Little Cherine Book 09 - BPost005
A team arrived with equipment for our scientists to study the disturbance created by our discussions with Arthur. They brought with them those who are specialised in analysing the results and evolving theories.We’ve just had a reversal of roles, Msito has to help our little Angel and Sammy!
Before I continue, I need to know how your health is Arthur.
That sounds ominous! I guess you have bad news for me? I am well and without any heart problems.
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 08, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:
5641
According to the Muyzith, we’ll never find you. Samantha asked for their specialists to meet ours - which included Sam and Angel. The discussions lasted for hours, but I will abbreviate and simplify what was said for you.
“You are hoping to trace the cause of the disturbance? Will you be examining both ends?”
“It does make sense, if we can identify Arthur’s side. Is it likely it would be easier to trace what is happening within one of our realities as they communicate?”
“We have not found any leads in either. The only advantage you have that was not available to us, is the availability of magic.”
Sam smiled, “If magic can help, then we are lucky, we have a number of alternates of the most powerful of the magi. Add to that that they are Cherinians and with the rapport our Angelica has with two of them and her own peculiar talents, if anything can be sensed they will.”
Aïmous emoted his worry as he prepared his thoughts and our people became worried when they sensed the other Muyzith tense up.
“It is not for us to discourage you from trying everything you can, but we feel we must advise you of our own conclusions. I’ll need to return to the days we first theorised about alternate realities.” He must have sensed our team relax slightly, so he continued. “We were able to accept that space is infinite for there is no other logical answer, but the idea that the number of alternate realities are also infinite did not make sense. It is not a neat extrapolation, not even mathematically.
The theories that grew from there on may be only reflections of how we want to perceive our Universe, for there is a certain beauty to them that appeals to our senses. You should judge for yourselves and perhaps you may draw your own conclusions.” He pushed a thick sheaf of documents across. “These are the mathematical models we used. We have included an introduction to the new mathematics we had to evolve. We hope you will be able to discover other propitious truths valid for yourselves.”
The scientists immediately started looking through them. Sam dismissed them without a glance. “They must be complicated and need years of study, we do not have the time. Please set out in simple terms what your conclusions were and how or why you think they will affect our ability to find Arthur.”
“For you to understand, it may be necessary we outline the steps we took for our theories to evolve. One of the most brilliant minds our people have ever had, lived about four hundred and sixty years ago. He concentrated his entire life on trying to understand alternate realities and how an infinite number of them could fit within an infinite space. He concluded that they could not. He proved that even two realities could not coexist, for they would each need an infinite space to exist in.
He did not stop his research after reaching his conclusion, for he was convinced that an infinite number of realities have to exist and his theories led to us discovering the means to cross over into other realities. Despite that, he was adamant that only one reality could exist.”
To me, either the one was true, or the other. I sensed that Sam and the scientists were trying hard to guess how their ancient scientist had resolved the paradox, so I waited.
“As I mentioned, he is still considered our foremost genius and after many years he arrived at the model we have accepted as true. There is only one real reality, all the others are ghost realities, existing without substance and requiring no space.” He grimaced. “You are telling yourselves that neither of us are ghosts so our theory must therefore be wrong. We too have travelled to a large number of realities and we have not tried to fly through their suns and have landed on planets and met other races. And yet, we agree with his theory, all realities but one are ghosts, whether of the first and real reality or of branches that split from ghostly realities that were split from other ghostly realities. Now we come to the point were it begins to make sense.
5642
The reality that is experienced is the real reality. When we use the word ‘experienced’ we do not mean to imply that it is experienced only by minds, if a reality is experienced by even an atom, despite that atom being a ghost, its reality is real and has substance, occupying infinite space.” He pointed at the documents. “Have your best minds and computers analyse them and you will understand that the conclusions we came to were ineluctable. For your friends, in all the realities you know, at this very moment their realities are each the real one, even as ours is, yet, in truth, only one reality is the real one. Your Arthur has called your reality the Prime Reality and perhaps it is. That does not mean that it is any more real than ours is. While you are here, or in some other reality, to you, your home reality is nothing more than a ghost, as it is to us.”
