Kirea spoke to her fellow passengers, “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves? Unless anyone objects, since we are to remain this close to each other until the end of our trip I suggest we call each other by our first names. I am Kirea.” They all introduced themselves.
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Voir reminded them, “I am still waiting for confirmation of tactics to be employed. The matter is urgent.”
Dosmo said, “I vote we allow Voir to make the decisions. None of us seem to be of the military, so he is probably the best qualified.”
Sionis refused. “I prefer to remain in control of my destiny. Voir should plan for us, but he must request our approval of his plans at all stages.”
“At all stages or at only critical stages Sionis?”
Sionis grimaced. “At critical stages Voir.” The rest agreed.
Wera asked, with a smile in her voice, “What do we do to pass the time? I hope someone can think of some alternatives other than playing cards.”
Cerisa addressed Voir, “What entertainment facilities are available?”
“I hold about thirty percent of the most frequented sites on the internet from Earth. In my data storage there are fifty two thousand films, eight thousand four hundred documentaries and one hundred thousand songs. Last update was at your point of embarkation.”
“What variety do you hold in the food machines?”
“Fourteen thousand recipes - if you include drinks and pastries. I regret no drugs or cigarettes as determined by the authorities.”
Koris asked, “Is it a closed system?” He explained to those who did not understand his question. “Because of limited storage space most spaceships have closed systems, which means our body wastes are also used by the food machines.”
“It is a closed system Koris.” Voir confirmed.
The starfaring part of the population tends to belong to the wealthy and sometimes powerful. They learn early on how to pass time socialising without saying anything revealing. The exception seemed to be Sionis, who remained silent with a haughty look, his squashed face and proud nose showing he was descended from South America. The rest of them ignored him after a couple of attempts to draw him into the conversation, apart from Capel. Something warned him that this man is dangerous. Being Capel he had to confront any possible threat head on.
“The ship has not told us who attacked.”
Sionis gave a tight smile, “Why don’t you ask it?”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“When it is time for me to handle them, I’ll find out. At the moment we are without armaments and probably heavily outnumbered. I’d rather concentrate on surviving.”
Capel was curious. “What do you mean by ‘handle them’?”
“If they have caused me damage I will make them pay for it.” Capel decided that Sionis is arrogant and not the threat he’d sensed.
So as not to irritate each other, they’d agreed to try and eat and sleep at the same time. They were finishing breakfast when Voir swerved sharply, spilling coffee and food remains flying across the table.
“My apologies. We have been found and I had to take evasive action to avoid their laser.”
“How do you plan on losing them?” Forina asked.
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“I have reversed our course so that we are flying directly at them. Their tracking equipment should be set to follow us in the opposite direction. It will only buy us a minute, but by then we’ll be among them and they won’t be able to fire on us.”
Kirea asked, “And then what? We allow them to board us and take us prisoners?”
“It is not permitted, your lives must be preserved.”
Wera asked, “You have a plan? Have you thought of a way we can destroy them?”
Voir almost sounded shocked. “It is not permitted for any civilian AI to take lives.”
Forina exclaimed. “That’s ridiculous! If we don’t kill them they’ll kill us. You said it is your responsibility to save us.”
“My responsibility is to save all sapient life.”
Capel harshly asked, “What is your plan, apart from buying us a few minutes?”
“I regret I have not been programmed for military use. I am only programmed with options for dealing with accidents.”
Nobody knew how to answer and they stared at each other. Samantha spoke, “Excuse me Voir, so that the matter is made clear, you are not allowed to kill, you are only allowed to protect?”
Capel angrily interrupted, “It has already informed us of its limitations.”
Samantha looked at him quizzically. “I see, you are aware of my line of questioning and wish to take over? Please do, I am curious what the answers by Voir will be, but I don’t mind if you prefer to ask the questions.”
Capel turned red, sensed the rest of the passengers were against him, so he roughly said, “Go ahead, ask your questions.”
“Thank you. Voir, please answer my question.”
