I had to grin at her phrasing even as I blushed at her compliment.“You know, when we don’t like something we wish it not to be and then pretend it is not.”
Our words must have just soaked through, for Robbie turned to look at me. “You think we have to deal with that now Sam?”
“No. Sometime we do though. Meli can warn us if there is a problem long before any of them can get to us.”
“Surely it depends on how fast they can move?”
“Meli?”
“I don’t know.”
“Great! Sorry Meli, not meant as a criticism. We still haven’t solved older problems and this comes up. We’ll have to take a chance and let it wait.”
I thought of a possible solution. “When we get home, we can do a search for any book with soul eaters. If we know where Meli got that world from, we might find out how we should deal with them. After all, most authors - unlike Arthur - have a hero who solves the problem and vanquishes the evil monsters.”
He gave me a tired grin. “Meaning I don’t?”
“How can you? We were just talking about it. Every time we think we have an evil adversary, they turn out to be good guys.”
We all felt it and Robbie forgot me as he looked about for Cherine, a sigh his only comment on the change in our link. I had not expected it, the changes in her had occurred over a long time so we had not been aware of how much ‘warmer’ or intimate our link to her had become. Robbie obviously recalled clearly what their original link had felt like and we understood now his sadness.
The protector did not return with her and we suspected he has gone off to be by himself for a while. Has he too been affected by the change in her? What I just wrote made me wonder - where does he go? What kind of world does he live in? Can he take me there?
Cherine was still in a daze, but already there was a feeling of strength in her. It will not be long before we have her cheeky grin back and Robbie, we know, will enjoy their verbal sparring again. Despite the temporary sadness that I mentioned, we are glad to have our original Cherine back.
We now have to decide about the entity. Do we help it escape? An idea occurred to me.
“Robert, what if it was not accidentally caught in a trap? What if some species placed it here? Imprisoned it to save themselves?”
Cherine laughed. “I don’t believe it! Is this going to be acted on as a fact or theory?”
“Will it make you feel bad Cherine if I let it wait another year while we check out the neighbourhood?”
“One year Robert? The Anadir say it has been here for hundreds or thousands of years. If Sam is right the whole galaxy will be at risk. Take however long you need love.” She glanced at me in amusement. “So now you feel you did the right thing - no more tears?”
All I could do was grin back at her. I am pleased, this is the decisive spirited girl I love. She caught my thought and gave me the finger as she turned to Robbie and Dommi. Quietly I got up and walked out. Despite the words of Cherine I felt uneasy at the idea of leaving the entity imprisoned. It does not matter how many thousands of years it has been there, what matters is we made our presence known. Time spent imprisoned after seeing us will be hell for it. I sat under a tree, my back against the trunk and went deeper into my mind. I wanted to be certain I had not spoken out of fear, only logic.
When faced with the unknown or unexpected, ignorance fills the mind with fear. Looking back at our method of deleting the alien memories I saw another explanation. I saw the sudden turmoil as possibly resulting from our interference. A reaction to our actions. For example, take any liquid made up of different colours and slightly shake it or touch the surface and there will be changes.
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Reluctantly I had to admit the possibility that our own fear was to blame, not the entity. I slid down until my head was lying on the grass and closing my eyes left for the void, only to be met there by a furious Robbie. I stood my ground and tried to explain, but he would not listen and threatened to forcibly return me to my body if I did not return of my own free will. Haughtily I told him that returning under threat cannot be described as using my free will. Without waiting for him to react I returned.
I have not sensed him so angry for a long time and sat there expecting him to appear in the flesh, but nothing happened. It finally dawned on me that he expects me to go to him. I can feel the girls and decided it is not fair to them to prolong the situation.
I was not willing to cringe, however I felt inside, so I sat opposite him and looking him in the eyes I said, “You may speak. Can you explain why you did that?” He stared at me as if I have gone crazy.
“You were about to go to the entity alone!”
