9
NEW
SOCIAL PARADIGM
The Zooids’ of the Jural Colony Project
Having
declared 0802-LZ medically fit and mentally
ready to mingle with humanity, Doc Will prepared
Lanon to enter the JCP arena.
"Get dressed," he told him.
"And get busy figuring out how to work
this TASC.
We've been invited into Gateway, so find
out everything you can about it while I gather
up my notes.
We leave in one hour."
Exchanging his comfortable lab uniform
for the fudge-colored slacks and forest green
jersey, Lanon sat at the Transmit Access System
of Communications that was at the heart of the
JCP, studying the keyboard for a few minutes,
deciphering the many codes.
JCP
Headquarters, "Colony Gateway", was enclosed in
a polyglass dome to deflect the severe
temperature extremes of its Nevada desert
locale.
Gateway was recently constructed and,
like his Home Station, was built on a septenary
theme, reflected in sevens.
The JCP Headquarters colony was .07
kilometers high and seven kilometers across.
There were seven floors in the
obelisk-shaped high-rise structure in the center
of the colony, and radiating outward from it
were seven escalator arms stretching across the
complex.
This Minor Transport Line accessed the
777 apartments of the permanent Zooid Elder
residents, employees and guests.
Studying the layout, Lanon saw that the
landing dock of the Major Transport Line
connecting them from Las Vegas, Nevada, was
located underground, as was the power plant
where solar energy was collected and stored in
massive batteries, a primacy source of energy
for Gateway and the other JCP communities.
The ground floor of Gateway Headquarters
was the social hub of the community.
The Center comprised a large lounge and
reception area, complete with a lobby bar,
surrounded by the kitchens, dining rooms,
reading rooms, as well as several game areas.
These
all fanned out to the patio,
which was highlighted by an Olympic-sized
swimming pool.
Courts for tennis, volleyball, badminton
and shuffleboard were situated between the
walk-ways which led into the well-tended,
park-like grounds, generous with trees, flower
beds and park benches.
Between where the polyglass dome attached
itself to terra firma and the apartments, space
was allotted for “back yard” private gardens.
These gardens provided much of the food
needs as well as a major form of physical
therapy and socialization for the Elders.
The second and third floors of the
high-rise were devoted to housing, testing,
orienting, classifying and dispatching new
inductees.
The fourth floor was dedicated to
physical fitness.
In addition to exercise areas, saunas,
spas and an indoor pool, there were massage
tables, a clinic and a lab.
Zooidal courts comprised the fifth floor
where judicial proceedings, arbitration and
mediation took place, all of which could be
viewed by the Zooids, if they so chose, by way
of their individual TASCs.
All manner of personal, family and group
counseling sessions took place in this area.
The sixth floor was the learning center,
dominated by the main database of the zooidal
system of communications, the TASC
(Transmit/Access System of Communication).
A massive library was available to all.
Several separate rooms were set aside for
Planning and were used often by the Elders when
setting policy and by the members of the Board
when working on Special Projects.
The seventh and uppermost floor comprised
the headquarters offices, the main Conference
Room, and Jesse’s private apartment.
The balance of the seventh floor was a
deck, accessible to all Zooids and their guests,
from where one could enjoy the panoramic view.
"Ready?" Doc asked, suitcase and
briefcase in hand.
"Yes, sir," Lanon responded, rising.
The woman standing next to Doc Will
smiled at him.
“You must be Martha," he said.
“I've been looking forward to meeting
you."
As Doc Will led them all to the car, he
said,
"I’m glad to have a chance to let you
know that I appreciated all those delicious
meals you prepared for me over the past several
days.
I especially enjoyed the little
cabbages."
"Brussel sprouts," she replied.
It was easy for her to see why Audley was
smitten with him.
Not only was Lanon well mannered, he was
extremely good-looking.
"You are very welcome."
Doc Will interrupted their tete-a-tete.
"I don't know when I'll be back, Martha,"
he said.
"Screen my calls.
If you need to reach me, we'll be at
Gateway.
Jesse's number is on my desk."
"I know it by heart," she said.
"I'll hold down the fort, Doctor.
You just enjoy yourself.”
At the Santa Barbara airport, the men
boarded a small plane and, in spite of the noise
and the smell of fuel, Lanon loved the
experience of flying.
When they landed at the Los Angeles
airport, they did not change planes to go on to
Nevada, but took a shuttle bus to one of the
major hotels.
Lanon was disappointed.
"Where are we going?
Aren't we going to fly again?"
"No," Doc said.
"We'll take the Transport Line.
It's faster."
They rode the hotel elevator to the
underground parking level then entered an
adjacent elevator, large enough to contain an
automobile.
Here Doc pressed the palm of his hand to
a metal panel and punched in a series of
numbers.
Another door opened, leading them onto a
platform where they stepped inside a private
train.
"This mode of transportation belongs
exclusively to the JCP," he explained.
"When you become a Zooid, you are
identified by your individual electro-chemical
system.
That's what I was doing there, letting
that metal panel know who I am.
It identified me as a member of the JCP
and I entered the code for my destination."
They entered the train car, sat, and
secured themselves into their seats.
"Make yourself comfortable.
Next thing you know, we'll be there.
There were no windows in the car, but
Lanon could feel the vibrations of the
transporting vehicle.
"How does it work?"
Doc Will reached up and lowered a TASC,
adjusted it to Lanon’s eye level.
"Look it up," he ordered.
His own agenda was to review the files he
had brought with him.
Lanon scrolled down the Index until he
came to Transport Lines then pressed a red
button; the screen for Major Transport Lines lit
up, revealing a chart of the route connecting
the 72 colonies.
When commanded, the TASC focused on the
Los Angeles-Gateway Major Transport Line.
275 miles, total travel time 36.5
minutes.
Another command, another chart appeared,
this one showing the route of the Line across
the United States.
On this rendering there were many circled
numbers.
He pressed one number to find a full
explanation, in laymen's terms and in technical
terms, how the Line was constructed and how to
run it.
A flashing red light on the chart
indicated their current location.
He keyed in Gateway Shuttle.
At once the route appeared: Las Vegas,
Nevada, bus terminal NNW to Colony Gateway;
total 42 miles; travel time 7.5 minutes.
Since Doc Will wasn't inclined to
converse, Lanon experimented now with the
Communication aspects of the TASC and found
himself suddenly confronted with the smiling
face of Jesse Brothers.
"Hello."
Doc Will looked up from his papers, saw
Jesse's image on the screen, and pressed the
Audio button.
"Haven't you got anything better to do
than spy on us?"
Jesse grinned.
"No, I was too curious."
Jesse hadn't really expected Lanon to be
a film-industry rendition of alien life, but he
had been sufficiently piqued to tune into the
TASC on the incoming Transport Line in order to
peer at the man from Zenton. "You're only a
minute away from arrival," he said.
"I'll meet you at the landing."
As Jesse's image left the screen, Doc
Will connected with "Satellite Projection" to
reveal Colony Gateway now directly above them.
They had only seconds before the screen
went blank as they were drawn into the
underground terminal of the Jural Colony
Headquarters.
As the door of the car opened, they
encountered Jesse already on the platform, his
hand outstretched to first clasp Doc Will's.
"It was good of you to come on such short
notice, Doc."
Jesse was dressed in a one-piece navy
blue jump suit with sock-like slippers on his
feet.
He was a mature man and very attractive
with blue-gray eyes and fine bone structure.
Gracefully svelte, with white hair
flowing, he had the aura of a poet.
"I’m glad you called!” Doc responded.
“We had just finished with all the
tests.”
He jerked his head toward the man from
Zenton.
“This is Lanon Zenton who you’ve heard
about.
Lanon, meet Jesse Brothers."
Jesse had intellectually prepared himself
to meet a man from another Constellation, but he
wasn't prepared for the psychic satisfaction he
experienced when Lanon shook his hand and
smiled.
The entity from Zenton was utterly
convincing as a human being.
There was nothing even remotely alien
about him.
And, despite an earlier fleeting anxiety
for the welfare of the Zooids, Jesse liked Lanon
at once.
"Welcome, Lanon."
"Thank you," Jesse replied.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Same here.
Well, let’s go up!"
Jesse led his guests into the elevator.
As the glass elevator lifted them up
through the open lobby of the main floor and on
up to the seventh floor deck, Doc Will wanted to
know, "What in Sam Hill is Audley doing in
Spain?"
Jesse shrugged.
"Professor Vessey invited her over," he
explained, “because of her association with our
visitor here.
