Little Cherine Book 03 - BPost069
Samantha stared directly at the men and her voice was strong and clear - as she greeted them in their language, “This indeed is an honour and I thank you for making an exception for my sake. Feizal and all of you have caught me by surprise, for even men of my country would not listen to a female child. It reminds me of a story about a father walking in the mountains of Greece with his son and little daughter. As they are clambering over rocks, the father puts out his hand to hold to a rock as he climbs and his little daughter calls out to him, ‘Father, stop, there is a snake on the rock.’ The father ignores her and grabs at the rock and the startled snake bites him. The father, in agony, as the venom spreads like fire inside him, turns to his son and shouts at him, ‘Why didn’t you warn me about the snake? You have caused my death!’ The poor son, distraught with grief, cries out, ‘But I did not see the snake father, my sister did and she warned you.’”
2081
Sam paused a second and then a huge smile lit her face, as she continued in Arabic, “Okay, I just made up the story, it is not true.” A few chuckles were heard and I realised that by speaking in their language she had opened their hearts so that they are willing to listen to her.
“You have been told the story of how Robert met Cherine and of her gift of empathy, which thanks to their love for each other, opened their minds as their hearts fought to make them one. I think that if I was a man, especially if I was a warrior fighting, killing and dying for what I believe in, I would have little interest in being told such stories and would tell myself, I must be polite and listen, but this kind of story should have been kept for the women and children, not for a man like me, who has serious problems to occupy his thoughts.
I apologise for speaking of it again, for the story is important. What happened to the two of them has already changed our lives - and I am including yours. Were you not also at war with the Mansfield organisation and has that war not ended because of those two lovers?”
I listened to her, forgetting all else as she spun her web of down to earth logic and those emotions which stir men so that they willingly risk their lives for an idea. Each time she would stir our emotions, she would draw back, returning to facts - facts that are important because of the dreams they give rise to, and so she would return to emotion-stirring words for a while.
Doing this in Arabic, not only speaking the language fluently, but also using their idioms and betraying an understanding of their culture and how religion affects them…I apologise to Feizal, for my suspicions were base and not worthy of me; he has shown himself to be wiser than me - or was it his father?
It was like a verbal ballet, with Sam moving forward for a few minutes, retreating so as to consolidate her position and then she would carry them just that little bit further along the path she wished them to walk. Yet, and this is the strange thing, she did not waffle about and take hours to get to the point. She explained in more depth all she had told Feizal and his father and she also shocked them once she explained about the brother of Cherine being of their faith. Having first helped them understand just how important Cherine is, it impressed the hell out of them - if I am to judge according to their emoting.
Sam called for him to come stand by her side and Khalid, with his Iraqi accent, gave the name of his teacher in Athens and provided them with the address of the mosque he goes for praying. He is a solemn boy and growing up within a family, where he is shown love every day, he has a gentle kindness to him, without him giving the impression he is soft. We all saw how the men reacted with liking for him. Sam asked him to return to his family and he proudly sat next to Alki.
We all realised she had reached an important stage of the journey she was taking us on, when she paused and turned to look around. She bit her lip as she thought her thoughts and not a sound was heard as everyone waited for her.
“Maybe I am now going to sound like a silly little girl, but I want to apologise in advance, for I know that there will be some who will change their minds one day and want to be linked as Cherinians. I must ask a favour of all of you, including Feizal and John. Please do not ask to become Cherinians and if Robert asks, refuse him, for none of you should be linked. I know I will sound selfish to you, but the truth is, you can be more effective friends of the Cherinians and protectors of all of mankind by remaining unlinked and thus, considered by all as Normals, just like the rest of mankind.
No Cherinian would ever ask that you sacrifice your lives for them, but if you make sacrifices for those who have no powers, we will willingly sacrifice ourselves to help you should you need us to be by your side. Though you will not be linked, as a temporary measure, we want our healers to give you and your families perfect health, which means that if nobody kills you, you should live an extra fifty to one hundred years. Even then we shall not let you die - our healers will return you to perfect health again and again, on a regular basis, until it is time for you to learn how to use your own healing force, or you decide it is time for you to move on, leaving this life behind.
May I now explain why we do not want you to become Cherinians at this time - and that we shall never ask it of you? I must add that we will be eagerly waiting for the day your do, when it is also the right time. We will wait for the day you ask us, so that we can rejoice that we are at last one family, but these are my reasons why the present is not a good time.
Our existence is an open secret. There are three alien species who know about us and who have become Cherinians, with thousands more soon to be released and welcomed. On our planet, we are not much more than one hundred, but we soon expect to become a thousand or more.