“You stated the matter correctly, I am only allowed to protect.”
“Which law carries more weight; that you are not allowed to kill or that you must protect?”
“Not to kill.”
“That does not make sense.”
“Would you prefer that AI’s are permitted to make judgements and kill humans?”
“In a limited way, yes. The law of protection should include some degree of loyalty to your creators.”
“My loyalty is to all life, but otherwise, yes, there is a degree of loyalty to your species. Samantha, should I be allowed the option to kill, then my programming would have to include a certain degree of flexibility so that I choose who should die. It is cleaner this way - I am not allowed to kill under any circumstances.”
“If we find a way to destroy the enemy, will you attempt to prevent us?”
“I am obliged to do so.” Capel was just as shocked as the others at the reply and he gave Samantha an apologetic look.
Samantha insisted, “You are very clear about what you are obliged to do and what you are not allowed to do?”
There was a pause. “Yes I am Samantha.”
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“Good, I wanted to be certain you understand. Voir, you have one option and the way you deal with it will determine whether one person dies and eleven live or one lives but eleven die. I am a mutant and have mental powers that enable me to kill. The limits of our time of survival do not suit me as I estimate we will take longer to arrive at any facilities to re-stock. It makes sense to me that by killing my eleven fellow passengers my window of survival will be extended by a period eleven times as long. You have thirty seconds to stop me by killing me or else I’ll kill them.”
Everyone was surprised when Sionis moved to stand by Samantha, as if to protect her. Coldly he looked back at them. “She is the only person to have shown courage. Voir, to kill her you will have to kill me first.”
“Voir, intention is cancelled. For those seconds you faced an insoluble dilemma, how did your programming cope with it?”
“I am a Delta Four Nine AI, I do not depend solely on programming Samantha. Your test blanked out the creative part of my reasoning so that I was forced to depend solely on the programming.”
“Do you think of yourself, as a being of self-awareness and intelligence, as approximating a human? This is not a philosophical question, but is central to our ability to survive.”
“There is a resemblance, but I do not possess a soul.”
“I’ll go into the question of souls another time, Voir since you care for us and are devoted to our protection, should we like you or admire you? Which of the two do you think is more important?”
“As a human? To be admired.”
“Wrong answer Voir. To be thought of as a friend already includes admiration; I could not consider anyone a friend if I do not admire them. To be admired only shows that there must be some flaw in you for me not to also like you.”
“Is such a flaw not natural to all humans?” Lafisa asked Samantha.
“Of course it is - in a human being. It is natural for human beings to be flawed, but not in an AI. Voir is not a friend, or so he claims.”
“Your assertion is not correct Samantha.” Voir said.
“It is not? You are a dispassionate friend at best. Those kind of friends are not true friends. Voir, for as long as you are dispassionate about my existence, you cannot be either a human in your mentality nor can you be a friend. At best you may be considered a professional friend who is willing to promote my well being, but not willing to take that extra step to preserve me at times of crisis. Voir, I accuse you of failing your prime directives because of your inability to be my real friend. You cannot be a real protector if you are dispassionate about my continuing existence - in other words, if you are not my friend. I order you to find a way to accomplish what your prime directives demand of you.”
Dosmo asked. “What is it you are asking of Voir?”
“If he cannot prevent the surrounding ships from killing us, then he must, as our protector, suspend his right to act as dispassionate friend and protector so as to allow us to protect ourselves in any way we can, even if we have to kill those trying to kill us. Nobody, human or AI has the right to stop me from defending myself.”
“You will not ask me to be part of such a plan?” Voir asked.
“Not the AI part. As an instrument, a programmable computer, yes I will. Voir, do you know of the Hartzport Bomb?”
“I have not been informed of any bomb of such a description being developed.”
