ve decided to use it anyway (after all, nobody was angered by the great series ‘Star Trek’ using the word).
I whispered to Cherine who was standing stiffly, aware of all eyes being on her, “Have you thought of how many future Cherines will be celebrating your birthday and that of the RT Cherine without it being their birthday - that is apart from the herd of alternate Cherines. Do you think they also bought you a birthday present?”
She glared at me for a moment and then got the giggling fits. It did not help that all my loves also got the giggles. We’d all been so tense, any excuse to break out of it would have been welcome. All the presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens and so on turned to stare at us. Although Robbie was concentrating on timing all the Freddies-RT's so that we leave at the same instant, we felt his amusement. With a smile he sent the order and we moved at normal space-speed away from Earth. Robbie had worried that if all of us suddenly jump into the void while in orbit, the sudden change in the effect of gravity of all the Freddies-RT's on Earth might cause problems. Within hours we left our solar system and with another command we all jumped to the void and from there to a dead reality. We stopped for twenty four hours and within every Freddie-RT there was a party to celebrate the beginning of our trip - factually it was not true, we’ll only start once we’ve returned to our reality and are positioned over the center of our galaxy. Still, a party is a party and any excuse will do for most people.
Jina’s king drawled with wonder, “I’ve heard that you consider it possible to travel past five galaxies per day! You are a remarkable man!”
Cassie piped up before Robbie could reply. “Five a day is not fast, we could probably do over a hundred if we wanted to.”
Robbie gave her a startled look. “I doubt I could love.”
Jade gave him a grin, “Not you, I bet the Wirms could by wishing us.” What a wonderful thing it is for us that we have the imps to puncture our balloon of self importance - and we had all been guilty of being just a little proud because of the awe everyone had been inundating us with. Robbie then had to explain what the imps had meant.
Robbie sat back with a more relaxed look than we’ve seen for days now, a twinkle in his eyes once more. “Cherine love, going there is part of our gift to you, but why don’t we ask the Wirms to wish us back home after your birthday party?”
Latreia giggled, “Can you imagine how anticlimactic it will be for everyone to return within seconds?”
We nibbled from the buffet, danced and returned home. Soon as we were alone, Cassie and Jade confronted Robbie.
Cassie asked, “Robert, can we be acting leader next time one is needed?”
“What brought this on? Not during this trip love.”
7372
“Whenever. We just thought that since you no longer have Samantha to take over we should volunteer.”
Robbie ‘woke up’. “Why don’t I have Sam anymore?”
“She’s decided it is nicer being an imp.”
“An imp - just her?”
Jade nodded very seriously, even managing to look awed. “It seems one Samantha imp is worth two imps, she is probably not only smarter than both of us together, but also funnier.”
Robbie grinned and glanced at me, as if expecting me to come up with some witty repartee. Looking as disinterested as I could I replied, “I might as well write in the dairy while you enjoy your conversation, since we’ll be too busy tomorrow.”
“You are giving up your position within our family without a fight?”
I laughed. “Dad, those two could out-Samantha me if they want to. The only reason they haven’t up to now is because they are not interested in dealing with politicians who are not famous for their sense of humour. I bet Hettie will enjoy it more, dealing with the two of them instead of me.” As I left they were all busy cracking jokes. Arthur I want to finish quickly, when we go to bed with so much laughter, the night becomes magical.
It was! Wow!
Robbie gave the signal for all to return to our reality in the void forty seven days before Cherine's birthday and we jumped. He left his body and becoming the g-void he checked that everyone is in a straight line, travelled halfway to the next galaxy and bent the void and we all found ourselves in the void over the next galaxy. Robbie stayed as the g-void until all Freddies-RT's were in normal space. He then checked there are no dangers and returned to let out the platforms. As soon as he returned to his body, the next Robert became the void and took out their platforms and then the next until all had platforms racing around recording and performing experiments. Imagine you are one of the scientists and you make certain experiments. Any experiment usually leaves the scientist with more questions. His immediate future self in the next Freddie gets the answer to those questions, but is also left with new questions which his next future self tests and so on to the twenty fifth future self. Can you imagine how much they will have learnt within these forty seven days? I bet if they still have questions on the return trip, Robbie will offer them a few jumps.