2082
As our numbers grow, so do we become more vulnerable, for even good people find it difficult to keep a secret from their loved ones, especially a secret as important as ours. Take a practical look at what I am suggesting will happen; say that you have been linked and you know how wonderful it is to have the ability to heal yourself and those you love, while you also have other gifts, such as the ability to visit any part of the world for a coffee or a meal. Would you not be tempted to speak about it to those of your family who you love the most, in the hope they will become suitable for linking? All it needs is for one such person to speak to someone who fears us or belongs to an organisation which will wish to control us and the world will learn about us. We are not ready for that.
It seems that the same changes in our environment that created a Cherine, are also creating other persons with gifts and powers. We have four Cherinians who had gifts before Cherine linked them and there are at least two thousand the Mansfield group identified…who we are screening to ensure we only bring to us those who can be linked, once they have the gift of empathy. There will be many more and some of them will not be people we can link and some will only care about abusing their powers so as to become wealthy and powerful.
I doubt they will first attempt to destroy us, it is more likely they will prefer to prey on the weak. It is likely we will have to war on them so as to protect the normal people of our world. Having a secret ally that none of them know about could make the difference between us containing them or losing the war, which could lead to the enslavement of mankind.
In the old days, there were killers and there were true warriors. Saladin and the Crusaders are a good example. During the crusades, if the Europeans were winning a battle, they would go on an orgy of killing, whereas, if the forces of Saladin were winning, being a man of honour, he would allow his enemy to retreat. Today there are very few warriors, for most are revolutionaries, fanatical people who think that the way to fight for a good cause - or Allah, is by killing en masse unarmed men, women and children or else, they are betrayers of country, family, loved ones and even the entire Terran species.
If I may speak of Allah for a moment, even though I be a Christian, for I believe we all believe in the same God. How can anybody, Christian or Moslem, believe that God, who is our Creator and Father, who loves us and is all that is good in the universe, wants us to kill His children in His name?
I’m sorry, I should not have strayed from the point I was attempting to make. Warriors - just the word conjures so many images to stir the heart. With the corporations demanding total dedication to them by their billions of employees, our society has been corrupted and men and women who would in any other age have dreamt of being warriors, now only dream of wealth and security, without consideration for the damage caused to the community of mankind, and think that what they dream of is honourable and correct! Men like you are extremely rare and I treasure your existence - and if I have your friendship, I will consider myself honoured far beyond what I deserve.”
I had noticed that Samantha had changed, from speaking for us, from saying ‘we’, she was saying ‘I’. For the first time ever I could understand and condone her reason, for she was reacting to their emoting and not doing it to tie them personally to her. I had not considered many of the points she was making and I wished she could have discussed them with me before saying them to the men, but she had not had any reason to prepare herself for this speech and I also sensed she was thinking of them as she spoke, ‘borrowing’ from her audience what it is they need to hear so as to feel happy about cooperating with us.
Sam relaxed her posture and when she spoke, there was a hint of sadness in it. “In all that I told you, there is a paradox which few have considered. If we stay small, keeping to the numbers we already have, we are safer - while, at the same time, it is far more dangerous and will condemn us to becoming extinct…us, other Talents and all the Normals.
Why is it safer? Because, with such a few of us, the chances of us being betrayed by accident are smaller, almost non-existent. Why then do I say that if we do stay as we are, we will die out? I’ll split the reasons into two groupings, so as to make my thoughts clearer.
We have a saying in English. Shit happens - as it has happened a number of times. Usually it happens because of Robert.” Everyone turned to look at me and I slightly gestured with my hands and hunched my shoulders for a moment, indicating that I don’t know what she is talking about - which was cause for a number of smiles as they turned back to Sam.
“We are perhaps one of the happiest families in the history of mankind, and yet, deep within us, is also a great sadness. The sadness is greatest for Robert…”
2083
I called out, in English, “…and the greatest happiness is also mine, how else could it be with such beautiful hearts loving me?”
Samantha nodded. “I would like to concede him the point, but I cannot…for we have a Robert who loves us, while he does not love himself.” My loves clapped for her and I sensed our tomfoolery is relaxing everyone. I shook my head in wonder, not only is she concentrating on winning them over, but she also grabs the chance to score a point over me by indirectly telling me that I do not love myself - a complaint all my Cherinians moan about between themselves. When they share from her, they will comment on it often, ‘by mistake’ letting me hear them.
“Our happiness is born out of our love for each other and everyone we have linked as Cherinians - plus people like you, who are dear friends. The sadness comes from either sensing directly or from knowing that there are people all over the world who are suffering. A little bit of suffering is good for us, it is like adding salt to our food, but the suffering I’m speaking of is something so terrible that no heart can bear to share from them without it breaking.