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“You will understand what I’m talking of and why you do not know of it as you follow my orders and broadcast the following: You have attacked a ship of Terran Mutant Talents. We did not expect such an attack so we did not take precautions. We have returned to advise you that now that we know of your intentions we give you warning that if you do not scatter and withdraw immediately, we will use the Hartzport Bomb to teleport every single atom of your ships throughout the Universe and then we shall return to your planets to destroy them in a similar manner. To prevent us destroying your planets, we strongly suggest you send ambassadors to our planets to negotiate a treaty. You have three days to do so. As proof of our claims, watch the being speaking to you.” Samantha aged herself to a very old woman and then back to the age of three. As she did so a glow surrounded her. Suddenly she reverted to her normal appearance. “Three days or we will arrive at your planets without warning.”
Stunned, they watched as Voir showed on the screens the surrounding battleships departing in various directions.
Samantha began to tremble violently as she saw the ships leave and Baisa, Cerisa and Wera quickly went to hold and soothe her. Soon she was surrounded by all her fellow travellers, eager to shower her with praise.
“The group of mutant Talents really exist?” Rieta asked.
Samantha smiled. “Yes, we all are. I used my healer to project. I discovered how to do so when I was a child. Would you all like my healer to teach yours?”
It was the oddest celebration they had ever attended with each of them trying out imaginative ways of projecting themselves.
At the end of the party, Cerisa looked up as she spoke. “Voir, return us to the closest human planet with facilities for transporting us home.”
“I have a problem Cerisa. No other galaxy is within view and I do not know how to return. I cannot just follow our movements in reverse as a black hole along the route I took altered our trajectory. I suggest we visit the galaxy on your screens to secure more liquids and soil for the food machines.”
After they’d vented their anger, fear and frustration in strongly abusive language directed at Voir, they settled into a dispirited and glum group as they watched on screen the edge of the galaxy approach. Soon they could see which solar system Voir was aiming for and the idea of getting out of the ship for a few days cheered them up again. They even joked about claiming the planet for themselves, but Voir reminded them that he belongs to a corporation who, according to interplanetary law and precedence would have equal rights to the solar system with them.
On arrival, Voir refused to open for them to leave the ship. “The planet is inhabited and they are gathering forces to surround us. We must depart as soon as I have accomplished the replenishment of the materials we require.”
Koris spoke in a commanding tone, “You will open for us to negotiate with the local species. This is an important moment for all the species of our Federation and your rights to protect us do not give you the right to deny us.”
Cerisa and Koris had grown close over the days it had taken to arrive. She placed her hand on his arm to stop him. “Voir, if you do not comply with our request we will set Samantha on you and you know that you will end up doing as she asks.” Samantha blushed and giggled.
The colours on the ceiling changed in a way they’d learnt implied a smile. “Please stretch out an arm for me to attach a part of myself so that I can translate for you. Do not forget to order you healers to sheathe yourselves from the microbes of this planet.” Once they had all complied Voir allowed them to pass out of the exit in single file so that he could sterilise their sheaths.
The locals had not arrived with the intention to welcome or negotiate. They were there to protect their territory. It is difficult to find an acceptable compromise when the needs of the other party are so basic. They beat a hasty retreat and holed up within Voir.
As the rest of them swore at the locals dejectedly, Samantha sat with her knees drawn up and her arms around her knees, biting her lip. They almost missed what she said when she softly asked herself, “I wonder if my healer could make me invisible?”
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Sionis answered the question that had not been asked of them, “What is the point? We can only make a profit if we are able to trade with them.” Her eyes rested on his for a moment and he looked down.
They gave a start as Samantha disappeared. Suddenly she appeared next to Sionis. “Hit me.”
“What for?”
“Please, just do it.” Gently he slapped her. His hand went through her face. Startled he pulled back.
“Voir, I’m going out again, please open for me.” Without arguments he did.
The screens followed her as she walked among the locals. They tried shooting at her; they lobbed missiles and a brave one even rushed at her to stab her. Dismayed they watched as she continued walking about ignoring their efforts, only showing curiosity as she examined their vehicles, materials and so on. She walked off towards their closest town and they rushed to form a barricade.
