Syman: Book One 1j2m3z

SYMAN

BOOK ONE

Written by Mr E.

Copyright © 2017 by Mr E.

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-5245-1792-2 eBook 978-1-5245-1791-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only. Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 01/24/2017

Xlibris 1-800-455-039 www.Xlibris.com.au

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Contents

Chapter 1 First Sighting

Chapter 2 First

Chapter 3 Blended

Chapter 4 Second Flight

Chapter 5 Going Public

Chapter 6 REFIT Revolution

Chapter 7 Impostor

Chapter 8 Possible Threat

Chapter 9 Welcome Home

Chapter 10 To The Rescue

Chapter 11 A New Recruit

Chapter 12 Getting Involved

Chapter 13 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Chapter 14 Protecting The Masses

Chapter 15 Love Makes You Crazy

This one’s

for my soul mate Rhonda

CHAPTER 1

First Sighting

Where do I begin my unique story? Well now, I guess a good a place as any is at the very beginning, when I saw him or should I say his vessel for the very first time. As I recollect it was sometime in the third week of July 1999, on a beautiful crisp and cool night, while standing on the balcony of my small and meagerly appointed home in Tasmania, which faced the banks of the beautiful Tamar River. The location offered generous panoramas of the Batman Bridge and surrounding river frontage. It was roughly around 9 o’clock in the evening and I recollect there was a moonless sky above me. The night air was so clear and clean with zero pollution, as the westerly winds predominately blow from one side of the island to the other. They begin from as far away as the Indian Ocean, thousands of kilometers away, rounding Cape Town at the bottom of Africa. Another benefit of living in a rural area was having the advantage of no street lights interfering with the view from above, giving me 100 per cent visibility. One of the many ions of mine has and always will be, staring at the stars on a crystal-clear night. Why even as a young boy I would drag out my sleeping bag and lie out on the back lawn while gazing skyward for hours at a time, mesmerized by the amazing vista above me. I would lay there and think of the possibilities of distant Worlds, trying to imagine what they would look like. Is there any type of plant life on those Worlds? And, who or what type of beings live on them? Also, on that odd occasion when I was lucky enough, I’d catch a glimpse of an asteroid’s last moments, watching it fall towards Earth in a whitehot death roll. Why even being a new father hadn’t dampened my interest in star-gazing, generally most evenings that’s where you’ll find me, especially after a hard day’s

work. I’d star gaze while having a coffee and a roll-your-own cigarette on my balcony, mainly so I don’t smoke inside the house for young Timothy’s benefit. Relaxing and unwinding watching for asteroids, orbiting satellites and space junk to drift by. I gave my glasses a good clean on the corner of my flannelette shirt, so I could see more clearly. There was nothing worse than gazing through dirty spectacles at the fine details above. It never ceased to amaze me just how much crap was floating around up there, including parts of old multistage rockets and old satellites no longer in use. Suddenly my eyes were drawn to a particularly bright object, a satellite moving rapidly from East to West. Wow! Isn’t that amazing! I thought. I could even see its anti-clockwise rotation. Once again I thought, how clear the air was here. What I saw next defied everything you ever heard from governmental authorities, especially in regard to UFOs. ‘Officially they don’t exist’. However, I was following the path of the satellite when a vessel swerved out of its way. In doing so, the reflection from the sun hit what I thought was the underside of its hull, exposing all of its texture and details, especially its overall size. It was huge, bloody huge in fact. Guessing by the size of the satellite it missed, it was roughly the size of a large family home, of course that’s only the one side I was able to see. God knows how tall it was. Although, the texture of the side facing me was pitted and rough like an orange skin. In some strange way it appeared to be almost organic. Only when the vessel changed its course did it come into view, which made me assume it has some type of stealth capability, because once it had dodged the oncoming satellite, it vanished from my sight. So, there I was, alone on my balcony with 101 questions running through my mind. I started imagining all types of creatures which may inhabit this vessel, or perhaps it was a fully automated probe of some kind? But as I said before, it was a crisp, cool night and I was freezing my ass off out there, it was now time for me to get back inside next to the fire and warm up. After rinsing my coffee mug in the kitchen sink, I sat down in my favorite lounge chair, right next to the blazing fire, the warmth coming from it was both calming and comfortable.

My wife Stella was staring at me rather strangely. “What’s wrong Jim? Looks like you’ve just seen a ghost,” she said, after turning around from viewing the TV. “Maybe I have,” I replied, still deep in thought. “What did you see out there?” she continued to ask. “You won’t believe me if I told you,” I said, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees and cupped my hands together. “Ok, try me,” she replied, scrutinizing me with greater interest. “Well, I was watching a satellite overhead, when suddenly a vessel or ship swerved abruptly out of its way, reflecting the sun underneath on its hull, making it clearly visible and Stella, it was big. Damn big!” She was wearing the glare of a non-believer on her face and by the changing expression on her face, I could clearly tell what she was thinking, something like, what the hell have you been smoking out there? I know Stella well, very well in fact and can tell if I kept on with this line of conversation she’d be searching in the phone book for the nearest available shrink and arrange an appointment. I decided it was a good tact to change the subject. “How’s Timothy? Is he finally asleep?” I asked sheepishly. “Yes, he drifted off pretty quickly tonight. Speaking of which, I’m pretty tired as well. Goodnight Jim, I’m off to bed. Are you coming?” asked Stella, getting out of her chair. “Yeah, I suppose so, it is kind of late,” I said, glad the awkward moment had ed. It wasn’t long before the events of that night were well and truly forgotten, as the daily grind of family and work overtook any remaining thoughts I may have had in regard to my sighting. One year, two years and then three years went by somewhat quickly. Oh well! Just like the saying goes, “Time waits for no one.”

In January 2002, my health undertook a turn for the worse. My doctor put it down to overworking. I was a certified mechanic contracted to two of the largest car yards in Launceston, I also picked up some local work from around home, every now and then. This resulted in me usually spending six to seven days a week under the bonnet of a car. “An unknown illness,” said the doctor as he began explaining, he said, “I had simply worn myself out, allowing the unknown virus to takeover.” The doc was unsure what type of medical condition I was suffering from, but I started to experience widespread body pain with horrendous fatigue. Beginning with the doc’s expert advice, I was to cut back on my workload immediately. So naturally the first work to suffer was my weekend clientele, much to my customer’s disappointment. I was only charging them $15.00 an hour, mainly because it was cash-in-hand work. No point in giving the taxman all your hard earnings, is there? This had the desirable result in making life a little bit easier for a while, however, it only prolonged the end of my working career just one more year till March 2003. At this time, I was left with just the one company to work for. Even this was becoming extremely hard to manage due to my symptoms increasing in severity. I struggled to maintain the three days of work they expected from me. Totally frustrated and exhausted, I returned to the doctor again for some muchneeded help. Much to my surprise and dismay, the doctor suggested I move to a warmer climate to help alleviate my symptoms. “Where?” I asked, squirming in my seat and starting to dread his response. The doctor stared me squarely in the eyes and said, “North of the Tropic of Capricorn.” “Are your serious?” I replied, displaying a shocked appearance upon my face. “Very serious,” said a completely calm Dr Phillips. “If you base your search on somewhere between Mackay and Cairns, you’ll be in a far better climate to achieving a reasonable return to health.” “What do you mean ‘reasonable’? What, no chance of a full recovery?” I asked, quite shocked at the news.

“You’ve run yourself into the ground Jim, I’d say you came very close to a complete physical breakdown. Try not to worry though. Once you’ve relocated, you’ll start to feel the benefits straight away,” said Dr Phillips in the usual doctor-patient banter he uses with all his patients. “Once I get up there, how long before I can expect to see some kind of return to good health?” I asked. I was definitely having trouble coming to with my new dilemma and hoping the doctor’s answer was a simple one. “Six months to a year,” the doc responded as he wrote out another script for yet more pain-killers. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather after that. After thanking and shaking hands with him, I paid the fee for my visit at the front reception desk on my way out. Then I began to think, Now all I have to do is give Stella and Timothy the bad news somehow. The next morning at the breakfast table, after a very disturbed night of sleep, tossing and turning, I began to think of how best to inform Stella and Timothy of what the doc had suggested. Finally, we were all seated and begun to eat our breakfast when it just happened, I’d decided to break the news. I know I was still half-asleep and disorientated from the lack of sleep and I my choice of words were a little bit off that morning. If I had another chance to do it all over again, I’m sure I would’ve put a great deal more effort and thought into it. I really didn’t know what I was thinking, but my exact statement didn’t go down to well. “We need to move to Cairns,” the words just fell out of my mouth. Before I had a chance to correct myself and begin to explain my reasons why? Timothy began crying and Stella just sat there with a stunned expression upon her face. Realizing my error, I quickly changed the subject by glancing at my watch and saying. “Damn I’m late for work,” I haphazardly blurted out. I quickly grabbed my work bag and made a hasty exit towards the back door, while wishing them both to have a good day. I must say, it wasn’t one of my most memorable exits as I recalled driving into Launceston. Later that evening, I drove home and parked the car after returning home. I was dreading the frosty reception I’d receive from Stella. Grabbing my work bag off

the enger seat, I headed for the back door, taking a few slow, deep breaths, I gathered my courage and entered. “Hello Dad, how was work?” asked Timothy, lifting his gaze up from the computer in our make shift office in the spare room. “Really well, thanks Tim, how was school today?” I asked in return. He noticed me glancing around everywhere. “Good thanks Dad, Mom’s in the kitchen if you’re looking for her,” he said, turning back to the computer screen to continue his homework. “Thanks Tim,” I placed my work bag in the hall and made my way through to the kitchen. “Hello kiddo,” I said, peering around the side of the doorway. “Oh! Hello Jim, dinner is almost ready, go and wash up, by the time you’re finished it’ll be on the table,” she said, sounding warm and welcoming in a positive way. Well, that went better than I thought it would, I thought, while washing my hands in the bathroom sink. Over dinner, we talked at great length about where we might base our search for properties, Stella even suggested we all sit in front of the computer after we’ve eaten and start house hunting online. “You know, to see what types of houses are available up North,” she said, rather excitedly. A few weeks later, we’d both decided to settle in a town west of Cairns called Mareeba. After checking the weather details online, we discovered Mareeba has an average annual temperature of 16 to 32 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 65 per cent. “Perfect,” we both said. No sooner was our house put on the market, in hardly no time at all it was sold to a young couple from Brisbane wanting to live in a cooler climate. Once we had organized the removal company, Stella and I settled on the final leaving date and held a large party to say farewell to all our family and friends.

With the station wagon packed and filled to the brim, and our ferry tickets booked to take us from Devonport across Bass Strait to the Victorian City of Melbourne, aboard the Spirit of Tasmania, we set off on the long road trip ahead. From Melbourne, we started the 2,992 kilometer journey North. As we were in no rush to get there, Stella and I decided to show Timothy some of the sights on the way up. Twelve days later we arrived in Mareeba. Our first lodgings were at the local caravan park, where we stayed for a total of two weeks, until we found ‘Casa De Wilson’, an old Queenslander styled home built in 1943. She was the perfect fixer upper, a renovator’s delight. Once the contract for sale was in the works, the owners gave us permission to move in straight away and pay a small weekly rental until the house title was finally transferred into our names. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the 26th November 2003. We met with the Primary School Head Mistress the following week and enrolled Timothy in Year 5 at the nearby public school, only a short 15 minute walk away, much to Timothy’s disgust. You see, in Tasmania he enjoyed a 45 minutes bus ride to school, which was a lot of fun for all the kids. Timothy was the most upset in regard to the move. As far as he was concerned, Tasmania was his home and the only home he wanted. Which incidentally, he constantly reminded us on the journey up at every available chance he had, making statements like, “105 Camms Road, Kayena was my home and I was very happy there until you decided to move us. Thanks Dad!” It required many more years for Timothy to forgive me for turning his whole world upside down. Stella reminded me on a regular basis to be patient with him. Even though I was in constant pain and struggling to cope with my energy robbing fatigue, somehow, I found the patience to wait for Timothy to come round. In regard to my health, we were able to find an excellent local doctor, Dr Benjamin Good, that’s right, “Dr B. Good.” Oh well, as it turned out, he was good, bloody good! He was able to diagnose my chronic sleep apnea just by asking me a few simple questions. I mean, I knew I snored, as did everybody else who lived within a 50-meter radius.

Dr B. organized a sleep study in Cairns Private Hospital for me. After the nurse wired me up with all the sensors, I eventually fell asleep wearing the outrageous looking wiring harness strapped to my head. Next morning, the results spoke for themselves. In five hours of recorded sleep, I had 736 apnea events. The longest one was a whopping 183 seconds long. Wow! That’s over three minutes of not breathing, so imagine how shocked I was to find out my blood oxygen levels fell as low as 65 per cent whilst I was asleep. Dr B. said to me later during my follow up appointment, “Your bloody lucky you didn’t die in your sleep from severe Hypoxemia.” Even better than the wonderfully warm climate, was the location of our house. Smack-bang in the main street, close to everything; hospital, medical center, shops and restaurants. It was Stella’s idea to be as close to town as possible so she could find work and involve herself within its small rural community. As it turned out, Stella didn’t take too long to find work. We were enjoying coffee and cake one morning at the local Coffee Club in the center of town, when the charming girl who served us, struck up a conversation with Stella and in a roundabout way she ended up with a job by the time we had finished our morning tea. My job was to concentrate on getting well again, while taking on my new role as ‘Mr Mom’ mainly for Timothy’s benefit. Both Stella and I are somewhat old fashioned in our ways and believe someone should always be home to greet him, when he returns from school each day, to instil some routine into his life, while he’s young. After many blood tests and scans over a period of three years, Dr B. finally came to a diagnosis. “You have Fibromyalgia,” he said at the beginning of one of my many appointments. “Pardon me doc, but what the devil is this Fibro-what’s-it?” I asked, with my anxiety levels now commencing to rise as he continued with his explanation. “Well Jim, don’t be too disappointed when I tell you none of the tests you’ve had points directly to the disease, it’s the lack of results that do,” explained Dr B. “I don’t know what the hell you are trying to tell me doc,” I said, with my voice rising in pitch. I found myself leaning forward to hang off his every word.

“Ok Jim, at this moment in time, there are no diagnostic tests available to you have Fibromyalgia,” said the doctor noticing my increased interest. “The diagnosis is mostly made from my observations over a long period of time and by listening to the patient, together with the lack of results from various diagnostic tests,” said Dr B, pulling up the information from the system onto his computer screen. “Hmm, sounds like a strange way to come to a diagnosis though,” I said, feeling slightly deflated and strangely wishing I had a basic diagnosable disease. “It is, but this is how it’s been for all illnesses that have no specific blood tests or fail to show up under diagnostic scans,” replied Dr B. With my haphazard acceptance of his explanation, I drove back home in a mind numbing daze, unsure how to accept my newly diagnosed predicament. I was doing my very best to cope with the day-to-day chores of running the family home, caring for Timothy and trying my best to be a loving husband to Stella. I must it, being on the AP machine for over two years has been extremely beneficial in slowing the progression of my sleep apnea symptoms. However, I still didn’t have enough stamina to hold down even a basic job. No matter how hard I tried, the pain was intolerable, the fatigue made me sleep for hours at a time and to add salt to the wounds, I have acquired a new symptom called ‘Fibro Fog’. Which gives me more grief than I want to confess to. It causes me the inability to concentrate or even the simplest of things. There was a period in 2006, when I had to give up driving the car for 18 months because of the ‘Fibro Fog’. I just didn’t trust myself behind the steering wheel of a car, it felt like I was out of faze with reality. I would drive through a set of traffic lights and then wonder later, was it green or red. Still the oddest thing around this time was the strangest feeling of being watched. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t shake it. This unfortunately didn’t help much with my paranoia or anxiety levels one little bit. In all this time since 1999, I had never given a moments thought to my first sighting, until Thursday 18th September 2008, I was out the front of my house, taking Christopher for a quick piss-n-look as I call it. Christopher is our eight year old Boxer dog.

We adopted him from our local animal sanctuary. Anyway, while he was entertaining himself, cocking his leg against some of Stella’s prize fuchsia’s, I started to notice a rapidly descending fog that night. Gazing up through the fog I spotted a plane’s running lights; one yellow at the front, a blue one to its left side and a green one on the right. It was heading straight towards me, this of course I was familiar with as the local airport is only 20 minutes South of us. “HOLY CRAP,” I said aloud. “Where’s the noise?” No sound was coming from the plane at all. His engine must have failed, I thought. I watched the aircraft carefully to make sure his lessening altitude wasn’t going to bring him down on top of any houses in the immediate area. When, without slowing down, it headed east in a sharp 90 degree turn directly above me. No aeroplane we have could have matched its manoeuvrability. As quickly as it came into my view, it was then lost into the night fog. Nevertheless, what kept springing into my mind, was how eerie the whole event unfolded. The fact there was no sound, I thought. It did seem strange how deadly quiet Mareeba was at this time, no traffic and no people walking the streets. It appeared as if the whole event was perfectly timed somehow. Usually at this time of night a steady flow of both cars and people our house. I called Christopher to come back inside, he came running over to me wagging his stumpy tail, very satisfied having taken care of his business. Walking towards the back door I contemplated telling Stella of what I had just witnessed, but by the time I’d reached the back door, I decided maybe this one I should keep to myself. Once again, the events of that evening became less important in regard to the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. As I said earlier, my damn memory is affected by my illness and not being able to concentrate on even the most simplest of tasks, made this event completely slip my mind altogether. Another year drifted by without a single sighting. It was time again to do my evening duty with our dog. That duty of course is taking our beautiful new dog, a year and a half old Harlequin Great Dane and Arab Mastiff cross, called Jess, out for a quick piss-n-look. We had lost poor old Christopher to cancer a month earlier. Jess started her usual route around the front yard, while she was busy, I began looking up at the stars again.

“Hmm, this has always been a good way for me to relax, helps me to put all my problems into perspective,” I said to Jess, while thinking, it’s another beautiful night. Jess tried to catch a cane toad. “Leave those bloody things alone,” I told her. They’ll make you damn sick, you crazy dog, I thought. Gazing up again, I tried to see where the planet Mars was positioned in the night’s sky, but gave up in disgust. I don’t really know which planet is which or where the known constellations are. However, viewing them has and always will be, therapeutic to my soul. Peering down at Jess, I realized she hadn’t quite finished, so I gazed up once more and thought, I wonder if that thing’s still up there after all these years. I started to work out its relevant position to where I was now standing. From my original sighting on my balcony in Tasmania all those years ago, I ed I was facing South, South West, staring up at roughly an angle of 75 degrees. So, I found South in relation to where the Sun always rises in Mareeba and turned my gaze upwards and slightly to the South, South West. I began to search around in that particular area of space and it wasn’t long before I found it again. There it is in stationary orbit, right where it had been nine years ago. I thought, what the bloody devil could it be doing up there all this time. Was there someone in it, or is it an automated probe of some kind. Strange how its color was slightly darker than the night sky. If it has some type of cloaking device, then it’s not working very well, I continued to think. “I can plainly see it,” I said to Jess, who was standing next to me patiently waiting to be invited back inside, where she knows it’s lovely and warm. I then began thinking why more people haven’t spotted it, or maybe someone else has, but their keeping it a secret too. I imagine they’re also in fear of being incarcerated as some type of nutcase. I know, I certainly haven’t been on TV confessing to any alien conspiracies lately. I guess we all keep some things close to our chests these days. “Come on Jess, we’ve been out here long enough, Stella’s going to think we’ve been abducted,” I laughed as she turned her head in response to my voice.

CHAPTER 2

First

It’s now November 2009, Stella has changed jobs, she is now working as a guard at a nearby prison called Lotus Glen. However, there was only one downside to this new job, she’s on a rotating roster system. So, every fifth week she’s required to do two night shifts in a row. The main benefit of this new job was the generous increase in her income, which we put to good use and purchased a second car. This now made it easier for me to get to my specialist appointments in Cairns, while Stella continued using the station wagon to travel to and from work. Timothy is now 15 years old and is in Year 10 at High School, he towers over me at 6 foot 5 inches tall. Damn, this warm climate has been good to him. Can’t say the same for myself though, my health’s still quite poor. I unfortunately suffered a heart attack early in August, would you believe I was totally unaware I was suffering from one at the time, all it felt like was being out of breath and a little bit dizzy when it occurred. After seeing the Heart Specialist in Cairns Private Hospital, Dr Ming, he informed me I now have an enlarged heart with a lowered output to 42 per cent. Apparently, I have what he classed as a ‘lazy heart’ in non-professional . Oh well, my new motto is, ‘what doesn’t kill me, can only make me stronger’. I’m still trying hard to be positive about my condition, this way I can put myself in the right frame of mind to achieve a reasonable quality of life. It wasn’t long before Stella’s fifth week of work rolled around to night shift time. I ed the last time I’d spent the night alone was before Stella and I started dating. “This is going to be interesting,” I said to both Stella and Timothy. “You’re at your mates place tonight, is that right?” I asked him. “Yep! That’s right Dad,” he happily replied.

“What do you and your friends, umm, Wayne and Elvis get up to?” I asked, hoping to be invited along. “Just games-n-stuff, you know, car racing, war games, Grand Theft Auto,” he said, stuffing his backpack at the dining table with an extra PS3 controller. “Sounds like fun, can I come with you too?” I asked, giving him a hopeless puppy-dog expression. “No way Dad! You’ll cramp my style,” he replied, defiantly shaking his head from side to side. “What about you Stella?” I said, turning towards her. “Well, seeing that this is my first night shift ever, you’ll just have to entertain yourself, anyway, you’ve got Jess to talk to,” said Stella, pinning her name tag onto her uniform. “Oh well, I suppose I’m just going to order a take away dinner then, a small meat lovers pizza for one,” I remarked with a smile. I waved goodbye to Stella and Timothy at the front gate as they drove off in the station wagon and watched it disappear into the distance. His mother was giving him a lift to Wayne’s place on her way to work. I gazed down at Jess standing beside me and gave her a ruffle under the ear. “Don’t worry girl, I’ll share my food with you, even though you don’t,” I said, clicking my fingers to make her follow me. She responded by wagging her tail and trotted next to me as we walked to the back door. After dinner, which I must it was quite tasty, Jess settled herself down on her bed as usual. I decided it was time to keep watching my Voyager series on DVD. I’m up to the part where Nelix has his lungs removed by unknown aliens, only to find out later in the show they suffer from some incurable disease. “Sounds a lot like me Jess,” I said, to no one in particular as she was fast asleep. Roughly, at about 10:30 at night, Jess’s usual piss-n-look time had arrived, we got up and headed to the back door. “Oh crap, sorry Jess, forgot your treat,” I said, grabbing her dog biscuit from the container in the kitchen cupboard. She always gets a treat when we head out for that last piss-n-look of the night, it’s been a long standing tradition I’ve had with all of our dogs. After giving her the treat, we then stepped outside. As I reached

the bottom of the small flight of stairs, I regarded the night sky and noticed it was beautifully clear again, with no visible moon. We walked around the side of the house to the front yard. I noticed that all the streetlights were out. No moon or streetlights made it absolutely pitch black, except for the odd house lights which were on in the distance. I was watching my step and trying to avoid tripping over the plants next to the driveway, thinking to myself, it would just be great if I fell flat on my face and broke something, Stella and Timothy would never let me live it down. That’s weird, I thought to myself. I spotted the outline of a circle on the ground, green in color and around a meter in size. I looked in every direction to see if someone was playing a game on me, you know, some children using a laser pointer perhaps. Then the circle slowly but gradually started moving towards me. Not really knowing what was happening, I did what most sane people would do. I froze from sheer panic. By now, the circle had fully enveloped me. If it was dark before, then it went beyond that, no house lights, nothing, just blackness. It was at that very moment I felt it. As if someone had flipped on a power switch, a massive shock ran through my entire body. My eyes slammed shut, my arms raised up like a praying mantise and my upper torso came forward, then my legs bent as if I was about to take a flying leap. I’m not too sure, but I think I lost consciousness. When my eyes opened it was still pitch black. Although it felt as though the temperature had dropped 10 degrees Celsius. I could feel my ability to move return slowly, same as the increase in available light. When my eyes started to adjust to my new surroundings, I found myself standing in the same green circle in a large oddly shaped room. Just then the circle faded. The light seemed to be coming from every direction; from the floor, walls and the ceiling. This is really weird, I thought. This place appears as though it’s made out of transparent meat. Smells like it too, I thought. I saw thick veins running through the walls, carrying luminescent liquids to God knows where. It took me a moment to come to my senses, but when I did, I suddenly realized exactly where I was. It can’t be. SHIT! I’m in that ship I’ve been seeing these past years. What do I

do now, I thought, there’s no way out of here. Almost in answer to my question, the far wall started to shiver like jelly being carried on a serving platter. Appearing in the wall was a small opening that slowly grew larger. When all of a sudden the opening stopped expanding and I realized it was large enough for me to fit through. The area beyond the hole in the wall became brighter than the room I was in and enticed me to enter. Well, I guess it’s time for me to move, I thought. It was odd really, but it felt as though someone was guiding me forward, but I just put the sensation down to my curiosity. Reaching the opening, I noticed the gentle curve of the ageway heading to the left. Walking within this illuminated tunnel was quite difficult, the whole thing was more oval shaped than round with uneven surfaces and very damp as well. Finally, I reached the end, only to find myself in a much larger room. Mind you, it didn’t resemble any room I’d ever seen before. It was covered in different sized veins pumping a myriad of colored liquids. This room had far more veins in it than the previous room and was strangely illuminated just like the other. The whole area seemed as if it had recently received a thorough hosing out. Just then, the back walls started to shiver and vibrate, instead of a hole appearing in it this time, strange growths covered in weird tendrils started to appear on the wall furthest away from me. They were covered in what seemed like different colored lights and weirdly shaped controls. A dozen grotesque shapes in total, some small, some large. After what seemed like ten minutes they stopped moving and growing. The overwhelming urge to walk up and start touching them was very hard to resist, I was about to move forward when it projected it’s thought through me for the very first time. Please, do not touch my instruments Jim, it said into my mind. I looked all over the strangely lit room to see who had just spoken, the feeling of mild panic rising within me again. Once I had calmed down a bit, after feeling that powerful thought go through my head, I examined the wall next to the strange growths which had appeared, when it began to shiver. A new opening began to widen within the wall, it was much larger than the tunnel I used to get into this room. Not exactly sure what to expect, I began moving backwards with both my hands out behind me and backed myself against the opposite wall. I knew I’d reached it when I felt something like a damp side of beef in both of my hands.

Again, I froze, I have got to start showing more balls than this, I thought. When the opening in the wall ceased to grow any further, it spoke through my mind once again. Do not be frightened Jim, use the open mind I know you possess, the strength of its thought was somewhat less than before this time. “O…K…” I replied in a nervous voice, still unable to move due to my uncontrollable fear. What came walking into the room resembled something out a twisted nightmare, deep, dark blue in color, with odd leathery textured skin. Just then, it turned around to face me, it must’ve stepped through the opening backwards. “HOLY CRAP!” I said aloud. Please try to refrain from using profanities in my presence Jim, it’s thought rattled around inside my head again. There was no denying who was in charge here. Still glued to the spot, I slowly started to make sense of its grotesque features, stumpy dragon like head, chubby round torso and rather fat stomach. It’s arms were long and slender, legs short and muscular, but that head, the more I scrutinized it, the more I was certain it was a cross between a dog and a dragon. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Rogand and you are Jim, Jim Wilson, its strong thought projection entered my mind easily. “Tha… tha… that’s right,” I said, still in fear of losing my life. “But how do you know my name?” I asked, in a nervous shaking kind of voice. I have been reading your mind ever since my little mishap. You are the reason why I nearly collided with the orbiting satellite, said Rogand into my mind. “ME!” I said, putting my right hand against my chest with my fingers spreadout, wearing a somewhat bewildered expression upon my face. Yes you. You are the first of your kind to have discovered my ship. I was studying you at the time, running several detailed biological scans, I was so engrossed with the procedure at that time, I removed my eyes away from the viewing membrane during my examination. This was when my collision alarm sounded, informing me of an object approaching. Usually I would have ample time to gradually adjust my ship’s position, keeping the space camouflage projectors on. Only in order to make such a violent turn which was necessary, the projectors go offline automatically, giving the automated guidance system maximum power to avoid the approaching satellite. It was this, that caused the eventual illumination of my hull, explained Rogand, sending his thought into my mind, a very strange

and new experience for me. “So, why can I now see your ship’s position in space, I mean, if you have camouflage?” I asked, with my confidence returning slowly. At first, you were unable to, however, as your illness progressed, your muscle weakness was not only in your arms and legs, but your eyes were affected as well. Your left eye muscles have weakened, giving you a unique type of double vision, this allows you to see my ship appear to you as a darker shade to normal space. As for the rest of your population, you have an inherent trait of only viewing what is directly in front of you and very rarely looking up. In addition, there was no mention of my mishap on your global communications network, I believe you call it the World Wide Web, so my obvious conclusion was, you were the only one to have seen my ship. Imagine the odds of you being the only one to have seen me, pardon the pun, but they must be astronomical, explained Rogand’s thought within my mind, this time it’s intensity of reflection had decreased back to a much more socially acceptable level. “Oh!” I said, with not much of a response to this earth shattering news. Slowly I was starting to relax a little and felt my level of courage rising again. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions Rogand?” I said, taking my hands from behind me and wiping them clean on my shorts. Not at all Jim, it replied into my mind. “Are you telepathic?” I inquired. Yes, answered Rogand. “I thought so, I mean, I can hear you speak, but your mouth never opens,” I said, touching my mouth with the fingers of my right hand. That is correct, our species the Stommarli are eternals and have developed this form of communication over the eons, projected Rogand’s thought into my mind. “Wow! That’s cool, Umm… are you a male or female and why did you bring me aboard your ship?” I asked, starting to feel a little more relaxed and realizing he was absolutely no threat to me, what so ever. I am a male by your definition and in answer to your second question, it is my

plan to use you to save your World from its own eventual self-destruction, came his telepathic reply. “I don’t know how the devil I can help you do that,” I said, rather perplexed. Your World is one of 74 I keep watch over. I have other ships in orbit around those planets I see fit for study. When I feel the need to inspect for social and technological changes, I simply use my sub-matter transport system to travel between them. I was late in returning to the remote and distant planet named Traibill, when I found only one lone survivor, slowly dying from severe injuries, in a small one manned craft drifting away from the shattered remains of his former World, the only vessel able to escape the disaster. I still feel responsible by not arriving in time to save more lives. A rouge asteroid destroyed their beautiful World. Killing every living creature upon it, he explained gently into my mind, so he wouldn’t alarm me again with the power of his telepathy. “Do you think this survivor can help my World?” I asked, not knowing what he had in mind. No, his injuries were far too severe to repair, he died unfortunately, replied Rogand by thought projection. “How is him being dead going to benefit in helping us?” I asked, completely bewildered. He died, but his symbiotic companions are well and are currently being kept safe and suspended in my stasis chamber, these past 139 years, projected Rogand’s thought into my very confused mind. “So, what do you have in mind Rogand?” I asked, now becoming far more curious as to his intentions. With your permission Jim, I would like to blend you and the symbiots together, softly entered his reply into my mind. “WHAT! Do you think that’s wise?” I said, hoping I wasn’t going to be his next science project. I could feel my fear rising within me again. For heaven’s sake, get yourself together man, I told myself in an attempt to boost my own confidence.

Genetically you and a Traibillian are so close to a perfect biological match, in fact, your DNA is almost identical. You vary only by a few nucleotide triplets as my detailed studies have shown. Chances of rejection are very low, thoughtfully reflected Rogand, trying to put a positive spin on his offer. “Will there be any kind of side effects? You know, once you’ve done this mixing thingy” I asked, having learnt this from Doctor B., ‘If anyone offers you a miracle cure, don’t forget to ask for the side effects.’ Blending, he corrected. As you will be the first human to receive these Symbiots, I am anticipating a complete return to full health, with many other benefits to follow over time. He began to outline a list of future abilities. An amaranthine life, telepathy, increased strength and many more abilities will surface once you have reached full body symbiot saturation, came his telepathic comment, within my mind. “You mean no more pain?” I asked, extremely hopeful this would be one of the main benefits upon his list. Absolutely, it is the one thing I can guarantee, was his exact reply, which popped into my mind and spurred me on by the mention of good health. I felt my courage returning. Are you interested in proceeding? asked Rogand inside my head. “Yes, very interested in fact, is now a good time to start or shall we do this at a later date?” I asked eagerly. Now is a good time if you like, was the reply which entered my mind. “Yes! Now would be good, about those other benefits you mentioned?” I continued with my line of 20 questions, wanting to know a great deal more in regard to my returning good health. The ability to look and sound like anyone, zero cell degradation, excellent eyesight and a complete use of your mental capabilities. As I have said, many more will manifest themselves as the blending reaches full saturation. Please remove your coverings Jim, then lie down face up on the highlighted area please, Rogand continued explaining within my mind.

“Alright then,” I said, starting to remove my clothes and feeling rather embarrassed about being naked in front of a total stranger. Sensing my discomfort, Rogand shook his head from side to side. I am wearing no coverings and you do not find it strange, yet you struggle to remove them in front me, you and your people’s obsession with clothing I find absolutely absurd, remarked Rogand, whilst I slowly undressed. With my last piece of clothing removed, a pale yellow light was appearing on the floor in the shape of a human body, with its arms and legs spread wide. You may lie down on my floor now please Jim, suggested Rogand’s thought within my mind. I positioned myself on the floor, matching myself to the illuminated shape as best I could. Rogand moved over to his instrument and began the procedure, after a few deft hand movements, I could clearly hear a low hum gain in volume within the ship. “Is this going to hurt?” I asked, praying to God and hoping, Rogand’s telepathic answer was a resounding, ‘No.’ When the blending began, I could feel the microscopic organisms entering my skin through the ship’s hull and suddenly felt pain, the like I have never felt before. It ran through my entire body causing me to break a front tooth as my mouth clenched tight due to its intensity. I quickly spat the fragmented portion out before swallowing it. The pain was so strong and intense, I lost consciousness. Upon awakening, I found myself lying flat on my back in the middle of my own driveway, completely redressed and Jess standing over me wagging her tail. “Must have been a bad dream,” I said to her. It was no dream, said the voice inside my head. The sun is rising on your position, get some rest while the blending continues, Rogand’s thought rattled around inside my head again. One thing I do know, it’s going to take me a long time to get used to his telepathy. “Rogand how will I know when this blending business is going to be finished,” I said aloud.

The symbiots will communicate when the moment is right, came his last thought. “How?” I asked again, but Rogand was silent, I could no longer hear his thoughts. I struggled to my feet and headed for the back door. Oh well, tonight was a night of firsts for me. Firstly, I was the first human to travel via sub-matter transport. Secondly, I met Rogand, my very first alien. Thirdly, not too sure about this one, blended with symbiots. Rogand said they would make me feel better. “But they don’t seem to be working at the moment,” I said to Jess, I still feel like crap, I thought. I decided to feed Jess her breakfast, then went straight to bed. Come to think of it when my head hit the pillow, I fell straight to sleep. Stella woke me up when she opened the front gates to bring her car in. Gazing at the clock radio next to my bed, it read 07:32 in the morning. Stretching, while throwing off the covers, I was quite surprised at how good I felt after only one and a half hours sleep. Getting dressed I noticed how easily I could move, I used my tongue to feel for the damaged tooth, but gave up within minutes when I couldn’t find it. I put my watch on then reached for my glasses. Sliding them on, I was met with a pleasant surprise. This morning, I got a different response to the norm, instead of clearing my vision my glasses made everything blurry. So I lowered them from my eyes, my vision was perfect and clear again, raising them to my eyes once more, blurry, lowered them, clear. I did the blurry, clear, blurry, clear routine for a minute or two, then finally gave up and decided to leave them on top of my dresser. Lessening pain, perfect vision and no broken tooth, I thought. “Well blow me down! Rogand wasn’t lying after all,” I said to myself on my way out from the bedroom. I greeted Stella at the back door and watched her take-off her head kicking prison boots as Timothy calls them. “Did everything go well at work last night?” I asked, curious to know what the graveyard shift was like. “Not too bad, thanks Jim. Nightshift is just babysitting really, their locked down

by the dayshift, we only have to make sure their safe. You know, make sure no one hangs themself or no one is slicing their wrists, actually, we spend most of our time counting heads, just to make sure we don’t lose anyone over the fence. How was your night?” she asked in return. Once again, I had to put my mind into gear before opening my mouth. If I told her everything immediately, I’m pretty sure Stella would call Dr Good behind my back and arrange for another visit. Don’t get me wrong, Stella and I are very much in love in spite of everything that’s happened since Tasmania. However, I chose to be cautious. “Really good thanks, Jess and I had a ball. Would you like an omelet for breakfast?” I asked, knowing she had a much better time of it than I did last night. “Sounds great,” she replied, placing her boots in the shoe rack I made for her at the bottom of the steps when we’d first moved in. While Stella was showering, I made her favorite chicken and cheese omelet. While I was cooking at the stove waiting to flip Stella’s omelet, I started hearing what sounded like a distant crowd of people approaching, hundreds, if not thousands of voices, then silence. Next, there was a single voice inside my head shouting within my mind. WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE, it said inside my head. “WHO’S HERE,” I shouted back. Only, it was Stella who replied. “What’s that Jim,” she yelled through the sound of the running water. “Oh nothing Stella, I ju, ju, just burnt my finger on the frying pan,” I replied, trying to cover-up my slip of the tongue. I heard the shower turn off in the bathroom. We are here, we are here, we are here, came the voice inside my head once again. Thankfully this time they weren’t shouting, it was a gentle whisper, so I whispered in reply. “Who’s there?” I asked, my nerves now balancing on a razor’s edge. Then the voice replied inside my head.

We are now you, for you we care, so don’t despair, we and you are now the same, so please choose a name and then we can refrain from shouting again, the unknown individual stated. But I didn’t have time to reply. Stella had just walked out from the bathroom in her nightie and dressing gown. “Sit down kiddo, breakfast is ready,” I said, sliding the omelet from the frying pan onto the plate and then placing it in front of her on the dining table. Stella remarked on how good it looked. “Would you like a cup of tea with that?” I asked, dreading the voice in my head may begin its ranting again. “Yes, thank you,” came Stella’s reply. I turned to walk back into the kitchen, when…WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE, it yelled into my mind. I clutched my head and stumbled for a moment at their sheer volume and power of their thought this time. “Are you alright Jim?” asked Stella, through a mouth full of omelet. “Yeah, I’m just getting a really bad headache. I’ll get you your tea first, then I’ll head to the lounge and kick back in the recliner for a while,” I said stumbling over to turn on the kettle. “Ok, do what’s best and take care of yourself. Once I’ve finished breakfast I’m off to bed to get some sleep, so I’ll be ready for another nightshift tonight,” replied Stella, taking the cup and saucer from me. Struggling slightly, I made it to the lounge room with a little bit more effort than I would’ve liked. I sat myself into the recliner, asking the voice inside my head the same question as before. “Who’s there?” I said again in the hope of getting an answer. We are here, we are h…, “ALRIGHT,” I said, “that’s enough, I think I heard you the first time you asked me to choose a name.” Yes, yes, yes, a name, a name, so we can refrain, “Yes, I know, from shouting again,” I interrupted. “What name would you like?” I asked them. You must choose, you must choose, for to follow and help, is what we are, you

must choose, the odd sounding creatures asked within my mind. “Ok, I get the picture,” I said softly through gritted teeth. I’d better come up with a name quickly, before you start shouting into my head again, I thought. “Think, damn it, think,” I said, as if by video replay the events of my meeting with Rogand unfolded in my mind. “The first human to receive symbiots, Hmmm,” I started sounding out some names. “Mannie, Buddy, Rowan, no those don’t sound good at all. How about Heman? No, that sounds like crap. I know, I used to have a budgerigar named Simon when I was 12 years old. I really loved that bird. How does Simon sound? No wait! Sy-man, that’s it… Syman, in honor of the first symbiot and human blending,” I said to them. We like, we like, our name we like, Syman’s reply echoed within my mind. “Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you Syman, you can call me Jim,” I said to them. Jim it is, Syman we are, for together we’ll be, from here to far, they sang inside my head. “What do you mean, from here to far, Syman?” I asked, wanting to know if it was in anyway related to distance. We repair your cells, from now until then, so live-forever, we both together, Syman informed me. “Holy crap! Just what other capabilities are you able to achieve?” I asked eager to know the answer. We have in us the knowledge of all, until Traibill’s fall, their history, their science, enhancements and culture of all, for speed, strength, wonders and more, just ask, we can help to get answers to all, they replied inside my head. Just for the fun of it, mainly because I was feeling rather stupid and completely elated with my new pain free healthy body, somewhat like a giddy schoolboy, I had absolutely nothing to lose, so I simply threw caution to the wind and asked Syman. “Can you help me make my car fly,” I said, expecting their answer

would be “No.” We can, we can, the knowledge is here, with gravity in play the choice is clear, ten cells we make with guidance for flight, our car will lift in the air and take flight up into the night, they sang again within my mind. “Ok Syman, show me how,” I said, what have I got to lose, I thought. Nothing to lose, lots to gain, if you have a question, just simply ask us again, the symbiots prattled on inside my head. “Please Syman, just show me what you have in mind,” I said aloud. If you want to know why Stella hasn’t inquired why I’m speaking out aloud, well, I’ve always talked to myself, it’s a part of my character and Stella has learnt when to listen and when to ignore me. No need to vocalize, just ask from within, close your eyes and let us begin, Syman informed me. So now they tell me, I thought. I kicked back in the recliner and closed my eyes. A vision of a beautiful alien city formed within my mind. A city full of amazingly shaped high-rise buildings with colored glass tinted the shade of pale green. Flying among them were these immaculately finished machines, all finished in a highly reflective gloss black paint. My vision started to zoom in on one of the occupants inside the flying machine. Rogand was right, they do appear to be very similar to us, except for skin tone, which was light gray. In addition, from what I could see clearly in my vision was the lack of facial hair, bald with no eyebrows, eye lashes or ears for that matter. Just a small oval opening where our ears would be. Then the vision changed to what could only be a factory of sorts. Where a Traibillian worker was putting together several differently shaped small components, once completed, it resembled something like a squat jam jar. The vision started to fade slowly, so I opened my eyes. Was that one of the cells you were speaking of Syman, I thought to the symbiots. Yes, ’tis the cell, when a charge smaller than 9 volts will push away from here, to pull you there, to make these a list of goods must be prepared. We will assemble in sequence to complete each affair, when affixed to your car it will lift in the air. Six from under, two out on front and two at the rear, guidance on board so we can steer, sang Syman inside my head.

I sent a thought to Syman, saying thanks. This vessel empty, our energy low, proteins needed for best results, please to feed us, asked Syman clearly in my mind. Sorry Syman, I just ed, I had completely forgotten to get my own breakfast, I thought. I grabbed a quick peak at Stella when heading to the kitchen. She was sleeping soundly. The frying pan was still sitting on the sink’s edge, I merely wiped the pan clean and got started on the ingredients. I cracked two eggs into a mixing bowl, then felt and heard my own stomach rumble noisily. Damn, I really am hungry, I thought. Grabbing two more eggs to add to the bowl and a splash of milk, then began beating the contents. How does a chicken and cheese omelet sound, I ed to think my thought to Syman this time, rather than verbalize them. Sounds great, we can hardly wait to consume what appears upon that plate, they sang again in reply, within my mind. Pouring the eggs into the fry pan, I articulated myself using thoughts, it won’t be long till breakfast. Within moments I was seated at the dining table and in front of me was a perfect omelet, we ate in silence, while finishing the last tasty morsel, Syman informed me of just how unwell I’d been. Time for rest we must confess, your cells really were in quite a mess, rest, repair is what is needed, upon awakening you’ll be completed, they said in their telepathic communication. So, it was back to the recliner for me. Lying in bed would’ve been better, but I didn’t want to disturb Stella. I kicked back in the recliner and got myself comfortable, it wasn’t long before I was overtaken by sleep.

CHAPTER 3

Blended

“Dad, hey Dad, are you awake?” Timothy was nudging his father, as he was doing so he thought to himself, wow! Dad can sure sleep like the dead. “DAD, DAD, shouldn’t you have your AP mask on,” said a worried Timothy. It was then I stirred from what felt like the best sleep I’ve had in years. Normally, I’d be in pain, stiff and still suffering from ridiculous fatigue. “Wow what a sleep,” I said aloud. Seeing Timothy, I said straight away, “good morning, how was your sleep over.” “GOOD MORNING! Dad its 5 o’clock in the afternoon,” replied Timothy. “Your mom, is she…?” I started to ask, now shocked into action. “No,” Timothy answered. “I’ve already checked, she’s still asleep,” he said walking into his bedroom. “If her alarm doesn’t go off, I’ll wake her 05:30, so she has time to get ready for work,” I said, amazed at how long I’d slept. Timothy popped his head from out of his room and turned to face me, while he was hanging off the doorframe to his room he inquired what was for dinner. Oh crap, dinner, I thought. I’d completely forgotten to take something out of the freezer. Just as well we live in town close to all the shops. I grabbed the menu off the fridge and dialed Kim Lee’s Chinese Restaurant and ordered three takeaways, with a pickup time of 05:40. Twenty five minutes later, we all sat comfortably at the dining table enjoying Lee’s excellent food. “Thanks for dinner Jim,” said Stella, wiping the corner of

her mouth with a paper napkin. “You know I’m always partial to Lee’s gastronomic creations, see you tomorrow morning then,” she said, reaching for her work bag. “I’ll give you a hand out the gate Stella,” I offered. “Timothy, can you do me a favor and wash the dishes? There’s not much to do,” I asked him as I walked out the back door with Stella. “Yeah all right,” Timothy mumbled. Outside Stella and I hugged each other goodbye, she got into the station wagon and drove out the gates I held open for her. Jess came out from under the house, shaking herself when she had room to move, creating a large dust cloud in the process which was clearly visible in the sun’s low angle as it set. “Searching for your dinner girl,” I said to her. She wagged her tail madly, which meant a resounding, “yes.” I fed Jess and then went inside. Timothy had finished washing up, as usual the dishes were left standing in the rack to drain. He’d retired to his bedroom where he spends most of his time playing World of Warcraft online. I sure could use a shower right now, I thought to my new microscopic companions. Yes, yes, yes, wash and clean, spick-n-span, look your best when you meet Rogand, said Syman within my mind. You mean he wants to see me again, I asked in thought. Not you, but us he wants to see, when sundown arrives it’s time to flee, find the ring to travel so, they sang in reply. Well then, this time I’ll wear my good clothes, you know, you’ve got to look your best when communicating with a prestigious alien like Rogand, I thought. After showering I got dressed into my tailored shirt and shorts, then made coffee for myself, I meant us. It’ll take me a while to get used to having ‘technically’ someone else with me at all times. We went outside and watched a beautiful

sunset with Jess. While waiting for night-time, I asked Syman how they were able to get a message from Rogand. ’Tis easy you see, when you use telepathy, they replied in their singsong way. I see, I thought to Syman. Why was I unable to hear it, I continued to ask, curious to know how they can receive a message when they reside inside my entire body. We keep it from you, when we were with company, so you would not lose your cool and do something funny, replied Syman. Oh! Thanks for watching out for me, I thought to them. You are we, there is no denying, between us both there can be no lying, sang Syman telepathically. That’s good, I much prefer honesty too, I replied in thought. All light from the day had ed, we rose from our seat and walked to where the green ring had last appeared and waited. It wasn’t long before it shone on the ground once more, awaiting for us to step inside. This time I didn’t hesitate, quickly stepping into the targeting zone, within an instant, we were back aboard Rogand’s ship. Hello Rogand, I sent my thought to him. Hello Jim, greetings Syman, projected Rogand’s thought. You know their name, I thought back, quite surprised at this new finding. Yes, they were very pleased with your choice of title, reflected Rogand’s reply. They have feelings? I asked by thought. Yes, he replied. This is why it is called a blending, you both share mind and body, they are you and you are them, reflected Rogand telepathically. Forgive me for being a little bit slow on the uptake, I thought back Rogand.

No apologies needed Jim, it will take you both time to learn your new abilities and learn how to come to an understanding on how best to use them, projected Rogand’s thought into my mind. Shall we include Jim when we communicate Rogand? thought Syman. Yes Syman. It is important we are all aware which direction we are about to take, especially in regard to the longevity of your World below, replied Rogand. I was able to receive your thought that time Rogand, so now we’re all on the same page when it comes to communicating, I answered back by thought. Yes, that is correct Jim. Now in regard to helping your World, your thought on improving the land vehicles by adding flight aids is the type of technology your people currently lack. It will take crossing continents from hours to minutes. Eventually, removing antiquated border rivalry. Syman, help Jim source the components and assemble the anti-gravity units, then install them into his vehicle, along with a global guidance system. I will supply you with Nanite bonding couplings to make it easier to attach the anti-gravity units to under your vehicle, explained Rogand telepathically. I’ve just had an idea, did you both catch it? I thought within my own mind. Yes, yes, yes, a decompressing algorithmic Artificial Intelligence to act as autopilot and safety feature, this would stop any foul thoughts from an unscrupulous creature, added Syman to my thought. Very well then, both of you will concentrate your efforts on completing this project. I will take care of the protocols to lodge the inventions with the appropriate establishments, using your global communications network, came Rogand’s thought, walking over to his strange looking control , with a few deft hand movements, Rogand hacked into the Patents website, he turned to me and projected a thought. I have good news Jim, you are about to become an inventor, came Rogand’s pleasant thought inside my head. The next day I seized advantage of Stella resting after her second night shift. Enabling Syman and I to order all the necessary materials online, allowing us to construct the World’s very first flying car. We’ll assemble everything once all of

the components have arrived. It all amounted to quite a large list of individual parts from all over the World. All I could think of and worry about, was how much trouble I’m going to be in when Stella checks this month’s credit card statement. Something popped back into my memory of my first meeting with Rogand, it was the peril that faces this planet, but what type of danger will cause our collapse, contemplating on this matter aroused Rogand from his on-going work. I am glad you ed Jim. I have had to put it from my mind, in order of how best to explain it to you, Rogand’s thought projected through me. Can you give me any idea of what’s going to eliminate life on my planet? I sent my thought back to Rogand. Unsustainable population growth. Your people will breed themselves out of existence if left unattended, was Rogand’s reply. I’ll give it some very serious thought then, on some possible solutions, I thought back to Rogand. I will await any constructive thoughts you may have, Rogand’s thought came back in reply. We had a window of five weeks to receive all the parts and assemble the antigravity units, including writing a program for the A.I. guidance system. Both Syman and Rogand agreed it would be best to test the car at night, while Stella was on night shift again. Timothy wouldn’t even hear a bomb go off with his gaming headphones on. I wasn’t convinced it could be done in time. Though, Syman informed me while I was sleeping, they would sneak out using my body to continue to push the project forward. With each finished unit being the size of a squat jam jar, Syman can use the dining table for assembly. If Stella or Timothy disturb them, Syman can say that me, I mean them, can use the excuse I was in too much pain to sleep and decided to use the time to repair the old clock from the lounge room. This way, there would be more than enough time to complete the car, with Rogand’s expertise and added contribution. Also, lodging the invention with the appropriate authorities online, will enable a global patent on the anti-gravity units and A.I. based guidance system under my name.

Rogand was supplying us with ten of his anti-gravity unit couplings, he was genuinely proud of this design. When you placed the anti-gravity unit inside the coupling in the correct position, allowing clearance for the wiring harness to plug in, and once you held the coupling unit against the bare steel of the car, the Nanites will automatically bond the two surfaces together at the molecular level for an unbreakable . Work progressed rapidly over the following four weeks. With Syman’s decompressing A.I. program finally completed, we’d assembled all the components ready for installation. Ten anti-gravity units in total, six are to be fitted under the car for lift, two at the rear enabling movement and two on the front to allow for braking. The A.I. guidance system is in two separate low profile computer consoles which are to be installed under the two front seats. Steering and acceleration are operated by a joystick fitted back from the gear lever in the center console area between the two front seats. The wiring harnesses are all taped and spliced together, ready to clip straight into their units. Power for the whole system is wired directly to the fuse under the dash, on the 25-amp accessories fuse. It totally blew my mind that the whole damn thing is going to run from the car battery. The only down side to this is the engine must be running to keep the battery charged. At least I can have the air conditioning on, I thought. At idle the 2-liter diesel engine will have well over 100 hours of flight time on a full tank. The last week’s preparations were a nightmare, especially when several small issues arose during installation, however, they were very quickly overcome by the combined intellect of Syman and Rogand’s vast accumulated knowledge. In their presence I felt like the odd one out, a Neanderthal bystander way out of his depth compared to the two of them. They both sensed my embarrassment and kindly reminded me that this was my idea in the first place and how impressed they both were when I had come up with the idea so easily. It has been a long time since I have felt this positive towards any projects completion and believe me when I project my thought to you, for me it is an eternity, Rogand reflected cheerfully. I too, have not felt so much excitement from my host as I’m feeling right now. Jim is positively bursting at the seams, thought Syman in response to Rogand’s current feelings.

I can’t wait till tonight to fly this puppy, talk about being over stimulated, I’m having trouble sitting still. I thought back to them both. While having dinner with Stella and Timothy this evening, Stella was giving me funny glances every now and then. She probably thinks I’ve popped too many pain pills again, I thought, not that I need them anymore. Let me help, let me help, I can ease those muscles and lessen your anxiety, just think please and in a second you’ll be relieved and at ease, suggested Syman’s collective thought. I concentrated back to them, I’ll take you up on the offer, please help me relax and regain my composure. Within a blink of the eye, I began to feel my tightened muscles and tension fade away. Thanks a million pals, my thought was a welcoming surprise to Syman. Thank you Jim, came their gratified thought. My original host Lenia, never thanked us once in our 327 year blend, relayed a very grateful Syman. Well my new friends, all I can say is, I’m in your debt, you’ve saved me from a life of pain and misery, I’ll never stop thanking you all, I thought warmly to my recent saviors. I closed the gate and waved to Stella as she left for work. I turned back towards the open double garage to see my car, a two-year-old Holden Cruze, recently modified for flight, parked and awaiting sunset. Timothy was online gaming as usual, and all we had to do is sit and wait for night to fall, yet again. I used the time on my hands to catch up with my son Timothy. We rarely speak at all these days, he’s become the classic teenager. Although, it was great to have him open up and tell me how well he’s doing at school. He even informed me of the latest love of his life. When we’d finished it was well past 08:30 and very dark outside, with a waning cresent moon visible in the western horizon. Perfect, I thought. It seems as though my luck is about to change for the better. Ready to make history tonight Syman? I asked my microscopic companions. In their reply, they whispered softly in my ear. 3, 2, 1 and lift off. At least that’s what it sounded like to me.

