Ivgos with his direct family should have a home within the area of each species. Since each area will have its own ecology to suit the resident species, it would not be very comfortable for Ivgos to live in all those homes, but I see the homes as being more symbolic than of practical use.
It is important that you all remember that as much as you may love Ivgos, this is not being organised for his benefit. He is the catalyst that brought you all together and if you truly love him, then use this opportunity to learn to see all species of your Ribbon Planet as humans and also one extended family. Is that not what the Eleven became when they adopted Ivgos?”
There was much joy this day and that is why I cannot sleep and am sitting here typing at well after midnight. After Cherine spoke, many of our close friends wanted to join us on planet and then each species in Freddie wanted to be part of this historic moment and they sent their representatives. Arthur, we do rejoice at what is promised for the people of this planet, but what has us clasping our deepest joy to ourselves is that finally Cherine seems to be awakening and making decisions when they are needed.
After I wrote the above, my loves called for me to join them, so this is now the next day. This morning, Cherine asked for Ivgos, his parents and the Eleven to come to Freddie. They were brought and she showed them where to sit, separating the dreamers so that they sat together.
“Lusalith love, could you ‘become’ Samantha again for a short time?” She did so and everyone looked at her while also emoting the same puzzlement as us, since none of us could guess the reason Cherine asked for this. Cherine put her arm around Lusalith and walking with her asked each of our guests to touch her. “Each of you knows Lusalith well enough to know that is not how she feels in her natural body, so now that you’ve touched her, you know that her appearance is not an illusion. I presume you find it difficult to adjust to the differences between what you see and feel, to what you know of her.
The problem you are having in adjusting to the truth about these four are very similar. Unfortunately the problem is compounded by the fact that the four feel the same way you do and since you are sensitive to each other, you sense how they feel so that it makes our claims feel even less real. I’m not speaking of what you think, for your logical selves trust that we speak the truth; however, deep inside you still find it impossible to accept that these four are not truly family to Ivgos and each other as the rest of you are. The truth is, they don’t even come from the same galaxy as the rest of you and they are family to my family.”
I have a feeling that Cassie prudently allowed Jade to speak for them. “Actually, Cherine, they are and they do. As from the moment the dream mountain sent them they truly were and are of this world. Just as we may know that you were Anne in a previous life but cannot think of you as being anyone else than Cherine, so is it for them.”
Cherine gave her a smile. “I know my love; why do you think I’m not demanding what I want as I usually do?” The others did not understand why all us girls laughed (many of our close friends also). “All I’m asking of the dreamers and their family is that they understand that we - and the original personalities of the four, do have a prior claim.” Cherine turned to the Ivgos group. “We have decided that we do not have a choice, the four must live out their full lifespans as the persons they now are. However, that does lead to other potential problems and it is up to all of us, you and us, to solve those problems in an ethical manner. It is important you take the first step and acknowledge the prior claim of the original four and the claims of those of us who love them. All of us who are here from Freddie could short circuit the problem by returning to the planet of the dream mountain. However long the four live, within a day or two they will return to us and they will be the persons we love, their stay here only interesting memories of a dream they experienced. If we were able to do it that way, it would mean you would all age and most of you also die. We don’t want that, we want to link many of you so that you become Cherinians.” The emoting of most of our guests seemed to freeze, obviously because they were stunned by the idea that now felt like an impending possibility instead of just a theoretical possibility. Cherine then went on to detail for them the dangers of our linking them while the four stay with them. She explained about the possibility of blocking the four and then told them that as Cherinians they would be capable of breaking through our blocks.
“We have to trust that your empathy as Cherinians and your ethics will not allow you to indulge yourselves. You could try to steal them, or even just one of them, by sending your healers to keep them young and healthy. What you will be doing, if you give in to temptation and do so, is stealing and we will react. I am not willing to give up even one of those that belong to us and if necessary I’ll return to block every single Cherinian.” We felt how everyone reacted with shock.
“Ahram,” I softly called, “Perhaps you should speak to Niriki about her Tsina? You will never lose the four you love, but you will have to learn to allow your love to grow so that you see these four in the four they will revert to when their time here has ended.”
“Do we not have a say in our future?” Grosts asked.
“As ethical beings? I don’t think so.”
Cherine cut in, “Grosts, this problem has been faced by our species thousands of times and I suppose each one of those people had to make a choice. As Samantha said, maybe it does all come to that one answer.”
I was intrigued. “How has this happened so many times Cherine?”
