A Promise In The Amazon


Dream of the Worlds Trilogy, Part 3


by Ivan D. Alexander





"We are the script writers of our own destiny, and
only the players in the destiny of others, no more."

--Paul to Maya


A Promise In the Amazon

Chapter 1. Alert
2. Fallah'An
3. Ebh'ans
4. Black Abyss
5. No Return

6. Time
7. Blue World
8. Soil
9. A Man
10. Josie

11. The Village
12. Bates
13. Manaus
14. The Chase
15. The Plan

16. The Priest
17. Fate
18. At the Border
19. El Dorado
20. Carlos


21. River Crossing
22. Ambush
23. Uuuubh
24. The Ship
25. Awakening

26. Mission
27. Mourning
28. Telegram
29. Wheels
30. Yata-hey

31. The Tunnel
32. First Light
33. Chosen
34. Goodbye
35. The Promise

END



Chapter 1: Alert.


"This is Tenya. I am calling on the interstellar security channel. They have captured Paul. My ship is down. We had broken into the most secret installation. Have recovered four bodies, parts missing. Others not available, believed to be at Wright-Patterson base. Also parts of shuttle ship downed in earth time, 1947. No communications device. Alert called by MJ12. Search in progress. Government computers scanning worldwide all telephones for this call. I'm on Earth system relay, via satellite. In moments, they will triangulate my location, so must cut off. Suggest you destroy space link to this number. Will await your rescue. Please hurry! Paul's life is in danger. I need... Intercept! Must go! The Light be with you in 'Aan."

We had just left the Fallah'An sector of the Galaxy when we received Tenya's frantic call. The call relayed through our stations in Earth's star system and then vectored through space compression at the Galaxy's central gravity to our position on the far side of the star spiral. It still took two Earth days to get here. The distance made it impossible to reach her immediately, though our Star-ship was the fastest available. It was no faster from our home world, Ka'ananda. There was no choice but to chance the greatest maneuver ever attempted by our world in a Star-ship. It was Seth who made the final decision, though it had already been seen in the Dream. We decided to attempt to reach Earth in the same way the signal reached us. We would travel through the center of the Galaxy and enter the gravity hole. If we survived, then we could reach Earth within two days.


Chapter 2: Fallah'An.

I am seven years old. My name is Maya. Because of the advanced training I have received, my mental years are far in advance of my biological age, more than twice that. But in physical terms, I am still a child.
It had been three years since my biological mother, San'aa, and my biological father, Paul, and I had first left Ka'ananda for the Living Worlds of the Galaxy. Though, I should say that we had been home many times since. Seth, my mother's male mate, and who I also call my father, is the Star-ship's commander. Kahla, Paul's female mate, is also on this journey. In the complicated ways of our world, she is as well my mother's female mate and also my mother, sort of.
We left Ka'ananda shortly after the Great Change, which is how the time has become known when our deadly Troopers were disarmed. They were no longer allowed to kill, and instead had been replaced by teams of androids who now monitor the Law on our worlds. They do this in a firm but gentle way so that another element of fear had been removed from the Universal reality. This was considered a great achievement by all, and I was there when it happened. But that is not the focus of the story I wish to tell. That was the time of the debate as to whether Earth should be allowed to join the community of Living Worlds. The decision had been made by our Dreamers, they who weave reality and see it as it really is, that the people of Earth were ready. But their governments were not willing to allow them to do so. So in universal terms, Earth was still asleep, and our journey to the Fallah'An sector was part of that awakening. Paul and Kahla had left our expedition, along with Tenya and a team of androids, for Earth. They left some months ago, and for all we knew, that is where they were now. But only Paul was to Planet-walk. The others were to remain in the space vicinity of the planet. All this was before Tenya's call to us.
When we had arrived into the Fallah'An plane, Seth gave us instructions:
"Paul's android Master will escort the first party onto the plane. He has been programmed in protocol and will show you what to do. Remember the people of Fallah'An are like no other conscious beings you had encountered, so be mindful of their presence when they present themselves. The successive disembarkation parties will follow as previously scheduled."
Seth was referring to the numerous life forms we had already encountered on our travels through the Galaxy. The most recent were the Tung. They still had bodies, but it was difficult to see them, as normal light passed through them. Mostly, they were felt, and a mental image formed itself of their presence when they wanted to make themselves known to us. Usually, it felt like an indistinct shape of a human being, except that it was transparent. I felt these presences all around me, but others had difficulty seeing them. When they came aboard our Star-ship, it was sometimes comical to see people bump into each other by accident, as the Tung were not always careful about that. I only bumped into someone once, and they felt like a tickle. In other ways, as members of the Living Worlds, they were very much like us.
But it was to be different in the world of the Fallah'An. They are one of the original members of the Living Worlds, far older as a race than even our predecessors, the Oruk, and they had transmutated many times in form through the eons, as we will. But their work was most important regarding the awakening of worlds. So we came to visit them last, with the greatest respect, as they are a very ancient race. My mother and I, followed by ten others disembarked.
Master walked before us, leading us the way into this strange and mysterious land. It was not a world as we know it. There was no great planetary sphere endowed with life, as we had seen on other encounters with Living Worlds. There was no sky, no trees, no water or land, nothing that would suggest the place sustained life. Rather, it was emptiness, black and infinite. We stepped off onto a vast plain, a plastic experience of space that stretched two dimensionally away from us in all directions, bisecting space into two brilliant halves of star lit blackness. But it was not dark, rather it was light. From all around us radiated a rich luminescence, as if there was a soft purplish glow that reached up into us when our feet stepped off the Ship. We descended into a vast plane of plasticity that felt soft and spongy to our feet. And it glowed with the simple light of life.
"San'aa. You have been asked by the people of Fallah'An to step first. They know you are a child of Earth and are most curious of you. As they are of your daughter. Please step forward a few paces and stand before them."
"But there's no one here, Master..."
"They are here. You will see."
My mother and I stepped off the Ship and walked on the strange surface, if it could be called that. It felt more like a film that suspended us between the two halves of the cosmos. Thick clusters of stars and distant planets held suspended above and below us, brightly lit up the skies. And the place had total silence. We could hear or see nothing else. I walked behind San'aa and stopped when she did.
"Master? What are we to do now?"
"Just observe. The others will be joining you presently."
The other members of our party likewise stepped off onto the plane, not uttering even a whisper. They too appeared spellbound. When all had disembarked, more or less standing in a line before the bright lights of the Star-ship, Master walked to one side of us and stood also. Then he spoke.
"To the people of Fallah'An, we come in the Light."
It was like a wave had washed over us, a wave of color and yearning and the distilled essence of a million voices. Then it passed as abruptly. I knew from my training that it was but the first phase of telepathy. It is the phase we share with all life, like fear and yearning and the need for life. That form of telepathy is how worlds progress, how unintelligent life learns, and how all living things are bound together in the great cosmos as one living being. But it is non-mental, non-intelligent. Rather, it comes from the most distant recesses of our primordial animus. There is no thought or sensation of emotion attached to it. This wave of telepathy is like an unuttered bond of life that predates all awareness of being. Then it was still again.
Master then asked us all to lie down, explaining that it is safe to do so, and that we will not be harmed. We all did as he bid. The surface of the plane accepted us, as if it were made to mold itself to the contours of our bodies. We all lay down, still silent.
More waves washed over us, this time more distinct, more present in how we feel, and think before thought. More like the thoughts that come just before we wake from sleep. It felt like a wave of love, of controlled passion that caressed us gently as it sped over us. Again it felt like a million voices, but this time, we could hear sound. It sounded like a sweet and distant chorus. And it felt good, like I was being received by warm hands. I knew this too was a form of telepathy. My mother and the others were lying with their eyes closed, very still, as if in meditation. I did likewise, but did look from side to side to see what everyone else was doing. Master was still standing. He is an android, and his communications with this world was of a different order. To him, they were simply the Creator.
This second wave was of a higher level of communication, just below the level of consciousness, just below speech. It felt welcoming, inviting us into their world. But it was not understood as such, but more like when an animal speaks to another with a twitch or moan or swish of the tail. It felt more like that, something that you knew instinctively, but could not put into words. And it felt good, like a mother caressing her cub with her tongue. It had a distinct presence to it, like a smile, but in the zen-like solitude of the plane dissecting space around us, this presence seemed almost incongruous. Yet I knew, as I know the others knew, we were in the presence of living beings.
"The Fallah'An welcome you into their world. To answer them, bring up your knees to your chin and rest comfortably." It was Master again.
I did as asked, and again we lay very still. Nothingness enveloped us completely, as nothing happened for a long time. I could feel the minds around me, each asking in his or her own way what was happening. We as humans have this need to know, to understand in some form of thought pattern that relates to the real world. But there were no reference points, only space and the light giving plane, and an infinity of stars. Here, everything was only in terms of the infinite. It was a very strange place, and we all, singly and together, began to feel afraid. It felt like we were in a dream that was not of our making, but rather that captured us and to which we had to surrender. Slowly and quietly, we all did, like a living thing must someday surrender itself to death and quietly let go of its life. We were letting go. And then the words came into out minds:
"You are the children of our life."
No other words were spoken, but the words penetrated us with the same intensity we had felt before, as if every cell in our bodies felt it spoken to it directly. Again it gave that warm, tingling sensation that washed over us with love and a great depth of feeling. It spoke instantly of yearning and fear, or pain and sorrow that felt sweet rather than sad. I felt tears forming in my eyes, as I felt the others feel that same love within their being. It was uncontrollable, like crying from happiness rather than sorrow. But we did it in silence, as none spoke nor made a sound. Then my mother spoke.
"Thank you."
And others began their expression of thanks, each in his or her own time. We could feel each other clearly now. I knew we were now in the third phase of telepathy and everything was becoming clear once more in our minds. Nothing had changed on that mysterious plane. The stars were still brilliant in their stellar darkness, unblinking. But our minds were suddenly made very clear. Thoughts formed themselves involuntarily, ideas and dreams and words. I could hear them in my head, as I knew all did.
"Are you God?" I asked, inwardly. A reply came instantly.
"We are only one step closer to Being, what you called God. Only our focus is different. We no longer see the world the way you do. So for us, the real world is what you see around you. God is only one more infinite manifestation of Mind. And Mind is the Love that binds together the Universe as we know it. But there is still much we do not know."
When these words passed over me, as they had to all the others, someone else spoke.
"Are you who I am?"
After a brief silence, words formed themselves in our minds.
"We share in our bond of identity. The whoness of your life is the same that is the whoness of ours. The person you know of in yourself comes from the same source. You are a divine being, no less than we are divine beings. To know that being is what powers the universe to manifest itself in all the forms known to us. In us, it is different only in that we have refined it to a single plane of existence. That existence is to occupy space and time in Mind."
Then my mother asked.
"Are you Love?"
Again a wave washed over us that almost made us twitch with its intensity. It was like the first wave we had felt. But now it spoke.
"That is the hardest work we have."
But those words were delivered with a feeling as I had never felt before, like we were suddenly totally enveloped into that powerful love that goes beyond words, almost beyond being. We were instantly made to understand that this was the most important thing to them, to become love. But more than just love between two beings. It was a Love of all Creation, of all Life and all the things that made life possible. Suddenly, all the things that trouble us in life, such as anger and fear, seemed small and unimportant, as if our being was instantly elevated to the highest plane and on that plane existed only good. And yet, to get to that plane, all the other things were necessary first. So this was our path in our evolution, to experience all things so that in the end, we would know what Love in Creation really is. But it was still very far away, and there was so much work to be done. And much suffering. But there was no turning back. Once we had accepted life, there was no way to ever turn away from this path. Even in our meanest and smallest moments, we were on our way to that Love.
"Do you die?" someone else asked.
"Even the Universe dies, in a very long time, as will we."
"And what will happen then?"
"We will be reborn, as will all of you."
This was followed by the longest silence, as if the people of Fallah'An themselves were thinking of it. Or maybe this was so known to them that it was beyond thought, and only experienced in that mysterious way they saw the world. No other questions were asked, but the warm feeling of closeness in a familial bond stayed with us, at times washing over us like a wave of color and light. I began thinking of all the life forms I had ever encountered, even of my little dog Lix on my home planet, and of my lion, Karu'an, and my pet bhok. They all seemed so alive, somehow, more so than I ever imagined, as if they too were part of that vast continuum on which we lay in our fetal positions. And we felt so relaxed, so wonderfully at peace, like no care in the world could ever touch us again. And in that was our greatest gift from this strange world. It was as if we were told that our future is always assured, to never fear. We would go on until the end of time, when the Universe dies. And even then, it is but a transition until a new rebirth. When Love has reclaimed all its children into itself, it All begins anew. There was no greater gift.
Just then, as if out of nowhere, a great golden orb rose above the invisible horizon, casting light over the whole plane of emptiness. It was their sun, same as it rises on any living world. But here, it cast more than just light. It gave off a strong feeling, as if the Fallah'an themselves had given it life. Or maybe they just gave it back the life they had been given for eons. The newly risen sun glowed over this vast expanse of space with a warmth we had never experienced anywhere else. For each one, it was a feeling of warmth and love, like a salvation felt deep within the bosom of each living being. It was the feeling of being alive with love. In some mysterious way we knew that it was time rise again, and we did, each in his or her own time. I was again standing next to my mother, and she looked deep into my eyes, as I knew I was looking into hers, and tears formed themselves again. There was nothing else, only that, and now we both knew it.
When we got back to the Ship, Seth greeted us at the entryway.
"There is nothing like it I know of in the whole universe. And now you know it too."
We looked at him, tears still moist in our eyes. That he shared this knowledge with us was too much to answer now. We still could not speak. It was if we had met our own life face to face. We only smiled at him, and he smiled back. Then he resumed his posture of command and directed the next party to descend to the plane. Master guided them down from the Ship.