She may be doing some work for us.
She'll be here in a day or two," he
added.
When they reached the top, Jesse led them
to the edge of the deck where they stopped to
look out over the flawless expanse of lawn,
trees, and flower beds below.
Along the walkways, park benches
accommodated happy, chatting Elders and the lawn
chairs spread out near the busy pool were all in
use as well.
“It’s not always this crowded,” Jesse
explained.
“We just finished an Orientation
yesterday, so today the Elders are taking
advantage of the lull.
Would you like to sit?”
"Why don't you tell me about this
mysterious pox and let me get to work, Jesse,"
Doc said.
“I know that you and Lanon have a lot to
talk about.”
“Alright.”
He directed them to a nearby table and
chairs.
"It's hard to describe, Doc.
Each case is unique."
"How many cases are there?"
"As of this morning, seventeen.
The first case was diagnosed a couple of
weeks ago.
The only thing consistent is that in each
case the patient gets something like a rash on
his or her forearms every afternoon that
subsides by early evening."
"In the heat of the day, huh?
It's not a heat rash?"
"No.
It's more like a blister.
Maybe two or three on each forearm, and
they itch."
"Maybe an allergy.
What else?
Fever?
Nausea?"
"That's the strange part, Doc.
Each manifestation is different.
Some are lethargic, some are
hypersensitive, some feel nausea, and some have
hallucinations.
One victim giggles all afternoon.
They're all different, and that's what's
makes it so hard to diagnose."
"And you have no idea what's causing it?"
"None whatsoever.
I don’t believe it’s contagious."
"Are the victims in quarantine?"
"No, but four of them are in the clinic."
Doc Will stood.
"Why don't I run down and take a look at
these mysterious blisters before they fade for
the day?
Lanon, you'll be alright here."
"Oh, yes," Lanon agreed.
As soon as Doc Will was gone, Jesse
turned to Lanon, “You’re safe here,” he assured
his guest.
“I’m to keep an eye on you.”
Lanon nodded, “I appreciate your
providing me sanctuary.”
Lanon sat.
Unable to contain his fascination any
longer, Jesse was full of questions.
"I heard from Alexius this morning," he
said.
"He told me about you.”
"Alexius Vessey, yes," Lanon said.
"He is the contact personality."
"I've always been very impressed with
Alexius and his ideologies.
I always knew he had a progressive mind,
but I had no idea that the philosophies that are
the basis for our zooidal way of life were
coming from higher intelligences."
Lanon smiled.
"Don’t give all the credit to the
supernals," he said.
"It’s you who have done the work!"
"I didn't do it by myself, I assure you!
Our society is the result of the Zooids’
efforts, their dedication and talents.” Jesse
deferred praise.
“But tell me about your mission, Lanon.
What is it, exactly, that you're here to
do?”
Lanon explained, "I’m to investigate your
society and determine its level of evolution.
If they meet certain universe criteria,
and if they are willing, the Zooids will be
incorporated into the Stream of Time.
What that means basically is that a
channel of communications will be opened up
between the JCP and the rest of the universe."
"The rest of the universe?
But who?
And why?
Other forms of life in the universe are
far removed from my frame of reference, Lanon.
I’ve never even considered that there
might be other-terrestrials, much less that they
would be watching our developments or interested
in helping us.
I can’t begin to speculate what that
would mean to the Zooids.”
"The Zenton civilization has been
watching worlds like yours for hundreds of
thousands of years," Lanon said.
“Their interest in this world is fairly
recent.”
“Why?”
Lanon shrugged.
"Because they have been enjoying watching
the development of this Jural Colony Project and
the growth of its inhabitants, much the same as
you have been.
And they would enjoy contributing further
to your development.
They don’t want to take anything from
you.”
Jesse realized that if it was true what
Alexius and Lanon were saying, the very
existence of the JCP was because of these Zenton
intelligences.
For a moment he felt as if he were a
galactic guinea pig and that the universe had
used him for some unknown cosmic purpose.
Lanon encouraged him.
“What you have done here is heroic!
The JCP is a very impressive piece of
work!”
“It’s probably just as well I wasn’t
aware of it,” Jesse admitted, considerably
appeased.
“But what would it mean to be in contact
with other intelligent life in the universe?”
Lanon shrugged.
“You would no longer be alone.
You would be able to seek the counsel of
those who were older and wiser, more
experienced.
You would have access to the records of
hundreds, maybe thousands of other forms of
evolved life to aid you in your development.”
“Like having an older Brother, sort of.”
“Very much like that.
Like having many elder brothers, but they
would not invade your privacy or take over or
try to coerce you or get you to do something you
didn’t want to do.
You would still be very much your own JCP
organism made up of your own Zooid entities.
The only really significant difference
would be the elimination of mortal death.
That’s one of the side-effects of being
inducted into the Stream of Time.”
“The elimination of death?”
This was not believable!
“Well, the elimination of death as you
have known it.
You still have to leave this world, but
it isn’t regarded as a death, it’s entering into
a new way of life.”
Jesse scowled.
“I’d have to know more about that.”
“Of course, you would,” Lanon agreed.
“We can discuss it anytime you like.”
After a few moments Jesse asked, "What’s
the criteria?
Are you comparing the zooidal way of life
to other life on this planet?"
"No.
The rest of this planet is of no concern
to us.
We know that life on Urth is only
semi-civilized.
We are not comparing the Zooids to
anything.
They’re unique and, like any other
evolved group, they can’t be compared to any
other way of life, because they have evolved
their own identity, their own level of reality."
This Jesse understood and he appreciated
Lanon’s acknowledgment, but he persisted, "You
aren't comparing us to other life in the
universe either?"
"We aren't making a comparison at all!
We are registering a level of evolution.
We're recording an actuality status.
It either is or it isn't.
The society stands on its own merits."
Jesse acknowledged it was a basic zooidal
principle that each Zooid stood on his or her
own merits without comparison to the others.
He returned to the question.
"You said that a side effect would be the
elimination of death as we know it.
How can death be eliminated?"
“The Portal.”
Lanon struggled to find a way to express
this concept so that it could be understood.
“It’s . . . let me think of an analogy.
It’s like a ‘knowing’ comes upon you.
You let that ‘knowingness’ happen and you
don’t fight it.
Instead of giving up your life, you
embrace your bigger life and it ‘takes’ you to
its new level of existence.”
“Are we talking semantics here?” Jesse
asked.
"Since you haven’t died, since you are
not connected to the Stream of Time, since you
do not know of the immensity of the universe and
what myriad lives lay ahead of you, and because
of your religions that instill in you the fear
of god and the wrath of his judgment, you tend
to look at death as an end of life.
It is only the end of life as you have
known it.
We discourage the use of the word ‘death’
for in truth nothing dies.
It metamorphoses.”
Jesse shrugged.
“We’re talking semantics.”
“Alright then, let’s use the term
'terrestrial escape' as a new semantic, or ‘home
transport’.
This new phrase will eventuate in a new
attitude and with the new attitude a new belief
system is developed and with a new belief
system, we create a new paradigm of reality.”
“Through the power of words.”
“Yes.
But no matter what semantics we use, no
matter what we call it, the natural process of
going through the Portal generates a great deal
of energy, a gigantic implosion of energy.
Thus, if the Zooids were to approach
terrestrial escape as an affirmative action, as
a positive experience of passing from this life
to the next, they would need to design and build
a structure that would be able to withstand the
impact of that kind of energy transfer.”
Jesse pondered.
"Does this have anything to do with
transmigration of the soul or something?
I ask because, as a society, Zooids don’t
subscribe to any particular theology.”
"No, Jesse.
It has nothing to do with religion.
Religion is a personal matter and I am
not here to convert anyone.
I am not here to address the matter of
souls or spirits or anything like that.
Whether the Zooids have a deity of any
kind is not my concern.
I'm here only to report my findings and
to open up communications between the Zooids and
other forms of life in the universe, if you are
willing."
"This elimination of death theory.
Have you discussed it with Doc Will?" he
asked.
"We have discussed death as a door, and
he seemed interested in that as an aspect of
Mindal Science.
He has done considerable research on the
topic, probably due to his wife's terrestrial
escape.
But I have not discussed with him the
details of my mission, nor have I told Audley,
although I believe they are both eager to help
however they can."
"Well, so am I, for that matter, but I'm
still not sure what this is all about.
My main concern, of course, is the
welfare of the Zooids."
"That is our concern, as well," Lanon
said, and Jesse had no reason not to believe
him.