“I better explain so that all the species understand.” She sent me, mentally and with a smile, a promise that I would kick myself. “As you can see, our brains are in our heads,” she pointed at her head, “and it is protected by a cranium that is hard enough to save our brains from being damaged from a bump or fall. However, sometimes a blow to the head, with the shock it causes the brain, causes something we call amnesia. The person hurt in this way forgets who they are and the people they love. It can last for minutes, weeks or even for an entire lifetime. There have been many who had a family, a mate they love and children who mean more than all the world to them, but they forgot them. If they are not found immediately by those who love them, they sometimes meet and grow to love a new mate and start a new family. If there is no cure for the amnesia, then the problem is simplified and the first family have to adjust to the fact that their mate and parent now loves a new family and all they can hope is that they might grow to be loved. However much it may hurt them, they have to learn to adjust.
Let us take a simple example to illustrate what we mean by saying the answer must be ethical. Imagine that the person who suffers from amnesia is a female with a mate and a child. She goes on a trip to visit friends, away from her home, and never arrives. By the time she is found, she has grown to love another male and she obviously now feels nothing for her mate and child since she does not recall them. A healer announces a new procedure or drug that heals the mind so that the brain recovers from amnesia. This causes an argument to develop. The person suffering from amnesia loves the new male she met and does not care for her ‘previous’ family so she does not want to be healed. The male she loves also loves her, so he does not want her to be healed. However, as is natural, her mate and child feel that it is her duty to allow the healing. The matter is brought to the elders of their town and in return they are all asked to speak a day later with their arguments based on ethics. They must prove that what they wish for is the ethical answer.”
Ahram surprised us by asking Grosts, “Well, what would your ethical argument be? Do your rights override the rights of the person you were - and still are on the mountain of dreams? Should that body and personality be forced to die by us linking you so that you become immortal?”
“It would not be right. But, it is also wrong that I must give up my life for him.”
Ardrigio entered the discussion for the first time, “Surely some consideration must be given to the reason we were created? The allotted span was meant to last one normal lifetime, unless any of us met with an accident. Strictly speaking, the Cherinians violated the rights of our original personalities by bringing us back to life. I’ve been asking myself, when Argidsi and I die, do we disappear, existing thereafter only as a set of memories for Robert and Candy? I can accept it happening to me if that is how it must be, but not to my beloved Argidsi. Not even to Seuria and Grosts.”
With tears swimming in her eyes, her empathy overcoming her, Cherine answered so tenderly that even all non-Cherinians must have felt the love and heartache in her. “What is a personality Ardrigio? Is it not, to a large extent, created out of the mixture of memories we’ve experienced? When you return to your original body and mind, you will not disappear. Your memories will be added to those of Robert and the two of you will meld to become a new Robert, a Robert who is also part Ardrigio. It is the same for all of you.”
Cherine nodded for me to speak. “It might be so, Ashia. However, it is not for us to make such a decision. Robert, Candy, Robyn and Kainas must each make the decision for themselves - without us influencing them.” I briefly explained what the decision would entail.
“There is such a possibility?” Ahram asked. When I confirmed it was so, he turned to stare at Cherine and we felt his mind reaching, trying to sense what kind of person she is. Cherine did not help him, but she did not block him, allowing him to see what he will, according to his own wishes and abilities. “Ardrigio, I think you do not need to grieve for your Argidsi.”
The conversation lasted many more hours but the worst of the tension had been drained and they now found it easier to be open to our thoughts and needs. Although they did agree to all we asked for, it did worry us seeing Ivgos clasping Seuria to him as he nestled himself against Argidsi, the arm of her head draped over him so that he could look up at Ardrigio. Grosts moved to sit by them and Ivgos would reach out to feel him now and then, as if needing to confirm that Grosts is not losing substance. If we are not careful, we will find ourselves giving in to Ivgos more often than we should - and more often than would be good for him. I’m amazed that his extended family have managed to strike a balance and discipline him when it is needed.
Back at home, that night, we found ourselves facing another crisis.
Haven said, “When Freddie leaves to return to the dream mountain, I want to stay here to watch over them. There could be an accident and someone might be tempted to heal that person. That must not happen.”
Aven and Shelif looked at her with wounded eyes as Shelif asked, “You would stay apart from us for a hundred years? You’ll change and you won’t love us anymore.” The two of them were not the only ones whose lips trembled.
Jade put on a cheerful face and her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Don’t be silly Shelif, Haven doesn’t have to stay a hundred years. We’ll take turns so that each of us gets to spend two years here. Freddie will have to keep on jumping in two year leaps so that we collect the one and leave the next one for her to have her adventure. I bet you some of the others, like Alki or Allan, even from other species, will want to have a turn. Cherine, what do you think, should we go as the species we are or should we choose to be one of the local ones?”