I grabbed my keys and wallet from the kitchen bench, proceeded out to the garage and made myself comfortable in the driver’s seat. I gave a thought to inform Syman, ready when you are pal. Ready, willing and able, Jim, may I initiate the operating system? asked Syman. “All yours,” I said aloud. Oh! By the way, I’ve just come up with the name to use for the A.I., Oscar (operating… system… car…) Oscar we’ll call him, I sent my thought to Syman. I love it, I love it, Oscar it is, I’m ready to take over control of your body now Jim, replied Syman. “Righto,” I said. I began to relax and let my whole body go limp. You may take over now Syman, I thought back to them. Slowly, I could feel them take up the flexion and extension control of my body. It was strange to watch myself start the car’s engine, then initiate start-up of A.I. and guidance system controlling all the anti-gravity units. Enabling even lift, potential thrust, lateral pitch, roll and gradual deceleration. Syman moved the car forward out of the garage and onto the flat, clear area of the driveway. Peering through the front windscreen we could clearly see all the streetlights were turned off again. Rogand informed us not to worry, I thought it would be wise to eliminate excess lighting, I have infiltrated the power network and turned the streetlights off, better to be unseen than create mass panic. Excellent idea, I telepathically sent back. The A.I. program had finally decompressed and was awaiting its initializing title, an essential part of its operating characteristic parameters, giving it a title helps maintain its algorithmic sub-routine boundaries. You can’t have a whacky Artificial Intelligence running the show. Syman used my vocal cords to state, “You’re operating system Oscar,” they said, my voice sounding slightly higher in pitch. Then Oscar replied. “Voice print identification confirmed. Please state your full

name?” the A.I. asked in reply. Syman then stated my full name, “Jim Ignatius Wilson.” Just then, I felt Rogand make to wish us a safe flight. Syman sent back, affirmative. Would you like to take over the controls Jim? they asked within my mind. Are you kidding? I thought, eager to see our test flight begin. Jim, you know we never ridicule, added Syman’s thought. “Of course I’d love to take over, thanks guys,” I said aloud. Feeling the use of my body return under my control, I lightly grasped the joystick in my left hand and lifted it up slowly. Activating the anti-gravity units under the car, by evenly applying negative force against the Earth’s own gravitational pull, I moved the lever up a centimeter, instantly I could feel the car move upwards at roughly the rate of a slow elevator. Up and up we flew. All northern radar is currently patched into the guidance system Jim. Oscar will alert you if any aircraft comes within range. You must stay below 200 meters to remain unnoticed, Rogand telepathically informed us. “Oscar, read out our ascent please,” I directed. “50 meters, 100 meters, 150 meters, hold,” Oscar called out. Releasing pressure on the joystick it sprang back to its center position, we hovered there for a brief moment. Which way Syman? I thought to my new companions. West is best, no one around, just cattle and kangaroos upon the ground, Syman said within my head. West it is, I replied by thought. Moving the joystick to the right, while pushing it slightly forward sent us in a slow loop. Now facing the other way, I moved joystick back to its center position and pushed it harder towards the dash. A quick peek at the GPS display on the dashboard confirmed we were heading due West.

Oscar declared, “air speed 128 kilometers per hour.” So far so good, I thought, enjoying our ride in the World’s first flying car. Faster, faster, let’s see what this puppy can do, Syman shouted their thought inside my head. My grip tightened on the joystick and I pushed it further forward another centimeter towards the dashboard. “Air speed 229 kilometers per hour,” Oscar stated. He sounded faint as the noise of the air rushing over the uneven surface of the car gained in intensity. The sound of the air flowing over the car’s body was intoxicating. While keeping forward pressure on the joystick, I gently pulled it toward me, turning us to head North, North West, according to the GPS readout. We were heading directly to the Staaten River National Park. Slow down, slow down, stop somewhere in the center of the park, it’s a great place to practice our automatic landing feature. Where we’ll check on all of our operating systems, then it’s up on high for a global excursion to see just how fast we can push this creation in one direction, Syman said excitedly into my head. I slowly eased back on the joystick until it reached center position again. Oscar once again informed us we’d stopped, reporting that the air speed had reached zero. We had Rogand do a surface scan of the area, just to make sure there was no one around for hundreds of kilometers. All clear was his response. I applied downward pressure on the joystick, being careful not to be too heavy handed. Oscar readout the descent heights. When we’d reached a height of 70 meters, I asked Oscar to initiate the automated landing procedure. Taking off is one thing, but a night landing in an unknown territory requires skill, skill I don’t have yet. The super bright LED landing lights came on automatically, switching the view of the dashboard display to the under car camera. I watched as Oscar expertly lowered us onto the ground, moving the car slightly to one side to miss several large boulders. I felt the weight of the car settle upon its own suspension once again. The landing lights switched themselves off automatically when all movement had ceased. Oscar responded in saying. “Landing complete, please take care when exiting

the vehicle.” That’s a nice touch you added to the A.I.’s programing Syman, I thought to them. Thank you Jim, we thought it was necessary to remind people of safety. We were watching a show on late-night television the other evening, saying, most minor accidents occur when exiting motor vehicles, reflected Syman, also adding, if you are unhappy with your flying car, please return it within 90 days of purchase for a full refund. You know, you shouldn’t accept those television shows as a factual representation of life here on Earth, most critics call them tabloid TV or trash TV, I telepathically informed my friends. I guess you’re right, we really didn’t think you had talking dogs here on Earth, reflected Syman. I turned the engine off, but left the accessories on and kept Oscar running to perform a full system diagnostic. Opening the door, I stepped outside to stretch our legs. The flight left me feeling so high on adrenaline, I could feel our heart was racing. Please can you help me to relax, I thought to Syman. Think no more, just enjoy the vista, in a minute or two, you’ll be one calm mister, sang Syman in my mind. Rogand, once we’re finished here, what heading should we take for our speed run? I sent my thought skyward. Do not worry Jim, I have ed your flight plan into Oscar’s guidance system. Since he has internet access, I was able to use your satellite network for the . The flight will take you to a level of 450 meters, then head further West out over Mornington Island. Turning to face South for your speed run and loop anti clockwise below Tasmania. At a distance of 300 kilometers off the East coast of the mainland on your return trip up to Mareeba. I wish you well on your journey, projected Rogand’s thought into my mind. By now, I was so completely relaxed thanks to Syman’s remarkable abilities. I turned towards the car sitting peacefully under the night sky. I drew in a deep

breath and said aloud, “saddle up partner, let’s go for a ride.” Yes, yes, yes, let’s go, let’s go, I want to see how fast this puppy can go, replied an over stimulated Syman within my mind. It didn’t take you long to pick up the lingo, did it, I thought to them. You bet your bottom dollar it didn’t, they replied, all laughing loudly inside my head. I wiped the tears from my eyes from laughing loudly at their response. It seems their laughter is quite infectious. Reaching the car, I got in and settled myself once again. I asked Oscar how the diagnostic went? It reported all systems operational. Turning the key, the car’s engine rumbled back into life. I asked Oscar to initiate the flight plan Rogand had given him. We ascended rapidly this time under the control of the A.I. I was pulling a few G’s which made me slightly nervous. Reaching the programed altitude Oscar accelerated westward. It wasn’t long before we were over Mornington Island turning South for our speed test to begin. Before Oscar started, I said “can you please accelerate gradually, Syman and I don’t want to be scraping our bodily organs from off the rear seat, if that’s okay with you Oscar?” Oscar informed us during Rogand’s update he had included specific safe tolerances on the human body. I quickly sent a thought of appreciation back to Rogand. He replied in thought, your and Syman’s safety is paramount to my mission here, as is the entire population of Earth. As we accelerated, Oscar called out the air speed, “120 kilometers per hour, 240 kilometers per hour, 310 kilometers per hour.” At this speed a rattling sound was increasing in volume when we hit 350. “Oscar, OSCAR,” I shouted over the intense noise. “SLOW DOWN, WERE FLYING APART” I yelled over the din. I faintly heard through the noise, “affirmative.” Suddenly we were losing our momentum. Gradually the rattling subsided as we came below 250 kilometers per hour. I explained to Oscar that the car was in serious danger of tearing itself apart at those higher speeds. We made the rest of

the journey at a greatly reduced speed, taking far more time than was originally estimated. By the time we were off the coast of Cairns turning West and heading back to Mareeba, the eastern horizon was beginning to lighten. We’d safely landed and parked the car back in the garage. As I closed and locked the roller door, I couldn’t help but notice how light the sky had become. Damn it Syman, I hope no one spotted us, I was thinking. Us too, us too, but what can you do, the car it flies without a doubt, but needs major modifications before we publicly come out, added Syman telepathically. I am aware of your dilemma. I may have a solution to your problem. One of the worlds I watch over has technology which may help. I will make with you soon, projected Rogand’s thought inside our head. I’m really bushed after that run, I need some sleep, can you take over when Stella gets home? Rustle up Stella and Timothy some breakfast. Are you able to do this for me please? I thought to Syman. Put your feet up, take a rest, let us make house and look after the nest, they replied happily inside my head. I heard later in the day after I awoke, I’d been very helpful with the housework, also I was preparing Italian for dinner tonight. Seems like you had fun today, I thought to Syman. Yes, yes, yes, I vacuumed and dusted your nest, something you’ve been putting off at best, which annoyed your spouse, now she is happy and greatly at ease with the house, we decided to cook Italian for dinner, so it should be a winner, Syman telepathically informed me. Indeed, Stella was pleased. There’s been a question niggling in the back of my mind that I wanted to run by Syman. With your previous host Lenia, what happened when he… well… was intimate with the opposite sex? I asked telepathically, feeling rather embarrassed. There has always been an understanding, we sleep to keep the peace between symbiot and host, in this way harmony reigns supreme, distrust and disorder can cause illness and doubt, as I’ve informed you in the past, just say please when you ask, we’ll hibernate until you need us again my friend, said Syman into my

head. After dinner Timothy and I washed up the dishes. He retired to his bedroom to play his online games as usual, and I sat down on the sofa next to Stella. We watched TV for a short time, then Stella stood up to stand in front of me, reaching down she grabbed both my hands to guide me from the sofa and lead me into the bedroom where she closed the door. Syman please, please, please it’s time for sleep, I asked them within my mind. Syman replied, Goodnight Jim, we’ll speak with you in the morning, just a small warning, your strength has improved by a factor of ten, so be extra gentle with Stella when you begin.

CHAPTER 4

Second Flight

The issue of the modifications to the car had been troubling us for the rest of the week. Syman and I were bouncing around ideas for several days to no avail, when Rogand finally got back to us. I have the solution, I call it an environmental shield. This will solve the inertia and aerodynamic issues. Once fitted, the car will be able to fly at great speeds without harm to its occupants or machinery. I have designed a shield generator and power cell. You will need to have another power supply, the energy requirements are enormous for this task. I had an idea for improving your power inverter technology. When it is ready, I will bring you aboard to make exactly sure you are aware of the installation methods. I will lodge two more patents under your name Jim, Rogand telepathically informed us. With that issue finally resolved, Syman and I used the extra time to test our increasing abilities. We walked up the street to the local coffee shop where Stella once worked. Whilst sitting quietly in the back with our coffee and cake, Syman asked me to concentrate on the nearest person with their back turned to us and read their thoughts. Actually, is that possible? I asked with a single thought. Yes we do, we’ve become more aware of your higher brain functions these past few days and feel the time has come for you to evolve your consciousness to a higher level, thought Syman in reply. Yeah right, you know I’m just a grease monkey by trade, so don’t expect any miracles. Finding a dropped nut or bolt in an engine block is one thing, but finding a thought within some strangers mind is another, was my response to Syman.

Staring at the back of the man sitting at the next table, I noticed he was around the same age as me, but he still had all of his hair. I cleared my mind of any thoughts I may have had and then focused on listening into any thoughts forming within his mind. I’m glad I decided to sit in the back of the café. I caught a glimpse of my own reflection in the glass of a painting hanging near me on the wall, my entire face was screwed up from straining too hard. All I got from my first try was a nasty headache from concentrating excessively. Syman helped ease my pain until it was gone and then conversed within my mind. Don’t be too disappointed, it may take some time to be able to read someones mind. Since we have two more hours to kill, there is no reason why you shouldn’t try again, but perhaps this time, lessen your concentration and aim your focus to listen in on his surface thoughts only, don’t try to dig to deeply into his memories, my incredibly gifted symbiotic friends suggested within my mind. Taking several slow, deep breaths, I put into practice exactly what Syman says. I put my coffee cup down after finishing its contents and inhaled a few slower, deeper breaths to relax even further, then glared at the back of the man’s head once more. Carefully focusing on picking up any thoughts he might have. I didn’t strain as hard this time. I made sure I kept myself quite relaxed. I could hear a faint voice increasing within the back of my mind. The more I opened my mind to his thoughts the louder they became, until I could clearly make out someone deciding whether to do their banking first, or to pick up the printer ink cartridges from the office supply store. He seemed to be very indecisive about his choices. I heard his thoughts Syman, I heard his thoughts, Wow! This is fantastic. Just how many new abilities will surface over time, I reflected to them. When blended originally with Lenia, many, many seasons ed before we reached total symbiotic harmony. Even now Jim you resist our influence. Trust is the issue, once you accept us completely, only then will the ultimate abilities be obtained, they said softly into my head. Forgive me Syman, this is so foreign to me. I do know the reason why I’m having trouble letting you all in. I use to be quite the loner, never trusting anyone but myself. Even though I have a wife and son, I don’t have any other friends. I’ve

always been somewhat socially inept with other people. It’s so I don’t get hurt by allowing anyone to get to close to me. Please don’t be too disappointed if it takes us a few extra seasons than Lenia, I said within my mind. It will take as long as it takes, , we have an eternity to find out, Syman finished saying within my mind.

Several days had ed. Syman and I have been using the time to hone our mind reading skills. Sitting or standing was becoming like child’s play. However, the challenge is walking, moving towards a subject while concentrating on not tripping over my own feet and trying to mind read at the same time was incredibly difficult. This is when Syman said softly within my mind, now is the time to trust us some more, let us move your body across the floor, you can concentrate on reading peoples thoughts. Please trust us Jim, it’s what we do, let us in so we may both improve. Ok then, I replied to them in my mind. I completely relaxed. I’d let Syman use my body before when we were taking our first flight. I let Syman turn the car keys and start Oscar, the A.I. responsible for the navigational guidance system, plus I let them cook for my family and clean the house as well. I’m ready, I thought to my friends. Just as before, it was strange to see myself stand up and begin walking, it really felt like an out of body experience. I made sure I stayed completely relaxed, letting Syman steer us between the people on the street. A woman of around 30 years of age approached us. I began training my thought upon her mind while Syman took care of my motor skills. The distance closed between us. Wait!… Yes, I can hear her thoughts, oh my! I said to Syman in my mind. Why, what is it Jim? Syman asked. Umm… It seems her husband has left his mobile phone at home and she’s found several lurid text messages on it to another woman. She is currently thinking of several devious ways to get back at him. Oh my, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes when he gets home from work today, I said into my head. Yes, yes, yes, I was listening in, it appears there are many ways to sin and especially when it involves the skin, Syman replied inside my head. I’m a little tired after that reading. Since you’d like me to trust you more, how about I let you walk us home please Syman, I’m going to get some sleep, my thought projecting back to the microscopic life-forms.

Stella and I were watching TV from the two-seater recliner. Our favorite evening program was starting to air when Rogand made telepathic . Tonight at the hour of ten, make your way outside once again, it will not take long, just a quick rendezvous to collect the equipment, and I will project to you both the plans for installation upon your return, said Rogand within my mind. Agent Gibbs had saved the day once again. It was 10 o’clock when Stella mentioned she was off to bed and inquired if I was staying up. “No, I’m going to take Jess out for her last piss-n-look and then I’ll you,” I replied, heading to the kitchen cupboard to get Jess’s dog treat. The streetlights were out once again thanks to Rogand’s help. While Jess was doing her usual routine, Syman and I stepped quickly into the green transport ring. We arrived aboard his ship to see Rogand standing next to us with his long slender arms outstretched, holding the components in each of his hands, with a wiring loom wrapped further up his arm. We removed the power cell from his left hand and it didn’t feel heavy at all, when Syman quickly reminded me of my increased strength. I held the power cell in my right hand and then grabbed the environmental generator from Rogand’s right hand, he then slid the wiring spool off his arm and placed it over our head, resting it upon our shoulders. He took one step back and before we had a chance to say thanks, we arrived back home again on my driveway with our goods. We placed the items on the workbench inside the garage. It was then Rogand telepathically sent the plans through to us. It’s a good thing I have complete access to my mind and now have a photographic memory. I shared his thoughts with Syman to ensure we were both on the same page. As it turned out, installation was going to be a breeze. Rogand had made everything plug and play. All we had to do was secure the two units into the car. We used Rogand’s Nanite bonding system to affix the shield generator and power cell. When we’d finished the installation, Rogand communicated among us again. Jim, with the power generator, I have used the terminology ‘spiral inverter’ to best describe its functionality for your earthly colleagues to comprehend its

operating parameters, this way your Patent office has a frame of reference they will understand. It would be six more days until Stella was on night shift again.

Time to see what other abilities you now have with the aid of Syman. We shall see how far you have come with your strength in mind, Rogand telepathically suggested we try some gymnastics. We had a window of opportunity the next night when it was time for Jess’s last outdoor break. Syman and I were standing in the middle of our darkened driveway. Thanks to Rogand’s help, he’d blackened out our street once more, turning the streetlights off. I’m sure by now Ergon, the power company responsible for streetlight maintenance, have been kept very busy chasing a ghost in their system as Rogand kept hacking into their network, allowing us to practice in private. I sent a thought to Syman, what would you like me to do? When you’re ready, just gather all your strength and jump straight up then land back down onto the ground, Syman suggested within my mind. Fair enough, I thought to myself, I can do that. However, I forgot Syman was enhancing my strength as we communicated. I stood with our legs together. Ok, 5, 4, 3,2,1, I thought, counting down in my mind. I bent our knees, brought our arms down towards the ground and jumped as high as we could. I put everything I had into the leap. Out of my mouth came the words “BLOODY HELL….” As the ground disappeared below me, the sudden rush of air whistling in our ears was quite loud. As I kept gaining altitude I could feel our ascent slow as gravity was about to exert its force and bring us back down. Quickly scanning East and then South, I could clearly make out the lights of Cairns and Atherton in the distance, we lost sight of them when we began falling back down. “SYMAN, I CAN’T SEE THE GROUND,” I shouted aloud. Oh! Sorry, look now, how’s that? Syman had quickly enhanced my vision.

I could clearly make out our house now, only trouble was, we’d jumped unevenly. We were headed for the next door neighbor’s tree. Catching a large limb on the way down slowed our descent by more than half, when we connected with the branch we bent it all the way to the ground before it gave way, we heard a loud crack as I ripped the limb completely from the tree. Whack! The sound of us hitting the ground was ear splitting. “Shit! That hurt Syman.” We’d landed face down on the lawn, spread eagle. Yes, we know, we know, we felt it too, just give us a minute or two and we’ll be as good as new, Syman reflected inside my head. Thank heavens for their rapid healing ability, I thought as I hauled us up and over the fence back into our back yard. “Jess, come on girl let’s get inside.” I said limping slightly. We made our way to the back door. Rogand informed us we had reached a height of 76.3 meters, according to the sensors aboard his ship. Jesus, that’s huge, I thought. Then Syman added, one small step for man, one giant leap for symbiots. Very funny Syman, very funny, that’s a good one, I thought to them as we walked up the back stairs and into the kitchen. My badly injured leg was now fully repaired. With the brightness of the kitchen light I’d noticed the tear in my favorite T-shirt, “damn, this is only two weeks old.” I said.

It was night shift time once again, Stella left for work right on time at 06:25 in the evening. Once more, we were to be left alone to our own devices. Timothy would sleep over at Wayne’s house again, a good friend of his from school. Rogand was happy with the installation of the environmental shield and spiral inverter. Syman was using a unique method of telepathy, where the images we were seeing are sent through telepathically to Rogand, who, with his eyes closed, would see exactly what we were observing. He was receiving these images just as if he was experiencing a vivid dream. Night was coming earlier each day as we drew closer to the winter equinox. I handed over the control of my body easily this time. Syman started the car and moved it from the garage to the driveway, he then engaged Oscar the guidance system, once again the street lights were out. Syman asked Oscar to initiate the new environmental shield, making sure when they used my voice to direct the A.I. to switch it on only when we’d reached a height of 50 meters, then to proceed to an altitude of 550 meters above the ground. That will put us at exactly 1,020 meters above sea level. Mareeba is 470 meters above sea level. Our pre-planned route will take us straight to maximum speed, heading easterly around the World. Rogand would track our path using GPS and warn Oscar of any course corrections if necessary. At this altitude we were more than likely to come upon other aircraft. Syman asked me if I was ready, “yes, ready, willing and able,” I replied. Syman used my voice to communicate with Oscar, “initiate,” they said. I felt the rapid rise of the car until the shield engaged. From then on it was if we were standing still. The shield was working perfectly, any inertia had disappeared and this was obvious when Syman pushed the joystick as far forward as it would go. Oscar read out the airspeed, “1,673 kilometers per hour.” HOLY FUCKING HELL, I thought. Please try not to use profanities Jim, Rogand chipped in.

“Sorry,” I replied aloud. Rogand, I called with my mind, how come the only thing I can hear is the car’s motor and the low hum from your spiral inverter? Surely at this speed the air movement over us should sound like a freight train. Have you thought of air intake and exhaust from the engine? I added finally. Yes, the shape of the shield allows for even air exchange. Allowing fresh air in through a small portal at the front and the same for the exhaust waste out the rear. It occurred to me that the shape of my shield design had to be aerodynamically unique. It is long and tapered to a sharp point at the front and again at the rear. This allows effortless movement through your atmosphere. Upon speed reduction at approximately 180 kilometers per hour, the shield’s shape is re-modulated into an oval, thus reducing power requirements to prolong the life of the spiral inverter, Rogand was kind enough to explain telepathically. How long will our trip take? I asked Rogand. You left Mareeba, which is 1,892 kilometers below the equator, at your current speed you will return in 11 hours and 17 minutes. I am monitoring your communications network. Currently there is some low chatter in regard to your journey, and I am starting a counter rumor on all your social media available. ‘UFO sighting, fact or fiction’, or ‘Is the Air Force testing a new spy plane’. This should deflect any curiosity once the speed test is successful. A worldwide patent is to be submitted with completed plans to modify any ground vehicles into flyers. Once the patent is lodged, the World will finally know who Jim Ignatius Wilson of Mareeba is. Your next flight, so we can go public, will take place next Wednesday at 8 o’clock in the morning from Mareeba Airport. I hope you find these details are satisfactory, Rogand telepathically laid out our plan. Yes thank you, Syman and I can more than manage with those times, I replied, thinking to my internal friends, our lives are about to get a whole lot busier. I gazed out the window to watch the World go by. Well, thinking to Syman and Rogand, very soon our lives are about to change. The World will soon know we have a fully working prototype, lodged and patented, and Wednesday morning is the time for our debut. Stella’s going to wonder when and where I found the time to put together the

World’s first flying car, not to mention having the imagination to come up with the idea in the first place. I suspect, I’ll have to inform her of you two, if this is alright by you Rogand and Syman, I thought. Yes, introduce us, please, please, please, we already like your mate Stella, as well as your offspring Timothy, added Syman inside my mind. Well! My symbiots are in agreement. What about you Rogand, what is your opinion on this matter? I quickly projected the question above. This would normally go against my better judgment. Yet, it seems our plan will run far more smoothly with Stella’s assistance. We shall leave young Timothy to enjoy his youth before he is brought into our inner circle. Your family unit is very important to you Jim, I have been aware of this since you first discovered my existence, Rogand thought, contemplating all the angles, then quickly came to a decision. Yes, Stella can be informed of us, please bring her to me tomorrow night at 8 o’clock, Rogand’s invitation settled within my mind. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she meets you, I thought to them both. I know you are laughing Jim and this is no laughing matter. I can sense the humor within your thoughts, please pre-prepare Stella, just so she will not be as shocked as you were, finished Rogand’s thought. Sorry about that, I quickly thought back. According to Rogand’s estimate, we still had 10.5 hours remaining in our speed test, until we reached Mareeba. Syman and I were very curious in regard to all the hype that was unfolding on social media, pertaining to our speed test. We spent the rest of the trip adding our own stupid replies on Facebook and Twitter. Like, ‘There’s an Alien Invasion’, ‘War of the Worlds has begun’. Oh and my favorite, ‘My Step-Mother is an Alien’, anything and everything to confuse the masses, until we were ready to go public with the truth. That flying cars are no longer science fiction.

Sunday night, two more days to go until our official flight. We’d all enjoyed a roast dinner prepared by Syman. I thanked them for their help, they really have taken to cooking like a duck to water. They’re becoming quite the culinary wizards in the kitchen. I ed on the compliments again to Syman, that Stella and Timothy gave me. With the washing up completed, Timothy went to his bedroom as usual. Stella and I both relaxed for a while watching House of Cards on Netflix. After an hour had ed, we turned to Stella and begun the pre-introductions Rogand had asked for. “Sweetheart, do you when I told you about the UFO I spotted back in Tasmania,” I began explaining. “Yeah… I do,” she replied, not too sure where I was headed with this topic. “Well…, as it turns out, we have two new friends I’d like you to meet tonight,” I said, gazing closely into her eyes. “Yeah… go on,” she said. I decided to tell her everything. The meeting with Rogand. Being blended with symbiotic life-forms from a dead World. The fact we now have a flying car parked in the garage. I didn’t go so far as to tell her about the major plan regarding our population control. It’ll sound better if it comes from Rogand, whatever those plans may be. Stella may even have a few good ideas of her own. When I had finished informing her about everything, I got the same look from Stella as I did back in Tasmania, when I told her of my sighting back in 1999. “It’s true Stella, all of it and just so you don’t think I’m crazy or nuts, Rogand has asked to meet with you,” I said. I stood up, held her by the hand and led her into Timothy’s room. I informed him we’re both going for a walk up the street and said, “I’ve got my mobile phone if you need to us, we should probably be back in two hours.” He nodded he understood, then lowered his headphones back over his ears and turned back to his computer screen. “Come with me Stella,” I said, holding firmly onto her hand as I led her out the back door and around the side of the house to the driveway out front.

Rogand had once again turned all the streetlights off in preparation. The green ring on the ground was a little larger in diameter this time to accommodate us both. Helping Stella to step inside, I wrapped both my arms tightly around her, we could feel the sudden shock of the transport take Stella’s breath away as she tightly wrapped her arms around me. As usual the trip was virtually instantaneous. Arriving in Rogand’s sub-matter transport room, Stella lowered her arms from around us as Syman and I released our embrace. “Sweet Jesus,” she said, gawking around the organic room with its strange lighting, she stared back at me, “it’s true, all of it, isn’t it?” she said. “Yeah kiddo, it sure is,” we replied with a broad grin upon our face. The ageway had opened for us to continue through to Rogand’s laboratory. Once we stepped out from the oddly shaped tunnel, we could see Rogand had his back to us, busy with his instruments. I had decided to use speech with Stella at first. “Rogand, I would like you to meet my wife Stella, Stella this is Rogand,” I smiled as I introduced them both. Rogand spun to face Stella. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Stella, he telepathically projected his intorduction. I’m glad Rogand decided to use a soft and calming demeanor in his thoughts. “Holy fuck,” Stella said, gawping at me wearing the face of fear. However, before Rogand had a chance to ask… “Please don’t use any profanities in his presence,” I said on his behalf. Stella had put a hand over her mouth, while saying, “please forgive me Rogand, I didn’t mean to swear.” Perfectly understandable, it seems your kind like to use profanities, Rogand put in, still using gentle thought projections. “Now, allow us to introduce ourselves, we are named Syman and truthfully, we have met before,” said Syman, using my vocal cords to express themselves. “Your voice just changed Jim, was that the symbiots Rogand blended you with?” she asked, pointing directly at him. “Yes, yes, yes, this is we, we usually make you breakfast, lunch and dinner for thee,” Syman replied verbally.

“I thought Jim had taken cooking lesson to improve his culinary skills. If Syman’s doing all the work, what are you doing Jim when Syman’s busy in the kitchen making those wonderful dishes?” asked Stella, knowing full well what his answer was going to be. “Um… um… sleeping,” I replied, blushing profusely. “Typical,” my wife said. Can we please focus on why Stella has been included in to our inner circle, interrupted Rogand. “Sorry,” I said aloud. “Rogand has submitted a full set of plans and specifications on how to retrofit any car, van, bus or truck with anti-gravity systems, together with power generation and shield technology. A Worldwide Patent was lodged in our family name. You, Syman and I will make a very public announcement in two days’ time, followed by taking a reporter and a cameraman on a joy-flight around Australia.” I began to say. “Rogand has invited the media along to Mareeba Airport for this Wednesday at 8 o’clock in the morning,” just as I was finishing to inform Stella, I don’t know who acted first, if it was Syman or me, or both of us together at the same time. Anyway, we caught Stella on the way down. Rogand had reflected it was possibly the after effects of the sub-matter transport system which had caused her to faint, or maybe from the shock of the news of this rapidly approaching Wednesday. Stella regained consciousness within 15 minutes. “Are you alright?” we all asked. “Yes, thank you,” she replied, “just a bit of a shock, that’s all,” she continued to say. Stella peered deep into our eyes and said. “Are you okay with this Jim?” still quite pale in the face. We helped Stella to her feet. “Stella, our World is in danger,” I said trying not to alarm her any further.

“What do you mean by danger?” she asked, losing a shade or two of color in the process. “My good friend Rogand here, studies many more Worlds other than our own and has seen the early warning signs already. That if nothing is done to stem the unsustainable population growth upon our planet, we’ll breed ourselves out of existence in 225 to 250 years, this is roughly the amount of time we have left to undo the chaos,” I said, looking up to Rogand for some . “Rogand’s projections have a 98 per cent accuracy, currently the World is still a large enough place. With the aid of our new technology, the flying car, it will cut travel time down to minutes instead of hours and days. It’s going to take many years to stop and slowly begin to reduce our population. However, Rogand is adamant our border squabbles will evaporate over the necessity to allow the movement of goods and people freely and quickly,” Rogand nodded his approval for me to continue. “In addition, there is one other matter, we need to find a way to stem the population growth ourselves, people aren’t smart enough or willing enough to take this kind of action on a global scale,” I continued to explain as the color was slowly returning to her cheeks. Stella, we need your ideas, any thoughts you may have on rectifying this unfolding tragedy will be most welcomed, projected Rogand’s thought inside our minds. She stared at me with a desperate look on her face, then turned to Rogand, breathed in several deep breaths, then said, “very well, I’ll see what I can come up with.” “Yes, we’re all in agreement, this is the best course of action,” added Syman using my voice.

CHAPTER 5

Going Public

The alarm clock sounded loudly in our ears. Once awake, I wished Syman good morning, kissed Stella on the cheek and got out of bed. It was 06:02 in the morning. We have less than two hours until we go public, I thought to Syman and Rogand after getting dressed. I turned to Stella to ask her what she would like for breakfast. “Are you cooking? Or is Syman going to,” she asked, hoping Syman would step up to the task. I sent a thought to Syman, looks like she prefers your culinary skills to mine. “Syman says, would you like Eggs Benedict?” I said in reply to her question. “Yes please, I think Eggs Benedict for three sounds great, I’ll go and wake Timothy. Thanks Syman,” said Stella gratefully. We like being here on Earth inside a gracious host, with such a friendly soul mate, they said into my head. Timothy left for school on time at 07:45, at the door Timothy turned to say, “excellent breakfast, thanks Dad.” “Your most welcome Timothy, have a great day mate, we’ll see you this afternoon,” I replied, continuing to wash the dishes. With the house closed and locked, Stella, Syman and I got into the car, drove onto the street, closed the garage and the front gates, we left Jess with an enormous brisket bone to munch on, and then drove to our local airport.

Upon arriving, we’d noticed that only one news crew had bothered to turn up for our debut. “The rest of the networks probably thought it was a hoax,” I said to Stella as she too was amazed that only one news team had shown up. Never mind, they will have the scoop of the century, better for us there is no network rivalry, Rogand projected to us all. I glanced at Stella, she nodded her agreement, pulling up alongside the news crew’s van we realized they were a freelance team. These men are about to get the story of a lifetime, I thought to Rogand, Stella and Syman. I pulled the car alongside their van, and then we both got out of the car, leaving the motor running with the air-conditioning on as it was set to be a very warm day. “Good Morning,” I said to the well-dressed gentleman nearest to us. “Definitely the anchor-man,” said Stella, whispering in my ear. “Are you Jim Wilson?” he asked, stepping forward to shake my hand. “Yes I am, this is my wife Stella,” I said, firmly shaking his hand. “I’m Peter Wosner and this is my cameraman, Marc Manea,” the reporter said, gesturing towards his partner setting the camera atop a large tripod. “How would you like to cover this?” I asked, not exactly sure where to begin. “Ok, let me think,” said Peter, contemplating on how best to tackle this story. “How about we do this in two parts. Firstly, Jim and Stella, you two take your car for a spin around the airfield, and I’ll film it with my phone camera then post it to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and so on. If you’re on the up and up and that car of yours really can leave the ground, then we’ll do the actual interview.” “You can’t blame a guy for being skeptical,” said Peter, turning away from us to get Marc’s attention. He rolled his eyes as a sign of saying, yeah this is going to be good, it’s just another bloody car and we’ve wasted a perfectly good morning. “We understand, the World’s full of nut jobs willing to try any stunt just to get

their five minutes of fame,” I replied. Gesturing to Stella that we walk back to the car. Stella and I got in and made ourselves comfortable. I relaxed to allow Syman to take over. Syman communicated to the control tower via the portable hand held transceiver, requesting clearance to take a test flight around the airfield. “Zero air traffic for one hour, test flight logged and approved. You’re clear for take-off,” was the response from the tower. Seated in our car, Stella, Syman and I regarded four men peering down through the control tower windows. Even they were curious to see if the rumors were true. Once all the systems had initialized, we flew gently upwards to a height of 50 meters and then proceeded clockwise around the airfield. Peter Wosner is a man who’s seen it all. Been around the World several times, seen everything from suicide attacks to the launch of the Space Shuttle, or at least that’s what he thought. He captured the whole flight on his phone alright, standing beside Marc, both of them wearing stunned expressions upon their faces. Peter and Marc watched the car land right back where it had started from moments ago. Stella, Syman and I got out of the car and headed over to them. Walking up to them I noticed they still had the appearance of shock on their faces. “Are you going to post that, or should I?” I said to an overwhelmed Peter. “Oh! Oh right, yeah,” Peter said as he busied himself with the task, “and…. send”, he said aloud to himself, glancing up from his phone with a huge smile on his face. “Alright, let’s get started,” said Peter, now fully gelled into to action. Marc went to grab his camera. “You two, ah…. Jim, Stella, over by the car, say, um…. leaning against the car. Marc, stand here and see how it looks through the camera. I’ll be standing, say, just here, asking questions, how’s the visual aspect Marc?” asked a very overstimulated anchor-man. “Fantastic Peter, just great, move a little to your right Peter,” directed Marc observing us all through the camera lens, “okay, stop there Peter.” Marc said. After what felt like ten minutes, Peter and Marc finally gathered their composure.

Marc held up his right hand, holding out five fingers. He then started a verbal countdown, “5, 4,” he then went to a silent countdown and continued pulling his fingers into his palm. 3, 2, 1 and then pointed at Peter to begin. “Hello, I’m Peter Wosner, I’m here at the Mareeba Airport to introduce you to the World’s real Jetson family. I’d like you all to meet Jim and Stella Wilson. Jim’s an inventor. He has just completed a prototype of the World’s first flying car, and is soon to be the most famous man in the World.” “Jim, can you tell us what gave you the inspiration to develop such an amazing machine?” asked an intrigued Peter. “Well now….” Rogand telepathically sent me the believable tale I was to tell, word for word, as he projected the outline of my reason to invent and build my car. All I had to do was repeat the information he sent to me. “It all started eight years ago. Stella and I lived in Tasmania with our young son, Timothy. I worked in Launceston and the round trip from home was 126 kilometers on very winding roads. If anything happened to Timothy or Stella, the drive home would take me 46 minutes, which was far too long for my liking for an emergency. Then I thought to myself, what if you could make the same trip as the crow flies, which led me down the path of a vehicle having vertical take-off and landing capabilities.” “Late one night while stargazing, I spotted a shooting star race across the sky, then the idea hit me like a bolt of lightning. Gravity brought the shooting star down. This started me thinking, is there a way to push away from Earth’s gravity?” “I began running mathematical equations through a specific program I wrote. Years later, after many failed attempts, the anti-gravity cell was achieved. Followed by further breakthroughs, artificially intelligent guidance system, spiral inverter and environmental shielding to enable ‘nulla inertiae’, that’s Latin for no inertia, allowing instantaneous supersonic speeds without harm to the occupants or car,” I explained to Peter, ing also to ask Rogand how I went. Very well Jim, thank you, was his reply. “I’m sorry Jim, but it sounds a little bit like science fiction to me,” said Peter as he gawked at the camera, wearing a look of total disbelief on his face. He held this pose for a few seconds and then shouted to Marc, “CUT!”

“Time for the second part Jim,” Peter suggested excitedly. Stella glanced at me and said. “He’s like a kid at the candy store.” “Yeah he sure is, that’s two down and several billion to go, in order to satisfy us that our plan is beginning to work,” I replied, watching Peter trip over the leg of the tripod and Marc catching the camera before it hit the ground. “Gentlemen, please hop into the car,” I said opening all the doors. “Peter, you get in behind Jim, I’ll sit behind Stella, that way I can capture all three of you on the wide angle lens,” Marc suggested. We seated ourselves comfortably, I had left the car idling with the air conditioning on so it would be nice and cool inside. Syman asked the control tower for clearance once again. Luckily, our flight plan was officially logged by Rogand himself. “You’re cleared for take-off, have a safe flight,” came the response from the tower. “Our flight today gentlemen will take us on a circumnavigation of Australia, with a flight time of 8.5 hours. Stella has some bottled water and protein bars in the front if you feel the need,” said Syman verbally, as Oscar commenced our flight. “We’ll also stop at Adelaide for lunch on our clockwise journey.” We ascended slowly to the pre-planned height. Syman asked Oscar to initiate the flight plan. The shield turned on and in an instant, we reached maximum velocity. Mareeba disappeared behind us in a flash of blurred scenery. Oscar read out our speed, “1,673 kilometers per hour.” It was Peter’s turn to swear. “FUCK ME! We’re really moving. In an airplane you notice the ground move slowly beneath you,” as he continued to enjoy the view outside. “But at these speeds, FUCK ME! Don’t worry guys we’ll cut that comment from the tape, I take it the environmental thingy is working?” Peter asked, absolutely astounded at our speed. “Yes the environmental shield is activated automatically prior to initiating any speed jump. Oscar, our A.I., is in control of the guidance system, which receives telemetry via GPS. All airlines have had this in place since the early 1990’s making it a valuable asset, helping to locate survivors and aircraft wreckage, should there be an airplane accident. This allows Oscar to make course

corrections well before there’s any chance of a mid-air collision,” I explained to everyone, now back in control of my own body again. “An excellent safety feature,” said Peter. “People are going to want their cars updated for flight. How are you going to achieve this with no production facilities at your disposal?” continued Peter. “I’m glad you’ve asked that question Peter, take a peek at your phone, check and see how many views, hits and likes you’ve had,” I suggested. “Oh yeah, I forgot,” he replied, opening his phone case. Peter sat back in the seat flicking through Facebook first. “Yep, it’s gone viral, 9,482 views, 8,766 likes, that’s in just one hour. Twitter, what’s Twitter got,” Peter was talking aloud to himself again, “Holy crap! 11,983 impressions, 9,470 re-Tweets. Wow! Marc, we’re sitting on the hottest news since 9/11,” added a very enthusiastic Peter. “Yeah, your so right, we’ll be able to retire early with the money this story’s going to make us in the next four weeks,” said Marc, still filming our interview. We all gazed out the window as we ed over Brisbane on our way down the east coast. “Stella, what’s it like is to be married to such a genius?” Peter asked, wanting to know her side of the story. “For me, it’s been a roller coaster ride. Back when we lived in Tasmania, Jim fell very ill and found himself alone at home a lot more. He started spending many hours under the house, busy building and testing his inventions. I gave up worrying about the loud and sometimes odd sounds coming from his workshop.” “Unfortunately, Jim’s health deteriorated further, causing us to move to a warmer climate, both Timothy and I weren’t too sure if it would help Jim’s health. However, we’re both pleasantly surprised it’s all worked out fine. With Jim not working, I’ve had to become the sole bread winner, so I’m not home durng the day very much. I knew Jim was working on a very important project, he’s been very secretive lately, especially these past two years.” “Why it was only just last month when he was kind enough to share his finished project with me,” answered Stella, also thanking Rogand for his creative storyline he telepathically projected for her to relay.

I am so glad we ran over how we would answer any questions the night before, at least this way no one should spot our subterfuge, thought Stella, with Jim, Syman and Rogand picking up her thought. “Jim, if I may, back to the question of how you are going to raise the funds to start production on this new venture of yours?” asked an inquisitive Peter. “You’re holding the answer in your hand,” I replied, pointing to the phone in his open palm. “Please, explain to me what type of payment system your company will operate under Jim?” Peter continued asking questions during the interview. “Very simple really, I’ll ask for a $50.00 deposit when a customer orders from our online sales page. We’ll pick up and refit their vehicle, then return their modified car. All for the low price of $8,450.00, Tax included and in Australian dollars of course,” I said, trying my new sales pitch on a prospective customer. “You mean to tell me it’s only going to cost $8,500.00, holey moley! Were do I sign up Jim?” asked an even more excited Peter. “Of course we’ll need a bank loan to get the ball rolling at first,” I added, looking at Stella for her nod of agreement. “You mentioned a pickup and delivery service, how will you accomplish this?” continued Peter with his questions. “The very car we’re in will be tested and put through a thorough and rigorous series of testing scenarios to have the technology deemed safe and reliable. Then we’ll upgrade ten tilt tray loaders for the service, they will be licensed for flight through the appropriate authorities.” “Funny thing is, the only moving parts are the joy stick, which are used during low speed manual operation. My plan consists of two parts, while this car is going through its reliability trials to air safety protocols, we’ll be tooling up the new factory here in Mareeba and employing and training staff to handle the thousands of completed contracts. Mareeba will be the Head Office of a global network of factories, where all assembly and fit outs will take place.” “Many other indirect companies around the world shall benefit also. I originally

sourced the parts for this car from all over the globe. I’m not too sure what else to say. We anticipate many difficult hurdles in setting up our network of businesses, but I hope this answers your questions for now Peter,” I said, hoping this was all he wanted to know at this time. Oscar stated as we started to decelerate. “Approaching Victoria Square, Adelaide,” and added, “landing procedures commencing.” We landed on the grass area near the Magistrates Court. Oscar chose his landing site well. Even though hundreds of people stopped to witness our arrival, the grassed area he chose was completely devoid of people. Descending to the grass we felt the shield switch off and once again were able to feel our surroundings when the car was resting upon its own suspension. Oscar automatically turned off all the systems. I turned around in the drivers seat to face forward again and drove the car to a lovely café close by, parked, locked and deposited $3.00 in the parking meter. All four of us stood on the edge of the footpath, Marc continued to film us as we walked through the massing crowd of people that was gathering to witness the arrival of our car. It took us longer than we thought to get to the café, answering questions from total strangers about my invention, I shouted to them all “please Google ‘Flying Car’ in one month’s time and you’ll find a site where you can place an order to have your very own car adapted for flight.” The crowds curiosity appeared to be satisfied for the time being, allowing us the opportunity to continue to the café for our lunch. Lunch was delicious, you can’t beat the Italians for their cuisine. Making our way through the lingering crowd, Stella and I posed with the bystanders for numerous selfies and hand shakes, we eventually re-entered the car and made our way back to the same grassed area we’d landed on. “Oscar, please initiate phase two of our flight plan,” I said, gesturing for everyone to buckle-up their seat belts. The anti-gravity units came on and we flew gently upwards, reaching the height of 150 meters, Oscar turned on the environmental shield and engaged maximum speed. In an instant we were gone from sight, much to the amazement of the hundreds of onlookers. The rest of the trip seemed to take only half the time it required to reach Adelaide. “It appears we’re back over Mareeba. I hope you’ve enjoyed your ride in the

World’s first flying car, I’m Peter Wosner, goodbye,” said Peter, waving a hand under his chin as a signal for Marc to finish filming. “Mareeba tower, requesting landing clearance,” I said through our portable transceiver. “We have a visual on you, you’re cleared for landing, welcome back,” the air traffic controller said. “Zero air speed, descending to land, please stay seated until the vehicle has come to a complete stop,” said Oscar with his pre-programed landing protocols. “Peter and Marc, I have a question for you both,” I said smiling at them. “Stella, Timothy and I will be traveling a lot soon, would you like to cover our journey, you know, it’s important the World is kept up to date on our industrial revolution,” I said to them both. “Are you kidding, of course. Yes,” replied Peter. “What about you Marc, are you interested?” I asked him. “You’ve got to have a cameraman, haven’t you, count me in too,” replied Marc. “What’s your mobile phone number Peter, so we can stay in ,” I said getting out my notebook. We approached 50 meters. Oscar shut off the environmental shield and straight away we could sense movement again, after a few seconds we landed safely. Oscar said, “Please carefully exit the vehicle.” Outside the car, we thanked Peter and Marc, and told them we’d call to pick them up for the next trip. “Let’s go and pickup Timothy and we’ll all go to Lee’s for an early dinner,” Stella suggested. “Can you do me a favor and drive kiddo, Syman and I want to communicate with Rogand,” I said, glad now the interview was finally over. “No problem,” she replied. Pleased with the positive spin Peter had put on the general platform of questions.

Rogand, how’s the news in regard to our flight playing out over social media? Is it as you expected? I sent my thought out. The response has even sured my expectations. Keep up the pace with your interviews. I have applied to have the vehicle tested and certified from C.A.S.A. (Civil Aviation Safety Authority). I have organized a meeting with a Mr Arin Celise, he will assist us in securing an air license for Australian air space for starters. Please meet him at the Mareeba Airport, Friday morning at 8 o’clock, his phone number has been added to your s list on your mobile. Next, will be the hurdle for an international license. I have scanned your vocal recorder and found there are many messages upon it. Let Stella help with organizing an itinerary, future interviews, bank meetings and the like. I have taken the liberty of ing ‘REFIT’ as our global business name. Upon your business loan approval, please purchase lot 3426, Walsh Road, Mareeba. Stanos Constructions has received the plans to submit and build our industrial site. Once completed, Cairns Conveyors Belts and Pulleys will assemble the antigravity, spiral inverter and A.I. unit assembly lines. Titan Hoists are to install the dozen vehicle lifts for unit installation. Any other minor details we will work through as they arise. Enjoy your dinner. I will be in with you again very soon, finished Rogand’s telepathic instructions. Things are moving along quite nicely, so far so good, as the saying goes, let’s hope it doesn’t hit the fan, or we’ll have to catch it with a pan, said Syman inside my head. You really are becoming quite the pessimist Syman, I put into my reply. After dinner, Stella drove us home. Timothy helped us unlock the house and open all the windows. The house had really gotten quite stuffy closed up all day in the tropical heat. Stella began checking the messages on our phone. “We have 82 messages Jim,” she said, grabbing a note pad to take down some details. Timothy made good use of his busy mother and father and grabbed the advantage to take the first shower, only problem with this is he always uses all the hot water. Syman and I made coffee, after handing Stella her cup, we sat down next to her at the kitchen dining table. “I’m only a third of the way through these messages,” she said, excited by who had called.

“What messages have you written down so far?” we asked. “R…i…g…h…t, it seems nearly all the motor manufacturing companies, Ford, Toyota, Mazda, Holden, BMW and Mercedes, want to schedule a meeting. The Prime Minister would like to talk with you as well, before end of business today, if possible.” “Oh! We’ve also had a couple of nut cases phone as well, we can forget about those of course. Also, your Mom wants you to call her,” explained Stella, thinking maybe a career change was in her not to distant future. When we finished our coffees, it was time to call the Prime Minister first off the bat, after waiting 15 minutes on the phone, I was finally put through. “Good evening Jim,” Prime Minister Robert Baker said, kicking back and placing his feet upon his desk top. “Evening Prime Minister, apparently you called me earlier today,” we said over the phone, trying not to be nervous. “Yes, that’s correct, this invention of yours has created a lot of chatter, it’s the only thing they discussed in the House of Assembly all day today. You have everyone so excited. What sort of participation do you expect from the general public, say, with estimates on order totals?” the Prime Minister asked, hoping this will turn out to be the biggest thing since sliced bread. “Well….” I began to speak, waiting for my microscopic companions to crunch through the statistics inside my head. Successfully receiving the information from them, I continued. “We have roughly 11,250,000 enger vehicles in Australia at this present moment. Let’s say only a third improve their cars for flight. That’s 3,750,000 refits alone. The Tax revenue alone from the GST on refits is a whopping $2,250,000,000.00, over a period of five years. We anticipate business growth from 8,640 refitted vehicles in the first year to 17,280 refits the following year.” “Our estimated production rate will increase to over 100 per cent every year for the next five years, employing 400 people in the first two years. Making REFIT among one of the largest employers in the Cairns region, with ample room for further growth later,” I explained, thanking Syman for their excellent help.

“What are your estimates for the number of refits in the fifth year?” asked the Prime Minister. “Ok…. let me do some quick math.” Did you get that Syman? “So…. this will take the total to 185,600 refits completed, on new and second hand cars, trucks and buses by the end of our fifth year of trading,” I replied. “Are those figures really achievable? That’s a lot of flying cars in the air. How can we keep them all from colliding?” the Prime Minister asked, wanting to know how this new kid on the block was going to handle such a logistical conundrum. “In answer to your first question. Yes, those projections are very accurate and secondly, I’m installing a global flight grid into the navigation system. It’ll simply follow the existing road network over land, with direct connections over water from continent to continent, island to island,” I continued to repeat the information Syman was giving me. “You speak of global navigation, what exactly do you mean by that?” the Prime Minister continued to ask. “Mareeba REFIT, will naturally be the head firm of the United Kingdom, United States, Japanese, European, African, Indian, Chinese and Russian networks”, I stated confidently. “After five years of refitting new and second hand cars, taxis, buses, trucks and emergency vehicles, we’ll launch a ‘fly only’ vehicle, along with the continuing combustion and electric car refits,” I finished explaining. “This is a huge endeavor your undertaking. How can I help to move things along Jim?” asked the Prime Minister, now sitting up correctly, hanging off Jim’s every word. “Speak with the other Heads of Government around the World. Arrange meetings we all can attend. You will also need to streamline the C.A.S.A. air licensing process, it’s far to antiquated for a transport revolution of this nature,” I added, starting to understand just how busy our lives are about to become. “Well then Jim, it sounds as though we’re going to be working very closely together for quite some time, I’ll text you my private number,” finished the Prime Minister, thinking, just how much political mileage he can get from helping REFIT onto the World’s stage.

“Speak with you soon then, goodbye for now,” I said as I hung up the phone. Stella turned her gaze towards me wearing a shocked expression on her face. “Bloody hell, I had no idea your plan was this huge Jim,” she said, finally realizing just how big a concern they’ll create together. “Yep, bloody huge,” Syman and I replied together, Syman with telepathy and I verbally. Along with our new friend the Prime Minister, we’d also been in with motoring representatives from all the vehicle manufacturers worldwide, not to mention celebrities galore. Why, in just two weeks, Syman and I will appear as a special guest on Oprah. Every newspaper, magazine, radio, television and social network had a story of the REFIT Revolution taking place all around the globe.

The mood, buzz and hype was so intoxicating, Syman has been kept very busy trying to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground. Early one morning, I’d received a phone call on the cordless phone, while Syman and I were outside feeding Jess, from the Russian President, Vladimir Barkov, inviting Stella and I to his home for dinner, and of course he requested a quick spin around Russia in the process. I was so excited, I’d completely forgotten about my own strength, when I leapt in the air shouting, “YAH HOO!” luckily, this time I’d jumped evenly and landed safely back in my own yard. Just to be cautious, Syman has reduced my strength for the time being. Just until things settle down, they said. In fact, things will never be the same again for any of us, thought Syman that very same evening.