As everybody stared at the screens, Robbie had a coffee and cigarette. “I feel sorry for them, especially those who’ve never travelled with us before and seen a galaxy from above, but I can’t make a platform for so many millions.”
“You don’t have to make them all happy at the same time Roberto.” Aganthi said. “Make it big enough for just over ten percent of them. Take them out for one hour and do three trips per day. Within three days they will all have seen a galaxy from space.”
“We better limit ourselves to two trips a day, they’ll need time to enter the platforms and leave them for the next group. Aganthi, you are cruel, I was enjoying the idea of sitting here with all of you all day.” He sent her a kiss and while Freddie made the announcement he prepared the platform. He arranged with the Wirms for them to wish the platform out and back into Freddie as he does not want to open the top that often.
Claudia asked Enztepir, “Can’t you attach pumps to the top for when we have to open to let out a spaceship? When Freddie creates a shield under the ship that’s leaving, the pumps could suck out most of the air so that Robert does not have to keep on replenishing our air.”
“If Freddie helps us with a small shield for us to experiment on the method of attaching the pumps we could.”
Freddie asked, “What about power? Will you draw that from the shield?”
7373
“No, the pumps can be self contained in that regard. Don’t forget to calculate for the disruptions we’ll cause to the waterfalls. Every time we disrupt them, they’ll probably need a day or so to form the mist waterfalls again.” None of us liked the idea, so they’ll go ahead, but we’ll only use their equipment if it is absolutely necessary we do.The levels of excitement rose dramatically after the first platform of tourists returned. Their descriptions of what they’d seen were followed avidly as if the others will never have the opportunity to see a galaxy for themselves. Robbie had let them see the galaxy as it would appear if they’d been out in space and then he altered the energies of the platform to filter the light and they saw the galaxy as they would have if it had been colour enhanced by the computers of NASA.
Complaints came in from the other Roberts, so Robbie returned to his body again for the others to take turns in becoming the void to create their own platforms. All the platforms will be kept until the last day and galaxy.
It has been fun for everyone watching the Wirms. Seeing themselves so many times has made them delirious with joy and they are flitting from spaceship world to spaceship world. Even Solomon arranged a meeting for all the Solomons, so Robbie invited them to join us for supper.
I think that by the time this trip ends I will have heard people say to me a million times what a pity it is that Arthur is not here and part of this excitement. They all know it was your idea and they feel sad for you. They are right, even if we do this trip again when you are with us, nothing can reproduce the way this trip and all we are seeing is affecting us. I’m storing as much of it as I can in my memories and sharing from others so that you can at least experience it as if you were here - coloured slightly by my way of perceiving everything.
Galaxies are like us in one way. Very few of them like to be alone and they usually exist in families of five to fifteen, although we have recorded one galaxy cluster of twenty seven galaxies. It is surprising how many galaxies have mini galaxies swirling along close by, just like children hanging close to Mummy. Actually, our own Milky Way galaxy has such a mini galaxy that must have split off at some time in the past. I bet the Terran scientists will someday ask Robbie to take them back in time to watch how it split off.
At the third galaxy, the skies were lit up from a super nova two galaxies away. It was not on the route we are supposed to be following, but it was too good an opportunity for the scientists to gather more information. Robbie told the others to stay where they are and Freddie started jumping. He would jump forward towards the explosion, but also back in time. At each jump he’d stop only for minutes in normal space for the equipment to make their recordings and then we’d travel on and backwards in time again. Robbie refused to go any closer than a lightyear. There we waited for the sun to go nova and the first seconds were recorded and then Freddie jumped into the void. Even from there the sight was amazing. Robbie abruptly left his body to become the void so as to check on how much of the energy is being returned to the void. He was very excited as he called Solomon and told him that massive amounts of energy are filling the void locally. Of course Solomon instantly went to the void to watch as the void.