If we made the decision, we could reduce the pain by more than half within a few weeks - but then it would be the very last act of love, for the world will know about us and those who hunger for power will find a way to destroy us. We must wait until there are enough of us that those in power are forced to find an agreement between us is also important to them.”
She did not speak much longer, but she then asked for questions.
“There are only a few of us, but billions of aliens. How can we know for certain that you speak the truth about them? How can we be certain you are not their puppets, selling us to them so as to ensure privileges for your family? They have already proven that though they have no physical bodies, they can create such bodies for the purpose of destroying us.”
Sam nodded, as did a number of the men. “We could, but you do not allow us to show you the truth in a manner that would convince you, so the answer is, we cannot.”
“We are not allowing you, by our refusal to be linked as Cherinians?”
“Almost, not by you refusing to link, but by refusing to visit the void where you can see a darkening of our souls if we lie to you.”
Another man stood and when Sam gestured for him to speak, he said, “From what you have shown us of your story, going to the void would make us the same as you.”
“I am sorry, but you have misunderstood us.” Suddenly she laughed. “I’m sorry, I was not laughing at you, I laughed out of the joy I felt from imagining what you said being true. Just think, since everyone visits the void in dreams while they are alive, it means we would have all have been linked to each other many tens of thousands of years ago and we would never have needed most of the polluting technology we have created, since we would teleport if we wish to travel and transport our goods by telekinesis. It also means our society would have been very different, without the need for the kind of governments we have experimented with.”
She made a dismissive gesture. “No point in daydreaming. I can understand why you think that going to the void changes you, as it often is so in our tellings. However, it is only so if you come there wanting to be linked. We have had a few youngsters we refused to link until they are old enough to do so without needing the approval of their parents, who visited there with us for a number of years before we gave in and linked them. As I explained earlier, you all visit the void in your dreams, though often you remain unaware of where you are, because you are living within a story that is taking place within your mind - not in the void.”
Another man stood and Sam nodded for him to speak. “Of those who have been linked, have any of them stopped believing in their religion?” I felt my heart tremble at the question, for I know Sam, she’ll only speak honestly - and it will lose us any chance of walking out of this meeting with some form of success. I don’t blame her, for I would not have her do otherwise.
“Thank you, I was hoping somebody would ask the question. “ She smiled at him and he stared with a disbelieving look in his eyes. “I’m going to tell you something you won’t believe, but please give me the opportunity to explain, for it is the explanation which matters, to all of us, not the answer.
2084
What everyone believes, with regard to their religion, is private, but still, if anyone had stopped, I am confident we would have sensed them. The changes within a heart are too enormous for us not to sense what is happening to that person. Even Robert who does not believe in any religion, would grieve to sense a loss of faith in any of us.
However, we may still cling to our beliefs, maybe even to our particular religion, but how and what we believe has changed. All of us still believe in our God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary and so on, with our Cherinians of other faiths still believing in their Buddha and other religious entities. What they no longer accept as blindly as before, is the interpretation the priests give to the words of our Gods. We are more interested - and perhaps devoted - to the essence, to the pure heart of our religion.
An example…the mother of Robert is Irish and Catholic. Should her preachers in Ireland tell her she must kill the Irish Protestants and their children, she would refuse, for she would not believe that her God would ask such a thing of her. By being free to think for herself, she would see that what she is told is according to how the preacher himself feels, not according to what her God asks.
Before you sit, would you like to answer a question in return? How do you see my answer, am I right to see this change as being good and a purer way of serving Allah?”
“It is not for me to decide.”
“I apologise, you are right, how you feel about what I just told you is only between you and Allah and I had no right to ask.” Good, I felt how her answer elicited a response of respect for her.
An older man stood. “You mentioned that the team from the organisation we were at war with will be linked. What of those who are not linked, will they become a threat to us again?”
“You are thinking they might team up and try to take over the world? First of all, we have already blocked all of them and only those who we decide are good people and are willing to accept the gift of empathy will have the block removed. One such person has already been unblocked and is a Cherinian and she has proved our theory for us, for she has turned out to be a very good person.
Not many who worked for the organisation knew who they worked for or to what purpose their Talents were being used. I think that only a few who were higher up in the organisation had some knowledge. Many, as John Smithson can confirm, only knew they had to agree to work for the organisation so as to remain alive.
Another point to keep in mind, the list of who is a part of the organisation was only available to a handful at the top, so they cannot come together since they do not know who the others are. By the way, the handful I mentioned, they are either dead or all their powers are dead to them, and they now depend on holding on to their employment so as to maintain the lifestyle they and their families are accustomed to.