Eight o’clock Friday morning had finally come around. Syman and I had arrived half an hour early at the local airport, we’d struck up a conversation with the control tower operator, Don Traicoro. He was very interested with the car’s operating system, having never seen anything like it before. Syman and I were giving him the guided tour of the new tech. He was most impressed with the spiral inverter. Moreover, how efficient it was at generating its own power, once initiated. “Could you use this to power an entire house?” he asked, curious to know the answer. “Why? Yes of course you could, thanks for the tip,” we replied. Syman, make a mental note to have it tested as a stand-alone power supply, I sent my thought to them. You should offer Don the position of Manager, in our new business division called REGENERATE. Put the inverter assembly plant right next door to REFIT, suggested Syman within my mind. That’s an excellent idea, what do you think Rogand, I asked telepathically. The more applications our tech can cover, the better, replied Rogand into my mind. A gentleman walked towards us wearing dark blue overhauls with a white collared shirt and black tie, carrying a clipboard held under his left arm. He held out his right arm to shake my hand, saying, “I’m Arin Celise and you must be Jim Wilson, the inventor who’s going to change aviation history forever.” “I’ll speak with you later Jim,” said Don, leaving to walk back over to the control tower. I called him back. “Hey Don, this is my number,” we quickly scribbled our phone number on a spare piece of paper and handed it to him. “Give me a call when you get off work this afternoon, I’ll have an offer you may like to consider,” I said, as he dashed back to the control tower running as fast as he could. “Firstly Jim, if we’re going to put your car through its paces, you’ll need a

temporary license number. We decided on VH VTL1, please commence preflight safety checks,” Arin suggested very officially. We sat in the front driver’s seat, Arin in the enger’s. “Oscar,” we called out. Oscar responded saying, “voice identity confirmed, Good Morning Jim.” “Oscar, please start your pre-fight safety checks on all operating systems, thank you,” I said. “Commencing system diagnostic,” Oscar replied. “What type of pre-check is this?” Arin asked somewhat bewildered. “I know you’re probably more accustomed to buttons being pushed, me saying check half a dozen times. However, my A.I. is responsible for total system readiness. If any component is faulty, it’ll never initiate a full system start up. Oscar will simply say, ‘system failure’, and give me the exact location of the defective component,” I explained to Arin. At that moment Oscar stated, “full system scan complete, system operating at 100 per cent efficiency.” “What if the A.I. is defective?” asked Arin, curious to know if the A.I. was ever faulty, what happens next. “If that were the case, if there is no response to my voice request from the A.I. a simple press of the reset button over here will re-initialize the A.I.,” I explained. “Very impressive,” said Arin, thinking, if this unit is idiot proof, then he would probably be out of a job very soon. “Today’s flight test will be used for low speed maneuverability and analysis. You may begin when ready,” said Arin, writing a note at the bottom of the form. “Ok,” I replied. We’d taken the time to install an in-dash transceiver, completing our prototype to international standards, and had it connected directly to the A.I. “Oscar you may initiate low speed maneuverability procedures, please listen to Arin Celise for course directions, our call sign is Victor, Hotel, Victor, Tango, Lima, One, please confirm,” I clearly said aloud so the A.I. would make no mistake. “Confirmed,”

he replied. Oscar then said to the control tower, “VH VTL1 requesting clearance for takeoff.” “You’re clear for take-off VH VTL1,” Don responded over the radio. “Arin Celise, please state your full name clearly for voice identification,” requested Oscar. “Um… my full name is Arin Robert Celise,” he said, not too sure what to expect next. “Voice I.D. confirmed,” replied Oscar. “Please state our unique route for C.A.S.A. air trials,” added Oscar. Arin looked over to me and whispered, “How does it know we’re having trials today?” he inquired. “Because I told him on the way here this morning, don’t forget, A.I. stands for Artificial Inelegance.” I gestured he continue with his preliminary studies. “Forgive me Jim, this is the very first flying car test I’ve undertaken. I guess we all have a lot of catching up to do,” he said, smiling at me. “Please rise 75 meters, head West one kilometer at 40 kilometers per hour, then head South one kilometer, at 70 kilometers per hour, slow to zero, then hover and wait for further instructions,” said Arin, eyeballing me to see if this type of maneuver was acceptable. I gave him a resounding nod in return. “Where did you get the inspiration to design and build this amazing machine?” asked Arin, now interested in the car’s complete features. “Well…. our industrial evolution has stagnated itself, hasn’t it! There’s been no significant leap forward for over 50 or 60 years. I’ve put every waking moment into this project. Advancement is mankind’s destiny, and in answer to your question, the World is a big place and I want to make it smaller,” I said hoping this would satisfy his curiosity. After three hours of rigorous maneuvers, Oscar landed us safely back at Mareeba airport at 11 o’clock.

“Please be back here at midday, thanks Jim, we’ll do some speed trials, after that I’d like to see your workshop,” said Arin, speaking in his official tone again. “Yes midday, see you then,” I replied starting to panic slightly. Arin went to his car to continue filling in his report. “Holy crap Syman, he wants to checkout our workshop, all I’ve got is a drill, hammer and wrench for tools, he’s going to know, he’s going to find out I’m nothing but a charlatan,” I said as my nerves started to unsettle my stomach. This is a pickle, time to think, we need a miracle which is quick and easy, Rogand please help us, were in a jam, do anything you can, begged Syman. Do not panic, I have been listening in on your progress with Arin. I will scan the floor area of your workshop and replace the contents with one befitting an inventor, projected Rogand’s quick answer to what was now a major dilemma. I estimate we’ll be there around 4 o’clock this afternoon, this gives you roughly five and a half hours to make the switch. Does that give you enough time or do you require more Rogand? I sent my thought upstairs to him. No, I do not need any more time, just make sure you open your workshop doors after 4 o’clock, finished Rogand’s thought. We made it back to the airport just as Arin drove in through the front gates. Arin sat back into the enger seat holding his clipboard. “Commence a pre-flight check, thanks Jim,” he requested. “Oscar, run a system pre-flight check please,” I said to the A.I. Oscar came back immediately to state, “system running at 100 per cent efficiency.” “Is Oscar still able to follow my instructions?” asked Arin, still feeling like a duck out of water with this new technology. I’m going to have to learn everything there is to know in regards to this industrial breakthrough, Arin thought to himself. “Voice I.D. confirmed, Good Afternoon Arin,” said Oscar.

“Oh! Well, ok…. once you’re cleared for take-off, please proceed to the State War Memorial Cenotaph, Perth, Western Australia and land in the car park,” directed Arin. “Oscar, how long will that flight take?” I interrupted. “Two hours and 15 minutes,” replied Oscar. “Arin, are you sure you don’t want to change the destination, to say…. Darwin, Oscar, flight time to Darwin please,” I asked the A.I. “One hour and 15 minutes,” he replied. “Very well then, Oscar, proceed to Brian Chong Wee Park, Darwin and land in the car park,” Arin suggested somewhat reluctantly. One hour and 15 minutes later we were stretching our legs in Chong Wee Park, luckily for us there was a coffee van operating when we arrived. I sent Arin to get us two large coffees, while I kept the crowd of curiosity seekers from the car, answering questions and posing for photographs with total strangers. Apparently, everyone knew who I was, due to the power of social media. To satisfy the crowd I informed them to Google the word ‘REFIT’, in a months’ time, by then they’ll be able to book their own cars in for a REFIT modification, for a total cost of $8,500.00, with a pick-up and drop-off service included. Their response was overwhelming. A father with identical twins being pushed in a stroller said to me over the noise of the crowd. “My name is Ted Gravisin, I run and own an advertising firm called The Hawking Phenomenon, here in Darwin, may I have a moment of your time?” he asked. I made sure the car was locked, before I gestured to Ted he follow me a short distance away. We shook hands as I introduced myself, he then introduced his twins to me, “this is Billy and Benny my two boys,” he said, both boys happily slurping away at their quickly melting ice creams. “What do you wish to talk about?” I asked, knowing roughly I was about to be given a sales pitch.

“Quickly, I’d like to say how very impressed I am with your flying car and I’d just like to outline who my company’s main clientele are,” he said, bending down to clean his son’s faces of smeared ice cream. “I’m somewhat of an inventor myself and my advertising agency has just over 75 per cent of innovators and inventors on our s. With your permission Jim, my team and I would love to come up with a full advertising campaign for your new company, REFIT. Are you at all interested Jim?” he asked, bending down to wipe more ice cream from their sticky faces. “Ok you’re on,” I said, shaking his hand once again. “Do you have something I can write my telephone number on?” I asked, pulling a pen from my top pocket. “Here, write it on the back of my business card,” he replied, handing me two business cards from his wallet. After jotting down my number on the back of one card, I handed it back and pocketed the other with my pen back into my top pocket. “How long will it take for you and your team to put a campaign together?” I asked, bending down to say bye-bye to a very sticky Billy and Benny. “Give me a week Jim and then we’ll meet at my city office, say… next Wednesday at 10 o’clock. Does that suit you?” he asked. “Fantastic, thanks Ted. We both look forward to your pitch on Wednesday then,” I said. “Both,” he said, glancing over to Arin standing next to the car with the crowd of curious onlookers. “Oh no, I’ll be bringing my wife Stella as well,” I said, shaking his hand once more and walking over to take the coffee from Arin’s hand. Arin and I re-entered the car. “May as well drink these coffees on the way back,” I said. I wound down my window to ask the crowd to give us a 10 meter clearance all round. Arin asked Oscar to return us to Jim Wilson’s house. The large crowd of bystanders watched the car rise up on high, hover for a moment and then disappear into the distance

like a bullet. On the journey back, Arin said how positive the large group of people were, especially when you informed them how low the price would be, to turn their car into a flyer. “Thanks Arin, when you think of it, the automobile gave the masses freedom in the early 20th century, I want to give them the World in the 21st,” I said, taking a sip of coffee as we left the Northern Territory and entered the state of Queensland. “For instance, people living in Darwin will soon be able to have lunch, shop and see friends in Cairns, all in four to five hours,” I said, finishing the contents of my delicious coffee. “I guess it’ll be the same in every major city in Australia, most people travel one hour or more to work every day,” said Arin, who was then interrupted as Oscar spoke. The A.I. stated our flight plan would take a slight deviation to miss an Airbus 380 on route to Darwin from Cairns. “This means, I could live in Port Macquarie and work in Sydney, only having a return trip time of roughly 40 minutes,” continued Arin. “The same applies to transport, emergency service response times cut to minutes, rescue, fire, ambulance and police,” I continued “I want to change the World for the better.” “Well Jim, I can’t see any problem with granting you your registration on this amazing vehicle. Just keep sending me weekly flight records, so C.A.S.A. can dot their I’s and cross their T’s,” suggested Arin. “No problem. What’s your email address? Oscar can send you daily records as he’s got complete internet access, you know,” I said to a very impressed Arin. “Zero air speed, height 25 meters, shield off. Please remain seated until the vehicle has come to a complete stop and then exit the vehicle safely. Thank you,” Oscar ran through his usual landing procedures as the car settled back onto its own suspension once more. We’d landed on the concrete driveway, just in front of my own garage. It was exactly 03:40 in the afternoon when we’d landed back home.

“Fancy a cuppa?” I asked Arin, in order to stall for more time to allow Rogand as much time as possible to complete his task. “Yes, thank you Jim,” he replied. Twenty minutes later I was unlocking the side door to the garage, when Arin asked me what does, ‘numquam prohibere somniantes’ mean, I had an old faded sign above the door. “Never stop dreaming,” I answered. Stepping into the workshop, I had to surpress my own surprise from showing on my face from Arin at what lay inside, while the expression of total amazement spread over his. You’ve outdone yourself this time Rogand, I thought. I could clearly hear Syman chattering away inside my head. Wow, wow, wow, everything’s here, except the kitchen sink. It truly was a technician’s paradise, amazingly, the car hoist was the icing on the cake. I walked to the roller door and opened it to let more light in, also to allow the gathered heat from the day out. I turned around to see Arin standing in the middle of the garage, slowly turning around, taking in the metal lathe, drill press and small hydraulic press in one corner, to the workbench with several half completed components on top. Then noticed him trying to make out the mathematical equations Rogand had written in chalk on the large blackboard. He then walked over to the computer that was running an assembly program, detailing how to construct a spiral inverter, piece by piece. Glancing at me once again, he smiled and said, “looks like this is where all the magic takes place.’ “Yes it is, yes it is,” I replied, searching around for my favorite hammer. Rogand, what did you do with everything that was in here, when you swapped it out for this greatly improved version? I asked telepathically. There was no room on my ship, so I had to sacrifice it to the oblivion of subspace. Why, was there something you wished to retain? Rogand answered with another question. Only my favorite hammer, I thought back to him. If you peek inside your tool chest, you will see a completely new set of hammers. I hope this makes up for the loss of your favorite hammer, came his reply inside my mind. Completely satisfied I had invented and built the flying components

myself, we flew Arin back to Mareeba Airport. “Thank you Jim, I can’t wait to get my own car back from REFIT. I wish you well in all of your endeavors,” said Arin as we firmly shook hands in farewell.

CHAPTER 6

REFIT Revolution

It is now October 2012, 15 months later. We’d been in business one whole year. Globally 97,706 vehicles were successfully refitted. 10,102 in AUSTRALIA. 10,640 in the USA. 12,310 in the UK. 10,240 in CHINA. 9,218 in RUSSIA. 8,816 in AFRICA. 11,770 in EUROPE. 12,008 in JAPAN. 12,602 in INDIA. Those totals included freight, emergency, commercial and enger vehicles. The skies were slowly filling with an assortment of trucks, buses and cars, all going about their daily business. The oddest change of all was real estate values, rural prices were sharply increasing, while city prices fell. Airline companies were the hardest hit by our invention, within the space of nine months, there had been five horrific airline disasters, killing a total of 925 people. Serious defects were discovered after the crashes. The airline companies were

heavily cutting back on their maintenance schedules to try and save money. Several class-actions were lodged against the airlines by family and friends of the deceased. The UBER movement grew exponentially as car owners offered a seat at the fraction of a cost the airlines were charging. Moreover, to our credit, zero fatalities were ed against REFIT worldwide, due directly to the navigation system and operating A.I. in each vehicle. Simply put, if there was a fault, you just couldn’t take-off. Only three antigravity units in total have failed so far. If a unit failed whilst in flight the A.I. compensated for any loss by increasing output of the other units. Not one death attributed, due to our flawless operating systems. What’s even more impressive than the perfect safety record, is the incorruptible and tamper proof A.I. system. Several twisted individuals have tried to fly their cars into buildings. Only trouble with this is, the guidance system knows exactly where the vehicle is at all times. If it comes within 20 meters of any dwelling the A.I. has total authority to override any directives given to it and transports itself, including all occupants to the closest Police authority and contain the individuals within the environmental shield. Informing REFIT HQ of the attempted terror threat and coordinate the response outcome. In addition, before we sold our first flyer, we installed a detonation trembler sensor. If an explosion occurs, the sensor then trips within a microsecond and automatically engages the environmental shield. The sensor’s housed into the mainframe case under the driver’s seat, completely encased in a clear two-pack epoxy resin. Making the whole unit tamper proof. Several individuals have tried and failed in their attempts to take the lives of others, only to find they’ve plastered themselves all over the inside of the environmental shield. With this type of secure transport system in place, world economies have grown fast these past several months. Rogand, Stella, Syman and I have been so damn busy setting up REFIT divisions overseas, in turn, we’ve been pleasantly surprised at just how helpful other countries are towards implementing legislative change in helping fast track approval of all REFIT sites. The other benefits of having a product everyone wants is no cash flow problems. Apparently, you’re now looking at the richest man on the planet. They say

money doesn’t bring you happiness, which is a load of codswallop. It’s what you can do with it that makes the difference. Especially when your rolling in it. The amount of aid we’ve been able to supply directly to those most in need has made all other aid agencies appear as though they’ve been sitting on their collective asses for decades. People have the basic right to food, water, medical care, electricity, education and freedom. The World is finally a small place, thanks to Rogand and Syman.

Rogand was gazing down from his vessel in space, the Earth below seemed peaceful, which of course it wasn’t, its future was in jeopardy with its population growth. How to slow down an out of control freight train, I thought. A very good analogy Jim. We have already started to move the herd around the pasture, bringing transport forward 200 years. Now we have to reduce the size of the population. Have you had any ideas lately? asked Rogand as he projected his question within my mind. “No, I haven’t yet, although, Syman and I do broach the subject on a regular basis,” I said aloud, considering I was alone at home and prefer to verbalize, rather than use telepathy entirely. “It’s the same thing with increasing REFIT’S output, Syman and I were very impressed with the Nanite solution you used for affixing the anti-gravity units to under my car. However, I can’t come out with this type of advanced technology, especially from someone who use to works in his back yard garage.” “The authorities would suspect something’s up straight away. Hell, they may have even guessed the truth already. I mean, Nanites would solve our output issues, no doubt about it.” We were back aboard Rogand’s ship, thanks to his sub-matter transport system, spitballing ideas off one another. “Nanites…, Hmmm…, Nanites, THAT’S IT,” I shouted out so loud I startled Rogand. “Can you make Nanites do anything, I mean anything, are they able to enter the body?” I asked excitedly, knowing full well I had just solved our dilemma. Yes, of course they can, what are you thinking of Jim? asked Rogand, gaining interest in my idea. While he was thinking of what Jim’s solution would be, he rested his large long jaw upon both of his sharply clawed cupped hands, his elbows on those knobbly knees of his, whilst seated at his oddly grown control terminal.

Well, are the Nanites capable of manipulating egg reproduction in women? I telepathically thought my question this time. Yes of course, replied Rogand. Can you send them a signal, to say, “desist from egg production”, to then later “stimulating egg production?” I continued to ask. Yes, they are more than capable, given the proper programing they will achieve their goals quite easily, answered Rogand within my mind. Just how many Nanites are you capable of making? I asked within his mind. How many will you require? replied Rogand’s thought into my head. Enough for every living sole on Earth, I said telepathically, feeling very ambitious. Yes, I can produce them in any quantity you feel necessary, but how do you expect to distribute them, asked an intrigued Rogand. I know, I know, I know, just like ABBA sings, “there was something in the air that night”, your Nanites, Syman chipped in! Sorry about that Rogand, Syman loves ABBA, we play it in the car, at home and they even hum the tunes inside my head, which drives me crazy some times. However, they’re right, an air distribution system would work best, I thought in reply to Syman’s suggestion. You can use your regular visits to the worldwide REFIT divisions to facilitate a complete dispersal. I will create a containment vessel with a dispersal aperture for your car. I will put it in place with my sub-matter transport system, projected Rogand’s solution, which rattled around inside my brain. Will you need to make a hole in the environmental shield so the Nanites can fall through? thought Syman and I together. Not necessary, the Nanites are far smaller than a single cell. They will straight through the shield’s matrix very quickly. We can use your orbiting satellites to communicate with them, also collect exact data on male and female

population ratios. Once women reach reproductive age, a slow and gentle reduction in population will be achievable. This will of course take a period of over 50 years to achieve. The Nanites will take roughly 11 months to grow aboard my ship. The Nanites will reproduce themselves to operational numbers inside their human hosts and then lay dormant until activated, informed Rogand telepathically. Let us know when you have installed the dispersal unit, I thought, Syman also agreed on this tact.

Now that our REFIT divisions are finally operational worldwide, Syman and I found we have much more time to push REGENERATE forward. This selfsustaining power cell, called the ‘spiral inverter’ is revolutionizing the requirement for homes and small businesses needing to be connected to the power grid. No longer is the World going to be reliant on fossil fuels. The response in sales and orders has meant the rapid expansion of REGENERATE. Although, under the expert guidance of Don Traicoro the company was well and truly on its way regardless. Don had setup six other manufacturing plants around the world to cope with the massive demands from consumers. All I had to do was call upon our friends in Government and Finance to help in halting legal action from large multi-national power companies, trying to legislate and bog down REGENERATE in heavy bureaucratic red tape. For example, when you installed a power cell into your home, the power generated by the spiral inverter was yours completely free. Whereas, the power companies still wanted to charge you a connection fee, just because the power lines run ed your home. REGENERATE was stuck in court for months on end trying to the freestanding household policy. Once Don had a win in the Courts, this set a precedent for the terminology. E.I.H. (Energy Independent Household), setting the path and finally allowing homeowners around the World the right to be offgrid. Power companies started folding under the pressure, several closed. Large cities still required massive power grids, although, our technicians at REGENERATE were building a scaled up version of the spiral inverter, capable of powering even the biggest city, say, New York for example. People once employed by the out-dated and closing power firms, were re-employed by REGENERATE. With better pay and conditions, they started flocking to REGENERATE in large numbers and we were more than happy to employ them. People around the World were calling me the energy philanthropist.

With those matters finally settled, it was time to explore our growing capabilities. So far, immortality, telepathy, mind reading, night vision, increased strength and a full 100 per cent use of my own mind, have been achieved. What other attributes were possible? We were very keen to find out. Stella and I were enjoying some much-needed time together, talking over coffee and cake at the dining table at home, when I realized there was no sugar in my coffee after taking a sip, I screwed up my face and said, “oh yuck! That tastes awful.” I reached for the sugar bowel sitting across on the other side of the table. When all of a sudden it slid slowly towards my open hand, Stella was stunned. Syman however, was consciously absent as they usually were when Stella and I chatted privately. “Syman,” I said aloud. “Did you just notice what happened?” No, no, we were in ive hibernation, why? asked Syman within my mind. I concentrated on the apple sitting in the fruit bowel at the center of the table, it wobbled from side to side, but stayed in the bowl. It’s not concentration which is needed, it’s really wanting the object enough that’s required, I thought. Again, staring at the apple I increased my thought. I’d really like an apple. The apple rose up in the air and came straight towards my outstretched open hand. Stella was shocked. “What’s going on here Jim?” she asked, completely and utterly bewildered at her husband’s new talent. Syman said in my head, try the whole bowel, try the whole bowel this time Jim. I concentrated strongly again, I want the whole damn bowel this time and sure enough, it slid across the table to stop in front of me, scratching the table top in the process. Stella shouted, “HEY, WATCH IT. If you’re going to do it again, please lift it up when you do,” she said, running her finger over the deep scratches in the polished table top. “Yes of course dear, sorry,” I said rather embarrassed. The table, try the whole table this time Jim, said an excited Syman inside my

head. “Stella, just move your chair back a bit please,” I suggested, so she’d be out of harm’s way. “Why’s that?” she asked. “I want to try something Stella,” I replied, getting excited in regard to this new ability. She moved away from the table a couple of meters and then said, “now what?” This time Jim, just want the table to rise into the air, suggested Syman. Ok, I can do this, I thought to myself. What I want, what do I want, I thought again. Then I pictured the image of the whole table ri in my mind and thought, this is exactly what I want! Slowly but surely the table rose a meter off the ground and stayed there. Stella was beside herself. However, Syman was whooping, yeah, yeah, yeah, inside my head. “PUT IT DOWN, PUT IT DOWN,” yelled Stella, backing further away just to be sure. “Hang on, hang on,” I said, becoming confused, with Stella shouting in one ear and Syman in the other. I was losing focus on how to rectify this dilemma, quickly. Lifting the table was one thing, putting it back was another. Want the table back where it was, came Syman’s answer inside my head. I’d like the table back where it was, I thought, it didn’t move, it was still suspended in mid-air. “Focus Jim, focus,” I said to myself. You know, I’d really like the whole table back where it was, I thought a bit harder this time. To my great relief and Stella’s, the table slowly started to lower itself, right back to where it used to be. “Please don’t do that again Jim,” pleaded Stella. “I won’t,” I replied, wiping the sweat from my brow with a handkerchief.

However, in my head, all I could hear was Syman saying repeatedly, do it again, do it again, do it again. It required Stella some time to calm down. “How the devil was that possible?” she asked me. Syman and I thought it was time to fill in Stella with all the details. “Well Stella, when I was blended with symbiots from the planet Traibill, millions of microscopic life-forms came together as a collective to from a single consciousness. From a humanoid species very similar in DNA to us. Rogand saved the last of their kind from their dying host Lenia, Syman’s original host. He kept them alive in a suspension chamber aboard his ship, hoping to find just the right host capable of appreciating the many benefits which come with the blending, as it’s called,” I explained. “I take it levitation is one of them, what are the other benefits you’ve spoken of?” asked Stella, now wanting to know the complete story. “I’ll let Syman speak for me,” I relaxed to let them use my vocal cords. “Hello Stella, the benefits so far are; Jim has complete access to his entire mind, not just the ten per cent he used before. However, his total brain capacity which is now accessible, has resulted in mind reading and telekinesis. I’m able to stimulate muscle and bodily organs to enhance strength, night vision, superior bone density, we can also stop cell degradation, plus we can alter Jim’s physical appearance to resemble and sound like anyone else,” explained Syman verbally. “Your voice was different. Was that Syman speaking?” asked Stella, starting to have some mild concerns and questions about Jim’s blending. Syman returned all motor functions back to me. “Yes, Stella that was Syman,” I replied, seeing the expression of wonderment appear on her face, with her eyebrows raised and her eyes like two round limpid pools. “You can read minds?” she asked, nervously backing away from her husband. “Yes,” I said, realizing she may be thinking I’ve taken a peak without her conscent.

“Have you ever read mine?” asked Stella, feeling violated somehow. “No, I haven’t, nor will I ever read your mind Stella. I love and respect you far too much to ever invade the privacy of your own mind,” I sincerely reaffirmed. “What does it feel like to have another consciousness inside you?” asked Stella. “I found it very disorientating at first, but after time went by I found the experience very stimulating. You see Syman has the collective knowledge of Traibill’s complete scientific and industrial past going back over centuries,” I continued to explain, However, I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know it was going to take quite a long time until Stella fully trusted me again.

Rogand had completed the Nanite dispersal unit and transferred it into the boot of our car. We’ll use our monthly visit to REFIT divisions for the dispersal plan implementation to spread the Nanites in ten months’ time. Once Rogand has finished manufacturing all the Nanites we’ll fly the pre-determined route that he had specified to best facilitate the spread of Nanites evenly around the globe. Once our visits are over, the Nanites will be evenly dispersed amongst the World’s population. It’ll take 28 days for them to increase in numbers inside their hosts. After this they will remain inert until Rogand can signal them to start reducing egg production in one woman, while increasing it within another. The one major benefit Syman and I were looking forward to, is women will no longer give birth to deformed and unhealthy children ever again. Another major project Rogand must undertake, is the growth of his massive organic computer system aboard his ship to monitor the global population, allowing him to make slow and gentle changes in order to eventually achieve a static population, thus, saving mankind from its own failings. Rogand, can you hear my thoughts, I thought easily making my telepathic connection. Yes Jim, do you wish to ask me a question? he replied in thought. I’m having doubts about interfering with the natural course of events, I thought to my benefactor above. I can sense your indecision Jim. Time is short, please step into the targeting ring right now, I have something you must see, Rogand’s thought projection was firm but reassuring. “Stella,” I called, she came out from our home office next to our bedroom. “Yes Jim, what is it?” she asked, walking towards me. “Rogand has called for my presence upstairs immediately,” I said, not too sure what he had in mind. “Will you be back in time for dinner?” she inquired, hoping Rogand wouldn’t

take up to much of her husband’s time again. “I don’t know,” I said, quickly giving it some more thought. “Maybe one hour tops,” I replied. We embraced for a moment and then I kissed her on the lips and walked towards the back door. Just as a precaution as it was the middle of the afternoon on a bright and clear sunny day, Rogand opened the targeting ring in the kitchen area, just next to where the dining table stood, Syman and I stepped in and turned to wave at Stella, as we disappeared on our way up to Rogand’s ship. “Whatever this is Syman, it’s got to be huge, we’ve never transported during daylight before,” I considered the moment inside my mind. As quickly as we stood on the correct spot, we were transported instantly, arriving in Rogand’s sub-matter transport room ready to step off the targeting ring, when Rogand entered the room holding up his hand to stop us, he also stepped up onto the transport stage with us and once again we were transported. The room we arrived in was like nothing I’d ever seen before and even Syman was at a loss for thought. It was an organic room alright, but from some twisted nightmare. Large red veins pumped bright colored fluid illuminating oddly shaped patterns everywhere and the walls were the deepest shade of magenta. This is my first observation vessel. Below us is the planet Cintext, I wish you to see what can happen to a species ignorant of its unchecked reproduction. To experience and understand your planet’s current dilema, follow me to the viewing screen please Jim, Rogand sent his thought through to us. We followed him, weaving our way through the already open ageways into his control room. In front of us was a large blank membrane. Rogand moved to the oddly shaped control and soon a vision appeared upon the screen. The scene was from the world below. What Syman and I were staring at was a wasteland, a city with overgrown alien vegetation and completely still, except for a gentle breeze which rustled the strange purple colored flowers. However, this was all that moved, the rest of the screen simply showed a lifeless vista. What happened here? asked Syman, radiating a sense of disbelief within my mind. A long, long time ago, this World teemed with abundant life, but all I could do

was watch in vain as they over populated themselves from existence. They consumed everything, all the edible resources, including the minor native species. Then once they were all gone, they were forced to become the worst creatures imaginable. They saw each other as a food source. It was a long and painful death, for what was once a beautiful species. This is the fate your World now faces Jim, if left to their own devices. I cannot watch this transpire again, this is why I chose you, blended you and helped you to help yourselves from the same scenario of destruction, projected Rogand’s thought with a touch of sadness into our minds. We both can feel your pain, thought Syman and I together. Is this the sadness you felt when Traibill was destroyed? asked Syman, sensing he knew the answer before putting it to him. Yes, there was nothing I could do to save them either, but your World does not have to suffer the same fate Jim. I watch over a great many Worlds and I have lost two too many from the lack of my intervention. I am not going to make the same mistake again, standing by as an observer. This time I am going to make sure I am a participant, so I shall make damn sure this will never be the case again, came Rogand’s defiant thought. I understand now Rogand. I don’t want my World to end up like that, pointing to the viewing membrane in front of us, take us back please, I replied telepathically, finally convinced we were on the right side to fight for Earth’s future.

Finally, back on Earth, Syman and I returned to work, traveling from Mareeba to Novosibirsk, our Russian REFIT division. I was originally welcomed into Russia by its President, Vladimir Barkov, he is widely known as a genuine leader for the people of Russia. When I’d mastered the art of reading someones mind, Syman and I were pleasantly surprised to find Vladimir’s thoughts were for others, rather than himself. I cannot say the same for other leaders that I’ve read. Vladimir took time out from his busy schedule to meet us at the Overture Cafe and Bar at the Marriott Hotel in Novosibirsk. “Privet (Hello) Jim, was your flight satisfactory?” asked Vladimir, shaking my hand firmly. “Yes, thank you Vladimir,” I replied, happy to see him once again. “Please sit down Jim,” Vladimir held out a chair for me to be seated. “I’d like to thank you once again Jim for bringing this technology to Russia,” he said, smiling broadly as he sat in the chair next to mine. “Not only have you helped to employ thousands of people in a great many industries relating to REFIT and REGENERATE, but you’ve made it possible to access the rest of the World on a daily basis. Our country was once so large it required several days to get across it, now it’s all ours in a matter of hours. Poverty was once wide spread in my country, people would freeze to death, being unable to afford even the basic forms of heating,” said Vladimir with a heavy heart. “It’s my pleasure. My vision has always been to bring the people of the World closer together,” I replied, wondering why he’d taken time off his busy schedule to greet me. “Are you meeting with the REFIT Board of Directors tomorrow?” asked Vladimir, pouring some tea into a heavily decorated teacup and taking a sip. “Yes, that’s correct, I want to go over the expansion plans, to make sure everything is on track,” I explained, sensing he was just about to ask me a favor.

“I need to ask for your help Jim, are you able to donate and install say, 5,000 Spiral Inverters throughout Russia? The latest long-range weather forecast speaks of a longer and more severe winter this year. If you could let me know some time today of your decision, I’ll interrupt you no further. Please enjoy your dinner. I must get back to the parliament anyway. It’s good to hear your companies are growing successfully. I’ve never heard so much positive talk in this country before, it’s good for the soul,” said Vladimir, rising from his chair. “Vladimir,” I called, a little louder than I thought. “Yes, what is it Jim,” he said, turning back to face me. “Start screening your people for the most vulnerable and needy, I can guarantee you the Spiral Inverters right now,” I said, holding out my hand and shaking his firmly, whilst placing my left arm atop his shoulder. “Thank you Jim,” he said, wearing a broad smile upon his face. That evening in my hotel room, I called Don Traicoro to inform him of my offer to help the underprivileged Russians. He was more than happy to oblige. It just so happened production over-runs from all the REGENERATE facilities around the globe have sured half a million units. Don will call the Russian site and organize immediate installation of the units, he will also send a team of helpers along with the 5,000 Spiral Inverters from the other REGENERATE factories. Arriving at the Russian REFIT office the next day, our meeting went exceptionally well. Having the ability to read minds helps in the interview process when hiring people, especially senior management. Syman and I screened and approved all six directors individually. Three men and three women, sexual balance is essential to cooperation, which is something Stella and I both strongly believe in. The growth of REFIT Russia was in very good hands and well on its way for the projected refitting increase. Next stop was Birmingham, England, then Prague, followed by central Europe. Then onto five other countries after that. This will be the route we’ll finally take to disperse the Nanites in nine months’ time.

It’s now December 2012. Syman and I had successfully dispersed the Nanites globally on one of our regular trips around the World, checking on and coordinating the necessary implementations to speed up the growth of our businesses. A month later Rogand invited Syman and I up to his ship above Earth to witness the initialization of the organic computer. Once started, it would signal all the Nanites to transmit the hosts gender and age immediately. Once all the details have been collected, Rogand would run the program he had created to slowly cease population growth upon Earth and then ease back the total numbers to reach a far more sustainable level of population over his estimated 50 year period. Rogand’s ship had grown in size to house the enormous organic brain. I could sense his apprehension. We have quite a wait ahead of us Rogand, the spreading of the Nanites was a complete success, I stated with my thoughts. That is good news Jim, I shall now commence the initialization of my organic neural processor to begin population reduction, he telepathically informed us. With a few deft hand movements the Earth Birth Monitoring Computer started to run its eternal program. When you have a moment Jim, I need both of you to help me on Beltour, projected Rogand’s thought nervously. Could you please repeat the thought? asked Syman and I telepathically together. The World Beltour is under attack from a neighboring system, Beltourians are a relatively young species and lack the technology to properly defend themselves. The Treath are from the planet Prempol and are currently in the process of raiding the Beltourians as food. They will slaughter every last one of them if nothing is done, and take them back to Prempol like cattle. The Treath, as a species, are reptilian in nature and the Beltourians humanoid. Syman has the ability to change your appearance to match that of the Beltourians. You are to spend several of their days, that are equivalent to 33.5 of your Earth hours long, familiarize yourself with their language and customs as you will need to get close to the leader of their clans at the forthcoming high season Gathering. I will supply you with weaponry to aid in your defense. I am fashioning a battle-ax and spear from the hardest known metal in existence, an ore from an ancient

meteorite located on the edge of the Destin Tricuble Galaxy, telepathically projected Rogand’s plan. Hang on a moment Rogand, you want Syman and I to infiltrate these people and……, thought Syman and I hoping he had more details to his plan that he wasn’t telling us. It is a difficult situation, the Treath are not the creators of the vessels they use to travel between worlds. The Natcien moved on to another galaxy millennia ago. However, they left behind their fleet of planet hoppers, which the Treath now use. They are even less advanced than the Beltourians, but they have recently mastered the operating systems on the spacecraft. One vessel has recently left from the surface of Beltour bound for Prempol, it was a scouting party, the Treath slaughtered a small unarmed settlement of 37 and then consumed several of the dead, before loading the rest of the Beltourians onto their ship and transporting them back to Prempol as a prize for their Alpha, their dominant leader of the species, thought Rogand, with his emotions rising again. Jim, I can sense Rogand becoming overwhelmed again, thought Syman within my mind. Yeah….., I know Syman, I can feel it too, I replied, feeling rather nauseous from his emotions. Is it true you can adjust my appearance? I asked Syman, ing my thought onto them. Yes, yes, yes, I can indeed, want to appear ten years younger or ten years older, just think please. And in a matter of moments, with the greatest of ease, you can look like someone’s memories, sang Syman inside my mind. When do you want us to help? I asked, hoping it wasn’t right now. In two weeks time, we will need to transport onto my vessel above Beltour to be in time for the high season Gathering, when all the Intermediaries are present. We will use their legend of a protector who cometh from the west with magical powers and strength of a Stabe, a mythical creature from their folk law, to protect them from the threat above. We will discuss this further when the time to transport arrives, projected Rogand, now feeling slightly more positive.

Back on Earth the two week period flew by quite quickly and before I knew it, Syman and I had only two days left to go before returning with Rogand, bound for Beltour. Stella pointed to the balance of our bank , holding it so I could see the total amount at the bottom of the statement. “Wow! Are we really that rich?” I said to Stella. “You bet your bloody little symbiotic buddies we’re rich,” replied a very happy girl. “Even with all the money we’ve donated?” I said. “Yes, we’ve donated the amount you see on the statement balance, that amount you can see, just double it and that’s what we’ve earned together these past two years,” said Stella, filing the statement away in our concertina folder. “But we’ve got, $242,860,052.00 in our personal , should we be giving more money away?” I asked, still in total disbelief of our personal earnings. “No Jim, how about we do something for ourselves for a change, we’re still living in the same small house,” replied Stella, seeing our old home with new eyes. “But I like it here and so does Syman,” I added, having Stella’s thought starting to give me ideas. “I know Jim, but we’re the owners of the largest companies in the World and we live in a 76 year old weather board home,” she said, hoping I would catch-up to her idea quicker. “I understand what you’re trying to say, it’s time for us to benefit from all of our hard work. If Syman and I draw up some plans for a new home, could you look after the construction and interior design?” I asked her. “Yeah….., I suppose I can, don’t you want to be involved though?” she replied. “I do, but I have to travel with Rogand,” I said, knowing how capable she is and

she can do anything once her mind is set in motion. “Must you go?” she asked, saddened by the news. It was then I told her everything Rogand had in mind for us. When I’d finished, Stella looked directly in our eyes. “I knew things would be different when you introduced me to Rogand. But Jim, this sounds very, very dangerous. Please promise me you’ll take care of yourself,” pleaded Stella. “Come here sweetheart,” I said, standing up from the dining table chair. I gently placed my hands on both sides of Stella’s head, just below her ears, Syman and I have recently discovered, not only can we read minds, but I can also share my feelings and thoughts as well. “Please close your eyes Stella,” let’s begin Syman. Ok, what do you want her to see? asked Syman. Me, and how much I love her, I thought to Syman. So, we shared my innermost thoughts, about how I feel towards my best friend, wife and soul mate. When we’d finished, I opened my eyes to see Stella’s eyes had filled with tears. “I’m sorry Jim, I didn’t know. You must know I feel the same way about you,” she said in return. Dropping my hands from her neck, I said, “I know Stella, I don’t have to read your mind to know that,” I replied, kissing her gently on the lips. “When do you leave?” she asked. “Two days from now,” I said, understanding well that Stella was hoping it was more like a week and not just days until we leave. “Hey Timothy, can I have a chat with you?” I said to my son, tearing him away from his online stupor. “Yeah, what is it Dad?” he replied. I dragged a chair over to sit with him at his desk.

“I’m going away on business for a few weeks Tim, maybe even a month,” I said, praying it will turn out to be more like four days instead. “You know, I get my learners permit in 27 days, don’t you Dad,” said Timothy with a huge grin across his face. “Really! Wow that’s fantastic. I’ll try and be back in time to take you for your first driving and flying test when I return,” I said, promising him in no way would I forget. “That’ll be great, thanks Dad,” replied Timothy. He reached up and crossed another day off from the calendar above his desk. “Can you do me a favor Tim?” I asked, just before leaving his room. “Yeah, sure thing Dad,” he replied, looking at me with those light brown eyes of his. “Can you take care of your Mom while I’m gone, make sure you spend some time with her and don’t spend too much time in here when your home, please Tim?” I asked, getting up from my seat. “Yeah, sure thing Dad, I can keep Mom company for you,” replied Timothy, turning back towards the computer screen and continuing to play his game. “Thanks mate,” I said, I grabbed Tim and gave him a huge bear hug. “See you when I get back,” I said, missing him already. I left Stella with the plans Syman and I had drawn up for the new house. This place was going to cost a pretty penny, we designed a large three level home with retractable center roof to allow our new flyer access. The first level is underground and will double as a workshop and hanger for the flyer. The two levels above ground will be our living quarters. After embracing and kissing Stella goodbye, Syman and I stepped into the transport ring in its usual spot on the darkened driveway.

Back aboard Rogand’s ship, he directed Syman and I to his control room. I have acquired a DNA sample from a Beltourian male. Syman, when I inject this sample, can you start altering Jim’s DNA to match the Beltourian’s physiology? projected Rogand’s directive into my mind. “Do you have a photo or an image of some kind? I want to see how I will appear when Syman has done his thing,” I said aloud, I was really curious to know what we’d eventually look like. Yes, as a matter of fact I have. I captured this image of Rowbor, the individual I abducted from the planet’s surface in order to obtain a DNA sample. I then returned him completely unharmed. He was alone when I found him, he had been shepherding a small herd of fodo to the Gathering. Fodo are creatures they pluck fiber from to make their coverings, Rogand was kind enough to explain telepathically. With a few quick hand movements from Rogand on his control , Rowbor appeared upon the viewing membrane. Rowbor was definitely a humanoid alright, with short legs, long arms and torso, a solid build with yellowish colored skin. His facial features were most unusual, he had a broad flat nose, long elongated skull, red piercing eyes and long black platted hair. “Syman, am I going to look like that?” I asked my microscopic saviors. Yes, when Rogand adds the sample within, I’ll get to work matching your molecular makeup to his, you won’t appear exactly the same, but your genetic characteristics will still remain dominant. You will remain Jim, but resemble something very similar to him, thought Syman within my mind. Jim, please hold out your arm, directed Rogand. He held what looked like a gun of sorts, touched my right arm with its tip and I then felt a sharp sting, like being stung by a wasp. “Ouch! That hurt,” I said. If you think that hurt, wait until Syman starts to transform you into a Beltourian male, reflected Rogand, wearing a weird and twisted smile on his face, exposing all of his teeth.

You know how I react to strong pain, I spent years in purgatory with that bloody Fibromyalgia, you’ll have to put me under, you know I’m not a fan of pain, I begged telepathically to Syman to come up with some way of helping me. Very well Jim, please remove your clothes and lay on the floor, we’re about to begin, replied Syman in the back of my mind.

CHAPTER 7

Impostor

Wakey, wakey Jim, or should I say, Primstoo, this will be your birth call on Beltour. The females shout out the young one’s name during the sheer pain of birthing. Rogand has been kind enough to teach me the local tongue and customs whilst you were unconscious, Syman said inside my head. “Was I asleep long?” I asked, pushing myself up off Rogand’s damp floor. You’ve been unconscious for six and a half of your Earth days, came Rogand’s cognitive projection. “Oh that’s just great,” I said aloud, awkwardly pushing myself up and slipping on the wet floor to finally stand on my own two feet. I gazed down to my rippled stomach, or should I say my eight pack. I ed I was totally butt naked. “Wow!” I whispered, running my long slender fingered hands from my stomach to my chest. “Do you have a mirror anywhere on board?” I asked Rogand. One moment, he telepathically replied. With a touch of a few organic buttons on his control , Rogand produced a reflective membrane upon the opposite wall. Rogand gestured for me to turn around and when I did, I nearly wet myself. “HOLY CRAP! Sorry Rogand,” I quickly sent my thought to him and blushed, embarrassed that I’d sworn again. Well done Syman, I look exactly like a Beltourian, I thought to them. You’re most welcome Primstoo, they replied inside my head. “So, when do we transport?” I asked, feeling my rather large testicles moving as close to me as possible, in an attempt to stay warm. If you would not mind putting on these coverings we will go now, reflected

Rogand, wearing that odd smile on his face once again. Rogand pointed to the corner, in a pile on the floor was my Beltourian clothing, which I thought was nothing more than a heap of filthy rags. Unaware of how to wear them, I asked Syman if he could dress me. I gave my motor skills over to Syman, who quickly began to wrap me in the long ‘rag’. Adorned in the odd smelling robe; wrapped around my waist several times, then up and over my right shoulder, down between my legs, up over my enormous appendage and tucked into the robe around my stomach. There, now your dressed like a typical Beltourian, added Syman. I thought to myself, Oh well, at least it’ll be easy to go to the toilet when I need to, We made our way to the transport room. I started hearing a strange noise, turning around towards Rogand, I realized he was laughing. I didn’t know you had a sense of humor Rogand, I thought to him. Sometimes, I find your immediate thoughts full of jocularity, replied Rogand still chuckling. We all stepped onto the sub-matter transfer platform above Earth, where we were immediately transferred to the platform above Beltour. Stepping off, Rogand projected his plan to Syman and I. I will transport you close to where I found Rowbor, he is herding his animals to Wont, a large village where the Intermediaries will hold their high seasonal Gathering. Meet with him on your way there, he can help introduce you to Glothinc, a weaver of fodo fiber, who is known by Aderle the Leader of the Gathering. It is with him you will announce your intentions. On the wall in my control room you will find your weapons, be extremely careful, the edges on the ax and spear can never be dulled, they will remain razor sharp forever. And please do not put the tip of the ax or spear against my ship, they will slice right through to expose us to the atmosphere outside. Ok, important safety tip, thanks Rogand, I projected my thought to him. Fetching the weapons from the control room, Syman and I were quite nervous when we grabbed them from off the wall. Don’t drop them Jim, don’t drop them, alerted Syman.

Will you stop it Syman, I’m not completely useless you know, I reminded them. Sorry, sorry, sorry, apoligized Syman. The weapons were incredibly light and easy to lift. Meeting Rogand in the transport room, he gestured us to step up onto the platform. I will monitor your progress and keep you informed of any developments Jim, reflected Rogand. Once we had transported down onto the planet, Rogand directed us to Rowbor’s location. Catching up with him was easy. Syman informed me of the traditional way of greeting. Stepping into the clearing ahead of Rowbor, I bowed deeply, then upon rising I waved my right arm above my head from left to right, to resemble the ing of the sun and then said to him, “faith in a fair day friend.” Rowbor repeated the gesture. “What brings you this way?” asked Rowbor, tapping a fodo with his staff, forcing it back into line with the others. “I’m traveling to Wont for the Gathering,” I replied, tightening my robes as they had become loose during my greeting. It sounded so strange to hear myself speak Beltourian. “My calling is Rowbor and to what call do you answer?” he asked, tightening his robe as well. “I’m Primstoo, it pleases me to greet you on this glorious day Rowbor,” I replied smiling. “It is a good day, walk with me Primstoo,” he said, guiding his fodo forward. “Wont is only half a day’s steps from here,” explained Rowbor as we continued our walk. I praised the good condition his beasts were in and he asked me from where I stepped. I told him I stepped from the West. He gave me a strange glance up and down. “I would never step West,” he said “it is a dangerous realm, filled with beasts as large as Stabes. Is this why you carry protection Primstoo?” asked Rowbor, observing my ax and spear as the reflection of the sun hit the ax head,

making him shield his eyes from the reflected glare. “Legends can be un-right, the tellings can be twisted by many tongues, the West is not so unripe,” I said, swapping the ax to my left arm and in turn holding the spear by my right, so Rowbor could see where he was stepping. “My Mother maker has been there, her recallings tell of…..,” but I didn’t get to hear the tale from Rowbor. Rogand was in telepathic connection with me, I sensed an urgent tone in his message. Syman, Jim, there is a Natcien ship approaching your area. My sensors indicate there are 14 Treath on board. They must be on a snatch and grab campaign again. It is headed towards a group of Beltourians walking to the Gathering, not more than one kilometer to the East. If you hasten your pace you will arrive before them, please be careful, finished Rogand’s thought. I interrupted Rowbor in his tellings. “I must increase my steps, I wish to make Wont sooner,” I said, running as fast as Syman and I possibly could. Which way Rogand? we asked telepathically, not knowing East from West and North from South. Turn to your left, very good, now turn once more on the same angle, that is it, now keep running straight ahead in this direction, projected Rogand’s thought as he pointed me in the right direction. Syman was stimulating my reflexes and adrenaline levels, which made us run extremely fast. We made it to the group Rogand had mentioned within under a minute. As I slowed to a stop, the dust clouds we were making drifted by, blocking my vision for a brief moment, enough to cover the advance of the Natcien ship. The group of Beltourians I was rushing to help, froze from the sight of it. The vessel quickly swooped down to land a good 30 meters away. As soon as the ship stopped, the rear aperture hatch opened, and the Treath spewed out like some sick and twisted nightmare. When Rogand mentioned they were reptilian in nature, it wasn’t descriptive enough to describe how grotesque their features really were. Holy crap but they

were fucking ugly, I thought. Realizing my slip of the tongue I quickly sent an apology upstairs to Rogand for the use of another profanity. Thank you Jim, I accept your apology. You were both running at a speed of 89 kilometers per hour, he said inside my head. The grunts coming from the largest Treath must have been some type of command, because several of the leading Treath charged at the bewildered Beltourians. I turned and shouted. “Make steps, make steps,” but they didn’t move, they were frozen from the sheer fear the Treath projected. I heard Syman say in my mind, NOW JIM, NOW, IT’S TIME. Leaping forward automatically in response to his hail, I covered the space between myself and the Treath in just one leap. When I was still in the air, I threw the spear at the lead Treath, aiming for its mid-section, the spear hit right where I wanted it to and ed straight through the Treath’s scaled hide, killing it instantly. Lifting the long bladed ax as I landed, I started to make huge circular swings, chopping the remaining Treath into pieces. The ax went through them with no resistance what so ever, it felt as though they weren’t even there. Damn this thing is sharp, I thought to Syman. While I was iring my handy work, six more Treath rushed to attack. Jim, the other Treath, turn to your right, quickly, came Rogand’s warning thought. I barely had time to react. In fact, no time to mount a defense, I leapt up and over them, turning quickly as I landed to attack them from the rear. Again I sliced through them easily, it really was a bloody massacre, pieces of Treath were flying in all directions. When I’d dispensed with the threat, I turned back towards the ship, only to see the last remainingTreath retreat back inside. The Natcien ship blasted from the ground, covering us all in a huge cloud of dust. When the dust cloud had cleared the Beltourians rushed over and started slapping me hard on the back in gratitude. “It be a great day indeed,” said one from the group, his robe was cleaner and appeared to be of a tighter weave than the others. “My calling is Drefin, what be yours friend,” he said, using the time honored greeting. “My calling is Primstoo,” I said in reply, bowing deeply in return.

“Thank the day you came along, we’ve never eyed such bravery, from where have you stepped?” asked Drefin, slapping the dust from off his robe. “I come many steps from the West,” I said, carefully wiping the light blue blood that was all over my weapons. Again I got the same stare Rowbor previously gave me, although this time it was from everyone standing around me. “Please step with us Primstoo, we’re not too distant from the Gathering. It would please me greatly for you to greet my blood femme Namow,” Drefin said, pulling his daughter over by the arm and holding her in front of me, almost like a reward for my efforts. “Faith in a fair day Namow,” I said, rising from a deep bow, she smiled meeting my gaze. “You show the strength of the mighty Stabe, Primstoo, can I speak of this in my next recalling?” she asked, smiling at me and batting her beautiful red eyes. “Would be joyous if you did,” I replied, quite startled at how bright the red in her eyes was. We made Wont by sunset. Walking into town aroused many Beltourians as they came out from their dwellings to greet us. One extremely tall individual wearing a robe of red stepped towards Drefin, with the formal greeting exchanged, they then embraced. “Was your path good?” Aderle asked, standing tall and proud, a reflection of his obvious status amongst the Beltourians in the village. “Was almost our end, that be for Primstoo here, he ended the beasts from the sky the recent recallings have spoken of. He cut them down like chaff in the field and he moved with the strength of a mighty Stabe,” explained Drefin, gesturing in my direction with an opened hand. “Praise be,” said Aderle. “Best be recalling your deeds by my side this evening Primstoo, come, you must be empty after such a battle,” he said, leading me towards the communal fire pit, and by the direction we were heading it appeared as though it was off to the side of Wont, predominately downwind from everyone.

The sole Treath who escaped, landed back on Prempol, he walked the two kilometer centrally paved path to meet with the Alpha and inform him of their failed expedition to Beltour. The Alpha beat him savagely for returning empty handed, he had previously tasted this sweet meat and wanted more. “When you can crawl, I want you back there with as many ships as you can muster. I’m hungry,” said the Alpha, showing the bloodied and bruised Sargent of the Guard on the floor the large incisors within his mouth, as it laid one more kick at the prone figure on the ground just for good measure.

After the meal with Aderle, Drefin invited me to stay with him and his daughter. Their dwelling was meager in appointment compared to Aderle’s. Life was truly primitive here on Beltour compared to Earth, but valued just as highly. “Sleep with me,” said Namow, I gawked at Drefin with an expression of confusion upon my face. He simply pointed to were his daughter was lying and nodded profusely in agreement. Rogand had sensed my apprehension. This is the custom Jim, if a father approves of a worthy addition to their bloodline, he will not hesitate to obtain it. It seems his daughter also wishes this as well. You cannot refuse, it is considered to be a great insult if you do, informed Rogand into my mind. Then Syman chipped in, if you wish, I can prevent you from ing on your seed, you may impregnate her with dormant sperm. Oh that’s just great, my first day on a new World and I’m expected to do the horizontal limbo. Christ! I hope Stella never finds out about this, I thought. Drefin nudged me gently awake the next morning. Namow was busy preparing a meal, it was comprised of a bran like substance, which smelt a little like pea soup. As I sat back and accepted the bowel from her hands, I had to it, Namow was a very gentle and affectionate Beltourian female. After my meal, I let Namow walk me around Wont to show me the sights and wonders that were on offer. We came across a large fenced off area, where young Beltourian males were showing off their strength to a group of receptive females. They were chasing strange stocky built six legged animals. As we approached the fence and lent against it, I asked Namow, “what are these young rams doing?” “They are seeking to attract a mate by showing off their strength and skill at catching and lifting the betas over to the pen,” she explained, laughing loudly at a young Beltourian male who had tripped face first into a mud hole. “What are the betas used for?” I asked. “They’re our primary source of fodder,” she said, not taking her eyes away from me.