Freddie jumped back to the other Freddies-RT's. Robbie instantly stilled the complaints as hundreds of scientists cried for the lost opportunities. “We had to leave, even in the void it was dangerous to stay. Too much negative energy was bombarding us.”
It amused, but did not surprise me when I learnt that Robbie had read an article about negative energies and had decided it is fact and then the scientists checked their instruments and found he is correct, they soon had proof of massive bombardment even in the void and are now glad that Robbie had been cautious. I grinned when Robbie confided in us that most of what was emitted went through us without affecting us. As an example, he reminded us that on Earth each square centimetre of our bodies is penetrated by seventy billion neutrinos every second. He also talked with evident awe about the fact that most of the matter in the universe consists only of two chemicals; hydrogen and helium.
7374
Up to there he was only parroting what he has read. What was of extreme interest to everyone was when he explained how he knows where to jump to when aiming for another galaxy. The galaxy we see in the distance is not actually where we see it because it has taken millions to billions of years for the light emitted by that galaxy to reach us. The only way Robbie can find it, since he can’t use a computer to set the target, is by examining the galaxy in the void. When he mentioned that he can ‘see’ where the galaxy actually is at our time, not in the past of the light image, he excited many scientists and many arguments burst forth. They all found it impossible to understand as they insisted that light cannot be faster in the void. For Robbie to correctly see the actual position, light would have to be instantaneous - which obviously it cannot be. Robbie explained that as the void he can sense where the galaxy is affecting him at that moment, and that it is translated by his senses so that it feels as if he can ‘see’ where they are. That has opened a fresh can of worms as the scientists try to find an explanation of how he, as the void, can sense instantly how parts of him (as the void) are affected billions of lightyears away since nothing can be faster than light. I bet the CherInguel scientists will be smacking each other very often. Arthur, we are now at the sixth galaxy and I cannot resist telling you that this has turned into one of the best birthday gifts/celebrations for Cherine ever. Not the actually travelling and what we are seeing and learning. That is wonderful for her also, but what has her heart singing is the sensing of the emoting of all the millions in Freddie. To her, sensing how everyone admires and is awed by her Robert, that is the sweetest gift of all.
We still keep to the established habit of scientists joining us after breakfast, even though they are so busy and we are surrounded by such a multitude of leaders of all kinds. They laboriously explained something for which I’m going to use the same terminology I did when describing galaxies as belonging to families. It seems that galaxies also belong to tribes. Our vast changes of position are showing that as families of galaxies are a set, so do those family sets belong to larger sets that I’ve called tribes. I asked whether it is possible those tribes in turn belong to larger sets that I will call stellar or galactic nations. They confirmed it is a possibility and that they will be examining the possibility as we travel even further. Just to keep them happy, as they were about to leave, I asked whether it is possible that such nation sets also belong to ‘world’ sets. My family and our friends laughed as the scientists departed, claiming I’m going to drive them all crazy. I told them that it is very likely that what I’d suggested is still thinking small. That it is likely those sets also belong to galaxy sets and those galaxy sets belong to families, tribes, nations, worlds and galaxy sets in turn, ad infinitum. I was very embarrassed when I realised a number of our guests had recorded me, so I jumped to my apartment.
Allow me then to throw at you an idea by asking a question regarding our chats. Since the contact between us seems to be permanent, whether we are chatting or just writing, even when our computers are switched off, has any kind of meter been developed that monitors how strong the connection is? If so, this would be a golden opportunity to see whether there is any fluctuation due to the distance you will be travelling. When you come across super novas, black suns, black holes, plasma clouds and whatever else, can any of them influence the signal? Since we know it is possible, why not try to find what other conditions can also affect our broadcasting beam(s). If no such meter exists, can they develop one? Hasn’t the equipment of the Muyzith given them any clues/ideas?
If you ever are feeling low and need proof that Cherine loves you, then remember this: our trip has been interrupted and Freddie is in a different reality. When you wrote the above I immediately shared with Robbie and jumped back to them. A scientist from each species answered his call and they all confirmed they do not have such a meter. Robbie asked all the others to wait here and we jumped realities so that the scientists can stop whatever they are doing to concentrate on developing a meter. It was Cherine who asked Robbie to do so.