“Nearly right. I’m not that stupid.”
“Nearly! How can you ‘nearly’ go?”
“I was going to ping it.”
“Ping?” Cherine asked.
“I used the word because Robert will understand. Same as he does on a computer network, but for more productive reasons. Cherine, if he wishes to shout at me let him, I refuse to be intimidated. When he has apologised, I’ll explain myself.”
Robbie put his hand on her leg to silence her. “You have me intrigued. I promise to apologise once you have explained.”
I sat there, my back rigid, without speaking.
“Sam, please explain so that Roberto can apologise.” Dommi asked.
“No. He acted in anger and refused me the opportunity to explain. He is the one who said none of us have the right to tell anyone what to do and then he uses his powers to threaten me if I don’t obey. First he apologises!”
Robbie has always been quick to apologise, but the residue of his anger, which I understand was born out of his fear for me, still had a grip on him and I refused to speak while he is incapable of listening to me and actually hearing what I say.
“Are you going to report him to the council Sam?” Maria asked, a glint of amusement in her dark eyes. I pretended not to notice and replied in all seriousness.
“No. This is a family matter. His actions were those of a father, not a leader.”
“Thank you Sam for understanding that. Okay, I apologise, but the thought of you placing yourself at its mercy for the sake of a theory of yours made me livid - mostly out of fear love.”
“That is why I obeyed you. Dad, what is the problem?”
“Huh?”
“Between the entity and us? We do not understand each other. It is not a matter of language, Claudia would have been of help if it had been. We need to find a common way of seeing each others thoughts.” I grinned. “I was going to use a simplistic approach, one used in dozens of your science fiction books.”
“I think you’ve lost me Sam.”
“1,2,3. I was going to ping him in different sequences. If the first did not work, 1, 8,16. If not that, then integers. I will then repeat myself until it understands our way of thinking, of conceptualising time and space differently. If they are different and it is not a cuckoo bird.”
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There were a few nervous giggles, but Robbie was not smiling. He sat thinking for a while. I suddenly had a picture of him with his hair greying. I can feel a deep weariness in him and I wanted to throw myself into his arms and ask him to forgive me.
“Sam….” He got up and coming to me knelt and put his arms around me. “I’m sorry baby. I thought you were still playing that game of yours.”
“Game?”
“We’ll discuss that some other time in private. Sam, I’m sorry, I should have trusted you.”
“No dad, I don’t mind if you don’t always trust me. I do mind if you think it gives you the right to take away my rights.”
He momentarily irritated me by laughing. “Is that so my lovely daughter? When you order me around it is right because you know better than I, but if I do it I’m in the wrong? Only I should understand you do it out of love?”
“We are both wrong then.” I looked into his eyes. “I’ll probably have to be wrong quite often.”
Everyone joined us in our laughter. He pulled me to him and kissed my face. “Damn, but I love you! Can we go ping together?”
“Maybe tomorrow. Tonight us girls have a man to love and take care of.”
He pulled back. “Oh? When did he arrive? Is it someone I know?” Once we start fooling around I know everything is alright again and I let the others handle his silly question.
We did not go ping the next day. We decided this day belonged to Latreia (and a little bit to Agapi). They has spent all this time in a daze. Not just the sights, the entity and all those science fictionish things. Our ways of interacting as a family differs from theirs in so many ways that make our love a haven for all of us. Although it had been the determination of Stella which had brought their family to us, making them Cherinians, it is not Tasso alone who is causing them problems. Stella had been willing to change for the sake of ensuring eternal life for her children, offering to make love to her sons. Gradually though, a feeling of doing something wrong, evil, made her withdraw and Tasso sensing her disapproval, which fitted with his own conservative inclinations, reverted to his pre-Cherinian ideas, only ‘accommodating’ the children so as to prevent them suffering. In other words, making love for the kids was more often a duty than a time of loving. No wonder the sons have not developed their gifts as they should have. Nicholas should have developed his ability to link as Cherine does, but instead his gifts have been dampened. It means that whatever we decide about the two girls, we also have to do something about the whole family. I do not know how we do so without breaking our own rules of not interfering.