I grinned at the sudden change in everyone’s mood. “You’re all forgetting something. A number of Cherinians will have to stay so as to help create the new divide or island for the Ivgos embassies and I’m certain it will take more than a hundred years to create it and stabilise the transplanted ecology and weather patterns. It is not only the creation of the land mass that they’ll need help with, as an important part of the job, we’ll also have to keep bringing back under control the weather patterns, stabilising them and reducing the worst excesses until they set in a new pattern that is of benefit to all divides. Our terraforming groups should also consider the possibility of creating openings in most of the divides along the spinal divide. It should simplify the weather controls needed while making it easier for various species to intermingle.” Once ideas start flowing, everyone becomes inspired and excited and it was nearly morning before we forced ourselves to go to bed and sleep.
As we ate breakfast, we told our friends and Campbell was the first to tell us he wants his two years on planet. As everyone tried to speak at the same time, Niriki tugged at my arm. “Can I go with you as Tsina?” Kiris, Nericha and Cherine immediately fell silent, waiting for my answer.
“That’s a great idea! I’ll tell you what, let’s try something even wilder. Let’s choose a local species and we change to be like them. That way it will be like a wonderful holiday and we’ll both have the strangest memories for afterwards.” It was not difficult to get her enthused enough to accept without becoming upset by the idea of us going as mother and daughter. Cherine teased her, telling her I should be the daughter as she is much wiser and maturer than I am. I played along and offered to be her little daughter for the last month of our two years. Although she loved the idea, she is far too practical to agree. It was finally agreed that if it happens, Grosts will come along as our companion.
Practical Claudia and Haven visited me in my mind to warn me that if I do so before confronting the challenge, if I’m suddenly ripped away like Faiiis was, it could be exceedingly traumatic for Niriki. It seems I don’t have much of an option anymore, I have to take care of that problem soon.
“There are only two people you can choose. Either Robert or Cherine. Anyone else you choose will not only have to deal with their feelings of failure and guilt, they’ll also have to deal with the way those two will feel. Luckily neither of them would allow their feelings to hurt my loves so they’ll help insulate me to a degree. Sam, you don’t have a choice, you’ll have to appoint me and then make the best of it, knowing I’ll be too terrified to make any decisions at the times I should.” He grimaced and then smiled. “I guess that is what you want, to be free to make the decisions.”
“They’ll claim I did not stick to the rules. Allan, do I have to accept their rules or should I negotiate?”
“You won’t know until you try. I have such a dislike of those who try to impose conditions on me that it makes my blood boil - so, I’m the wrong person to ask. What changes are important to you?”
“They set three conditions so I want my three. The first is that they immediately return Faiiis to us. The second is that the witness should only come if he or she or it can do so without exposing its identity. My third is that my two companions are exactly that and no more. Neither of them will have authority over me and they may not take part in the contest, though they must be allowed to advise and encourage me.” I laughed. “Your offer gave me an idea. What if I asked Arthur to be my leader?”
“That would be very tricky of you.” I scowled fiercely at him and then grinned. I put my hand under his arm and started walking again. He caught me by surprise with his next question. “Will the challenger feel insulted if either of the two are male?”
“You think it is female!? What makes you think so?”
“Well, Faiiis did mention that the females are more spirited fighters than the males.” As usual, he went off on a different tack, “Why would the males have to prove they can fight so as to be declared men, if the females are the fighters?” He shook his head. “Sorry, I got carried away. Sam, did you sense Faiiis resisting whatever used and attacked him? Isn’t it likely he did not because the entity is a female - or, the gestalt of all the females of their world?”
“Wow!” I’d stopped walking, so I said, “Give me a moment to consider your ideas.” As I stared, lost in thought, I became aware of movement on the ground. A dead cricket was being carried back to the nest by a mass of ants. I wondered how many men it would take to carry an elephant or a whale and forgetting my worries for the moment, I knelt to watch the ants from close. I had not known that the bearers are not the same for the entire trip, even though it makes sense that it is so. Along the line, other ants kept coming and going and some would replace those who stopped carrying and pulling. It made me wonder about communications. How is it possible for any creatures to achieve such a high degree of organised cooperation without having a language? They must be communicating in ways beyond the simple waving of antennae.
This is Cherine. Sam was not in a mood for laughing but she did appreciate the effort you made. She does not skip a meal very often, but she did not join us at the taverna that night. None of us were in a mood to eat and enjoy ourselves because we could feel her. For hours she tried to avoid where her thoughts were taking her, but when she let go, she emoted more and more anger and soon we were surrounded by many more than those who are our close friends. Sam must have felt the general anxiety, for she jumped back to us. As she sat next to Freddie she lightly touched his hand and then turned to me.