Chapter 3: Ebh'ans.

Master was bent over the controls. Even though he is an android, he so reminded me of my father, Paul, as he was his personal attendant and had learned to mimic him in subtle ways. It is for that reason the designers of androids often have them resemble their owners, in a more stylized way, of course. Master was a little shorter than Paul, his facial features of a more diminutive version, and his skin was more glowing and silvery, but he reminded me of him anyway. His attention was now focussed on the panel boards before him, his hands passing over the color coded symbols that flashed beneath them. The three dimensional images showing on the large hollow screen that represented the Ship's functions were lighting up sharp rainbows on his silvery face. It was quiet in the main control chamber, as all were intent on their work.
I thought I would interrupt him.
"Master? Can we talk now?"
A moment of hesitancy passed over his face, typical of when an android has to suddenly change focus, and he turned to me, almost smiling.
"Of course, Maya. What shall we talk about?"
I stared a bit longer at his controls, those symbols of force vectors represented by multicolored lines and rectangles and triangles, some shaped like three dimensional crystal structures, that seemed to dance before him, crossing and zigzagging in the dark quiet of the screen. He once said that the triangle is the basis of all calculations of space travel.
"I don't know. It's just something that seems to bother me, about some of the beings we had met so far on this trip." Master looked at me expressioneless, waiting for more. "It's not that I'm ungrateful for having seen so many people, mind you. I think I'm very lucky, considering that I am only seven, and not even wholly of your world, though I was born there. But, you know, my mother is of Earth. So sometimes, I feel kind of funny, like I don't really belong here."
"But you do, Maya. You know you are very much a part of our world. And were you not considered by the Dreamers to be old enough and mature enough to go on this voyage? They wouldn't have considered you worthy if there had been any doubt. They saw in the Dream the importance of your being here. So you should never worry of it."
Master was referring to the Dreamers of Ka'ananda, my world, and of the Unity of all the Living Worlds who also have Dreamers. They are the ones who see reality as it really is, and as to where it is going. And apparently, I had been seen in the Dream.
"Do you think the Dreamers are at this very minute working on where we will be going next?" I asked.
"We know they are busy in the Dream chambers, but I am not updated on what the latest strategy is for now. But that is not what you came to see me for, is it?"
It always surprised me, well not really, how Master could see right through a situation and call it out. It is part of that supreme brain mechanism of his, that sees with such fine clarity.
"I guess not. Really, I came because I was a little afraid of the people on one of the planets we visited."
"The Ebh'ans?"
"How did you know?"
"Because it is a natural reaction for the people of your race to have a mildly negative reaction to them, same as some have an instinctive revulsion of spiders or snakes. It was easy to guess. But you had never mentioned it to me before."
"I've thought about it, a lot, I guess, but didn't tell anyone. Not even San'aa or Seth. I guess I didn't want to appear ungrateful for having such a great opportunity. But really, Master, they kind of gave me the creeps."
Master looked at me, his eyes unblinking but somehow deep and wise. They had the typical almond shape that slanted away from the nose around to the sides of his head. And they were larger than normal eyes, without a discernable pupil, just liquid darkness. They fascinated me, most times, but they also were unfathomable, hiding behind them an intelligence that was alien even to us. But that was partly because, though we designed and built the body mechanisms, we were not the manufacturers of the mind mechanism. That was being done by a far older and more advanced race.
"But why do you think that is so? Why should we have bad feelings about them? They never did us any harm."
"I can only guess, from what I know of them, as to why that is so. You see, they are very intelligent and sentient beings, like you are, but they are different. In their evolution, which lasted far longer than that of either our world, or of Earth, their consciousness sprang from a different source. They too manifest, in the way of the universe, into beings that resemble all the humanoid beings, with characteristic differences, but they have different roots. Most beings came from a mammalian base. Not so the Ebh'ans."
"Were they reptiles, then? Like snakes? They kind of look like snakes."
"No, not reptilian, or saurian either. They come from a unique combination seldom found. Their ancestry traces back to the plant world. Actually, they are a vegetable race. But somewhere very far back in their evolution, they merged genetically with the creatures that made their existence possible. Can you guess?"
"Insects?" I made a face while saying it.
"You guessed correctly. They are a rare combination of plant and insect. And for that, they are different from most of the conscious life forms you had encountered. They truly are unique and, I might add, are very sensitive about that."
"I never said anything to make them feel bad. I was very careful about that, as I had been instructed by the learning tapes before we left for space. Even Seth had reminded me to mind my manners in the presence of alien life forms. So I always did. But I still can't figure why they give me the creeps." I thought about it a moment, and then added: "I feel as if they are somehow envious of me, that they would steal inside me and change places. Does that make sense?"
"Not to me it doesn't, but I can understand it intellectually. You see, I know that the Ebh'ans have a very strong desire to be like everyone else in the Living Worlds, more human, if you follow."
"Yeah. They want to be flesh and red blood like the rest of us."
"That's right. But their blood is more like tree sap, and it's clear like the fluid of an insect. Their movements are awkward, like locomotion is unnatural to them, though they can be very strong and very fast."
"But what of their heart? Do they feel like we do?"
"You mean humans? I suspect not. That is perhaps where they are most envious. They cannot imagine what it is like being human."
A soft bong came from the controls and Master momentarily had to turn his attention from me. He corrected what caused the alarm and turned to me again. Then he continued what he was saying.
"You know from your tapes that the reason for this voyage is to have you meet all the life forms that will in some way play a part in the future merging of Earth into the Living Worlds. When she awakes. But the Ebh'ans are a special case. You see, they had been violating the Earth Quarantine for some decades now, so we visited them with a different purpose."
"I know. They were reprimanded for breaking the Quarantine."
"Yes. But more than that. They had tampered with organisms on that world."
"But why?"
"It is hard to know for sure. But the Unity thinks it was because they wanted so desperately to find a way to merge their genetic makeup with that of other sentient beings."
"But why Earth? Why not some other world?"
"Because they were embarrassed by it and remained secretive. So they chose a planet that was off limits to everyone else."
"And they got caught, didn't they?"
"That's right. Two ways. First, the Unity caught them visiting the planet, even making contact with some of the people there. Then, they suffered casualties while on Earth. Some of their ships malfunctioned or were shot down, and seventeen of their members died. This was the greatest embarrassment to them. So now they cannot return until such time that the Quarantine is lifted. Until then, they may not tamper with animals or humans on Earth again."
"Did they succeed?"
"You mean did they find the genetic link they were looking for?"
"Yeah. Did their laboratories isolate the genes that would make them more human?"
"I'm afraid not. And this was at a great cost, since much mutilation took place on Earth while they were searching."
Master looked at me with his eyes, to see if I knew of what he was talking about. I did. He was referring to the cattle and other beasts which had been captured and mutilated for he retrieval of parts the Ebh'ans needed for their experiments.
"And it wasn't just animals, was it? They captured people too."
"Well, they first tried to work on the animals most consumed by humans, knowing that consciousness came to Earth through the food chain. That's why they focussed on cattle, since that seemed to be Earth's favorite food. Milk and meat. But then, frustrated, they even went after people. And that was when they were ordered to stop."
"Are they sorry?"
"Yes. They expressed great regret."
"But they were not punished."
"No. The Unity of Living Worlds does not punish in the way of Earth. They believe that the universe has a reason even for its mistakes. And they let that error heal itself in time. They were merely told to stop it."
"That's creepy, isn't it?"
Master gave me an almost mirthful look.
"I guess so. If that's how you see it. To me, it is just another piece of information to process. Remember, Maya, I can understand, but I too cannot feel or dream the way you can."
"I know. But you don't give me the creeps. But I guess neither should they."
"No, they shouldn't. Just try to understand them." Master looked at his controls again. Then as an afterthought: "Remember that they are very embarrassed by what they did. They are still new to consciousness, as is your mother's world, and they were trying too hard. I fear that the Earth humans will no doubt make the same mistake, at first, when they are allowed to visit other worlds. Think of what they had already done to their own animals, and even other humans, in their pursuit of understanding in their laboratories. See it like that."
"I think I do. We all make mistakes. I guess we can't condemn them for that."
The activity around the main control chamber was going on in hushed tones as we sped at multiple light speed through the Galaxy. We had already left the Fallah'An sector a few days ago and were nearing the star systems that were closer to the center of the vast spiral of worlds and stars. We were due to pass the triple star system or M'Aan, which is considered sacred by the Dreamers, only as a token visit, and then resume our trip home, back to Ka'ananda. We had been in space for nearly a year. I looked up at the viewing domes, watching the brilliant colors of space as we shifted through light zones. Our Star-ship, the most advanced of its kind, is called Ka'ankh'an, and she is a marvel of human ingenuity. The Dream chamber aboard, where the Dreamers do their work, is the most advanced there is. That section of the Ship, near the center of her interior, is always kept dark for the Dreamers to more easily perform their tasks. The chambers are in a large hall, but not aligned in banks as they are on other Ships. Here, they are positioned along a spiral path. It was discovered that this allowed the dreaming to merge more easily with those of all the other Dreamers. So the patterns and signals that were then fed into the massive computer for analysis were much better defined. It was also this improvement that allowed for the transmission of the Dream to beings receptive on other worlds. It was tested on the Ebh'ans, and even they responded. So a new technology had been created to spread the Dream throughout the Galaxy. This was very exciting to everyone and gave the mission an added importance. But for me, this was just a mission of visiting other worlds and seeing what the peoples of those worlds were like. It was at the time I was in the main control chamber that Tenya's frantic signal came through.
It seemed as if all activity had momentarily stopped as we all listened to her call. Seth looked serious, his brow furrowed. I should explain that Tenya was not supposed to have been in any danger while in the vicinity of Earth. It was Paul, my father, who was supposed to be on Planet-walk, retracing the steps taken years earlier, before I was born, to help merge Earth's reality with that of Ka'ananda. But things had gone wrong, and now the patterns left behind by that earlier Planet-walk were being corrected. This time, he was in the tropical rain forests of the world to understand why there was such a high death rate among some species there. Now something else had gone wrong, and my father was captured. And Tenya sounded in crisis. We needed to do something.
"Mother, what's 'MJ12' and 'M16'?" I asked a little confused.
"Hush, love. I don't know. But maybe Seth will know what she's referring to."
Everyone's attention was now focussed on Seth, he being the Ship's commander. There was an intense stillness as the Ka'ankh'an's large engines sang in their otherworldly beauty. Sometimes, aboard, it sounded like a vast chorus of rising and falling voices. But it was just the charged fields around the Ship rising and falling under the navigation computer's commands. We were travelling at terrific speeds, faster than any human could control, so many functions were left to machines. Only space obstacles in the path of reality merges were monitored manually, as those required split second decisions by humans, and sometimes their androids. That was what Master was working on. A large planet formed on one of the viewing domes and then vanished. We waited for Seth to speak. Then he did.
"I will confer with the Unity in my private chamber. Then I will return and advise our course of action." He looked very regal, tall of bearing, showing no sign of stress. Then he turned to my mother. "San'aa, I would like you to join me in this conference."
They left, and all resumed their prior work. I knew why he asked my mother to accompany him. It was her world, and she was consulted on all matters relating to Earth. This was established after the great Change. I was still too young to be included, though I knew that someday that would be my job too.
Seth and San'aa returned to the Control in a few minutes, concern showing on their faces. Seth spoke.
"The Unity had received the signal, a few hours earlier. The Dreamers had already devised a possible plan." He looked at everyone in the chamber. "This will entail a great risk for us. But we must do this in order to rescue the Earth mission. The Dreamers feel that to fail to do so could be catastrophic for that world's future. Earth may be destroyed in..." He again stopped, as if collecting his thoughts. "... A cataclysm. But the final decision has fallen to me. And after conferring, I have decided what we must do. There is no time to travel to Earth by the normal space channels, as this could take weeks. In order to execute an arrival in the time the Dreamers have given us, we must attempt what had never been attempted by a Star-ship like ours before."
Then Seth went silent, as he was about to tell them the news that those who knew in their minds already dreaded. But he resumed presently.
"There are four hundred men and women aboard this Ship, and we must become as one mind and body in this endeavor. So we cannot face our fate with fear or doubt. Instead, we must be willing to go with faith into the unknown. And that is our hardest task. For to rescue Tenya, and possibly Paul if he is still alive, we must go through the gravity hole at the center of our Galaxy. If we succeed, then we can be on Earth in two days." He stopped after saying this, as if letting us all understand the importance and gravity of what had just been said. All knew that for us to fail, none would return to our world, or the world some of our crew came from, alive. But Seth had one more thing to say. "If we succeed, then Earth can be saved. If we fail, then both are doomed. So we must succeed." Then he added softly. "And we will, in 'Aan."
Then Seth turned to San'aa and looked at her deep and hard, and she did the same. All the others turned back to their monitors, silent in their own thoughts. None needed to talk, because we are telepathic, all already knew each other's thoughts. Speech is reserved mostly for those times when we speak to each other directly, more as a affirmation of what was being thought. Those who were assigned to the Dream chambers left the room. They had important work to do within the next hours.
The Control chamber was again silent, the only audible sound being that strange chorus from the engines. It sounded more like wailing now, harmonious yet sad. But then, there are those who feel a Star-ship is almost alive.