It was not a case of just showering the two of them with attention and love. We also encouraged them to talk, to tell us what their thoughts are. It did help a little in clearing a few small misconceptions, but I suppose, to tell the truth, mostly we made them feel good and loved.
(By Anon: How about we do this for each of us in turn? We all need to feel loved like this.)
You want to insert a comment, do so knowing I will place your name here. Okay, just this once…I agree and will bring it up for you, my love.
Freddie warned Robbie something has happened in the void and he went to see. We obeyed and waited for him to return. He looked troubled.
“The entity sent all the packages back into the void. They are still wrapped in the energy I used to protect them. Either it does not want them or else it cannot unwrap them. What do we do now?”
“How long will they last in the void?”
“I reinforced them. I know how you think Sam, you are extrapolating through logic that since it took so long to return them it tried, but did not succeed in unwrapping them and needs our help.”
“It does make sense - to us. If it does not have the same time-sense as us, to it only a second may have passed.”
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“It does not change our problem. We have to find a way to return them without the wrapping. If it does not want them and sends them out again we will know what it wants. How do I get them in there without the void destroying them?”
“Why the void Robert? Why not in normal space? Will the vacuum destroy them?”
“Hmm, it might Solace. Do we try one?”
His face had paled and we all felt the same way. If it is an infant entity we could be killing it.
“Robert, there must be another way.”
Meli spoke. “Normal space with an atmosphere does not kill them or else they would not have survived in your minds. Create a mini platform with our air and place it against the outer edge of the entity. If it accepts…what is wrong Robert?”
“The platform will be absorbing the effects of the suns on that spot. What if it is just enough to help the entity escape?”
“I don’t think so Robert,” I said, “the gravity forces are in a constant flux and it has not been able to use that to escape. Your platform will be tiny and the effect minute.”
He shook his head. “No. I will have to open a part of it to the entity. If I instantly compress the dome to force the parcel into the entity and it does not allow it to enter fast enough, I will kill the thoughts or infant. If I don’t, the entity can force itself to expand into the dome. There are too many unknowns. The only solution is for me to enter with one and strip away the energy soon as I’m inside.”
We all fought the idea, even Chantel offering to go in his place.
He asked with a tiny smile. “Sam, are you ordering me not to?”
Cherine flared up. “If she doesn’t I will!”
He grinned at her. “You will not.”
I was surprised when she looked down at her hands and kept quiet. Nervously Em-e asked, “What if it sends another one into you Robert, but this one is ten times as big?”
“That will give me a massive headache,” he said, laughing, and then turned serious. “Either it is an infant in which case it will not, or else it was only trying to send us information. If we cannot handle the first lot, why would it send a larger package? To try the same again will not make sense.”
“Does it have a soul Robert, Cherine?”
“What? How can we tell Sam?”
“Why?” Cherine asked.
“Forget it.” I was not about to tell them of my fear that it can split its soul and send that into Robert. It will not alter the fact we cannot allow the packages to remain in the void. Frustrated my voice sounded angry. “Damn! We have to take the risk without even knowing if there is a need for it!”
“You agree I must go!?” He was surprised.
I hit him on the chest and he looked shocked. “Yes. You know I have to.” Tears escaped and I turned away.
I felt him leaving and then Cherine put her arm around my neck and pulled me up against her. We sat silently, afraid to even think of what is happening out there. I stroked her slim arm and turned a little so that I can see the others. The only ones sitting alone were Latreia and Agapi, all the rest finding someone to hold and be held by. I pulled away and reached for Agapi. Taking her cue from me Cherine pulled Latreia to her.
“It accepted the first one!”
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“What happened?”