Watching the young males trying to catch the betas was quite entertaining. “Looks like fun,” I said, remarking to Syman just how damn fast these creatures were. “Would you like to try?” she asked. “Yes, why not, I will in the sport,” I replied, cracking my knuckles by locking my fingers together and bending them all backwards. “I will go and tell the other femmes you’re already called for,” said Namow blushing. She was smiling as she stepped over to speak with them. “Syman, time for extra strength please,” I said, thinking to my microscopic companions. It is done Jim. Let’s show Namow what we’re made of, thought Syman confidently. I leapt over the fence from a standing position, which attracted quite a bit of attention. More Beltourians gather against the fence due to the lively response my single high jump over the fence had caused. Sizing up my first betas, a rather hefty looking beast, I ran towards it, slid under its belly and lifted it clean off the ground. I’d estimated it weighed roughly 220 kilograms, but it felt no heavier than a 20 kilo bag of potatoes. Running over to the pen, I leapt the fence with the beast still held above my head and then placed it gently back onto its own legs inside the enclosure. The cheers that followed this feat were deafening. In the short time it had taken me to catch and pen the betas, almost the whole town had crowded against the fence to watch. From where I stood I could plainly make out Namow’s shouts to be amongst the loudest. Meeting up with her once again, after making my way through the crowd of impressed bystanders, slapping me on the back and saying, ‘did you sight that’, or ‘I wouldn’t have believed it if my eyes weren’t real’. Namow made sure the other females knew I was definitely spoken for, she put her arm across my shoulders as we walked on. “That was eye catching, never have I sighted such strength, it pleases me to know I’ve claimed you as my

mate,” she said, tightening her grip upon me. Seems like I don’t get much of a say in this matter, does it Rogand, my thought was sent skyward. I guess it does not Jim, just think of it this way, our plan is moving forward at least, thought Rogand in reply. I guess it is, I thought back in return. Aderle came striding towards us, looking resplendent in a pure white robe, immaculately clean compared to everyone else. “I’ve just heard the recalling of your deed with the betas. Please come, both me for some deliciously braised betas,” he said, striding away in the direction of his own hut. We followed Aderle to his dwelling. We walked through the narrow dark and cool lane ways and out into a larger area where his well-built hut stood in the very center of Wont. Entering his generously proportioned living quarters, I noticed he was being waited upon by five females, all with red robes wrapped around them to their waist region only. I whispered to Namow, “why are they wearing red?” “They’re his mates,” she replied. I thought to myself, rank definitely does have its privileges, no matter where you go in the galaxy. I would like you to talk with Aderle in regard to the impending Treath threat. Inform him the Gathering is in danger. He needs to stop it before the festivities begin, Rogand’s suggestion penetrated into my mind. Aderle gestured for me to sit on his right hand side. It’s a sign of high respect Jim, Syman informed me. Namow sat on his left. “Primstoo, recall to me your tellings,” said Aderle, taking a bowl of meat from the tallest of his concubines. What do I say? I asked Syman within my mind. Repeat the words I send to you. It is a tale from many seasons ed, thought Syman in response to my query. I began repeating everything they communicated to me. “Very well then Aderle, the telling begins like this,” I started.

“Many seasons ago, a gray sky water fell day began like many others, my fodder supplies were low, the local betas had grazed many steps from my restings, setting out with only guiding staff in hand for my protection. Was high day when the stermon burst forth from the trunks, taken me by fright, I was be-stilled in fear, the stermon charged at my space. Distance between us faded faster than wet on a bright day. Instinct be born into our souls, made my reactions fast as a falling stone. Tilting my staff at the charging beast, I braced my staff firmly in the ground, pointed it’s tip at the charging stermon, it fell upon my staff with the weight of ten. Was luck that day on my side when the stermon’s end begun,” I finished repeating Syman’s tale. “Was a good recalling,” said Aderle, now intellectually stimulated. “I want you to hear another telling,” I said to Aderle. “What recall are you going to voice?” he asked, through a mouthful of braised betas. “It’s about the soon to be revisit of the beasts from the sky,” I said as I started my recalling. “Yes, they do fright me to my soul,” added Aderle, wiping the grease from his face with the back of his hand. “These beasts are set to reappear again in greater numbers,” I continued. “You must cease the Gathering, I sense many will be culled in their next showing. I beg you to mull over my telling Aderle. Please, choose for all to be safe. You must stop the Gathering,” I said, hoping he’d listen to my warning. Namow appeared worried. “Will this come to Primstoo?” she asked, with a frightened expression upon her face. “As sure as the Sun will rise many seasons to come,” I replied, to a now trembling Namow. “I’ve never listened to a recall telling of a Gathering ed over,” casually mentioned Aderle. “Please, you must make numbers disappear, to save souls as future mates,”

stressed Namow. “Please to vacate, I must mull over this telling,” said Aderle, seeming slightly angered by Namow’s pleading. It seems Aderle wasn’t going to listen to my warning after all. He continued to organize the village for the Gathering, just as Rogand had predicted he would, turning a blind eye to the impending threat. Three days later, the Treath were back in greater numbers, much greater. The Treath came in 30 Natcien ships, with 14 brutes to each ship. Syman and I were now facing the prospect of dealing with 420 Treath, with only one thing on their microscopic brains, collect as much food as they can or be beaten to death by their Alpha. The Treath had landed in even amounts on the East and West side of Wont, a kilometer away from the village. According to Rogand’s sensor readings, he said it appeared they were going to use a pincer like attack upon the village, when they finally make their move. How do I protect them from so many Treath? I asked Rogand. You will need to head directly to the command ship, if you can get through to their Leader, you can throw the others off guard. Once they lose their Leader, they will become far more docile and less of a threat, projected Rogand’s thought with this vital intel. Less of a threat you say, I hope your right Rogand, I thought in reply. I went to Drefin’s hut to fetch my weapons. Namow was beginning to prepare for the evening meal. “I must step to defend Wont from the beasts,” I told her. “Please take moves to stay complete,” she said, in an attempt to try and calm my nerves, then she turned back to the fire to tend to her meal. Life sure is tough here, but even when danger looms they still keep to the basic routine and way of life, I thought to myself. I was beginning to develop very strong feelings for Namow, strong enough to grow into the feeling of love. Jim, we’re going to have to take your abilities to the next level, if we’re to expect

a positive outcome from this situation. Rogand and we feel that you must take your strengths even further. We’ll compact your cellular density, making your skin as tough as dried leather, while reducing nerve response to milliseconds. Your cognitive perception will perceive your enemies thoughts well before they even react. These advantages will make you almost indestructible. Please keep us safe Jim, pleaded Syman in my head. Syman began to run several biological scenarios within my mind, on how to bond our molecular structure with Rogand’s Nanites, making us capable of generating an impervious shield for body wide protection. That’s something to think of at a later date, my thought reflected to my microscopic companions. Running from Drefin’s hut, Rogand telepathically pointed me in the right direction. Good luck Jim, I knew I had chosen well when I picked you for the blending. You are the Beltourians last hope for survival, reflected Rogand’s thought. So, no pressure then, I replied, running to deal with the lead Treath. I noticed just how fast I was moving, because the scenery was a blur as I rushed ed on my quest to stop the imminent danger everyone was now facing. All that stood between the Beltourians becoming the Treath’s next meal, was Syman and I. We burst forth into the clearing, where 15 of the 30 Treath ships had landed. Once again, I had to wait for the dust clouds to recede, which I’d created in my haste. When I was able to see clearly, I spotted the lead Treath, he was adorned in a peculiar looking thick leather vest, studded in what appeared to be sharply pointed copper studs. My first mistake was to have stared directly at him. Right then, he knew my intentions straight away, he ordered the other Treath to surround his position to protect him. Rogand informed me that half of the other 420 Treath from the Natcien ships were now rushing towards my position. The other half were headed into Wont. So much for the element of surprise, I thought. Jim, we’ve completed your transformation. You’ll now be able to take direct blows from the Treath’s weapons and your compressed cellular density is strong enough to deflect the sharpest blade. We shall repair any minor injuries you might receive during the battle, Syman outlined our new abilities within my

mind. I felt as though I was ready to explode, Syman was stimulating my adrenalin levels to as high as possible. I was just like a tightly wound spring, ready to unleash my anger upon these primitive creatures. Oh well, enough of the chitchat, let’s get to work, I said to Syman inside my head. Holding the ax in my right hand and spear in the other, I rapidly moved forward to advance upon the forward Treath in my attempt to get to their Leader. In turn, each Treath crouched down and leapt at me with such veracity, it threw me of balance for a moment. Regaining my stance, I thrust my spear through the bodies of three advancing Treath. Raising the spear with just my left hand, I flung their lifeless carcases to one side. Whilst with my right arm holding the ax, I was chopping down at everything in my path. My mind and reflexes were moving so fast I even had time to ponder on how good I’d become at multitasking, with my new and improved cognitive speed. Several times the Treath were able to get in a few lucky blows from their weapons, however, the edges were dull and crudely sharpened and they merely thudded and glanced off my new impenetrable skin. I could still feel those direct blows though, they didn’t penetrate my skin, but left large red welts where the weapons had struck. Syman was kept busy repairing my damaged and bruised muscles. While I was busy fighting my way through to their Leader, as superior as I was in strength and speed compared to the Treath, they were in much greater numbers and I didn’t have eyes in the back of my head. I’d nearly reached their Leader, spearing and hacking my way through the crowd of tightly gathered combatants, but in my haste, I’d forgotten to glance over my shoulder as the Treath from the other ships advanced behind me. Rogand blasted my mind with an urgent thought, QUICK, LOOK BEHIND YOU. Yet unfortunately, the first Treath to reach me from behind had raised a huge club, swung it back over its head using both of its massive arms and brought it crashing down upon my skull. Everything went black as I lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

Jim, Jim, can you hear my thoughts, Syman whispered inside my head as I started to come round and heard them speak. Keep your eyes closed, whispered Syman in my mind. Why are you whispering? No one can hear you accept me, I quietly replied, inside my mind. Oh yeah, thought Syman. Why am I keeping my eyes closed? I asked. We have a massive hematoma on our skull, we’re currently repairing the damage, however, it’ll heal quicker if you can remain still. Keep playing possum while we work, answered Syman. Where are we? I thought in query to our location. I fear we may be on one of the Natcien ships, replied Syman. How long have I been out? I asked, telepathically. I don’t know for sure, but it felt like days to us, reflected Syman’s thought. I can’t sense Rogand’s thoughts, why is that? I asked, starting to panic as I slowly awoke from a deep unconscious stupor. Because of the damage to your head, the swelling must be around the part of the brain you use for long range telepathic communication, replied Syman, whispering their thoughts again. I’m guessing were in space. But where? I wondered, being unable to move as I began to feel my restraints. It’s fairly safe to say we’re on our way back to Prempol, thought Syman in response to my question. Do you know if the Treath have captured any other Beltourians? I asked quietly in my mind.

I’m not too sure, we’ve been unsuccessful in communicating telepathically with anyone else. We believe these ships may have neuron jamming capabilities, their reply projected into my mind. Oh that’s just great. How the hell are we going to get out of this? Reminds me of that old ridiculous joke. It looks like the Alpha is going to have us for dinner, I finished, contemplating my thought, my anxiety levels rising. Will you please stop it with all this negativity. We’ve been in group consult while you were on your dooms day rant. We’ve recalled a tale from our own legends past, from Traibill’s ancient history. According to our knowledge the tale goes like this, ‘Once there was a young Traibillian male who could manipulate the minds of animals to do his bidding. He made himself very wealthy by herding enormous herds of etma long distances into the local villages and bartering them for strycal,’ a precious stone we held dear within our ancient culture as currency. His deeds were carved into the walls of the Gielnoir Citadel, our most sacred landmark, which stood the test of time right up until the very last day when Traibill was destroyed by the rouge asteroid, which is the reason we’re now together, reflected Syman, outlining a possible solution. Do you really believe I can control animals? I asked Syman. Thinking to myself, if we ever get back home, I should open my very own flea circus. Rogand believes your ready. We’ve discussed your development over these past few years and he feels you’re not far from trying, telepathically replied Syman. Do you two often chat behind my back? I asked, rather annoyed with the two of them at this moment. I sense your hostility, however it’ll be several hours before you could even try. The hematoma I informed you of earlier is still a long way from being healed, added Syman. I heard your thoughts better this time, I replied. Yes, our injury appears to be healing slowly, they added. How come I don’t feel it? I mean it doesn’t even hurt, I thought. Because we’ve been blocking the pain for your benefit since you regained consciousness, answered Syman in my mind.

Oh, of course, thank you Syman, I replied. Thinking, it must have been quite a very serious injury indeed. Open your eyes Jim. I want us to get a gander at our surroundings, suggested Syman gently within my bruised cranium. I slowly opened my eyes and straight away I noticed we were being guarded by ten Treath. I wish Syman wasn’t blocking all of my pain, otherwise I would have detected we’d been hog tied, my legs and arms bound tightly behind me. When I tried to struggle with my bindings, I alerted the closest guard that I was awake once more, he growled deeply showing me his full set of dangerous incisors, and then he leant forward and kicked me hard in the ribs as a warning not to try anything. Thank heavens for Syman blocking my pain, I don’t think I would have liked to have felt that brutally strong kick to my ribs. Craning my neck, I was able to just see through the ship’s clear vision screen at the front of this egg shaped vessel. Lifting my head a little higher, I could clearly make out the planet Prempol come slowly into view, meaning our time had just run out if we wanted to escape before landing. The planet I was peering at was growing larger by the second. Syman, how much longer do you think it will take until we’re one hundred percent fit? I asked, hoping he had some good news for me. Roughly one hour to go Jim, Earth time, replied Syman inside my brain. When I’d lowered my head back onto the ships floor, I caught a glimpse of a large club being held by one of the Treath guards. “YOU!” I said aloud, trying to get his attention, the ugly brute just focused his gaze at me and waved his large metal studded club in small circles in a threatening manner, gesturing to me he’d be more than happy to give my head some further tenderizing. The ship started to vibrate as it breached the upper atmosphere, the vibrations ceased as we made clean air, then the engines started winding down the closer we got to their landing site. The bright light from their atmosphere flooded the interior of the ship. As the rear hatch opened a long pole was ed into the ship and weaved between my restraints. Four Treath wearing long purple vests entered the already crowded ship and placed themselves evenly on each end of the pole. Snuffling and

groaning, they hoisted me into the air. On exiting the ship they didn’t seem too concerned about scraping my face on the bottom edge of the hatch as I was lifted out. Once outside their ship I noticed there were others taken from Beltour. I gawped in fear as Namow, Drefin and six of their close friends were being led in the same direction I was. As soon as we were clear of the ship’s obviously filtered environment, Prempol’s delightful aroma hit us. HOLY SHIT, did someone just die, said Syman inside my head. I started to dry reach from the disgusting stench reaching my nostrils. “JESUS CHRIST, THIS PLACE FUCKING STINKS,” the further I was being carried, the more I understood why it stunk so much. Rogand had stated the Treath are even less advanced than the Beltourians. There was clearly no sewerage facilities here. The walkway I was being carried along was lined with Treath standing erect on guard duty and defecating whenever the need arose. We’ve really got to get off this shit hole soon as we can, I thought to Syman. It was at least 20 minutes before we reached what was most likely the Alpha’s residence. They can’t have built this, said Syman within my mind “I agree, I’d say it was left behind by the Natciens when they left,” I said aloud. For, in front of us was a beautiful ornate building made from what clearly appeared like mustard colored marble. I made telepathic , rather than shout, to the other hostages ‘not to panic as I had a plan to escape’. They each in turn stared at me with sheer terror on their faces. Which Syman said, they may have worn due to my telepathic communication rather than the fear of their impending death? But I pointed out to my symbiots that it was probably both points making them frightened. We were carried into a large interior chamber where I was unceremoniously dropped to the floor. The Beltourians were led in to stand behind me. Tilting my head upward, I began to understand how the hierarchy worked on Prempol. A few meters from where we lay, the Alpha was mating with the ugliest Treath I’d ever seen. It seems the Alpha may be responsible for all the reproduction upon Prempol. Finishing, he retracted his member into a pouch between his back legs.

You know Syman, this just keeps getting better by the moment, I thought to my friends. Well now, better is the word. We’ve finished repairing your cranium, all your senses are now your own again. Please concentrate on the Alpha. When you do, please be extremely cautious. They’re of a primitive nature and we can guarantee their thought processes are too, said Syman inside my head. I could plainly hear Rogand’s thoughts again. Jim, Syman can you hear me? asked a concerned Rogand, his telepathic thoughts now coming through very clearly. Yes we can, thank heavens, I replied, feeling a sense of renewed hope building within me. My image scanners have trained themselves onto your position. It is a very large dwelling you are in, I would love to help, but you are all out of range to use my sub-matter transport system, mentioned Rogand in my mind. Syman and I are currently working out how best to get out of this mess, we replied telepathically. The Alpha appeared to be sizing me up, he was glaring from one end of my body to the other, I realized he was contemplating on which part of my body he would like to chow down on first, bulbous globules of saliva were dropping to the floor as its primitive mind considered where to begin. Concentrate Jim, concentrate, then focus all your thoughts towards the Alpha, suggested Syman within my mind. Still bound at the wrists and ankles and feeling my bindings cutting off circulation, I looked the barbarian squarely in the eyes and concentrated so hard it began to give me a headache. Sending Syman a thought, saying, this dude is a tough nut to crack, it’s as though there is a brick wall blocking his mind. Focus on a single brick in that wall and push, push the brick through to the other side. Make a hole your thoughts can squeeze through, said Syman rallying my confidence.

My head was killing me, it felt like a ten out of ten on the pain scale. Can’t you do something about this pain? I asked Syman. NO, you need all your faculties to achieve a result. Come on Jim, we know you can do it, they replied inside my pain-ridden mind. Ah! Shit, all right then, here goes…, I said, concentrating all my efforts on my last try. With one massive telepathic thrust, I pushed and pushed with all my might as I focused my concentration between his beady little eyes. I gave it everything I had left in me. Success! I was in, straight into a nightmare. All that was in the Alpha’s mind was an array of basic instinctual responses to all its decision making; eat, sleep, mate and lastly, dominate. GET UP, I pushed my thought into its demented brain, nothing happened. Try again, try again, urged Syman. GET UP. GET UP. GET UP, I pushed, telepathically. I was far more forceful and stronger with my command this time. Slowly at first the Alpha put its arms by his side and then stood erect on its massively muscular stumpy legs. PICK ME UP. PICK ME UP, I pushed the thought into that thick skull of his. The Alpha waddled over, or at least moved in an odd swaying stride inherent to them. By the time the Alpha was close enough, I estimated its height at three and a half meters tall, roughly half a meter taller than all the other Treath. My fellow Beltourians began screaming in sheer panic, thinking it was headed towards them. PICK…ME…UP…, I pushed again, the Alpha slowly bent down and lifted me up in its long muscular arms. NOT SO TIGHT, NOT SO TIGHT, I demanded as it nearly punctured my flesh with its razor sharp claws. TAKE US ALL TO A SHIP, TAKE US ALL TO A SHIP, I ordered the Alpha as it turned slowly towards the great doors leading out from his chamber.

“Namow, Drefin follow me, all of you, hurry,” I said quickly, before I lost my telepathic link with the Alpha. The Alpha began to walk towards the large doors, as we reached them, I reapplied my efforts. OPEN THE DOORS. OPEN THE DOORS. SAY IT, SAY IT, I forcefully pushed my command into its prehistoric brain. I pushed a little harder this time, the Alpha grunted loudly a few times, we only waited a couple of seconds before both the massive doors swung open, held by a single Treath guard on each door, they bowed as the Alpha lumbered ed, closely followed by the other Beltourians. With its evening meal in its arms, us that is, we exited the great hall and lumbered along the walkway to the ships. The Alpha was trudging along slowly, this is going to take at least 20 minutes at this pace, I thought. QUICKER. QUICKER. GET US TO THE SHIPS, QUICKER, I pushed so damn hard telepathically, I began to feel faint, but my extra effort worked, I started to bounce up and down in the Alpha’s arms as it picked up its pace to an awkward jog. I turned my head and urged the others to follow and keep up. It won’t be long now, thought Syman, excitedly in my mind. I barely heard his thought through the level of concentration I placed upon the Alpha’s demented brain. This time the return trip only took ten minutes. Approaching the ships I focused upon the closest vessel. INSIDE, TAKE US ALL INSIDE, I ordered. The Alpha stepped through the open hatch. PUT ME DOWN. PUT ME DOWN, I demanded. The Alpha unceremoniously dropped me to the floor. Perhaps you should have directed, ‘place me down gently’, reflected Syman with a chuckle, within my mind. Give me a break Syman, it’s my first mind control subject. I’ll next time, I thought to them. Breaking my bonds, I turned to see the big Alpha standing as if waiting for its next command. My fellow hostages cowered in the corner. GET OUT. GET OUT, I ordered, finally finished with pushing this stupid beast around. The Alpha stepped out of the hatch and mindlessly waddled off.

Approaching the control of the ship Syman quickly directed me to flip a specific switch that closed the aperture hatch at the rear of the ship. Syman was busily familiarizing themselves with the operating systems. It seems this Natcien ship uses similar operating protocols to the early flyers from Traibill’s aeronautical history. If memory serves us correctly, this button…… I didn’t get to hear what the button did, I saw exactly what it did, as I pressed it a beam of light shot out from the front of the ship, completely destroying the planet hopper in front of us. It’s some kind of beam weapon, why haven’t the Treath used these weapons, I thought to Syman From what Rogand has ascertained, they’re not a curious species, all they’ve learnt is how to fly them, thought Syman in reply. When I was in telepathic with that beast, the Alpha, I sensed no imagination, no curiosity, a completely two dimensional parameter based brain. I’m guessing they’ve never used the button, mainly because it’s not in their intellectual makeup to even try, I explained, best I could. Well, their going to know now after that explosion, thought Syman back to me. So what do we do now? I asked, panicking slightly. Simple, let’s get this thing in the air and take out every last Natcien ship there is, replied Syman with their brilliant idea inside my head. Now feeling safer that the Alpha had vacated the ship, Namow came over to me, standing by my side I could feel her still trembling from her ordeal. Drefin stood on my other side and gave me a reassuring half smile from his colorless face. Since you’re more aware of how this thing flies, it would be best if you used my body to control it, I’ll take a back seat on this one, I shared my thought, offering this solution to Syman. Very well then, let’s get started. This should bring the engine online. Yep, good,

ah… this one’s thrust, pitch and roll and those two are…, I know which one’s the weapon. Where’s the one for the landing gear? Ok. Upping thrust, we’re up, landing gear… Up. Alright you two legged monsters, it’s payback time you cretins, thought Syman with a tone of vengeance in their thoughts. Our ship flew quickly into the air. Look Syman, over to your left, there’s a whole row of them, hurry, take them out, I suggested. Syman flew low over the dozen ships, blasting all of them into a million pieces. Get some height, we need to see where the rest of their ships are, I directed. Rightio Captain, replied Syman. “It is good to hold you close once again,” said Namow, with her arm around my waist. Rising above the smoke from the destroyed ships, Syman banked to the right, as we gained altitude we could see an airfield of sorts. There were six rows of ten ships lining the field. Can you see them Syman? I asked, helping them, by turning my head to the right. Yes, plain as day, they replied. Let’s destroy them before the Treath wake up to what’s going on, I thought quickly to Syman. Be our pleasure, added my microscopic friends. Flying in a criss-cross pattern, we were able to annihilate every last ship. When they too were turned into scrap, Syman flew our ship up to a high altitude. We’d better do a reconnoiter of this planet to make sure the Natciens didn’t leave any more of these lying around, suggested Syman within my mind. Yeah go ahead, I’m going to get some rest, I’m completely bushed after controlling the Alpha. Wake me if you find something, I reflected to Syman. But first please turn around and face the others, I said inside my head.

Give me back my voice please Syman. Once again, in control of my own vocal cords, I suggested to the others that they try to get some rest, because it’ll be a while before we get back to Beltour.

CHAPTER 8

Possible Threat

Wakey, wakey Jim. Hope you slept well? It seems we have a little problem, thought Syman, inside my slowly waking mind. What do you mean? I asked in thought, when I was finally wide awake. Whilst you were sleeping, I put us in orbit above Prempol and found this installation on the opposite side of the planet. I don’t think the Treath are aware of it yet. Not even Rogand knew of its location. The only way we found it was due to the rather large landing pad stuck out in the middle of a dense rain forest, said Syman within my mind. It has to be heavily shielded against scanning technology, I added in thought. We landed safely near its entrance. Let us take you there, so you can see for yourself, suggested Syman in my mind. I spoke with Drefin and Namow, I informed them it would be best if they stayed inside the ship for their personal safety. “Who knows what weird animals live in this rain forest,” I said as we left. We locked the rear aperture hatch to keep them all safe. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to Syman being in the driver’s seat. Feeling myself stand up and walk over to the hatch was like an out of body experience, perhaps one day in the not too distant future I’ll not think twice about it. We stepped outside, turned right and went around the ship towards the front, peeking through Syman’s eyes so to speak, we noticed the generous sized landing pad the ship was resting upon. We then saw a narrow path leading through thick, overgrown amber colored trees. Walking on, Syman adjusted my eyes to see in the darkness as we entered the well hidden installation area, via a descending spiral stairwell.

The Natcien are definitely bipeds, judging by these perfectly aligned steps, I thought to Syman. Many minutes later the path opened into a cavernous underground room, filled with an assortment of the strangest looking machinery I’d ever seen. Are you able to make anything of it? I asked Syman within my mind. This equipment is even alien to our extensive knowledge base, they replied in thought. Is there a light switch anywhere around? I asked, projecting my question at them, while still having trouble seeing in the dark. Over here, said Syman, inside my mind. They walked me over to an unusal structure on the side of the weird looking machinery, a ramp slopped a meter up to an observation area. Walking up it gave us a better view of the room we were in. In the center there was a platform, overhung by several gun like apparatuses attached on curved poles. Syman turned left, glancing back over our shoulder to a soccer sized ball suspended in mid-air with no apparent . “What’s this used for do you think?” I asked aloud, transfixed by the anomaly. “Seems as though it may be an interface of some kind,” replied Syman, using my voice. “I don’t know about your old World Traibill, but in mine, we catch balls that size in both our hands,” I suggested. I watched Syman extend my hands to both sides of the artifact, he placed them evenly upon its surface. What happened next was amazing to say the least, both our consciousnesses were transported into another reality resembling space itself. It was as though we were floating above the planet Prempol. Subconsciously, I must’ve been missing Stella, because instantly, we sped through space to arrive above Earth. Our view raced down through the atmosphere and into my house, allowing us to observe Stella preparing a meal for Timothy who was sitting at the kitchen table doing his homework.

Seeing this shocked Syman as well, we both let go of the floating orb and instantly found ourselves back in the large enclosure. However, this time the lighting was on, illuminating ever corner of the room. The light began to hurt my eyes. Readjust my eyes please Syman, I thought to them, it was far too bright for our night assisted vision. Syman quickly morphed our sight back to normal. “What the fuck just happened?” I said aloud, with my head still spinning from jumping back and forth within different realities. “It appears this machine is controlled by a neural interface,” replied Syman, using my voice again. “So what’s it all for?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t a targeting system for missiles or a dooms day device of some kind. “We’re not sure Jim. Maybe a way of viewing different worlds without physically traveling there,” mentioned Syman, with every symbiot within me searching their genetic memories for an answer. Then what’s the platform behind us used for? I was thinking. “Interesting question Jim, hmmm……, I’m taking off our robe,” said Syman, unwrapping me from our stinking costume. We walked down and across to the machine’s obvious operating area. Following an accessible path up onto the platform, we bent down and placed the robe in the center and then returned to where the floating orb hovered. “If we’re correct, this is a transport device that rivals even Rogand’s sub-matter transport system. I’ll demonstrate,” said Syman. Holding the orb once again, we started above Prempol as before and then Syman thought of Stella. As our view changed from above Prempol, again we raced across the vast distance of space, to arrive back inside our home where we watched Stella and Timothy eating their evening meal at the table. By the reflection of the fading light from outside, it was early in the evening. Ok, now for the tricky part. Concentrate upon the robe on the platform floor, just the same as you pushed your will upon the Alpha, we would like you to push the robe through to Stella. However, as Timothy doesn’t know anything about our

situation, I’m going to refocus our thoughts on our bedroom, thought Syman into my mind. Our view changed rapidly from the dining table to my bedroom. I began to imagine seeing the robe upon the bed. Here back at Prempol, we could hear the machine slowly come to life, there was an insanely loud crackling sound, similar to electricity shorting out, however far more intense. With our vision affixed upon my bed an image of my robe slowly appeared on top, faint at first, then the clarity of the image increased until I could plainly see the entire robe. As soon as the robe was clearly visible on top of my bed, the machine’s extraordinarily loud operational noise stopped abruptly. Syman and I were transfixed by what had just transpired. Releasing our grip from the orb, our consciousnesses returned rapidly to the compartment. We must have made a pretty sight, standing completely dumbfounded and butt naked trying to put two and two together. It’s a transporter alright, that orb is the targeting system and the Natcien must have used this to travel to a new World. Where, I don’t know, it doesn’t seem to have a memory of any previous transfers, projected Syman’s thought inside my head. “Can we use it to get back to Rogand or Earth?” I asked, thinking our problems were now far behind us. No, someone must be targeting the transport while an individual or object is on the transfer platform, came Syman’s answer in my mind. “We’ve got to get back to Beltour and help Rogand deal with this rare find. It’s strange, but I’ve not felt his thoughts since we entered this compartment, there must be some type of shielding blocking our telepathic abilities. He needs to know about this discovery and the urgency of removing its potential advantage from the Treath’s path, if they ever discover it. Walk us back to the ship Syman and get us out of here,” I said. Unlocking the rear apiture hatch we entered the Natcien ship. Namow and the others were shocked to see my naked form as we stepped through the opening. “Please forgive my appearance, I appear to have misplaced my robe. It snared onto something sharp in the darkness of the cave I was sighting,” I lied, in a vain hope that this explanation would suffice.

We traveled back to Beltour as fast as we could. Syman landed us smack dab in the middle of Wont. Upon exiting, we saw the retreating backs of the Beltourians scattering in all directions. Syman handed back my motor skills. “WAIT, WAIT, EVERYONE IT’S US,” I shouted, at the fleeing villagers. Slowing down to stop, they all turned around to see Primstoo waving at them, still naked as the day he was born. Namow ran into her father’s hut and brought out a spare robe for me, she helped me adorn the robe and once dressed, we embraced ionately. I could feel a deep ion welling up within my loins, not giving it another thought, I turned to Drefin, who had a broad smile on his face. Syman, while I talk with Aderle, can you bring Rogand up to speed on our new situation, I said, sharing my thought with them. Yes, it would be our pleasure Jim, replied Syman inside my head. “What of the beasts?” asked Aderle, coming forward and placing a hand on my shoulder. “We…., I mean, I was knocked asleep and awakened in the belly of the flying egg. Were any more of our people taken?” I asked him. “Only the eight you bringth. With you in their grip they stepped back to the flying eggs and ascended to the stars,” explained Aderle. “Yes, as prime fodder I was a greater prize to the beasts,” I said, thanking my lucky stars I had my symbiots to help me. “Are the beasts returning?” inquired Aderle, wearing an expression of dread upon his face. “Is good news I bring, this flying cart be the only one. I smashed all others, now unable to fly, no more beasts will appear from the sky,” I explained to an excited crowd. Upon hearing this, the large crowd that gathered to witness our return erupted with cheers and the repeated shouts of, “PRIMSTOO, PRIMSTOO, PRIMSTOO.” Aderle settled the crowd.

“Tonight, we feast and rejoice our freedom from harm,” he said, spreading his arms wide and giving me a rib-cracking hug. And what a party it was, the food was excellent, the drink was dynamite, its made from a fermented flower that grows in the nearby desert. They call it Gripptin, what a buzz. If I’m not mistaken it’s an opiate of some kind, gives you a major high without the lethargy of alcohol. Later in the evening Namow had only one thing on her mind, she snuck me quietly away from the festivities, back to her hut where we made ionate love for hours. Waking early next morning, I felt completely refreshed and rejuvenated, with no trace of a hangover what so ever. I ate my morning meal with Drefin and Namow. I thanked them both for the meal and excused myself from their company. I left to walk back to the planet hopper. Good morning Jim, hell of a night wasn’t it? Rogand has been informed of our major find on Prempol. When we’re ready, he’d like us to him aboard his vessel for the journey back to Prempol. He’ll grow an extra compartment onto his ship whilst on route to accommodate the Natcien Transfer Device. Reaching the planet, he will then transport us down and take measurements of the installation and we’ll place targeting sensors around its perimeter and then he’ll transport the whole machine into the newly grown compartment aboard his ship, explained Syman telepathically. Will we be returning to Beltour once we’ve finished? I asked telepathically. Because I’d really like to see Namow again, spend some more time with her, get to know her a little better, I thought. No, we’re to head straight back to Earth. We’ll use Rogand’s sub-matter transporter to get there. He wants to leave his observation vessel in orbit above Prempol, so he can keep a close eye on the Treath to make sure they don’t get their hands on any other Natcien technology, informed Syman inside my head. If we’re not coming back, I’ve got to say goodbye to her, this news is going to break her heart, not to mention mine as well, I thought to Syman. I found Namow squatting in her father’s hut grinding seed to make bread. “Please to put that down Namow, come here and heed my words,” I said softly. Holding her close, I gazed directly into her bright red eyes.

“Namow, I must make steps, return to the West, my quest here is done. In my head and heart you’ll always be, please do not cry as I leave,” I used the traditional Beltourian farewell for partners, when the male is to be absent for long periods of time, out hunting and gathering for wild fodo. It was expected of her not to question my departure. However, I didn’t mind seeing her cry as I left, it gave me a sense of longing to try and return as soon as possible. I’m going to miss her terribly Syman, I thought to my microscopic companions. As we will also, they replied with a somber thought. Rogand requested we leave the ship where it was, one day he said the Beltourians will gain enough curiosity to explore its interior.

Back aboard Rogand’s ship, he set the controls in order to take the ship to Prempol. While we traveled, I once again went through the transformation from Beltourian back to Human. This time I was kept unconscious by Syman for only four days. Upon awakening, Syman stated that returning my DNA was much easier this time and that in the future, every time we transform our speed shall decrease. Thus reducing the time between transformations. Such is the similar nature of the Beltourian’s physiological characteristics to Humans. Rogand was kind enough to change the viewing membrane in his control room into a mirror, so I’d be satisfied that I was completely back to normal. Are we there yet? I thought to Rogand. Almost, we are two hours and 27 minutes from orbit, Earth time. When we arrive I will transport you down with the targeting sensors. Place them at the five corners of the enclosure and then step back outside. I will then bring you back aboard first, just in case I burn out the transport relays when I transfer the rather sizable machine on board. Once I have completed this task, we will move above the Alpha’s domain and retrieve the weapons you left behind in your haste to vacate the planet. I am not going to leave those deadly sharp implements in the hands of the Treath, Rogand projected his plan, using telepathy. Yeah sorry, but we were more interested in taking ourselves off the menu, even Syman forgot about them, I sent my thought to Rogand. I must agree with my colleague on this particular occasion, the thought of being eaten alive frightened the crap out of Jim, as you know we don’t crap, seconded Syman. Very well then, I will dismiss my complaint in the interest of self-preservation, replied Rogand. “Rogand, will we ever return to Prempol?” I had to ask and needed to know. Possibly, one day in the future, you and I have all the time in the universe, replied Rogand inside my mind. I’d completely forgot I was immortal, there are a lot of things that will take me

an eternity to get used to, I thought to myself. Like losing Stella and Timothy, I know one day I’ll have to watch them both die. I don’t know if I can ever prepare myself for when it happens, in my reminiscent state of mind, I accidently pushed my emotions and my thoughts at Rogand. I can not comprehend those feelings Jim, I am immortal and my Father and Mother are immortal. They are alive and well at this very moment back on Eutheria. However, we are a comionate race and it seems the time for this conversation has arrived. To spare you the loss of your family and to spare you any prolonged grief, you must fake your own death when the right moment arises, gently replied Rogand. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I have been giving it some thought, especially when the hematoma stopped telepathy on our way to Prempol. I gave the subject a great deal of thought when we were in the Natcien planet hopper surrounded by Treath, while Syman was occupied in repairing my injury,” I said aloud for my own benefit, rather than theirs. “I have a solution to my problem, you may not agree with it, but the Nanites you’re using for population control back on Earth, I’ve been wondering, can they be used to perform the same cell longevity that Syman performs on me? Is it remotely possible Rogand?” I asked, pleading to his benevolent nature. It may be possible. If a specific and complex program was written, they would then need to increase in great numbers to be able to interface with every living cell within their hosts body, to reduce degradation and achieve immortality, explained Rogand. If you can help Stella and Timothy to be like us, I would be forever in your debt Rogand, I thought back to him. We’d finally arrived in orbit above Prempol. Rogand transported Syman and I down to the planet’s surface, just outside the entrance to the compartment housing the Natcien Transfer Device. We walked down the spiral walkway into the machine’s enclosure with a container of five targeting sensors. The lights were still on from our previous visit. We busied ourselves placing the sensors in each corner of the large compartment and retraced our steps back outside, where we telepathically ed Rogand for transport back to his ship. Syman and I stepped off the sub-matter transport platform and walked to

Rogand’s control room, he was extremely busy inputting the targeting sensor’s data for the sizable transfer. The data buffers were set to well above maximum in order to compensate for the enormous mass about to be transported. I am ready to begin, please standby Jim, Syman, this may burnout my neural pathways aboard the ship. As you may be aware, organic tissue does not react kindly to excessive heat. Let us get started, commencing transport now, stated Rogand’s thought projection. Suddenly, the interior lighting dropped in luminescence, the dull hum that usually accompanied you no matter where you went on Rogand’s ship, began to gain in intensity and then stopped abruptly. Please no one panic, we have just lost the main power relay arteries, I can by most of those, I will use the surface of the ship to relay power, there… that should do it, projected Rogand’s thought. The lighting was coming back up and so was the ship’s interior temperature, it had dropped dramatically during the transfer. Let’s go and see Rogand’s new toy, Syman said into my head. We made our way to the new compartment Rogand had grown on our journey from Beltour to Prempol. Rogand stopped to ire his handy work and my view of the Natcien Transfer Device was blocked by his bodily mass. “Do you mind?” I said aloud. “Others would like to see as well you know,” nudging Rogand’s sizable bulk. “Wow!” searching around the compartment we were more than satisfied that every piece had arrived safely, over against the far wall stood the control center with its floating orb. It will take just a moment for the power to reconnect. Upon leaving the control room I set my ship’s systems for ive current connection and it is now searching the Natcien Transfer Device for power input ports, explained Rogand, moving towards the platform housing the targeting orb. Syman and I stared at the machine, still marveling at its unique design and beauty. Whoever those Natcien people were, they sure as hell knew how to make

machines that last, I thought to Syman and Rogand. Yes you are right, I have been around a very, very, long time and I have never seen anything this advanced in all my years, added Rogand. All of a sudden we heard a loud knocking noise coming from all over the machine. Must be the relays opening as the power is reconnected, thought Rogand. He was right. The lights on the machine came on as it started to create a hum all of its own. Rogand walked towards the orb at the far corner, we followed, explaining once again how the interface worked. Rogand approached the orb holding out his long arms to embrace it in both his claw like hands, he closed his eyes and grasped the orb, he stood dead still for only a few moments, then quickly released his grip. It appears the machine may have been damaged in transport, this is the largest object I have ever transported, perhaps I underestimated the power requirements necessary. I fear this will take the rest of my lifetime to repair, a disappointed Rogand informed us. He turned and started to walk away. “I don’t understand Syman, it worked well when we used it last,” I said aloud. Maybe it just needs reinitializing by the last , perhaps the power relays closed during transport, said Syman in my head. “Alright, can’t hurt to try, can it” I replied. Grasping the orb in both hands, our consciousnesses were instantly back in the reality the machine creates, we were floating above Prempol once again. We let go of the orb and turned around to shout at Rogand, “IT WORKS, IT STILL WORKS.” He stopped in his tracks, not because we shouted at him, but because he’d lost the telepathic link between us. What did you just do? demanded Rogand. “The machine works just fine,” we informed Rogand. What do you mean? Rogand asked, puzzled by our sudden outburst.

I mentioned to Jim that maybe all the device required was a simple reinitialization, since the power relays were closed upon transport. Now it’s ready for you to use, explained Syman. Walking back up the ramp to the control orb, Rogand held the floating object once again and closed his eyes, then let go immediately. Nothing happened, hmmm, come here and hold the orb again Jim, suggested Rogand. We stepped forward and grasped the orb, immediately being sent to the reality as before, floating above Prempol, we let go again and quickly adjusted back to our own reality. Did you hear me calling you? asked Rogand, now beginning to understand the machine’s operational complexities. “No, not a thing,” we replied together, trying to understand his train of thought. It appears this device transports your consciousness into another reality, one where I am unable to go. Due to the fact that only beings with your specific DNA structure can operate this machine, our fears of the Treath ever gaining access to this technology was unjustified, they could not make it work any better than I can, projected Rogand’s thought, rather disappointed that he’s unable to use the machine. So… what your saying is, you need us around to operate this device, both Syman and I thought together. At first I do, but now I know how the interface functions, it should not take me too long to make a ‘work-around’ to by the operating system, replied Rogand. That’s good news then, I thought, letting out a long slow sigh from a deep breath. I will require you to send an organic test container to my ship above Earth, and I will transport there to witness its arrival. Then I will transport back, this way you can then send me through the Natcien Transfer Device, only if the organic molecules in the test container have reassembled correctly, stated Rogand. “Do you think that’s wise,” I replied, my anxiety levels rising.

Syman informed me the transportation of your coverings into the bedroom back on Earth was very successful, reflected Rogand’s thought. Yes…, but the difference between woven animal hair and a complex organic lifeform are astronomical. I’d be worried of only sending half of you to Earth while the other…, I didn’t finish my train of thought as it was far too painful to consider. I have complete faith in your abilities Jim, Syman speaks very highly of you, thought Rogand. He was back quickly with the sample canister, placing it directly in the middle of the floor on the Natcien Transfer Platform. Wait 15 minutes before you send the container along, this way I will have plenty of time to get to my control room above Earth. I will return as soon as I have run a test on the container, making sure the transportation went smoothly, stated Rogand now starting to get excited by his experiment. After placing the canister in the center of transfer platform, he left the compartment for his sub-matter transport room. Waiting, I started reminiscing about Namow back on Traibill. I’m sure she’ll be fine Jim, she’s a very capable female, said Syman inside my head. I know that, it’s strange, but somehow I feel there’s a connection between us, I thought back to Syman. With your abilities growing steadily, perhaps there is, they replied. “Do you think it’s been 15 minutes yet?” I asked Syman. Yes, nearly 18 minutes to be precise, they answered, pulling my left arm up in front of my face, the same way someone would do if they were wearing a watch and checking the time. I simply rolled my eyes, sorry, our eyes in response to their humorous gesture. Grabbing the orb once again, our consciousnesses were sent into the targeting reality floating above Prempol. Concentrating and thinking of peering out from

Rogand’s ship down at Earth, the image of Prempol changed rapidly as our view of this reality raced across the cosmos to Earth, stopping quickly in Rogand’s control room. There was Rogand, he was standing quite still, focusing his attention at a particular spot on his floor. I believe this is where I’ll push the image of the canister, I thought. Concentrating, I imagined the test canister appearing right in front of him, I could hear the Natcien Transfer Device come to life, dematerializing the canister and pushing it through our current reality of space. Slowly the canister appeared directly in front of Rogand, then the sound of the electrical discharges grew louder in our ears, only to cease abruptly when a clear and complete image of the canister was visible through the targeting reality. I could see Rogand bend down and pick up the canister, he then walked out of his control room towards his laboratory to run the necessary tests. We followed his progress through the bowels of his ship. When he’d finished, we watched him make his way to the sub-matter transport room and stand on the platform, then disappear. Releasing our grip from the orb, the view of the compartment we were in returned and moments later Rogand came striding into the room. That was a wonder to behold. My transport system requires the use of the two way disembarking and arrival platforms, along with a targeting ring for entry and exit of particle deconstruction and re-construction. The Natcien Transfer Device does not require these transport protocols, an elated Rogand informed us, bouncing around on the heels of his feet, excited over his new toy. “Do you think the Natcien Transfer Device works both ways?” I asked Rogand, also feeling his elation. I do not know why it should not. Let us see if it does. Use the test canister on board my ship above Earth, suggested Rogand, clapping his large hands together and rubbing them both together in anticipation of our next experiment. Ok, I don’t know how I can push it back through though? I asked in thought, communicating internally with Syman, wondering whether I should use a thought of pushing or pulling the canister here. I don’t think it’s a question of pushing it back, I believe if you really want something, shouldn’t it appear here? answered Syman.

“I’ll try,” I said aloud, gathering my thoughts in readiness of our experiment. Holding the orb again, our view of the targeting realm raced across space to Rogand’s lab in his ship above Earth. We found the canister siting on his oddly shaped organically grown bench-top in his laboratory and began focusing our thoughts on the canister to begin the process. I thought to myself, I really need the canister here, I’ve got to hold it, I want to hold it, to make sure that it’s real. I must hold the canister. The sound of the Natcien Transfer Device firing up filled my ears as the image of the sample canister aboard Rogand’s ship started to fade. The more I desired the canister, the more it faded, until the sound of large electrical discharges filled my ears. Suddenly the canister vanished as quickly as the sounds in the compartment ceased. I released my grip from the orb. IT IS HERE. IT IS HERE, Rogand’s powerful thought filled my head. I glanced over to see Rogand holding the test canister, he was completely in awe of the system, his elated emotion projecting outward from his mind. I will run a test on this immediately, thought Rogand, striding quickly from the compartment heading directly to his laboratory. WOW! That was incredible, do you know what this means? asked Syman. “No, I don’t,” I replied, trying to anticipate their response. It means, we can travel to any planet that sustains life, once we monitor the atmospheres of course, thought Syman. “So… what your saying is, normally we could only travel between Rogand’s network of ships, is that correct?” I asked Syman. Yes, it is and a short distance to the planet below via his targeting ring. Once Rogand works out how to by the DNA interface issue on the orb, he’ll be able to send us anywhere, said Syman excitedly into my mind. Outstanding! I guess this brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, ‘to get away from it all’, I thought to Syman. Rogand re-entered the compartment.

It was a complete success, no damage to the cellular structure at all. I have preprogramed my transporter to send you back to Earth as soon as you step onto my sub-matter transport platform, once you have transported me via the Natcien Transfer Device, head there straight away, directed Rogand. He quickly walked over to stand in the middle of the transfer platform, he turned to Syman and I looking up, he projected his thought to us with complete confidence, ready when you are Jim. Grasping the orb again, our consciousnesses were sent to the targeting reality. Racing back to Earth from above Prempol, our vision focused on the control room once again. Without waiting, I started pushing the image of Rogand onto the floor of the control room using the image I had in my mind of him seconds before. Slowly his image grew more complete as the intense electrical sound increased in our ears. His image was full and intact when the sound of the Natcien Transfer Device died. Rogand stood unharmed and completely alert. He was overjoyed and pleased with the transport, we could see him waving his hand and gesturing for us to him, knowing full well that we were watching him. Releasing our grip on the orb, the image of the Natcien Transfer Device came back into our focus. We made our way to Rogand’s sub-matter transport room and stepped onto the platform, next we came face to face with him welcoming us back to Earth. I want to take this time to thank you so much for your help in saving the Beltourians from the threat of the Treath. My choice in choosing you Jim for the blending has not been without doubts, however, now I find myself with none. Thank you once again Jim and Syman, it is now time for you to go home, I will you soon, Rogand’s heart filled thoughts were a very welcome surprise.

CHAPTER 9

Welcome Home

Arriving back safely on the driveway at 08:17 in the evening, we walked towards the back door and knocked. Jess started barking before Stella could get to the door, she was just as shocked as Jess when she opened the back door to find me standing there. “JIM, your home, come in,” she said, wrinkling her nose at our pungent aroma. Embracing Stella, it suddenly dawned on me just how much I’d missed her. “Where’s Timothy?” I asked, looking around for him, expecting him to come bounding out from his room. “He’s in Japan on a school trip, he won’t be home for another six days,” explained Stella, holding the door open as I entered. “Would it be possible to get a cup of coffee please?” I asked, not having had one for 26 days and salivating over the aroma coming from the kitchen. “Yes of course, sit down while I get it,” she replied, heading into the kitchen and pouring me a mug from the drip-filtered coffee on the bench-top. “Any chance of a sandwich too kiddo,” I inquired, feeling my stomach rumble. “Yeah of course, will ham and cheese do?” asked Stella. “Lovely, thanks,” I replied, my mouth begun to moisten due to the build-up of saliva in the anticipation of food. “Oh, by the way, that filthy stinking garment you transported onto our bed, I’ve washed and folded it and placed it in your garage, please don’t send home your washing like that ever again thanks,” she said from the kitchen.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” I said, apologizing for my bad choice of where to send the robe. “You’ve got to tell me everything that’s happened while you were away Jim,” she said, slicing the ham from the sizable bone she pulled from the refrigerator. “Sure thing kiddo, I’ll start at the beginning,” I replied, taking a deep breath in readiness. It was well past midnight when I finished recounting eveything that had happened, almost everything, Syman kept whispering in my head, leave Namow out of this. “It’s late Jim, I’ll take you to the new house in the morning, they’ve almost finished. Steve the head builder estimates his crew will be finished in five days. I was hoping Timothy could come home to the new house when he returns from Japan,” explained Stella. “How in the devil were you able to manage such an amazing feat, building a house in 26 days?” I asked, impressed and in awe of her amazing skill set. “Stanos Constructions has a ready supply of prefabricated concrete walls and flooring, it was just a matter of excavating the basement and starting from there. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have millions of dollars to throw towards your workers, rewarding them with massive bonuses to create miracles. Anyway you’ll see it tomorrow,” she said smiling broadly, pleased with being able to surprise her uniquely talented husband. “It would have been nice to have seen my only son, but I guess I can wait a few more days, come on, let’s get to bed,” I said, pushing my chair back and standing up. “Not until you’ve showered first. I didn’t want to make your homecoming awkward, but you really do smell bad Jim, you’re not getting into my bed stinking like that,” said Stella, wrinkling her nose again, due to my pungent aroma. “Ok, I’ll shower and shave as well,” I replied heading into the bathroom, running my hand over my substantial facial hair. Stella was asleep by the time I’d finished, oh well, I was pretty damn tired myself, I thought, gently climbing in

beside her.

Syman, is Jim asleep? asked Rogand, softly projecting his thought down from his ship above. Yes deeply, why? replied Syman, making sure not to arouse their host. Did you do as I asked in regard to Primstoo and Namow having sexual intercourse, asked Rogand, silently plotting his rescue plan in an attempt to repopulate Beltour with Symbiots. Yes, I made sure his sperm and my seedlings were ed on successfully, replied Syman, pushing their thought out gently. Are you still capable of keeping Jim asleep? asked Rogand. Yes, for the moment, his abilities are advancing rapidly. I estimate we have a window of four weeks before I can no longer keep him under when he sleeps. If you wish to return to Beltour and keep your plan a secret from Jim, you must act now, explained Syman’s thought. All I need is two days to test if my plan is succeeding. This will give you one full day on Beltour, you did agree to this when I removed you from your dying host, Lenia, as Rogand telepathically reminded the millions of microscopic life-forms of his bargain. Yes, we’re aware, we know that it’s our only chance to save our species, carefully replied Syman. Very well. Once I have completed the ‘work-around’ on the Natcien Transfer Device, I will inform you, then you can call me when Jim is asleep and we will begin. I can transfer you directly from his sleeping quarters to Beltour, explained Rogand. We await your command, replied Syman sensing Jim stir, the symbiots fell silent as he rolled over onto his back.

Stella drove me to our new house the next day, straight after breakfast, I was amazed and so very grateful she had kept to the plans Syman and I had drawn up. But I must it, what I was most impressed with was the beautifully landscaped gardens Stella had designed. Holding her close from behind with my arms wrapped around her waist, I whispered in her ear how much I love and respect her. Walking in through the front door with Stella, her attention was diverted when she addressed her interior designer in regard to how the final additions were coming along. She then turned to me and said, “go and have a sticky-beak and checkout the rest of our new digs,” as she walked off discussing details with her interior designer. Syman and I started exploring our new home. The first area I wanted to checkout was the basement. So, that’s where we headed straight away to see our incredible new workshop, where Syman and I would create the new ‘fly only’ vehicle for global mass production by REFIT. Stepping off the hydraulically driven lift, I had only taken a few steps into our new cavernous basement, my first impressions were, ‘oh yeah baby’. “Check this out Syman, all the latest equipment and mod cons. Wow! That’s the biggest 3D printer I’ve ever seen. Do you reading about that in the ‘Popular Science’ magazine when we were in Russia?” I said aloud, my excitement rising as we looked on further. Even the small blast furnace was installed right where we wanted it, now we can make those small metal components ourselves. The automated lathe is even placed where you wanted it to be Syman, I thought to my microscopic miracle makers. Walking over to the middle of the enormous room and gazing upward was the entry and exit for the flyer, with easy access through the motorized folding roof three stories above. I had to find Stella to thank her. I felt as giddy as a schoolboy, taking the lift up to the ground floor we found Stella in the kitchen to end all kitchens. “Bloody hell,” I said aloud. “This kitchen is massive,” I said to Stella, wearing a huge smile.

“Yes, it’s the only thing I changed. The small office you had drawn on the plans next to the kitchen is gone, I required that space to make the kitchen larger. I really don’t want to work at home Jim, I presumed the office was put there for my benefit, I’d rathter keep all my work at the main office if you don’t mind,” she said. “You of course have the workshop downstairs,” explained Stella. “Yes I do, thanks kiddo,” I replied, completely understanding where she was coming from. “You know I’ve always needed to separate my home life from my work and since our lives have become so very busy lately, I’ve organized a housekeeper to cook and clean for us all. It’ll give us more time to focus on REFIT’s expansion, since we now travel a hell of a lot more for business these days,” she continued to say. “Your amazing kiddo, I don’t know what I would do without you,” I said, proud as punch at my wife’s unstoppable determination. Stella showed me around the rest of the house, I mean mansion. On paper it never seemed this big, I mentioned to Syman in a ing thought. The bedrooms with their huge walk in robes, the lounge, dinning and theater room were impressive to say the least. “We’re all going to be very comfortable here,” I said, extremely happy with our new home.