THE THING ABOUT THE POX that most fascinated Doc
Will was knowing that most non-communicable
illnesses are caused by mental distress.
His challenge was to find the distress
that led to the symptoms.
The only consistent symptom was the rash,
or more aptly, a blister or two but not more
than four, located on the forearms of the
victims.
In each case the blisters itched for
several hours during the afternoon, subsided in
the evening, were dormant through the night,
then became inflamed and itchy again the next
afternoon.
Scratching them did not make them spread.
Other symptoms manifested on the third
day but there was nothing at all consistent in
these subsequent, secondary symptoms.
The four victims he examined in the
clinic had four reactions.
One had a high fever; one was nauseous;
one had diarrhea and one had uncontrollable
muscle spasms.
On their chart, he read about the other
thirteen victims.
He noted their symptoms were vertigo, hot
flashes, cold chills, lack of appetite,
insomnia, hallucinations, giddiness, hives,
myopia, joint inflammation, gout, indigestion
and headache.
Doc was nonplused.
All 17 victims, being Elders, were
between the ages of 60 and 93.
Several of the victims had various
allergies, such as cat fur or codeine, but the
answer didn’t seem to be in independent
allergies.
When he returned to Jesse’s quarters
after reviewing the files on the pox victims,
Doc asked, “Where’s Lanon?”
“I took him to his room,” Jesse said.
“He said something about wanting to check
in with his Home Station.
What did you find out about the pox?”
Doc Will confessed, "I don't know what to
make of it, Jesse.
I see no evidence of it being contagious,
so I don't think there's any threat of an
epidemic.
I'll review their medical histories to
see if there's anything specific they have in
common aside from being old, but I'm not
hopeful."
"You're talking about 1,000 cumulative
years there, Doc," Jesse observed.
Doc Will shrugged.
"I wasn't doing anything else anyway," he
said.
"Did you get to visit with Lanon?"
“I did.”
Jesse nodded.
"It's a good thing Alexius was the one to
break the news to me.
I don't think I'd have believed Lanon
otherwise."
Doc Will acquiesced, “No reason why you
should!”
“He doesn’t look alien at all!” Jesse
reiterated.
“Oh, I know,” Doc Will agreed. “He's
human in every way, at least in medical and
mindal science terms.
He’s emotionally retarded, though."
"There's something here I don't
understand, Doc," Jesse confided.
"If you've tested him and find no reason
not to believe he is who he says he is, that
would seem to indicate that we're being honored
somehow by getting to know him, help him.
Wouldn't you agree?"
"No doubt about it."
"Then why don't I sense any enthusiasm
from you?
I'd think this kind of thing would be
right up your alley."
Doc Will scratched the back of his neck.
"Academically, yes.
Intellectually, yes.
Scientifically, yes.
But personally?
It scares the hell of me, Jesse."
"What does?"
"His relationship with my daughter for
one thing.
She has turned her life around for this
guy and I don't like it.
I want my girl to live a normal life.
I want her to marry and have children.
I want grandchildren to carry on the
Blackstone genes."
He sighed.
"But it's also about death.”
Peering at his old comrade, Jesse
realized that Doc was facing his own mortality.
"You're talking about yours!"
"Yes, I am," he avowed.
"You know, when Lanon told me who he was
and started talking about this Stream of Time
stuff, he asked for my help and you know what my
response was?
I asked, 'Am I expected to die?'"
"But you aren't.
Are you?"
"No, but it's like something in me
volunteered!
Something in me said, 'I want to do it!
I want to be the first one to go through
that door!'
Jesse, I don't want to die.
But the door!
The Portal!
That's different.
I don't know why it's different, but it
is."
It was Jesse's turn to sigh.
"Well, look, Doc, we don't know that much
about it yet.
We haven't really discussed it fully.
I'm going to have to talk to the Board
members about it and the Zooids themselves are
going to have to be consulted.
I wouldn't start making out my Last Will
and Testament already if I were you."
It was meant as a way of keeping Doc in
perspective, but it seemed to have come too
late.
"I already have," he said.
And there was finality in his voice.
And resolve.
SYLVIA’S FIRST INSTINCT was to reach across the
rumpled covers to feel Brad next to her.
She caressed the downy, silken hairs of
his body until he woke to make love with her
again.
"Penny," he said afterward, watching her
supine and sated.
"Hmm?" she purred. "Happy, happy, happy."
He smiled down at her and kissed her
nose.
"I'm glad."
She hugged him again before she'd let him
get up.
"What do you eat breakfast?" he asked,
pulling on his robe.
She sat up.
"I don't know.
I don't usually get up in time."
"Brunch then," he said, heading for the
kitchen.
"How about coffee?"
"Umm, yes. Where
are you going?"
"To the shower," he called.
"Wait for me."
They were still lathering when Oscar
arrived.
He helped himself to the fresh perked
coffee and browsed through the papers lying next
to Sam.
Brad came out in time to find him holding
the "For Your Eyes Only" envelope.
"Oscar!" he snapped.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Oscar met him coolly.
"Just waiting for you, boss."
"You aren't authorized to look at my
data."
"I ... I really didn't look at the data.
I was just looking at that seal.
It's pretty neat."
"Never mind that seal.
Never mind any of my stuff.
I ever catch you near my data again, I'll
have you removed as my Aide.
You got that?"
"Yes, sir.
But I didn't see anything.
Really."
"I want you to arrange for a car and a
plane.
Sylvia and I are flying to Malibu.
"Ain't I coming?"
"No.
I need you to go to the library and look
up everything there is to know about potassium."
Oscar was visibly dismayed.
"Potassium?"
"That's right.
Find out who discovered it, when and
where.
Find out what they do with it, who uses
it, is it mined and if so where.
Is it combustible, flammable,
biodegradable, everything."
Oscar shrugged.
"You're the boss."
"And don't bother finding Ms. Watergate
an efficiency."
"Yes, sir."
That was information Oscar could
understand.
He grinned impudently.
"Wipe that smirk off your face."
"Yes, sir.
When will you be back?"
"I don't know."
At that point Sylvia emerged.
Oscar's look to her left no doubt as to
what he thought of her taking over his job.
He didn't like it one bit.
"Good morning, Oscar," she crooned.
"Ma'am."
"Be a good boy, Oscar, and get us some
doughnuts."
"Anything else, sir?"
"Oh, and Oscar," Sylvia went on.
"Do you still have the metal detector or
did you return it already?"
"It's in the car.
I was just going to take it back."
"Bring it up," she instructed.
"When you bring the doughnuts."
She returned then to the sanctity of
Brad's bedroom.
"That'll be all, Oscar," Brad said in
dismissal, then went in to find Sylvia brushing
her hair.
He liked the way her eyes lit up when he
came into the room.
He liked the way she made him feel,
supporting what was important to him.
"Penny?" she asked.
"Just thinking."
She stood up. "I know you were."
Her arms slid easily around his slim
waist.
"'Bout me?"
He nodded, took her in his arms and
kissed her nose.
"I was just thinking that in all the
years I've known you, I've never really known
you."
"I’ve never really known myself."
"What happened?"
Lanon came along, she thought, but she
shrugged and said, "Life."
"Well, I'm glad."
She burrowed her head in his chest.
"Me, too.
Happy, happy, happy."
By the time Oscar returned with the
doughnuts and the metal detector, Brad and
Sylvia were ready to leave, having locked all
the data away.
Late that afternoon they pulled their
rental car into the driveway of Audley's Malibu
studio where a red Lamborghini and a yellow
Ferrari announced that, since Audley wasn't
home, who was?
A very flashy young man in tiger-striped
bikini briefs and a fishnet tank top answered
their knock.
Behind him in the studio, three other
gaily-clad fellows were enjoying their music
loud.
"Who are you?" Sylvia demanded, over the
din.
"Who are you, darling," he
returned.
A certain lisp and inflection told her
all she needed to know.
The music stopped and she turned on the
charm.
"I'm Audley's friend, Sylvia.
This is Audley's fiancé, Dr. Bradford
Spencer.
He sized them up. "I'm Eugene, Audley's
house sitter."
"Her house sitter?
Where did she go?"
Eugene shrugged.
"How long will she be gone?"
He shrugged again.
"Six months, maybe more, maybe less."
Sylvia pouted.
"Mmm, I see."
"Anything else?
I don't know where she can be reached."
"Well,” Sylvia brightened, “never mind
about her.
What I'm really here for is,” she said
conspiratorially, “last week, when I was
Audley's house sitter, I think left a diamond
here."