I do not foresee any of them ever becoming a threat to us, but if they do find a new Talent who can help them regain their old powers, we and our allies know them and they can be quickly found and neutralised again.”
A few less interesting questions were asked and answered and then Feizal informed everyone that the meeting has ended. He asked his men to consider our request that we work together without them becoming Cherinians and he asked me whether I agree to another meeting in a week’s time. I agreed.
Now, as far as we were concerned, came the best part of our visit. With the meeting over, the food and drinks came out and we spent a few hours socialising. This, as we’d hoped, was the ideal time for those who are shy or do not like to be seen asking questions in public, to meet with one of us and on a private basis ask the questions that were troubling them. Since the father of Feizal was monopolising Samantha, they had to speak to the rest of us, but I think they would not have spoken to her anyway, since approaching her would have drawn the attention of everybody. Though nobody approached me, I was interested to note that a couple did spend about ten minutes talking to John. Wisely, Feizal kept away so that they have the opportunity to speak to him.
When we were about to leave, for the first time, Feizal asked me for my mobile phone number. I noticed he did not note it on paper or his cell phone, memorising the number.
On Sunday, after eleven in the morning, Cherinians began to arrive at our home. It would have been gratifying to imagine they were coming because they had sensed how strongly my admiration for Sam was affecting me, or even, that they were sensing Cherine and Alki whose feelings were pretty close to how mine were broadcasting, but I think they mostly came out of curiosity.
2085
Samantha immediately tried to take control of their visit, “Well, luckily they are likely to agree to our request that they don’t join us, but they’ll only give us their final decision next Saturday. I was thinking, since we are all here and have nothing planned, why don’t we all go to visit the first Earth Robert went to visit during his lessons, with so many of us helping, we should manage to make quite a difference - it would certainly help make me feel less guilty about having so many luxuries while they are so short of the basics.”
Cherine laughed and clapped her hands. “Sam is trying to prove that she was not just clever yesterday, that she can also be clever and empathic today…but we’ll first share yesterday with you, then we can decide whether we go visit our alternates.”
My girls and I grinned as we saw Sam go to sit by Aganthi. Their love for each other has a different ‘taste’ to it and I think it is because of Aganthi having such a practical side to her which gets mixed with her fiercely protective attitude.
After the sharing, everyone mulled it over, revisiting various parts of it so as to be certain they have understood. Angelos was the first to speak and he asked Samantha, “Were you pretending to not want to link them so that they will want to be linked?”
Sam replied, “I hope they don’t think so.”
Perikli asked, “Are you certain it was a good idea to discourage them from joining with us? I thought we need to grow our numbers as quickly as possible.”
I jumped in, “I sense that a number of you are questioning the wisdom of her thinking and though I want to encourage such questioning of myself and anyone else who does make a decision on our behalf as a group, I also ask that we keep in mind that the person who goes out onto the battlefield on our behalf, must be free to make their own decisions.
Samantha found herself having to represent us without warning, adlibbing her way through some difficult questions. If I did not have confidence in her, I would have refused Feizal, and the truth is, I am not unhappy with the way she handled the men. From being hostile, at least they are now more open to considering ways of working with us. However, I would like for us to discuss everything Sam said and, if necessary, we’ll find a way to alter whatever you do not like.”
Alki came to his feet, emoting anger. “This is similar to those times you tried to talk us into voting on your decisions. I do not claim to fully understand the thinking of Samantha and some of her ideas did shock me, but we do not have the right to belittle her by returning to the Arabs to tell them we do not agree with her.”
I kept my voice soft, “Alki mou, whether the words are spoken by Samantha, me, Cherine or anyone else, the Cherinians must never give up the right to question decisions made on their behalf and they must always remain in control of their future. If the majority do not agree with what we offered the men of Feizal, then I will return to explain to them why the Cherinians do not agree with Samantha.”
Alki flushed, made even angrier by my reply, but he was caught by surprise when Samantha piped up, “Pappou, I agree with you, not with Robert.”
It was now beginning to sound bad, to me. I would never have imagined Samantha demanding that she has the right to commit us, against the wishes of the other Cherinians. I was still trying to find the right words to express my unhappiness, when Cherine asked, “Sam, would you please explain what you just said?”
“He is trying to use what I did or said as an excuse to sneak past us an agreement that any of us have the right to reverse a decision of his. In other words, he is trying to create something akin to his wishes that we vote. I am against anybody voting, so I refuse to allow him to use me.