Chapter 4: Black Abyss.


Since I was not needed at Control, I wandered down the now busy corridors to my private chamber. There were people hurrying all around me, some on their way to their operation stations, others to the mechanism maintenance areas, and others back to their quarters. Those were the ones who would not be needed for the upcoming maneuver, so they seemed to be in the least hurry. I was one of them.
On the way, once I got off the accelerated pathways which allow you to walk at up to three times normal speed, we have a very large Ship, I stopped to linger at the main hall where rests the mysterious and dark green crystal. The chamber is a large oval room at the center of the Ship between the main coils of the propulsion system, and it is used for high functions only. It is what we call a Sing. The room was empty now, save for the dark green crystal ring that sits silent atop a pedestal at the center of the hall. When it is activated, it glows bright green and throws off a full, shifting spectrum of Light. That is the energy that we use in all our technology. When it is called upon in the Sing, its energy enters the brain and lets us all Dream together. I have been to many of these Sings, and they are each different. Now the room was silent. I wondered, as I stood in one of the entry ways looking into the darkness, if this might not be the last time I will ever have a chance to do a Sing. If we do not survive, then I guess the answer would have to be 'yes'. Somehow, that seems unreal to me. Still, doubt lingers.
There are no other children my age on this vessel. Everyone else is adult. But I often find myself in the company of Master, or Ta'an. Other times, I would spend time with my mother, and sometimes, when he is not too busy, with Seth. But there are many others whom I also visit and talk to. Everyone aboard knows everyone else, as we had been travelling together for a long time now. But only a select few share my confidence. On the way, I also stopped at the information center, to see if there were any tapes on galaxy holes. I felt inadequate, in that I did not know anything of they way they worked. And now we were about to enter one, I thought I should learn of it.
Most times I do not really mind being alone. It gives me time to think. I suppose it seems odd that a young child would want time to think. But my training advanced my reasoning abilities, and feeling abilities, to the level just short of that of most adults. Of course, I still cannot feel really what adults feel. My sex drive is still dormant. But I have already fallen in love, so I know I have feelings. But the person I fell in love with was much too old for me, at least for now. That will have to wait. Also, when I was very young, my mother and Paul had some kind of falling out, so they stopped living together. I guess I knew what loneliness was from those days. But then Seth came into our lives, and it became much better then. So now Seth is part of my family as much as my mother is. When I got to the center, I scanned the information files and found the tape I needed. It really is not a tape at all, rather more like small eggs with tiny inscriptions on them. The information is stored on these small nodules, each of different color, and that nodule is then placed in a reading receptacle in the machine that reads such things, called readers. I call them tapes because that is what my mother calls them. She says they use tapes for the same purpose on her home world. I also checked if there were any tapes on the Ebh'ans, but there were none I had not already seen. Funny, none of them mentioned their embarrassment at being different from the rest of us. I guess it must be their secret. But secrecy is not the norm on my world, so it seems strange that they wish to withhold information about themselves. Master did say they are still new to the Living Worlds, and I know that most new members hold on to their former sense of secrecy for some time afterwards. They continue to think that secrecy is power. But in time, it fades. That is because of the Light.
I placed the nodule marked with the serial code for gravity holes into the reader and lay back, my head resting comfortably against the cushioned head rest holding my head firmly in place. Then I activated the machine. The information of this nodule was very short, as not much was know of the gravity hole, but it was interactive, so I could ask questions.
I darkened the light in my room, for effect, and began to receive the information impulses as the reader quietly accessed the information in the black nodule. It began with a view of the Galaxy, as seen from beyond its perimeter. It looked beautiful with its many colored stars set against an infinite backdrop of the blackness of space and all the other stars and worlds. Then it quickly travelled my focus into the swarming center of stars, so quickly that it gave me a mild vertigo. I was now totally surrounded by their light, and a voice came into my head.
"This is the vortex around which the galaxy will gravitate for billions of years. When this cycle is over, then all will collapse into the One, as we know all things eventually must, but that is still very far away. When that happens, then all the energy from all the worlds will compress into a new energy which will burst forth into new worlds and stars, to repeat the cycle again. The engine for this great death and recreation is the gravity hole at the center of the galaxy, as it is for all galaxies. Our Galaxy is one that is more mature, so it has taken on he characteristic of a spiral, whereas others are in different stages of formation, some no more than a random chaos of stars."
The voice stopped to let me take it in, seeing other galaxies in comparison to the one we inhabit. Then it focussed once again on the center, now very close to the hole, a vast swirling of brilliant stars and worlds, all close together, as they were in their last periods of existence.
"The worlds you see close to the center are spiraling into the gravity hole. Their life spans can now be counted in only millions of years, though those closest know their end will come within thousands."
I needed to ask a question.
"What will happen when they are swallowed up?"
"No world had experienced this to tell about it, so we in truth do not know. But there are theories, and Dreams, as to where those worlds go next." The focus took me closer into the blackness at the center. "It is believed by many that those worlds will compress in time and space. The velocities within the hole are believed to reach into the millions of light speed, as the hole naturally shifts the bodies into future space merges. So where they come out, and in what form, is still a mystery. The mathematics were worked out long ago, but never really proven. However, some believe that some of the energy will find itself once again on the perimeter of the galaxy, whereas others believe it will be in a universe totally different from ours."
"Then nothing dies, and it is only transferred elsewhere. But what of the living things on those worlds? Do they survive?"
"Let us play it out and see where it goes."
The swirling mass of stars began to move rapidly, as if millions of years were compressed into seconds. They began falling into the vast blackness at the center, as no light escaped from there. They shone brightly at first and then gradually became dimmer, until they were lost totally in its blackness. It looked blacker than the blackness of space when we are standing still. It reminded me of the crystal in the main hall. You knew there was light there, but you could not see it, though it communicated itself to some other sense, maybe no more than wishful thinking. As the worlds one by one fell into the abyss, I asked another question.
"Are the stars accelerating, as they enter the hole?"
"Yes. They take on the velocity of light, and as they do so, they multiple leap into new dimensions. Their velocity does not slow down as they do this, however, so they continue leaping into new merge phases of reality continuously."
"Does it stop?"
"As far as we know, of its own, it does not. That is how the universe recreates itself. Ultimately, they become pure energy, somewhere."
"What if a world could slow itself down, in this process? What would happen?"
"Theoretically, it would survive the hole. Let us play that out."
The view, now totally black, showed a world swallowed into its center, spiraling inward. The normal light of its star dimmed perceptibly, then glowed a dull red. Now the machine slowed the world down so that it continued glowing red, rather than merging into the galactic blackness. The voice spoke again.
"This is simulation of a world that is not accelerating, as it is applying force against the gravity hole. But if we run it forward in time, if it does this for too long, see what happens."
The universe was not to be cheated of its energy renewal. At some point in time, the star shattered completely, and all the parts fell away into the abyss. I almost gasped involuntarily, thinking how this could be our Ship, when we attempt to do this.
"Then I have another question. If the star had survived, where would it have found itself?"
"This can only be known theoretically. It would depend on the body's velocity in relation to the velocity of the space around it. Because we cannot calculate what that space velocity would be at any moment in time, there is no way to know. But from our space travel experience, we know that by manipulating that velocity, we can vector ourselves into any direction, and any distance, we wish to be, within limits."
So that was it, I thought. If we could manipulate the velocity in relation to space within the gravity hole, then there was a chance we could use it to sling shot ourselves to any part of the galaxy we wanted. That was the strategy behind Seth's decision. Now I understood what he was trying to do. But it was a daring feat, as none had ever attempted it before. Or did they?
"Was this ever attempted before, where a Ship could enter the hole and manipulate its speed?"
"Yes, it was. Long ago, in millions of years, the Fallah'An had done it."
"And did they survive?"
"Yes."
"But why didn't they share that with us?"
"Because they said it was against the order of the universe."
"Can you elaborate on what they meant?"
"No. I have insufficient information to do so. Though there was something to do with time. We know no more than that."
"One more question. Where is Earth in relation to the hole?"
"Earth is a new world. So she is on the periphery. About twenty five thousand light years."
I leaned back, my hand reaching over to shut off the machine. This left a huge puzzle in my head. But now I knew what we were heading for. No doubt, all who were involved with the operation had copied the same nodule from the central file, even the Dreamers. But each of us would ask different questions, some more technical and more focussed on the actual maneuver itself. I felt that I should be in the Control chamber when we attempt to enter the gravity hole. It was very unlikely, but maybe I had information that would become useful at a critical moment.
We were still more than three hours from the maneuver, so I felt I should get some rest. I lay down on the floatation bed in my chamber and ordered the lights to dim to a dull brown. Then I instructed them to brighten in three hours.