To be honest, it all sounded like nonsense to me, but I could sense that to Sam it made a weird kind of sense. She tried to picture within her mind what they had described and then, unable to discount it because of the Sparkler World, she shelved it away so as to return to her reason for taking part in this discussion. Politely she waited her turn and then asked, “What about the reality of Arthur - is it also a ghost reality?”
“To us, to you, even in your reality? No. His reality may, or should I say, must be a ghost reality to his own infinite numbers of reality, but the relationship of his reality or realities to ours is different. To all of us, his reality is a ‘dream’ reality, just as ours are to him. A dream reality dreamt of by half of an infinity of ghost realities.”
“Half?”
“Of course, if there are realities where his reality is a dream reality, certainly there must be realities where it is not and does not exist even in that nebulous relationship?”
“But then the number must be much less than half! What of other alternate realities; realities where his reality is a ghost to them and us; realities that lie between his and ours, partly of his and partly of ours - and so on. We have to include anything that can be imagined!”
All us secret or not so secret admirers of Samantha, whether ghosts or dreams, struggled to block our amusement as she led the Muyzith scientists off on a crazy exploration of her logical processes. She allowed herself her enjoyment for a short while, despite her anxiety, and then returned to the subject she was interested in.
“To summarise what you said. It is impossible for our minds to grasp an infinite universe and we keep on trying to imagine - and, to even prove - there must be an end to it. Yet, equally impossible is the possibility of space being finite since we are then forced to ask, what comes after the border of finite space. In the same way we have to accept for now that your theory of ghost realities that are not ghosts is true. This is all so convoluted that we could end up debating our theories and new possibilities for another million years. If I may, I think I have an example of what I am trying to paint in my mind.
I presume you have the same theories about spacetime…did you get ours from our computers? It means you know about particles appearing and disappearing, yet particles cannot breach the speed of light? Teleportation with Freddie is not useful for proving my thoughts, neither is the Sparkler World, despite its size being more suitable, for while we are there, our conscious - and maybe some of our subconscious wishes or assumptions, are accepted as real, thus making them real.
Your planet is too close, so let us pretend it is five times the distance it is from Freddie. We teach you how to teleport and you jump home and instantly return, all within a thousandth of a second. Looking at it in one way, you could say that you arrived there faster than light, but another way of looking at what happened is that you did not arrive there, that you just are there at the place and time you wished to be there and then are back here in the same manner.
5643
So, let us presume that it is reasonable to assume the moment of teleportation works because we are able to move faster than light - so, since other particles cannot breach the speed of light, to them and all the realities, we do not exist, so they cannot collide with us…maybe they pass through us or we pass through them, but it is less likely than our not existing for that moment of no time. According to what our scientists have called the Higgs Field Theory, it may be that while teleporting we do not have mass, so we cannot be affected by anything…neither any form of matter or energy. I do not understand much of the ideas I spouted and I may be wrong - I only used the ideas for illustrating the fact that even though I do not know or understand the how, I can teleport. I do not know which of the impossible scenarios is closer to the truth, but they both leave me with one question that I do not expect to soon find an answer for - are we then, at that instant of non-spacetime, lacking in all matter, mass and energy? How then does our intention or wish to arrive at a specific place and time work…how does the wish get carried along as an influence? Teleporting between realities takes time, so how can we not exist during that time?
What I am suggesting is that we do not limit ourselves only to what we can imagine or understand. It could be that all that is missing is certain new knowledge we’ll earn sometime in the future.
May we return to the basics and search for practical solutions? How do we go about finding Arthur, whether he is a dream or not.”
Pedantically Aïmous answered, “Not him Samantha, his reality in relationship to ours.”
“If so, how does his communicating with us have an affect on the reality we are in. How and why?”
“We have only pinpointed one effect. However, we do theorise that his reality is also being affected by his communicating with you - or rather, by your communicating with him. Unfortunately the communications are far too brief for us to have had time to search any deeper. If it could last for a few months non-stop we might be more successful and be able to formulate theories as to the why and how.”
I was aghast, Arthur cannot be expected to last over months of continuous chats. “That is impossible.”