“Nothing. It let me in, accepted the first one, whatever the package was it did not stay as it had been. It dissolved into the emptiness which I presumed is the entity. It then let me go when I tried to leave.”
“What an anti-climax!” Rosie said and we all laughed. “Not even a tiny sign?”
The next day Robbie made his second delivery and without returning made the third one. As he was about to leave he found himself forcefully thrust out with the package following him. There was no time to save it and he returned to us disheartened.
“Robert, it did not have a soul. Freddie says it was exactly the same as memories we’ve thrown out in the past.”
That cheered him up. “Why didn’t it want them?”
“Try the last one dad. If it throws that one out also then we’ll know it doesn’t want them. If it doesn’t then we know there was something about the third one it did not want.”
“Who did the third one come from?”
“Er, I think Miada.”
It accepted the fourth one, but this time it did not let Robbie go. He stopped trying to leave and waited.
Ping. Ping-ping-ping. Ping-ping.
He mentally promised me a kiss and replied with pings in the correct order: 1,2,3
It replied with 8,16,24
Robbie confirmed and then replied with: 2,4,6,8
It replied with @3@%$&* (my way of showing it was a jumbled message for Robbie). He waited without replying. It then tried the hex numbers again. He replied with 1,2,3,4,5
He felt himself nudged to the void. As he was about to leave, it pulled him back and then pushed him out.
Soon as Robbie was back, after his kiss for Candy, he grabbed me, swung me around in the air and kissed me. Giddy but laughing, I held on to him as he explained. By now Freddie had called the scientists and they listened with us.
“I think I know what happened.” Dommi looked pleased with herself. “It has examined our memories, the ones we could not save. That is why it sent away those of Miada - it must have thought there was something wrong with them, not realising they came from a different species.”
We discussed it and decided Robbie should not return that day. It is used to him waiting a day and might not be ready to try and communicate. We interpreted it’s actions as meaning Robbie must leave, but return again.
That night we were all excited and it showed in our lovemaking. Robbie sighed. “Agapi mou!” and it took us a second to work out he was not calling any of us his love, he was disturbed by Agapi. Without realising it she was emoting her need to be loved by him. He sat up and looked at her.
He kept his voice gentle and tender. “It would not be right my love. Your family will feel hurt.”
“They know I love you.” She turned to bury her face in her pillow, but Latreia grabbed her.
“Mother, Roberto is right. I am the only family you have here. I give you permission, go to him.”
Robbie was about to protest, but he felt the fierce joy in Agapi and the surge of love for her daughter as she kissed her gratefully and he could not refuse her anymore. She looked at him and he nodded, stretching his arm out to her. If she did not use a gift to fly to him, it sure was difficult to tell.
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Her body as sweet and tender as when he first loved her; her elfin face and large dark eyes as enchanting as the first time she flirted with him, holding her tiny fiery spirit within his arms, her soft warm skin against his, Robbie had no chance, she broke through his final barrier, his heart conquering his mind. She felt it for she turned and stared into Cherine’s eyes, such longing and fear in them that Cherine could not resist and as her heart too yielded, we pulled Agapi into our circle. She cried out as if we have torn her soul out of her and sobbing wildly she clung to Robbie. It has been a long time since Robbie last wept.
Latreia squealed with delight and rushing to her mother flung herself upon her with such abandon that Robbie, under them, made a slight ‘oomph’ sound. Agapi turned to her daughter and they hung on to each other as they kissed each others tears away.
We had started the evening with such beautiful passion throbbing though our bodies, setting our minds and imaginations aflame, that the conjoining of our souls with Agapi, the spilling over of love from every heart reached out to Freddie and all those in our world. How many years our poor sweet darling has secretly dared to dream of this day without hope, and what a moment of ecstasy. Robbie was at his most passionate and yet tender in his loving of her, but she was not allowed to feel it as she would have wished to perhaps. All of us could not resist caressing and touching her all over. When she finally exploded and we joined her in that crazy ride to heaven we heard a cry deep within the heart of Latreia. Returned to our senses we saw her sitting hunched over on the carpet crying.