It was pointed out to me that if such a meter is developed, there will soon be thousands of copies monitoring us and they might also find a way to break in and listen to us. I’m willing to risk it. What do you think?
Okay, I see you used our font deliberately and this time I’m glad you did - I did hate the idea of any degenerate with the money to buy a meter reading our diary. As for Roberts sharing, I can see why you have allowed it, as it helps prepare them - maybe even provides them with the incentive not to wait for us and go in search of their own Cherine.
It is funny how we can know something, but not really know it because we did not think about it. We’ve known about Roberts and Allans and we’ve known that Roberts stop once we’ve found them and yet we had not realised it. Our Allan says that it is only rarely that he ‘overhears’ us. He thinks it is because he has love and is happy.
7375
Over forty chats have been deleted and we’ve been in this reality for over three months now. None of our guests are complaining, they are eager each day to hear whether there have been any breakthroughs. The fact that the connection is permanent makes it almost impossible to identify it with all the background noise from electrons, atoms and all other forms of matter and energy. That is why we had to chat so often. At least we can now hear the hiss of our connection within the same reality. I have been given an instrument and it sits by my computer and I keep the volume just loud enough for me to notice any changes. Copies of the instruments have been placed all around Freddie and a central computer monitors them all in the hope of catching some variation between them.
Your idea worked and now we can begin the tests you suggested as we travel in our own reality.
We don’t have anything to say to the ‘other’ Teller families in their Freddies because they already know everything we do, while they can’t say much to us so that we don’t learn of our future. This time they all felt justified in sending us their congratulations on our breakthrough. I wish they could have told us we’d succeed, I went through some nerve wracking moments every time the scientists announced they’d failed again.
(deleted)
Arthur deleted the little I/he typed because he told me that he is too tired to continue. I’ve promised to rewrite for him when he comes back on line.
Because of the meter I went overboard with details of all we are seeing, wanting Arthur to type as much as possible. Robbie came up with a clever idea. He created a platform for me and placed the computer in it. As soon as we arrive at a galaxy, Vincent and Kirsten take my platform outside. We first go to the void and then from there into normal space. They search for anomalies - pulsars, giant white suns, dwarf whites, dust clouds, anything that should impede or enhance the signal when we are close to them and within their fields. My computer also has a program installed by the Unation that monitors the meter as my ears might not pick up minor variations. Today we are also going to try a few experiments of our own.
Robbie placed a meter in a stasis field and gradually slowed down time within it and then sped up time. No change! I asked Robbie to leave it in the stasis bubble and took it with me. I asked Vincent to take the stasis bubble and throw it into a sun. He had to follow with a receiver as otherwise the sun would have blanked out the results too early for us to hear any change. By the time we lost contact it was close to the corona and the meter melted into a liquid. No change! At least that experiment is to lead to new ones. The stasis bubble did not explode despite the enormous temperatures and pressures. I wonder how long it will last/lasted. After all, if it ‘died’ close to the surface even an explosion would not have been noticed by us.
My experiments yesterday gave the scientists a nudge and they thought up dozens of their own. It is sweet of them, since I know they are dying to perform hundreds of experiments for comparing different galaxies. They are using their healers to sleep half as long as they normally do so as to help out. They met us at the taverna in the morning.
“Samantha, whatever we try there is no change. The only variations we get are when the two of you are communicating. The only experiments we haven’t tried yet are by a black and white hole. We doubt it will have any results we have not seen up to now.”
“As far as black holes go, maybe. I’m hoping a white hole will give us a stronger signal. If the matter and energy it is throwing out is from another universe, perhaps the signal from there will come through and be added to the signal of this universe. Even if the black hole that is feeding the white hole is in this universe, the additional force or impetus might make it seem stronger for a moment. ”
They don’t believe my theories about white holes, but they graciously answered, “We’ll participate in such experiments as soon as the holes are found.”
Robbie asked, “You know how noise can be negated by white noise tuned to the sound being generated? Could the same effect be achieved with the meter?”