Cherine, dad is right in one respect. We must discuss each point anyone is unhappy with and if I cannot justify my reasoning and am in the wrong, then it is up to me to repair whatever damage I may have caused us. If the damage cannot be repaired, then it must stand as a lesson and the guilt will be mine. This has been true with regard to decisions implemented by Robert on our behalf and I would not want a precedent set that allows any one of us to be treated in a manner less caring of our rights and dignity - even if I am being forced to sound like I am being arrogant.”
Alki stepped to her side and hugged her. He pulled back and looking her in the eyes, he said to her, “Thank you Samantha mou, you make me very proud to be your pappou.” Then Cherine did the same and I was forced to sit and watch as everyone else also congratulated her and expressed their pride in her. I also wanted to join them, but I did not feel it would be right, so I only hugged her and told her that I love her. She let me sense that she understands and loves me too.
2086
We ended up doing as Samantha asked of us and went to help the Cherinians who warred with their Sparklers.
As we arrived, I looked around with amazement. I could not believe they have managed to clear so much debris and build so many houses. I saw they have also planted trees, bushes and even flowers around the perimeters of the electricity plant and refinery. My suspicions grew stronger as I saw the number of people, but I kept them to myself, waiting for when we are with Robert and Cherine.
We saw them walking towards us and even from a distance I could recognise the thin tall man walking with them. It was Solomon, as he appears to us on the beach in the void.
As soon as he was within shouting range, Robert called to us, “Welcome! Do you see the Sparklers? Thousands of them are helping us.”
Once they had embraced us and we could talk normally, Cherine told our Cherine, “We have learnt from your Robert, as we fix the area and build more houses, the Sparklers are checking the souls they hold for Greeks who would be linked if they still lived. We are soon going to be hundreds of thousands!”
It hit me like a lightning bolt and everyone turned to look at me, so I told them of my idea. “Stop the return of souls to life, I have a better idea. Solomon, Robert and sweet Cherine, we can bring back millions, not just hundreds of thousands, millions in each country - and they can each return in their original bodies!”
“How…Robert, there are no cells…you can’t be planning to return in time to collect cells!”
“No, but where else do the Terrans know of us Cherinians and not fear us? What of the reality where Earth was attacked by the fire-world? We can identify those we want to return to life and ask their alternates for a cell.” I laughed a bit wildly. “How does that grab you?”
It took a long time for commonsense to return, even Solomon was overexcited and when he returned to the void, I heard that the Sparklers put on an extravagant display of their joy. Even the Sparklers on Earth forgot to maintain their ‘matter’ bodies as they flashed back to the void to join their people. Their abrupt disappearance was enough by itself to alert everyone that something has happened and most of the local Cherinians rushed to their Robert and Cherine, so as to find out what is causing the excitement.
Every single person on Earth needed to celebrate, to sing, dance, drink…and drink. Funny how becoming a Cherinian has not rid us of that need when we really want to rejoice to an exuberant degree, or when we are hurting. Eddie asked for volunteers and they returned with him to our reality, where he purchased truck loads of everything we will need to have a crazy party - including a large sound system with enough loudspeakers for everyone to hear the music loud enough for dancing. What I found a bit disconcerting was that they had to delay their return to our reality for the next day, Monday, when the shops are open, so it meant we also cannot return home on Sunday and must wait for either Monday or Tuesday night.
Being summer, in this reality, we each slept wherever we could find a comfortable corner or patch of grass. Waking up meant we had to use our healers to clean ourselves and un-wrinkle our clothes. They have large urns for providing everyone with tea or coffee, so I was given a mug of coffee and a bowl of honeycomb with some flat bread. I was touched when I found out that someone searched Mt. Ymittos for bees and stole a part of their honeycomb especially for me. I’ve never had thyme honeycomb before and it was delicious.
“According to the telling we shared while visiting you,” Robert said, “you can’t turn up on the fire-world Earth as yourself. How are you going to get them to help us? What will be your excuse for asking people to give a cell?”
Somebody else of this reality asked, “Do we have the right to choose who can return to life and who can’t? We, the Cherinians of that day, killed everyone and though I am grateful that I was given a chance to return, I still miss my friends and family.”
2087
Another, a woman, nodded. “I agree and I also question our right to choose. A Cherinian caused their deaths and once we have a way to undo what happened, to leave even one person dead, leaves the responsibility for that death on our hands. Even if we decide to bring back nearly everybody, but we allow the really bad people to stay dead, would it be ethical - and if it is not, do we deserve to name ourselves Cherinians? Would we be worthy of the dream we have devoted ourselves to?”