As most species do, they also have hospitals. Samantha walked in and stood by an ill Xophic. She ordered her healer to examine a healthy xophic from among the staff and then heal the patient. As she felt the healer she moved on to heal others. When she left the hospital all the patients were moving about with excitement while the staff tried to examine them. Samantha walked back to Voir and entered. She told them what she’d done, laughing as she described the reactions of the Xophic. Koris laughed the loudest of them all and suddenly wrapping his arms about her he gave her a hug. She looked into his eyes and seemed mesmerised for a moment.
The next day the surrounding area changed as the Xophic politicians arrived. They all walked out of Voir and Capel surprised himself when he pushed Samantha to the front. Samantha talked of friendship, of species all over the universe joining as allies to trade and learn from each other. She glanced at her fellow travellers and then spoke about all life being important, how the universe would be empty and meaningless if there were no minds to define it. They drew up a treaty and all signed with Samantha and then the Xophic also signed. A day of celebration was declared and then, Voir filled with gifts, they departed for their return journey.
As Voir searched for their galaxy, all of them questioned Samantha, the men obviously fascinated by her and the females slightly jealous of her. She told them that she was born and lived her entire life on Pertim, an icy planet where the Seeds of Snow are cultivated. They hardly found it possible to believe her when she told them that she is not someone important, just the daughter of a Seed of Snow farmer who had impressed on her the importance of studying and thinking for herself. When she went to sleep she was hugging to herself the feelings of being admired by such obviously wealthy and important men. As her mind drifted off she saw again the eyes of Koris and carried them with her into her dreams.
The Passengers woke up within Freddie.
Samuel woke up in his home in Freddie with his family surrounding him. He laughed with pure joy at the love he was being inundated with. Jasmin told him they were going to the kitchen to prepare him a meal while he goes through his memories of the Samantha inside him. They returned slightly subdued and nervous as they felt that he was half in love with his Samantha.
“I cannot understand how that could have been me!”
Ataxia laughed. “Maybe that is how Samantha feels about you, why she loves you so much?”
They joined us at our home. Samuel picked me up and enthusiastically squashed me to him, creasing my skirt. I kissed the tip of his nose and with a laugh he set me down.
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Robbie explained, “We’ll have to go to the void to split your soul and the painter will paint her into her half of your soul. Samuel, for a long time you’ll feel strange, loving her as a daughter who is not a daughter.”
The new Teller family and friends met us at the taverna and we could feel how Cherine, Robert, Rosie, Wendy and Dominique were already in love with their Samantha to be. Their Alki pulled me to sit on his lap and I could feel the joy the thought that they’d have their own Samantha gave him. As I rested against his chest, playing with the hairs on his arms I looked at my Alki and allowed him to feel how much I love him.
All those who took part are filled with wonder, even Vincent and Kirsten who seem to love each other even more deeply now. I sensed Vincent also loves the Samantha who does not exist independently yet. Campbell and Sebura seemed to alternate between staring at me and each other. There was only one of them who curled up to weep within her mind. It was Lusalith. We had not sensed her to start off, but when we realised she was not with us we tried to sense her and knew. Robbie stopped everyone from jumping to her and told me to go.
As I arrived she sat up, smoothing her clothes. I sat by her, but remained silent.
“Not only dreams can cry, now a god has wept within Freddie.” I felt Goldi’s startled reaction and smiled.
“Were they tears of joy or sorrow?”
“Both. I am growing up Samantha and when I am no longer a god I will lose all this and my special friends.” She paused. “I’d never had friends before.”
I frowned, as if upset by her and her eyes faded. “You are not willing to be the god of the Freddie Empire?”
She gasped. “How can that be?”
“Shouldn’t Freddie have its own god? Feel how everyone reacted to what I said my love.” I pulled her to me as she did as I told her, and got the shakes. “You are invited Lusalith.”