The next morning (today), they informed Robbie that his idea did not work.
7376
“Even negative results teach us Robert. We are beginning to believe that the signal cannot be affected by anything because it does not belong to this cosmos. It has been suggested that we might find, when we create the method for observing the effect, that every atom, proton, neutron and all the way down into quarks, smell and fuzz-light carry the signal.”
Robbie told them, “Stop all experiments with Arthur’s meter. Carry on with whatever you have been doing and once we have returned from this trip some of you can devote some time to finding a way to affect the signal or identify it more clearly. Thank you for being so helpful.” Of course the computers are still monitoring the meters. Don’t forget all the future Freddies also have meters.
It is fascinating examining this galaxy. All the Roberts had to work extra hard taking our guests to see the galaxy as everybody wanted to see it. Cherinians are helping by jumping the Normals in and out of the platforms so that we can have a quicker turnaround. Apart from the general view, all platforms are heavily shielded and taken as close as possible to a sun in the process of being born. We have promised all the scientists that we will be returning here for them to set up a long term base. There will probably be dozens of bases with scientists and support crew totalling over a million people. For instance, there are thousands of terran scientists alone who want to watch the birth of planets. It is interesting that already this early in its history, family solar systems have formed.
Scientists tell us that the knowledge gained from this trip up to now has answered many questions and given birth to hundreds of new ones. They are claiming this trip might result in the greatest growth of knowledge in the history of any species. If our scientists think so, I can imagine how their future selves feel in the other Freddies.
One effect of the trip we’ve enjoyed is seeing how the leaders of countries have changed. Not one of them is feeling as self-important as they did when they arrived. It does not need much of an imagination to be awed by what we’ve seen up till now. A conversation with one of them showed that despite the changes in them, in certain ways they still think the way they did.
“Robert, I’m an old man so I still recall the early days when you tried to introduce alien technology without letting us know of your existence or that of the aliens.” He smiled. “It is ironic that we tried to arrest your representatives and then refused to negotiate fairly with you, but as soon as the aliens announced themselves as the true owners of the technology we bent backwards in an effort to sign any agreement they wanted. What a shock it was for all of us when we discovered that the true leader we had negotiated with was a human of our own planet. Learning that you are an artist and nearly all your wives were children nearly gave all of us heart attacks.”
Robbie amiably chuckled. “I bet I still give you many worries.”
“I think you will for a long time, but at least we can deal with you without the fears we had originally. There are many problems and fears of the future, but I will leave those for the next generation to worry about, I’m too old to adapt and will soon be retiring.
I think all leaders will fear you for a long time. Robert, you have powers that could make you emperor of all the realities and until we can understand why you are not, we will not relax.” From the suddenly grim looks of the other leaders, we realised he’d struck a raw nerve with all of them.
Robbie smiled his thanks as Maria brought him his coffee and he lit a cigarette before answering with a question. “To go back to what you said earlier, which caused you more problems, my powers or my wives?”
The old man shook his head. “Both were equally catastrophic. As a politician I could try to deal with you and your powers, but how could I deal with you having children as wives? If I agreed to deal with you I was certain I’d face riots. We tried to bury our heads in the sand, hoping the problem would go away as the children grew up.” He glanced at us and chuckled. “It is surprising how the public accepted your unconventional marriages and it is just as well they did, since they’ll never become permanent adults.”
7377
“Do you know what my biggest fear all this time has been - with regard to my wives and the Normals? I’ve feared that I am accepted because many have the same secret desires. If I had been proven right it would have destroyed me. To be responsible for millions of children suffering is not something I could have faced.”
“Our studies show that incidences of incest and child with adult sex have risen dramatically.”
“Have those studies shown that many of the relationships you are speaking of were initiated by the children? I do not fear what happens with love and care for the child. Perhaps with time we will find a healthier balance.
As for my becoming emperor, how could I and why should I?