Not one of us made a move to reach for her. We sensed she did not want to be touched. Dommi shook her head and with that mother love of hers she wrapped Latreia within her arms until our baby love fell asleep cocooned within the warmth of Dommi’s heart. Gently Dommi went into her mind and made her sleep deeper. Cradling her tenderly she carried her out of our bedroom, silently blessing the loving she felt we still need to give each other. Robbie did not manage to make love to all of us, but he gave more of himself than he ever has before (it sure felt like that) and not one of us did not fall asleep in the morning with a smile of contentment guiding us to happy dreams.
I think we all expected Latreia to be closer to us now, but instead we found her more withdrawn. There was no mistaking her joy for her mother and Agapi is puzzled, her daughter an enigma she does not understand. None of us broached the subject with either of them. It has to be up to Latreia to speak of her thoughts, or at least allow us to feel them, when she wants.
“That little minx has got us all confused. We thought her love for her mother was holding her back and she will find it easier in her heart to decide where she belongs now.” Robbie chuckled. “We’ve never had anyone find it so difficult to love us.”
Ordinx smiled. “She is so young Robert, give her time.”
Ashiir looked at Ordinx, startled. “What has her age got to do with it?” She glanced at my mother, saw something in her eyes confirming her own thoughts and nodded. “Agapi has made it more difficult for her daughter to leave her other family and join you. She feels they need her even more now - especially her twin brother. His two great loves are his mother and sister, how can she leave him now?”
Her words turned our day of joy into one of sorrow. We had all heard through Robbie and hardest hit of all was Agapi. Before even Dommi could move, Robbie jumped to us and took Agapi into his arms. She was inconsolable though, guilt tearing at her.
The only one who did not know what had been said was Latreia. We all carefully guarded our thoughts, open to her, but keeping that knowledge hidden.
Robbie said, “There is no point to staying here any longer, let’s get the story with the Ii over and done with, I want to go home.”
When he entered with Claudia they were accepted - not welcomed in any way they could sense, but definitely accepted. This time Robbie sent out the sound of his name. Claudia did likewise. They repeated themselves a number of times.
^Obet. Clatia^
They each repeated their names, not worried about it getting their names right, but wanting it to ‘hear’ the correct pronunciations so that it can learn other words.
^Robert. Claudia. Ii. ^
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*Yes. Ii, Claudia, Robert.* It must have understand their tone as being jubilant and mimicked them. Gradually Ii learned words. For a time thereafter it did not repeat their words and they decided to wait without speaking.
^Speak. Robert, Claudia. Speak. ^
*It wants us to talk to each other Robert. Maybe it can learn from listening to us.*
*What shall we talk about love?*
*How about where we come from? Robert, we were born on a planet that revolves around a sun. We only have one sun, not like these suns. Our planet is just the right distance from our sun for life to exist…*
Robbie got the idea and they talked, repeating words and sentences as often as possible in different contexts. Claudia would introduce a new word while stressing it and then they would use the word again and again. Ii cannot have understood much, but it did not interrupt for a long time.
^Come speak. ^
*Yes. We will.* Robbie said and taking Claudia they left.
“That was fast! It must be very intelligent.” Claudia said.
“Not that fast love. From the first time it understood enough to send us the meaning of its name. With the memories it received from us it had a few more clues. Let’s see how well it responds tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!?”
“Hmm.” Since he did not elaborate we dropped the subject and listened to the scientists arguing about Ii for a while. They did not reach any startling conclusions so we left them. We took a long walk enjoying the trees and the odd bunch of flowers. Everyone chattered, little groups forming and re-forming as we drifted from conversation to conversation. Robbie kept Latreia’s hand in his and gently teased her. She did not reciprocate with the same spirit she had shown previously, her lack of effort showing that her mind is on other things. What she did do was to set the pace so that her mother was always ahead of her. After looking back a few times Agapi realised her daughter does not want her to do so and she stopped. She found it difficult to be happy and chatter with us and none of us blamed her. Most of our bright chatter was deliberate and not spontaneous, though there was laughter a few times, when the imps played the fools or sparred verbally, deliberately mashing up the English language.