Eugene remonstrated, "Oh, I assure you
there's no diamond here, Sylvia.
I would have noticed."
"It's just a chip.
I think it fell out of my ring.
Would you mind if I took a peek?"
Eugene was too charmed with Sylvia's
style to deny her.
He gestured her inside.
"Brad, would you bring up the device?"
Brad was down the stairs and up again in
a flash, with the metal detector.
"I slept on the couch when I was here,"
she said to the curious on-lookers.
The metal detector glided easily over the
sofa and the carpet near the music center.
"I didn't know you could detect diamonds
with a metal detector," Eugene observed.
"It's a new model.
State of the art."
It registered high levels of potassium.
"Why would it be registering potassium?"
asked a sharp-eyed fellow with long red
fingernails.
"Where would that come from?"
Sylvia gave him one of her sultry looks.
"Maybe a banana."
Red Fingernails giggled.
Sylvia prepared to leave.
"Well, I guess you're out of luck,
Sweetie," Eugene said as he accompanied them to
the door.
"No diamonds.
Just potassium."
Sylvia was undaunted.
"But I'm a gold digger, Darling.
Any old thing will do."
She touched him on the arm.
"Thank you so much for letting us take a
look."
Eugene had been entertained; he didn't
mind.
"Come again, Sylvia, and bring your toy.
We'll go beach-combing."
"Thanks for the invitation, Eugene.
Don't forget to water the coleus!
Ta-ta!"
"What now?" Brad asked, in support of
Sylvia's path of investigation.
"Now we go to Doc Will's."
Brad balked.
He didn't want to see Doc Will.
Rather, he didn't want Doc Will to see
him with Sylvia. "What's Doc Will got to do with
your investigation?"
"Nothing.
But Doc Will won't be there," she said.
"He and Lanon left yesterday."
Brad was alarmed.
"Where did they go?"
"That's what we're going to find out."
Brad had no more idea what Sylvia was
doing than the man in the moon.
He didn't really care.
He was away from Oscar, away from the
IOF, away from Lassater and away from Audley.
To him, this was a well-deserved
vacation.
They headed north.
Sylvia
was beside herself with her new evidence.
To her, the potassium was proof that
Lanon was an alien who had landed in Twilah
Leighton's gully the night of August 14th
and whose arrival had caused the blackout.
Her conflict, however, was that she
couldn't tell Brad about her theory.
For all of it, she still had a loyalty to
her best friend.
By nightfall they were in New Santa
Barbara where Martha was surprised and pleased
to see them.
"Come in, come in," she said.
"I was just fixing myself some dinner.
Can you stay and join me?"
"That would be great," Sylvia admitted.
The airplane fare had long since
digested.
"We've been hard at work!"
"Where's Doc Will?" Brad asked on the way
to the kitchen.
"Oh, he and Lanon left," she said.
"Didn't Sylvia tell you?"
He
shrugged and made a place for himself at the
kitchen table.
"Somewhere I had the idea they would be
right back.
Where are they?
When did they go?"
"They left early yesterday morning to see
Mr. Brothers," she said, putting out two more
place settings. "Mr. Brothers called here and
asked Dr. Blackstone to come and investigate a
virus or something."
Sylvia ran her stockinged toe along
Brad's ankle under the table.
"Did he say how long he would be gone?"
she asked.
"No, he didn't.
He just said 'indefinitely' and that
could mean anything."
"Did he say specifically where they were
going?
Was it Gateway?"
"He wrote it down," Martha said, serving
Brad a portion of ragout.
"It’s on his desk.
He always leaves me instructions and a
number where he can be reached in case of an
emergency."
She handed Brad the salad then thought to
ask,
"This isn't an emergency, is it?"
"Oh, no," Brad assured her.
"Just routine."
"Why don't I go in and get the note and
find out where he is for you?" Martha offered.
Sylvia beat her to it.
"I’ll get it, Martha," she said, getting
up.
"You stay here with Brad and make sure he gets
enough to eat."
Once inside Docs' study, Sylvia latched
the door, quickly went to the desk drawer and
took out the key to his file room.
Under "Z" she found the file on Lanon
Zenton, which contained reams of psychological
and physical test results.
Most of it was scientific gibberish.
She flipped through the pages until she
came to Doc Will's handwritten summary:
"Subject extremely susceptible to
stimuli.
Shows no inclination towards violence or
passion, likely due to underdeveloped emotional
framework.
Acutely aware of all environmental
factors/influences.
Subject has well-defined value standards
and advanced ideologies.
Does not respond to negatives.
Does not accept death.
Innate gregarious tendency exhibited
(conflicting with undeveloped emotional
framework).
Refined sensibilities. Enjoys silence.
Keen appreciation for truth and beauty; has
aversion to discord.
Well-moderated sex drive.
Sterile (unverified).
High potassium levels tapered to normal
on day 5."
Sylvia copied Doc Will's notes verbatim,
returned the file, locked the file room, and
replaced the key in the desk.
She turned the light out in the study and
returned to the kitchen.
Brad greeted her with, "Hey!
Did you get lost?
We were about ready to come looking for
you."
"Gee.
Can't a girl powder her nose?"
She sat.
"Did you find it?" Martha asked.
"It was on his desk, just like you said.”
Picking up her fork, she complained,
“Okay, now we know where Doc Will and his
patient are, but what I want to know is, where's
Audley?
She didn't even call me to tell me she
wasn't coming to my party!"
"I don't know where she is, Sylvia, but
she's been gone for several days,” Martha said.
“How was your party?”
"Fine, thanks, except nobody came!”
She pouted, then plunged into her dinner
while telling Martha in great detail about the
guests who attended, the food she served, and
all the gossipy details they enjoyed.
When they were finished with dinner, Brad
suggested they push off for Gateway but Martha
objected.
"You don't have to go tonight, do you?
Why don't you just stay here and go on to
Gateway in the morning?
Both of you know your way around
upstairs.”
She wasn’t born yesterday.
"That's very gracious of you, Martha,"
Sylvia purred.
"And there's a clock in Audley's room, so
you won't even have to bother waking us up in
the morning."
"Oh, you're no bother."
She wouldn't hear of them helping her
clear the table.
"You young ones run along and enjoy
yourselves.
I'll fix you breakfast in the morning
before you go."
Brad and Sylvia got a little more sleep
that night than the night before, but not by
much, and the following morning, after a
gluttonous breakfast, they set out for Nevada,
driving into the rising sun, feeling in their
souls that it was a brand new day.
BY THE TIME SHE CLIMBED THE HILL to the Vessey
household, she had filled herself with dread
that she had somehow done the wrong thing in
making the acquaintance of the enigmatic Angus.
To assure herself that she had said or
done nothing to endanger Lanon, she insisted on
sharing with Alexius the details of her
experience in meeting the Psychist and repeating
their conversations in the cow pasture, but
Alexius could find no fault with her actions.
“He invited your friendship, Audley. Feel
honored. Don’t be anxious about these new
developments; learn to enjoy yourself!”
Somewhat appeased, she asked, "What is a
Psychist?”
"Something like a clairvoyant, I
suppose.”
“A mind-reader?”
“It's not so much that a Psychist reads
minds as it is that he perceives the Light.
Did Lanon mention Nucleus to you?"
She nodded, "He mentioned it; I don't
know what it is."
"It's something like your soul," he said,
confusing her even further.
"Mortals don't know much about Nucleus,
but Angus is an expert.
Ask him about it when you see him.”
“I invited him to come here for dessert
this evening.
I hope that was alright.”
“I’m glad you did!
Maria has the night off, and Dierdre is
taking the children to see a play.
This will give us both a chance to get to
know Angus better.”
When Angus arrived at the door, wearing
Audley's sunglasses and without his hood, the
sunglasses appeared to be suspended in mid-air.
As she reached for them, giggling,
Alexius took the chocolate torte Angus extended.
Accepting the portion of torte Audley cut
for him, Alexius said, "Audley tells me you
might be returning to the States with her.
If you do, you will get to experience the
zooidal society we have created with the
Zentonites!”
He then accepted the portion of torte
that Angus declined.
"Yes," the visitor said, following Audley
and pushing Alexius in the wheelchair into the
living room. “I’m
told there is an upsurge in psychism taking
place there!”
"There’s an upsurge, alright!” Alexius
agreed.
“The Zenton civilization has sent an
emissary to investigate the evolutionary status
of the JCP, which is our creation!"
Audley had been reluctant to tell Angus
of her association with Lanon and his mysterious
mission, but Alexius seemed to regard Angus as
one of the family.