“Then all we can suggest is that we move your scientists with the equipment we brought you to another reality so that they can form their own opinion. If you could note exactly the amount of time you communicated it would provide you with proof that our equipment does work when your own scientists confirm the duration when they return.”
For the first time ever I sat watching them as they carried out their experiment without needing my help. Freddie created a small platform, with the scientists and their equipment inside, the Sparklers and Wirms surrounded it and poof, they disappeared. Things carry on like this I will soon be able to retire.
Hi. We need to chat so that they can watch how you affect this reality.
[Chat deleted. Duration: 3 hours, 42m, 28secs]
The scientists have returned and it was a success! They could see on their screens the signs of our chatting but do not know how to interpret them yet, so they cannot confirm this reality became more ‘real’ or ‘excited’ - whatever they mean.
Thanks, got to go.
Sorry I was so abrupt. I became excited and just had to rush to tell them what you said. They are already trying to think up ways to make the Arthurmorgraph more sensitive. You do realise that if they manage to monitor our ‘line’ you can never pretend you are not there?
5644
Hogwash! Nice try though.
R: You’ve done it again! Thanks, I needed a good laugh. After her answer above she came to us for a serious discussion, wanting our opinion on whether it was possible. I’ve also been thinking. If you don’t have any gifts, we’ll keep you here with us. You make us laugh more often than anybody else.
Keeping a dignified silence eh? Lord! Bye.
Poor Arthur, is everyone making fun of you? Don’t worry, I’ll carry on with our news as if nothing happened.
Our suggestion that they hand the kids back to their parents did not work out - almost none of them wanted their kids! (Sorry, that was why Robbie needed a laugh so badly). It has been decided they will change their education system so as to incorporate family orientated values. Hopefully the next generation will want their kids. The Wirms do not mind rotating a group so as to keep the children happy, but it is not a good long-term solution.
Sheena must be striving to make up for lost time. She seems to want to love everyone, whatever species they are and she doesn’t stop talking. Dommi is feeling a little bit frazzled. If she tries to discipline her, Sheena becomes terrified and starts yearning again. Cher suggested she hand her over to Robbie.
As dad said, Angel and I got a bit depressed. It was worth it. Msito felt responsible for Angel and she did her best to help her. We can feel the experience helped Msito also.
Because of our common interest, Angel and I should have become a temporary family within the family, but we did not. Unlike me she does not need to sink into her thoughts, she prefers to become active and is now searching for a way to sense the disturbance through magic, because she believes it will be far more effective. She disappears for hours on her own, her Wirm friend wishing her to an Earth without sapients, where she practices all her latest teachings. Christós does not look too happy about it, but he has not said anything so he might have realised she needs to overdo it for a while.
Robbie decided it is time we visit our alternate Earth of this reality so that Cher can look for her Robert. As the trip started, Christós asked to speak to him privately. By now their conversation has been made public (within the family) so I’m allowed to write about it.
“What I’m about to discuss with you I will discuss with Angelica, as the decision has to be hers. The reason I am speaking to you is to give you the opportunity to guide her should you feel it is necessary. She has arrived at a time where her future forks. On the one she takes the path of magic and on the other she tries to fulfil her prophecy.”
5645
“They are not the same?”
“Not as she perceives it. Her interests and talents lie in magic, she can become a powerful magician and combining that with her Cherinian gifts will make her a formidable opponent some day for even the most advanced of us.”
“Not opponent, I’d rather you say champion for all we believe in. What does she need to do to fulfil the prophecy?”
“Even she does not know that yet, but she, at present, sees the energies you bathed her in as being a tool.”
“Yes, you mentioned it would block her abilities. Why has it become of concern?”
Robbie’s face paled as Christós replied, “I have a feeling she intends trying to use the energy soon.”
Christós let him walk off alone and watched as Vincent appeared by his side and they talked. It was obvious they did not agree and Robbie was stiff in movement as he returned to Christós.
“If you wish to talk to her about it as her teacher, it is your choice. I will not interfere.”
“Not even a word of advice? You are her father!”
“Christós, she is my precious little angel, but I refuse to interfere. I have to respect her right to choose.”