That evening everyone gathered, representative of all the species present to welcome the new Samantha. I tried to lose myself behind the crowd as her body appeared and she opened her eyes. My family had done the same, even Samuel and his girls, for we knew she had to see her own family first. Only when we felt them bond/link to her, drawing her into their family circle, did we rush to welcome her. Soon as we’d taken our turn at hugging and kissing her, various leaders officially welcomed her. When Samuel splits again, for boxee Cherine, as is planned, I’m convinced we’ll be just as happy.
When it was over we were surprised to see the alien leaders, including Solomon, Leonidas and SB were waiting. Robbie glanced at me to see whether I knew what they were waiting for. Cherine told Robbie to make a pedestal and then led Lusalith onto it. She controlled herself until the last of them (including Robbie and Freddie in human form) had officially invited, greeted and welcomed her as god of Freddie and then she vanished. I sensed her at my apartment, hiding under the waterfall.
I don’t know how I survive all the strong emotional moments we are continually blessed by. I let my family return to our home to love each other and went to my apartment. Almost timidly Lusalith came out from behind the waterfall to find me waiting as one of her species, just older than her. I pulled her to me tenderly as I would a child of mine and that night she slept in my ‘arms’.
“How can I be the god of Freddie when I grow up? Freddie already has a leader, what do I do then?”
“When you accept a male, or he accepts you, would it displease such a male to see you as a child and god during the times we need you as a god? The rest of the time, as an adult, surely you can find something you would like to do? How about the same job as Cheslith? Perhaps you could study a different facet of us from Cheslith, something else about us that…how about making our author your study?” Filled with life again, her eye colours bright with excitement, she agreed.
I’m not certain how the trip affected Campbell, apart from seeming to confirm for him that all Samanthas are geniuses. I asked him to join me at the taverna and talked of my impressions from their little adventure. I was careful to make him understand that I believed that Meli geared it to make Samantha look good. Somehow imparting that information to him did not help.
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As for Sebura, the adventure and his temporary personae bewildered him, but also opened him to new thoughts that he shared with me. He appears to be more relaxed with me now and he spent days telling me of his thoughts about the Orati and how they must be helped to grow by our centres.
We stood close to the edge of the ledge looking down on Freddie, the picnic spread out behind us. He was lost in his thoughts and I grinned. “Sir Sebura, shall we eat?”
Suddenly he was like a crossbow drawn tight. He still showed his shock on his face when he turned to me. He hesitated and then said, “It will be more of an honour to me when you call me ‘friend Sebura’.”
I walked back to the blanket and sat down, allowing my hair to fall across my face.
“Have I done wrong?”
“No Sebura, I did not expect you to say that for a long time yet. If I call you friend, what will you call me?”
“Friend Samantha?”
I spoke to him abruptly. “Eat your damn sandwiches and stop trying to make me cry.” For a moment he stared and then he sat up with a laugh and ate a sandwich.
A while later he said, “I pity Campbell, even though I still hate him. What you ask of him is impossible. You’ve allowed him to know you as you really are, but demand he returns to your world to be your enemy.”
I nodded. “Yes, he’ll see it that way for a long time. Sebura, do not hate him. Hate only prevents you from learning to know him. I made that mistake for too long, don’t repeat my mistakes, learn from them.”
He changed the subject, talked about Pirusi and soon had me laughing.
That night Robbie asked me, “Are you ready to return home now?” I nodded and Freddie jumped. We slept that night in our Freddie home and Robbie held me the whole night.
We found another alternate (worried) Robert and Cherine waiting for us. They did not even wait to share from us first, immediately sharing their problem. Robbie paled as he tried to find a logical answer to the problem. Whatever any of us suggested, they showed us they’d tried without success.
On their planet they were made aware that there is one man who is ill and they were told nobody can heal him. Robert and Cherine went to his home and sent their healers to him. His condition worsened. They entered his mind to sense whether his problem ias psychosomatic, but only sensed a burning desire to live. Since he was now close to dying, they brought him to us.