"Aha!" Angus said, pushing his host up to
the table.
"That's why the upsurge!
Yes, of course," he agreed.
"Tell me about psychism, Angus," Audley
said, urging the guest to sit.
"How long have you been a psychic?”
"Oh, I’m not a psychic,” he said.
“I’m a Psychist.”
“I guess I don’t know the difference,”
she said.
“Well," he ventured, "a psychic reads
minds.
They sense.
They intuit and maybe even predict.
I don’t just read minds, I anticipate
them. Sometimes I do psychic surgery. I
manipulate how the mind works - to turn on the
Light.”
“You mess with people’s minds? Isn’t that
dangerous?”
Angus chortled.
“I’ve had a lot of experience.
I've been in existence for some 5,000
years, much more than that by Urth’s measurement
of time, and I've been practicing psychism since
I was a youngster.
I qualify as an expert.”
“Yes, I see.”
It was too preposterous to consider
anyone being 5,000 years old, so she reduced her
inquiries to something she could more readily
grasp.
“What’s going on with Lanon?" she dared
to ask.
"Oh, he's having a marvelous time!" Angus
revealed.
"Isn't he tired of being cooped up in
Dad’s lab?"
"But he isn't in a lab!” Angus said.
“He’s in the desert."
"That would be Gateway, headquarters for
the Zooid society and Jesse Brothers' base of
operations,” Alexius said, glad for the update.
"How did you know that, Angus?" she
asked.
"Keen sense perception.
Psychism."
Her confusion was evident.
She could not see Angus, and Alexius
would only smile, but at length he elaborated,
"Very few people use their higher sense
perceptions.
Most people are too intellectual, too
skeptical, or too caught up in making a living
to practice psychism.”
"You see," Angus went on, "the denser
life forms are simply too self-absorbed.
For instance, here you are face-to-face
(as it were) with 5,000 years of experience and
all you care about are your emotional
attachments."
Her face burned in embarrassment as she
suddenly realized the degree of her own
self-absorption.
"But that is not to be deplored," he
consoled.
"This is what’s to be expected on the
path of evolution.
The race must survive in order to grow up
and survival requires a certain amount of
self-interest.
Once basic survival has been assured,
however, and the higher energy levels begin to
emerge, my specialty enters in.”
She thus inquired, "How do you recognize
these higher energy levels?"
"As a light.
Some lights flicker, some lights burn
steadily.
Many Urthlings have no perceptible light
at all and I simply can't see them."
She made so bold as to ask, "Then how do
you keep from running into them?"
"Well, they do have an energy field,” he
explained.
“They're easy to avoid.
I prefer to go after the lights that burn
steadily, like Alexius here."
"Does this happen often, Alexius?" she
asked.
"I mean, do other visitors pop in on you
like this?"
"Student visitors visit the planet
often,” he replied.
“They don't always come to dinner.
They don't even necessarily come to
Guadix.
But they do come to Urth.”
"Are there many?"
Alexius and Angus responded in unison.
"Many."
"Why?
I mean, what do they come here for?
Are we such a curiosity?"
"Yes, we are!” Alexius laughed.
“Your world is like a baby," Angus
offered. "And all elders enjoy babies."
She envisioned a massive parental
universe cooing down at the planet, hearing it
cry for food and to have its diaper changed.
The image brought a smile to her face.
"Like an infant," Angus continued, “Urth
was been born and it is now starting to get into
things.
It needs attention, and so we visitors
come to tend to Urth in our different
capacities."
Alexius enlarged the concept for her.
"Lanon, on the other hand, has come to
see just how grown up some of us have become."
"It seems odd to me that Lanon would be
the one to do that," she said,
“since he’s not very experienced.
I mean, compared to you, Angus."
"That may be the wisdom of the selection,
since he is a bit of a babe himself.
Do you see?"
"I guess."
"You feel very protective of him," Angus
observed.
She nodded, thinking about how the
visitors must feel, protective of people.
"Audley has been teaching Lanon the art
of living," Alexius added.
"So!
You are working for the universe
already!"
Audley was pleased to recognize the
compliment in Angus’ words, "It is no wonder,
then, that I saw your light shining."
ALTHOUGH THEY VISITED until late and Audley woke
early, she felt rested, prepared to return to
the States, and enter the JCP.
Dierdre met her on the patio for coffee.
“Did you enjoy your last evening in
Guadix?" she asked.
“Yes, I did,” she said simply, having no
idea how to explain Angus.
“I enjoyed every bit of my visit here."
"I’m glad,” Dierdre smiled.
“It has been wonderful having you as a
houseguest, Audley.
My sister also enjoyed meeting you."
Audley was surprised at how fond she had
become of Dierdre in such a short time.
"I'll never forget you, Dierdre, and all
that you've shared with me.
If you're ever in America, please come
and visit me."
"I shall.
If I ever leave Guadix."
The children ran across the lawn, calling
attention to the gate where Angus waited,
shrouded in his velvety cloak, waiting to
accompany Audley to the train station.
As they walked down the Via de Comprende,
Audley found herself beset by anxieties about
re-entering the mainstream of life.
She had felt safe here in Guadix with
these people and with Angus.
Her immediate worry was how people would
react to the Psychist's still very nebulous
presence.
Sensing her anxiety, Angus whispered,
"Don’t worry about me.
I have not lived for 5,000 years without
learning survival techniques and without gaining
insight into other life forms."
Of course, her concerns were ridiculous.
At the train station, however, he
whispered, "Watch."
Angus then detached himself from her and
walked
away, standing alone on the platform, a
stranger.
Instantly he was just another person, so
insignificant he wasn't even worth taking time
to notice.
And then, on the train, Angus sat alone,
hunched over as if asleep, merging quite
effectively with the other passengers, leaving
Audley free to once again enjoy the Andalusian
countryside.
Her perception of the landscape had
changed.
She now felt tenderness towards the Urth.
She saw the life-style of the cave
dwellers as a living museum, a reminder of
prehistoric humanity.
She saw the fertility of the fields and
the billowing clouds as a nurturing
relationship. The vivid red poppies reminded her
of blood, and the rain, tears of joy.
“I perceive, Lanon.” she smiled.
“I perceive!”
In Madrid, they taxied to the airport and
then, without warning, in the hustle of getting
their tickets and boarding the flight to New
York, her mood took a nosedive.
Were it not for Angus in the adjacent
seat, she would have allowed herself to succumb
completely.
“How rude people are to each other!” she
observed, “pushing their way to their own ends.”
It saddened her that people were so
impersonal.
Why had she never noticed this before?
Had she, like them, been in such a big
hurry to get somewhere, too busy to notice, too
preoccupied with herself to acknowledge the
simple existence of other people?
Angus, in the adjacent seat, patted her
hand and shifted towards the window.
He didn't have a thing to worry about.
No one would see him.
He was invisible, as was she, as are we
all until someone takes the time to notice.
“How much mankind is missing!” she
realized. Simple acts of courtesy, thwarted by
the very nature of a self-absorbed lifestyle.
In such a hurry to get where?
To attain what?
“People don't really know each other
because they don't really know themselves,” she
concluded, “and they seem afraid to find out.”
She felt the weight of her musings as a
dark cloak, similar in essence to Angus', and
she recognized how having insight carried with
it certain responsibilities.
No wonder people didn't develop keen
sense perception.
They would have to develop tolerance and
compassion and patience as well.
They would come to see the world as a
living thing and all life in it as precious.
Most people don’t act precious, and it's
hard to love unlovely mankind.
Of course the Zooids made perfect sense
now!
All that talk about selflessness that her
father had spoken of, that she had ignored for
years.
She now understood what he had been
working towards all this time, and what a
failure she must appear to him.
Her eyes filled with tears to think of
the distress that she must have caused him.
She would look at him now, really look at
him.
She would look at Martha, too, with her
loyalty and devotion and pride in service.
And all of this was being brought home to
her because of the man from Zenton.
What an impact his presence had made on
her life!
More than ever she was determined to
protect him from the likes of the
semi-civilized, from people who would demean him
and destroy him.
She would go with him into the JCP
communities.
She would go with him to the ends of the
Urth!
Angus reached over and patted her hand.
At last, she slept.
At the airport terminal in New York, she
made connections for the next leg of their
journey.
A call to Santa Barbara confirmed that
Doc Will and Lanon had gone to Gateway.
Calling that number, she was surprised
when Jesse himself answered the phone.
"Don't you have a secretary, Jesse?" she
asked.
"Matter of fact, I don't," he said.