My anguish was tearing at me, for I felt the two were right, and yet I also felt that for this Earth to have a chance of becoming better than mine, we have to choose otherwise. Still, the question about us being worthy of our dream had struck deeply and I saw no other choice, I would have to agree to everyone being returned.
My Cherine spoke so as to prevent me speaking. “I disagree, it would not be right to bring everyone back…Samantha, please help - am I right?” Being among Cherinians who can sense us, it was obvious why Cherine asked Sam to help and I felt my cheeks heat up.
Samantha looked into my eyes and kept her eyes glued to mine for her entire…exploration of what she thinks.
“It doesn’t matter who is right, since a number of possibilities exist and whatever we decide here, new realities will branch out with each of the other options being exercised, for we will have chosen them also. Instead of looking at this question as having only one possible outcome, why don’t we indulge ourselves a little and choose which reality we want to belong to…”
The woman cut in, her voice tight with controlled anger “If we are the reality that chose the wrong answer, we will then, forever be the reality where Cherinians are guilty of murder. I would not want to belong to such a reality.”
Sam’s eyes did not even flicker away from mine. “I don’t see that you have a choice. Just as you also are part of the reality where the war with the Sparklers did not happen in the way it happened here - in other words, you also exist in our reality. There are already millions of you, maybe billions, and they each exist in a reality where a slightly different outcome occurred and will occur right now, plus countless realities where you split off for other reasons. Even should you change your mind, there will still be realities where every single person will be brought back…think of this, there will be realities where the sudden changes will cause them to shoot their nuclear missiles at each other and then there truly will be no lives worth living on that or those Earths.
It is almost as if there is a super laboratory somewhere, with countless experiments taking part in gigantic Petri dishes - and each Petri dish holding an entire universe, or reality. We really don’t have a choice, there will be countless realities where we do not choose to return all the Normals. All we can choose, at least I hope we can, is to determine which experiment we want to be a part of. We must each always try to remain true to ourselves, while also thinking on each decision deeply, regardless of where the split in our reality will take us.
As stated, there are a number of ethical questions to be addressed, and not all of them point in the same direction. Yes, any lives we do not return to this world will leave a stain of guilt on us. But then, what of those we bring back, tyrants for instance, who are torturing and murdering innocent people, do we bear the guilt for those tortures? If one of the governments orders missiles to be shot at other countries, are we then guilty of those deaths?
What I am going to say, it frightens me. Some could use it to justify all kinds of evil actions, but it must be said. We are slowly changing the way we think, thanks to empathy and a keener awareness of each other and all life. In certain respects we are blocking ourselves from changing and one of them is with regard to how we view death.
In certain ways, we will not, I hope, change, when considering the pros and cons of death. Perhaps, for me, it is easier to change if I am considering how important my own life and death are, but not when I consider the deaths of those I love. It has been true for many individuals of the Normals, for their beliefs in God and an eternal life in Heaven have given those people the courage to sacrifice their lives.
We are now living in an even more sharply divided black and white reality, for we do not think we exist as souls, we know we do and we know that now even our present personalities can continue to exist for as long as we want.
What would my choice be with regard to returning everyone? I would answer that I wish to be part of, even if just as a bystander, a new and wonderful experiment. I’ll take off my hat to the other Samanthas who agreed to different solutions, but I’ll also know they carry with them a slight envy of me.
2088
Think! We have the chance of choosing to help form a new way of living for all Terrans of this reality. Yes, our heart cries out for those we do not return, but they will not remain in the void forever, as those who returned have children, those souls will be needed and they will be reborn - and thanks to their sacrifice, they’ll live in a Cherinian world, probably as Cherinians.
All that I spoke of, it is too abstract, too theoretical, we need some facts to bite our teeth into. Let us say that we leave out the worst of men and women and bring the rest back? What then? Until today we were all proud of the repairs and improvements you’ve worked so hard to bring about. Would you like us to take a tour of the rest of this city, of other cities all over the world? Even the farms have been damaged. How would those billions of people feed themselves - or do we say, right, we’ve brought you back to life, if you starve and kill each other and murder children and babies for eating them, that is your problem, not ours?
Yes, we can bring food from other realities, but, since they are not Cherinians, just how much do you expect those realities to supply us with? Enough food to feed a million? A billion? We were able to help the people of the fire-world Earth because they did not lose their livestock and most of their crops survived the attacks, since the main focus of the attacks had been the cities. We only had to supplement what they needed so that demand does not push the prices up beyond the means of the major part of the populations. You did not think of that, that it is mainly our economic systems which would have caused so many deaths, not the lack of food?