Allan cut in, “Sam, you set conditions when you fought with Faiiis, perhaps they thought your example gave them the right?” She just gawped at him for a moment and suddenly the anger drained out of her and she laughed. Since he could also feel her, he smiled and with a pleased look he nodded for her to continue.
“Thanks. Whether I’m angry or not, the truth is the challenge is presumptuous and I refuse to play according to their rules. If I knew the entity is weaker than I am, I might have agreed, but it has certainly done its best to give us the impression it is far stronger than us. Cherine, from what we’ve seen, wouldn’t you say none of us have the powers it has - Arthur, could you reach across galaxies and maybe even realities into Freddie to do what they did to Faiiis?”
His face paled as he thought about it. “Nobody has that kind of power! You can’t fight it Samantha!”
She grinned so I snuck a quick look. She’d been expecting my reaction of shock so she waited a few seconds for me to recover, dramatically increasing the tension of her audience.
She gave Arthur Campbell a big grin. “Are you certain they did?”
“What?!”
“It also stumped me for a long time. Arthur, we tend to believe what we perceive, even when it seems to be impossible. Once I applied some logic - after the reminder from Allan, I realised I’d presumed and they had known I would. It or they may be childish in many ways, but they are cunning and they have shown they know us to a greater depth than they should. I wondered how.” She looked around and then explained, “You felt my anger? If I have guessed correctly, I think you will also be angered. These are my thoughts. Faiiis was not banished and sent to us for the reasons given. He believed it was so, but he was being manipulated. He was the trojan horse and inside him, hidden from him and therefore, from us, was the entity, or part of it, that challenged us. That is why it had to rip out his soul for it to return home. They used Faiiis, they obviously considered his life and soul expendable, so as to learn more about us than their distant observations could teach them. That brings up another point; could they observe us from their home planet or did they have spies living among us? I think they sensed us as a new power and investigated us by sending people to live among us. Does that mean they manipulated Faiiis into choosing me as his coming of age ritual? Why me? Why not Robert or…Cherine? Surely the symbolism would have been stronger with either of them? For them to choose me for a second time, it means the first time was not accidental - I think, or at least I hope, they chose me because I am considered a friend of aliens.”
I’m glad I peeked ahead as it meant I was free to sense how others were reacting to her ideas. Even the aliens I can sense emoted their startlement and then their conviction that she is right. Ardrigio and Argidsi closed their eyes as they conferred and then they went to Sam.
“It is not right that you face an enemy without Robert. We agree we must return but…how? Must this body be killed?”
Sam burst into tears and hugged their torso. I’m not quite certain how they share the sensations of their body - it does seem that whoever is in ascendancy at that time controls the body, but it could be that with their joined minds they can share very directly. I will want to see what it is like once they are back with us.
“Thank you my loves, but it won’t be necessary. You can stay here the full hundred years and still be back with us in two days time. It only depends on when we return to the dream mountain planet. I don’t think we are ready to do so yet.” She got the giggles. “Did you know that we could return to the dream mountain right now - with all of you in Freddie with us, collect all four of you and return here today? Would that feel strange to you?”
Samantha was instantly surrounded by all her loves, including me, and we were all crying. Freddie took that as a sign and warning those who were on planet that we’d be absent for a day, we departed. We’ll be sleeping in another reality so that we arrive feeling fresh and ready for dealing with the exhilaration of seeing our loves again.
They’re back!
(Two days later). We felt them the instant they returned! You know how Normals will say they held their breaths so as not to disturb something precious that is happening? With us it is literally so, except that we don’t hold our breath, we try to freeze our emoting. From the early confusion and shock we sensed, we realised they needed time on their own - especially for Robbie and Candy. Strangely, because Ardrigio and Argidsi did not love Seuria as much as they loved each other, both he and Candy were suffering from being parted while she was suffering less than them. Cherine knew that the moment they rejoin the pool of our minds they’ll be healed, but she held off for us long as she felt we could bear it, so as to allow them these short but very precious extra memories for them to share. Robyn-Seuria was the one who needed the most time to adjust as her personality had been so very different. We could sense that she knew she would be meeting Ivgos again and yet she did slightly grieve for him, Ahram, Haikra and the others, but mostly she was feeling disorientated. Grosts-Kainas also needed time to adjust, but he needed to be on his own, so he walked slowly down the mountain.