"The word secretary comes from the Latin
word 'secret' and Zooids don't have any secrets.
What can I do for you, Audley?"
"I just got back in the States.
I've been visiting with Professor Vessey
for … what? A week?"
"I know.
I spoke with him."
"Did he tell you I have a traveling
companion?"
"Yes.
Another visitor."
"Well, can we come to Gateway?"
"Yes, of course.
You’re calling from New York?”
"Yes.
Where do we go from here?"
"Fly into Las Vegas.
When you get there, go to the bus
terminal and ask for the Gateway Shuttle."
"The Gateway Shuttle," she repeated.
"Alright.
How is Dad?
And Lanon?"
"They're both fine.
We'll be expecting you."
She didn't know how much Jesse knew of
all this, but she knew he was in on it, whatever
it was, and that made them comrades.
"Thanks, Jesse," she said sincerely.
"You're welcome."
So did he.
She ordered breakfast but it was
terrible.
After the café con leche in Guadix,
American coffee was insipid.
The eggs were like rubber.
The potatoes were cold.
Everything was tasteless and over-priced.
There was no courtesy, no real service.
Unsightly litter was strewn everywhere.
She was
embarrassed to be an American citizen.
She couldn't wait to get out of New York.
At last, it was time for the flight.
Once on board, however, the flight was
delayed.
The plane sat with all its engines
running while the clock ticked away.
Ten minutes, fifteen minutes.
She began to fidget. Other carriers in
front of them, unable to take off, taxied on the
runway, queuing up, milling and swarming.
Half an hour.
Forty-five minutes.
Flight attendants were conspicuously
unavailable to complain to.
Over an hour now, with all their engines
running.
The air, even in the compartment, was
thick with fumes.
Poor baby Urth.
How much fuel oil was this taking up?
And for what?
A pilot?
A faulty carrier up ahead?
No answers, no excuses, no comment.
Just waste.
A waste of time, a waste of fuel.
A hideous, inexcusable waste.
No wonder it cost so much to fly!
Angus patted her hand.
"Angus," she demanded somewhat irritably,
"where do you go?
Are you here with me or are you off
somewhere?"
"I am right here.
Resting."
"How can you rest?"
"What else is there to do?"
"I don't know."
What else indeed was there to do?
She did feel like such a baby.
No sooner had the plane left the ground
than Audley fell asleep again, acknowledging
that psychism took a lot of energy.
Las Vegas at twilight was a sight to see.
She hadn't been to Vegas for years, but she had
no thought to stop.
The experience she was having was a
gamble of a lifetime.
When they found their way to the bus
terminal and asked the attendant for the Gateway
Shuttle, she was surprised to see that it was
not a bus, but a something like a subway, a
Transport Line.
The attendant keyed in a code and the car
sped away under the desert.
DOC WILL AND LANON met them at the landing.
The embrace between Lanon and Audley was
spontaneous and sincere, but it didn't sit well
with the good doctor.
Angus,
emerging from the Transport Line, noticed
Dr. Blackstone’s disgruntlement.
"Young
love is so beguiling, is it not?" he said to
Wilhelm, directing him discretely away from the
young couple.
"I can remember when I was first in love,
can't you?"
Doc Will couldn't take his eyes off the
mysterious visitor.
The scientist couldn’t decipher the
gauze-like aura concealing the face and eyes of
this peculiar visitor, but his mental acumen was
well aware that he was being brought up short
for being impatient with the infatuation between
Audley and Lanon.
"What kind of an apparition are you,
anyway?"
Doc Will blurted.
"I'm an old man just like you, and just
as cantankerous if I choose to be, so what of
it?"
Doc Will was jarred to his senses.
"Well.
Sorry.
Didn't mean to be rude."
He extended his hand then quickly pulled
it back.
"I'm Wilhelm Blackstone."
Angus bowed.
"I am glad to greet you, Wilhelm.
Your light shines true."
"What light?"
"The light by which I recognize you."
"Oh.
Alright."
He muttered something about foreign
potentates and stuffed his fists into his
pockets as Lanon and Audley came up behind them.
Audley hugged her father, and true to her
resolution to truly look at him, peered deep
into his eyes.
Doc Will pulled back.
"What the hell are you looking at?"
She giggled and hugged him again.
"You!
You're so funny when you act the grouch."
Doc Will harrumphed but his attention
perked up when he noticed that Angus and Lanon
seemed to be engaged in some kind of telepathic
communication.
Audley smiled, knowing that Angus was
reveling in Lanon's keen sense perception.
"This is Angus, Daddy.
I met him in the Village of Guadix
through Professor Vessey.
You're really going to like him once you
get to know him." Lanon and Angus still stood
locked into each other's energy systems.
Finally Audley yanked on Lanon's sleeve
and said, "Lanon, let me introduce you to
Angus."
"We've met," Angus said to her, releasing
the connection.
"We've been reminiscing."
"I was just a boy then," Lanon revealed.
"What brings you to this planet, Angus?"
"The usual.
Psychism on a young planet.
I’m told this is your first assignment."
"It’s just a reporting assignment,
actually," Lanon said modestly.
"I take notes, report in."
On hearing this, Audley recognized she
and Lanon shared the same career.
"And opening new doors, perhaps," Angus
said.
"Well, we hope to, of course, but I've
hardly begun the work.
Being human takes some time to get used
to."
Angus nodded toward Audley.
"You certainly have a comely companion."
Lanon smiled at her, causing her to
blush.
"Her father does not approve of me,
however."
Doc Will, who had been gaping at the
interchange between the two entities, cleared
his throat to speak but at that point Jesse
approached in a jubilant mood.
"This is all really very exciting," he
announced to them all.
"Welcome, Angus!"
He slightly bowed to the visitor who
bowed in return, almost as a whisper, then
nodded to Audley who acknowledged him kindly.
If the truth were told, Doc Will was
experiencing a spasm of jealousy.
He had always been the elder, the most
revered, he always had the most startling
information and insights.
He was dwarfed by these two aliens, while
Jesse was completely taken in by them, as was
his daughter.
"Well, Audley," Jesse continued, playing
the host, "you must be very tired from your
trip."
"No!" Audley objected. How could she
possibly sleep?
“I slept. So did Angus." Lanon and Angus
exchanged a grin.
"How about some refreshment then?"
"In the lounge?" Lanon suggested, drawing
Audley close to him.
"That's the best idea you've had all day,
Lanon," Doc piped.
"I could use a drink!"
Jesse guided the entourage up the
elevator and across the lobby to the lounge. Doc
Will poured and downed a double shot of bourbon
while everyone got situated.
Audley and Lanon were enmeshed on a
settee facing Angus in a wingback chair,
obviously delighted by the developing love
affair, but Audley became so unnerved by Angus’
glee, she relocated herself to a nearby ottoman.
Jesse served drinks and snacks then
pulled up a chair and for a moment no one spoke.
"Doc, " Jesse finally urged, "Tell us
about our pox victims."
Doc was honored to begin the socializing
process.
"Well," he expressed to the group, "I had
a hunch early on
that this was a symptom of psychic
disturbance.
The only thing these victims have in
common is that they are Elders, so I probed for
their reactions to the prospect of dying.
Without exception they all felt they were
living on borrowed time already, which is common
for people their age."
Dr. Blackstone was gratified that
everyone, including the enigmatic Angus, was
paying attention.
"Aside from the pox," he continued
confidently, "they are all in relatively good
health, so my hunch was that the symptoms of the
pox are caused by the prospects of their
imminent demise."
Lanon asked, "Are you saying they are
afraid to die?"
"No, they're not afraid to die.
They're afraid they're going to, and
there is a difference.
If you know something, you can deal with
it.
They don't know what's happening to them.
They know they're afflicted with
something, but they don't know if they'll die of
it.
It's the prerequisite to dealing with the fact."
Although Angus nodded his head in
agreement, Jesse said, "I don't understand.
These are Elders who have benefited from
an entire course in Aging and Dying as part of
our educational system.
Why should they be having adverse
reactions to something they know about?"
"Well, Jesse," Doc explained, "they're
educated but they're not experienced.
Knowing something in your head is not the
same as knowing it in your gut!"
Lanon added, "I understand that, but it
doesn't explain the blisters."
"No," Doc admitted, "it doesn't.
Not yet.
But these patients’ secondary symptoms
reveal a lot about their specific anxieties.
My interpretation is that each patient is
manifesting his or her preconceived notion of
what will happen when they leave here.”
Having now their full attention, he sat
down on the settee Audley had vacated, and
elaborated.