News had spread quickly upon my return from ‘overseas’, this was the excuse Stella and I used to cover up my absence when Syman and I traveled to Beltour. A black limo landed on our huge front driveway, the driver got out and came to the front door, he was shown in by one of the painters putting a second coat onto the main entrance doorframe, who directed the driver to my location in the kitchen. The driver stated the REFIT Area Managers were waiting for my attendance prior to commencing an Extraordinary General Meeting at REFIT Head Office. I turned to Stella. “I’ll be back mid-afternoon, I’ll get something to eat there, they always put on a great spread,” I said, kissing Stella on the cheek and leaving with the driver. The limo driver held the rear enger door open for me, getting in I sat and made myself comfortable, the driver climbed in behind the steering wheel and asked the A.I. to take us to REFIT Mareeba. I laughed to myself when the driver called the A.I. James. “James REFIT Mareeba please,” he said. “Yes sir,” replied the A.I., engaging the anti-gravity units under the limo, we climbed gently into the air and flew over our main access road. Gazing down through one of the limo’s rear windows, I observed a group of young children playing cricket in the middle of the street, it seems they have claimed the unused bitumen road as their very own personal cricket pitch. Flying over Mareeba, I was quite surprised to see the size and increase of the main shopping area over these past few years. Several associated electrical component companies have taken over the many vacant shops to help keep up the supply REFIT requires on a daily basis. Housing wise, it still appeared to be pretty much the same from the air. These days you no longer had to live close to where you worked. You could live in Mackay and work in Brisbane and make the daily round commute of one hour and 15 minutes, traveling a total distance of 1,908 kilometers, there and back. As I said before, this has caused a result in city real estate prices dropping and rural real estate prices rising. Mareeba was not only finally on the map in Australia, but globally as well there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know where it was.

The tourist industry is also booming in both Cairns and Mareeba. People are curious to see the very first REFIT site. I have my favorite girls, Melinda and Susan, running two guided tours a day, showing inquisitive tourists how our complete process operates, from the anti-gravity unit assembly line to A.I. guidance and mainframe construction and vehicle installation. Landing at the main office entrance of REFIT, the driver opened the door for me, upon exiting the limo, I asked him if his name was James. “Why, yes Mr Wilson,” he replied as I shook his hand in gratitude for the lift. “Please call me Jim,” I said. Since the release of this new technology the World is more accessible to the masses. Peoples’ attitudes and outlook on life have become far more positive. Entering the reception area I said, “good morning,” to all my incredible staff by name. Having access to all your cognitive abilities, means you never forget anyone’s name, no matter how many people you meet throughout your life. “They’re waiting for you upstairs Jim,” said Marie, my Office Manager. “Thank you, I’m heading up there right now,” I replied. All my Board were there. Once the greetings were dispensed with, I sat myself at the head of the board table and said, “let’s get started shall we.” Video links were set up with General Managers from every REFIT site around the World. The meeting lasted just over an hour and every forecasted projection from our other sites around the World had exceeded all of our expectations. I finished by informing the meeting that work on the ‘fly only’ version was to commence tomorrow and they should look forward to the prototype launch within four weeks.

Stella had Gwen, our new housekeeper, make a delicious Mongolian stew for dinner. We discussed the design for the new flyer over dinner. Stella had several excellent ideas that would help with easier access to the vehicle for the elderly or disabled, so we modified the schematic CAD drawings on a laptop at the dining table. “If you have any more ideas please call me on the intercom kiddo, I’m heading down to the workshop to get started,” I said to Stella, clo the laptop and tucking it under my arm. “Come and give me a kiss before you go,” she said, giving me a seductive look. “Now how could I refuse such an offer,” I said, walking around to the opposite side of the table and laying a ionate kiss onto her soft moist lips. Down in the workshop Syman and I got to work straight away. We started by adding the design changes Stella had wisely created, inputting them into the mainframe, making the new flyer reach a much broader consumer base. The elaborate computer system controls the 3D printer, automated lathe and blast furnace temperatures. Jim, now would be a good time to hone your abilities and sharpen your telekinesis skills, suggested Syman within my mind. “Ok, what would you like me to do?” I asked, contemplating if it’ll turn out to be some kind of awkward feat knowing Syman. Layout all the components necessary for the power cell, neatly along the top of our new workbench, suggested Syman. Over the next 24 minutes, I placed all the parts along the bench-top, all 286 of them. “Done, what next?” I asked. Right, bring up the encrypted CAD ghost image diagram file of the spiral inverter onto the screen. Can you see all the parts as they appear on the screen? Syman described everything I was viewing through our eyes, guiding me to make

the task easier. “Yeah, I’ve got it, what now?” I asked. Ok! Now, picture in your mind a completed spiral inverter. Concentrate and will the parts on the bench top to come together exactly like the image on the screen. In addition with the soldered connections, we want you to use a thought projection of high vibration to melt the electrical components onto the circuit board. This will require a train of thought on a level we symbiots can’t even achieve. So, please take your time Jim, slowly build up your level of concentration and then begin, Syman outlined as they directed the whole process into my mind, once there, I can recall their thoughts as a guide if necessary. “Yeah, right, piece of cake,” I replied, clearing my head of all the useless nonsense which usually fills my mind to focus on Syman’s thoughts. Observing the image of the complex schematic on the LCD screen. I considered for a moment all the necessary assembly required to finish the power cell. Looking at all the hundreds of parts again to familiarize myself with their positioning within the spiral inverter. I can do this, I thought, rolling up my sleeves to begin. Yes, you can, echoed Syman’s thought within my mind. Hmmm, I inhaled a few deep, slow breaths to calm myself down, slowed my breathing and began focusing on the image and all the laid out parts. I want them to , come together as one, pushing my level of concentration as far as I could, sharpening my focus as I did, the parts started sliding before lifting off the bench. Togetherness, unity and structure, all these thoughts and more flooded my mind. While in front of me the spiral inverter slowly assembled itself as if it were coming to life. Minutes later, I lowered the completed spiral inverter slowly onto the bench-top, when I released my telepathic hold upon it, I fell forward onto the bench completely exhausted. “FUCK, THAT WAS INTENSE,” I shouted out, luckily for me, Rogand must’ve been above Prempol, so I didn’t get the usual, watch your language banter

regarding my poor choice of words. Lifting my head, I gazed at the finished item in front of me, quickly saying to Syman, “well that’s one major part done, only 29 more to go.”

Five days later, when Syman and I had awoken from an amazingly energizing sleep, we freshened up and headed down to the kitchen and there was Timothy sitting at the head of the dining table, bold as brass, he was back from Japan. “Dad, I had the best time ever,” he said, wearing one of his genuine smiles that lit up his whole face. “When they found out I was the son of the famous Jim Wilson, we were all spoilt rotten by the Japanese. My classmates and I were taken to all the best locations, we were treated like royalty, even our two teachers who chaperoned us were blown away by how hospitable our Japanese guide Naoki was, getting us into areas normally out of bounds to the general public,” said Timothy while wolfing down his breakfast. “I’m glad you had a wonderful time,” I said, putting my hands behind my head and stretching out my bed knots. “Would you care for some bacon and eggs this morning Jim?” asked Gwen from the kitchen. “Thanks Gwen, that sounds delicious,” I replied. “Will Stella be down soon?” she inquired. “She’s having a much needed sleep in,” I said. “How is the new project coming along?” asked Timothy, wiping the last remaining spots of sauce off his plate with a piece of bread. “How the devil do you know about the flyer,” I said, not too sure how he had found out. “It’s only the hottest topic on social media Dad,” said Timothy, showing me the number of Tweets on his phone. “Sorry, I’ve been rather busy in my workshop these past few days. Say, do you want a glimpse at the hottest thing on social media?” I asked him, his eyes lighting up with joy in response.

“Yeah, you bet Dad,” he replied. “Follow me,” I said, getting up from the table. When Timothy set his eyes on the flyer, he gave it a wolf whistle. “Blimey! that’s one sexy looking machine,” remarked Timothy. “Yes it is, you can thank your Mom for the door design, which ultimately led to the whole design flowing around her brilliant idea, reshaping the rest of the flyer in the process,” I said. “Is it nearly ready?” asked Timothy. “Yeah, just about, I still have to install the A.I. and navigation systems, other than that, she’s ready to go. Hey! since its Saturday tomorrow, how about you and I take her for a spin in the morning after breakfast,” I said, dangling the offer in front of him, like a carrot in front of a horse. “That’d be great, thanks Dad, shame it’s only a two seater though, I was hoping to invite a friend along,” said Timothy, blushing slightly. “What’s her name?” I asked, curious to know who’d caught his attention. “Sarah, we hit it off on the trip to Japan, can she come around, say, on Sunday instead?” asked Timothy, somewhat sheepishly. “Sure, I’ll let Gwen know, she can whip up something special for lunch, anyway I’ll see you at dinner Tim, this Flying Fox here won’t complete herself,” I said, more to myself for motivation than anything. “Is that what you’re going to call it?” asked Timothy. “Yeah, I think so, she does appear to be little bit like a fox, doesn’t she?” I replied, iring her sleek hull lines. “The Fox 2 Flyer,” said Timothy, slowly nodding his head. “You know, I like the sound of that. Righto, you go and let the World know on that social media of yours, that the Fox 2 Flyer will be out and about tomorrow, here take a photo with your phone to add to your message,” I suggested.

“Dad, can you stand in front of it please, just so they know it’s an original. I mean everyone knows what you look like,” he said, holding up his phone to get the whole flyer and me in the picture. “Yeah, some days it’s a curse, but I guess that’s what you get when you invent something that can generate its own publicity campaign,” I said, smiling and leaning against the front windscreen pillar when Timothy took the photo. I heard Gwen call me for breakfast over the intercom. “Your bacon and eggs are ready.” I headed back upstairs to eat.

Next morning, Timothy laid his phone down in front of me at the dining table, while I was waiting for my breakfast, to show me how many Tweets and reTweets there were in regard to the flyer’s debut today. While eating breakfast, Timothy told me that thousands of curiosity seekers were coming to Mareeba hoping to catch a glimpse of the Fox 2 Flyer as she goes by. “We’ll have to do a few low and slow fly-bys over Mareeba, purely for P.R. reasons of course,” I said to him. He laughed as he said, “yeah sure thing Dad. Pull my left leg and I’ll sing God Save the Queen, pull my middle one and I’ll scream.” “Please Timothy, that’ll be enough of the sailor talk thanks,” said Stella from the kitchen. Stella wished us a safe trip as Timothy and I slid into our seats, we closed the doors and I ran the first initialization charge through the spiral inverter. When the power levels were up to operating level, the A.I. was initialized and asked for its title designation. “Marilyn this is Jim Ignatius Wilson,” I said clearly aloud. “Voice recognition logged, changing audio output to suit female designation,” the A.I.’s voice changed from the Humphrey Bogart, Syman choose in the preset program to Marilyn Monroe’s. “Please state your destination?” asked the sexy new sounding A.I. “Yes Marilyn, a slow flyover of Mareeba, then onto St Kilda, Melbourne, thank you,” I said, giving the A.I. directives to follow. “Who’s Marilyn Monroe Dad? asked Timothy, already Tweeting about his ride. As the flyer lifted off the workshop floor, we had only risen a few meters when the automated roof began to retract, allowing us a clear route out of the house. We waved at Stella in the kitchen as we ed the first floor. Out in the open air the flyer gently turned East towards Mareeba, very slowly we flew over town.

Timothy was right, there was at least 3,000 cars lining the main street in and out of town, so many people, waving, videoing and photographing. Marilyn flew us up the main street, looped around and began to fly back in the opposite direction. From our cockpit we could hear the cheers and wolf whistles from the crowd below. As we flew back over town and reached the southern end of Mareeba, Marilyn engaged the environmental shield and we were ready to jump to maximum speed. The hum from the spiral inverter increased giving the necessary power to envelop the flyer in the protective inertia free cocoon, moments later the shield came up as we jumped to 1,673 kilometers per hour. Mareeba disappeared behind us in an instant. “Damn these seats are comfortable,” remarked Timothy, wriggling his backside further into the soft cushioning upholstery. “Yeah, our team of designers in Japan have come up with a gel insertion technique, making a seat which will mold to anyones body posture,” I explained, giving my backside a wriggle as well, sinking deeply into my seat. We must it, these are very good at leveling out pressure points along our spine, making long trips far more enjoyable without the unnecessary stopovers to recoup, said Syman inside my head. I couldn’t agree more my friends, I replied by thought. “Dad, this has got to be the biggest leap forward in transport since you first started refitting old rollers,” said Timothy, taking a photo of the interior to add to his posts on Facebook. “Thanks Tim, it’s been a dream of mine since Tasmania to shrink this World down to size for everyone. I’ve been aware that there are people who are born, live, then grow old and die in the same town without ever leaving it. That’s something which has always made me feel somewhat disheartened, but not anymore,” I finished saying. “You know, I have my learners permit now Dad,” said Timothy, hoping his father would let him use the new flyer. “I know, your Mom suggested I let you take me anywhere you want for today’s

lesson, once we’ve had some lunch in St Kilda first,” I said, giving him a wide smile. After lunch, I handed over the control of my flyer to a happy and smiling Timothy. Syman and I sat back and watched the other traffic fly by on the main North, South, Eastern Inland Route, vehicles would exit and enter all the way down the East Coast of Australia. Timothy spoke to Marilyn. “This is Timothy Wilson, please take us to Ayres Rock,” he said, giving the A.I. directions. “Voice print identity confirmed,” Marilyn took us westward to the NorthSouth Direct Central Link outside of Adelaide. REFIT’S Navigation Expansion Division has placed over a 100 stationary satellites in orbit, helping to improve safety as the World takes to the skies. Arriving back home, Timothy thanked me for the flying lesson, then he said he’d be boasting and Tweeting ing the new Fox 2 Flyer on his learner’s permit.

“How did his flying test go? asked Stella, taking off her nightgown and placing it onto the nightstand before getting into bed. “He was incredible. His manual flying skills are amazing. He wanted to fly through the Valley of the Winds at the Olga’s,” I told Stella as I got undressed, ready to hop into bed after freshening up. “It’s good to see you two spending some quality time together,” she said. “Has he told you about Sarah?” I said, turning down my side of the bed. “No, why, who’s Sarah?” asked Stella. “She’s a friend from school he met on his overseas jaunt. Apparently she was too nervous to speak with him at school, but found it easier to talk with him on neutral ground when they were in Japan. Oh yeah, you’re going to meet her tomorrow, she’s coming for lunch, goodnight kiddo,” I said, kissing Stella on the cheek and rolling over to get comfortable in bed. “Goodnight Jim, see you in the morning,” she replied. I’d just about fallen asleep when my phone rang. I use a private number which I only hand out to a select few; Managers of each REFIT division, various Heads of State from around the World and of course my P.R. team, Peter Wosner and Marc Manea, who I employed after REFIT’S first TV commercial. Ted Gravisin’s outstanding advertising campaign pushed peoples curiosity into overdrive and an information void was created. When overwhelming interest in the technology became a thirst the general public continually hounded me to fill, Peter and Marc accepted the challenge irably. In order to give the people what they wanted, I employed Peter and Marc straight of the bat to film and produce half hour infomercials, airing on a weekly basis as REFIT grew from a backyard dream into a global success story. It was Peter on the line. “Sorry I’ve called so late, did I wake you?” asked Peter. “Almost, hey! Have you seen the action on social media about our flight in the prototype today? In your next weekly broadcast, I want it known that it was

Timothy’s idea to call it the Fox 2 Flyer,” I said to Peter on the other end. “That’s what this call is in regard to, I know that you’re busy tooling up globally for mass production of a 2, 4, 6 and even an 8 seater version of the Flyer, is that correct?” asked Peter. “Yes, that’s right, why do you ask? I said, wondering where he was going with his inquiry. “Jim, aren’t you aware of the huge flood of orders hitting our servers,” inquired Peter. “No, I was with Timothy all day. I turned my work phone off to enjoy some quality time with my son. Why’s that?” I asked in return. “We’ve been ed by the public broadcasting networks, they’ve collaborated together to come up with an idea to be the first to have exclusive footage of the new flyer. Marc and I will be there at 6 o’clock in the morning, we’ll go over the ideas we’ve got to format the news bulletins these networks have in mind. Are you able to bring the flyer to Sydney Harbor? Once we’ve outlined our basic script for tomorrow’s story line with you, we’ll travel to Potts Point for the interview, there’s nothing like a water view as a backdrop. We’ll both be at your place first thing in the morning Jim to confirm the details,” finished Peter. “Rightio, see you then,” I replied, tapping the ‘hang-up’ icon. “Did you catch that Stella,” I said, now looking forward to an excellent sleep. “Yeah, I did, I guess it had to happen sooner or later. REFIT’s been leaking info for the last month or so in order to build public curiosity,” explained Stella. “Well it’s worked, anyway where was I, oh yeah, Goodnight Stella,” I said again. “Ok Jim, I’ll see you tomorrow night, when you get back,” said Stella, turning off her bedside lamp.

Early next morning, Peter and Marc had arrived on time at 6 o’clock. If there’s one thing I like most about those two it’s their punctuality. We sat ourselves at the dining table to go over the guidelines for the interview. Peter said the public networks were considering to use a human-interest angle to all the recent advancements in technology. “Mostly, they’re interested in your opinion and how much the World has changed in regard to the technological input from just one man. The title for the new story they would like to use is, The Influence of One,” he explained. “Human interest you say, how about I tell them of my overwhelming desire to help my fellow man, say, allowing everyone the ability to travel whenever and wherever they choose, the dismantling of out-dated borders and finally, bringing the whole World into the Twenty First Century. Not just the filthy rich and privileged, but everyone. It doesn’t sound too flowery does it?” I asked. “No, not at all, but maybe you should smile a little bit every now and then during the interview, we don’t want you appearing as a robot with zero emotions,” suggested Peter. “We need to leave right now to get the best light for filming, clear skies and sunny all day in Sydney,” said Marc glancing at the weather app on his phone. “The interview went exceptionally well,” said Peter when we’d finished in Sydney. Love it, love it, just love it, talk about a perfect day for filming and Peter you’ve outdone yourself with those questions you asked Jim,” said Marc, cleaning a small amount of salt spray from his camera lens. “Anyway, its back to the studio for us, we’ll clean it up a little before sending it off to the public networks for broadcast,” said Peter, helping Marc load his camera gear. “See you Marc, catch you later Peter,” I said, as I watched them jump into their van and take-off.

Even with all of Syman’s help, I was still very tired when we arrived back home later that evening. Stella suggested I needed to get away for a couple of days and recharge my batteries. “Well you won’t get an argument from me,” I said, asking where we should go. “I think Lizard Island is the place to go, it’s only eight minutes from here but isolated enough to make it feel like you’re the only one on the planet,” she replied. “What about you, would you like to me Stella?” I asked. “I’d love to, however, I’m meeting with our charity liaison leader tomorrow, we still have over $327,000,000.00 remaining in our personal , after building our new home,” she said. “Excellent idea kiddo, we don’t need it, better that somebody else benefits from our good fortune. Besides, when the Fox Flyer range hits production, we’ll have so much money we should seriously think about buying our own island as a weekender. You know, somewhere to unwind after a busy week at work,” I said, suggesting another bright idea. “Good idea Jim, put the word out when you’re kicking back on the Island,” said Stella. “Will do kiddo, who would have thought two kids from Tassie would make it big,” I said smiling. “Yes, I’m proud of us both, mind you, we shouldn’t forget our benefactor upstairs,” replied Stella, pointing skyward with her thumb. “I’m sure he heard you Stella,” I said quietly, so Gwen couldn’t ears drop. Thank you for acknowledging me in your achievements and yes an island would make an excellent choice in separating work from play, projected Rogand telepathically to the both of us. “Told you he was listening,” I said, with a broadening smile upon my face.

Stella stepped into the downstairs bathroom to put on her makeup and freshen up and prepare for her busy day. Syman and I arrived back home at 06.20 that evening from work to an empty house. Stella wasn’t back yet and Gwen had left early due to prior arrangements, leaving a delicious beef stew in the fridge for me to reheat. Timothy was once again staying over at Wayne’s place, a very good friend from high school. After dinner, I quickly packed and threw my overnight bag into the flyer and asked Marilyn to take me to Lizard Island. By the time I was shown to my Ocean View Room by Susan, the owner and operator of the world famous resort, it was 10 o’clock at night and I was exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep. Syman, the time has come to travel, keep Jim asleep. In the morning bring the flyer directly to my ship, I will transport you to Beltour’s surface just near Wont. I need to confirm Namow’s pregnancy is progressing successfully. Then I will get you back, outlined Rogand. Yes, we understand, came Syman’s reply.

That morning Syman woke early, they ordered and ate breakfast at the dining facilities and then left in the flyer. It cleared the trees easily from the landing area on Lizard Island and ascended straight up through the atmosphere towards Rogand’s ship. Unbeknown to Jim, he walked from the airlock hold to the submatter transport room, from there Rogand transported himself, Syman and a sleeping Jim to his vessel above Prempol. It wasn’t days this time Syman needed to make the transition from human to Beltourian, it was three and a quarter hours. Syman donned the old robe previously worn by Jim as Primstoo, Rogand was then able to send Syman back to Beltour using the Natcien Transfer Device. His ‘work-around’, or cheat as Syman calls it, is working as well as Rogand had expected. We appeared just outside Wont in the early hours of the morning. It was going to be a beautiful day as the sun had already broken the horizon, displaying a clear sky above. Syman walked us to the village and found Namow easily. She was washing robes in a carved out boulder by the creek that ran ed one side of the village. “Greetings Namow,” Syman said on my behalf. Upon hearing Primstoo’s voice, Namow stood up and turned to clearly expose her well rounded abdomen to Syman. “Prim, you’ve stepped my way once more,” she said smiling as she wrapped her arms around us. “Yes my favorite, I have re-ed you after hearing tellings of the coming child you carry within, on my many steps in the West,” said Syman, using my voice in the Beltourian tongue. “Come, you must speak with Father to claim my life as yours, so that we may be bonded under the stars as one,” said an excited Namow, grabbing my right hand and leading me towards her hut. “Before we go, may I feel the youngling move within you?” asked Syman, stepping forward and taking a unique device of Rogand’s design from his satchel.

“What is it?” asked Namow, stepping back a pace and clearly worried about the strange looking object. “Tis a talisman used by my people to ward off evil spirits, so the child may be born free from demons,” lied Syman. It was actually a scanning apparatus capable of determining the sex and health of the foetus. The item vibrated, letting Syman know it had gathered the required information. Placing it back in his satchel, Syman turned and started walking away. “Where are you stepping to?” asked Namow with a bewildered expression upon her face. Syman didn’t answer, as far as they were concerned their job was done, Rogand told them once they have the information, they were to leave immediately. “PRIMSTOO, please stop,” shouted an upset Namow, now crying. Just then, something stirred within my mind, an arousal like no other, the feeling of fear from a loved one. It aroused me from the deepest sleep I’d ever felt before. Up and up I climbed out of the deepest hole of unconsciousness, eventually becoming aware that I was walking. My vision cleared as my mind began to fully awaken. I was still walking, I tried to stop myself, yet on and on I strode and then the realization hit me. SYMAN, I shouted within my mind. Immediately, I regained my own mobility. “What the hell is going on here,” Jim demanded. However, before Syman could answer he began to hear a familiar voice calling from behind, he turned to see Namow crying with one arm outstretched as if pleading for his return. Now he was totally disorientated. “NAMOW,” he shouted across the distance that lay between them. “DON’T LEAVE ME PRIMSTOO,” she shouted back, still holding out her arm as if reaching to stop him from leaving. Syman, you’d better spill your guts and tell me what the fuck is going on, I said angrily within my mind. Walk to Namow, we’ll explain everything, replied Syman telepathically.

As Jim walked to Namow, the closer he got, the more he realized she seemed different somehow to when they had last met. It was then Syman finished his memory dump on all the details Rogand and they had planned together behind his back. “Namow, I’m sorry I…, I…, it would please me more than a year of fine days to us together in front of your Father, and I look forward to the coming of our child,” I said to an emotional Namow. We embraced for a long time, letting go of her I said, “please take me to Drefin.” We should have transported by now, Syman thought in my mind. Yes, I can feel him trying, I replied. But we should be gone from here, how’re you stopping the transfer Jim? asked Syman completely baffled. I’m blocking the transfer. I really don’t want to leave, not just yet, not until Namow and I are ed. That gadget in my bag, I take it has all the information about the child, I directed my question to Syman. Yes it does, replied a concerned Syman, now worried what their host may do in regard to their deceit.

The celebration that evening was amazing. All the village gathered around us. Aderle officiated the service, being the head leader of all the clans, it was of great significance he was there. The bonding ceremony normally fell to the head male of the family line that the female was born into, although, Drefin was happy to step aside and let Aderle fill his shoes. By having Aderle officiate over our bonding ceremony, Drefin would forever benefit from the cache brought to his family name. Late in the evening when everyone had left, I led Namow aside to speak with her. “My love, you trust me don’t you?” I asked, feeling her happiness within, with my telepathic senses. “Yes Prim, you know I do,” she replied, smiling broadly as she gazed deeply into my eyes. “I need time to resolve important issues in my own realm, it may be a whole season before I return, but when I do, you would do me a great honor by naming our child Phoenix. Be it boy, or be it girl. Can you do this for me Namow?” I asked softly, holding her close. “I will Prim, you saved us all from the sky beasts, if it weren’t for you, I’d hate to fathom what our lives may have been had they taken over,” said Namow, much happier now she was officially ed under the stars. “I must be honest with you Namow.” Sadly, there was no way to put this gently, I thought. Therefore, I simply spoke the truth. “There was going to be no life, we were to be treated in the same way that we raise the betas,” I informed her, the smile on her face was replaced by an expression of shock. “Then it was the fate of the Gods that bought you to us,” she replied, smiling again. “I will return my love,” I said, embracing her one last time before I left. I walked out of the village far enough away not to be seen and then let Rogand transport us back to Prempol.

Arriving in the center of the transfer platform I wasted no time in settling this matter, once and for all. Jim, I can sense your anger. Please wait while I explain, projected Rogand’s thought. “DON’T YOU MOVE A FUCKING MUSCLE,” I pushed my will upon him and by push I mean, ‘push’, Rogand was helpless at the strength and power of my suggestion, he could not move or even think straight. “It’s my turn to be in control. First, you will include me in all your plans, whether they’re simple or dangerous. And secondly, I will not be denied the truth and for your information, I would have been more than willing to help Syman rebuild his race and to have another son.” Yes, I know I have a son, he is healthy and growing well inside his mother as are Syman’s seedlings, I telepathically rammed my final statement at him. Releasing my hold upon Rogand’s will, I walked to where he stood. “Friends,” I said aloud, holding out my hand. For the very first time since meeting Rogand, he spoke, he awkwardly mouthed just one word. “Friends,” he said, we both graciously shook hands together. The only ones who couldn’t verbally speak for themselves were Syman. You may use me if you wish, I thought to my microscopic collective. Relaxing, I allowed them access to my motor skills, Syman finished the matter by speaking with my voice. “Friends,” they said. If you would be kind enough to return me to my former self Syman, I’ll block the pain myself, I’ve gained a few extra tricks in my bag since last time, I reflected my thought to Syman and Rogand. Yes of course Jim, replied Syman in my mind. Yes, you have grown strong with your mental capabilities, that is the first time I have ever been over powered telepathically, thought Rogand, now completely impressed with his choice of host for the symbiots.

“Yeah, sorry about that, I was more than ticked off with the both of you, anyway, its water under the bridge now, as far as I’m concerned. How are all the numbers tallying back on Earth?” I asked, wanting to change the subject. Very good indeed. We have been able to slow the growth quite considerably, now it is a matter of slowly reducing it to a far more manageable quantity so the Earth will not choke on its own population in the future, explained Rogand. That’s very good to hear. As a member of this said planet, I would like to take this opportunity in time to thank you for taking us off the endangered species list. What say you Syman? I thought. Hear! Hear! We would also like to thank you Rogand, even though you went about it in a unusual way, the end result is very promising. We now have a chance of repopulating the Beltourian inhabitants with a new line of Symbiots. So once again, thank you Rogand, reflected Syman telepathically. Thank you both for giving me hope again, to lose two Worlds is, as I have said before, two too many. In saving Earth and Beltour I believe a balance has been restored to the universe. It appears Syman has finished with your transformation Jim, reflected Rogand’s thought inside my mind. Glancing down at myself with my robes hanging of my now greatly reduced body frame, I asked Syman, “Where my clothes were?” Back in the flyer above Earth, replied Syman. “You mean to say you flew it into space!” I said, rather shocked. Yes, it’s more than capable of handling the short distance, replied Syman. Well, what do you know, you learn something new every day, I thought. Just before leaving, I gave Rogand the robes and the satchel containing his fetal apparatus, knowing he would hold onto it for future use. I then walked back down onto the transfer platform and bid my farewell. Back over Earth again, we hastily dressed and returned to Lizard Island to collect my bag and pay for the relaxing stay I never had.

“Hello Jim, did you have a peaceful break?” asked Stella. Returning home later that day. “Yes thanks, it was very illuminating, I discovered a few hidden truths about myself,” I replied. “How’d you go finding an island for us?” asked Stella. “As it happens, I was about to leave Lizard Island, when Tesa Treale from the Whitsundays Realty called, she has Pine Island available at a bargain price of $8,776,000.00 and it’s completely unoccupied, a blank canvas for us to work with,” I said, watching the look on Stella’s face. “That’s wonderful Jim, how soon can we buy it?” she asked. “Already ours kiddo,” I replied. “Excellent, when are you and Syman able to come up with a design for a holiday house?” asked Stella, raising her eyebrows. “Nope, not this time. I want you to manage the whole shebang, speak with Steve at Stanos Constructions, they created a beautiful home here for us, lets use them again. They’ll be more than able to draw up any ideas you may have in mind for our holiday home. I have complete faith in your abilities Stella,” I remarked, knowing full well she is more than capable of handling the whole project. “Wow! Haven’t our lives become very full these days,” said Stella. “Yeah kiddo, they sure have,” I replied, holding her close in a warm embrace. “Stella, if you like, we can help with some unique ideas, because on Traibill, my World was dotted with thousands of islands, we have within us the designs for totally self-sufficient homes. It would be our greatest pleasure to help you if you’d like,” suggested Syman using my vocal cords. I was becoming more accustom in letting my friends access my bodily functions so they may express themselves adequately. “Thank you Syman, I would love to hear any ideas you may have,” she said,

releasing herself from Jim’s arms. “Well then, Syman and I will be heading into the office for a logistical update meeting, regarding the next expansion phase of REFIT’s massive tooling up for the Fox Flyer Series, we’ll be late home tonight Stella, lets get dinner delivered from Lee’s Restaurant. when we were last there the paparazzi acquired pictures and plastered us all over Instagram enjoying our evening meal. Well after that episode, poor old Lee’s been inundated with people dinning out from all over the globe. So, whenever we’re stuck working late, he said by way of thanking us for all the free advertising, he’d deliver our meals free of charge, whenever we like,” I finished explaining. “Ok Jim, see you when you get home then,” she replied. Taking the lift down to our basement workshop, we traveled in the Fox 2 Flyer prototype to the office. Landing in our usual reserved parking space, next to the main office building, we’d arrived right on evening shift change. All our REFIT installations are run 24/7 to keep up with the massive demand. The throng of exiting employees were drawn to the Fox 2 Flyer like moths to a flame. Their response to the new flyer was overwhelming. Ben, one of my many indigenous workers said “Boss, how much will it cost?” “With your staff discount Ben, it’ll set you back a tidy $16,750.00 for the two seater,” I told him. “Holy shit Boss, what colors do they come in?” he asked, checking out how soft the gel-filled seats were. “Ben, make sure you choose the Pantone color number you want when you place your online order,” I said to him and the very happy group of employees viewing the flyer. Leaving the group of rubber necker’s with the flyer, we went inside. The logistical update meeting went extremely well, all the team leaders from the REFIT networks were anxious to get started on tooling up for this large expansion phase. For the very first time in our business history, we’ll be manufacturing complete units.

A new company division was ed in accordance with global trading laws, FOX FLYER FOUNDRIES, with a logo ‘FFF’ to accompany the advertising campaign. The Hawking Phenomenon will use it in new television and cinema commercials. Earlier this week I had a discussion with Ted Gravisin, who outlined a few ideas he has for these new and TV commercials. “Picture this Jim,” he proposed, “a gentleman dressed in an expensive suit, waits just outside his office building near a drop-off and pick-up site on the street, he glances up to see his new Fox 2 Flyer descend slowly towards him, the camera view shows the flyer is completely empty, there’s no pilot anywhere to be seen, it lands neatly in front of him, he enters his flyer and states, take me home and the A.I. replies, ‘very well Sir, automated pick-up function continuing.’ A new scene - then a housewife cooking the evening meal, says into to her phone, please pick-up the children from school and the camera views her flyer lifting off from its parking bay, you can see it take-off from over her right shoulder as she continues to prepare the evening meal – the view changes - the 6 seater lands back down into the parking bay and four children wave happily at their mother through the plexiglass windows. What do you think?” asked an excited Ted. I love it, absolutely love it,” I replied. “When can you get started on the filming of the commercial?” I asked, now very eager to get the whole advertising campaign underway as soon as possible.

Within six months our flyers will be running off the assembly line. New factory facilities were built 13 months ago in anticipation of this very important launch. Another benefit of having Syman blended with me was being able to work 24 hours a day. We use video link conferencing technology to stay in with our various parts suppliers in different time zones around the World, deg, organising and putting into action all the necessary steps to facilitate an easy transition into mass assembly of the Fox Flyer range. Everything was moving along smoothly, the projected six month launch date of the entire range was well and truly under control.

CHAPTER 10

To The Rescue

Jim, I need to see you as soon as possible, it involves the Natcien Transfer Device, Rogand voiced within my mind one evening as Marilyn was taking me home from the FOX FLYER FOUNDRY in Japan. I’ll come up in the flyer, I thought in response. Once I arrived home I caught up with Stella, she also had an urgent meeting to attend to in Sydney, with her World Aid Agency leader Mr Arnold Thompson, regarding even distribution of our charity funds. Her efforts in humanitarian aid had won her the Nobel Peace Prize last year. She received the Award due to her incredible work in helping the needy, her main aim is to help communities build their own self sufficient infrastructure to increase their independence. “Just being nominated for the Award was enough recognition,” she said over breakfast early one morning. “I’m so sorry kiddo, but I need to leave immediately, Rogand has asked for my attendance upstairs,” I informed my now annoyed wife. Timothy was at the table with his girlfriend Sarah and overheard our conversation, they’d just finished the dessert Gwen had made for them. “Do you mind if I show Sarah your workshop Dad?” asked Timothy, loud enough so I could hear him over Stella’s tirade in regard to me over working again. “Yes of course you can. Show Sarah the new A.I. I’ve created,” I said, starting to head back downstairs with my ears still ringing from my wife’s outburst and got ready to leave immediately.

“Will you be gone long Jim?” asked Stella, having followed me downstairs, not finished with giving me a piece of her mind, she was disappointed Rogand was always calling upon me whenever the cosmos fell into peril. “I don’t know kiddo, I’ll call to let you know when I have a better idea of how long I’ll be,” I replied, kissing Stella on the lips and giving Timothy an embarrassing hug in front of his girlfriend Sarah. They watched me hop into the flyer and open the roof in preparation for take-off. Before closing the flyer’s door, I said to Sarah “it was nice to see you again,” and gave Timothy a reassuring smile, closed the door and asked Marilyn to take us up to Rogand’s ship. Ri through the levels of the house, I waved at Stella and Gwen who were now cleaning up the aftermath of dirty plates in the kitchen. Once in the open air the environmental shield automatically activated and we jumped to maximum speed on our way to meet with Rogand once more. Approaching his ship from space was an eerie experience, flying towards deep space with no visible destination in front of you can take your breath away. Do not worry Jim, your heading is good, Marilyn has been here before, Rogand’s thought startled me back to my senses. Yes, I was informed by Syman, I replied in thought. Exiting the flyer I was met by Rogand. We walked with him to the sub-matter transport room and stepped onto the platform, instantly we were sent to his ship above Prempol, following his lead we walked directly to the Natcien Transfer Device. Walking over to the control orb, Rogand stood motionless for several moments, both Syman and I asked telepathically what was so important. It seems that this device can transport material from here to any chosen destination and then return it, correct? projected Rogand’s thought inside my head. “Yeah that’s right, what is this, transport 101?” we both replied at the same time. Yes, it is. This control interface has been designed specifically for humanoid interaction only and I cannot design a complete ‘work-around’ to cheat the sensors in allowing matter transfer from one area to another, without the aid of

the platform you see in front of you. However, that is not the reason I brought you here. In my detailed investigations of this device, I have come to a startling conclusion, the transfer platform can only hold four occupants. This means, the Natciens would still be transporting their considerable population off World up until this very day, if they had used it to migrate to another World, as we originally thought they did. This made me realize the device can move matter from one location to another, without the aid of the platform, explained Rogand inside my mind. That’s theoretically impossible, thought Syman to us both. Yes in this reality it is, but the Natcien Transfer Device uses a different reality to operate in, the same reality you expressed when you last transported me from Prempol to Earth. It has a unique structure that overlaps our own reality, yet, when it is transferring matter it moves it from this reality into the unknown realm, then back out again into this reality. Let me think of how best to put this. I have it! When you dive from a platform into water and swim a good distance underneath, then resurface into the oxygenated atmosphere once again, you have transported yourself to another place in space through the use of another medium, where the physics we operate under are somewhat altered; density, gravity and movement are all different from the laws we operate under in an oxygenated atmosphere compared to under water. Making it possible to do the same thing in the reality our Natcien Transfer Device uses, you enter into it and travel free from the laws of physics, then resurface back into normal space in a different location the operator has chosen fit to deposit their conscious load of matter upon. Rogand tried desperately hard to explain his theory. I think I’m starting to get the picture, these realities you speak of are like layers of space. Your transfer machine uses sub-space to transport its matter through, but the Natcien Transfer Device uses a totally different reality to transport its matter in and out of. Am I making any sense? I thought to them. Yes, you are Jim. This would have taken the Natciens a millennia to discover. They would have sent a great many individuals into thousands of different realities to find the right operating realm which overlaps all realities. Taken every sensor reading possible and then sent back the information. Only problem with this is, the individuals had to remain in their specific realities to return the information. Sadly, it was a one way trip only, a suicide mission at best. I would very much like to meet these beings one day, finished Rogand’s train of thought.

“Would you like me to try and move something around, is that it?” I asked. Yes, I would like you to move the Natcien Planet Hopper, that is still in the village of Wont and transfer it to where you first met Rowbor, suggested Rogand telepathically. Syman and I moved in front of the control orb, grasping it in both hands our consciousnesses were immediately sent to the device’s operating reality, our field of cognitive perspective floating over Prempol. We thought of Wont, suddenly the image of Prempol blurred as our vision raced across space to finish above Beltour. Zooming in on the position of the Natcien Planet Hopper, our vision circled around the outside several times then in through the still opened back hatch. No one was on board, excellent we both thought. We moved our vision back outside, I then began concentrating on where to move the ship. I want the ship here, ing the open path where I first met Rowbor herding his fodo. I envisaged the ship appearing at the location where I first met him. The noise inside Rogand’s compartment began to rise as the Natcien Transfer Device commenced its process, the level of noise I could hear coming from his compartment was deafening as the image of the ship started to appear. More, I need more, I thought. The sound in my ears was that of a raucous screech, but amplified a hundred times over. The image of the ship began to appear the second the ear-splitting sound died away. We kept our vision on the ship, circled it to make sure it was intact and then released our grip on the orb, our vision immediately came back to this reality. Glancing over to Rogand, I smiled broadly and then said loudly, “SUCCESS!” To use a saying on your planet Jim, ‘that is music to my ears,’ replied Rogand, putting one of his awkward smiles upon his thick-skinned face. Why’s that?” asked Syman, sharing their curiosity with me. This has been like a weight upon my heart. I need your help once again, I have already asked more from you both than anyone has a right to, but I must. The planet Simvict’s sun is currently in the process of going supernova. We have just three days to find and relocate all its inhabitants, called the Scuree, a greatly disappointed Rogand informed us.

We could feel the weight of his concern that’s been on those large, dark blue shoulders of his for the past two days, as he worked tirelessly in trying to complete a functioning ‘work-around’ for the Natcien Transfer Device, just so he didn’t have to ask for our help once again. I stepped over in front of Rogand and placed my right hand upon his massive left arm. Rogand, you saved my life and that of Syman’s, we’ll follow you to the ends of space if we must, please cheer up. Just give me a moment to call Stella, then we’ll start searching for a suitable world for the Scuree, I sent our thought into that huge mind of his. Thank you Jim, Syman, for your continued , a now greatly relieved Rogand replied. We traveled by Rogand’s sub-matter transporter back to his ship above Earth. Dialing Stella’s number on my phone with her Skype details, I sat down onto the transport platform with my legs hanging over the edge and waited for the connection. Syman conversed within me, how do you think we can help? You do know we have no control over the Natcien Transfer Device. Even though we are a part of you, we aren’t humanoid in design, we exist only as an add-on. You shouldn’t put yourselves down, if it wasn’t for you, I’d still be disabled. You complete me Syman, besides you’ve enabled me to access the deepest reaches of my mind, making it possible for me to use the device. So, without your help, nothing could be done to save the Scuree. I know you don’t believe in or comprehend fate, but I do, we were destined to be together. If this is not enough for you, then think of all the amazing things we have accomplished in such a short time. I imagine with your last host your accomplishments never totaled to much, God rest Lenia’s soul, I thought to Syman. Not really, he was actually part of the science team responsible for C.T.O.’s, (Close Traibill Objects), they failed in picking up the asteroid that destroyed our World. It was a rogue asteroid from far outside our galaxy, it impacted at over 1,100 kilometers per second, totally obliterating Traibill. It was only sheer luck that we survived. We were inspecting one of the satellite sensors at the time, the shockwave from the impact threw us far out into space. Rogand only found us

because his ship was close to the sensor we were checking on. Our automated rescue beacon made it possible for him to focus in on our position, allowing him to transfer us aboard and the rest you know, finished Syman’s collective thought, with a touch of sadness leaching through. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect,” I said to my microscopic saviors. My wife’s face appeared on the phone. “Hello Stella,” I said. I was looking at her beautiful face and in the background was the Sydney Harbor Bridge. “How are you Jim?” she replied, with a broad smile. “We won’t be able to make dinner tonight,” I said apologetically. “Why’s that?” she asked, quickly losing her smile. “Rogand has an urgent dilemma, he needs my help to relocate a species facing annihilation,” I answered, hoping that she would understand. “Why does it have to be you, doesn’t he have anyone else he can call upon?” asked Stella. “Sweetheart, is anyone with you?” I inquired. “No, I’m all alone,” she said, scanning about the room. “Please step outside for a moment,” I suggested. I could see her walk out onto the balcony of the hotel room she was staying in while holding her charity meeting. “Alright, that’ll do, stop just there, stand still please kiddo,” I told her over the phone. “Syman, please bring her up,” I asked my internal friends. Handing over my motor skills to them again, I watched as they moved our hands over the transport control zooming in on Stella’s location, as soon as I could see her on the display membrane, Syman flipped the oddly shaped

appendage on the organic control attached to the heavily veined wall, all the lights came on simultaneously, then switched off. Turning around to view the transport platform, Stella arrived instantaneously, still holding her phone out in front of her. “Hello Stella, it’s good to see you again,” said Syman, using my voice. Stella knew who was speaking straight away by the higher pitch of my voice. “Hello Syman, can you put Jim back on thanks,” she said. “Our pleasure,” they replied, I felt the use of my bodily functions return. “Hey kiddo,” I said, walking over and embracing her. Syman sensed what was to come and retreated into ive hibernation. Knowing that Stella and I were as alone as we could ever be, I kissed her ionately and felt myself become aroused. Once we released one another, I went through the whole story about the Natcien Transfer Device and why it ended up on Rogand’s ship above Prempol. “So, you’re the only one who can operate the machine?” asked Stella, realizing that Rogand was no humanoid and that Jim’s services were required once again. “Yes, that’s sort of correct,” I replied. “He can transport people using the platform from one location to another and back again, but he’s unable to move objects independently of the platform. So he wants me to transfer the creatures from one planet to another,” I finished explaining. “Jim, I fell in love with you years ago, because I knew you were special, you’re not only important to me, but it turns out that you’re the Scuree’s only hope for survival,” stated Stella. “Thanks kiddo, I was nervous before, but now I’m down right petrified,” I said, my anxiety levels through the roof. “Don’t be Jim, I know you’ll do your best to help them. Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve never let me or Timothy down, look at everything that’s happened

these past years and what you’ve been able to accomplish,” said a very proud Stella. “That does make me feel a little better,” I said, feeling my nerves settle slightly. “Anyway, I’ll see you when you get home,” she said, smiling again. I embraced Stella once more before we sent her back to the balcony in Sydney. Just before she transported she said “take care of Jim please Syman.” I let myself relax. “We will Stella,” they replied.

Back aboard with Rogand, we wasted no time in starting our search for an appropriate new world for the Scuree. If it appeared that it would sustain an oxygen-based life form, we were to send an atmospheric sensor to read the planet’s atmosphere. However, the Scuree weren’t humanoid, they were a blend of crustacean and mammalian, a strange breed by my evolutionary standards. Nevertheless, as Rogand pointed out, as the image of one was rotating upon the viewing membrane, looks aren’t everything. He informed me when he first put his ship in stationary orbit above Earth, he wondered how a clumsy and ugly, two legged, soft skinned species was going to survive. I must it we all laughed at that thought. But on a serious note, I easily found the Scuree’s home World with Rogand’s description of its nearby nebula, taken from his orbiting ship above Simvict. Quickly scrutinizing the Simvict’s surface, Syman and I were quite surprised at the level of technology the Scureeians had achieved. Releasing our grip on the targeting orb, Rogand began to outline our overall plan. Firstly, the atmospheric sensor has five lights upon its top, you need to see all five lights illuminate in order to accept that world as suitable. Secondly, an immediate reconnoiter of its surface must be completed to make sure no other dominant species are in control. Once those parameters are met, send the sensor to me on Simvict, I will then know your search was successful, explained Rogand. “You want me to send you to Simvict first?” I asked, dreading again the possibility of only sending a portion of him instead. Yes Jim, I will make with their leaders and inform them of the exact moment when their Sun will go supernova. I am sure they have their own estimates. All be it, I must convince them to relocate to a new world if they expect to survive. When you have returned the sensor to me, I will then telepathically inform them to gather in a large group on a vast open plain, so you can transfer them all at once. Please send me now and then immediately commence your search for a suitable world, directed Rogand’s thoughts within my mind. Very well, step onto the platform and we’ll get started, I thought, my anxiety

levels rising slightly higher. Rogand ed me the sensor and then walked down the ramp and onto the transfer platform. Are you ready, I called by thought. Yes, thank you Jim, please continue, replied Rogand inside my mind. Grasping the orb again, I focused on sending Rogand to Simvict, that was the easy part. He arrived safely and began a telepathic link with the dominant leaders of the Scuree. Having completed my first task, I released our grip on the orb and ran to the transfer platform, placing the atmospheric sensor directly in the middle, I quickly returned to hold the orb again in my desperate search to find another world. Syman, I’m going to need your help, you have to keep me awake, remind me to eat and drink. I know you’re disappointed that only I can operate this device, but you must play your part too, by helping me help Rogand. He’s on that planet, having only two and a half days left before their sun goes supernova, so I need you pal, my thought was filled with nothing but iration for my microscopic friends and they accepted that emotion with nothing but pride. Thanks Jim, we understand, we’re with you till the end, replied Syman. “Let’s get to it then,” I said aloud, grabbing hold of the orb again. Our view raced across the cosmos as if I were a part of it, the more I’m in conscious with this parallel reality, the more I’m beginning to feel a part of it. Every time I sent the sensor to a new world, one after the other, the time between transfers reduced dramatically, until eventually instantaneous transport was achieved. Jim, we think every time you focus your abilities, you’ve been exercising your consciousness, training it to reach its full potential. It’s time for you to eat and drink, we suggest you concentrate on Lee’s Restaurant, said Syman inside my

head. After receiving their thought, I had to it my mouth was rather dry. Readjusting my thought on Lee’s Restaurant, our view instantly changed from a world that couldn’t sustain life even if it tried, to the kitchen at the back of Lee’s Restaurant. A dozen dishes ready for the waitress to take out, lay on the counter, I merely chose two dishes, plus two large jugs of water. Releasing my grip on the orb, Syman and I walked down to the arrival platform and began to eat our fill and quench a thirst worthy of a camel. I was amazed how the intake of food had cleared my mind and sharpened my thought. “Well, that was delicious, but sitting here isn’t solving the Scuree’s conundrum, is it?” I said. We need to get back to searching the cosmos again, I added, thinking to Syman. I continued our search once again, racing from one galaxy to another, but in my desperation and hopelessness I stopped searching abruptly, we were hovering in the void between galaxies. This is useless, I’m searching everywhere with no luck, I thought to Syman, then I felt Syman’s touch upon the back of my mind. “I felt, I feel, I…, that’s it, feel for this brave new world for the Scuree,” I said aloud, after experiencing the epiphany. Still holding onto the orb, I relaxed my thoughts and concentrated on feeling for this world, my sense of touch expanded rapidly outward across this parallel reality, touching stars, moons, nebulas and planets, giant gaseous worlds unable to life, to primeval planets at the beginning of theirs. Then I felt it, it’s warmth and abundance of new life. I raced towards its location, quickly sending the atmospheric sensor to the planet’s surface in an instant, watching as it slowly read the air’s contents, all the lights were in the green, “FOUND IT!” However, before I could inform Rogand, I needed to search for one more parameter. I searched its surface for any other form of intelligent life, a dominant species Rogand had spoken of, which may already occupy this world. My fear rising, I threw my gaze all over this beautiful planet covered in lush emerald colored forests, I searched long and hard for any sign of sentient life, however, it

was good news. I quickly thought of Rogand on Simvict and my vision changed from this new world to where Rogand stood surrounded by thousands of one meter high Scureeians. I placed the sensor in his outstretched hand, it arrived in his open palm within a heartbeat. Stunned at how fast it had appeared, it distracted him from his task but a second. Regaining his composure, he informed the massive crowd of thousands that had gathered to come closer together. He wants you to move them all in one transport. Surely not. I felt your fear before Jim, now feel ours, stated a rather nervous Syman. Don’t worry, I can feel your apprehension, please stop, your making me nervous too, you know, I thought back to them. How much time do we have left? I queried in thought. Three and a quarter Earth hours, Syman replied. Holy shit, I’m amazed how time flies when you’re looking for new worlds, I thought in ing. I could plainly see that the Scuree had moved closer together, but Rogand wasn’t ing them. He must want us to come back for him after, once I’ve relocated them all, we’ve got to find out what he wants us to do, I telepathically informed Syman. I released my grip from the orb and raced to Rogand’s sub-matter transport room, we set the targeting parameters for his ship above Simvict. I turned and leapt onto the transport platform, within an instant we had arrived. Both Syman and I could sense Rogand’s thoughts immediately. Rogand, I’ll transfer the Scuree first, then come back for you, we still have three hours left, I said, sending my thought out to him. NO, what are you doing up there? There is only 38 minutes left, I made a miscalculation. The Scuree’s sensor net is far more sensitive and precise. I am removing my DNA from this large transport so as not to confuse the bulk matter dematerializing stream systems. Please hurry Jim. Hurry, replied a very anxious

Rogand. Quickly setting a return trip upon the control , we leapt onto the platform again. Arriving over Prempol, we were in such a hurry I forgot Rogand’s ships are completely organic, I put far too much effort in my jump off the platform and penetrated the wall by over a meter. Removing myself from within the wall was a very difficult process indeed. Every time I grabbed a handful of the organic matter to escape the interior of the wall, it simply tore apart in my hands like Jell-O, forgetting my increased strength was at ten times of normal, caused us to use up valuable minutes. By the time we had struggled out of the ship’s hull, precious minutes had been lost. Finally, we made it back to the compartment housing the Natcien Transfer Device. Holding the orb with both hands we started as usual above Prempol, concentrating on Simvict, the image we were viewing changed rapidly as our view leapt across space. Arriving back over Simvict, zooming our view in on the enormous gathering, I rotated my view several times over the crowd to get a better image in my mind to push onto Hope. That’s the name I’m giving to the new World I found. Once I had all the visual details in mind, I thought of Hope. Instantly the image in front of us blurred as we raced across the cosmos, my eyes settled upon our destination. Quickly I searched for an open space capable of accepting all the Scuree. My vision came to a huge open plain, smooth and flat, more than enough room for its coming inhabitants. I took several slow, deep breaths, focusing on the area below and started imagining the image I’d observed moments before on Simvict appear in front of me. The thousands of Scuree huddled closely together, entrusting their fate to an unseen savior. I began to push that vision in my mind onto the open plain below, wanting to see each and every one arrive safely. The Natcien Transfer Device wound itself up for the huge transport, the noise in my ears was deafening, slowly a mist formed over the plain, my mind filled with the image of the Scuree in their entirety. It was a crystal clear image I had in my mind. In the mist below, a hazy image of a large crowd began to appear. Now I pushed them there, every last one, the need to see all of them was a feeling like I’ve never felt before.

The feeling…, of course, just as I felt for the new World Hope I’d found for them. That’s why the transfer process is taking so long. My emotions became so amplified, I could feel my eyes becoming moist with my ionate feelings for the Scuree, then like a clap of thunder they appeared, all of them. Hurrying, I cast my vision over as many Scuree as I could, finally satisfied my job here was done, I thought of Rogand back on Simvict. How much time is left, I asked Syman, in my urgent haste to get back to Rogand. Eight minutes, they replied. Fuck me! I thought. Our vision raced across space again. Settling over Simvict, I concentrated on Rogand, my cognitive perception zoomed in on his position, standing alone exactly where he had been moments before. I rotated my view several times upon Rogand to get a complete image in mind for his transfer. I started wanting him to arrive here. The Natcien Transfer Device fired up, his image started to fade slightly as the sound of his transport got underway. His image had almost faded completely when a brutal flash of light illuminated the field he stood in, turning it from night to day. The reflection of the rapidly growing sun was bouncing off the two moons that were in the night’s sky above. I increased my concentration, straining hard to bring Rogand back immediately, but the shock wave had already reached the planet, obliterating the last of his image from my vision. He was gone. Hoping the shock wave had somehow pushed his total mass towards the final transfer sequence, I thought hard to bring him through to the Natcien Transfer Platform, if he didn’t arrive, I wouldn’t know. If he had, I still wouldn’t know, because I can’t telepathically link with Rogand while I’m still holding onto the orb and remain in the targeting reality. I looked to where he stood before, however, I was met with the blinding image of the still expanding supernova. Simvict was totally enveloped within its star that once gave rise to life, only in an instant to have it taken away again. I had no other choice but to release my grip on the orb. Let go Jim, there’s no way of confirming his arrival, please let go, Syman’s thought was calming, but not completely reassuring.