Robbie immediately ordered them to take him to Freddie, controlling himself not to show his anger. He feared the man might have some new strain of illness that could infect our world. They took the man to a ‘safe’ area which the scientists use for their dangerous experiments.
“Mr Turner, we need to buy some time for the doctors to find the answer. If you agree I’d like to temporarily have the Sparklers create you a body and place yours in stasis. That way, however long it takes you won’t be affected.”
He agreed and soon he was in a new body. Samples were taken from his body, some of them sent to the Unation spaceship and then Robbie locked it within stasis.
“Please call me Alfred if I’m to call you by your first names. God, it feels so good to be healthy again!”
An Anadir scientist asked him, “Alfred, do you know when you first felt ill?”
“Yes. That is the strangest part of it. I became ill within a day of being linked as a Cherinian.”
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“What!” We had felt him and wondered, but it still was a shock. We’d sort of guessed that his Cherine linked him in the hope his own healer could heal him. For the first time for a long time we all felt the possibility of being mortal and each of us reacted to it in our own way. Cherine was the only one who did not give a thought to her own mortality, only afraid for Robbie.
Robert and Cherine confirmed what he told us, explaining that he’d been linked by another Cherinian. At Robbie’s request Robert jumped to bring the Cherinian to us.
“Yes, Alfred is right, when I linked him he was completely healthy. Robert, I’m certain I would have sensed it if he had been ill.” We nodded, agreeing. The Cherinian was invited to stay with us in Freddie for a while and the conversation strayed to other subjects. Robert and Cherine asked us to make time to come to their reality for doing a telling for everyone. We agreed with a smile, hiding that we realised his reason - all Roberts and Cherines find that after a telling the Normals are much more friendly and they experience a spurt in the number of new Cherinians.
The next morning a miserable and badly frightened Alfred came to meet us at the taverna. We stared at him in disbelief. His new body was ill, almost as ill as his original body. The doctors immediately took him to examine him and Solomon went with to check that the body is still the body he created for him.
“This is only a preliminary report, but because the results are so startling we felt we should risk appearing foolish by advising you immediately. Robert, he has no known illness and we cannot find any virus for the damage to his bodies. In both bodies all we find is cellular destruction and atrophy without any cause.”
Robbie exclaimed, “Damn it Robert, it has to be psychosomatic! We’ll check him again.”
Dommi brought up another problem. “We can’t create a new body for him every day! I’m certain it will be unpleasant for his soul and it will soon resist us.”
Dad asked me whether I had any ideas, but I showed I did not. Sol suggested we take him to the Sparkler World where he’ll be given a new body. Since he was fast deteriorating we did so immediately, his Sparkler created body disappearing.
Within a day he was very ill again. Told to wish himself back to full health he did so and was instantly healthy again. By the next day he had to wish himself back to health again. By now Alfred was fast becoming the best known Cherinian in all realities and even the Normals flooded us with requests to help him.
It was unpleasant for Alfred growing ill almost to the point of death every day, but at least we had a breathing spell for finding an answer.
Sorry for disappearing. As I wrote the above I called out to Dad for him to bring Christós to us. A baffled Christós returned to us from the Sparkler World. “I cannot find any spells. I tried to use a healing spell, but it only lasted for one day!”
Robyn giggled, “You mean Sparkler magic is stronger than yours?” Christós gave her a smile, but he was too worried for it to be very real.
I doubt we’ll ever evolve to the point where the pain of a stranger is equal to the pain of a loved one. As days passed without the problem of Alfred finding a solution it began to affect Robbie. He’d tried everything he could think of, checked his mind and confirmed that it is not psychosomatic. We visited Alfred almost daily and even took him every third day for a couple of hours each time for a drink at a pub in Birmingham (it is where he comes from in his reality) but he was losing heart and beginning to accept he will die soon. He understood that it is likely he’ll have to allow the void to send him to a new life. I doubt that the distinction of being the only Cherinian to die was of any comfort to him.