Empathia came into my mind with a symbol for privacy so nobody else listens in. I was pleased when she asked me the question she did. As she said in preface to her question, it has been said that Ahram has a life expectancy double to triple of most species and Seuria should have half of what is normal. How and why is it that the other three have arrived at the same time as Seuria? I sent her a grin and asked she suggest that Seuria be rejuvenated once more when she ages so that she can arrive at the same time as the others. She sent back to me a frown, asking whether I wanted her to do so as it would then be funny that she asked me the question. We both got the giggles and so we ended up having to share. It did not take long for some bright spark (Theresa) to suggest that we get Robyn to ask. For some reason that had us howling with laughter - well, it probably was because we knew how Robbie would react to us creating so many paradoxes and we were all desperate to feel him, even if it was him ‘berating’ us.
Hours passed and Maria appeared with her robot helpers, carrying food for us and our family friends. She does not verbally insist we eat if we delay; she just stands without moving, staring at us. I don’t recall the original Maria being like this, Robbie must have got her wrong, mixed her up with a matron from his childhood memories of boarding school.
Finally Robbie picked up Candy, walked briskly until he caught up with Robyn and after both of them gave her a hug, they jumped to us. We did not hesitate with foolish thoughts of being dignified. We just screamed and ran, as eager to hug our two little loves as we were to hug Robbie.
As everyone watched us milling around trying to have our turn at hugging Robbie, Allan walked over to Ardrigio and pretended to confide, “If you didn’t know they are family, wouldn’t you think that they are a group of schoolgirls vying to be their teacher’s pet?” Ardrigio only glanced at him as he did not understand the reference. Robbie must have recalled Allan speaking as he looked at him over our heads and gave him a smile.
It would have been wonderful if we could have jumped straight home, but too many had stood vigil with us for us to abandon them, plus, our hosts were almost trembling with eagerness to hear their story, which they hardly bothered to try and conceal. Luckily, the basics they had already learnt from the Ivgos group, so, at this stage, they would mainly want to hear of personal impressions and experiences.
As soon as we sat in a circle to listen to the four, Maria turned up again, but with food and drinks only for the four (a robot carried the food for Kainas separately). She did not forget Robbie’s cappuccino and cigarettes so Robbie did not have to fiddle with his personalised food machine. Robbie did most of the talking and he persevered for five hours. He then asked our hosts to be excused and promised to continue the next day. Happily we jumped home, ensuring our beloved friends come with so that they can have some time with our three returned loves. Tactfully they did not stay too long and as we retired to our bedroom, Freddie jumped realities. Robbie had privately told him he needs time for spending alone with us and Freddie took us to Goldi’s Planet. Everyone waited in Freddie for three days and then we invited everyone who wished to come down, to join us.
“We hope so. She has always been special to all of us, not only to Robert and Wendy, but she never truly believed it. Now she knows and it makes us happy.”
Arthur shook his head. “I’ll never adjust. I find it difficult to reconcile what I see now, a five year old child, to the mature and efficient Argidsi.”
Almost kindly, Cherine laughed. “You’re not the only one who has that problem, we all do.” Tina ‘whispered’ in my mind, not hiding that she is laughing at me. *No wonder he could not accept you as an equal for so long; now you seem old enough to him and only Candy gives him mental indigestion.*
It was only natural that the four and their dream counterparts would be fascinated by each other. Robbie first went to Argidsi and scratched the arm to the side of her face. Her mind murmured with pleasure and when he stopped, she opened her eyes. “You remained more precious to me than my life, to the end of our days. Argidsi my love, do not fear the day you are to die, for I promise that you will be returned to live forever with your Ardrigio as a Cherinian. Candy and I have agreed to split our souls so as to keep you as our companions, friends and family. It is true for Seuria and Grosts also.” He gently smiled at Ardrigio. “Those of your species who died long ago are to be brought back to what everyone now calls the Ivgos world. It will be interesting for you to learn how your people interact, love and breed?” We all laughed as we felt their emoting.
Candy was also fascinated by her alter dream ego, but she was drawn to Seuria, for she truly loves her as both Robyn and Seuria. Her fragility and their constant worry that someone might harm her have made the entire group treasure her as no other is loved. We are glad that our Robyn is not as sweet as her. We treasure our love as she is, with her moods and rare angers and though Seuria is perfect as she is, if our Robyn was like her she would grow to seem bland to us. Robbie tells me that Seuria has remained loved to the last day of her life and never did she seem to be bland in any way to them, for her personality felt like it sparkled in their minds and hearts.
That brings me to a point that bugs Cherine, many of our loves and myself. Because the four come from our future (in the other reality, which is where we will be going), they refuse to share with us. It makes sense, but I really hate not knowing.