Chapter 5: No Return.

When I woke, my personal robot came floating over to me with a sparkling beverage, which I drank down slowly. It warmed my insides and instantly revived me into alert consciousness, though I had not slept deeply at all. My mind was too full of questions. The robot floated out of the room as silently as it had entered, taking the empty goblet with it. I changed from my loose fitting casual tunic into my mission uniform, which was a metallic grey-blue body suit. I wanted to look like I belonged at Control.
Central Control was once again a swarm of activity. Everyone there had a duty to perform, and there must have been over fifty persons present, both men and women. Seth stood at the main viewing wall looking out into space towards the gravity hole. He was also dressed in a body suit, which is standard for serious operations. We were very close to the hole now, with the same swirl of stars I had seen on the tape lighting up the blackness of space around us. I could tell from the background that our Ship had slowed to sub-light speed, otherwise the colors would have been brilliant. In a steady and quiet voice, Seth called out his commands.
"Dream chamber computer relay coordinate instructions to main processor."
"Done." A voice spoke from overhead. It was the Control computer.
"Multiple analysis scenarios fed to backup processors."
"Multiple analysis complete. There are two thousand, eight hundred and twenty routes programmed."
"Life support systems check."
"Check done."
"Suggestions?"
"Recommend non-essential areas evacuated and life support shut off."
"Place those areas on alert to evacuate and seal off when evacuation complete."
"Alert sounded."
"Please advise when complete."
There was no response, as an evacuation would take time. Then he spoke another command.
"Program molecular structure analysis in all critical areas."
"Done."
"Align all backup power sources for peak performance, at my command."
"Backups programmed."
"Drain power source from main hall and Dream chambers."
"Dream chambers still occupied."
"Stay that command until they have been evacuated." Then more to himself, "I guess we'll have to do without their help on this one."
I was standing behind him, his towering frame dwarfed mine. He turned and looked at me, serious, then he smiled.
"So what are you doing here?"
"I want to be at Control when we go through the hole."
"You know this is very serious, love."
"I know, father, but I have read the gravity hole information nodule. So I know what we are doing."
"All right. Then you could observe. In the Light of 'Aan, I hope we come through the other side."
"We will. We have to. My father's life is at stake."
"I know. We will do whatever we can to reach Paul in time."
Presently, my mother came in, followed by Ta'an. Ta'an was my father's strategist on his first Planet-walk on Earth.
"Maya, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your quarters? This will take all of our concentration."
"It's okay, San'aa. Princess is my co-captain. I've allowed her to stay."
Seth looked at me with his deep blue-grey eyes, a subtle smirk around their edges. Mother accepted that and became less tense. But she was tense just the same.
"Then can I stay too?" she asked. "I was going to join Maya in her chamber."
"Of course you can. It matters little what part of the Ship you're in if we fail. I'd rather you were here with me."
Then Ta'an's cheerful face added:
"And if we succeed, then why not at Control? And look at the view!"
He was referring to the viewing walls that were on the three sides of the Control chamber.
"Well, then. Let's get down to business. We are approaching time zero for the operation. Everyone to their stations. Zero minus ten minutes. Scan for possible debris. What is our window of opportunity?"
"Gravity hole clear. No objects approaching for six hours." It was the voice of his second in command. Her name is Ra'an.
The time I describe is all translated into Earth time, so that it would make sense to anyone from Earth. But I've also programmed this text to reflect time or distance on any other world as well. Ta'an joined Master at one of the stations that monitor space obstacles, as smaller objects show up out of nowhere, it seems, and must be caught in time to be deflected by the Ship's vast energy fields. These fields crisscross ahead of us and vector us through space. When they are focussed on any object, they ionize the obstacle and temporarily suspend it in an altered, sub-space-plane form. This happens mostly when we pass through stellar gases and debris. After it is passed, it reforms in space behind us, so nothing is destroyed. Of course, if there were life forms aboard, they would die. So then, when the system notices these, we make every effort to go around, provided we have time. We always go around planets and stars, anyway, as they give us plenty of warning. And if we did not, our Ship would be destroyed by their gravity energy. We were ready.
"Good. Computer, activate grid coordinates and position fields to match."
"Done. Evacuation from non-essential areas complete. Sealing in process."
"Thank you, computer. Proceed with monitoring structural molecular integrity."
No sensation of motion was felt aboard, as it never is. But I knew we were now travelling at near light speed, which I could tell from the way the stars looked on the viewing wall. They had halos around them. The powerful engines gave off their strange sound. From space, our Ship would be seen to light up the cosmos. We were hurtling towards the center of our Galaxy, into the black hole.
"Rotation check from all stations."
Each operator from his or her station then replied.
"Affirmative, life support."
"Hangar bays, secured."
"Outer field flux, normal."
"Obstacle control, one, clear."
This went on from all the stations, until the last called.
"Waste control, complete."
The operator of the last, a veteran of many space voyages, is much advanced in years. He was nearly two hundred years old. His report meant he had just demoleculorized all the waste from aboard the Ship and set it off as steam into stellar space. Nothing is ever lost and it will rejoin some planetary gravity somewhere, someday. This would be the last signature of our existence before we entered the hole.
Then Seth called off the sequence of energy fields as they propelled the Ship forward. His second in command then repeated the sequence after him. As she called off her vector coordinates, the computer answered her in turn. I walked over to Master and sat down in a chair next to his. Mother was standing with Seth at the viewing wall.
"What do we do now, Master?"
"Why, nothing. We wait. All functions are in place, and for the next hour, we are merely approaching the point of entry."
"Is that where we can't turn back?"
"Theoretically, it is where our engines cannot reverse the process."
"That's called the point of no return."
I sat silent then, thinking what that means. Master was busy observing his controls and making adjustments when needed. We met much debris at this sector of space, as more and more matter was being absorbed by the now powerful gravity field around us. But there was no sensation of this inside, only flashes of colors on the side viewing walls, and the alignments on Master's controls told me we were travelling above light speed, jumping from one universal reality to another. There was no light ahead of us, only bursts of dull red followed by blackness. More worlds swallowed, and we were next.
Within the hour, we had entered where, to our knowledge, no human had ever been before in a Star-ship. Ra'an began calling off her sequence, more quickly now. Seth spoke to the computer at times, his commands answered by the mechanical voice above. Some of the Dreamers had now congregated on the viewing gallery above the Control area, watching along with the rest of us. Other non-essential personnel were present too, some with their personal androids. All were watching the activity below. And all had the express trust in their commander. The computer called out our velocity.
"Light factor twelve. Light factor thirteen..."
This went on as we all watched. San'aa had her arm around Seth, who held her at his side. Master remained impassive, calmly working his controls. The engines sounded louder, as all perceptible light outside the Ship vanished completely. Then the computer spoke.
"We have reached merge with level fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine... no return. Repeat, no return."
All our minds gave off an audible shudder. We had entered the gravity hole with no chance of turning back. All of space around us was now travelling parallel with our Ship. There was only total blackness ahead of us, the only light from within the cabin that held Control.
"Switching to sequence two, fields unresponsive to power coordinates."
"Switch to two."
It was Seth answering the computer.
"Switching to sequence three."
"No, hold off." Seth looked troubled. "Computer, switch to three at my command, only."
All looked around at each other, their minds like voices in our heads: "What was happening?" But there was no reply from the commander, only a vacuum of thought. Then he spoke again.
"Switch to three."
"Done."
"Molecular status check."
"All parts of the Ship are operable, molecular integrity intact."
"Designation coordinates reading?"
"Bearing as designated, set for... set for..."
"Computer. What is our bearing?"
"Cannot read."
"Switch to random sequence until can read."
"Random search in progress..."
A long moment passed before its mechanical voice was heard again.
"Reading coordinates on sequence, infinity minus, one thousand six hundred, nine, seven, six... merge complex series inverted. All inverse numbers in sequence."
"Lock in sequence. What is our bearing?"
"Earth star system."
A collective sigh of relief was felt by all. We were on track after all, and not lost in some unknown sector of space. But nothing was visible ahead, still. Then it began to happen.
There was a dull thud throughout the Ship, as if someone had hit her from outside. The lights dimmed in rapid sequence then came back on again, almost as if they had flickered in slow motion, which was how my mind saw it. I grabbed onto to Master's arm. He turned to me, and put his hand on mine.
"Don't worry. It was only an aftershock of a merge."
"Will it happen again?"
"Possibly."
Then it happened again. This time, Seth leapt into action.
"Integrity status report."
"Molecular integrity violated at sections thirty and ten."
I knew that was the left rear of the Ship.
"Stabilize field at break points."
"Stabilization complete."
"Any casualties?"
"Negative. Section evacuated."
"Good. Continue to scan for integrity."
"Alert at section fifty one. Casualties. Field redirected to fifty one."
"Report on level of damage."
"Damage report tabulated. One dead, three wounded. Life support undamaged."
"Direct medical personnel to fifty one. Scan for next possible casualty area."
"Scanning. Engine compartment four and six showing molecular stress."
"Order four and six to essential staff only. What operating capacity without four and six?"
"Operating capacity fluctuating between minus thirty and forty percent."
"Cannot sustain operation at that level, redirect energy field to maintain integrity. Dim lights."
"Redirected." The light sources throughout the ship turned down to a soft grey.
"Where from?"
"Hangar bays eight and nine."
"Good choice."
Those were the least essential shuttle ships aboard. They were used by robots on planet studies. I knew all this from my earlier training. Seth felt the computer had made a correct decision in eliminating those, as they could be easily reoutfitted later. After a long moment passed, the computer spoke again.
"Designation coordinates lost again. Travelling without bearings."
"Begin deceleration sequence."
"Deceleration begun."
"Bearings?"
"Computing."
"What are our coordinates?"
"Time shift sequence altered. Cannot calculate."
"Computer. We must know where we are."
"Unable to configure... calculating..."
Seth looked at San'aa, then at the rest of us in the Control room. For a fleeting moment, I could see a sense of loss in his eyes, as I could feel it. Without bearing coordinates, we could be set adrift into some unknown universe. This had been done by very advanced races in space travel and it was how other galaxies were reached, but we would never to find our way back. It was beyond our calculation abilities to know how to maneuver that far out in space. This was what he had feared most of all, though he had never shared this with anyone. We would be perpetually lost and perish in some plane of existence none could ever find again.
"Computer! What are our coordinates?"
"Calculating."
"Damn it! computer. Faster! Calculate!"
"Unable to read."
"Repeat random sequence until reading available. What is our velocity?"
"Light factor forty-two hundred."
"What time is it?"
"Time factor unknown."
A visible droop set into Seth's shoulders. He looked at Ra'an, who looked back, unable to help. Others were the same. We were now but a tiny speck of life travelling through some dark abyss of space, vulnerable and lost inside the space time continuum of a black hole. And at any moment, we could be crushed into the basic elements of all existence. I got up from where I sat and walked over to him, trying to show no panic in my step. I reached up to him and touched him on the arm. Mother turned to me, a trace of fear in her eyes. Her eyes spoke of the seriousness of our position. We were truly lost. Seth looked at me also, but his eyes betrayed nothing. He was still in command.
"If we stopped the Ship, would she hold?"
There was nothing on the viewing screen outside, only blackness through which we were being catapulted at twelve hundred times the speed of light. This was faster than we had ever travelled and the computer was unable to calculate at those speeds. My idea came from a simple mind, too young to know what it meant, but it was just a feeling. So I spoke it. But something in Seth's eyes told me I may have hit on something.
"Computer. Begin sub-light merge procedure."
"Sequence beginning."
"What is integrity status?"
"Status clear."
We only knew what our bearings were before we entered the incalculable space. So, with luck, and with the help of 'Aan, we may have cheated the universe, even if only temporarily, of its renewal energy source. It was a gamble, but maybe it would work. It was something the learning tape had said about time that made me think of it, though I did not consciously know what that was.
As we stood there, waiting for the computer to read our coordinates, I looked at the dark viewing screen before us. Then it showed, faintly at first, but lighter with a bluish tint.
"Look Seth! Light!"
Like a chorus of minds all speaking at once, I could feel all in the Control area look up at the screen at once. The viewing gallery also responded. We began seeing stars forming on the screen.
"Can you read bearings, computer?"
"Bearing coordinates falling in sequence. Molecular status clear. All life support systems functioning... We are in the sector... nineteen over thirty-thousand, minus twelve over two thousand... only an estimate."
"That's great, computer! Thank you." The Ship's lights returned to normal brightness.
Then Seth turned to all in Control.
"We are approximately within less than two days of Earth. And we succeeded where none had done in known times." He looked into the eyes of everyone present there, then into mine. "We have emerged from the gravity hole closer to our destination than expected. My dear friends and loved ones, we are on our way."
A voluble cheer rose from all present. But it quickly subsided as we all remembered that someone had died in the attempt. A life paid the price of our gamble, and others were hurt.
"Medical. What is status of injured?"
"One serious, will require intense Light mending. The other two are minor and will heal easily."
"Computer, what is status of energy fields at this power level?"
"All fields normal. May resume standard operations."
"Medical. You may begin treatment. All operations have returned to normal."
"Thank you Commander. The Light be with us."
"It is."