“The giddy one, for example, simply can't
wait to go!
The one with diarrhea is scared shitless.
The one with cold sweats is insecure.
I am oversimplifying, perhaps, but in
terms of Mindal Science, it seems pretty
obvious.
Except, as you say, it doesn't explain
the blister.”
Lanon nodded, “But the blister identifies
the victim.”
The air stirred as Angus swept it with
his quasi-visible arm.
"The answer is near at hand," he
announced with full confidence, then
resoundingly changed the subject by asking,
"Lanon, is your assignment of a
confidential nature?"
"No, it’s not confidential," Lanon said.
"It's selective."
Audley added, "It's Lanon that's
confidential."
"To those who are not approved, my origin
and purpose are confidential, yes, but, of
course, everyone here is approved."
"Tell us, then, about your assignment.”
Angus urged.
“What is your Mission?"
"My mission, simply put, is to study this
Jural Colony Project and, depending upon how
evolved it is, recommend the opening of a
channel of communication and a method of
terrestrial escape.”
“Only this one society?”
Lanon nodded.
“It is the only society on this planet I
am interested in because it is the only advanced
group of people in residence here.
Dr. Blackstone, perhaps you could tell
Angus about the global situation of this world.”
Doc Will, who had warmed to the
discussions, was delighted to elaborate.
"In general, human society on this planet
is backward and extremely self-oriented.
It's a very troubled world."
He shook his head and used his favorite
profanity:
"It’s primitive.
It's filled with violence, sick with
apathy and disease. It's polluted. It's
politically, economically and geographically
fragmented, so there is nothing to congeal its
differences.
The imbalance of wealth ... well," he ran
his fingers through his hair, "the more advanced
nations are rampant with greed and corruption,
while the more backward nations are stagnating
in sloth and despair.
On all levels, illicit drug and alcohol
abuse are testimony of the need for some kind of
higher reality, or at least a more equitable
reality."
"There are exceptions,” Angus suggested.
“Of course,” Jesse said.
“We hope to assimilate them.”
“But tell me more about these Zooids.
I understand them to be the brainchild of
Zenton, and brought into being by you, Jesse,
through Alexius' connection with Zenton
intelligences."
"Yes." he acknowledged, appreciating the
perspective of the alien.
“Let me explain.
Zooids are the inhabitants of this
society, the Jural Colony Project, which now
comprises 72 individual communities, or
colonies.
Zooids are people who are united by their
ideals.
They are connected by their own
transportation system and by their communication
system.
Including Penn State Reserve, the
population of the JCP is in the neighborhood of
50,000.”
"You say they are united by their
ideals...." Angus urged.
"Yes,” Jesse continued.
“Our societal behavior is based on
interaction.
Zooids are inter-dependent.
Even though we are individuals, we
function as part of an organism.
In this kind of a living system, one
cannot rise higher than the others, since all
are parts of the whole.
In the communities, for example, there
are no wealthy people and no poor people.
Our value system is not based on
economics."
"Doesn't this foster mediocrity?"
"On the contrary," Doc Will elaborated.
"Our goals are for higher levels of
perfection.
"But if one cannot rise higher than
another...."
"Well, we function as a living organism
and, as such, we are always alert to
retrogression and dis-ease, for when one aspect
of an organism is dysfunctional, the entire body
is affected.
When the organism is healthy, however,
when it is functioning optimally, it develops an
energy that is larger than the sum of its parts.
Since this societal organism is alive, it
takes on more energy, more power, more potential
than it would if it were operating as each man,
or woman, for himself."
"Or herself," Audley put in.
"Thus," Angus said, "the greatest barrier
to your success would be individual ambition.
Self-determinism.”
"Yes.
Asocial aspirations," Doc Will said. "A
self-absorbed life pays off only in externals
which do not provide permanent satisfactions.
Zooids are people who have come to
recognize the emptiness of a self-centered
existence and have set out to create a
life-style which pays off internally rather than
externally."
"Let me guess," Audley offered.
"Morality, responsibility, values, and
maturity?"
"Among others," Doc grinned, appreciating
his daughter’s quantum leap of growth.
“But,” Jesse added, "personal expression,
such as creativity, is certainly encouraged."
Angus nodded.
"Unique," he offered.
"I’d be glad to assist in any way I can."
"As a matter of fact you can help," Lanon
suggested.
“If Audley is willing to do some research
for us, her fact-finding would be greatly aided
by your powers of perception, Angus.
Maybe the two of you together could
investigate some of these colonies and report
your findings back to me.
I could then forward them on to my Home
Station as reference material when I submit my
findings.
Is that something that would interest you
both?"
It interested Audley a great deal but
Angus balked, "Before I agree, I should point
out that Audley is somewhat concerned about her
financial condition."
"Angus!" she chastised.
"He's right, Audley," her father
affirmed.
Jesse suggested, "How does ‘Journalist on
Contract’ sound?"
"That sounds great!" she acknowledged.
“We’ll work out some amicable terms.”
Angus smiled.
"Then we would be delighted.”
"Excellent!”
Jesse stood.
“Check in with me in the morning, Audley,
and we’ll discuss your assignment.”
He stood and paused before his guests.
"My friends, you must excuse me.
It's been a full day and there are still
several things on my desk I need to attend to
before I turn in.
I just want you to know how pleased I am
to be part of this.
Please, make yourselves comfortable.
Lanon, Doc, if you would show Angus and
Audley to the guest wing?”
“You
bet, Jesse,” Doc said, making his way to the bar
for a nightcap.
“Anyone else for refreshment?”
He tossed a skeptical glance toward Angus
and raised an eyebrow to Lanon.
Angus lifted himself up and drew Lanon
with him.
“We will leave you to visit with each
other.
Audley has many new insights she would
like to share.”
Angus was the quintessential elder.
“If you will excuse us, I’d like to have
a chance to visit more with Lanon about his
mission.
No doubt we will see you both tomorrow.”
“No doubt,” Doc responded with a nod,
disliking the look that lingered between Lanon
and his daughter.
“What about it, Aud?
You ready to turn in?”
She was not at all interested in
sleeping.
“No, Dad!” she complained, “I’m wide
awake!”
She watched as Lanon and Angus
disappeared into the night.”
“Let’s have a nightcap before I show you
to your room.
Tell me where you’ve been, what you’ve
been up to.”
“Well, alright.”
She adapted to the situation and warmed
to her father’s presence, doting on him and
looking at him as she promised she would,
regaling him with details of her adventures in
Spain.
She told him about the beauty of the
terrain, about Dierdre and Alexius, including
his fascinating recital of 40 years’
communications with Zenton intelligences.
After they finished their drinks, they
walked out to sit on a park bench and there,
while telling her father about sensing the
vibrations that led her to the pasture where she
met the mysterious Angus, she began to realize
the magnitude of her situation.
For the first time she was able to
clearly see that Lanon was not a man at all, but
was 0802-LZ, Zenton’s materialized
representative.
Seeing her sudden introspection, Doc Will
asked, “What’s the matter, Audley?”
He suspected what she was experiencing.
It was just what he’d wanted to protect
her from.
She shook her head, struck by the
ludicrousness of her emotional involvement.
“Nothing,” she lied. “I guess I just
realized how tired I am, from the trip.”
“Well,” he murmured, “it’s all a lot to
absorb.
You’ll feel a lot better when you’ve had
a chance to get a good night’s sleep.
Why don’t I show you to your room?”
“Alright, Dad.”
They walked in comfortable silence to the
guest area, both of them trying to process the
revelations of this evening.
How could she accept what she heard this
evening, that that Lanon was an emissary from
another world, here on a temporary assignment?
She didn’t want Lanon to be a man with a
mission; she wanted him to be just a man!
But there was nothing anyone could do
about it.
He was who he was, and she couldn’t even
be angry with him.
He couldn’t possibly know what she was
experiencing because his emotions were ... not
even alive, and hers, it would seem, were about
to die.
Would Lanon ever, truly, be mortal?
Would she ever, truly, get over the fact
that he wasn’t?
When they stopped walking, in front of
the many doors, she asked, “What do you
think about all this, Dad?
Can you believe it?”
Doc Will did believe it.
He had been as much a co-conspirator as
any of the Zooids.
He was a man who believed in
possibilities, who believed in potentials, and
now he was seeing them actualize!
Imagine!
His own life’s efforts had helped bring
about this evolutionary leap into a cosmic
connection.
Still he felt flabbergasted and
dumbfounded.
It was overwhelming.