It was on the tip of Robbie’s tongue, he wanted to ask Latreia whether there is any point in staying here any longer once we have helped the Ii to escape, if that is what we decide. He did not ask the question however, perhaps out of fear that her answer, if in agreement that we should leave, will in itself make her decide against us. At the time of the wedding, I would say it was more his need to hold on to what he perceived as his own. At that time she was ours or his, however you view it. Now that he and we truly love her, she is drifting away - like a dream swiftly fading out of reach. The irony is that it is now that she too loves us and, as we’d half-expected, lost her heart to Robbie. If others will rail against fate that it should happen this way, who do we rail against - Arthur?
Arthur, I’m sorry, you know I didn’t mean it that way. Forgiven?
I did say sorry. Say something.
Arthur, you’ve got her upset now. Stop being so bloody stupid about this. This is her diary and if you want her to be spontaneous you can’t go taking umbrage when you read something you don’t like.
To make their love grow?
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I’m not a Miss, I’m a Mrs! You were annoyed with me, so don’t pretend. I’m not saying sorry again, I’ve already done that.
What is this Teller-Teller business?
I liked that smarty-pants. Okay, you’re forgiven. Why have you stayed away so long?
Why didn’t you? This is Robert, we’ll drop everything and concentrate on doing that, just give us the nod, as long as we come to the real you this time. We don’t want to live through the gruelling experience of helplessly watching another Arthur die.
Wendy here. It is greener here, Arthur. Let us get you please.
What do you expect me to do? I can’t make him a Cherinian!
I don’t believe this! Don’t tell me you love him too? (Cherine)
Wrong place Arthur - don’t you know anything!!?
Robert says he’ll turn you into a mosquito if I try to - sorry. If things go well for you, will you come to us then?
Did I tell you we love you? Whenever you are ready love. Should we come with Robbie so that he deals with those cops? Cockroaches!! Grr…
As usual he disappeared so I got rid of our efforts to call him back. I’m surprised his photo came through to us, a mosi on a breast, since ours don’t get to him, just a vague impression in his mind. Why don’t the pictures he uses of us replace our real ones anymore and only appear alongside? Meli says it is because that is not what he wants.
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The next day Robbie went to Ii with Claudia. They were in for a shock.
^Welcome. You understand my speech now? ^
*We do! How did you learn so fast?*
^It is in my nature to learn Robert. How did you infer my existence? I should not have been visible to you. What instrument did you use? ^
*None.*
^You have a natural ability? ^
*Something like that, it is a long story and I’m not certain I trust you yet. Who are you and why are you here? Were you trapped accidentally or were you imprisoned?*
*He is not likely to tell us, if he was imprisoned Robert.*
^Claudia is right, but you are basing your question on a wrong assumption. What made you think I am held prisoner - by either accident or design? ^
*We have watched you for about one hundred years. We see you trying to escape, but you obviously cannot break out of the gravity field holding you.*
^What will you do if that is so? ^
*If I can be convinced that your release will not harm any other life, I will help you.*
^How am I meant to convince you? ^
Robbie chuckled. *You can’t. Will you be willing to trade information with us? We will tell you about ourselves and how we evolved for the same information about yourself.*
^You assume I am one? ^
*You are not? What are you?*
^You offered to trade, but you have very little to offer me. You evolved on a planet and your civilisation has obviously achieved space flight, including some very sophisticated technology. ^
*Wrong. The only space flight achieved by our planet is limited to our own solar system - which is still being explored. Are you so certain there is nothing to be traded, that you know it all?*
^ That is not a truth. This system does not have any planets. ^
*You are assuming because you do not know how we got here. If you have the ability, search the surrounding space and tell us if you see any spaceship.*
Robbie was no longer afraid of Ii and was playing with him. It has a dry didactic manner of speaking that reminds him of Jonathan in the early days.