Chapter 6: Time.

The Dreamers returned to their stations. The Dream Chamber was again activated and there was much work to be done. They numbered about a hundred, a fourth of the crew, though on their home worlds, they were about a tenth of the population. Their ratio was higher on a Star-ship because of the importance of their work. They are the ones who set the course for where we were to go. But their work was not always fruitful, individually, so many were called upon. And out of this bank of minds and souls dreaming, there resulted input into the Ship's powerful computer to chart our course. But it was more than merely the linear course of space travel. They were the one who saw the merges as they unfolded in our path. Earth was our destination, in two days, and we had to merge cleanly into her reality to be effective on this mission. Without their help in this merge, our attempt at entering Earth's reality would be fraught with hazards, both for us and for the planet's living ecosystem.
We had no further word from Tenya, nor of Paul's whereabouts. But the Dreamers could already see the patterns that would lead us to them. There were no indications that my father was dead. But his whereabouts were still a mystery. They could not lock onto his presence on the planet, or elsewhere. The grid-map coordinates pointed to Tenya being somewhere on the South American continent, possibly in the deep jungles of the Amazon. The powerful crystal that activated the Dream chambers was continuously lit, so I knew they were hard at work. But reality releases information only slowly, and it was for the Dreamers to communicate with that mysterious being for what they needed to know. But many returned to their private quarters empty and drained, having gained no more access to the mysteries they were trying to solve.
On the next day, after the Ship's routine settled once again to normality after the near traumatic experience of the day before, Ta'an, our head Strategist came to consult with Seth. I was then at the Control center amusing myself with the visions of space that enfolded before us. We were at multiple light speed, and the visions of the great void were brilliant with color. There was a beauty to them that I somehow had never seen before, as if the patterns of color that showed themselves on the viewing walls were speaking to me directly. There were not just color anymore, now they were patterns. They were messages into which I could read form and meaning. But then, the day before itself was packed with meaning for me. Having come so close to total destruction, so close to pure death, I had grown sadder and more thoughtful. I guess on that day, I had become older, somehow.
"Seth, I think we found something you should know about."
Ta'an cherubic face had the usual red cheeked happy look about it, but there was a hidden seriousness in his eyes. Seth's tall lean frame observed him casually. Ta'an was a little shorter than him, but of heavier build.
"Have the Dreamers achieved the phase merge we need?"
"Yes, it seems they have. But something is showing up on the grid maps that may be of concern."
"Yes, go on."
"The destination we guessed at first proves correct. Tenya is somewhere near the Rio Negro in Brazil."
"That's the Amazon jungle."
"Right. It seems her ship was abandoned there."
"Can we pin point her?"
"When we're in closer range, we'll find her exact location, but for now, we only have an approximate location. But there is a more pressing matter." He stopped for a second before giving him the news he came to deliver. "It seems that we have traversed a little known time merge."
"You mean there is a time merge, similar to our space merge?"
"Not much is known about it, as it is never used. But the Dreamers have now identified it as being a reality, in our case."
"How will it affect us?"
Seth was now no longer casual, but intent on knowing the answer.
"It means we have a limited time. Because of this time merge, achieved by channeling through the gravity hole, we have been able to catapult ourselves forward in time. But there is a price."
"That we have to go back the same way we came?"
Their minds were now as one.
"That, and more. You see, because of this time wrinkle, we must return to the gravity hole within a specific period of time."
"And if we do not?"
"We'll dematerialize."
The news struck deep into Seth's fear. He had speculated that something like this would happen, even the Unity thought of it, but he did not actually believe it would. Now he knew that his fear was true. He was allotted only a temporary time sequence within this new reality. Then the natural flow of events, which he had temporarily cheated, would reassert themselves, and we would dematerialize into energy. The gravity hole and the universe wanted their due. Somehow, we had to stall that. That was what both were thinking.
"How much time do we have, Ta'an?"
"By our calculations, given the work done on the grid maps, we believe we have almost exactly two Earth lunar months."
"That isn't much."
"I know. But that's all we have for now."
"Can it be averted, somehow?"
"We don't know how."
"So that means we have to have reached the gravity hole before the time elapses, or we fade into nothingness? And that's nearly three weeks away from Earth."
"That's how we understand it."
"Who can help us on this?"
"The Dreamers still have no answers on this. But I can hazard a guess."
"The Fallah'An?"
"They're the only ones we know who had done it before."
"That was a million years ago."
"But where they are now, they never forget."
"Then we must speak with them as soon as possible."
Both were now looking out into space, the viewing wall shimmering with the cosmos' mysterious colors. Somewhere out there was an answer to a puzzle. But we were not being given much time to solve it. Then Ta'an spoke.
"I will have the communications personnel standing by. But it will take two days for our signal to reach them."
"Time is now all we have, and so little of it. Let's do it." Then as an afterthought. "We had better contact Mira'anda. She is still stationed on surveillance at a distant orbit around Earth."
"Is Kahla aboard?"
"Yes. We've been in touch with her already. They too are scanning for Tenya's whereabouts. Maybe by now they have better coordinates than earlier. When we last talked, Kahla was very distressed over the whole thing."
"We should go to communications directly."
Seth and Ta'an left Control, and I stayed before the viewing walls. I had no desire to follow them. I could tell from their minds that they were distressed too and I did not wish to burden them. Some part of me knew, or believed, that the mystery we had just entered would all come clear, in time.


Chapter 7: Blue World.