“You are taking this to extremes Robert! She is your child and you are supposed to advise her, it is your duty.”
“If she needs my advice she’ll ask.” His eyes met those of Christós and his fingers lightly touched his arm. “Thank you my friend.”
Their conversation was not held in privacy because of Angel - it was for my sake. They both knew it would upset me. They were right. That is why I am sitting here writing. I must calm down before I return.
I consider myself a sane and logical person - most of the time. Once I forced myself to take a few deep breaths and think calmly, I was amazed to see how unreasonable my own fears have made me. I think I now suspect what our Angel wants to do and it is a reasonable plan. I am also pissed off with Arthur - he owed a gesture at least, to show that he cares for our little Angel.
Okay damn you, I’ve waited long enough - I’ll handle this on my own.
I was still keeping my mind blank as I arrived by her. I smiled at Angel and taking her hand, I led her to Robbie.
“Dad, I owe both of you an apology. My own fears made me react with panic when Angelica said she was interested in the energies she discovered in your secret mental room. Dad, because of me you also became afraid, but I was wrong. As long as she only wants to use the energies, I do not think they are a danger. After all, we use them every day - if not the exact same energies then similar ones without being damaged in any way.”
“I think you have lost us Sam.”
“Where did she find the energies? Were they not within your mind and weren’t they meant to heal you? I think our healers tap into those or similar energies. I also should have remembered that as our protector you would never have allowed anything dangerous.”
5646
“I don’t have the same blind faith my love, I’ve screwed up too many times. However, in this case I think you are right.”
I turned to Angel. “It does not mean it is safe for you to go there. Just because your body benefits from sunlight it does not mean visiting the sun is a good idea.” I lightly caressed her cheek. “May we talk privately?”
We walked on the beach until we arrived at the rocks and sat down.
“Our rules are that none of us are allowed to prevent another from sacrificing themselves for another, but we apparently break that rule all the time. The worst of us are dad and Cherine. It is not because they don’t respect each other or us, but they do so out of love. Angel, we must use the rule and keep it, but we must also remember that we are not only meant to use it as a law, we must look deeper and with self-honesty try to observe the spirit rather than just the letter of the law. That is what I intend doing now.
You are aware of the conversation between our father and your teacher. Wasn’t dad brave?” She smiled, but her eyes were wary. “Unfortunately I’m a coward, so I am going to speak on your behalf. I will argue on behalf of all that I love of you and you may argue however you wish.”
“You do not want me to find Arthur?”
“If that is the correct interpretation of your prophesy, you will do so. Angel, are you Rosie or Samantha? Weren’t you born as our Angel, a person with certain gifts and talents? What makes you think you are meant to sacrifice all you can be for you to succeed? Isn’t it more likely that you are meant to excel, become the best you can be and hope that person is the one who will succeed because the prophecy saw a use for your gifts? Let me give you an example.
What if you view this as teamwork? Arthur, you, one of our loves and me? First you learn all your teachers can teach you about magic and then you teach one of the girls how to use the energy, then Arthur and I chat while the two of you, in an adjoining reality use your magic and the energy to focus on the disturbance. Wouldn’t your magic be far stronger that way? We mustn’t forget our friends, the scientists and the Muyzith who provided the equipment, they are also part of our team. Perhaps the Sparklers and Kinytians can also use their affinity and knowledge of energies to help? Working together, I think we have a better chance of grabbing our stupid friend who can’t assume himself to us.
Angelica, you have seen that Cherine refuses to push our father into learning magic and he himself does not wish to. Even Arthur said he should not. I do not understand their reasons, but I think the rest of us have to accept their decision and do all we can to be strong to protect the family. You will be at your strongest if you have tried to reach your potential - and in this case, mastering magic, learning and loving it is your true strength.”
I grinned. “Dad, is getting ready to tell me off for using emotional blackmail.” She nodded and gave a tentative smile. “Unfortunately for him he cannot since we asked for privacy and also because my main argument, my main need is to see and feel you when you become all you are meant to be and join our Cherine as The Light.”