^We will trade. ^
*You must start then, we already gave you a lot of information for free when helping you to learn our language.*
^Not interested your language. Need understand your place in universe. Some like you here, others not. Everywhere. ^
*You are talking of the way we perceive time?*
^ Not perceive, maybe perceive but also whether preceive. ^
*There is no such word but I will guess you are suggesting an ability to be in a time-sense at all times, if so, how can you have any continuity? Do you choose moments to focus on?*
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^All creatures of matter need to focus on one time frame to survive. It explains my understanding of you? ^
*It makes sense. Are there any other creatures that are able to perceive all of time simultaneously?*
^Not all time - time of existence. One species learn to be, not need flesh and same as me. Ii them too. ^
*Hold on! Are you saying you did not evolve in space, you are those creatures!?*
*Robert, does this mean Ii is the mother soul of their species?* They had to explain to Ii what ‘mother soul’ means to them.
^Ii more than mother soul of species one. Ii all of species, new life of flesh tools. ^</>
Robbie stayed silent a moment. *Ii, we need to think on this and perhaps, if you do not mind, we should bring others with us on our next visit. They will not all be the same species as the two of us.*
^Bring one come before? ^</>
*Two came - different from us.*
“If I understood him they were a species that evolved on a planet. I am guessing, but it sounds as if they too developed machines that became sentient and developed souls. What is amazing is they seem to have grown into one being.”
“I, we, we are halfway there Robert?” Chantel asked.
“That’s it love.” He grinned at her. “Looks like we were not the first after all.”
“No.” She shook her head. “We are. Machines alien to you, not your children. Easy to accept what is part of you. Our Creators did not.”
Cherine tenderly stroked her cheek. “You would be easy for anyone to accept, love.”
The scientists on board were blessing their luck at not having returned home when the majority did. To them this was a moment of great excitement. Robbie had to limit the visitors and he wanted to take more of us. We told him he should take as many scientists as he can, the rest of us will wait our turn. With Claudia, Chantel, Dommi, Diana, Gilli, Orshiir and Solace he has a good cross-section of the variety of species our family is made up of (he refused point-blank to take Cherine and asked me to stay as second in command in case there are problems). Of the scientists he took two of each species - Sparklers (thinkers), Anadir, Inguel, Eminixx (though none of them qualify as scientists yet), Sharipya, Asimi and Urafel. We were surprised when he invited Baritte.
Robbie explained his choice to Ii, introducing each representative of their species. Ii did not show any concern at the number or the variety of species. He did address his first questions at Chantel though. She responded by reminding Ii that she is still ignorant of his origins and told him she is present because Robbie had understood his comments to mean they too had adopted their machines.
^When what is understood is correct it is not always true as understood. I have been placing my thoughts in your order so that I can make our history clear. If you wish I will speak with words and pictures. ^
*If you are to do this only once I will prefer to bring all the others here so that all my family and friends are present. Will it cause you any discomfort if they arrive in the hundreds?*
^It is space you worry of? I am trillions - what space do I take? You may bring them. ^
*I am more concerned with regard to their safety. If I bring them all and you hold us captives or attack us, there will be no one to warn others of your intentions.*
*Robert!! What is the point of telling him that?*
He sent Dommi a grin. *I am trading information Dommi. It has no need of anything we are interested in. It will probably be happy to stay here for all of time. We however are not as self-sufficient. We need suns, energy, time to grow and become whatever it is we are to become. We are the vulnerable ones because we have needs. Ii must learn to account for our fears.*
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)1st December, 2019
- posted: 1st December, 2019
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