Let’s deal with the why first. How would my position as emperor be more enviable than the position I hold now? I would have to deal with those who scheme to depose me, knowing that if they succeeded they’d only take over in my place and destroy all life. Let us examine the other possibility, let us say a referendum was held on all Earths and by all species and it was voted unanimously that you all want me to become your emperor, what then? Would I be any further devoted to serving all of you? I’d say I’d be less devoted, for I would not have the time to be so effectively. How quickly would I be trapped within a round of functions, visits, time-wasting meetings, parties for political reasons and worst of all, having to deal with red tape and the millions of rules you’d develop to cripple me?
I guess that means there is little point to my becoming a benevolent dictator.
Put aside for the moment what being a Cherinian means and let’s concentrate on what you know of me as a person, as a human being. What drives me, what do I want out of life? By the way, did you know that I could probably have had double the extrasensory powers I have by now if I’d wanted? The only reasons I have many of the powers I do have is because I fear what wild talents will appear in the future and I cannot rely on them being of the same personality as myself. If anyone tries to use his powers against others I will have to stop them. If not for those reasons, I would deeply resent the powers I have as they are a nightmare for me.
Why a nightmare? If you were Cherinians you would have sensed since arriving here the admiration and awe of me everyone is emoting. Some, just a few, but I feel them keenly, are even emoting a wish that they could serve me slavishly. Luckily there still is the odd mind here and there that resents me, so it helps balance things out a little.
You all know that I am a man riddled with weaknesses. I like my weaknesses so I have no intention of hurrying the process of my maturing, despite the fact that it worries all the mature adults who know that life is complicated and hard - or should I say, unforgiving of weaknesses? What if I had the kind of weaknesses that other Talents have exhibited and I was inundated by the emoting I have to sense every day. Would I find myself justified in thinking of myself as special, as deserving the slavish devotion I’m being offered? Where would that end up? No, be grateful that I have the weaknesses and childish ideals I have - such as the belief that a leader is only the servant of his people.” He pointed at Bitsy. “If you want an emperor, appoint him.”
To round off the conversation I was recording. When Robbie finished talking, we could all sense that the politicians still did not believe him. They find it impossible to understand any man not wanting power and glory. At least the DD’s only want glory, they have little interest in power. By the way, for the first platform trips, Lusalith was the only one welcomed on all trips. That is until she decided she can travel in normal space on her own. Robbie offered to create a small platform for her with a pool in it, but he then had to withdraw his offer as he imagined the water being thrown about as she swoops or dives at what she is interested in. There might not be gravity, but inertia still has its fun with us if Robbie - Vincent - Kirsten or Freddie do not protect us.
We are just past the halfway mark, we’ve arrived at the twenty fourth galaxy. Arthur, the next galaxy has a different colour. It seems to flicker between blue and green. I think that must be the Jade galaxy. How did you know it is there? Has your assumption just created it, or has it existed for billions of years? A pointless question I suppose since, even if you just assumed it, when you wrote about it, you would have assumed it followed the normal evolution of galaxies. I wish you would be a little clearer why you warned us! Should we not allow any platforms into normal space?
7378
He’s obviously not going to write - I hate it when he gets like this. Sigh. I guess we’ll know tomorrow.Okay, we’ve arrived and would you mind explaining to the scientists how it is possible for a galaxy to only have blue suns and a glowing green galactic size cloud? They say it is impossible.
Despite your warning, all the scientists want to approach this galaxy closer than they have any other. There is just too much strangeness going on for them to resist. We are all staying in the void while Robbie and Vincent go to check.
They’ve returned and they say they have not found the reason you gave the warning, but they feel uneasy. The scientists were given the choice and they are all going. The scientist platforms of the other Freddies-RT's are not going, which suggests they know there is a problem. An unmanned platform is going to dip into the clouds to take a sample, I hope it does not provoke whatever it is you saw as a threat.
We’ve all been on edge all day, but the scientists have returned safely…but the sample taking platform has disappeared. Although we don’t have the time for it anymore, everyone is pleading for our tour trips. Robbie gave in, changed his mind when his unease strengthened and then he gave in again. Once again only our visitors will go on a tour, the others let our Freddie know they will not allow their visitors out. However, it has been decided by them that all Roberts and Vincents will escort our touring platform.