“No, I can’t believe it,” he argued,
“At least not for a day or two.
But I will. I’ve got a good head start on
you.
But I’m worried about you, Audley.
How are you going to handle this?
I know you have feelings for that man
from Zenton.”
Was it ridiculous of him to be so
protective of her?
No.
She was his baby girl, and Lanon was an
alien, no matter how you looked at it.
“Oh, come on, Dad.
I’m a big girl.
I can take care of myself,” she said
bravely, not being a baby, not reverting to
tears.
“I’m a reporter!” she said, hugging him,
“You just go on to bed and get some rest.
Don’t worry about me.
I’ll be fine.”
He placed a quiet kiss on her cheek and
with incredible tenderness, said, “Good night,
daughter.
Sleep deep.”
She slipped inside her room, quickly
shaking off the self-pity she felt pressing in
on her.
If she was going to survive this with
dignity, she had to be professional about it.
She would need a good work environment.
Turning on the light, she saw that this
would do just fine. Immediately inside the room,
in front of a large draped window, two delicate
but comfortable upholstered chairs sat on either
side of a tall lamp table, and opposite the
daybed were a desk, chair and yet another lamp.
To the rear of her guest quarters was a
small complete bathroom with vanity and closet.
On the back wall was a window, in front
of which was a kitchenette with a counter and
bar stools.
Someone had placed her luggage and camera
case on the floor near the daybed.
She set out to unpack her clothes and put
some things to soak, but when she opened the
closet she discovered it to be full of garments
such as Jesse and the Elders wore.
These were uniforms of a sort.
They came in two styles of various
colors.
One style was a djellaba and the other
was a one-piece jumpsuit.
At the foot of the closet, she found two
types of footwear.
One was an open sandal and the other was
more like a sock with a slim sole.
She decided to forego the unpacking.
In the drawers of the vanity area she
found fresh linen for the bed and bath, as well
as several more garments, again in two styles.
One was loose fitting, similar to a
T-shirt, and the other was a body suit, to be
used as underwear or for play.
She took one of the T-shirts into the
bathroom where she found the cupboards supplied
with everything she might need, including items
of feminine hygiene.
She decided to forego the hand laundry.
Sinking into a warm bath, she allowed the
last two weeks to fade away.
Had it really only been two weeks since
she set out to cover the IOF Convention?
Not much more than that, certainly.
Funny, she mused, how you can go along at
a comfortable pace, not even knowing you're in a
rut, when all of a sudden something turns on the
lights, kicks your engine into overdrive, and
away you go on a brand new adventure.
Blocking out her feelings for Lanon, she
allowed herself to visualize herself in flight,
circling above the Urth, with thoughts of
destiny, whirling, swirling.
She caught herself starting to doze off.
She rinsed off and slipped on the
T-shirt.
Looking in the refrigerator, she
discovered fresh milk and juice, fruit, bread
and cheese. She took an apple with her to turn
down the covers on the daybed.
On the desk she found a chart of Colony
Gateway and studied it to see where she was in
relation to the residents, the headquarters
tower and her father.
She reviewed each area as to what purpose
it served, then put the chart in her purse as
part of her job research.
Temporarily secure in the attitude that
even if she couldn’t have him forever, she could
work with him for awhile, she ate the apple,
decided to forego the cigarette, and fell
asleep.
ANGUS AND LANON DID NOT SLEEP.
They walked the grounds and talked.
And throughout the course of the night,
Lanon learned much from Angus who, as he
explained to Lanon, had been "working the
universe" for some 5,000 years Urth time.
This, compared to Lanon's 2,000 or so,
made Angus' experience invaluable to the
neonate.
On the other hand, Angus had never taken
on human form, and so he found Lanon's
experience interesting.
Gradually they got around to discussing
personal perspectives, and when Angus confessed
to Lanon that he had met his own soul mate
millennia ago while she was still a mortal and
he himself was on an assignment, Lanon ventured
to confide in Angus about his and Audley's
awkward emotional development.
Over the centuries Angus had developed
into quite an expert on the many variations of
love.
As such, he was pleased to give Lanon
some pointers on how to become an effective
lover.
"Women are women throughout eternity,
Lanon," he said, "and they all enjoy the same
aspects of love.
Women like romance."
"What do you mean by romance?"
"Romance," Angus extolled, "is a
sentiment, a refinement of emotion.
Romance calls up feelings of tenderness
and beauty.
Graciousness."
He embellished his lesson with
inflections and gestures.
"The ideals inherent in the romantic
situation are represented by things that depict
romance, such as music and flowers.
And gifts.
Or candy."
Lanon was duly attentive.
"Women also long for adventure," Angus
continued.
"They want their hero to take them to new
and exciting places.
Not just physical places, but places in
the heart and in the imagination.
They do not want to be constantly taking
care of things.
Women appreciate a break from nurturing.
They want to soar, and they want their
mate to go with them on the flight."
After a while Lanon asked, "What about
men?
What do men want?"
"Ah, you are such a babe!" Angus heaved.
"Men want to feel important.
Not a pompous kind of importance, but
they want to feel that what they do is
meaningful."
"Well, I do feel I'm doing something
meaningful, but how would that affect Audley?"
"Well, she's crazy in love with you."
"She is?"
Angus nodded.
“How do you know?"
"Because, dear boy, she looks at you, and
when she looks at you, her eyes light up.
She looks to you for confirmation of her
existence, for reassurance.
She is so impressed with the importance
of your mission, she was willing to give up her
own career, risk her father's affection, and
even go half way around the world to find ways
to help you, and at her own expense!"
"I hadn't thought of it that way."
"Apparently not.
You could begin appreciating her efforts
and you could let her know you appreciate her.
Have you ever thanked her for teaching
you how to be a human being?
No? Well, you're not being very romantic,
then."
"Angus," Lanon ventured after another
long moment.
"What about sex?"
"Sex is wonderful.
What about it?"
"I don't understand it.
I've seen Audley's frame, but ...."
"Her what?"
Angus interrupted.
"Her frame."
"Her body, dear boy, her body!
Her voluptuous, sensual, desirable,
caressable body!"
"Not her frame?"
"Not her frame."
"Alright.
I have seen Audley, and I believe she
knows that I appreciate her voluptuous, sensual,
desirable, caressable body, but she won't let me
make love with her."
Angus threw up his hands.
"Well, that's probably because you were
approaching her as a frame!
That goes right back to what I was saying
about romance, Lanon."
He warmed to his subject.
"Woman is, of course, a mass of flesh and
bone and nerves and organs arranged in a frame,
but the whole woman is so much more than that!
The whole woman lies in her charm, her
personality, her soul, and her feelings.
These things aren't literal, but they are
real, and they comprise the female.
This is why romance is so important!
To love the body is only part of the
mystery.
To find the female inside and love that
is also only part of the mystery.
To love the body and the soul together,
is to love the whole woman."
"How do I find the female inside?" he
wondered aloud.
Angus studied the stars for a moment and
sighed deeply.
"Give Audley a chance to show you.
Let her know you care about who she is,
how she looks, what she thinks, how she feels.
Women are vulnerable, Lanon, or at least
they like to think they are, and they are very
protective of those tender feelings, which could
be ignored or abused by an insensitive male.
You get her to reveal her inner nature by
being romantic."
"If it's that easy, wouldn't she know
that I was trying to get her to reveal herself?"
"She wants to reveal herself!"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure.
You just have to assure her that when she
does reveal herself, her inner self, you won't
make light of her sincerity or disdain her
frailties."
"I see.
And then we can make love?"
Angus shook his head and chuckled.
"Yes, Lanon, ideally that is what will
happen.
But you must be patient!
When I was courting my soul mate, we knew
from the first moment that we would spend
eternity together, but she made me wait for
almost 200 years."
Lanon was aghast.
"But by then she had discarded her
voluptuous, sensual, desirable, caressable
body!" he objected.
"This is true," Angus admitted, "but she
was still voluptuous, sensual, desirable and
caressable.
Some things never change."
The smile on Angus' countenance was akin
to smug, but Lanon was downhearted.
"What troubles you?" Angus asked.
"Audley is a strong woman.
Emotionally she is stronger than I am.
I am still concerned that I will not be
able to court her effectively."
"Then you must wait until you become more
human, Lanon, or until she becomes more divine."
It was Lanon's turn to look at the stars
and sigh.
"I perceive that you are becoming more
romantic already!" Angus said.
And many more things they discussed
before the sun rose and the two entities went
their separate ways to take in energy and
prepare for the new day.
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