I slowly released my grip from the orb, I felt my arms drop heavily to my side, having them raised at shoulder height for the past few days had taken a heavy toll upon my muscle strength, the pain was incredible. Syman was unable to block my pain due to the fact I needed all my senses for the task. I wasn’t game to open our eyes, but then we felt the most wonderful feeling, it was Rogand’s pride, he was beaming from within. Although, the next thought we received was something I thought I’d never hear from him, ever! FUCK ME, THAT WAS REALLY CLOSE, Rogand’s telepathically transferred thought came into my mind. There was only one reply that came immediately to my mind. Please try to refrain from using profanities in my presence, my thought was accepted with great humility. We were all thankful that the Scuree had dodged death. Rogand informed us he spent most of his time convincing them to leave their personal-effects behind. He stated they didn’t even bat an eye lid when it came to being transported off world to a new home. However, their belongings were another matter entirely. Well I’m glad you convinced them, it was extremely difficult to transport all those Scureeians, even without their baggage, I reflected. You will be pleased to know Jim, that you now hold the record for mass particle transportation, there were a total of 7,841 individuals. You have won both my eternal iration and gratitude Jim, came Rogand’s communication inside my mind. Thank you, but it wasn’t just myself in this rescue mission, Syman you have the floor, I informed my internal friends. “Thanks Jim,” Syman used my voice, to put his thoughts into words. “Rogand, we’ve kept Jim awake for 76 hours now, we’ve reminded him to eat, drink and take care of waste, this has taken its toll on us as well. When we let Jim finally rest, we’ll be ing him too, we’ve completely exhausted our cellular energy stores. Although, it’s been our pleasure to be a part of this monumental task. Thank you so much for choosing Jim as our next host,” Syman said, in regard to Rogand’s thought.

Forgive me Syman, for in my haste to congratulate Jim, I had forgotten your contribution. Without you, Jim would be in no fit state to even help himself, it is you that has made all of this possible. You can sense how I feel right now. Please accept this as your reward dear friends, projected Rogand’s thanks. We both felt his radiating emotions and were more than satisfied with our prize.

Before leaving Prempol, Rogand wanted to satisfy his curiosity and quickly checked on the Treath below, he was more than satisfied they’d fallen back to their internal bickering, rather than spreading their food gathering repartee throughout other worlds.

CHAPTER 11

A New Recruit

Back aboard Rogand’s ship above Earth, my generous benefactor gave me two metal syringe guns filled with the engineered Nanites, capable of stalling the aging process and bestowing the individual with perfect health. Thank you so much, my dear friend, I ed my thought onto Rogand. Go home and rest, I will be in touch, thought Rogand. Stepping up into the prototype flyer, I flipped the start-up switch. “Hello Marilyn,” I said. “Voice identity confirmed,” answered the on board A.I. “Please, take me home Marilyn,” I directed, reclining back into those wonderfully comfortable ive seats. “Affirmative, destination confirmed, please fasten your seat belt,” replied Marilyn. I grabbed the phone from my top pocket and dialed Stella. She answered by saying, “Jim how are you, what’s happening?” “I’m fine Stella, I’m on my way home. I’ll tell you everything after we’ve freshened up and had some sleep, we’re exhausted, we’ve been awake for nearly four days. See you soon my love,” I said as I hung up the phone and returned it to my pocket. Moments later our flyer descended through the roof opening down to the basement workshop below, Marilyn stated, “please remain seated until the vehicle has come to a complete stop and watch your step upon exiting.”

“Thank you Marilyn, you may power down,” I directed to the A.I. We went straight to the workshop bathroom where Stella had placed a change of clothes. Syman and I showered for a long time, enjoying the warm water flow over our exhausted body. Finishing, we dried and dressed, then took the lift up to the second floor and walked into our bedroom where Stella was waiting. I held her for a long period of time, she sensed my total exhaustion and realized we were clearly dead on our feet. She helped me undress and get into bed. “Goodnight Jim, thank you Syman for keeping him safe,” she said. I didn’t need to release my motor control to Syman, I was already asleep. “It was our pleasure Stella, forgive us, we must rest also,” replied Syman. “Goodnight Syman, see you when your both up,” said Stella, leaning forward and kissing us both on our forehead.

Not the next morning, but two days later we finally stirred. Lying there feeling totally refreshed, I asked Syman how they were feeling? Ready to take on the World Jim and bloody hungry for some protein, they replied in my mind. Me too, my good friends, me too, I thought. At the breakfast table, Stella handed me a small wooden box wrapped with a red ribbon. “What’s this?” I asked, rotating the box and hearing something rattle inside. “Open it,” she said with a smile on her face. Untying the ribbon, I opened the hinged lid to find a gold key inside. “What’s this for?” I asked again. I held the key in my fingers, turning it over to examine its profile. “That’s the key to our new holiday home,” she said, beaming with pride. “Really, how…, how’d you do it in such a short time?” I asked with a surprised expression upon my face. “Your bags are packed, finish your breakfast and we’ll leave straight away,” said Stella. “Where’s Timothy?” I asked. “He’s there already, he ed his license test three days ago with flying colors. He’s been helping me to make sure the finishing details are being completed on our new getaway home. We’ve got a total of a week to enjoy a well deserved break as a family and to both catch up on everything that’s happened recently. Now stop it with the 20 questions and finish your breakfast,” ordered Stella. Listen to your wife Jim, she’s right you know. Now eat our breakfast, Syman says, the symbiots thought. Ok, no need to get pushy, I replied to Syman within my mind.

After breakfast, we placed our bags into the storage compartment of the flyer. I asked Marilyn to take us to Pine Island and then sat back waiting for Stella to explain how she had managed to make an instant house appear out of thin air. “Well firstly, I called Steve from Stanos Constructions, after meeting with him and showing him the aerial photographs of Pine Island, he informed me that it’ll take up to three months for a complete pre-built bungalow to be transported onto the Island. Then one day I was speaking with him over the phone, he was iring the area you had marked for the position of our house on the aerial photographs he had in front of him, when he said, pity you can’t just plonk a house there.” “Then he suggested I call Marco at Clark Homes, because he’d heard on the grapevine that they were selling off some of their display homes that were sitting in front of their construction plant. They’ll be replacing them with their newly designed display homes. They’re constructed with a full metal frame and would be ideal for the Island. Then we started talking logistics; the time frame it would take in moving the house I had just purchased from him; dismantle it into two pieces, truck it to the docks, load each piece onto a purpose built barge and transport them to the island for assembly. I was getting louder and louder over the phone with him, becoming quite impatient, wanting to speed up the whole process, when Timothy walked ed and overheard me trying to organize for a quicker delivery.” “When he stuck his head in through the door and simply said,” ‘Why don’t you just fly it there. Get Brad and the gang of REFIT techies to fit a complete package onto the house. Setup six foundation pins for the house on Pine Island, fit six cups under the house and make it so if a cyclone ever threatens the area, you can simply fly it somewhere else until the threat es.’ “Jim, Timothy’s single idea has now spawned a whole new sister company to REFIT, FFF and REGENERATE, called ‘REMOVE’. I’ve appointed Timothy as the head C.E.O. This brave new industry was made possible after a video of our house was captured from the ground, we flew it up the coast from Brisbane to Pine Island. It went viral on Twitter and Facebook which has caused a mass of interest from around the World. Everyone’s talking about no longer needing accommodation when you holiday, why not just take your whole house with you when you go.”

“REMOVE will partner solely with Clark Homes. Timothy’s idea is excellent for any area around the World which suffers from seasonal storm damage,” continued Stella. “Plus he said to me jokingly, first Australia then the World. He’s already in talks with the United States for the right to base the factory’s main site there,” finished an excited Stella. Just as Marilyn was descending to the Pine Island’s landing area, I could see Timothy standing on the balcony with his arm around Sarah. Once landed, Stella and I stepped out of the flyer and made our way up to the balcony. “Hello Sarah, it’s good to see you again,” I said and then grabbed Timothy in a bear hug, picking him up off his feet, being careful not to break his ribs. “Damn, it’s good to see you Tim,” I said as I lowered him back down. “Bloody hell Dad, have you been working out again? You have haven’t you?” said Timothy, rubbing his sore chest with his right hand. “Yeah, you could say that,” I replied with a smile. “Your Mom tells me you’ve been kept very busy since I was away,” I said, taking a moment to look around at the beautiful vista. “Yes, it seems I’ve created a whole new industry from off the top of my head, so to speak,” replied Timothy with a smile beaming across his face. “You should know, you’re Mother and I are so very proud of you and wish nothing but the very best for you. I think I’ll call our favorite restaurant on Hamilton Island and book a table for four tonight, what do you think?” I suggested. “No thanks Dad, I promised Sarah’s parents I’d them for dinner tonight, back in Mareeba,” replied Timothy wearing an embarrassed expression upon his face. “Oh, that’s alright Tim, your Mom and I have got some serious catching up to do anyway. You’ll be back here tomorrow though, won’t you?” I asked. “Yes. I must prepare for the meeting in America the following day anyway, so here is as good a place as any to hunker down for work, besides the view is to die for from the study off the balcony. You don’t mind do you?” said Timothy.

“Of course not, this place is just as much yours as it is ours,” I replied, just then realizing my son has finally reached maturity. “Anyway Dad, Sarah and I are off to Melbourne to do a spot of shopping first, then we’ll head back to Mareeba, we’ll catch up later, bye for now,” said Timothy as he and Sarah headed towards his new car. “GOODBYE, MR and MRS WILSON,” shouted Sarah from the other side of the car. I turned on my heel and faced Stella. “How was he able to afford that car?” I asked, with my head tilted slightly to the right. “He bought it out of his own savings,” replied Stella, wondering which direction my inquiry was headed. “TIM, CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING YOUR LICENSE,” I shouted, as he opened the door for Sarah. “THANKS DAD,” he shouted back. Turning around to ire the new house, I observed Stella walking towards me. Beside her was an aboriginal woman of around 35 years of age. “Jim, I’d like to introduce you to Elanora, our caretaker for our Island and home, said Stella. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Elanora,” I said as I reached out my hand in greeting. “Welcome, Mr Wilson, it’s a joy to finally meet you and I would like to take this moment to extend the many thanks of the Ngaro People, for your contributions over these past years. Thanks to you, we now have a doctor, dentist, lawyer and a veterinarian in the family,” she said. “Thank you, it’s good to hear our work is benefiting so many people, it gives us the energy to help even more,” I said. “But please call me Jim and I look forward to getting to know you and your family, Elanora,” I continued firmly shaking her hand. “Jim, come, let me show you around our wonderful new home,” said Stella.

She grabbed my hand and led me on a guided tour of the house. “Wow! This place is amazing and you say it flew here,” I said, completely in awe. “Yes it did, also it still can. Say hello to Domo, our Artificially Intelligent operating system for the house, Domo this is Jim, my husband,” said Stella, using a verbal introduction so Domo can record Jim’s speech tones. “Hello Domo, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, introducing myself. “Voice identity confirmed. Greetings Jim,” replied the A.I. “He’s responsible for the power generation, the mini desalination unit and sewage plant and of course monitors the weather forecast online for approaching dangers, if any eventuate, it will simply fly itself out of harm’s way,” explained Stella. “Goodness me, Timothy is going to have his backside hanging out, I mean to say, ass up and head down these next few years setting up a complete new business venture,” I said, beaming with pride at my son’s unique skills. “Yeah, he was really happy that he’d come up with the idea, he said he didn’t want to go into the family business, he wanted his own venture, he announced this to me as the house safely landed onto its foundation pins,” continued Stella. “Bit of a gray area though, I mean, it’s partnered with three other companies, Clark Homes, REGENERATE and REFIT,” I replied, trying to see Timothy’s point. “Yes I know, but it was his original thought that has spawned his soon to be empire,” said Stella, now leading me onto the balcony. “Fair enough, I’ll let this one slide, but I’m awaiting the day when he turns 25 and says, ‘you know Dad, you were right all along,’ oh I can’t wait,” I said. “What would you like for lunch?” asked Stella. “Jesus! Is that time already?” I answered. Please don’t use profanities in my presence, please Jim, put in Syman.

Oh, nice of you to us Syman. What have you guys been up to? I thought inside my mind, in reply. Walk to the balcony Jim, directed Syman. I walked across the large balcony that faced the Whitsunday Islands. “Yeah, what now?” I asked, curious to know where this conversation was headed. Cast your gaze towards Hamilton Island and focus your thoughts upon it, directed Syman. Once again, I did as Syman suggested, looking over to where Hamilton Island should be, only it was currently hidden from view by Dent Island, I knew it was there as I’d seen it when we flew in hours earlier. I started to focus my concentration upon it, I reached out with my feelings and the sensation was quite strange, as if a giant hand was stretching forth from where I stood. I lowered that hand gently upon the island, what happened next was like nothing I’ve never experienced before. I began hearing thousands of loud voices as if a thousand radios were turned on and each one was tuned to a different station, all blaring loudly at the same time. “What’s this?” I asked Syman, through the deafening roar I was experiencing. Those are the accumulated thoughts of every individual on the island, replied Syman in thought. “What do you want me to do now?” I inquired, amazed at the sheer volume of the thoughts I was experiencing. Focus upon just one mind only. Choose but one voice from the many and listen carefully to it, suggested Syman inside my head. I closed my eyes, I was listening to the masses, then the mass became a crowd, from a crowd to a group, then out of this group, I picked the happiest thought I could find. It turned out to be a thought from a young Japanese girl and from what I could ascertain, she was currently enjoying her first ride on the back of a jetski. The joy of freedom she radiated was intoxicating and I also managed to grab a snippet of her plans for this evening with her sister. Pulling back from within her mind, I realized how easy it would have been to have forced my will

upon her without her even trying. Shit Syman, I thought, worried about my newfound ability. Yes, we noticed the strength of your thoughts when you woke this morning, it seems the time you spent searching for a suitable World for the Scuree, has trained your cognitive thought patterns into a form of absolute mind control. We’ve been in consult these last few hours and have come to the conclusion, you would have the ability to manipulate not just one, but several minds in total, informed Syman inside my head. Shit, I thought again. “What scared me most was how simple that felt, I’m going to have to make sure I don’t accidently force my will upon an innocent,” I replied to Syman’s concerns. Yes, but we feel you’ll gain control of this in time as well, just as you have with your other abilities, comforted Syman. Yeah, I guess you’re right, I replied by thought. “LUNCH IS READY,” called Stella from the kitchen. Trying to put this new ability from my mind must have left a strange, weird look upon my face. Because it wasn’t long before Stella asked what was troubling me. Long ago when I introduced Stella to Rogand I told myself that there should be no secrets between us. Taking a sip of my coffee, then breathing deeply, I started telling Stella everything that had happened since I left her days ago. While enjoying the delicious lunch she’d made, I told her everything and I mean everything, even the part I left out previously regarding a pregnant Namow back on Beltour. When I’d finished, I was damn sure the water Stella was drinking, would end up thrown in my face. However, Syman and I were pleasantly surprised when Stella simply said. “Jim, since the introduction of Rogand, many things have changed, your health, your abilities, your responsibilities and this World. Our son and his girlfriend left here not long ago, and are now shopping in Melbourne for the day and will be returning to Mareeba for dinner, that wasn’t possible just over four years ago. You and I travel the globe several times a week. This World has shrunk dramatically, all thanks to you three, yourself, Syman and Rogand. I know the World is safe thanks to you all, and people must never find out about the Nanites

that control the Earth’s population. I know that now. If ever the news got out somehow, this World would be plunged into absolute chaos.” “In regard to Namow, I understand you had to get close to Aderle in order to warn him of the threat, but give me some time to come to with the customs on Beltour. Just one more thing though, was she pretty?” asked Stella. Taking the phone from my top pocket, I scrolled through to a picture I had Rogand take of me when I’d finally transformed into a Beltourian. Once I found it, I tapped the screen to enlarge it and then ed the phone to Stella. “That’s a picture of me when Syman transformed me into a Beltourian,” I said. “Jesus Christ! Is that what you looked like?” she asked, shocked at what she was staring at. “Yeah, the females look exactly the same, except for their breasts,” I replied, taking the phone from her hand. The picture had the right desirable effect in calming Stella down quite considerably. “I feel a little bit better after seeing what she looked like, but you must understand, I’m still heartbroken,” said Stella, trying her hardest not to cry. “I can feel your disappointment, literally,” I said. “You’d be the first husband in history to know exactly how your wife really feels,” she added, quite heartbroken. “Well, now you know everything. If there are any more developments, you’ll be the first to know,” I stated, crossing my heart with my finger. “Give me a hand to wash up, then the rest of the afternoon is ours, what would you like to do Jim? asked Stella. “Go for a swim, Syman’s been bugging me ever since we arrived,” I said, picking up my plate to take to the kitchen. Later that evening around 10:30, Timothy returned home from dinner with Sarah’s parents. “Hey Tim, how was your day?” I asked, pleased to see him once again. He walked ed his mother giving her a peck on the cheek as he ed.

“Really good thanks, I’m going to shower and freshen up first, won’t be long,” he replied, carrying his bag into his bedroom. Staring at Stella across from me, I made a telepathic link with her, informing her of our eternal life under the influence of Syman’s enhancements and the two injections Rogand had given me with programed Nanites to give ever lasting life and perfect health. One for you and the other for Timothy. When I’d released Stella from my mind link, I asked her what she thought of the idea to spend the rest of time with me as her partner. The silence was deafening, long and protracted. “So… do you have anything to say Stella?” I asked. “Jim, I… I don’t know what to say, I mean it’s a chance of a lifetime, pardon the pun. But we’re not meant to live forever, don’t get me wrong, I’m very much in love with you, but I was hoping we’d grow old together. Your offering me far too much, so my answer to your question is one I can’t make right now. Give me some time to think the offer over, please Jim,” said Stella. “Ok, Syman and I can do that,” I replied. “WOULD YOU GUY’S LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE,” shouted Timothy from the kitchen. “YES THANKS,” replied Stella. “I think it’s time to introduce Tim to Rogand,” I said. “Do you think so, what does Syman say on the issue?” asked Stella. I relaxed my body so Syman could answer the question. “Evening Stella, yes I agree with Jim, now that Timothy is involved with REMOVE, he needs to be brought up to speed on the Earth’s current condition. If we expect to move this technological revolution further forward, his abilities, like his father’s are important to this World’s future and before you ask, Rogand also agrees the time has arrived,” explained Syman, using my voice. “Alright, but we’ll all go upstairs together, all of us,” replied Stella.

“Here you go,” said Timothy, as he placed the mugs in front of us. Taking a few sips from his mug, he put it down on the table, glanced up at both of us and said, “what are you guys talking about?” Stella nodded at me to take the lead. “Well… firstly, I’m very proud of you, your idea to outfit an entire house using the anti-gravity units and A.I. to spawn a whole new industry is absolutely outstanding. Deg and building true mobile homes is a stroke of genius, this type of creative thinking is exactly what we are looking for, making the World a safer place. Also, your Mom and I have a secret we need to share with you,” I said, giving Timothy a serious expression. Gazing from his father then back to his mother, Timothy sensed a difficult moment brewing between the two of them. “OH NO, I’m adopted aren’t I? Come on, you can say it, I’m a big boy now,” said a shocked Timothy. “No. No. No. Nothing like that,” said Stella, patting the back of his hand to calm him. “That’s a relief, so what’s the secret then?” asked Timothy, elated that he’s a true Wilson. Now Rogand, my thought was easily received with my new abilities. “Turn to your right, just behind you Tim,” I suggested, pointing over his shoulder. Spinning around Timothy’s eyes were drawn to the large green ring on our balcony. “What’s that?” he asked. Stella, Syman and I rose from our chairs and walked into the circle. “Please us Timothy,” I asked, holding out my hand, gesturing for him to us. Stella also held out a hand, inviting our son to us. Once we were all within the circle together, Rogand flipped the lever upon his control in the sub-matter transport room and watched as his guests arrived, he then extended his right arm towards Timothy in a gesture of greeting common on Earth. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Timothy, Rogand’s thought was calm and welcoming inside our minds. Timothy slowly raised his right arm to shake hands

with the monster that stood before him. Timothy said shakily, “did you just hear what I heard, Mom, Dad, did you?” shaking Rogand’s huge clawed hand. Yes we did, reflected Syman telepathically. “Who said that?” asked Timothy, looking all around to find the individual who just spoken. Please follow me, we have much to discuss, gently projected Rogand’s thought. We followed Rogand through the bowels of his ship into his control room where he had grown four oddly shaped chairs from the floor. He gestured that we sit down, it was obvious the larger chair was his. Once seated, he let Timothy speak first. “You… how long…, I mean, Dad…, what about you Mom…, why?…, does anyone else know?” said Timothy, rather confused. Calm down please Timothy, your safe here, I consider your Father as a very close friend, he has just saved me from a situation we will get to shortly, began Rogand’s debrief for Timothy. We sat for what felt like hours as Rogand brought Timothy up to date with all that has transpired since I first met my benefactor and friend. “Oh my God, I wondered why there was a sudden improvement in your health Dad, but who’s this Syman character? Timothy asked. That would be us, we’re really not an individual in any sense of the word, rather we’re a group of microscopic life-forms coming together to form a singular consciousness through cooperating together and operating in partnership to benefit our host, reflected Syman telepathically. “Wow! That went right through my head just then, is he using telepathy as well Dad?” asked Timothy, now finally much more settled than he was before. Yes, they are, just as I can as well, my gentle thought was sent to everyone in the control room.

“Wow! You can do it as well, what about you Mom? asked Timothy. “No, just Syman, Rogand and your Dad,” replied Stella, watching her son come to with his new surroundings, trying to comprehend his position in the group. “This is huge. Do you intend to tell anyone else about the Nanites back on Earth?” inquired Timothy. Rogand gestured for Syman and I to answer his question. “No Tim, as you know, one person is smart, however, a crowd is downright dangerous. Can you imagine what the religious nuts back on Earth would do if they knew that their right to have children was taken away from them. They’d revolt. The World below you would be plunged into an all-out religious chaos, rebellion and war would follow if any of this got out to the general public,” I said aloud for Timothy’s benefit. “Are you sure that it would lead to war? asked Timothy. Please go with Rogand Timothy, he has something you need to see, mentally projected Syman. Timothy stood up and followed Rogand to the sub-matter transport room, he was to be taken to the ship above the desolate World of Cintext. “Where is Rogand taking Timothy?” asked a concerned Stella. “He’s to be shown the truth of what happens to a species ignorant of its own future,” I explained. “What do you mean?” asked Stella. If there was ever a time to use my new abilities, it was now. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the images and telepathy Rogand had shared with me when I was being shown the tragic results on Cintext. Visions, explanations and emotions were transferred to Stella. Upon opening my eyes, I noticed she was starting to tear up, “Is that what Timothy is about to see?” she asked. “Yes it is kiddo, reality is always tougher than fiction, but he’s strong enough to handle the truth,” I said.

“Yeah, he’s always been mature for his age,” replied Stella. We waited patiently for a while, I could sense the both of us contemplating the weight of responsibility upon our shoulders. However, it wasn’t long before a solemn looking Timothy returned with Rogand. “Sorry Mom, Dad, I didn’t know our World was so close to the same fate as Cintext’s,” said Timothy, appearing rather queasy. “Your Father was kind enough to share his experience in regard to Cintext. Think of it this way Timmy, in a roundabout way we’re philanthropists, entrusted to protect an entire World from its own frailties,” said Stella. Well put Stella, very well put indeed, reflected Rogand. Hear! Hear! Syman added. Timothy held his chin in his right hand. “Hmmm, damn it, you’re right you know, helping people is a noble quest,” remarked Timothy, with a huge smile on his face. Rogand, I feel it’s time for us to return, my thought projected to everyone. Yes of course. I need to travel to Beltour next to check on Namow’s condition, explained Rogand. “That’s right, I’ll have a brother soon,” said Timothy, now extremely elated. “Half brother,” corrected Stella. She still hasn’t forgiven you, has she, Syman whispered in my ear. I know, I know, I replied telepathically, only just to them. Back on Earth at Pine Island the light from the eastern horizon was gaining in strength. “I’m going to bed,” said an exhausted Stella, kissing us both, she retired to the bedroom. “Are you going to get some shut-eye?” I asked Timothy.

“No way, I’ve never felt so alive in my entire life,” he replied, bright eyed and bushy tailed, “How about it Dad, we’ll watch the sunrise together.” he continued to say. “Oh yeah, you too Syman, sorry I forgot, its going to take me a while to get used to the two of you,” added Timothy. Yeah, it took us a while as well, reflected Syman. “Plus, it’s going to take me ages to get used to Syman’s replies rattling around inside my head,” said Timothy touching his temple. “You want a cup of coffee Tim?” I asked. “Yeah sure, why not,” he replied, smacking his lips. Whilst I was in the kitchen making our coffee, I heard Timothy asking me a question. “WHAT WAS THAT?” I called out. “Can you do other stuff similar to telepathy?” asked my now curious son. Setting the coffee mugs down on the outdoor table, I led Timothy over to the edge of the balcony overlooking our vehicles. “See your new car,” I said, focusing my thought upon it. “Yeah I’m looking,” he replied. All of a sudden his car raised ten meters into the air then started to tumble, end over end. “Hey, don’t wreck my new wheels,” he said, with a worried expression upon his face. “Please, put it down Dad,” he pleaded. The car stopped rotating and slowly settled itself back onto the landing pad. “I take it that was telekinesis?” inquired Timothy. “Yes, you’re correct,” I replied, thinking what we should do next. “What else?” he asked, completely intrigued with his father’s abilities. “Stand back just a little bit please Tim,” I said, guiding him further away from me.

Righto Syman, strength enhancement please, I thought to my microscopic saviors. Waiting for them to enhance my strength by a factor of ten, Timothy was curious as to my next move. Ready Jim, replied Syman. Gathering all my available new strength, I bent myself in readiness for a giant leap. I quickly felt for any consciousness close to our island. Sensing only Stella and Timothy being the only two minds within a few kilometers, I tensed every muscle and then leapt as high as I could. The rush of air and the sound of Timothy swearing was all I heard. Reaching the point where gravity was about to exert its affect, I remarked to Syman what a hell of a view it was at this altitude. I landed with a resounding thud back onto the decking. When I’d straightened up, Timothy just stood there with his mouth wide open. “Holy crap Dad. Can you fly?” he asked. “No, I invented the flyer for that,” I laughed. “What else can you do,” he asked again. Returning to where our coffees sat on the table, I began outlining our other abilities. “With Syman’s help I can read minds and I’ve only just discovered I can also influence people to do my bidding.” I started to explain to my nervous looking son. “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in what’s in your head, besides I care and respect you and your Mother far too much to ever think of invading your privacy,” I explained. “That’s a relief,” replied Timothy. “Anyway, give me any cheek in future and I’ll have you do the funky chicken in front of Sarah,” I said laughing. Gulping down our now lukewarm coffees, Timothy suggested we catch up on the news and current events. “Now that I’m the CEO of a large company, one must stay abreast of current events,” he jokingly said, straightening both sides of his collar as though he was wearing a double breasted suit. Switching to the ABC with the TV remote, we caught the end of a news flash regarding a group of Muslim extremists who had just seized control of an

airplane owned by Egypt Air, currently parked on the runway at Bost Airport, Afghanistan. They’re one of the last remaining airline companies left operating in the World, struggling to eke out their trade in some of the remaining third World countries. “Hey Dad, this would be a great scenario to test out your new skill, wouldn’t it?” suggested Timothy. “Damn good idea. Tell your Mom I may be late home for dinner tonight. Syman, saddle up, we’ve got work to do,” I said aloud, relaxing so they could reply. “Be quicker if we do a space maneuver, get outside our atmosphere, wait for the Earth to rotate, then descend back down onto Afghanistan,” suggested Syman using my voice, to offer a quicker solution. “Syman’s right Dad, that’ll save you hours,” replied Timothy. Gulping down a quick breakfast, I made our way to the Fox 2 Flyer. Turning back I said, “see you tonight Tim.” “No you won’t. Once I’ve prepped for the meeting in the U.S., I’ll head there directly, stay the night and be back here tomorrow evening,” explained my now grown up son. “Rightio Tim, see you then,” I replied, getting into the flyer and giving Marilyn our flight plan.

CHAPTER 12

Getting Involved

We accelerated directly upward, like a three stage rocket of old, 25 meters up the shield enveloped the flyer and then maximum speed was initiated. Once we exited our atmosphere, we traveled north 6,000 kilometers, held our position for 12 minutes, then descended down to arrive over Bost Airport. It was clearly obvious which aeroplane had been taken. It was parked at the end of the main runway. I asked Marilyn to set us down near the group of emergency vehicles over by the main terminal. Stepping from the flyer, I was greeted by two heavily armed army personnel. This was the moment when being one of the most photographed people in the World pays off. “Mr Wilson, we’d like you to follow us please,” said the heavier set of the two. I was lead to the makeshift operations center where I met the owner of Egypt Air. I extended my right hand in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Cael El-Hashem,” he said. “I’m…,” But, before I could finish he said. “Yes, the famous Mr. Wilson.” “Please, call me Jim,” I replied. “What brings you to our part of the World Jim?” asked Cael. “I’d like to propose a solution to your struggling airline, once all this is settled of course,” I suggested. “Any proposals we can discuss later. Most importantly, it’s the safety of my engers and crew we need to deal with first,” replied Cael. “Can you tell me what the terrorists demands are?” I asked.

“Very well. They demand their brothers be released from jail so they may return to enlarge the ranks of the ‘Air Devils’, the group responsible for all the atrocities happening in this country, or they’ll detonate the bomb on board at 12 noon today,” said an anxious Cael. “Lovely, just lovely. That’s only half an hour away, are you going to release the prisoners?” I asked, concerned and wanting to know how they plan to deal with the terrorist threat. “Yes, the process has begun, I’ve been informed by the Chief of Operations. As soon as their brothers are free, they’ll call their own people on the plane via mobile phone. Should be any minute now,” said Cael. I needed an excuse to be alone, so I said, “Excuse me please, I’ve left my phone in my flyer, I promised my wife I’d call as soon as I arrived.” I walked back outside. This is something we’ll never get used to, the way you humans turn on one another is very primitive indeed, thought Syman inside my mind. Yeah I know, it’s something I’m not too proud of either, I thought in reply. Stepping back into the flyer, I settled myself into the comfortable pilot’s seat, the gel filled lining ing my weight where it was most needed, making me feel as if I was floating on air. , focus and concentrate, then push them, do what you must to save the others and don’t forget, do what Syman says, projected Syman’s thought inside my mind. I placed myself into a meditative state, making it easier to allow my mind to move from the flyer to encapsulate the plane. I felt all the souls on the inside. The sheer panic coming from the innocent hostages was a disturbing and distressing feeling. Time was against me, I didn’t have a moment to dwell on their fear. I moved my thought over to the more confident and arrogant mind-set of the terrorists. I felt their dissatisfaction at being kept waiting for so long. Cael was wrong, the Afghanistan Government doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.

Sensing the anger from what was obviously their leader, I received a thought that scared me into action. I could sense he was on his way to detonate the bomb. Forcing my will into his subconscious, I could start to see an image come into my mind. I was seeing what he could see. Searching throughout the interior of the plane I could clearly see that there were only two other terrorists on board, holding what looked like ceramic guns. I glanced down to see I was holding a 9-millimeter Glock. How this individual got his hands on it was irrelevant at this time. Raising it, I took aim on the first terrorist near the front hatch. I made him pull the trigger, it was a lucky shot, right through his left eye. Shifting my aim onto the second, I fired two shots into his chest, with one of the bullets going directly through his heart, killing him instantly. Once he hit the floor of the plane I let the last man standing know exactly who he was dealing with. “Who…, who’s inside my head? he asked. “God, repent your sins and you may live,” was my reply. To speak with him, I had released some of my control over his will. Noticing he had regained some of his ability, he moved the already raised gun towards a young girl. Within his ears I heard her scream, refocusing my will totally upon his entire body, I just managed to pull his aim up as the gun fired, thankfully the bullet missed her and went over her head. Game over, I thought, as I made him bend his arm holding the gun towards his own temple, so now the only one in danger was him, not wanting to carry on with this crisis any further, I made him pull the trigger, the shock of feeling that bullet penetrate his skull will take me a long time to get over. I stepped out of the flyer and headed back into the terminal. Walking back I looked over to see the engers waving from the exits, already the mobile stairs were on their way to help them disembark. I re-entered the operations center and found a relieved Cael lighting up a cigar. “Not too sure what happened,” the Chief of Operations said. His men outside the plane heard several shots, now they were getting sketchy reports from the engers saying they all committed suicide. “All I care about is that the engers and crew are safe,” said a relieved

Cael. Reading his mind at this time was crucial to find out if this man can be trusted. To my surprise, I read the mind of a family man, more concerned about the loved ones who were waiting all over the World for some news on their mother’s, father’s, brother’s, sister’s, son’s and daughter’s, safe return. After everything that has just transpired, it’s refreshing to sense the warmth of his emotions, thought Syman within my mind. Yes, it is, I replied. “Cael may we speak with you in private please?” I asked him. “Yes, we can use this office over here,” he replied gesturing towards an opened door. We walked a few meters into a small clerk’s office, we both sat down facing one another. “Cael, I’d like to help you,” I said. “What do you have in mind Jim?” asked Cael. “There are still parts of the World that require mass transportation, with your permission, I suggest we give it to them. With a few modifications your planes can reach a much larger group and offer a faster, safer flight. I will invent a failsafe screening device to circumvent any future threats your airline may encounter. Not only will this technology stop weapons from getting on board, it will read a enger’s intent, whether innocent or guilty,” I explained. “Is this even possible?” asked Cael, curious as to my objective. “Yes, it is. Within a month’s time, my team and I will have you safely back in business. All I require from you now Cael, is your private phone number,” I said, rising from my chair to shake his hand. “This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship,” said Cael as we shook hands. “Yes, it is, yes, it is,” I replied.

Arriving back at Pine Island later that evening, I met Stella waiting for me on the balcony. “How was your day?” she asked as I walked towards her. “Give us a hug and I’ll tell you all about it,” I said, extremely happy to see her once again. Holding her in my arms was just what I needed after the day’s events. I held her for a long time and when I released her from my ionate embrace, she asked me what was wrong. I swear Syman, I don’t know what it is, but I think women have been mind readers all along, I thought to my microscopic friends. Releasing my arms from around her, I took a few deep breaths, realizing at that moment just how hungry I was. “Is there anything to eat, we’re starving,” I said to Stella. “How about some quiche and salad?” she said. “Music to my ears,” said Syman, using my voice. “Have a seat Syman, you too Jim, this won’t take long,” said Stella, laughing as she walked towards the kitchen. Sitting in a chair that faced towards the view of the azure colored water, I was able to contemplate how easier it was to share my body with Syman, allowing them instant access to make better use of our blending. Yes, we agree, the longer we are blended, the more we evolve towards total symbiosis, we eagerly wait for this moment, said Syman softly within my mind. “What will it feel like?” I asked my friends. They say it’s bliss, harmony, the revealing of all, space, time, mind and body become synchronized. They say only one other before us has reached this state. Not much is known of this individual, he moved on to another reality or dimension eons ago. You might say it’s folklore, tales from a dead world, reflected a rather somber Syman. Anyway Syman, I think we’re a long way away from that, I thought. Stella was back with two plates filled to the brim, apparently she had been

waiting for our return, so we could eat together. After dinner we both enjoyed a glass of a delightful crisp and fruity Riesling. “How was your trip to Afghanistan?” she inquired. “Very difficult indeed,” I went into great detail as I told Stella everything that transpired on the plane at Bost Airport. “Oh Jim, as I’ve said before, your responsibilities are growing, your abilities are growing. You’ve said you wanted to shrink this World, give it to the people, but I fear you may have outgrown it. What happens next? I don’t know, but what I do know is, I could never live without you,” Stella paused, more for effect rather than wait for me to ask her. “What are you trying to say kiddo?” I asked, hoping the news was good. “I want to take the Nanite injection,” she replied. “Come here,” I said as I stood up and stepped towards her. We embraced kissing ionately, I shared my feelings with her so she knew exactly how I felt about her. The power of the emotional experience left her both crying and smiling at the same time. We separated, I gestured for her to sit down. I left her and walked to my flyer where I had stored the two syringe guns, taking one from my secret compartment, I asked Syman to do the honors. Be our pleasure Jim, they replied in my mind. “Hello Stella,” said Syman aloud. “Good to hear from you again,” she said. “Please hold out your right arm,” asked Syman, grasping her wrist in my left hand. They wiped the area on the inside of her elbow with an alcohol wipe. He changed our vision to infrared, her veins appeared like white lines running through her arm. Syman removed the cap from the top of the syringe. “You’ll just feel a short sting, then a warmth will quickly spread throughout your entire body. Don’t worry, it’s a perfectly normal response,” informed Syman.

“Yeah, right, perfectly normal,” repeated Stella. Once Syman had injected the full syringe, Stella’s face went bright red as if she was extremely embarrassed. “WOW! That’s warm, how long will this last?” she asked. “Another five or ten minutes,” replied Syman. I was back in the driver’s seat once again. “Just hold on Stella,” I said, taking hold of her hand. “Jim, I’ll never complain of my menopause again, this is one hell of a hot flush,” said a very red faced Stella. “If all goes well, you’ll never have any more illness what so ever,” I said. I was holding Stella’s hand while waiting. Syman suggested, try to take the heat from her body and help her feel better. I felt the warmth of her hand, I extended that feeling up her arm to all over her body, slowly pulling the heat from her as I felt it travel up my arm, until all of my body felt as hers did. “Thank you Jim, I felt the heat drain through to my arm and then through my fingertips. Now your face is red,” said a relieved Stella. “I don’t want you to suffer,” I said. We waited several more minutes still holding hands, then the heat quickly subsided from my body as though I was lowering myself into a cool bath, I let go of Stella’s hand. “The process is now complete, you’ll begin to feel the benefits immediately Stella,” said Syman with my voice. Stella stood to take the dishes back to the kitchen, after a few steps she stopped and with a surprised expression upon her face said “Jesus Christ, my knees, my knees.” “What about your knees?” I asked. “There’s no pain, it’s all gone, shit Jim, I feel like I’m twenty five again,” she said. So…, I take it that your happy with your decision,” I said with a grin on my face. “Best one this year,” she said, entering the kitchen. When she had finished

tidying up, she called to me. “Come, me,” she said as my beautiful wife walked into the bedroom.

Early next morning we met with Elanora. “We’re heading back to Mareeba today, can you take care of things around here please Elanora,” I asked. “You know, you do pay me to do this, I’ll always take good care of your home,” she said. “Of course, I’ll call you when we need the house again,” I said, walking to the landing area. Stella and I boarded the flyer, I flipped the power switch initiating start-up of the A.I. and spiral inverter. “Marilyn, please take us back home to Mareeba, thank you,” I said, glancing over to a radiant Stella. “Voice identity and destination confirmed,” Marilyn replied. On our way home, Stella phoned ahead and spoke with Gwen to inform her there’d be two for lunch and three for dinner. “She says she looking forward to seeing us again,” Stella said as she put the phone back into her handbag. “I know one thing kiddo, we wouldn’t be where we are today, if we didn’t have good people around us, present company included, I mean you too Syman,” I said, chuckling to myself. I know you do, we’re starting to sense what you’re about to say, thought Syman. Interesting, I thought. That’s a kind of a precognitive recognition, I thought to Syman. You mean, we can see forward in time a few seconds? asked Syman. Yep, sounds like we’re slowly making our way towards this symbiosis, I replied in thought. Yes, we’re wondering when it will eventuate, contemplated Syman. Marilyn landed us neatly in our basement workshop. “Thank you Marilyn, power down please,” I directed the A.I.

Stepping out of the flyer, I looked up to make sure the roof opening was closing, we reached the elevator just as it finished closing. “You heading into the office today Jim?” asked Stella. “No, I need to start on the cognitive sensor I promised Cael. I’ll take lunch in my workshop today thanks Gwen,” I said, walking into the kitchen with Stella by my side. “I’ll be up for dinner though, whenever Timothy gets back,” I added.

Down in our workshop, Syman and I tried to make with Rogand, however, we we’re unsuccessful. He must be out of our range, he did say he wanted to check on the Treath again, thought Syman inside my mind. Is there anything in your memories on Traibill science regarding a device that can read someone’s thoughts? Please search deeply within Syman? I asked within my mind. Well, there is a device which was used by early healers to help test for a senility disease within the minds of our elderly, when they’ve reached the ripe old age of 315, this can easily be recalibrated to search for thoughts of guilt, explained Syman telepathically. “Can you draw a detailed plan of its construction and create a ghost view of all its components, so I can begin to source the appropriate parts, some parts we may need to make ourselves as they won’t exist here on Earth, thanks Syman,” I asked as I relaxed my body for them to takeover. Once again I let them take control of my own motor skills as they began their detailed sketch on my large touch pad connected to the CAD system. After hours of design and data entry, we had a working prototype rotating upon the screen, displayed in high definition, exact details with component information, there was only one problem, the main sensor unit required a core of mineral only found on the destroyed World of Traibill. I placed an order for the rest of the Earth compatible electrical circuitry with REFIT’s usual suppliers. Lets leave it for now Syman, we can pick it up from here tomorrow. Timothy should be home by now, I thought to them. Regaining my abilities from Syman, we freshened up and changed just as Timothy’s car came to rest outside our main entry. “Hello Tim, how did it go?” I asked. “Really well thanks Dad, I need a shower, please excuse me, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” said Timothy as he sniffed his under arm with a disgusted expression on his face. “We’ll talk after dinner, your Mom’s inside if you’d like to say Hi before you

clean up,” I said as Tim hit the stairs to head up to his bedroom. When Timothy had entered the house I tried to Rogand again, each time I try it becomes easier than before, this time I felt as though both Syman and I were reaching for his thoughts together in unison. Yes I am here, but how can this be, I am still above Prempol, much too far for even my mind to reach. Stay where you are, I must see you immediately, came Rogand’s reply. It’s starting, we are becoming more than before, can you not sense the vastness of all that surrounds us, thought Syman. Yes…, Yes I feel different somehow, I’m more aware of your thoughts now too, it’s as though I’ve sliced an onion in two and can see the many layers beneath. Does that make any sense to you Syman? I asked within my mind. Yes, however we think you mean realities, it’s as if we can sense all of them, with their unique complexities, all at the same time without even trying, thought Syman in reply. “I must let Stella and Tim know that Rogand wants to meet with us,” I said, excited to hear what he may want. However, before even moving a muscle, I felt the thoughts of both of them. What’s that? Tim thought within his mind. I sensed Timothy contemplating on REMOVE’s next meeting. Is that you Dad? thought Timothy. Who’s there? Stella was thinking about her charity work. Is that you Jim? thought Stella. I’m going upstairs to see Rogand. I don’t know when I’ll be back, my thoughts were sent to the both of them. The green transport ring appeared not more than half a meter away from us, we stepped into the middle of the targeting circle. “JIM,” Stella shouted from inside the house. Before I could answer, we’d arrived back aboard Rogand’s ship above Earth. Please come with me, projected Rogand’s thought.

Following him through the wet vein lined ageways we entered his main control room. Sit down please, said Rogand. What’s so important that you needed to see us immediately, we reflected telepathically. When you ed me before, the strength of your thoughts were overpowering, something has changed, you both have changed. Please explain, inquired Rogand. We believe we’re reaching total symbiosis. Traibill folklore speaks of another, just one other, who made this pivotal growth in blended evolution. It speaks of a blending with such a perfect match that host and Symbiots became as one. In doing so, they unlocked the deepest reaches of the host’s mind, the realization and access to all knowledge, explained Syman. Interesting, very interesting. Jim, Syman, concentrate on the Natcien Transfer Device please, I want you to bring Namow here, but first you will…, But before Rogand had finished, we already knew what he wanted, within minutes we’d transformed into Primstoo and removed the torn clothing from our greatly transformed body. We couldn’t help but notice the look of total shock upon Rogand’s face. Oh my! I would not have believed it, if I did not just see it with my own eyes. I still have your robe from before, reflected Rogand, ing me my Beltourian coverings from off the floor. Receiving the robe, we wrapped ourselves quickly and then concentrated on the Natcien Transfer Device, thought of Namow on Beltour, we want her, we need her. Closing our eyes our vision raced across space to Beltour, down through the clouds and into Drefin’s hut. There she was kneeling over the fire slowly stirring the contents of a clay pot. Come Namow, be with us, the vision of her faded, next she stood up in the control room, still holding onto the clay pot in her right hand. We opened our eyes. “Namow please don’t panic,” we said in the Beltourian tongue. Looking at us calmed her slightly, but staring back at Rogand she wore the face of fear. “Namow, this is Rogand, a very close friend of mine, he helped me in defeating the threat from the sky. You were brought here upon the very air itself. I’ve missed you terribly, how many luna cycles before the calling?” I asked, gazing at her well rounded stomach.

“Primstoo, I never considered I’d sight you again, only a season to go for the calling,” said a very nervous Namow. “Come, let me sight you all over,” I asked as I moved towards my very frightened mate. Examining her I could tell she had gained some weight, meaning she’d been eating well. Then I felt her swollen stomach. Running my hand over her tightly stretched skin I felt the movement of our unborn son-to-be, Phoenix. “Namow, it is a joy to sight you once again. Rogand and I must travel more, I’ll step back to you in one luna cycle, now kiss me and close your eyes,” I suggested, as I kissed my pregnant second wife. We thought of the Natcien Transfer Device, sending Namow back to Drefin’s hut was amazingly easy. Both Syman and I observed Namow appear exactly where she was moments before. I love you, we projected through to Namow’s mind. We sensed her reply and then pulled our consciousnesses back into this reality, where a completely stunned Rogand sat silently in his seat, unable to put anything into thought. We answered his question before he could ask. Rogand, please don’t fear us. If you are concerned, know this, we’ll always be at your beck and call, for without you, this never would’ve occurred. It’s your concern for others that has helped three Worlds dodge destruction, we projected our thought easily into his mind, without realizing we’d also forced our will upon Rogand, helping him to calm his nerves. There is a tale from your World, Jim, you probably know it well, where a man blends different body parts together and re-animates life to produce a monster, I feel somewhat like this individual, I believe his name was Dr Frankenstein, reflected Rogand’s concerns within our mind. Please don’t be like that, we’re not a monster, as Syman has said, this has happened once before, we projected into his mind. I am aware of this, I have been scouring the Natcien Archives and have come across information recorded before the transfer device was even constructed. It speaks of a creature appearing in front of their science council, claiming of a world far more suitable to the Natciens than Prempol. The detailed documents speak of his incredible powers, his ability to will others to do his bidding. Oh yes and they also captured images of their so-called savior, explained Rogand as he

spun in his seat. He flipped a few switches turning the viewing membrane on. What appeared on it shocked Syman so much that it made me feel faint. I stumbled back to my seat and fell into it, for on the viewer was an image of a gray skinned Traibillian male. Shit, shit, shit, thought Syman. They fell deafly silent in response to the image. Rogand, that doesn’t mean we’ll turn out like this, he may have been a sociopath for all we know, with traits of megalomania thrown in, you have felt both Syman and I, you can even sense us now, surely you trust us, I thought to him. Trust you, like those three individuals on the plane, reflected Rogand. “You were listening in?” we asked. I could not help but listen, those were some of the strongest thoughts I have ever felt. Why you did not just will them to give up, lay down and surrender, is beyond me, asked Rogand within my mind. “I don’t know, I panicked, we panicked, I sensed the fear of all the hostages aboard the plane and reacted. If I could do it all over again, I would act differently of course,” I explained to Rogand. Just then, Syman chipped in with an idea. Jim, Jim, what we said, the reaches of space and time will be ours. Time Jim, time to go back and set things right, suggested an excited Syman. If you are able to do so, you should try, thought Rogand. “How the bloody hell can we go back in time?” I said totally perplexed. Use the Natcien Transfer Device, if I am correct, your predecessor had this device created for such a purpose, his thought easily entering our mind. You mean that the targeting reality we experience isn’t a reality at all, but some kind of void between space, an overlapping membrane so to speak, in with all other realities? This may well be the fabric of time itself, we contemplated while sending our thought to Rogand.

That is why it was impossible for me to construct a fully functional ‘workaround’ for the operating system, it appears it is only designed for a subset of your specific blending, symbiots and host reaching symbiosis, explained Rogand. “What say you Syman, shall we try? Um… what specific time would you like us to choose Rogand?” we asked. When you were alone in your flyer, about to focus on the people in the plane is a good time to aim for. When you arrive you must convince yourself to alter the minds of the terrorists. I know if you are going to believe anyone, it would be yourself, you must convince yourself to change your own mind, projected Rogand. “Ok, ready Syman?” I said. Yes, we’re ready, they replied. We closed our eyes and concentrated on the Natcien Transfer Device, immediately our vision was above Prempol in the outer atmosphere. Thinking of my flyer sitting on the tarmac at Bost Airport, we ed exactly what we saw that day; the clear sky, the warm breeze blowing in from the desert, I was preparing to close our eyes to connect with the people on the plane and sitting in the comfortable seat in the flyer. As our vision raced across the cosmos to Earth, we focused more on when I was, rather than where. Somehow the space we raced through felt different, it was far more dense than a frictionless vacuum, our vision appeared watery, like peering through heavy rain against a windowpane. An out of focus Earth came into view, quickly we descended through the upper atmosphere and plunged down towards the ground. I could see my Fox 2 Flyer parked near the terminal, down we sped through the fuselage of the flyer to settle in the enger seat. Turning our gaze to the right we observed the past Jim sitting with his eyes closed deep in thought. We must hurry, if I correctly, I’m about to take action now. Quickly our vision came into sharp focus, we’d arrived. “Jim, look at me,” I said to the past me, I observed myself in the enger seat with total disbelief. “We’re real Jim, we’re here to change your mind,” my future self said.

“Why? What have I done wrong?” my previous self-asked. “Nothing, you saved all the engers and crew aboard the plane, however, the lives of the terrorists were lost. You now have a unique chance to help them as well, you can make another choice, you can save them by altering their psyche, make them nonviolent by removing their aggressive behavioral traits. You mustn’t speak of our meeting to anyone, ever. Do you understand? The time is up, you must act,” I said to my past self. We concentrated on Rogand in the control room above Earth, waiting for our return in the present. Again, our vision became blurry, we rose through the hull of the flyer, up and up we traveled. This time the consistency of the journey was thicker, slower. We cut through Rogand’s ship as if it wasn’t there, we arrived back floating above our chair, where a completely immobile Rogand sat frozen in time, we could see our self in the seat opposite and then we vanished from sight. Our seat was where we started and it is where we now wanted to be. Returning back to a seated position, the image of Rogand and his control room came into a clear perspective. It worked, we reflected our thought within his massive brain. What worked? asked Rogand. Your idea to go back and set things right, we thought telepathically. I still do not know what you are talking about, however, it was nice to finally meet Namow, replied Rogand. He doesn’t know, because the time line has changed, we changed it, by asking ourselves to make another choice, explained Syman within my mind. “Rogand, did anyone die in the plane high jacking at Bost Airport?” I asked, curious to know if our meddling in the timeline was successful. You were victorious. The stories are still circulating on how three terrorists gave themselves up, crying their eyes out for forgiveness from the authorities. But getting back to your new abilities, you must keep your egos grounded. My greatest fear is you will lose yourselves within a God like complex if you are not very careful, telepathically came Rogand’s thought. In addition, one thing we must not forget, is that there is another individual like

us out there, somewhere, we reflected in thought together. I had not given any thought to him, luckily for us space is vast, projected Rogand. If you no longer require us, we’ll head back down, we thought to Rogand. I stood up to walk back to his sub-matter transport room. Rogand turned to us and mentally reflected, wait a minute, what are you doing, why not take yourselves home, Rogand suggested. We felt the humor emanating from our friend’s psyche. Sure thing Boss, we replied in thought. Concentrating again on where we wanted to go, not when, but where - back home in our workshop. We went through the usual focusing routine, starting above Prempol once again, we thought of our basement workshop and arrived safely next to the parked flyer. Having transported ourselves independently for the first time. How long we’d been gone I didn’t know. We washed up and retired to bed, snuggling up next to a sleeping Stella. “Everything okay Jim?” a sleepy Stella asked. “Yes, go back to sleep, we’ll tell you everything in the morning,” we both said together, Syman used telepathy and I whispered in her ear.