That proved to be the straw that broke our beloved camel’s back and Robbie jumped to us. Cher was not far behind him and then the rest of the family.
“What are you saying Sam!”
“Me? Nothing. We were just having a private chat.” Angel giggled, but it was more out of nervousness. For her sake, I explained. “Dad, didn’t Cherine tell us we all have to follow her, grow with her? Will we then not be part of her, be part of her light?”
“Shit! You nearly gave me a heart attack, I thought you meant…”
5647
So, there you are, I handled it and Angel has asked which of the girls wants to help her. Sol and Laura volunteered. It is too late for you to be the ‘good guy’ now.
Christós shared from Angel. “Angelica, Samantha is Samantha and we have to be careful in our praise. You however are a different case. I am pleased and proud of you. One of the reasons mankind finds it so difficult to advance is because they do not listen when good advice is given. You have shown that you are brave enough to change your dreams because you listened. Give yourself another five or six years and when you are ready, both Jesus and I will stand by you when you make your attempt.”
She was overcome, but still fearful. “Six years! He is old Christós, what if he dies? The line will be broken.”
“Six years for us can be weeks for him, it is better we wait. You have learnt of my alternate of your world? I wonder, if He sits by the side of His Father and gazes upon the angels, does He see even one as sweet and lovely as you?”
It has been seven months since we left the Iktrians and close to eighteen since we departed from the Eqkee. Robbie surprised us by stopping there.
He was grinning as he stood up to speak. “I will be accused of thinking like a politician and for this once, I do not mind. Please make way for Cherine and her glorious astronauts.” He waited for them to stand by him. “Tell me Cherine, am I only anticipating your wishes in what I plan? I think we should record a message of goodwill from the government, to your home world.”
The Eqkee on board had followed the same procedures as the original family and it was with joy that they jumped back to their city with us. The Unation provided us with cameras and once they had prepared themselves, we had a long ceremony where not only the Eqkee spoke. Cherine and her fourteen thanked the Eqkee people in general and their government and then singled out their friends, Griqkdik and his daughter. She knew her people would become emotional over Griqkdik naming his daughter after Cherine and made a point of declaring the two of them sisters on camera. Copies of the ceremony were handed over to the Eqkee and then began the problem solving.
As Robbie had feared, the plants have not survived, most of them are dying or dead. A boring but easy solution was found. We took thousands of food machines and created concentrated blocks that could be put back in food machines for serving our guests with fresh meals. The concentrates were insulated and placed deep within the ice caverns. Robbie offered to carry another three hundred families and there was no shortage of volunteers. There are multitudes of Cherinians throughout their main cities and the numbers are growing daily. A development, partly thanks to their taking to the skies, is a planet wide television network. The Unation created satellites for their telecommunications and after placing them in orbit, handed to each city equipment for connecting to the satellites.
We are on our way to Earth (Terra). Funny how that idea never really took off, we still mostly think of our planet as Earth. Could it be that we were trying to be politically correct, which is why the idea has not been successful?
I was not certain whether I should write of it, but Bodiless Cherine gave me permission, as long as I do not name names. Since all of them come with us to the void whenever we go, Cherine took a lover, one of the astronauts. She made it clear that she is not in love and will break off their relationship as soon as she finds a Robert for herself. Unfortunately, he is in love with her. The others found themselves partners from amongst our ex-Normals and the women have told us they will be staying with their men.
Robbie decided to be nice and did not jump into orbit. We arrived just outside the solar system and broadcast a message, with their astronauts adding that we rescued them and are bringing them home. It is nice to arrive at an Earth and feel welcomed.
5648
Cherine asked that we do not interfere with her home planet. She would not even accept our help in repairing damage to their ecology. She suggested we teach them how to build the converters, but she wants her people to clear their own messes so that they mature. I suspect she will prove to be the sternest of all Cherines.
Instantly on arrival, hundreds of millions of Sparklers danced their energy paths to Earth and began a search for the local Robert in Greece, England and Kenya. He was found in London. He is an architect, but is also making a name for himself in fine art. From reviews we read, it is said that his portraits show sensitivity and an ability to portray the inner strengths of his subjects. He is in his forties!