I do think you could have been more specific instead of playing at being Cassandra! Having millions of people hurt or killed is a terrible price to pay just for you to make your book more interesting. I’m furious with you.
7379
When Robbie knocked me out ( I did not know he could do that to me and I don’t think he’ll ever be able to do it again), I found myself with Hesina. I arrived weeping and she sat by me, morose and without any humour to lighten my spirit.
I was staring into the distance when she spoke. “If you are not going to split for Arthur, could you give me a body of my own so that I can be with him?”
Shocked I looked at her. “I doubt he’ll want anything that is from me.” I then asked her, “Why do I treat him the way I do? I do love him, but I can’t seem to help myself and I keep on hurting him.”
“You are afraid of him.”
I dismissed her analysis with, “I’m not, why should I fear him?”
“You do Sam, you fear him because you can’t control him.”
“What a nasty thing to say! I don’t control anyone and don’t want to.”
7380
“I was not created to argue with you, all I can do is see what you hide from yourself.”
I’ve spent a day thinking on what she said and then I asked my family whether she’d been right, do I try to control them? I was surprised when they let Meli answer for them.
“Hesina was right Sam, you do try to control us, especially Robert. It is not a bad thing love, we all do. I do it by being who I am, Candy does it by being who she is and it is the same for all of us. Perhaps Robert is the worst of us. As for her explanation, claiming that you fear Arthur, I think she is right. You are not trying to control him in the way lovers try to influence each other, or if you do, it is only incidental. Of all of us, you seem to fear his powers over us more than anyone - even Robert. As our protector he should fear him more, for he hates not being in control of our safety, but he has grown to understand that Arthur will never be a threat to us and only adds another layer of safety for us. Do you see him as being a threat to Robert?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Then why are you at your worst when Arthur tries to help us?”
“He has too much power over us Meli, I hate that!”
“Sam, he can’t change who he is to us. It is strange, you are afraid of him for the wrong reasons and he is afraid of you because he is terrified of love.”
“What do you mean ‘for the wrong reasons’?”
“He is the only one you love that you know will die and be lost to you forever if we don’t find him, so you instinctively try to pull away from him. Sam, I think you should not write our conversation in your diary, you’ll only hurt him.”
I shook my head. “No, I think he’ll understand.” She immediately withdrew from me submerging herself in her stories so I realised I’d upset her. Next time she refuses to censor her tellings, she’ll remember that I don’t have a choice, I have to write even those words that frighten me.
I don’t feel as if anything said to me by either of them is true, but I also accept that I may not be seeing myself clearly. I will work my way through it if Arthur has the patience to put up with me in the meantime.
Right, now that I’ve laid myself bare for you to know, I’ll get back to writing - I’ll start with the Jade galaxy.
The platform had about seven million people of all species (that use bodies) in it. Freddie was in normal space, so the Wirms wished the platform out of Freddie and then Robbie concentrated on flying it smoothly, as there is nothing for the people to hold on to. Ahead of him the other Roberts and Vincents flew, trying hard to sense any potential dangers. Perhaps they already knew because they slowed down, so luckily Robbie also did. They gestured for Robbie to stop, but he was still travelling too fast and any sudden stop would have killed many, so the others dashed out of the way. As the platform reached the area they’d been Robbie had managed to slow it to about (it has been estimated from the damage) two hundred kilometres an hour. Suddenly the platform smashed into a shield. The platform held, but the people inside were all thrown towards the impact. Of those at the opposite side, some survived. Everyone else was killed, some bodies badly mashed. Robbie was there as the void and yet he also flew forward and smashed into the shield just outside the platform.
The other Roberts had warned their Sparklers and all the souls were held while the future Anadir and others sent their healers. Where bodies were too badly mangled new ones were created. Most of those who’d died returned in the other Freddies-RT's and later transferred back to us.
Robbie was furious with himself, but also with whatever had placed the shield. He tried jumping to the other side of the shield but he found himself on the other side of the galaxy. He jumped back and returned the platform into Freddie.
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)- posted: 24th Jun, 2020
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