Tim was back from the U.S. We caught up with him at the breakfast table next morning, he explained everything the Americans wanted to do. “They’re building several huge hangers where they want to house REMOVE, they’re also building an entire town for this massive project. Clark Homes are supplying the metal extrusion and plans for the entire housing construction. REFIT are to supply all components to enable flight capabilities and REGENERATE the spiral inverters. By the time it’s finished, there’ll be 12,000 people working in REFIT and other related businesses within the town, and that’s not counting family either. Rough estimates put the total population to around 40,000 people in Wilson Town by the time everything’s completed,” explained a proud Timothy. “Wilson Town,” echoed Syman vocally. “Yeah, great isn’t it? The President, Mr Jackson, would like us all there tomorrow at noon, when the ground breaking ceremony will take place. I hope you both can make it,” said a beaming Timothy. “Eric Arthur Jackson, the new President of the United States?” queried a surprised Stella. “Yes Mom, he’s looking forward to meeting you both. Dad can check him out to see if he’s trust worthy or not, can’t you Dad?” said an elated Timothy. “Yes we can,” said Syman, with the use of my vocal cords. “Oh! Sorry Syman, I keep forgetting you’re in there,” apoligized Timothy. “Oh that’s alright, if you must know, it took your Father a lot longer to get use to us,” explained Syman vocally. “I guess they’re kind of like your conscience, aren’t they Dad? Always there to make sure you stay on the straight and narrow,” outlined Timothy with a huge smile on his face. “As a matter of fact you’re completely right Tim, and I’m bloody glad they’re with me all the time. I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I was separated from

them,” I said aloud, so everyone would know how I feel about my microscopic friends. “We’ll be there, wont we?” said Stella, answering for the both of us, glancing my way. “Yes we will Tim, you can fly us all there,” Syman and I suggested. “Excellent! It’s a deal then,” said Timothy, looking at both Stella and I with a broad smile upon his face. “Syman and I have some important news in regard to our blending, we’ve reached a climax in our evolutionary process,” we both said together, I used my voice and they used telepathy. “It’s nothing sexual, is it?” asked Timothy jokingly. “What do you mean, climax?” interrupted Stella, getting in before her Son makes a laughing matter out of something she could sense was quite serious. Without answering her question, we closed our eyes and began concentrating. Next we’d vanished from our spot at the dining table and reappeared above the dining area on the balcony above, overlooking the void to the kitchen and dining area. “Up here,” we called, waving to get their attention. “How the bloody hell did you do that?” asked Timothy, shocked at what he’d just witnessed. “Simple really,” we replied, as we closed our eyes once again and reappeared back where we were moments ago. “Holy fuck,” said Timothy, caught by surprise and stepping back one pace. “Sit down Tim and we’ll start at the beginning,” I said as I began my explanation. An hour later we’d explained everything, even bringing Namow to meet Rogand above Earth in his ship. “These new abilities of yours, is there any danger at all in them that we should know of, and are there anymore that are going to manifest themselves we should be made aware of,” asked an extremely nervous Stella.

“Oh yeah Dad, I would have left those terrorists dead, don’t know why you went back to save that kind of scum,” added Timothy, venting his feelings on terrorists. “Easy Tim, if we’ve learnt anything from Rogand, it’s that every life is precious,” we both said together again. “I’ll tell you one thing I’ve learnt since meeting Rogand, life certainly isn’t dull around here anymore,” said Timothy, shaking his head up and down. “You can say that again,” agreed Stella. “In regard to what you were asking me about Stella, those are the only new abilities that Syman and I are aware of at this moment and we promise to let you all know if any more sprout forth,” I finished saying to my stunned wife and my over stimulated progeny. After we’d all finished breakfast at around 09:30 in the morning, Syman and I were back downstairs in our workshop.

This mineral we require, you mentioned it’s used to receive electrical impulses from the brain, do you know what it looks like? I thought to Syman. It’s a mineral alright, although it’s in a crystalline form, bright blue in color and in an hexagonal shaped matrix. It forms under heavy pressure over hundreds of thousands of years in a black clay base substrate. We’re hoping some may still be left, trapped within Traibill’s remaining gravity field, shall we start searching? asked Syman, eager to get started straight away. Why not. So, we need the core of the crystal first, then we can build the electrical components around it, is that correct? I said, ing my thought onto Syman. Yes, it’s the only downside to alien technology. Sometimes materials are inaccessible, but in our case we’re lucky to have unlimited access to any minerals anywhere. We could even find undiscovered diamond deposits here on Earth, if you wanted to, thought Syman. “We already have more money than I know what to do with, why would I want anymore,” I replied to my microscopic entrepreneurs. We can use some diamonds for a hand held laser pulse pistol, a sidearm our security teams wore on Traibill for protection, it sends out light in a shock wave, hitting its target with the force of a very heavy punch. Physical on Traibill was outlawed centuries ago, these weapons were invented to get around certain loopholes within the law, explained Syman, bringing an image of a Laser Pulse Pistol within my mind. “I like it, but first things first,” I replied, trying to get them to refocus on the job at hand. Relaxing back comfortably in our workshop chair, I concentrated on the Natcien Transfer Device aboard Rogand’s ship above Prempol. This time Syman helped by thinking about his former world and where it was situated within space. Our vision raced over images of distant worlds, nebulas and stars to settle on what looked like a shattered Christmas bauble. My heart sank seeing Syman’s past planet destroyed and in ruins. Breathing deeply, I reminded them we were here for a specific reason and to put their idea

of traveling back in time from their collective minds, that idea will not save this World. The damage to the space-time continuum would be catastrophic and irreparable, I said to them within my mind. A long time ed as they chewed over the plan of a time jump and finally agreed nostalgia clouds the mind from seeing reason. Syman focused on the bright blue crystal we’d come for. Our vision moved slowly through the area where the asteroid collided as we searched the shattered remnants of Traibill. Moving slowly among the debris field, dodging boulders the size of Ayres Rock, we rounded one large bolder and came across a sample of what we were searching for. Only problem was the sample we’d found was roughly the size of a small car. It’s an excellent sample, there’s more than enough material here to manufacture hundreds of sensors, thought Syman within my mind. Where can I put this, it won’t fit into our workshop, I stated in my thought back to Syman. When a solution presented itself, as the old saying goes, two minds are better than one and in this case, it’s proven itself to be true. It’s a rock isn’t it, so how about you place it into Stella’s new rockery garden at the front entrance to your driveway. We can use a hand held diamond saw to take the pieces when we require them and leave the rest for future use, suggested Syman. I knew keeping you guys around was a good idea, I replied chuckling slightly. Oh! Very funny. For that comment we should give you a set of elephant balls, or maybe a pain in the ass, replied billions of laughing symbiots. Great! My own personal critics, I thought to myself. We circled the floating object several times, getting an exact image in mind to transfer back to Earth. Concentrating on the object, we thought of the rockery at home in Mareeba, instantly our vision changed to the garden in front of our new home. ing what the crystalline rock formation looked like, we pictured it in the middle of Stella’s rockery, slowly at first the image came into focus in front

of us, then like a clap of thunder it arrived and there it sat pristinely as the new central focal point in Stella’s designer rock garden. Releasing our cognitive grasp upon the Natcien Transfer Device, our thoughts and vision returned to the workshop. Hopping up from our chair we went upstairs to inform Stella of the latest addition to her garden. If we tell her now, she won’t freak out next time she walks out the front door. “Really!” She replied, rolling her eyes. “It’s ok, Syman and I made sure we didn’t damage any of your plants,” we said following Stella outside. Syman whispered in my mind, it didn’t seem that big from our angle of vision did it. Stella had switched on the garden lighting. Oh, I see what you mean Syman, I thought to them privately, so Stella couldn’t hear. “JIM, it looks bloody hideous, I want that thing moved first chance you get,” ordered an angry Stella as she turned on her heel and went back inside. “Yes dear, we will,” I said. I found my reply somewhat ironic, there we stood, human and symbiots blended together, with super powers any budding crime fighter would kill for, yet at that very moment it was fairly obvious who was in charge.

CHAPTER 13

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Next day after a delicious breakfast, I thanked Gwen for her excellent culinary skills. “Gwen, you make better Eggs Benedict than Syman,” I said, before I could correct myself. “Who is this Simon fellow, do I know him?” she asked, flipping an omelet like a pro. “Oh, a very good friend of the family,” I replied quickly. “A close friend?” she asked again, being politely curious. “Oh yes, very close,” answered Timothy on my behalf. We sent a thought of thanks to Tim for his help in my slip of the tongue. He nodded his head in response to our courteous reply. “Mom, Dad, you need to be ready to travel to the U.S. at around 4 o’clock this afternoon, that way we’ll arrive there at 8 o’clock in the morning, same day, their time. This way we’ll have half a day to spend site seeing after the ground breaking ceremony. I just love traveling against the time zone, don’t you, it’s almost like time travel. Hey Dad,” said Timothy jokingly. “Where exactly are we headed?” I asked, knowing that America was a vast country. “West of Long Lake, Wyoming, just off State Highway 34, it’s a large arid area, suitable for a town,” stated Timothy, gathering his papers from the dining table.

We’d moved the large crystaline boulder from Stella’s rock garden into the old garage back at our very first home in Mareeba. Stella and I felt selling the house wasn’t necessary, we both wanted to keep it for Timothy when he moved out of home, but now it seems he’ll be living overseas in Wilson Town. However, we can hold onto it a little while longer. I let Syman operate the hand held diamond wheel saw to slice a perfect piece of crystal for the cognitive sensor’s core. Another benefit of having a rapid transport infrastructure is you can guarantee a worldwide daily delivery service, from anywhere around the World, all the other necessary components to complete the sensor had finally arrived early that morning. Syman and I started assembly of the sensor, it was just before lunch when we’d finished the complex construction of this device. This type of technology has a very low power consumption, it can run off a single AAA battery. All we had to do now was to initialize the unit to detect the deep hidden guilt associated within violent aggressive behavior. Piece of cake, I thought to Syman. Stella can have one of her old work colleagues collect the sensor unit and take it into Lotus Glen. We’ll set the sensor to do a ive scan and it can stay there a whole week to gather it’s targeting parameters, suggested Syman inside my mind. “Yes, there’s nothing quite like spending a week in a maximum security prison to understand the human psyche and all of its failings,” I replied. At the dining table, Syman and I asked Stella if one of her old work colleagues would mind doing me a favor. I said, “I’d like the sensor unit placed within a cell block for a week.” “You’ll need the Manager’s approval to have that thing get ed security, I’ll speak with my old Boss after lunch,” said Stella. “Thanks kiddo, that’ll be great,” I said. When lunch was over, Syman and I attached a power source to the sensor and

placed it into a small timber container, no bigger than a shoebox. Stella interrupted us just as we’d finished securing the lid on top. “Is that the thingy you want at Lotus Glen?” asked Stella. “Yes, it’s a cognitive sensor by the way,” I began explaining. “What’s it used for?” she asked. “This device will revolutionize air travel for Egypt Air, making it safe to travel on cheap mass transport once again. Anyone harboring ill thoughts against the airline can be detained for further questioning and searching,” I explained. “Sounds as though you’re about to give some hope back to the dying airline industry,” said a pleased and proud Stella. “That’s the plan. When we read Cael’s mind at Bost Airport, we found him to be a kindred spirit, he cares more for others than himself, a rare individual indeed in this dog-eat-dog world,” said Syman using my voice. “He is a rare bird then, have you thought of bringing him into the inner circle,” suggested Stella. “We have, Syman and I think he has the right mind set for our growing group. When we get back from the U.S., we’ll invite him for dinner,” I suggested. “Oh! Before I forget. I spoke with the Prison Manager, Cris Milleanar and he says it’s okay to have the…, um…, brain sensor thingy stay a week in one of the central cell blocks in the guards office. He’s organized a prison transport vehicle to stop on its way back from the Cairns Magistrate Court. It should be here around 3 o’clock this afternoon, just before we leave for the U.S., which, by the way is only an hour and a half away. Now go upstairs, freshen up and pack for our stopover in America,” demanded Stella, looking at her watch. “Oh! By the way, it’s a cognitive sensor kiddo,” I said. “Whatever, now hurry up and get ready to go,” she said, in her haste. “You’re the Boss,” I whispered quietly. “I heard that,” said Stella walking towards the lift. The sensor was packed and ready to go, we placed it on the hallstand near the front door as we made our way upstairs.

Gathering our overnight bags we headed back downstairs, Timothy had already placed his travel bags into the boot of his car. Walking outside to give him ours, he advised us that the box which was in the hallway had just been collected. “Really, you know Tim, it was good when you could hear a truck drive into your driveway in the old days, but now you don’t hear a damn thing when people come and go,” I said, annoyed they didn’t say anything when they picked up the package. “That’s a good thing isn’t it?” he replied. “Yeah, I suppose so,” I said, gazing up to see people going about their business in cars, trucks and buses as they silently flew ed. “Don’t complain about a situation you helped create, Dad,” said Timothy, shaking his head from side to side. “I guess you’re right, think I’ll call a security company to place some camera surveillance around our property though,” I said, lifting our bags into the trunk of Tim’s car. “What, do you think something’s going to happen?” asked Timothy, with a startled expression upon his face. “Not quite sure how to put it, but both Syman and I have had a bad feeling recently, call it a premonition if you like, but it’s hard to shake off the feeling something bad is just about to happen,” I said, trying to dismiss this odd sensation we’d been experiencing. Stella ed us carrying a large flask and picnic hamper. “Gwen’s made us some food and drinks for the trip,” she said, putting them on the front enger seat, next to Timothy. “I think Gwen’s pushing for a pay rise,” she added. “You have my permission to pay her whatever she wants,” I said, chuckling as I sat in the back seat next to her. With our son Timothy in the front seat behind the steering wheel, Stella, Syman and I in the back in charge of the refreshments and food. We waved farwell to Gwen standing in the front doorway. “It’ll be nice to be chauffeur driven for a change.” I said, taking hold of Stella’s left hand. Sitting in the back seat together reminded me when we first started

dating, when her father use to drive us around before I got my very own wheels. Tim initiated the cars A.I. and power cell. “Good afternoon Christopher, please take us to Wheatland Wyoming, United States, we’ll let you know if we need a toilet break on the way, please confirm Christopher,” said Timothy to the A.I. “Voice identity and destination confirmed,” replied Christopher. We rose smoothly to a height of 20 meters and felt movement up until the environmental shield came on, then ed the mainstream of air traffic heading North. Minutes later we exited onto a main direct airway route to America and then maximum speed was initiated by the A.I. once we were clear of the slower traffic. In the car we felt nothing with the shield up. I excused myself from the conversation that Tim and his Mother had struck up as I rang Sanctuary Security Surveillance, a very respectable and trustworthy company, they’d helped setup all the security systems at REFIT, REGENERATE and the FOX FLYER FOUNDRY in Mareeba. “Good afternoon, triple ‘S’, Graham speaking, how can we help you?” “Graham, it’s Jim, Jim Wilson, I’d like you to do a number on our new home,” I said quietly into the phone. “G’Day Jim, how’s it been?” asked Graham in reply. “You know me, busy as a blue assed fly,” I replied. “What sort of system are you chasing after?” he asked. “This is our private residence, I want the works, motion sensors everywhere, wireless video, I want to be able to see every piece of my grounds, inside and out, also I want that new facial recognition software package as well,” I said. “Jesus Christ! Jim, its gunna cost a packet,” he said. “This one’s a very special job, you could say I’m giving you a blank check, plus if you manage to get it done in 24 hours, I’ll throw in a $50,000 bonus to sweeten the deal,” I said to a totally speechless Graham on the other end of the

line. “Graham, you still there mate,” I said. “Yeah…, sure thing Jim, well then, I’d best be going, lots to do,” said a stunned Graham. “I’ll call ahead to Gwen and let her know you’ll be there any minute, thanks Graham,” I said as I hung up. I then called Gwen and advised her of the situation and suggested she organize dinner for a dozen or so workmen. She was more than happy to oblige. “You know me Jim, I love to cook,” she said. Just before hanging up, Stella inquired why I was speaking to a security firm, because she had been listening in on the conversation. “What’s this all about?” she asked. “Don’t worry,” I assured her, “it’s just a feeling we have, that something bad is about to happen, it’s hard to explain, all this security will help put our minds at ease,” I reassured her. “Hope you two don’t get the wrong idea, but you’re two of the most famous people on Earth at the moment, there’s not a news program, newspaper or social media network without your photos and names attached to it. There’s a lot of sick and twisted people in the World, so all I’m trying to say is, it’s about time you’ve decided to do something in regard to your own safety,” said Timothy. “I’ve been so busy these past few years, I never would have given our safety a second thought,” said Stella. “Even though we give hundreds of millions of dollars to the needy, there must be some people out there who think we don’t do enough, narrow minded people with crazy ideas on how others should act and live,” I explained. “Yep, it’s a mad, mad, mad World alright,” added Timothy. To change the subject, Stella asked Timothy how Sarah was going. The rest of the trip ed quickly, with only one stop-over at the restrooms on Honolulu. Then onto Wheatland Wyoming. When we were descending into Wheatland, I just happen to be gazing out the window and noticed the large crowd that had gathered below. Syman guesstimated there were about 5,000 people down there.

“Hey Tim, did you forget to tell us anything at all?” I asked. “No, why?” he replied. “Oh! Nothing really, just take a peek out your window,” I said. “Still don’t see anything,” he replied again. “Look down,” I said, pointing to the ground. Timothy lowered his eyes. “Oh crap! Sorry Dad, Mom,” I wasn’t informed about these festivities, a red faced and embarrassed Timothy said. “That’s alright, Syman and I will do a quick scan of the crowd,” concentrating, we threw our cognitive blanket over the entire crowd, searching for any dangerous thoughts from among any of them. It wasn’t long before we’d found some devious thoughts, an oddly dressed man wearing a long heavy overcoat was standing next to the red carpeted walkway. Why he appeared so strange was the 89 degree Fahrenheit day outside, everyone else was in T-shirts and shorts and he was covered in a heavy coat, with his left hand in the pocket, he appeared to be clutching something under his coat. Refocusing our thoughts upon him only, revealed a plot to take out the President with his concealed sawn off shotgun. We needed to remove his dire thoughts immediately before the festivities begun. Straining hard with concentration, we reached inside his psyche and literally ripped them out of his mind, like tearing pages from a diary. We then pushed our will upon him to search for the nearest law enforcement officer and confess to his alleged attack. We watched him walk to an officer, open his overcoat revealing his shotgun, then observed four officers throw him to the ground and restrain him. Now it was safe to land and be greeted by the President and his entourage. “I saw that Dad, was that you who made him open his coat?” asked Timothy, now very impressed with my mind control skills. “Yes, it was the quickest way to defuse the situation and just to make sure, we ripped out any aggressive nature from his mind,” I stated to Timothy, who looked totally surprised. “Can you really do that?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s really quite easy. That person was pissed off with Mr Jackson’s farming policies, he’d lost his family farm during the recent drought conditions. I’ll speak to the President and ask him to offer that man a job with the Wilson Town development crew, when he’s released from custody,” I said, outlining my plan to Tim. “Do you think that’s wise after what he tried to do?” asked Timothy. “Yeah, he’s fine now, he couldn’t even harm a flea,” I reassured them both again as we finally landed in a roped off area amongst the crowd. Christopher gave the usual spiel. “Please remain seated until the vehicle has come to a complete stop and please watch your step when exiting, thank you,” the A.I. said. We were getting the full red carpet treatment. When I opened the car door there was a corridor of red, paving our way between the huge crowd cheering our arrival. All three of us came together on the enger side of the vehicle, a White House aide ushered us down the red carpet. Shaking hands and waving to the people gathered on both sides as we went, I occasionally acknowledged the odd question here and there. Like, “it’s a pleasure to meet you face to face,” “you seem taller in your photos,” and of course my favorite being shouted out was, “Jim Wilson for President.” You’ve got to love people for who they are, different and unique in every way. The President’s aide escorted us up the steps and onto a large stage area, where the President and several other Congressional Representative stood, following the formal introductions and greetings we were ushered to our seats. The aide walked to the lectern, coughed lightly into his right hand, faced the microphone and said “Greetings fellow Americans, please be upstanding for our National Anthem,” as the crowd rose to their feet, a small boy of no more than ten years of age stood to the left of the stage and began to sing. His crisp, clear voice, amplified by strategically placed speakers, rang out among the crowd. He had a beautiful voice of youth and innocence. He sings beautifully doesn’t he, whispered Syman into my mind. If you’re wondering why I decided to help Rogand with our population control, it’s so future generations have the chance to grow into a World free from destruction, with an excellent quality of life, not quantity, I said to Syman, inside

my own mind. Well said Jim, very well said indeed, projected Rogand’s thought throughout my mind. Hello Rogand, you decided to watch the festivities after all, we replied. Ease back on the strength of your thoughts, please Jim, they are still far too strong, reflected Rogand. Sorry, I must to whisper my thoughts. Syman it might help if you remind me every now and then, I very softly projected my thought in reply. When the young boy had finished, the cheers erupting from the crowd were overwhelming. The aide returned to address the now excited audience, “Please put your hands together for Mr. Eric Arthur Jackson, President of the United States of America,” he said. Again, the crowd cheered. The President approached the lectern and spoke. “Welcome everyone to this auspicious ground breaking ceremony, very soon, work will begin on construction of the World’s first mobile homes, here in Wilson Town. REMOVE will begin construction of the very first home in an estimated 18 months’ time, right here on this very spot.” As if on queue, Clark Homes flew one of their prototype display homes over the northern horizon. Flying it closer caused the crowd to erupt once again. The A.I. flying the house brought it down to land in a large roped off area. The actors Trent Ledger and Ellen Welling, famous American movie stars, walked out onto the front deck and with his arm draped around Ellen’s shoulders, Trent held his other arm up in a greeting gesture and said with the aid of the speaker system, “HONEY, WE’RE HOME.” Stella glanced over to Timothy and tried to shout over the crowd, “DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS.” In reply Timothy shouted back, “IT WAS MY IDEA MOM.” The warmth I felt for my Son was overwhelming, I felt so proud of him. Before I knew what was happening our body was beginning to illuminate and glow, at first it wasn’t obvious because it was a beautifully bright and clear sunny day. Only two people out of the thousands who were there that day noticed, the rest

had their eyes glued to Trent Ledger and Ellen Welling. However, Stella and Eric noticed. Stella jabbed me in the ribs. “Jim…, JIM,” she ended up shouting. Startled back into reality, we regained control of our body. Turning our gaze upon Eric, we noticed the shocked look upon his face. Quickly, tear out that memory of us glowing like a light bulb, a nervous Syman suggested within my mind. I can’t do that, he’s the President, anyway, if I act in haste I might tear out more than his recent memory, I replied to Syman. I gestured for the President to us. When he came closer we reached out to grab his arm and drew him close. “We need to talk quietly when this is all over. Privately,” I said, rather loudly in his ear. The applause from the crowd began to die away. We all walked down the stairs towards another area enclosed by gold bunting. The President, Timothy, Stella and I were each given a beautifully polished chrome plated shovel, we spaced ourselves evenly in a line side by side. Eric said clearly, “one, two, three and dig.” The crowd erupted in a frenzy of cheers and whistles, they knew exactly what was happening, due to several large monitors erected for their viewing benefit. We dug our shovels into the already pre-dampened soil and lifted up a good amount on each shovel and tossed it forward. Again, the crowd went crazy, through the noise we heard the President’s aide speak. “Thank you for ing us in today’s wonderful new beginning for Wilson Town. Please enjoy the festivities,” he said over the microphone. Food stalls, carnival rides and an expo array of stands with various businesses displaying their wares, were setup along one side of the field. The largest stand of all was the employment stand. A myriad of small industries were g people up on the spot. Inside the largest marquee, was of course the REMOVE stand. Maneuvering our way through the crowd to grab a bite to eat, we each enjoyed the American favorite, a hotdog with mustard, we then spent the rest of the day being wooed by the President. I answered the hundreds of questions put to us by the ing throng of people. Timothy laughed as he said, “here are those many photos I was talking about Dad.” We stopped and posed for selfies and snaps with our ever growing fan base.

“Is this the first public gathering of this size you’ve attended?” asked Eric. “How did you know,” I replied. “Oh I can tell,” he said. “How many public appearances for you,” I said, querying the President. “Far too many to count, I’m afraid,” he replied. The day was drawing to a close and we made our way back to Timothy’s car. “I would be honored if you would all me for dinner at the White House tonight,” said Eric. “Yes of course, we’d love to,” answered Stella for us all. Back in Timothy’s car, he asked the A.I. to follow the President’s motorcade. We settled back to enjoy the trip when Stella spoke about the mishap on stage. “What the devil was that you pulled back there on the stage, you know, when you started to glow?” asked a curious Stella. “What did Dad do now?” asked Timothy. “Ok you two, I think it’s got something to do with our approaching symbiosis,” I said, unsure if I was making any sense at all. “What’s this sym-by-whatsey?” asked Stella. I spent the remainder of the journey informing them both of Syman’s and my evolutionary conclusion. “ when I transported myself from the dining table to upstairs yesterday, well, that’s one of the many abilities I already have and more will follow, ah…, here let me show you, we’re in a moving vehicle right?” I said. They both agreed with a nod of their heads. “So…, I shouldn’t be able to do this,” I continued, I held out my hand, thought of my favorite pen that was currently sitting back at home on our workshop benchtop. Instantly it appeared in my hand, accompanied by a small popping sound, similar to the opening of a Champagne bottle. “See what I mean,” I said to the two stunned onlookers.

Finally, Timothy was starting to get the picture. “That’s theoretically impossible, you can’t transport matter from a stationary position onto a moving one, the object would arrive in pieces scattered over the length of the targeting area. The atoms wouldn’t come together, they would appear to us as a fine dust trail. It’s just not possible. How can this be?” asked a bewildered Timothy. “Um…, I’ll try to explain it Tim, originally when Syman and I touched the targeting orb that is part of the Natcien Transfer Device, the device I told you about when you first met Rogand, ? Well it sends your consciousness into what at first we thought was a different reality. However, as it turns out, it’s the reality of time we experience, it’s as if time is a totally separate realm in itself and in this realm physics cease to exit. Does this make any sense to you Tim?” I finished explaining. “I think I understand what you trying to say Dad, although time is everywhere and is affected by gravity, which distorts time. However, in the real reality of time, the unaffected reality, there are no laws governing time and physics. Because in pure time, undistorted time, there are no boundaries and our reality, plus thousands of others are held together by this realm, because it overlaps every single one of them. It makes sense. We do know many other realities exist, but they couldn’t if time was restrained by the laws of physics,” said Timothy. I nodded happily, he finally understood. “Wait a minute,” he started up again. “That means, if you have access to true time itself, then there’s really nothing you can’t do,” finished Timothy. “We haven’t thought too deeply about it yet, but now you mention it Tim, I wonder what was happening to me on stage, any ideas?” I asked Stella and Timothy. I have, but next time you try it, I believe you should be alone on a remote planet far from anyone, projected Rogand’s solution. Fair enough, we’ll keep that one under our hat for now, I whispered in thought back to Rogand. We descended down to land in front of the White House, onto an area designated for take-off and landings, right behind the President’s limo. We followed the President’s limo up to the front security gates, one of the guards posted on duty checked the interior of the limo, while another searched under the vehicle for

explosives. With entry approval given to the limo, Timothy drove forward, with our windows down we went through the same scrutiny given to the President’s vehicle. “Ok you’re cleared, please park behind the President’s vehicle,” said the rather burly guard. The President was kind enough to wait for us to drive up. Once out of the car, he escorted us through the White House entrance, into a beautiful furnished dining room. He played the gracious host while guiding us to our seats and pulling out the chairs for us to be seated. He naturally chose the head of the table, perhaps out of habit. “I’d like to take this time to thank you all for bringing hope back to the American people. First, with your REFIT, REGENERATE and FOX FLYER FOUNDRY facilities. Secondly, you’ve given rise to a whole new industry that we’ll base in Wyoming. I’m of course talking about Timothy’s inspirational idea, REMOVE, the first mass production of portable housing in the World. With this innovation we can now move homes far from the path of destruction; hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires and more. These weather anomalies will no longer pose a threat to our infrastructure. The savings alone are immense, so from one person to another, thank you,” finished the President’s welcoming address. “You’re most welcome Mr President,” I said. “Please call me Eric, I count myself among friends here,” he said. Timothy began discussing REMOVE and the logistics required for such a project with Eric. This gave me the time I was waiting for to focus on the President’s mind. Searching his psyche for his personality constructs, Syman and I honed in on his consciousness and found the man behind the political mask, to be kind, generous and with true feelings for the welfare of his constituents. Good, that makes two people we can trust, how do you propose we go about informing them of Rogand, thought Syman quietly within my mind, I think we should return the favor, invite Eric and Cael to our place for dinner, I replied by thought. What say you Rogand? I telepathically sent my invitation out.

You want me to dine with you on Earth? thought Rogand in reply. Yes, I think it would show a sign of solidarity between us, we could save the tour of your ship for after dinner. Are you interested? we gently projected our thought back to Rogand. Yes…, I accept, well what do you know, my first dinner date, reflected a cheerful Rogand. We’ll send further details once we’ve worked out a suitable time and date for our gathering, I finished projecting my thought. When dinner was over, we retired to a private and comfortably appointed reception room. The conversation quickly turned to the event Eric had witnessed on stage at Wheatland. “Jim, I’ve kept my silence more out of curiosity than courtesy, please explain what happened on stage when you began glowing, is it some type of weird side effect from developing your unique technological breakthroughs?” asked Eric, sitting forward in his chair with his elbows on his knees. “I was wondering when you were going to ask us about that,” I started to say. “By us, you mean Stella and you,” continued Eric. “No not exactly, I hope you have good patience and imagination, because this is going to take a while. I guess you might believe me a whole lot more if we just show you,” I started explaining. Now being able to zap from one spot to another, I thought Syman and I should start with that. I disappeared from where we were seated to reappear seven meters away leaning against the far wall. Eric’s eyes readjusted on us with great surprise. Next, we transported ourselves to the opposite wall. Once Eric noticed where we had moved to, we immediately transferred back to our original seated position. With a shocked look on his face, Eric leant back in his chair and began reeling off a myriad of questions. “How the hell did you do that?” he asked among many other questions. What seemed to disturb him the most was Stella and Timothy’s calm demeanor. “You know,” he continued, observing them both.

“Yes, I was next to find out, followed by my son, Timothy,” said Stella. “Mr President, I think we should let my Father continue,” said Timothy, gesturing towards me so I may continue. “Thanks Tim,” I said. “Eric, there is a quicker way to inform you if you would indulge us,” I said, getting up from my chair to stand next to him. “Eric, it’s perfectly safe, trust him,” reassured Stella. “Very well then, you may proceed,” said Eric, not exactly sure what was going to happen next. Are you ready to do this Syman, I thought to my microscopic companions. Yes, how do we manage the transfer? asked Syman. A memory dump, everything that we’ve experienced since blending, I replied to Syman in my mind. Is that wise, we may damage his mind with that amount of information all at once, outlined Syman. I’ll make sure the flow is gradual, it may take several minutes to complete, but it’ll be safer this way, I replied to Syman. “Eric, get comfortable, this will take a while, now close your eyes and relax. This won’t hurt a bit,” I reassured the President. Syman and I closed our eyes concentrating on the past till the present. We opened a pathway into Eric’s mind and began to tighten our focus, we virtually copied all our experiences from us into Eric’s memory. However, we were very careful not to dump all that information at once, rather, we let it trickle from our mind into his, like slowly pouring water from a jug into an empty glass. Keeping an even flow of the information transfer required a great deal of will power from the both of us, nevertheless, when the last of our shared experiences entered into Eric’s mind, we opened our eyes to see Eric nodding his head in agreement.

“Thank you, Syman and Jim. I understand completely your decision to take reproductive responsibility away from us, this is a very wise solution. I was unaware of our future as many of my fellow humans are. We tend to bury our heads in the sand when it comes to birth control. Also, your new cognitive sensor is about to make airline travel safe again. Although, I’m now wondering why you involved me in all of this?” asked Eric, tilting his head slightly to one side. “Our population growth will slowly decrease, once it’s stationary, we’ll gradually reduce the numbers to a far more sustainable long term populace, where we’ll reach an equilibrium. Our water, food and quality of life can be maintained. Most importantly the discovery of our tampering must be kept from the general population at all cost.” “That’s where you come in Eric, you must impede any discoveries with disinformation, until we can find a way to inform the World that their future family planning capabilities are no longer under their control,” Syman and I explained. “By the way, one more thing, we’d like to invite you to dinner so you can meet our benefactor personally, we’ll you as soon as we have a suitable time and date,” we said finally. “Thank you Jim, I look forward to meeting our benefactor Rogand,” an excited Eric replied. Stella, Timothy, Syman and I stood up to leave, when Eric put up both his hands to stop us. “Your here first as my guests, but now I count you as my close friends. Please, I’d like you to stay the night, it’s been one hell of a day and it would please me greatly if you would stay here tonight,” said Eric, getting up to walk over to a housephone on a side table. Syman and I turned to Stella and Timothy for their confirmation, they both nodded in agreement. “Well why not, I’m quite tired from the rock star treatment we’ve received today anyway,” said Timothy. “Me too,” Stella agreed. “Ok Eric, we’ll be honored to stay, besides it’ll give us more time to talk,” I said. Eric picked up the receiver from the side table, “I’d like two of the guestrooms prepared for the Wilsons please,” he said to an aide on the other end of the line.

A woman wearing a maid’s uniform arrived moments later. “Your bags have been taken to your rooms, please follow me,” she said. “I’ll be with you soon Stella,” I said. We kissed and I gave Timothy a reassuring pat on the back as they left. Eric and I spent the rest of the evening deep in conversation, strangely, the topic was more on the side of the philosophical rather than the theoretical.

While Stella, Timothy and I where enjoying a sumptious breakfast the next morning and reading the New York Times together, Eric was quick to point out that our ground breaking ceremony made the front page. “Good. Good,” he kept saying to himself. “What’s good?” Timothy asked, curious to know the answer. “Not one negative line on the whole first and second page editorial. You know, with your popularity you could sell oil to the Arabs,” Eric said, chuckling to himself. “If they’re that welcoming of our creative ideas, it will make it easier to have our side of the story accepted when we inform the World of our involvement in population control,” Stella said. Timothy’s phone rang within his top pocket. “Excuse me,” he said as he stepped away from the table. Moments later he returned to inform Stella and I that he’d be unable to take us home and we need to make other arrangements. “Sorry Mom, Dad, they need me at Wheatland to approve the layout for Wilson Town’s factory site, schools, shops and other industrial infrastructure. But first, internet, telecommunications, water and sewage need to be laid,” said Timothy, rather officially. “Our little boy is all grown up,” said a proud Stella. “He’s no longer a boy Stella, he’s now a very important business man. Tim don’t worry about how we’ll get back home, this will give me an opportunity to use the new feature we’ve installed into the Fox 2 Flyer,” I replied, taking my phone from out of my top pocket. “What feature?” asked Eric, sitting forward with a look of curiosity on his face. “This,” I replied. “I touch an app on my phone, labeled FFF, opening the app gives you two choices, pickup or send. I touch the ‘pickup’ icon, it then asks for a destination, I type in ‘White House, U.S. main security entrance.’ Then the app requests if the information is correct, I press the ‘Yes’ icon, and then a short graphic display runs on the mobile phone screen, a picture of the Fox 2 Flyer taking off with an estimated time of arrival shown in the top right hand corner of

the screen. For our return trip home it displayed ‘Marilyn’ will arrive in nine hours and 29.5 minutes” I explained in great detail. “It appears you’ll have us as house guests for another nine and a half hours,” I said to Eric. “That’ll work out really well. I have a few days off before I’m required to attend Congress anyway, so this’ll give me a chance to show you my town and all its highlights,” he said, taking another sip of his morning coffee. “I’ll grab my things and head back to Wheatland,” said Timothy. “Ok, your Mother, Syman and I will see you when you arrive back home,” I said, getting up from our chair to give him a hand. We helped our Son to his car and watched him drive out the gate to take-off from the landing facilities beside the main road. Christopher, his A.I. flew him up and into the flow of air traffic during the morning rush hour. We eventually lost sight of him when his car blended in with all the other air traffic. We returned to the breakfast table where Eric was busy with his crossword puzzle. “Well! We’re all yours Eric,” said Stella. Glancing up from the newspaper, he smiled broadly. “Since receiving your memory transfer last night, I’ve never felt so alive. You’ve given me so much hope for the future, knowing now we all have one thanks to Rogand. It’s like I’m 21 again,” said Eric, continuing to smile. “Where would you like to take us?” I asked. “Oh yes,” replied Eric. Picking up the house phone from the table, he asked the aide on the other end to have the limo ready in 15 minutes. “Shall we,” gestured Eric, in the direction of the door.

Traveling back in the Fox 2 Flyer, Stella, Syman and I reminisced about the sights Washington had to offer. “I found the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum absolutely fascinating,” said Syman using my voice. “Why’s that?” asked Stella, realizing it was Syman who just spoke. “It’s amazing, how the allure of space can inspire men to take such risks in fragile vessels, attached in front of all that explosive fuel,” explained Syman vocally. “That’s why they were chosen to go on those missions, because they were made of the right stuff, meaning, very brave,” explained Stella. “That must mean, Jim and we are very brave, we’ve been into outer space and come to think of it, so have you Stella,” said Syman using my voice again. “I guess your right Syman, the Wilsons are made of the right stuff,” she said, trying to hold back a laugh. Shaking our head at the banter between Stella and Syman, I began to say, “I’m going to call Cael and see when he can attend our little dinner party.” Finally, after what seemed like a dozen phone calls we reached an agreement on a date Eric and Cael could both attend. Rogand wasn’t particularly fussy as he doesn’t really live by any type of calendar. We all agreed on the evening on 9th May, 07:30 our place. “Which, is only three days away,” I said re-pocketing my phone. “Why did you pick that day?” asked Stella, “Timothy won’t be home,” she continued. “I’ll transport him on the day, we want him there with us,” I said. “He’s really busy now, are you sure we can’t do this without him,” she suggested. “He’s just as much a part of this as you are, and yes, we really do need him

there. Tell her Rogand,” I replied. Hello Stella, I have been in touch with Timothy. Syman and Jim will transport him just before dinner, then return him afterwards. This will cut down on lost travel time, allowing him more time to focus on the project at Wilson Town. Eventually, this is how we will gather our for future meetings, Rogand informed Stella, Syman and I with his telepathic link. “Oh! Sorry Jim, I was unaware of your plan. Rogand, at some time I’m sure my Husband has asked you the very same thing, can you please keep me on the same page when it comes to any information regarding our group,” said Stella. Yes, I do being asked just that very same question by Jim some years ago. Forgive me Stella, after the dinner meeting we will all be on the same page, reflected Rogand telepathically to Stella, Timothy, Syman and I.

The night of the dinner party was quickly approaching. Gwen was given the night off. I’m sure she would have enjoyed bragging to her friends that she’d cooked for the President of the United States. However, this was a private meeting and only for the of the inner circle of trustees. Syman was more than happy to show off their culinary skills. They’d decided a three course meal was appropriate, comprising of mainly western cuisine. Although in Rogand’s case, special dietary requirements will need to be followed, it’s not correct protocol to give your guest of honor a stomach ache. His dishes will be protein based with as little added spices as possible. A selection of three different meals shall be made for his consumption. For entree, raw duck breasts in a Hollandaise Sauce. Main meal, raw steak in a light satay sauce and for dessert, chilled whipped egg whites served with sliced blood sausage. Sounds delicious Syman, I thought to them when they’d finally chosen Rogand’s menu. Wednesday night had arrived. It was 06:30 when Mr Cael El-Hashem, Owner and Managing CEO of Egypt Air landed at our front door. Stella, Syman and I went out to greet him. I reached for his hand and said, “Cael, it’s good to see you again, I’d like you to meet my wife Stella.” Cael kissed her on each cheek in a traditional European greeting. “Please come inside, you’re the first to arrive,” said Stella. As it turned out this was a benefit for us, we wanted to share our memories with Cael in the same way we did with Eric, so he won’t panic when Syman and I transport Rogand down from his ship. Escorting Cael into the lounge for pre-dinner drinks, we made him his favorite, a Harvey Wall Banger, serving him the drink he asked, “how did you know?” “I’ll get to that in just a minute. I’m glad you arrived early Cael, do you trust me?” I asked him.

“Yes, I do Jim,” he replied, thinking it was an odd question to ask him straight of the bat. This may sound a little strange but I assure you, you will come to no harm. Please close your eyes Cael, we directed telepathically. He put his drink on top of the coffee table next to where he sat and closed his eyes. I closed our eyes as well. This time the memory transfer was easier, we let our experiences flow smoothly into his mind. We found him far more relaxed and receptive than Eric during the information transfer. When the whole process was finally completed, we opened our eyes and that’s when Syman and I noticed Cael smiling back at us. “I had my suspicions when we first met, call it intuition or precognition. But I knew there was something very special about you Jim, oh yes and you too Syman,” he said, still smiling. It’s possible you may have natural psychic abilities Cael, can you sense when someone is untrustworthy? Syman asked telepathically. “I heard that very clearly in my mind. Yes, I’ve always been able to size people up rather quickly, that was Syman just then wasn’t it?” asked Cael, taking another sip of his drink. “Yes, that was them,” I replied, impressed at how very well he handled the cognitive transfer. “Most fascinating. Thank you so much for including me in your inner circle. I do understand why you’ve needed to intervene in our reproductive dilemma, talks of this nature have gained momentum during these past few years. But knowing we only had 250 years at best in which to resolve the problem, is quite unsettling. I’m sure our Governments would have made their own foolish choices to stem the population growth, taking ludicrously drastic measures to slow our demise only to make matters worse. However, your way removes bad decisions from the equation, and yes, it will take a miracle to inform the general public of this matter without repercussions. I will give your solution a great deal of thought,” finished Cael explaining his view. “Thank you, this is why we need help, we’re all great believers in the time honored saying, many hands make light work,” I said.

Just then, Stella entered the room, informing us that the President had arrived. We went outside to greet him, after the introductions had been completed, Eric asked his two minders to stay with the limo. Stella guided us all through the front door. Eric whispered in my ear, “does he know?” But before Syman and I could answer. Cael said on our behalf. “Yes, we’re all up to date on current events Eric.” Back inside our main reception area, I asked them to stand still for the moment. Making a psychic connection with Timothy, I asked him if he was alone. A few seconds later he replied, Yes. Then concentrating our focus of thought on him, he rapidly appeared beside Eric, startling him and causing him to spill some of his pre-dinner drink. While Stella was introducing Timothy to Cael, we’d made with our main guest. Ready Rogand, we asked telepathically. Yes, I am ready, he replied. As quickly as our main guest arrived, Stella began playing host again, introducing Cael and Eric to Rogand. They didn’t even bat an eye lid when Rogand arrived, because they knew exactly what he looked like from our previous mind sharing experience. “Please be seated,” I said to our human guests and Syman telepathically informed Rogand to also be seated. We each sat in our designated seats. Beginning, Rogand projected his thoughts first. May I welcome you all to our very first meeting. This is an auspicious moment in my history, as you are all aware, I am an immortal and over the length of my very long life I’ve watched two Worlds meet their untimely end. One of which came to its demise in the same way your World was following far too closely. I could not witness this scenario unfold again. That is why I started searching for an ally, someone who could help me with fresh ideas on stopping another disaster. One evening my scanners detected a stationary individual upon his attached platform to his dwelling, he now sits opposite me today, Rogand gestured with his hand, pointing towards Syman and I. It was by way of an accident that I chose Jim Wilson, an accident that has led to the salvation of Earth itself. Jim had a vision to turn your wheeled vehicles into flyers, an idea he thought of himself, thus bringing you closer together as a

people. His desire to assemble a united group of individuals, combining their unique talents to ours, and so begins the strengthening of our group to include you both, Cael and Eric, welcome. It is your fresh ideas that will help in solving how we next inform the masses of our influence. So please give thought to our new endeavor. Now, we must enjoy our wonderful dinner lovingly prepared by our sole survivor, Syman, please enjoy, finished Rogand’s thought of introduction as he seated himself on the large chair at the head of the table. Syman and I were up and down from our seat as we served our guests. Returning to the kitchen with the empty plates from the main course, we noticed the ipad on the kitchen bench was showing an alarm flashing on the map of our house, just outside the dining room windows. Syman and I quickly searched for the intruder or intruders, our consciousnesses finally fell upon the mind of a 22-year-old male, named Steve Wright, also known by his online alias as ‘Runt Rider’. A modern day Robin Hood when it comes to information, he sees himself as a fact finder. Private details of the rich and famous put on sale to the highest bidder, usually tabloid magazines and newspapers. And here he was, taking photographs of our dinner party. I could feel the excitement he was experiencing, we also intercepted a ing thought on how much money these pictures were going to make him. Everyone, please excuse me while Syman and I deal with our uninvited guest, we telepathically informed our dinner guests only, so as not to alert the intruder of my next move. Focusing on Steve Wright and ourselves, we transported us both aboard Rogand’s orbiting ship above Earth. In the main control room Syman and I stood opposite him, he still held onto a camera in front of his face with both hands, he very quickly refocused the camera for a close-up of his subject, us, and then shouted, “HOLY FUCK, what just happened,” he said, wearing a look of panic upon his face. Luckily for us Rogand had left the viewing membrane on and it happen to be focused on our planet below. We held him steady by force of will, he couldn’t run or even move his arms. I forcibly turned Steve’s head toward the viewing membrane.

Can you see the lights of the cities below? we asked him telepathically. “We’re in space?” he replied, in abject disbelief. “Yes we are, you have two choices,” I said as I began to outline the options. “One, you can have your memory striped of tonight’s events and I’ll change your personality so you never bother anyone ever again.” Or two, you can come and work for us, we’ll give you five minutes to decide, we said into his mind. Steve threw his gaze around for someone else to help him with his predicament, in this bizarre looking room he now found himself in, and seeing no one, he turned his gaze back to the viewing membrane. We observed his mind racing from one conclusion to another, after much thought he dropped his head onto his chest, as a sign of defeat. “Alright, alright,” he said. We released our mental hold from over his body, he stumbled forward as he regained his composure. “What are you?” he asked, standing up straight from the squatting position he was previously in while taking his covert snaps. “Steve, it’s best if you close your eyes for a moment and we’ll inform you about everything,” I said vocally. Not too sure whether to trust us or not, he came to a quick and sensible conclusion, realizing he would have probably been dead by now if we weren’t sincere, he closed his eyes. We began our memory transfer and minutes later, Syman and I were bombarded with a series of questions. “How? I mean, you, he, that thing in your house, the President, your son and wife, this is huge, you’ve saved the World, but no-one knows. I agree you have a problem, how to keep it secret from everyone before you can find a way to tell them all at once,” he said, rambling on. Then next, Steve asked me a question which pretty much summed up his personality perfectly. “I don’t mean to be petty in anyway, but what does this new job pay,” he asked, rubbing his hands together. “Whatever you want, you’ll need the latest tech to give you an edge over other hackers, some of which we can supply, I’ll have five million wired to your personal offshore ,” I said, looking at him as his eyes popped right out from their sockets.

“How do you know abou…,” then he realized, tapping his temple with the finger of his left hand, a gesture to signify that he understood, I’d literally taken the details from right out of his head. “Would you like some dessert?” I asked Steve. “What?” he replied, not sure what I meant. “Dessert, you forgot, I was entertaining guests. It just so happens I have enough for one more serve. Shall we?” I said, pointing to the Earth below on the viewer. “Why not, I’ve always wanted to meet an alien,” he replied, tucking his shirt in and trying to make himself a little bit more presentable. There was no need for introductions as everyone was already informed of what had transpired aboard Rogand’s ship, by way of our telepathic link with everyone at the dining table. When we arrived back home for dessert, Steve was concerned how everyone knew his name. “It’s alright,” I began to say. “They were there with us upstairs too,” I said tapping my own temple with my finger. “Oh right, sure, it’s a pleasure to meet you Mr President,” said Steve. “Please, call me Eric, you’re among friends here,” he said. “And it’s my great delight to meet you Sir,” said Steve, stepping forward to shake hands with Rogand. It is my pleasure as well Steve, you have a unique skill set that can help our cause greatly, projected Rogand’s thought throughout our group. “Thank you Rogand,” said Steve, when an extra chair was added to the table.

CHAPTER 14

Protecting The Masses

It was the first time we used the guestroom, Steve had relaxed and let his guard down after the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol. He kept toasting to his newfound friends and career and ed out into the dessert he never touched. I lifted him from the table and placed him onto the guest bed upstairs using telekinesis. Both Eric and Cael were fascinated, watching me treat our newest member with the greatest of care while literally not lifting a finger. I gave Cael twenty four of the cognitive sensors and the plans on how to install the units into the top of an existing metal detector. Syman and I copied the operating parameters to the others from the original prototype, the one we had left in jail for a week gathering antisocial thoughts and informed him of the first completed wingless airbus ready for delivery. He said Egypt Air was making a commercial to launch the new safer way to fly and that a pilot will collect the plane soon. Cael thanked me profusely by continuously shaking my hand. Seeing Cael and Eric to their vehicles, I thanked them for coming, they in turn thanked me for trusting them and reminded us if ever we needed a favor to call upon them straight away. “Your thanks are greatly appreciated. Rogand is very pleased with our progress even though we’ve not solved the main issue yet. Although he says we’re definitely on the right track,” I said. I informed them Syman and I would keep a tentative psychic link upon them, so when they come up with any ideas, we’d be able to inform Rogand and arrange for another quick meeting aboard his ship.

“, travel will no longer be a problem, I can bring us all together in a matter of minutes no matter where Syman and I are,” I thanked Timothy for his , he confirmed I could always count upon. I asked him what it had felt like to be instantaneously transported from one area to another. “Kind of like changing channels on a television, one moment you’re watching the inside of your room, the next, you’re viewing your parents,” explained Timothy. “Yeah, that’s pretty much how it is with us too, well, we’ll be in touch,” we replied, giving Tim a hug and said that I loved him very much and missed him even more now he’s living away from home. Then I stepped back, held up my hand in farewell and closed our eyes a second to concentrate, upon reopening them, he was gone.

I arrived home from the office to have lunch with Stella and Gwen the next day. Walking into the kitchen I came across Gwen preparing four plates for lunch. “Are you expecting company Gwen?” I asked. “No, this is for your house guest, Steve. Stella’s upstairs right now, waking him up,” she replied. Gwen placed the sandwiches on the table in front of her. “It must have been one hell of a night,” she said, smiling at me. “Yeah, you can say that again,” I said. “It must of been one hell of a…,” she started. “Oh Gwen, please, not that old joke,” I replied, shaking my head. Steve stumbled down the stairs, followed by Stella. “I told him to use the lift, but he refused,” said Stella, rolling her eyes. “Mornnninnnggg Jimmm, howwwrrruuuu thus mornnninnnggg,” slurred a heavily intoxicated Steve. “Better than you are my boy,” I replied. “Strong coffee over here, thanks Gwen,” said Stella, leading Steve to his seat. Gwen placed a large coffee mug in front of him, he drank a long slow draft. “Aaahhh, that’s better,” he said, such is the slow wake-up of a habitual computer geek. Steve ate his sandwich in seconds and stated that he hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. “Thank you Gwen, that was delicious,” said Steve. “I’m glad you like chicken and tomato sandwiches dear,” remarked Gwen, raising her eyebrows. “Gwen can you bring three more mugs of your wake-up juice to my workshop please, we’re heading downstairs,” I informed her. “Feeling better now Steve?” Syman and I asked.

“Yes, thanks to you two,” he replied, wobbling slightly on the apparently unlevel floor. We rode the lift down to our basement workshop, stepping from the lift, Stella felt she needed to satisfy her own concerns that bringing the peepingtom on board was totally unnecessary. “Jim, Syman, I know you brought Steve into our inner circle for a good reason, I have no idea why, but how the hell can a sniveling little prick like him help us,” asked a totally unconvinced Stella. “I’m standing right here,” moaned Steve. “Calm down Stella, I know he was tresing, but Syman and I have an idea,” I explained. We walked over to my large workbench, sitting on it was my laptop, we removed a 64GB thumb drive from the side USB port and held it up so Steve and Stella could plainly see it. “This thumb drive has a copy of the original decompressing algorithmic artificial intelligence that Syman created,” I started to explain. “WHAT, you mean to tell me that our entire transport infrastructure is dependent on alien tech,” replied Steve, taking another gulp from his coffee mug. “Not to mention the anti-gravity units and environmental shield,” added Syman vocally. “Your voice just changed, that was Syman speaking wasn’t it?” he asked, still swaying badly on his feet. “Maybe, if you didn’t drown yourself in alcohol last night, you might be on the same page as us and not back at the beginning reading the acknowledgements,” said an impatient Syman. “Yeah, alright, cut me some slack will you,” replied Steve, belching into his left fisted hand. “As I was saying, what we want you to do is to modify the A.I., enabling it to watchdog the World Wide Web. To keep track of any information regarding population statistics. Let the A.I. alter the statistical numbers, making it so the publisher sees their own original work on their computer screen and any viewers see our changed higher altered anticipated statistics,” I explained.

“How the hell do I do that? I mean you’re asking a hell of lot of me, this is my first real job you know,” said Steve. “You really must’ve consumed a shit load of scotch last night, because it’s all there in your head, from last night’s memory sharing. I made damn sure you got all of Syman’s knowledge on the subject. All you have to do is concentrate on the task at hand and it’ll all come back to you,” I said. “Really, you mean, I’ve got your knowledge as well?” inquired Steve. “Yes Steve, one could almost say that we’ve gotten under your skin,” teased Syman, using an exact copy of Steve’s own voice just to put the wind up him. “Ok, ok, I get it, give me say, two weeks to reprogram the A.I.,” he said, ing his empty mug to Stella. “You’ve got one week,” Stella cut in, extremely annoyed with him. We gave Steve the thumb drive. I rapidly read his mind to find his home address, he lives in an abandoned rail yard warehouse just outside Brisbane. With a blink of our eye he was gone from the workshop. “Where did he go?” asked Stella, breathing a sigh of relief that he’d finally gone. “Syman and I sent him home, if you could call that,” we replied.