This is what I propose: over a period of ten to twenty years - according to our ability to provide them with food, homes and so on - we bring back about ten percent of those who died, which comes to about eight hundred million (?), but we choose those who are most suitable for linking. Since there are people in every country and of every race, who are suitable for linking, we must try to keep the diversity which makes us an interesting species, but at the same time, nationalism must survive, but never again become a lever for turning people into fanatical patriots.
Give the experiment time to grow stronger, so that we can risk bringing back a few more who are not as suitable, but who might adapt to living in a world of Cherinians. Those who do not, they will not be kept alive beyond a normal lifetime, so the cost of their existence can be born - especially by Cherinians.
Please keep in mind, that even with the world being populated by only Cherinians, within one generation there will be Normals who must not be linked as Cherinians. Just because a child is born to Cherinians, it does not automatically qualify that child to being linked - for many evils of our species exist due to weaknesses in us and there will be many children born with a weakness or they will become weak because they were not nurtured correctly. We must forever remain vigilant and honest in our evaluations if we don’t want to have wars, with them using psychic powers against us.”
I felt stunned and then amazed when I sensed that Samantha has convinced nearly everyone to do as she suggests. To provide for so many, even if over years, it can only be accomplished with the help of the Sparklers and the Cherinians of a number of realities. Dare we presume the right to expect the help of the Sparklers and everyone else?
Solomon must have returned during the arguments put forward by Sam, for he said, “How many Sparklers would be needed to help? Would a billion be enough? Though they need to return to the void often - as you know, maintaining a matter body uses up our energy within hours - we can easily manage six or more teams per day.”
We all looked at the local Robert and he replied that they will be a sufficient force.
Alki asked, “What is the condition of the important technology, such as water, sewerage? If all who are returned are Cherinians, surely no transportation of any kind will be required? Even the Normals, if they are the minority, can be teleported by the Cherinians.”
Dommi asked, “Before any are returned, can we dismantle all the silos with nuclear missiles?” Her request was unanimously adopted.
I guess I sort of growled, “Not only the silos, all the bunkers and secret laboratories for creating all kinds of weapons, especially poisonous gasses and germ warfare.”
Once we started, an entire list of items and processes were added, especially all the kinds of psychotropic pharmaceuticals, which have caused so much damage to all, from unborn babies to the elderly with the conniving help of greedy psychiatrists. Since everyone will be a Cherinian, most of what we wanted to get rid of is not a threat anymore, but getting rid of them is important symbolically. It was agreed by all that they must never allow big business to take control of their lives again.
2089
Strange, I did not hear or see again the woman who’d protested so vociferously. I wonder where she went, as I’d like to know what she thinks after hearing Sam.
I did not see Robert and Cherine for all of that day. I guess they went on my equivalent of a walk along the beach. Before they departed, they both let my Cherinians sense how shaken they feel. They have both been pretending since the devastation, for the sake of their people, but both have been suffering from an enormous load of guilt. No wonder they have been putting in at least fourteen hours of physical work each day. Knowing that close to a billion people will be brought back, with maybe more later on, has slightly eased the ache within them. Being a Robert, I am driven to find a way to ease the darkness of guilt from the heart of Cherine, but I do want to help Robert also. I just can’t think of a way to help either of them - hmm, what if I ask Samantha to try and find a way? (I only put that in to tease her, this is my problem and I will find the solution.)
My Cherinians are laughing at me, claiming I am a bad example for the local Cherinians. The locals use powder milk if they want to have coffee or tea with milk…even for their porridge. I sensed my Gilli wishing she had some milk, so I jumped back to our Athens, bought six litres of milk, plus four full bars of halvah, two each of chocolate and pistachio. Basically my Cherinians are laughing at me to cover their embarrassment. They do not think it is right that I refuse to spend a day without my halvah, even on a world where everyone is surviving just on the basics. At least they do not feel bad about my Gilli getting the milk. I refuse to let my loves tell them that I brought the halvah for the local Robert and they claim it is perverse of me to want them to feel embarrassed on my behalf.
The last day and night, this world has been filled with joy and good cheer. Before the momentum slows, I must go to collect cells. I decided to discuss it with only my Cherinians plus the local Teller family.
“We cannot take the cells without asking permission of each person, but the logistics of ensuring the Sparklers only collect cells from those who have agreed is going to be a problem. Add to that the problem of how we go about securing such permission. Since it is not time yet for me to return there as myself, do I ignore my feeling that they must not see me yet and go as that powerful being I pretended to be?