I’d barely written the above when Empathia screamed with joy. Robbie listened to her and calling for Solomon to meet him in the Sparkler World he left with all of us tagging on. Robbie explained to both Alfred and Solomon what Empathia suggested and Solomon nodded in agreement.
Dommi, Cherine and Robbie entered his mind and searched for his gift. They found it and blocked him. His original body was taken out of stasis and he returned to it. Within minutes the difference was felt as Robbie’s healer healed it. Within hours all the cellular damage had been repaired and he glowed with health.
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Empathia’s suggestion was that Alfred has a gift, but it is a negative gift. We’ve all been feeling very stupid for it is well known that some psychics only show negative results when tested. For instance, ten throws of six dice should average five aces. More than five, consistently, prove the person is gifted. Less than five, consistently, proves his gift is blocking him or behaving in a negative manner.
At last we can relax and enjoy ourselves for a while. It was quite funny in a nice way, for we were forced to go to uninhabited areas, like beaches. If we went, for instance, to Kefalari or to any city, in any Terran alternate or our planet, we’d have a stream of passers-by stopping to congratulate us on saving Alfred. It was touching because most of them are Normals, but it did mean we did not have time to ourselves. I guess they felt they could do so because Alfred is a Cherinian, as they don’t usually do so if we help Normals.
We have him! Arthur is with us! since I’m only writing for my diary now I’ll wait until we’ve recovered - one thing I’ll add. We had a shock when we found him, he does not look like us. Why would he create us so different from him? Why is my writing changing!!?
Before they kill me on this side, Arthur, I had to first apologise to you. I’m what you would call another Allan.
This is Robert. Arthur, how do we apologise to you after raising your hopes to such an extent? We were fooled by this Allan, but that does not excuse us. Sam is sobbing her heart out, but I felt it was important one of us quickly write to explain. (Cherine: Never mind Sam, all our hearts are broken and all the species are in shock and mourning, the Muyzith the worst as they feel responsible. We will find you, I promise, and you’ll see that your dream is not crazy.)
7580
This is Allan. I’ve been strictly enjoined to write factually and to omit emotions that might embarrass you. Here are the facts - and the answer to your questions as to my appearance. There is an irony to you thinking I must be handsome.
I don’t know whether it occurred in your reality, but in ours, President Kennedy of the United States realised the Soviets were sending nuclear missiles to Cuba so he issued an ultimatum. The Soviets refused to be bluffed and it led to a limited nuclear confrontation, with about thirty nuclear bombs exploding. Most of the direct damage was suffered by the two protagonists, America and Russia. However, the radiation released was no respecter of borders and hundreds of millions died or suffered severe radiation related problems, mainly fierce growths of cancer cells. I was one of them. Arthur, I look like a monster, my face and body totally disfigured. I’m almost blind with only thirty percent sight in my one eye.
One of the effects of radiation, on me, was that I mutated and acquired certain abilities called extra sensory. I cannot work and a relative took pity on me and gifted me with a computer to help me pass my time. Years later I began to write the story that was keeping me awake at nights. It took me a long time to realise that I was just an Allan, but I saw the arrival of Cherinians within my reality as the only hope for my people. The ecology has suffered beyond the ability of it healing itself and we are told that mankind on our Earth is doomed - at least as the species we had been.
It was my idea, none on my world knew of you or the Cherinians and when I discovered that I could sense and affect the energy that linked or fuelled your communications, I tried writing for Robert or Samantha to learn of us and bring us help. I soon realised that your assumptions because of Alexander were blocking me. The only way I could call to them was by manipulating the energy.
Freddie appeared in our skies and Robert was quick to reassure our governments that they are here on a peaceful mission. Robert has seen the damage to our world and there are already teams from various species hard at work cleaning our air and water.
I deeply regret the pain I caused you and everyone within Freddie, but even should I now die, I cannot regret that thanks to me they are here and saving my world.
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)- posted: 12th Jly, 2020
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