I watched my mother standing before the main viewing wall. The small dot of bluish light in the center grew visibly as we approached at sub-light speed. Within minutes, it had changed to a beautiful large swirling orb of blue and white, and then it filled the screen with brilliance powered by its nearby sun. Greenish brown continents lay beneath her clouds. Not so much different from my home world, except the continents were all wrong. We had arrived within Earth orbit, at about two hundred thousand miles. Her large silvery moon hung in the blackness of space on the far right of the screen. Stars filled the background around Earth's thin bluish-white halo. The other Ship, Mira'anda, was now also visible ahead of us, a large stationary uneven oval suspended in space, her lights flashing as if signalling some mysterious code. San'aa was standing erect, at attention before her beautiful world. Tears like distant stars were in her eyes. It had been eight years since she had been home. We stopped.
"You don't have to cry, Mother."
"I'm not crying from sadness, princess. I just forgot what a beautiful jewel Earth is. In the years past, I had stopped missing her. Now, I miss her all over again."
"Then you will come down with us."
"I don't know, my love. Maybe I will, even if only for a moment. But so much has changed since I left. I am no longer the person who once lived here."
Seth came behind us and put his arms around us, holding us in his gentle but firm hold.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" We nodded, mother's cheeks still moist with tears. "San'aa. You are to join the others on this first descent. You will travel with Maya, until you meet up with Tenya, then you will return. Kahla and Master will stand by to lift you up, when the time comes. Is that all right?"
Mother's tears flowed freely once more.
"Yes," she managed in a whisper.
"And are you excited about going to Earth?" Seth turned to me.
"I don't know. I've heard so much about that world. Studied it in detail. But I'm scared, really. I just don't know if I could handle all that energy there. They are so wild..."
"Like their music?"
Seth knew I really liked Earth's music. He had caught me dancing to lively rock'n roll sambas.
"Yeah! Like their music. They're wild. But I think I'm going to like it. But first, I must find Paul. Then I'll be happier. But we don't have much time, do we?"
"No, love. We only have about a month. If he is not found by then, we'll have to abort our mission and return."
"To the gravity hole?"
"Yes, the gravity hole. But we know it better now."
I stood facing the large window on that strangely beautiful world below. It looked so peaceful, so serene. Yet I knew that its reality was far from that. Beautiful, maybe. But not at all peaceful. Why? I wondered. When Seth and San'aa left, I was left alone. Strangely, I really felt no emotion for my mother's world. I could not explain it. Maybe, in some small way, I was envious that she loved it so. But maybe I just did not have the experience necessary to relate to what I was seeing. Paul and Angel, and Tenya too, all had spoken with great reverence and feeling for Earth and the time they had spent on that strange planet. But there was no way for me to truly understand that. I did not have the same attachments. To me, after all the worlds I had already seen, Earth was just one more, lovely, planet in the cosmos. And yet, it held half of my roots. I thought to myself that I would try harder, to really try to appreciate the great moment into which I was about to step.
By the time we reached orbit, all preparations had already been in progress. There was no time to waste, so androids and junior technicians were readying the shuttle ships that were to take us down to the surface. There were to be three ships, so that if any encountered difficulty, the other two could rendezvous for immediate rescue. But Earth was still Quarantined, so all efforts would be made to bring the damaged ship back to the Star-ship, not to be abandoned on the planet's surface. It was a universal understanding that the people of Earth, at this time, still knew nothing of our existence. I met Kahla at the shuttle bays as we were getting ready to board.
"Maya! Oh, my dear little Maya. How I missed you."
"I missed you too, Kahla. Mother and I often talked of where you were, and what you were doing."
"I was assisting Tenya on her secret mission. But when your father was captured, everything went wrong. Then I returned to the mother Ship."
Kahla looked radiant, as she always did, wild golden curls about her lovely fair face. She had that casual air of happiness with which I had always known her. But there was a subterfuge of fear about her. She had not seen San'aa for over a year, and they were very close. There was even a time when they were lovers.
"Have you seen my mother yet?"
"Yes. We spoke just a while back. But you made it through that horrid gravity hole. How did you do it? And you got her so fast! I almost can't believe it."
"Some of us can't believe it either. But we did it, though we paid a price."
"The time factor... I know. San'aa told me."
As we spoke, Master came over with supplies we were to take to the surface.
"Here is a change of clothes. You are to appear dressed as would any visitor on holiday. Your passports are American, so blue jeans and sneakers should do. Also, here are some items of toiletry you would be expected to carry in your bags."
He handed Kahla and me two small back packs, each filled with a change of clothing and other items useful for travel. There was a toothbrush, which we normally never need, soap, again never used, a small towel, insect repellent, which he assured us we will need, and a small stick of deodorant. Kahla and I both laughed at the last, since these are never used on our world. Our Light showers obviate the need for deodorant. But we would need it in this hot and steamy world. So we were glad to have them.
The plan was to have Kahla, San'aa and I descend to the jungle in the Amazonas, near the city of Manaus, where the Rio Negro and Amazon meet, and there await contact with Tenya.
"Do you know how to reach Tenya?" I asked.
"Because she had the space link destroyed and she has no communicator, we can only reach her through a pre-arranged contact. She will be at the docks. I think we will manage it."
San'aa then joined us, also dressed in Earth clothing.
"I have sad new, dear ones." We looked at her, already knowing the meaning of what she had said. "I can stay on my world for only one day. Then I must return to the Star-ship."
"Why can't you come with us, Mother?"
"The Dreamers don't think it wise. They say the reality loop from which I left Earth has not yet healed, so my presence would endanger you."
"You mean you would be like 'bad luck'?"
"Something like that, I guess. I don't really understand it. But I know the Dreamers have a clearer picture of what it all means. And they had the sympathy to let me go even for a day. But Brazil is not my world. So I will be there only on a necessary mission. Cairo or Khartoum or Paris will have to wait."
Kahla seemed saddened by this news. She also hoped to spend some time with San'aa, as did I. But it was not to be. There were greater forces at work we could not challenge. And the Dreamers could see these in ways we could not.
"Then we are on our own," Kahla said, reluctantly.
"No for long, love. The Dreamers also said that you are to deliver Maya to Tenya, when you find her, and then also return. This is not a Planet-walk, so you can't stay beyond that mission."
"So this is, really, Maya's Planet-walk, isn't it?"
"I believe it is. And she being so young, Tenya is there only to assist her. And to find Paul."
"Will Master brief me, before I get off?" I asked.
"Those are his instructions. As you make approach, he will give you all the details you will need. Your mission, I know, is to last no more than an Earth month. After that, no matter where you are, you must return to Ka'ankh'an. Otherwise, you could be stranded for a very long time, with no support."
"We will be back, Mother. I will not fail."
Mother put her arms around me, her body's energy to give me comfort. As I grow older, I don't feel the same attachment to her, as before, and she knows it. But it is normal for mother and child to separate, psychically, at an early age on Ka'ananda, and she accepted that, though she said on her world it was different. I love my mother with all my heart. It is just that I have a sense of mission now, and the mission was beginning to occupy my attention more and more. I knew I was being trained for the time when Earth was to be accepted into the Unity of the Living Worlds, and that this next part of my journey was but one very important step in that direction. But the disappearance of my father was not foreseen. So a new dimension had been added to this mission. It was my duty to do my best to find him.
"Do we have any signals from Paul?" San'aa asked of Kahla.
"There is still nothing. We do not know where he is. But we know he was with Tenya at the time of his capture. So maybe she will know."
"And we have not yet heard from her..." I wondered aloud.
"No, love. We haven't. But we will find her."
Master and other androids took the last of the provisions we would take with us for jungle survival, and we were ready to board. Both Seth and Ta'an came over to our ship.
"Now you know that the other two ships will be standing by just beyond the atmosphere. At the first sign of trouble, both will approach your ship from opposing directions. But there could be a minute or two until that happens, so do your best to hold off any Earth intercepts. We will deaden their radar surveillance, so anticipate no trouble. But be weary just the same. You are entering a planet whose governments are very hostile towards us, for many reasons. So if they spot you, they will try to shoot you down."
We all knew this in advance. But Seth had to speak his concern for us. He feared he would lose people he loved dearly, so there was a natural protectiveness to his words.
"We will be all right, Seth," I said. "The Light of 'Aan is with us."
"I know, love. But do be careful just the same. You are entering territory that had not yet learned of the Light, so different rules apply there. This is still a primitive world, and violence is still their way. But we will do whatever we can to shelter you from it."
He put his large hand on my head. It felt warm with love for me. And then he reached over to San'aa and kissed her on the lips.
"'Aan be with you all, in the One."
"And with you, my love. We know you will watch over us."
Ta'an also gave us his blessings, and we all made ready to board. Master was last to enter the shuttle ship. The entry closed behind him. The soft hum of the engines engaged and we put the jungle landing site on our screen. All was clear and we slowly left the holding bay. Seth and Ta'an waved to us as we silently slid off into space. Through the transparent viewing wall, we waved back. Beneath us, at a steep angle of descent, the blue planet awaited our entry. From space, it looked almost alive.


Chapter 8: Soil.

Excitement took hold of me instantly once we left the holding bays. I could also feel it in San'aa. She was going home, even if to a strange country. I was about to enter onto the planet of her birth. And Paul was down there, somewhere. I was sure of it. With Master at the controls, the small world grew visibly larger as we made our speedy descent. In no time, it seemed, we were over the vast ocean of the South Atlantic, hovering only meters above its massive surface. I had never seen an ocean so rough. Its waves crested towards us and then broke, as if trying to reach for our small ship. The dark water was as if it too was made of this world's wild nature. The planet's energy was written all over its surface, as if it were untamable, rebellious. Earth's violent life came from that water, and now I could see why. That was my first impression of this world, and I liked it.
When I was much younger, I had seen my mother fierce in battle, and now I knew where that fierceness came from. It came from her world's waters. That vast sea of life was alive with its own energy. Watching Kahla look down on this sea, I could see her shrink from it, inwardly. Perhaps it was this that so fascinated her about San'aa, that which she could not understand. But Mother was at home. I could feel it. And strangely, now, so was I.
"We're going to approach the shore on no lights," Master spoke to us, as if in mechanical tones. "I am now scanning for interceptors. It seems we have evaded them. We should be safe. As I approach shore, Kahla, be especially vigilant."
"I'm on monitor," she answered.
"First sign of intercept, I'll immediately take us back into space."
We all watched his instrument panel, as if each one of us was flying the craft. In fact, we all knew how, but it was Master's duty to take us in. We travelled at low altitude over a deserted part of the beach and headed for the interior over a lightly populated area. Being on dim, it was very unlikely anyone would see us from the ground, though they may experience disturbances on their electrical and electronic equipment, if they had any, as our ship's energy field passed over them. But I knew we were largely invisible to the naked eye.
"So far, so good," Mother said, as if to herself.
"How does it feel, being here, Mother?"
San'aa turned to me, almost absent mindedly, as if she were lost in her thoughts.
"After seeing so many worlds, I don't know. I feel as if I never left here, at one level, and then, it was as if I don't really know this world anymore. It feels strange."
"I know it so well from my tapes, that I feel as if I already belonged here," I answered. "But it also feels strange. There is a strangeness here, like I never felt on any other world."
"It's the same for me too," Kahla added. "I had been to the surface but once, but was glad to get away. Earth is scary to me, and I don't know why."
We all watched the thick green canopy beneath us, rivers winding through it, birds flying in our path. We were flying beneath thin high clouds and the sun shone brightly as we passed over the trees. At a distance were dark thunderclouds streaming thin arms of water adorned with rainbows. I could almost feel the leaves of the trees below reaching up to touch us and drink. Our altitude was mostly just a few meters over the tallest trees. Master carefully avoided brushing against them. In places there were large clearings with a few huts, or just empty with little vegetation. We detoured around these. We were well below any radar intercept, and so far saw no military jets after us. At one point, as we slowly progressed over the forest, a small airplane passed within a kilometer of us, and Master detoured again as to not interfere with the craft's electrical mechanisms. But the plane did not turn, and its radio made no mention of any unusual craft in the area, so we knew we had not been seen. Small villages moved beneath us, populated by less than a dozen grass huts, and then we were within the vicinity of our destination. Master let the ship hover.
"This is where I am to give you your instructions." He pulled out two dark metallic objects that looked like pistols I had seen on my learning tapes. "These are to be your weapons. They are Seth's idea. San'aa, you already know how to use these. Now these are the secret instructions I am to deliver."
He paused, looking at both Kahla and San'aa. Then he continued.
"I have been instructed, for reasons I cannot reveal, that you, Kahla, are to return with me."
Kahla looked shocked, but inside she was relieved. Mother stared, her mouth open. She knew what was coming next.
"And you, San'aa, are to go to surface with Maya. I know you know how to use these, but after you arrive, at an appropriate time, you are to instruct Maya on the use of weapons. Do you accept?"
"Damn right I do! And how!" San'aa almost laughed. "You've always been my ally, Master." Then she turned to Kahla. "Is it okay with you?"
"Yes, my love. As much as I had hoped you and I could be together, I understand."
Then Master added.
"But San'aa. You are to be with Maya only until you locate Tenya. Then, with your communication device," he handed her a wrist device that was made to look like a large ordinary time piece, "you will contact us for a pick up. Then you will return to the Star-ship. These are Seth's instructions."
"And the Dreamers?" asked Kahla.
"They will continue to do their duty, as always, and complain about it. But if there is one thing Seth learned from San'aa, it is that you approach Earth differently. This is a world where unilateral decisions work, unlike other worlds. So it must be."
"God bless you, Seth," Mother said in a whisper. "You knew... You always know."
"Seth has become more like you all the time, San'aa," Master added. "And now, you are to step off onto your world." Then he activated a hidden drawer inside the ship and opened it. "Here is some currency for both of you. It should last you awhile. As you see, some of it is in local currency, and some in American dollars. The inflation rate in Brazil is very high, so it is better this way. Also, here is a plastic bank card that would access Paul's account. Use it only if you are short of funds, as his card can be easily traced, and we know he is under surveillance. When I let you off, you are to purchase passage to the nearest large city, which is called Manaus. When there, you are to find Tenya at the docks. She will be looking out for you. And that is all for now."
"I don't know how to thank you, Master."
"No need, San'aa. Seth said it will all be seen in a Dream. He's just doing it, we're doing it, in reverse order. That's all."
He looked at us with his dark, liquid eyes, almost as if smiling. If Master were human, he would have had a mischievous smirk on this face. But his logic circuits are designed only for reason, so he sees this only as the performance of his duty, no more. But I suspect that is his mechanical being is some sort of extra-mechanical heart. And I think even he knows it too, though he cannot dream.
Master then maneuvered the craft closer into Manaus, bypassed the city which hugs the banks of the Rio Negro, and took us over the trees into a large and dense forest about seventy kilometers north. There he landed at a deserted farm clearing on the banks of a narrow river. The thatched hut was still standing, but there was no evidence of recent habitation. The tree stumps from the cleared area, about a hectare, were already covered with termite mounds, which indicated the farm had been abandoned for some time. Still under the cloak of invisibility, Master lowered us into the center of the field. The entry way opened.
The place was strangely quiet. Sensors detected only jungle life, no humans. But Master stepped off first, just to be sure. After spending a minute outside the craft, he signaled to us that it was safe to exit. Mother stepped off, then me, and last was Kahla, tensely looking about the farm. The thick jungle seemed to press in on all sides except from the river, which flowed slowly and brown. When San'aa feet touched the soft earth, she fell to her knees and gently cupped the soil with both hands. Kahla remained standing, as did I, but then we both walked over to her, and touched her. It was as if a current passed from her to us, and then to the earth again. We could feel its intensity. But we both knew it was from San'aa. She was glad to be home again, after so many years. No, more than that. It was like seeing a wild animal released from long captivity, unsure but intensely happy all at once. There were no tears in her closed eyes, only a long smile.
Kahla gave me a strong hug, and then the same for San'aa. Both were crying now. Master said he should not tarry too long, as the ship could now be seen from the river. They quickly boarded and lifted off. In a flash, the ship was too high to see. Mother and I were left standing with our meager belongings on the ground of a strange world, in a strange land. We had provisions to last us two or three days, if need be. Neither of us had ever seen such a thick and steamy jungle before. We were both from a desert land. But the soil felt soft and good beneath our feet.