That was the good news. The bad was, he is married and has a four year old son.
As soon as we heard, Robbie abandoned his plans of temporarily being a politician and going to the void, as the void, visited the family. He stayed a spectator only until the child was put to bed. He took on the form of a cartoon character called Miko that the boy loves to watch on television.
“Hello Nicholas, if you are very quiet I’ll play with you for a while. Do you want me to stay?” As he was talking he tripped over his own feet (as the character does in the cartoons) and Nicholas forgot to be afraid and laughed. Robbie only stayed half an hour, but promised to come back to play with him. If we have to leave now for any reason, that is one messed up little boy we’ll be leaving behind. 
“We have been officially welcomed, but they also asked whether they can send us a team of doctors in sealed suits to examine their people before they return to Earth. They are afraid we may be bringing alien germs with us. I told them that they will be welcomed. Robert, how will they enter Freddie, do you want to allow their spacecraft in or do you prefer to collect the men and their equipment?”
“Ask them to send us docking schematics so that we can provide an entrance for them.”
Hettie asked, “Why not open Freddie at the top, as you do for everyone else?”
He smiled. “Let’s play this one by the book.” Hettie was left bemused, wondering what book he was referring to - and none of us are about to enlighten her, for she is not ‘into’ science fiction and would consider his reason to be frivolous.
They are under great pressure to send their team as soon as possible, as the crowds are demanding to be allowed to see their first aliens. We did receive a lot of questions, many to do with the last team of astronauts to leave Earth, as they had only departed two weeks ago and should have only now been leaving their solar system. Robbie asked that we do not answer those questions.
That night we could feel it was Cherine he needed to love and for the first time in years, that I can recall, she was lacking in confidence, needing love more than passion, going to him as a six year old. We think Robbie enjoys that (with all of us) more than the sex, he is in heaven when we need to feel his love, he gives every mote he has, and yet his heart still overflows, overwhelming us. We all knew why our Cher was like that, but we also know it is not time for her. She must grow slowly so that she is capable of loving him with all her heart.
We had breakfast at home so as to discuss privately how we should help the local Cherine. Robbie was feeling moody.
“I think we must search for another Robert. Since he married and had a child so late in life, he will not be willing to risk losing his son.”
Cher admitted, “I felt him, he adores Nicholas. Robert, he is a good Robert, it would be sad for him not to become like you.”
5649
“Did anybody feel his wife?” Athia asked. We looked at each other sheepishly - we’d all concentrated on Robert and his son. He is so different to all the Roberts we’ve met, perhaps what we enjoyed the most is that he is at peace with himself. As far as style of life, even though he is financially comfortable, he seems to enjoy the same things that all the Cherine’s dads do, a few drinks in the pub with friends, the telly if his soccer team are playing. He resembles our Robbie in that he sleeps only a few hours and does most of his painting at night.
All the above was gathered from watching him and his emoting, not his thoughts, so we are curious what in his life was so different for him to have become the person he is. Dommi is worried that because he is such a gentle soul, his Cherine will not be drawn to him. Perhaps this Cherine needs a different Robert?
When we received the schematics, Robbie and Freddie placed a passage from the outer shell through to the inner shell, with airtight doors at either end. All the right clamps are in position and a spaceship has left the station orbiting Earth to bring us the doctors (and spies no doubt).
We were amused when Robbie put on a suit and tie to welcome our guests, but we quickly dressed up nicely also. We mostly chose to go as young adults. We bet with Robbie (in fun of course) that they’ll have a hard time concentrating on their work!
Robbie provided them with a sealed room that he assured them has been sanitised, but they checked it anyway. They made their tests, waited for their culture disks to show some kind of anomaly and then sat staring at the results as they argued. Since they had taken samples from all fifteen of their people, they could not claim they had made an error and had to accept that none of them has anything harmful, not even signs of normal (for their planet) bacteriophage, only those our bodies need to operate efficiently. They sent the results back home and only when they were authorised did they step out of their sealed suits.
There was no need to play at politics with them, so we enjoyed ourselves feeding them and then making available whatever drinks they wanted. They were very confused by us and we had our fun for a while by letting them stay confused.