“We’re ready for tomorrow’s launch Jim,” said Peter Wosner over the telephone. “Is it still to be held at the Darling Harbor Convention Center, you haven’t had to change it to a larger venue have you?” we asked. “No, it’s still at the original site we planned for. Doors will be open at 8 o’clock in the morning, your debut is still set for 10 o’clock. Everything is ready, we’ll go over the final details when you arrive,” said Peter. “Ok, see you at the celeb’s entrance at 9 o’clock then, don’t be late Peter,” I said, chuckling into the phone, knowing full well he’d be there earlier, because Peter and Marc are never late. We hung up the phone and returned to Syman’s pet project. You promise not to get nervous this time Jim, I know large crowds have ‘that’ effect on you, Syman reminded me. Not wanting to think about ‘that’ effect right now, I asked my symbiots, now regarding this laser pulse pistol, what size diamond do you require for the laser assembly? We need a pure, clear, flawless diamond, when polished down to a cylindrical shape it must measure, 10 millimeters in diameter and 20 millimeters in length, thought Syman within my mind. No pressure then, a piece of cake, we’d better start searching, it would be easier if I could see through rock, a lot of rock, say 50 meters or so, I contemplated to Syman. We’ve been communicating amongst ourselves and we feel the answer lies in the reality of time itself, we know that it intersects all other known realities, however, we must base our search from the reality of time itself, to find a suitable realm we know exists, because space itself is transparent, explained Syman inside my mind. “Very well then, let’s begin,” I replied. We made ourselves comfortable in the sumptuous seat inside the Fox 2 Flyer,

reclining back, we closed our eyes and concentrated on the Natcien Transfer Device, our consciousnesses leapt into it’s targeting reality of time, above Prempol. Now Jim, relax more deeply, broaden your mind, realize the existence of all the different types of realms within all possibilities and probabilities, imagine doorways opening into those realms, if you feel one open, move towards it, go through it into the space beyond, Syman’s thoughts were pivotal in helping me find the other realities that time binds together. Without Syman’s help my search would have been in vain, we found one reality after the other. We viewed one reality where the dinosaurs weren’t extinct and had evolved into reptilian bipeds communicating telepathically, in appearance, they were somewhat similar to Rogand. Then into a reality where insects ruled the Earth, their huge nests equaling and in some ways suring our own enormous cities, raising herds of mammals for food. Until we found the reality we were searching for, it mirrored our own reality exactly. Except the atomic structure was slightly different, it seemed to be slightly out of phase with our own. All matter was transparent, it was as though viewing the very atoms that hold us together were under an X-ray, appearing ghost like to Syman and I. Viewing this realm was both breath-taking and alluring, seeing deeply through to the Earth’s molten core as it shone like a pilot light at night. The amount and quantity of undiscovered minerals in this world was enormous and rather staggering. Our focus changed down to view the many people going about their business. However, even the rooms they were in gave them no privacy from our prying eyes in this realm. We’re not here to behave as peepingtoms, I thought to Syman, who was busy watching a women showering in her high rise apartment. We moved our vision towards the large geode directly below her building, roughly the size of a hot air balloon, its eye-dazzling secret kept for millions of years, now fully exposed to us as we entered its diamond-encrusted interior. There, by that huge cluster, a flawless group nestling loosely at the bottom of the geode, pointed out Syman. Focusing our thought on the cluster, we transported its twin from our own Earth onto the top of our workbench within the basement

at home. Curious of what other mineral wealth lay underground, we kept searching for another hour. A faint and distant voice started to grab my attention. “JIM, JIM, FOR CHRIST SAKE, WAKE UP, ITS HAPPENING AGAIN, JIM, JIM,” shouted a distressed Stella. That sounds like Stella, listen, thought Syman. Sure enough, when we focused on the faint voice, it did seem to resemble Stella’s voice somewhat. Pulling back to our reality was a great mental strain, it required an enormous deal of effort on my part to return. Opening our eyes we were greeted by a tearful, red faced Stella with an expression of great relief on her face. “What’s wrong?” we asked. “You were doing it again,” she said, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly. “Doing what?” we asked again. She paused for a moment, then as if she had a brainwave, jumped up and ran to the workbench, grabbed the ipad off the top and scrolled through to the recent camera footage from the security system. Stella found what she was looking for and turned the screen to face us. “Here,” she said, thrusting the ipad in front of us, What we saw was a blinding light coming from the cockpit of the flyer, we watched it for several minutes, up to when Stella walked out from the lift and started shouting. “Shit, this is becoming a damn problem,” I said. “We also had great difficulty getting our consciousnesses back into our reality this time. I can see no way out of this predicament, except to forgo using the Natcien Transfer Device until we can sort out a solution,” I said, scratching my head for any ideas that may pop into my brain. “I think that would best, if you can’t control it, you’ll have to stay here in the house. If you go ultra-bright in general public the cats going to be out of the bag,” said Stella. “I can’t, I’ve got the official launch of the Fox Flyer range in Sydney tomorrow,”

I said, now starting to panic about missing the event. All of a sudden the interior of the flyer began to grow brighter as if a dimmer switch was turned up. “Jim it’s happening again,” said a startled Stella. “Syman what do we do?” I asked, panicking. I don’t know, WAIT, on the stage at Wheatland you felt pride for Timothy, in the transparent realm you were excited and just now you started to panic, calm yourself, calm down, slow your breathing, relax your entire body and release your tension, Syman suggested with calming thoughts. “It’s working,” reassured Stella, the light emitting from the flyer was decreasing. “My emotions are triggering the event, if that’s what it is Syman, I think you’re going to have to do the launch for me. I’ll take a back seat on this one. I’ll take a sedative and sleep through the whole thing, does that sound alright to you Stella?” I said, hoping that she would agree. “If you think Syman can handle it, of course why not, but you’ve got to find out what this illumination thingy is,” she replied. “I’ll call Dr Good and get him to draw up a script for a strong sedative,” I said, exiting the flyer. “Does Syman know your speech for tomorrow’s launch?” asked Stella, pressing the lift button. “Yes, he knows the speech word for word,” I added. “Trust me Stella, we would never do anything to undermine our credibility, especially publicly,” reassured Syman verbally.

“Good morning Stella, how are you this lovely day,” said Syman, pushing us out of bed to get dressed. “Oh! It’s you Syman, good morning, what time did Jim take his sedative?” she asked. “Around 2 o’clock this morning, he wanted to make sure that the sedative would give us a window of 14 hours. He’ll be out till roughly 4 o’clock this afternoon, more than enough time to cover the launch and media frenzy that’ll follow,” explained Syman, using my voice. “So where is he now, if you don’t mind me asking?” said Stella. “He’s fast asleep, out like a light, we can’t even sense him dreaming, one thing Jim was concerned about was his dreaming. They’re always full of varying types of emotions, that’s why he asked the doctor to write a script for the strongest medication available,” replied Syman. After wolfing down an enormous breakfast, Stella made an excuse to Gwen that Jim was getting the flu, to defuse any questions in regard to Syman’s higher pitched voice. Stella waved and shouted “GOOD LUCK,” as the flyer ed the first floor level on its way to Sydney. Peter was on time to let Syman in through a rear access door at the Convention Center, even then they struggled through the thousands of excited people waiting, all eager to get online to order their own Fox Flyer once the website was officially opened after Syman’s speech. “Morning Peter, looks like it’s going to be another success,” said Syman. “Bit of a cold coming on Jim,” he said. “Yeah, it’s this damn flu that’s been going around,” replied Syman, grateful of Stella’s suggestion to use it as an excuse of having the flu in covering up their higher pitched voice. “I know, Carol my wife has got it real bad too, home in bed doped up to the max,” he replied.

“Where do you want me?” asked Syman. “Here, I’ve had an off stage area constructed, refreshments are inside, just wait till your introduced, then go up those stairs you can see to your left,” directed Peter. “Who did you manage to get to open the expo?” the symbiots asked. “Your old mate from the beginning, Prime Minister Robert Baker,” said Peter. “Excellent, it’ll be good to catch up with Robert after the launch,” replied Syman. An assortment of cakes, sandwiches, teas and coffees were on offer. Never being one to up a free lunch, Syman got to work, stuffing my face full of chocolate cake and washed it down with copious amounts of tea. Ten o’clock was fast approaching, Syman sat waiting for his intro. Sure enough, bang on 10 o’clock the crowd’s noise level outside died down as the Prime Minister walked up onto the stage. “Good morning my fellow Australians and overseas guests, today is a very special day for us all, after months of waiting the moment has finally arrived, so without further ado, it’s my great pleasure to introduce you to the man who has taken transport and turned it on its head these past years, Mr Jim Wilson,” the applause was overwhelming. The sound was deafening as Syman walked up the stairs and onto the stage, waving as he moved towards an area marked with a red taped cross on the floor, he gestured for the crowd to settle, when everyone fell silent, they began. “Hello everyone, I know there’s been much anticipation in regard to the new range of vehicles our FOX FLYER FOUNDARIES have created these past months. So, I’m not going to make you wait any further, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Fox Flyer Range,” said Syman, stepping to one side as the purple velvet curtain separated to reveal the entire range of new Fox Flyers, 2, 4, 6 and 8 seater versions for all to see. The camera flashes from within the audience were blinding, television camera crews zoomed in and panned from one side to the other. As much as it was an Australian location for the unveiling ceremony, it was a worldwide launch as

well. This entire event was being broadcast live around the globe. The ushers allowed guests to walk up one side of the stage, view the Flyers and then file back down the other set of stairs once they’d finished inspecting the Flyers. Syman tapped a specially installed app on our phone, the number that appeared on the screen was climbing rapidly, it was the total number of orders for the entire range and it was at 461,203 and climbing. Delaying the launch gave us a chance to mass produce a total of half a million units globally, spread across the full range. So if you got in early, placed your order details and paid today, then the Fox Flyer would deliver itself from the factory direct to your stipulated address today. The crowd numbers even sured Peter’s expectations. He slowly marshaled the crowd back and cleared sufficient room to bring in two more of the 2, 4, 6 and 8 seater versions of the Fox Flyers into the auditorium for people to view. This had the desired effect, giving people a chance to spend more time viewing the Flyers. Syman eventually caught up with Robert to go over the new invention we’d been working on, not the cognitive sensor, but the Laser Pulse Pistol, to see if he was interested in using it within the Police Force to supersede the Taser Guns, mainly because there’s been a spate of recent deaths due to their misuse. “Hell yeah Jim, it’s costing us a fortune in compensation claims in the Courts. Of course we want it, talk about political mileage. With the introduction of the World’s first Laser Pulse Pistol, I’ll be the Prime Minister up until the ripe old age of 90. How do they work Jim, I mean, they aren’t going to cut holes in everybody are they?” asked Robert, a little bit concerned with the word ‘laser’ in the description. “No, it’s not a cutting laser, it’s a pulse of light, when it hits the target, it’s equivalent to the force of a heavy punch, similar to being hit with a 2 kilo bag of wet sand at 50 kilometers an hour, it’ll knock anyone off their feet.” “However, if your assailant is say juiced up on drugs, just keep pulling the trigger and the force increases thereafter, raising the weight of the pulse up half a kilo increments each time, right up to a whopping 5 kilos, which is enough to stop an elephant. Or you can set the weight of the pulse manually if you wish, and these weapons have the added safety feature of DNA designated tech,

which allows only one person to operate the laser, making them a true personal side-arm. Also they need to be alive, just in case some twisted person gets the idea to cut the s hand off. Plus Robert, they are very light and easy to use, just weighing in at 445 grams. Now to the question of how many do you need?” asked Syman. “How much are they each,” inquired Robert. “$1,250.00,” replied Syman. “I’ll take 500 for starters. The tactical response units can try them out first, then we’ll talk larger quantities later. How long before I can expect them?” asked Robert. “I can get 50 units to you each week, will that be suitable?” said the Symbiots. “You bet Jim,” replied Robert. “I’ll call you in six days time, have 50 of your officers at one place on the 7th June. You can make a media event out of it if you like,” suggested Syman. “Sounds like a winner to me,” replied the Prime Minister. The rest of the day ed quickly, it was around 3 o’clock in the afternoon when Syman called it a day and excused himself from the crowd of celebrities, journalists and business representatives. Halfway home, Jim finally came round. Oh boy, I feel like I’ve just spent a night on tequila, oh! How did it all go Syman? asked Jim by thought. It was an incredible success, sales are through the roof and everybody was so impressed with the new pick-up or drop-off feature. I can’t tell you how many people said they were looking forward to not paying for city parking costs anymore; having time to drop the kids off at school and no more airport parking costs, to name a few, reflected Syman inside my mind. “That’s good news my friends. Was Robert interested in the pistols?” I asked. “Sure was, 500 units, we need to make 50 units every six days, that’s doable using your telekinesis, isn’t it?” said Syman.

“Yes, I can assemble five units at a time, take me 20 minutes tops, are all the polished diamond laser cores back from the jewelers?” inquired Jim. All there. Rogand transported the 500 Nanite core covers down first thing this morning, they’ll completely and fully enclose the diamond laser core, we can’t have anyone knowing there’s a $75,000.00 diamond inside. Your jeweler offered a pitiful $5,000,000.00 for the whole lot of them. They are really worth $37,500,000.00 on the open market uncut. You know, you go out of your way to help them and then they can’t wait to screw you for a few lousy bucks, contemplated Syman, somewhat disappointed once again with the human species and their petty behaviors. “You should really stop watching late night TV, you know,” I added. Don’t be such a stiff, Jim, loosen up dude, take time to put the jive back into the hive, BRO, this thought was shared with me by a billion or so laughing symbiots. Must it, it brought a smile to my face as well.

“Hello Stella, have you heard anything from Timothy lately?” I asked, walking into the kitchen. “Yes, I spoke with him just this morning, he said after much deliberation the Board has finally settled on a circular layout for Wilson Town. The mass housing assembly plant is to be placed at the very center, they’re to build the factory first and then build the town around it later. Everything is working out wonderfully for him, Jim,” she said. “I’m just so proud of him, I was reading the Better Homes & Gardens magazine and there’s a whole section on Timothy’s unique gifts as a problem solver. I also saw you on the television this morning, quite the crowd wasn’t there?” continued Stella, proud of the two men in her life, including Syman. “Yes, the launch was a great success,” replied Syman vocally. “No unexpected illuminating mishaps?” asked a concerned Stella. “No problems, I slept through the whole thing,” said Jim yarning widely, the effects of the sedative still wearing off. “What’s next on your agenda Jim?” inquired Stella. “We’ll be supplying the tactical response unit with Syman’s new Laser Pulse Pistol, it’s their pet project they’ve been nagging me about. Can we have an early dinner please Stella and then Syman and I’ll freshen up and head down stairs,” I said. “Gwen’s made a lovely vegetable soup, so she could leave early to visit her sister in England. How does that sound?” she said. “Wonderful, I know Syman has eaten for us both, but it feels like I’ve not eaten since dinner last night,” I replied. After soaking up Gwen’s beautiful soup with some of her crusty homemade bread, we shaved, showered, got dressed and headed back down to the workshop.

We laid out five groups of parts required to assemble a row of five complete pistols neatly along the workbench, wheeled our comfortable high backed office chair into center position of the workbench and settled comfortably into the chair. We commenced concentrating on assembling the parts, I let Syman take the lead, he knew more about these weapons than I did. Watching all the parts rise into the air, assemble themselves in perfect synchronization, until a line of five completed pistols were slowly rotating in the air, then Syman lowered them to the bench. We’d hung a punching bag from the ceiling so we could test every completed pistol. Taking one in my hand, we turned our chair to face the punching bag and took aim, I set the output to a single shot only. Squeezing the trigger with a light touch, I felt no recoil, but the bag several meters away was hit heavily. We tried each pistol a dozen times to ensure they operated on all the settings. Syman asked me if we should reset the DNA grip sensor to ive now or wait until it was time to hand them to their eventual s. We both agreed waiting to reset them just before handing them out was the best and safest way, heaven forbid if someone stole the pistols set ready to fire with the first hand that touched them. Of course, we would read the minds of all who were to receive them. We’ll devise a series of verbal questions to ask each officer, if we feel that someone is untrustworthy, we would simply say they did not the final series of questions. Make a mental note Syman, we must inform the Prime Minister that we place this stipulation into the deal before the final handover of the pistols, I reflected to symbiots. It would be wise to use verbal interplay to disguise the read, the oral questionnaire is perfect. We’ll come up with a list of questions you can ask each officer, offered Syman. “How long did the assembly take Syman?” I asked. Exactly 12 minutes and 53 seconds. Why you feel like making some more before bed? asked Syman. “Yeah, let’s do another 20,” I replied, starting to layout the parts to assemble

another set of five pistols.

The handover of 50 Laser Pulse Pistols went exceedingly well, all the officers ed the mind read easily. I had to it the selection process they use to pick these men was thoroughly successful. Every one of them had similar personality traits, loyal, trust worthy and a highly driven morality to protect the innocent. Whether it was luck or fate, three days after the issuing of the pistols, a bank holdup with hostages took place in Perth, Western Australia. The successful result of capturing all four scumbags and the safe release of unharmed hostages was, what Robert called, the best free publicity you can ever get for the eventual public acceptance of these weapons. In his phone call to me, he said that even the do-gooder squad thinks they are a move forward towards a more civilised culture. I thanked Syman for helping bring a sense of safety to criminal matters. Our pleasure, we what it was like on Traibill before the invention of these pistols. The loss of life on both sides was unacceptable to us. As the need to protect our hosts arose, we all came together in telepathic communication, sharing gathered information from our hosts in numbers of which have never been witnessed before. This absence of communion makes us despair, we await the birth of Namow’s child to telepathically connect with our brethren. This will bring a long awaited sense of community back to us. The child’s birth is due. May we ask you to take us to Beltour to witness the blessed event, pleaded a distressed Syman. “Yes my friends, it will be my pleasure to take you there,” I replied to my microscopic saviors. At the dinner table, I talked with Stella asking her for some time to visit Beltour once again. She knew the reasons why. “I understand why Syman wants to go Jim, but refresh my memory with the reasons why you want to go?” she asked, feeling slightly jealous of Namow. Syman and I shared our thoughts telepathically with her, this way she knew I wasn’t hiding anything from her. When we’d finished, she understood that Syman had saved my life and I, we, all of us owed them some kind of consideration. Stella suggested we take as much time as we needed and that she’d be here when we got back.

Once we had completed the final assembly and distribution of the pistols, we were able to transport ourselves to Rogand’s ship above Earth. He was elsewhere, busy moving his vessel from the wasted remains of Traibill to the new world I settled the Scuree upon, called Hope. Syman quickly transformed us into the Beltourian form, it seems every time we transform the speed in which it takes is reduced dramatically. This time, ten minutes later, we gazed upon ourselves in the reflection of Rogand’s viewing membrane in his control room, dressed in the traditional robes and staring at the reflected image of the Beltourian’s legendary yellow skinned, red eyed savior was Primstoo, staring back at us. Walking into Wont raised more heads than we’d expected. It seems they all knew something we didn’t. Loud cries were coming from the direction of Drefin’s hut. We ran through the narrow alleys between the dwellings, bursting into to see Namow squatting over a scattering of soft robes. She managed a twisted smile through the intense pain of birthing. I stepped behind her and held her head in my hands to take the pain from her, the sigh she breathed from being released from her pain was slow and long. “How are you doing this Primstoo?” she asked, now totally free from pain. Holding her head gently, I reminded her of our agreement, that during the calling to use the name that I gave her for our son-to-be. With a final push, Namow gave birth, she took one large breath and yelled with all her remaining strength, “PHOENIX.” Then she collapsed onto the robes in front of our newly born son, totally exhausted. In the Beltourian tradition of a new life, the father cuts the umbilical cord, releasing the child from his mother, embedding it’s calling onto his soul. We cleaned the blood from Phoenix and laid him beside his mother, he fed well on her engorged breasts. Kneeling beside her I gave the use of my mind to Syman, they made telepathic with Phoenix’s symbiots. I felt the bliss they were experiencing, the clarity of thought was sharp and crisp, all technological solutions to life’s problems unfolded like a tightly coiled detailed map.

The child’s symbiots had within their DNA structure, the memories of all before them, as my own symbiots have. However, it’s a far easier psychic process to recall when telepathically linked with other symbiots residing within another host. This is what Syman has longed for these many years, the knowledge he now has can benefit us in ways I could never have imagined. “My love and thanks be to you for honoring our word bond,” I said to her. Phoenix had finished feeding and lay comfortably nestled in the robes against Namow. Drefin held a bowl of broth to her lips, she drank deeply enjoying every mouthful, finishing, she gave the empty bowl back to her father. “Prim, I will never hunt the words in my mind to thank you for being here to sight his coming. Look, you’ve given him your nose,” she said, peeling away a layer of the robe covering his face. “Sleep my love, regain your strength, for on the morrow we begin the celebration of Phoenix’s coming,” I said, laying down to spoon together with her, while she held the sleeping child. Within moments, Syman and I could hear the steady breathing from them both as they slept soundly. Drefin closed the privacy flap to the hut as he exited. In the morning all of Namow’s cares were tended to by Aderle’s many wives, she was bathed and robed in the most glorious fabric, dyed to a beet color and for baby Phoenix a pure white rap. Much to our surprise, we had been given the highest placement in Beltour society, equal to that of Aderle’s position. Aderle heralded this important news due to the overwhelming from his people, that Primstoo must be rewarded for his efforts in defeating the beasts from the sky, and since Namow is mated for life with him, she and any progeny she bares shall receive the same status. It was more of a gathering than a celebration, a soothing atmosphere for the child’s benefit. Namow’s strength had fully returned, one of the defining differences between Earth’s females and Beltour’s is, when a female has given birth, she is ready to start the whole reproductive process again the next day. The looks Syman and I were getting from her were alluring and seductive to say the least, there was no need to read her mind. From afar, Drefin was watching the interplay between us and smiled broadly.

He is so proud of his daughter, gaining high status in the tribe has also lifted his own position dramatically. As for the chance to father another child, Syman was rather persistent in regard to that matter. Alright, I’ve already agreed to your wishes Syman, we’ll impregnate her again, although, I do wish you’d refer to it as love making in future, I care a great deal about Namow, I telepathically informed my friends. Later that evening I laid Phoenix in his new crib, a beautiful gift from the people of Wont, I gently rocked him to sleep, then headed to bed with Namow. (I needn’t say what happened that night alone with a very determined female. I’ll leave that up to your own imagination.) Next morning after the delicious breakfast Namow had lovingly prepared, I wished her well, kissed Phoenix on the forehead and exited the hut to hunt for one lunar cycle, or so she thought. Out of the village far enough away from prying eyes, we transported back to Rogand’s ship above Earth.

CHAPTER 15

Love Makes You Crazy

Appearing in the main control room, we were startled by Rogand’s entrance. Now, what have you two been up to? inquired Rogand. Rather than attempting to dodge the subject, we informed him of exactly what we’d been doing. Very interesting, what did you learn with your communion Syman? he asked telepathically. Glad you asked Rogand, we recalled some ancient tech from when our first inventors started dabbling in robotics, a replica in motor skills equivalent to a Traibillian, with a highly adaptive A.I. and built in psychic stabilization boundary protocols, they are self-aware and have creator awareness. Meaning, they’re literally aware they are manufactured, thus stopping the earlier mistakes made with this type of tech. Thousands were destroyed due to an aggressive subroutine imbalance, which arose due to conflicts in their older analog programing protocols. We want to add the latest tech we’ve experienced to the matrix of their artificial intelligence and an entire Nanite nervous system layer, this way they’ll be capable of the sense of touch. This is something our inventors were incapable of achieving at the time. A central nervous system interaction on this level will make the android more accepting of the physical limitation of its creators, outlined Syman within my our minds. This means, Jim Wilson must patent the creation of the World’s first Nanites. I use a non-specific bacteria with a very manipulative DNA. I can also alter and manipulate its inherent tasks to my benefit, using it to assemble microscopic protein based machines. I feel you may need to call this technology, Nanobots, in

keeping with its robotic application. This will calm any concerns from your health care professionals, suggested Rogand inside my mind. “Will the people believe I invented these Nanobots?” I asked, worrying that our subterfuge may be discovered. Yes, they will. I have monitored your global social networks, they all see the Wilsons as the modern day messiah, bringing humans out of the dark ages. You should consider reading the quotes they are using, your social acceptance has never been so high. You could invent how to grow chocolate flavored bananas and they would love you even more for it, explained Rogand telepathically. “Can you fit out my workshop with the equipment needed to create these Nanobots? And may I extract the knowledge required from your mind, please Rogand?” I asked, standing humbly next to him. Yes you may Jim, to make it easier, I will begin concentrating on the many processes required, bringing it forth from the depths of my mind, making it easier for the extraction process, offered Rogand. Syman and I projected our consciousnesses into Rogand’s mind, Syman extracted all the information necessary. Their photographic capabilities in memory storage has always been their greatest strength, it’s genetically bonded onto them so when communion is achieved with other symbiots, they will the knowledge onto them as well. The whole procedure took less than ten minutes. Syman manipulated our appearance back to human, this time the transformation only required eight minutes. “You’re getting good at that Syman,” I said. “Thanks Jim, we anticipate next time to cut it down to five,” an ambitious Syman replied. Redressing in our Earth attire, we bid farewell to Rogand and transported ourselves back to the workshop at home. We rode the lift to the first floor and found Gwen gathering her cleaning gear to get started on the dusting. “Hello Gwen, is Stella around or is she at work?” I asked her. “Oh! Hi ya Jim, where ya been?” she asked.

“Overseas in Russia,” I lied. “Well then, you’d know all about that kidnapping business then, poor little girl, my heart goes out to her family,” said Gwen heading off to begin dusting. What the devil is she talking about now, I thought. “Yes me too, I hope they find her,” I said agreeing with her. “Where’s Stella?” I asked again. Gwen turned back to face me. “Oh right, yeah, she’s in America, Stella went to see Timothy, didn’t I tell you before?” she said, scratching her head trying to . “Gwen, when was the last time you had a holiday?” I said, walking back downstairs to the workshop. I approached the workbench and opened the laptop, straight away Syman and I searched the internet for news on the kidnapping, we finally found it on the ABC website, we sat stunned as we read the news story. Vladimir Barkov’s youngest daughter, Valentina, was taken from her kindergarten by three hooded men, during the afternoon of the 11th May. No ransom demands have been made at this time, Vladimir has stepped down as President until this crisis is over. “Shit Syman, that’s it,” racing back upstairs, we showered, changed and transported directly to Vladimir’s home. Syman and I were in such a hurry we forgot to dress appropriately, because when we arrived a quarter of a kilometer away from his front gates, it was snowing heavily and we were freezing. Walking up to the gate we were stopped by a security guard. “And just where the hell did you come from?” demanded the guard, pointing his rifle towards us. I quickly came up with a cover story. “We landed back out of site, we didn’t want to arouse suspicion by flying directly into your compound. Please inform Vladimir that Jim Wilson is here to see him,” I said introducing ourselves. The guard took another closer glance at us. “Forgive me Comrade Wilson, the poor lighting makes it difficult to recognize anyone,” he said, picking up a phone and informing the inner guard I was coming in.

“Thank you um…,” I said prodding for his name. “My name is Alexei Orlov, Comrade Wilson,” he said. “Please call me Jim, Alexei,” I said, shaking his hand as a distraction to quickly read his mind. Realizing his innocence, we bid him farewell and made our way to the front door. Was it necessary to read his mind Jim? asked Syman. “Yes it’s very important. This kidnapping was orchestrated by a group of individuals aware of Vladimir’s family movements, call it a premonition, but this stinks of an inside job,” I replied. The next guard we came across was the door attendant. “Evening Comrade Wilson,” he said as he opened the door for us. No lack of light at the front door, I thought. “Good evening,” I replied, reading his mind. Expecting to find nothing as we walked ed the guard, however this man hid something in the back of his consciousness, we stopped and turned to face him. “You know my name, but I’m afraid I do not know yours, good Sir?” I inquired. “My name is Sergei Nikolay,” he replied. “Pleasure to meet you Sergei, very chilly night isn’t it,” I said, probing deeper into his mind. “Yes it is, you feel it more when your job requires you to stand motionless for hours at a time,” he replied smiling. “Yes, every job has its drawbacks,” I said as we went through the door again. He’s definitely hiding some type of guilt alright, but I guess it could be coming from regularly falling asleep on the job. Guilt does come in many forms, reflected Syman. “Yes it does, and I don’t want to crush the man’s spirit, just to find out he’s been unfaithful to his wife,” I replied, feeling the warmth from inside Vladimir’s home.

Entering the main entrance foyer with its grand staircase winding up to the rooms above, we were met by an elderly servant woman. “I’m here to see Vladimir, it’s urgent that I speak with him,” I said. “Yes of course Mr Wilson, please follow me,” she said. It never ceases to amaze me just how many people know me by name. “Through here please,” she said, gesturing to the large wooden double doors in front of us. Knocking first, we pushed one of the heavy doors aside, the smoke filled room that lay beyond was lit by a single fire against the far wall. We couldn’t see anyone in the room, only the back of two high upholstered sofas facing the fire. “Vladimir, are you in here?” I asked, peering about the darkened room. Slowly rising from the chair to our right a weary looking Vladimir faced us. “Jim, you came, I was hoping you’d come, bad business this, very bad indeed. Please sit down,” he said, slumping back into the sofa. We sat in the sofa to his left and sank down into the wonderfully cushioned upholstery. “Vladimir, I was shocked to hear of this terrible news, I came immediately to help you. Have you heard anything from the kidnappers in regard to a ransom yet?” I asked. “No nothing, it’s been three days and yet we’ve had no from them what so ever, that’s why I’m so worried. My concern for Valentina’s life has kept me awake since she was taken,” he said, clearly shaken by this ordeal. “How is Anna coping?” I inquired. “Better than I am, she is much stronger than I,” he replied. “May I speak with her?” I asked Vladimir. “She is upstairs taking care of Yury and Zhanna, find Mariya, she’ll take you,” he said returning to his misery. Finding the maid Mariya polishing the banister rail on the main staircase, we asked if she would be kind enough to take me to see Anna and the children. “The mistress does not wish to be disturbed,” she said. “I’m aware of this thank you, however, Vladimir has given me his approval,” I

reassured her. “Very well then, follow me,” she reluctantly agreed, struggling to get to her feet, Mariya was starting to show her age. Curious, we decided to ask her, “how long have you served the Barkovs, Mariya?” I said, making our way to the top flight of stairs. “Many years now, must be 36 in total,” she answered. After Syman’s quick read, he was more than happy that the mind of Mariya was that of an honest and hard working women. Pointing to the door at the far end of a long hallway, she turned and went back downstairs. Knocking on the door, Syman and I heard a voice on the other side say, “please come in.” We entered the room to find Yury and Zhanna playing a board game on the large rug in the center of the room. Rotating our gaze around the room, we found Anna sitting in a low backed two-seater sofa near the open fire, she glanced up from her book. “Good evening Jim,” she said, the children looked up from their game. “Hello Uncle Jim,” they both said affectionately. “Good to see you both again, Yury, Zhanna. May I borrow your Mother for a moment please?” I asked. “Yes of course you can,” said Zhanna. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private,” I said to Anna quietly. “Yes,” she replied, closing the book she was reading and getting up from her chair, she walked towards a smaller room off to the side. Following her, we both sat at a small games table. “You’ve spoken to my husband?” she inquired. “Yes. I’m aware of Valentina’s grave situation and I’m so sorry for what has happened to you and your family. I know you don’t feel like talking about it, but can you tell me who had knowledge of her schedule and the location of her preschool?” I asked. “Several know of the preschool’s whereabouts, the five of us of course and three others, the doorman, our driver and Mariya. Why, what do you think has happened?” asked a curious Anna.

As I was explaining my theories, Syman read Anna’s mind. Jim, Jim, she’s responsible for the kidnapping. She instigated the whole damn thing, whispered Syman in the back of my mind. “Thank you Anna, I’ll trouble you no further,” I said, rising from my chair. Anna called me back. “Ask Mariya for a room, she’ll tend to your needs,” she said, reopening her book and continuing to read it casually. Thanking Anna once again, we left to find Mariya. Syman re-shared his read when we were outside the games room, to my amazement and disgust, Anna was truly the author of this bizarre action. When Syman gave me the reason why, I was thrown even further afield from my beliefs in human behavior. She has committed this as a way to have her husband spend more time at home. She is clearly emotionally unsettled, thought Syman within my mind. Shit. Shit. Shit. Let’s find the maid, I need to think how best to bring this matter to a close, I thought to Syman. Finding Mariya still polishing the timber bannister, we tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. “Excuse me Mariya, Anna has asked if you could show me to a guest room please,” I said to a clearly annoyed servant. After struggling to her feet once more, she huffed and puffed her way to the first floor, where she reluctantly pointed to a door off to one side of the ageway. “Your room SIR, breakfast is from 7 to 8 o’clock in the morning, don’t be late,” she said turning on her heel and swearing in Russian as she left. What a delightful women, we get the sense that retirement isn’t too far away from her ambitions, reflected Syman within my mind. Entering the room, we ired the décor of the modestly appointed furnishings, we sat on the edge of the only single bed in the room, at least it was comfortable and warm. Now to the matter of returning Valentina safely to her family. “In fact this is the conundrum isn’t it Syman, if we found her right now, she would be returning to a false environment, to a mother with unrealistic hopes, using twisted means to achieve them. I think I’m going to use my own Mother’s euphemism’s on this issue, ‘prevention is better than cure’. So this means a trip back in time to talk

Anna out of destroying her family and convince Vladimir to spend more time at home,” I said outlining my plan. You sure that’s wise Jim, we’re becoming far too emotionally involved already in this issue, what happens when ion takes over, reminded Syman inside my head. “Yeah, it’s the bright lights for me. Listen Syman, we still don’t know what the final outcome of that condition will bring, or what its overall effects will be. Besides, you and I both like Vladimir, we owe it to him to at least try. You and I both know he’s Russia’s best hope for stability,” I finished explaining to my eternal friends. Get comfortable Jim, the less stress we make for ourselves the better, suggested Syman telepathically. Lying back on the single bed gave us a very cosy environment to start in. Valentina was taken at 03:15 in the afternoon on the 10th May. So, if we go back to see Vladimir, say, at 09:45 in the morning the day before this should give us plenty of time to persuade Anna to drop the whole affair and get Vladimir to spend more time at home. I have an idea how to convince him, I thought to Syman. Focusing on the Natcien Transfer Device in orbit above Prempol, our consciousnesses searched through the targeting reality for the 9th May. Finding the right day was easy, seeing a calendar with the days crossed off at a petrol station near Red Square hanging above the counter behind the cash , the dates on the daily newspapers being sold, the digital clock behind the attendant said 09:15 am. We pushed and moved ourselves into that time zone, racing our view over the surface below we came to the President’s offices. A row of ordinary looking rooms where dozens of staff carried out the day to day tasks of running government and at the very end of the corridor was the President’s Office, larger in size to all the others. Inside and alone sat Vladimir. Carefully searching the room for any hidden devices, such as recording and video, finding none, Syman and I went for the bold approach. We appeared directly in front of Vladimir’s desk. “What the…,” Vladimir jumped up from his seat. “Where the devil did you come from Jim?” asked a very startled President. He reached to trigger an alarm which would send in six heavily armed men,

possibly shooting first, then asking questions later. “Please don’t touch that Vladimir, I have come here at great risk to myself, I have an offer even you couldn’t refuse. Please come around to the front of your desk and stand in front of me please,” I said to the President. “Why, what do you have in mind?” asked Vladimir. “Just an educational exercise, Mr President,” I said. He reluctantly walked around the desk, his curiosity pushing him rather than his common sense, he stood directly opposite Syman and I. Raising both my hands to place them on his temples, we began sharing everything since my first visit to Rogand’s ship all those years ago. We pushed our memories upon Vladimir’s mind quickly, we knew he had a strong psyche, moments later we removed our hands from the side of Vladimir’s head. Turning on his heel, he walked back behind his desk and slumped into his chair. “Please sit Jim,” he said, gesturing to the closest chair. We sat down beside his desk. “My God Jim, please give me a moment to soak this all in,” said Vladimir. “Don’t take too long, we still have to stop your wife from making a dreadful decision,” I said, to hurry matters along. “Anna, my beautiful Anna, she really did this, poor Valentina, how do you know this is going to happen?” asked the President. He’s having trouble accepting that his wife is capable of orchestrating such an atrocity against his youngest daughter, added Syman. “Vladimir, please turn on your television,” we suggested. Reaching for the remote, he pressed the power button, on the screen was a live broadcast on the global news channel RT, there I was being interviewed by a Russian anchorman right out the front of the Mareeba REFIT site. The banner running across the bottom of the screen in Russian read, ‘Live Footage, Mareeba, Australia - Jim Wilson speaks of his Son’s recent success in America’.

Vladimir finally came to the conclusion that it was impossible to be in two places at once. “What do you want me to do Jim?” he asked. “Just one simple question left, has Anna asked you to spend more time at home?” asked Syman verbally. “Yes, many, many times, much to my despair. When I think all I had to do was be a loving Husband and Father more often, Anna wouldn’t have been driven into such desperation,” said Vladimir holding his chin. “I take it you’ve been ignoring your wife for a very long time,” said Syman using my voice. “I still can’t believe my inactions will cause Anna’s reaction,” said Vladimir. “Where is Anna now?” I asked. “She’s at home, a three and a half hour flight from here,” said Vladimir. “Not necessarily, please, stand in front of me again Vladimir,” I suggested. When he stood facing me, I said, “hold on to your hat.” As quick as a blink we arrived inside the Barkov’s residents. “Wow! Sure beats the bus,” said a completely shocked and impressed Vladimir. “MARIYA, MARIYA,” he shouted. She slowly came walking out from the kitchen. “Greetings Mr Barkov, how can I help you Sir?” she asked. “Where is my lovely wife Anna?” he asked Mariya. “Upstairs in the games room Sir, will you need anything further?” she said. “No that’s all thank you Mariya,” said Vladimir. We watched her walk back into the kitchen, once she was out of earshot I spoke with Vladimir. “Syman says to go and makeup with your wife,” I said.

An hour later, Vladimir re-ed us in the living room, next to the fire where we sat waiting. “I’ll you next time we’re to hold a meeting, I’m sure Rogand would like to meet you Vladimir,” I said. “I too look forward to meeting our savior,” replied Vladimir. “I’ve spoken with Anna and she’s very happy I’m going to spend more time with her and the children. I simply said that I have missed being with her and my priorities have now changed,” said a relieved Vladimir. Syman and I shook hands with Vladimir to thank him just before transporting back to the present.

Stella was still in America assisting Timothy with his construction forecasts. She was seated at a tiny table next to his single bed, within the temporary housing accommodation at Wilson Town. Timothy was in the kitchenette making his mom a cuppa, he had just filled two cups with freshly brewed tea and turned to carry them over to where she sat. He managed to get only half way when we appeared right in front of him. “SHIT Dad! You just scared the crap out of me,” he said, spilling most of the contents onto the floor. “Hello Timothy, Stella, sorry to startle you, how’re you both doing?” we asked, smiling at them both. “Fine thanks Dad, Wilson Town is well on its way to becoming the World’s biggest housing manufacturer,” said Timothy, ing his mother her cup and heading back to the kitchenette to grap a dish cloth to clean up the spilt tea. “And it appears they’ll be pumping out the first house for sale after the REMOVE facility is completed this time next year,” said Stella, agreeing with Timothy’s projection forecasts. “Has everything turned out fine on Beltour?” asked Stella, pushing away the pile of papers from the bed to make a spot for Syman and I. “As a matter of fact, yes, everything is great. Timothy, I thought you’d like to know you now have a brother, well a half-brother, his name is Phoenix,” I said, informing my family. “Wow, don’t know how to take that news Dad, I’d say not being able to share his picture with anyone is going to be a pain,” he said, with half a chuckle. “We’re sorry Tim, but you do need to know about him. When we have the time I’d like to take you both to meet him,” I said. “You’re on Dad, when this town is finally up and running, I’ll hold you to your word,” said Timothy, continuing to wipe up the spilt tea. “Stella, I’d like you to come as well,” I said, raising my eyebrows at her.

“Why not, everyone should broaden their horizons when they can. Fair enough, we’ll both go with you in roughly one year’s time,” replied Stella, finally wearing a smile. “We’ll have a cuppa if there’s another one left in the pot, thanks Tim. Syman quite enjoys the flavor of tea, me, I still love my coffee,” I said. “Yeah sure Dad, there’s one left,” replied Timothy. “Jim, you were mentioned in a news flash just moments ago,” said Stella, glancing up to the TV, however, the sound was turned down, the headline banner was still rolling across the bottom of the screen, ‘Russian President, Vladimir Barkov will be spending more time with his family in the future. He wishes to thank his long-time friend and inventor Jim Wilson for his kind words of wisdom.’ “What’s all that about Dad?” asked Timothy, handing a cuppa to his father. “Sit down and I’ll tell you both, it’s a very bizarre story,” said Syman as they began at the beginning.

Later that evening, we wished Timothy well and had Marilyn take us both back to Pine Island. “Any problems with your symbiosis?” asked Stella, when we were finally alone together. “No, everything has settled down quite nicely thanks to Syman’s calming influence,” I said. “One hour flight time remaining,” stated the A.I. Marilyn. “Oh, by the way. It seems I’m about to beat the entire scientific community in the race towards Nanotechnology. Rogand has allowed us to copy the information necessary to manufacture Nanites directly from his mind to Syman’s collective consciousness. He’s also installed the unique technical equipment required to successfully produce the World’s first Nanobots into our basement workshop. Which we’ll apply to our cybernetic robot. Just another one of Syman’s hobbies we are interested in,” I said. “Hold on, backup a minute, you mean to tell me that this cyber thingy is possible?” asked Stella, feeling shocked at being caught unawares. “Yes, we gained this knowledge from the symbiot communion experience Syman and Phoenix had together on Beltour just recently,” I explained to my still unconvinced wife. “I ask this one thing from you Jim and Syman. When you’ve finished building it, will it be a danger to anyone?,” she asked, still wearing a disbelieving expression upon her face. “No it can never harm anyone, or even itself with the advanced behavioral subroutines within its personality matrix. Its self-aware of its origins. In reality it’s a sentient life form,” explained Syman verbally. “I hope your right Syman,” she replied, still unconvinced. “Try not to worry Stella, when we’re finished you’ll change your mind,” I said.

Yeah, have a little faith baby, added Syman, in an attempt to defuse the tension. “Sorry about that Stella, they’ve been watching far too much late night TV,” I said. At least Syman’s quip made Stella laugh. Upon landing on Pine Island, we were met by Elanora, our caretaker. “Did you have a pleasant trip Mr and Mrs Wilson?” asked Elanora. “Please dear, call us by our first names, Jim and Stella, you’d make me very happy if you did,” Stella insisted. “Very well, welcome back Jim and Stella, may I collect your bags and take them through,” said a humble Elanora. “Sorry Elanora, your my caretaker, not my maid, but thank you anyway, we’ll take it from here, the house looks fantastic as always, thanks,” I said in gratitude of her skills. “I’ll leave you to it then. The fridge is fully stocked and the bed is turned down. I’ll see you both tomorrow morning,” said Elanora leaving. “See you later then dear and thanks once again for your attention to detail,” said Stella. The night air was warm and calming on our faces as we sat outside gazing at the stars above. We were both enjoying a single malt whiskey Timothy had given us as a thank you for ing him at the ground-breaking ceremony. “We taught our Boy well Jim, he’s just like you in so many ways, one thing he does share with you is his excellent choice in whiskey,” said Stella, after taking a good portion from her glass. “Yes, Tim has blown away all of my expectations and his capabilities out of the water, I could never be more proud of him,” I said. What I wasn’t aware of, was the deep emotional bond I have with Tim, which slowly started to rise within me, the warmth coming from me was quite substantial, it felt to me like a really hot flush. “Is it me, or is it getting hotter out here?” inquired Stella, just as she turned to look in my direction. “Oh shit! Not again Jim, you’re glowing again and it seems

to me like your radiating more light than before,” said a startled Stella. “Syman wake up and help Jim,” she called in a pleading voice. They woke from a deep hibernation by the tone of fear in her voice, as always they came to their friend’s aid. Jim your heart rate is way too high, slow your breathing down, take long, slow, deep breaths of calming air, empty your mind of all thought and release your emotions, said the calming telepathic thoughts from Syman. “It’s not working,” said Stella, stepping further back from Jim’s radiating body. The intensity of light was increasing rapidly, she reached her hand out trying to help, but the heat coming from us was far too much for a bare hand to tolerate. She pulled her hand back before it was burnt. My clothes were starting to smolder. If anyone was within 500 meters they would have thought the Sun was rising early. “JIM PLEASE STOP, I LOVE YOU, PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME,” an extremely distressed Stella shouted at the top of her lungs. We apoligize for what we’re about to do Jim, pushed Syman’s thought forcibly through my mind. They literally grabbed my fading cognitive psyche and dragged it back into this reality. The overall effect worked, however, the damage to my mind was extensive. The light and heat started to dissipate quickly. When I finally came round, all I could feel was a massive headache, it was so strong and disorientating, I threw up my entire evening meal and drinks. This only stopped when I had completely emptied the contents of my stomach. The microscopic symbiots were working well above their usual level to repair the damage they had caused in forcing my soul back into my body. “Jim, can you hear me?” asked Stella, helping me back to my chair. “Yes, I can hear you, just give me a moment to get my bearings back kiddo,” I struggled to say. Without realizing, I thanked my dear friends vocally, “thank you so much Syman, I’m in your debt yet again,” I said. Jim, no thanks are necessary, you are we, we are forever together, a soothing reply from Syman gently ed to Jim’s shattered mind.

“Come on Jim, up you get, it’s a shower and then bed for you two. I’ll clean this mess up once your resting,” suggested a greatly relieved Stella. The shower was just what I needed, to feel the warm water run over my painful head was bliss. Syman was unavailable for the moment, busy repairing the neural damage we sustained in the rush to stop this yet unknown phenomenon. Stella gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead when she tucked us into bed. “Sleep my love, I’ll be here when you awake,” she said. Syman kept me asleep for 18 hours straight, in order to repair the neural network within my brain. When I woke from my unconscious stupor we were back to normal, or as normal as any blended individual can be. I want to thank you Syman for catching me before it was too late, my thought was welcomed graciously. It’s so good to feel you back to your usual self. Can you anything of last night when the transformation nearly reached its peak? asked Syman gently within my mind. “Now that you mention it, I was becoming aware of an empty void ahead with my conscious perspective awareness, whether it was a reality or dimensional, I can’t be certain. What I do know is you weren’t with me, that’s what scared me the most, it seems this trip has only a single ticket attached to it,” I finished explaining to Syman. Put it from your mind, we’ll take up the matter after breakfast, we’re both running on empty, stated Syman. Stella was overwhelmed with joy to see us. She quickly rustled up a plate of quiche and salad for us, she was amazed when we asked for seconds. “Bloody hell you two can eat when you’re hungry,” said an impressed Stella, watching the entire quiche disappear in just under ten minutes. “Well that was delicious, thanks kiddo, what’s for dessert?” we said, laughing and belching at the same time. It was good to see a smile back on Stella’s face again. “You two are incorrigible,” she said, still smiling.

“Let’s get back home. What do you say?” I said. “Sounds like a bloody good idea to me,” replied Stella.

“Hello Stella, Jim, welcome back, how is Timothy doing? I heard Sarah’s parents are letting her stay with him for a couple of weeks this month, she wants to be with him during the Fourth of July celebrations. My friends Mary and Brian were there last year and they said it was a blast. What’s even more exciting is, Timothy will be among the President’s guests at a special luncheon,” said Gwen, taking a good deep breath after speaking very fast. As she grabbed the bags from our hands to take them upstairs, I had to ask how she knew all the latest gossip. Turning around she simply said, “Timothy and I keep in regular on Facebook.” Syman, you and I are going to have to catch up on some social networking when we get back to the workshop tonight, I thought. “Stella, I’m going into the office to see how the production is coming along with REFIT and the FOX FLYER FOUNDRIES,” I said. “Will you be okay?” she asked caringly. “Yeah kiddo, the whole gang are remaining in a meditative state to make sure I don’t go anywhere other than here,” I said to ease her concerns. “Alright, I’ll see you at dinner tonight,” she said, coming close to kiss me gently on the lips. Syman and I used the stairs down to our basement workshop, grabbing the laptop as we ed the bench on our way to the flyer. “Marilyn, please take me to REFIT Mareeba,” I said, directing the A.I. “Voice identity and destination confirmed,” she said, signaling the roof mechanism to begin retracting as we started rising from the workshop floor. Once outside, I gazed back to see it closing automatically. We made the trip in minutes. After greeting my office staff, I asked Marie if she would organize and call all the Head Managers for an urgent meeting in two hours and to have the latest figures regarding production and next month’s forecasts as well. I apologized for the lack of due notice, but said, I knew that my team could handle this without batting an eyelid.

“No worries Boss, piece of cake,” I also heard a saying I’ve not heard in some time, “easy peasy, lemon squeezy” making my way to the office. Excuse us Jim, it’s been quite a while since you’ve spoken to the troops, may we suggest you use this time to boost morale, suggested Syman inside my head. Your absolutely right pal, lead the way, I projected to Syman. Relaxing so they could take control, they walked me down the office corridor to the back stairway, taking a high visibility vest from the hook, Syman put it on and headed for the stairs. At the bottom I was given back my motor skills and proceeded to catch up with the team. As I’ve said before, having a photographic memory and excellent identity recall has its benefits in never forgetting a face or a name. It felt good to catch up with my employees. Every one of them was pleased to see me again, all our employees are treated and paid exceptionally well and as an extra reward my companies help out with zero interest loans as well, if needed. As it was morning teatime, I headed to the cafeteria for a cappuccino and a scone with jam-n-cream. Syman and I sat with Luther, an aboriginal elder who has played a pivotal role with our indigenous workers, when treated equally and given a fair go, they are now very loyal and trustworthy of my workforce. I asked Luther how his children were doing. “Very well thanks Jim, with the many REFIT scholarships you offer, my oldest boy Elvis has been accepted into Brisbane University to study for an Engineer’s Degree, he then wants to get work in America at REMOVE. You your Timothy and he were together in the same classes at school,” said Luther. “As a matter of fact I do , he used to play video games at Wayne’s place with Timothy didn’t he?” we asked, taking another sip from our cappuccino. “Yeah that’s right,” he replied with a laugh. “It’s been good to catch up with you Luther,” we said, shaking hands and waving cheerio to all the others. We headed back upstairs to the boardroom for our meeting. The numbers from

our global business family were far better than we expected, REFIT, REGENERATE and the new FOX FLYER FOUNDRIES were on average 26 per cent above our previous projections. According to Forbes, we’re now the wealthiest family in history, they stated that it’s extremely unlikely that any one individual or any one company will ever sur the Wilson family achievements for the benefit of mankind. Wait until we release the Nano Technology. Rogand has just lodged the global patent on the assembly techniques. You know what our next pet project will be? reflected Syman. Yes, I do, the very first Android, but it’ll have to wait at least one more day, because we decided to do some social networking tonight, , I replied in thought. That’s odd, it’s not like us to forget, maybe there was deeper neural tissue damage than we first thought. Let’s get home where we can better survey the situation please Jim, begged Syman. Good idea, I thought in reply.

Gwen had sured herself yet again with a delicious three-course dinner. Being raised in a middle class family has kept me grounded, so when it comes to the household chores, I never sidestep my responsibilities by asking others to do my work. When we’d finished the meal, both Stella and I cleaned up, washed and put away the dishes, pots and pans, so Gwen could leave early. When we’d finished, I got that look from my wife I know only too well. “Now there’s just the two of us,” she whispered in my ear and held my hand to lead me upstairs. Syman, I need you to make yourselves scarce please, I asked quietly, within my mind. We’ll sleep and make not a peep, until you need us to resurface, with another purpose, sang Syman within my mind, like they used to when we were first blended. Stella was halfway between undressing when she stopped to look up at me, busily removing my garments as fast as I could. “Jim, will you be okay, when we…, you know,” she said. “Yes, I imagine I will be, if I take my time and pace myself, you can help too, by taking it slow and steady,” I replied. Now naked as the day I was born, Stella and I embraced. If only I’d shown some type of self-control during our ion, without the aid of Syman to keep my emotions grounded, the one thing we didn’t want to happen, did! While in the heat of the moment I opened my eyes expecting to see the look of pleasure on my wife’s face, however, this wasn’t the case. Stella had the expression of total shock illuminated on her’s by me rapidly transforming again. Stella jumped off me quickly as the process accelerated out of control. I leapt out of bed and ran downstairs, out through the back door and onto the large grassed area visible from the kitchen window. “SYMAN HELP,” I shouted aloud. However, it was to no avail. This time my transformation was reaching totality. I

felt my soul ripped from my body and thrown out at a tremendous velocity. Stella saw the bright light come through the bedroom windows, I had fallen onto the grass outside while she was still struggling to put on her nightgown, the blinding light dissipated as if a switch had just been flipped off. Quickly making her way outside, she found my body lying face down on the scorched grass. “JIM, JIM, are you alright,” she called. She rolled me onto my back. “Stella, what just happened, wow, my head hurts like hell,” she heard me saying. “Oh thank God you’re alright, you had me worried for a moment there Jim,” she said. “Sorry Stella, it’s this damn headache we’ve woken up to, give us a moment to…, HE’S GONE, HE’S GONE,” shouted Syman, aloud, without the need to ask for motor control of Jim’s body beforehand. “What do you mean, he’s gone,” echoed Stella, not exactly sure what Syman had meant by ‘he’s gone’ as far as she was concerned, he was lying on the grass right in front of her. “We mean his spirit, his being, his soul, Jim himself,” they said aloud, with a slight trembling in their voice. They mean we have lost him. I can no longer sense him anywhere on your planet. I believe he has evolved to another level of consciousness. I must start working on the improved ‘work-around’ for the Natcien Transfer Device. I will then be able to go into other realms, rather than just activating the transfer platform. When you are able to transport Syman, I want you to travel with me to Prempol and start work immediately. Stella, please excuse Jim from all his future business appointments, say he has had a relapse of severe Fibromyalgia symptoms. We must not let this ruin all that we have achieved. I am aware this will be hardest on you, Stella. All I can ask of you is, you must find a way to keep up the charade, projected Rogand’s thoughts within Stella’s and Syman’s mind. Stella helped Syman up off the grass and walked them inside to clean up. Stella and Syman were covered in black soot from head to toe.

Once Syman had freshened up and dressed, he made telephathic communication with Rogand above. The green targeting ring appeared on the bedroom floor and Syman stepped quickly into the center. Fixing their eyes on Stella’s, they gave her a look of absolute uncertainty as she watched him disappear. This more than anything upset her greatly, because, if Syman wasn’t sure about anything, then what hope could she hold of ever seeing her husband again.

THE END