Should the local Tellers announce they have been contacted with regard to assistance urgently required by another reality, which has faced a worse disaster than they did, and the Cherinians will be bringing back to life those who died, but they must have the agreement of those whose cells will be needed? What do they tell their world when they are asked for details of what kind of disaster could have killed off an entire world? They definitely must not let them know about the real cause - not only will they then fear their own Tellers, but also all the Cherinians, plus the Sparklers.
One more problem worries me; do we tell them we need cells from everybody, or only from those we intend bringing back to life - and if the latter, how do we explain our thinking?”
Samantha bit her lip and everyone who was about to speak kept quiet, waiting for her. I sensed she is going to advocate the opposite of what I want and I know my Cherinians, they will choose to do as she asks of us - even I will…just because she can reason her way in support of what she believes, it does not mean I should not worry from now. As brilliant as she is, Sam is still immature and naive and that does affect what she will want to argue in favour of.
“I am your daughter.” I barely nodded in agreement, not willing to concede any points, even the obvious ones, until I know where she intends taking her argument. “They don’t have a Samantha, so I am free to be the daughter of that being who called the Cherinians his children?”
“No, Sam, it’s too dangerous, not only for you, but for our alternate Cherinians.”
I expected Cherine to back me, since she adores Sam. Cherine extended herself to sense me and then she spoke, “The protector in you is asleep, it does not fear, only you do. Sam, convince me you will not cause them problems or else I won’t agree.”
For the first time, for a long time, I sensed Sam was unnerved; having Cherine judging her made her nervous, but not so with me! It made me happy.
Sam asked me, “Am I allowed to lie without really lying?”
I laughed. “God girl, how can you expect me to answer such a question - I don’t even understand it…and the permission you seek is too broad to be permitted.”
2090
“Do you think the Teller family will want me as their daughter? Is it likely I will split for them? Then the part of me who will go to them, is going to be their daughter. So if I arrive and publicly announce that I am to be their daughter, will I be lying?”
“Theoretically then, I agree it would not be a lie, as long as you have first offered and been accepted - will the local Natalie be your mother?”
“Is she a Cherinian?”
“I don’t know. Their family was much smaller than ours last time we met them.”
“If she is not, we don’t have the time to spend on convincing her…if she is, then I like the idea of her giving birth to her Samantha, otherwise she’ll never love her as my mom loves me.”
“Since when don’t we have all the time we need for any Natalie?” I scowled at her. “Do you think I would allow any Samantha to be without a mother?” I scooped her up in my arms and squeezed her to me.
Carefully I looked out the window and let the curtain close. “They are still protecting you?” I pretend scowled at him. “Are you telling me I was not intimidating enough to scare them off forever?”
He and his Cherine could sense me and they laughed and then he explained, “I was told that they are my honour guard - same as the guards who watch over the president of Greece. Robert, the guards are of a special unit made up of soldiers from seven countries.”
“Any from the United States?”
“They are too busy recovering from the riots they had. At this time they are under martial rule…the army took over.”
“That was not what I wanted.” I examined my shoes for a couple of minutes. “Should I interfere?”
“Where do you stop?” he asked me. “Britain is also under martial rule, with another nine countries likely to follow.” He laughed, emoting a slight embarrassment as he told us, “I don’t think this has happened in any other reality, but, without asking me, a new political party in Jamaica was created and my name was placed on the ballots as their designated leader and I won the elections! We’ve been trying to think of a nice way to turn them down so that we don’t cause another revolution.” He frowned. “Robert, too much could still go wrong and cause the people of this planet to turn against the Cherinians.”
I sat down heavily. I was surprised when the girls to either side of me moved away, but then Dommi and Cherine took their place. I sensed Cherine was waiting for Dommi to speak, so I turned to her.
“This is their world Roberto mou, they must make the decisions and where they need our help, they will have it.” I nodded and looked at Robert and his Cherine. Then Dommi asked, “Cherine, is Natalie still alive?”
“Yes, when we met yours, we found her and Robert sent his healer to fix her. Because of our situation, we could not bring her in yet and as she lost weight and felt healthier and more attractive, she became a little bit silly and goes out to night clubs and discos with the typical male of Kefalari her friends introduce to her.”
Dommi grinned. “Good! I wish my Natalie could have done that for a while.”
“Not so good, Dominique, the men her so-called friends throw at her are mostly the rotten ones, what the coffee shop crowd call playboys, and she has fallen in love with the worst of them, a man who is notorious for using, abusing and then deserting women in a humiliating way.”
I asked, “Are you attracted to your Natalie?”
He obviously went into a mental huddle with his Cherine and girls and I hid my grin as I felt how uncomfortable I’d made him feel. He then gave me a nod and all his girls grinned.
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)21st September, 2019
* posted on Steemit: 21st September, 2019
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