Robbie then explained about our energy sheathing and he told all our alien friends that they are free to visit at the taverna. The poor guys went into shock, even forgetting to eye us girls for a long time.
In the meantime, the governments had been negotiating and making local arrangements for our meeting. As a compromise, they agreed to meet us in Switzerland. Hettie replied that we would prefer to meet in Athens. They agreed, but asked us to wait another three days.
As we have come to expect from every Earth close enough to us in culture and technology, we received numerous secret messages from governments (and the leaders of the Cabal, including the pope), inviting us to visit and sign treaties. We replied to all (the governments only) that we appreciate the gesture, but think it more sensible that we sign any treaties agreed with their U.N. (again, because of the Cabal, which exists here also, we are forced to demand that they empower the United Nations specifically).
The doctors had to return to their station (where, we were told, they will be quarantined until they too are tested). Robbie thought it would be fun to heal them so that they return in prime health. The day after they left, the news reached the media and we had a lot of laughs at the various headlines and debates. They decided that we have come to their world to cure all of mankind! Now Robbie does not think he is that funny any more. As for the reports about the aliens in Freddie - they made us sound like all the worst SF films, ranging from aliens being like gods to baby-eating monsters. Of course it was the main media corporations who hyped the news, turning everything they said about us into a lie. We are lucky that some of the more serious internet stations (the alternative media) reported everything as is, with only warnings that everyone remain sceptical of our intentions until we have proven ourselves. I will not bother to describe what the extremist religious sites said about us - though they were ridiculous, they were not funny.
Robbie suggested Cher meet Robert when he takes his son to play in the park. With a grin she made herself a seven year old, Freddie zoomed in on the park for us to see them on the screens and Cherine jumped. She walked over from the bush she’d arrived at and stood in front of him without speaking. He finally noticed that all her attention is on him.
5650
He asked, his voice kind and gentle, “Can I help you? Are you lost?”
Cherine's impish sense of humour surfaced, “No, but you have.”
“I have…what?”
“Lost.” She gave him that cheeky grin of hers. “Never mind Robert, I’ll explain another time.”
“How do you know my name? Oh lord! Don’t tell me, I’ve met you with your parents and you feel insulted that I don’t recall you.”
“If you’d met me, you would have remembered.”
He laughed and half spoke to himself, “Only a child could have such self-confidence.” Then, “What is your name and how can I help you?”
“If I tell you my name, will you promise not to get afraid and run away?”
He tilted his head. “Is it that ugly?”
She burst out laughing. “You are just as bad as my Robert.” She suddenly changed tack. “Why did you name your son Nicholas? Did you have a reason?”
He looked at his son and reassured that he is safe, asked, “How do you know so much about us? Is someone playing a trick on me?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you later. So?”
“Perhaps I should give you the same answer, that I’ll tell you later.” He grinned, but then looked serious. “I named him after my best friend who died a year before my son was born.”
Cherine froze. “What about his sister Dominique, is she still alive?”
Her question rattled him. “How…damn, don’t keep saying you’ll tell me later, how do you know?”
“My name is Cherine. I am the alternate of the Cherine from your world. You promised you would not get afraid!”
He grabbed his son to him and swallowed almost audibly before answering, “I never promised. Did you get permission to come? Jesus! Why me?”
“Are you asking Jesus? Shall I ask him to come?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Please don’t be afraid Robert, something nice is happening to you, I promise.” She touched his knee and jumped.
Robbie had not expected Cherine to do it, but he quickly threw away all his plans and Freddie jumped to another reality. We’ll have to mend our fences when we return, as we cannot keep Robert for long enough if we stay.
I think that if he had arrived without his son he would not have been afraid. He was in shock and looked around wildly, almost squeezing his son to death. isi-mi-Metti quickly backed off, scuttling backwards, while Sheena immediately emoted her yearning and started babbling, telling him she is a friend and wants to play with his son and so on. Dommi picked her up and shushed her, but we noticed his eyes stayed glued to Sheena for a while.
“There is no need to fear us Robert, I did promise.”
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)22nd February, 2020
- posted: 22nd February, 2020
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