Chapter 9: A Man.

"Ouch! What was that?"
"They're ants, Mother. Look! They're climbing up your leg."
Immediately San'aa jumped into an active little dance to shake off the small intruders.
"I had forgotten about ants. And these bite!"
"See how they march in columns. I think these are called army ants. They're very aggressive."
"I guess so! Let's get away from them."
In truth, there was no where to go, except the hut. We picked up our packs and made for it, hoping that the ants did not follow us. All around was was only jungle, and we were not comfortable about going in there, it being unknown. We climbed onto the platform beneath a thatched roof. The platform served as its floor. The walls were missing.
Much to our surprise, the hut had two hammocks strung, as the place had been used recently as a camp. There was an old machete on the floor and a small cloth bundle tied at the top hung from one of the hammocks. We did not disturb these, as they obviously belonged to someone. Otherwise, the place was bare.
"Do you think someone lives here?" I asked.
"I don't know, love. It looks like it, doesn't it. And the fire pit just outside looks like the ashes are fresh. I guess someone must. Maybe they'll be home any moment."
There was a total stillness about the place, broken only by the occasional flight of a group of parrots, green in the sky, or the call of birds high up in the trees. I thought they were toucans. There were no sounds of human activity, and otherwise, the jungle was also silent. At odd moments, we could hear a fish jump in the river and return to it with a splash. Or a woodpecker hammer on a high dead branch. And, except for the ants, there were no biting insects. The place was very still.
Earth's star was still very high in the sky, and it felt warm, but not unpleasant. The air was humid and it clung to us all over, which made us perspire. I had been on hot and humid planets, but this one had a sweetness about it, a fragrance that touched us just beyond the senses. It felt like a sweet caress inside our noses. There was a feeling of paradise about it and, if we had not been apprehensive about what awaited us in the future, we would have relaxed and totally enjoyed the place. But that was not on our minds now. We needed to get to the city, and find Tenya. And we did not know that we were in fact safe here, though Master no doubt scanned the area for possible dangers before letting us down. Having no means of travel, we were at the mercy of whatever awaited us. And wait was all we could do. We had no means of transport, and none was evident.
After we set our things down in the simple hut, mother and I decided to explore the perimeter of our little compound. We walked to its indistinct corners, walking past the tall tree stumps. They were about as high as me, with funny little cones of what looked like mud on them. Those were the termite mounds. In time, the termites would eat their way to the roots, and the stump would collapse into the soil, helping bring back the jungle, someday. There were other plants growing, remnants of what had been the farm. We found pineapples sitting on stalks protruding from jagged leaves, tall bamboo like plants mother said were sugar cane. And low bushy trees with fruits on them. I guessed they were oranges. At least there was food.
"Well, what do we do now?" San'aa asked, more as if to herself.
"I guess we wait."
We had been there nearly an hour, and no one passed by our camp. The stillness was interrupted only by the birds and small buzzing flies which, to our relief, did not want us for food. We sat awhile out of the sun under the thatched canopy, looking about us in the clearing. The jungle beyond seemed an impenetrable tangle of trees and vines, which was confirmed upon closer inspection. There were small trails that led off into the bush, but we dared not take these. Instead, we just sat admiring the still beauty of it all. In my mind, I was replaying the recent trip here, the gravity hole, the descent, the dark and furious ocean, and the stealthy approach to our jungle camp. Now I was listening to the stillness of the jungle around us, reaching for it with my mind for any signs of life. The place was full, stealthily adding to the silence by being still, or moving about furtively. I knew the bush had life, but you would never know it with your senses. Though it observed us and was very aware of our strange presence here, none wanted us to know they were there. They were afraid.
"Let's make a fire," mother said, at long last.
She too was picking up on the wild presence around us, though her telepathic senses were not as developed as mine. My mind grew up on Ka'ananda, whereas her's was of Earth. But she had learned mind communications with the help of the Light. So her senses were likewise expanded, if only instinctively.
"There is wood all over the place. Let's bring it closer in," I suggested.
We set about the task of gathering twigs and fallen branches. The soil felt soft and spongy beneath our feet. But we were careful to avoid picking up sticks covered with ants. When we had gathered several arm loads by the hut, we set to lighting a flame. San'aa pulled out her lighting instrument that can act as a torch in the dark, or throw a flame several centimeters. Like our guns, it was of our manufacture, on Ka'ananda, but made to resemble similar instruments made on Earth. The pistols, which San'aa took out of her pack, were laid on the hut floor. Then we broke small twigs and placed them atop a clump of dry grass. Atop these we placed larger sticks. San'aa pulled out her lighter and shot a hot blue flame through the twigs and the grass instantly burst into flame. In no time, a cheerful little fire was burning at our feet. As it was warm, we stood back, but the flame somehow brought us solace, and we squatted down next to it at a distance.
"This reminds me of my girlhood in Africa, Maya. When I was little, we used to go out into the desert and hunt for game." She mused, then added: "Maybe we'll have to do the same here. Here, let me show you how the pistol works."
"We'd better not fire it."
"Why not? Don't we want attention to ourselves here?"
"Yes. But it would bring the wrong attention. They would think we're dangerous, if they hear gun fire."
"I guess you're right, love. Still, this is how it works."
San'aa placed a pistol in my hand and held one in hers. Then she continued:
"This is the safety catch." She pointed to a small knob on the side of the gun. "Press it down like this." It clicked into place. "Now it is ready to fire. The bullets go into the cartridge in the handle. There are seven of them. Never point the pistol at anything you don't intend to shoot, especially never at yourself, or any part of your body, like your feet. Be very careful, as this could cause a lot of damage."
"But if I point it at someone else, the same can happen."
"I know. You don't want to hurt anything. But we are now on a hostile world. So there may come a time we will have to use these."
Then San'aa showed me how to point and aim, holding the pistol away from my body, and then squeeze the trigger. She said to use both hands, as I was not as strong as an adult, and to leave the elbows flexed a little to absorb the recoil. It was a small caliber weapon, so there was not much recoil, but she stressed the elbows just the same. But we did not fire it, because of what I had said. After mock practice, we reset the safety and put them back in the bag. We then resumed our quiet vigil.
As the day wore on, and the sun set lower in the sky, our hunger drove us to reach for some of the food we brought. Mother picked out two soft bars of concentrated energy food, which were wrapped in a silvery foil. We sat by our little fire, eating the tasty morsel in silence. It was about the size of my hand, and went quickly. But in no time I felt restored and full of vigor again. The bar was designed to expand in your stomach, when we took water with it, so we began feeling full as soon as we drank from our water bottles. We hid the food wrappers in a crevice of the floor.
"Do you have any feeling where Tenya might be?" Mother asked, at long last.
"She's not far from here, I think. But I feel she is unsettled, troubled and uncertain of herself. So we won't find her quite yet."
"I wonder if we'll have to spend the night here. I know she is scanning for us. But she would never find us in this jungle, unless she was aboard her ship. Which she isn't."
"I know she isn't. She's like us, right now, wondering."
"Can you feel that?"
"Only very vaguely. She must be some distance from here. But we're supposed to rendezvous at the docks. And we know they're about seventy kilometers from here."
"That's true. We'll have to get there first. I wish we had a boat."
The sun was getting ready to set, as it hung low over the trees across the river.
"I guess, if we're not found soon, we might have to use your communications device and ask for assistance."
"We shouldn't use it unless we are desperate. We know the government agents sent to track down Tenya's ship have the means now of tracking our signals. They have in their possession one of our crystals and can duplicate its energy. Luckily, they cannot convert it into anything except a receiving device. That's why Paul was trying to get the communications box from the fallen Ebh'an ship."
"Is that the one Tenya mentioned?"
"I don't think she had it, from what she said."
"And what's MJ12, or M16?"
"Seth told me they are highly secret government agencies set up to track and capture, if possible, any kind of extra-terrestial activity. They're the ones who had captured the Ebh'an ships when they were downed. Err... I think M16 is some sort of rifle. Did she say that too?"
"Oh. No, I don't think so. It just came into my head. Did they capture the Ebh'an pilots as well?"
"Only two were still alive. The others were all dead."
"What did they do with them?"
"The living ones were kept in a secret laboratory for observation. They lived a bit longer and then died. The dead ones were autopsied for scientific research."
"The Ebh'ans are so different from us. They must have been very surprised by what they found," I thought to myself, half amused. Mother answered me anyway:
"The Earth scientists think all aliens are like them."
"Is that why they are so afraid and secret?"
"No. There is a stronger reason. They are afraid that they can't control aliens because of their far superior technology. That poses the governments a very serious military threat, which is important here."
"You think they want to war on us?"
"Well, my love, they are afraid that they are not the mightiest force in the universe, which they want everyone on Earth to think they are."
"Because then all must obey them?"
"That's right. You see, if they are not the mightiest in the eyes of the populace, then they fear revolt, or civil disobedience. So they must maintain the illusion of their military and intellectual superiority."
"And we're mightier than them... And they know it."
"So we pose a serious threat. If our presence were known, then Earth's civil order, and military order, could be thrown into chaos. And that would serve no one." We thought about it in silence awhile, each in the other's thoughts. Then San'aa added: "We'd better get some sleep. We don't know what awaits us tomorrow, and it's been a long day. I'm beginning to feel tired."
We climbed up into the hut, which was dark inside now. The light of the jungle was fading to a soft golden brown, the sky over the west having turned to a dark crimson. The hammocks felt sturdy, so we tried climbing into them, swinging wildly until we steadied them. When I lay down, enfolded by the soft cloth like in a cocoon, it continued swinging slowly, like rocking me to sleep. The forest became noisy now, screeches which I knew were frogs came from the river's edge. I also knew these frogs were on our planet monitoring list, as they were threatened by climactic changes. The frogs were our first warning that Earth's ecosystem was at risk. Still, it was good to hear them singing to one another.
The fire had been built up again to cast a flickering light around our camp, and a gibbous moon rose over the horizon. Somehow we felt safe in our long cocoons. A light breeze picked up where there was none earlier, and we rocked gently lying side by side. It was still warm. A lizard scurried overhead and then left the hut. The darkness outside was relieved now only by the rich moon, which shone white on the jungle clearing. It felt peaceful.
"Maya. There's someone coming!"
We lay very still, only our heads peering over the sides of our hammocks. By the light of the moon we could see a distant figure at the river's edge. We could make out by silhouette that the figure was pulling up a small boat onto the shore, and then turned towards us. It was carrying a long thin object in its right hand, which hung down, as if limp. The person's steps were unhurried. In the other hand was held another object which looked like a bundle tied to a string. San'aa and I froze. I knew mother had her hand on one of the pistols. I could hear the click of the safety latch. The figure came closer to the hut now. We could see better by the light of the fire and the white moon. It was a man.

Chapter 10: Josie.


"Olah! Tudo bem?" the man asked.
"Boa noite," mother answered, at long last. "Is it okay for us to be here?" She had studied her Brazilian Portuguese before we left.
"Sim, of course."
The man approached closer to the fire. We could see that in one hand he held a large machete, and in the other was a string attached to a bundle of fish. They were dead. He looked up at us grinning. I felt he was happy to have company. I passed this on to San'aa. I could hear the safety click back into place. His mind posed no danger to us.
"Are you camping here?" he asked, truly puzzled to find us here. "But where is your boat?"
Mother's mind was quickly rehearsing various answers she had prepared for such an encounter.
"We had an argument with our guide, so we asked to be let off here. He is gone."
"Then you are stranded?" A momentary flash of malice crossed his mind, then quickly left.
"Is this your farm?" I asked.
He turned to me, surprised to find a child. He smiled. The fire light revealed strong white teeth in a finely featured longish face covered with black curly hair. His eyes looked green on his skin dark. There was potential mischief in those eyes, the eyes of a semi-wild young man. He was part Indian.
"No. The people who lived here have left for a new farm. So we use it sometimes when out in the jungle around here. As you see, I have been out fishing." He pointed to his fish with his machete, then turned back to us. "Would you like some dinner?"
San'aa and I both spoke to each other silently, instantly coming up with the same answer: "Yes! Thank you. Por favor."
"Obregado." The tall man looked pleased and stared at us a moment, and then turned to the fire to stoke it up again. We descended from our perches and sat legs dangling off the platform floor. The man then went into the bush and began hacking at branches. He came back presently with several long green twigs, from which he hacked off the leaves with his long knife, cut them shorter and began weaving them into what looked like two large mesh screens. These he tied at one edge with a kind of hinge.
"I will make dinner," he said, deftly working his machete.
The man worked in silence, getting the cooking fire ready, spreading the coals, erecting four forked posts to hold the twigs in place. Then, at a distance from the camp, he cleaned the fish with his knife, and carelessly threw the remains away from us. "Ants," he once turned and grinned at us. We knew about the ants, so grinned back. Then he came back to the fire, his tall figure bent over it, rearranging the red hot coals, and carefully placing the twig mats with the fish sandwiched inside over the four posts. A sizzling sound soon rose from the flames as the fish juices fell into the flames. A pleasant odor began inviting us for the coming feast.
Then the man disappeared into the clearing again, hacked at something, and came back holding a large pineapple in his hand.
"Where are you from?" he asked, holding the pineapple before him, as if studying it.
We both answered almost in unison, a well rehearsed answer gotten from the passports we carried: "America."
"Oh? Then you speak good Brazilian, with a funny accent." He studied us a brief moment, then added: "I have a good friend from North America. His name is Jack. But we all call him Bates. I knew him from boyhood. Do you know him?"
He smiled a broad smile when he said this. We could tell he liked his friend, as if pleasant memories rose instantly from their many adventures together.
"No. America is a big country. What is your name?" Mother asked.
"Josie. And yours?"
"My name is San'aa, and this is my daughter, Maya."
"Muito prazer. It's a great pleasure to meet you. Welcome to my country."
The fish was calling to him to be turned over, so he quickly and deftly lifted the screen and turned if over, again careful not not drop dinner onto the fire. It sizzled on the other side now.
"Would you like some pineapple with the fish?"
"Yes!" I answered, a bit too eagerly. The smell of the frying fish made me hungry again.
"Good. This is a good one."
He then lopped off the green top and its bottom, and then began slicing pieces with his large machete. He looked around for something to put them in, snatched a large leaf from a nearby tree and place them neatly on the leaf next to us. Then he cut the round pieces into quarters and nodded that it was okay to eat them. We tried a piece and, as he had said, it was very good and sweet. Then Josie returned to the fish. He again snatched some leaves and, using them as plates, carefully laid down the prepared fish. He smiled as he placed them in our hands. There was a friendly aura to the man, and it felt good eating in his presence.
"Do you like it?" he asked, with genuine concern.
"It is very good, Josie. I have not had fish for a very long time."
Josie looked puzzled, then San'aa quickly added:
"That was this good, that is."
"Oh?" He seemed relieved, somehow, with that answer. "I have come here before with Bates. Some people call him Gary. How can a man have so many names?"
"Do you have more than one name?"
"My real name is Quieroz Mundo. I am Indian and Portuguese, but my great grandfather was African. His name was Josie, so I took his name. He was a great hunter, so Bates suggested I take his name."
"I am African too," answered San'aa. "But my grandfather was Italian."
"Then that is why you are lighter skinned." He flashed his green eyes at us. "And I have European ancestry too. I guess I am a true Brazilian." We all laughed, it being something of a joke with him.
"You know this Jack Bates quite well, no?" I asked.
"We were friends from when very little. His father came here from the United States to work a large plantation. The family moved in later and all lived not far from here. My family then went to work on his farm and we all became very good friends. Bates and I played together for a long time in the jungle. Then, years later, he left."
"Was the farm sold?" I asked.
"No. It was too difficult for them. Their cattle died, and the land flooded a few times, killing their crops. Then, I was told, the price for lumber rose, so a large company wanted their jungle. They refused to sell, and were given a very hard time."
"So they went back to North America?"
Josie thought about it awhile, deciding how much he should tell. But then decided there was no harm.
"His father was wanted by the authorities because he owed money. So one night he packed them all up and they escaped. Later, I found out, that he high-jacked an airplane, at gun point, and they flew out of the country. I believe they first went to Venezuela, and then back to America."
"That's quite a story."
"But it is true. Then I grew up and went on to university at Sao Paolo, before I came back to my world. It is much better here than... But I am actually a scientist."
We picked greedily at our fish and finished it in silence by the strong light of the moon. The fire had died down now, and our eyes adjusted to the jungle's natural light. When we had finished and discarded the remains away from the hut, Josie said we should now sleep. He asked if we were warm enough, to which we answered yes. He had a blanket in his boat, which he retrieved, and laid it down on the plank floor. Then he went over to the fire and added some heavier pieces of wood, to keep away the jaguars, he said. After San'aa and I climbed back into our hammocks, Josie curled up on the floor and pulled the blanket around himself. Soon we all drifted off into peaceful sleep.
I woke at times during the night, listening to the jungle's many sounds. At one of these wakings, snugly held in the hammock, which I had pulled closer around me, as if was getting cool, I could hear distant sounds that sounded like an animal roar. As I lay there, another roar answered the first, but much closer now. Josie stirred, as did San'aa.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Only jaguar. They prowl this part of the forest. But the fire will keep them away."
"I'm glad," mother answered.
"I want to see them!" I cried.
"They're dangerous, love."
"I have garlic on me, so they will not come," Josie added, sleepily.
Just then, I could see two small lights from the edge of the forest. They shone our way then retreated.
"I think I can see it," I whispered loud enough for all to hear.
"Oh? Where?"
"Directly across the clearing."
All rose to look. The eyes came back on. I could sense a strong curiosity coming from them, as if wondering what we were all about. And I could sense they could smell food. As we lay there, looking, the eyes slowly made their way out of the jungle growth. They moved out into the clearing and, past the tree stumps, by the light of the moon, we could see it was a lean and beautiful animal. It crept stealthily towards us.
"He smells the fish," Josie venture.
"It's a she," I corrected.
"How do you know?" He seemed puzzled.
Realizing my error, I quickly added: "I think I saw cubs behind her." But none were there. "Maybe I made a mistake." But mother knew.
"I think it is a she, also."
"Well, if you both think it is a she, then it is." Josie laughed to himself. "And she smells the fish."
We all watched the lean jaguar creep closer, as if inspecting us at a distance, judging whether it was safe to approach. Then a distant roar sounded from deep in the jungle, and the mother jaguar answered. It startled us, she being so close, that our nape hairs rose.
"How fast can she run?" I asked, my eyes straining to see better.
"Very fast."
The she jaguar came very close now, sniffing at the ground. From time to time, she would look our way and then continue smelling the ground. She found the fish scraps and ate them noisily, ignoring us. Then she turned towards the camp again. Josie was beginning to feel nervous. She was close enough now where we could see her shadow by the moon. Josie slowly undid his blanket and crouched forward, himself like a jaguar. He snorted to himself. The jaguar stopped. He was thinking he should have built a bigger fire, but this one seemed unafraid. He cleared his throat. Then mother sat up. She was searching in her bag, and finally pulled out a dark shape. I feared it might be the pistol, instinct for preservation was so strong in her, but it did not feel right. She held something in her hand and pointed it at the animal, which now stopped a short distance from the fire. In a blinding blue flash, she yelled out:
"Shoo!"
It startled Josie, who asked:
"What was that?"
"My lighter," she whispered.
At the sight of the bright flash, the jaguar turned and leapt away in large bounds back into the bush. It her mind, it was gun fire, without noise, and she quickly retreated out of reach. She had played it too close and returned to her kittens. The night meal would have to come from elsewhere.
"That was a good trick, San'aa," Josie ventured, at long last. "You have a strong lighter."
"It is an old trick I learned in Africa. It worked on hyenas."
"Oh?" He smiled. "Then I will remember it. I did not want to have to use my machete against her powerful claws. Let's hope she does not return."
"She won't," I answered.
After Josie added more wood to the fire, we all turned back to our sleep. As I lay there, I thought to myself how we had made contact with life on Earth. It was a pleasant thought that pulled me slowly into a distant trance. I supposed the ants were first. Then I drifted off feeling peaceful inside, yet excited by the experience. Darkness took over again. Dawn would soon be here.



Chapter 11: The Village.

Before it was fully light, I climbed out of my hammock and down from the platform. Josie was still curled like a large animal inside his blanket. I could see his face better now. It was a handsome face. San'aa was still cocooned in her hammock, asleep. I added some small branches to the warm coals, letting them catch in their own time. The sky still had stars in it, but the large moon had set beyond the horizon. Only the faint glow from the sky offered light now. I looked up at the sky. Somewhere, out there, was my world, our Ships, Master and Seth and Kahla, an the Dreamers. I knew Tenya was still here, as was my father. This I knew from deep inside. But he was very far away.
A soft mist rose from the river, as if enveloping all the sleeping things in a blanket of safety. The frogs had quieted, but a new noise rose from the jungle tops. It was not the birds. This time, it was monkeys. They had not been there the day before, but obviously they travelled in troops and made their way to the clearing to get a better look at us. I smiled when I saw them perform their acrobatics in the tree branches. They tossed fruit and seeds to the ground, to get my attention, so I looked up at them. They chattered and seemed pleased for having been noticed.
The mist on the river moved slowly, gradually lifting as daylight penetrated the forest floor. One by one, the stars left their places in the sky, revealing a lovely blue day. The sun crested the thick foliage behind us and the monkeys settled down for breakfast. The water, now no longer dark, flowed silently past its banks. I looked at the reddish pebbles at my feet by the water's edge, and picked one up, different from the others, and put it my my pocket. Looking up at a tree, I saw a large brown and furry spider. Perfectly still, it clung to the tree trunk nestled in between long sharp needles. I stared at it for awhile and then returned to the hut. The fire had rekindled itself, lifting blue smoke over the camp. San'aa stirred and Josie rose from his blanket.
"Good morning."
"Bom dia."
Josie stood and stretched his full length to where his trousers, which were thin and muddied, pulled up to his shins. His hair was thick and black, like a shaggy wooly blanket over his head. And his eyes were a mysterious green, like they spoke of wisdom and mischief all at the same time. He smiled and his good looks spoke of a friendship that was already established between us. We had survived the night in the jungle, and th