 
The Big Change

Volume III

Published by Eugene E. Hartley at Smashwords

Copyright 2020, Eugene E. Hartley

This free ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment. It may not be sold to others or be used for commercial purposes. But you are welcome to give it away to as many people as you like. I retain all commercial rights.

Disclaimer

To add more realism to this story, I name and comment about actual people, actual companies, actual places, and actual things. Please remember the contents of this book are only my opinions rolled up into a fun story. The news media always uses the word "alleged" to cover themselves, like the alleged offender, allegedly shot the policeman while the officer allegedly was arresting him. So when this fictional story asserts something as true, please first insert into your mind the word or the appropriate derivative of the word "allege". For legal purposes I also have to say the following: All hyperlinked internet pages, photos, and videos presented are not part of this book. I'm just recommending them for those who may be interested. And, you may want to use these videos for discussion purposes with your friends. As time proceeds some may not work so I'll periodically remove or change them. Thanks.

The Story

This is volume III of a three volume series. The story's underlying intent is an advocacy for a direct democracy where money is used only to facilitate purchasing and not as a tool to hold people down. You'll understand what I'm saying after you've read the first book. On the surface it's a sci-fi adventure written mostly for young science and tech people. If the reader is a girl, I wanted her to feel she has the ability to do almost anything if given access to resources and lots of encouragement. This volume is almost 110,000 words. There are a few surprises I hope you'll like.

The Big Change

Volume III

Table of Contents

Millie and Nellie's First Day at School

Sophia's First Day at School

Las Cruces High School

After School Stuff

Lupe's New Boyfriend

Monroe

Testing the Second Generation Blinking Unit

A Little Rest and Relaxation

The Island

Returning Back to Earth From Zeta Reticuli

Lupe Visiting Sid After Mission to Zeta Reticuli

Brooklyn Hurt Herself

Trip to the Gila Wilderness

Carrie Mae Easton

Sophia

Connie

Traveling to the Memorial Ceremony

The Young Pioneers Arrive in DC

July1st, 2020

Day Two, the Infinitum

Sanctuary23

Later on Planet Earth

The Big Change

Volume III

Millie and Nellie's First Day at School

September 1, 2019. First day of school. Ima sat next to her daughter watching her sleep. "Millie... Millie... I'm leaving a little early this morning. You need to wake up. It's 6:30. School starts at 8:00." She slowly cracked her eyes open and yawned. "Mom, I was having the best dream. Nellie and I were on Perseus." "That's the name of the dragon in your dreams?" "Yes. His full name is Perseus the Conqueror. Anyway, we were flying though rainclouds above an ancient forest. A cool mist was kissing my face. It felt good." "Sounds like you slept well." "I did. The bad dreams of last month's attack are going away." "I've been dreaming, too. They tell me you're going to be key in the survival of your group on your journey into the universe." "Mo'om, the Milky Way alone is so huge it would take a million years to explore just a small section of it. Forget the universe." "That's not what my dreams tell me. Somehow your group will zero in on the important places.

Listen. I set your clothes out. There's some cream of wheat on the stove." "Did you sprinkle bacon bits on top with butter and a little brown sugar?" "Yes. Just the way you like it. You'll have to make your own toast though. I'm leaving now. Hope you have a great day. I'll see you around six. We're doing an inventory at an armory." "Doesn't sound like much fun." "It is when there's a problem and I have to track it down." Millie kissed her mom goodbye then jumped out of bed and began her morning routine.

Nellie called. "Millie, you ready for an awesome day?" "Can't wait." "They're big into baseball, so dad got us some gloves." "Cool. I'm almost finished with my creamy wheat. Tom's outside waiting to take us. See you in a few." Tom is assigned to watch them, so he's now the new morning security guard at San Miguel elementary school between El Paso and Las Cruces.

It was 7:30 when they pulled into the teachers' parking lot. This past weekend they did a walk through to see where everything was. As you go through the front door, their class is two doors to the right.

Millie walked in their classroom first. "Hi, are you Miss Fanti? The young teacher sitting at the desk looked up. "Good morning. Are you girls in my class?" "Yes ma'am. My name is Nellie Chiva and this is my cousin Millie Williams." "Oh yes, I remember looking over your files. You've been home schooled since first grade. But your parents want you to start socializing with other kids." "Actually, we're the ones who wanted to come." "It says here I'm only having you in the mornings. In the afternoons you'll be home to continue with your advanced studies. That's quite unusual." Millie said "It's just that scholastically we are far ahead of regular fifth graders." "I read that. Very impressive." "Miss Fanti, I promise we'll be very good students." Millie shook Miss Fanti's hand and went to work probing her mind. She seats her students alphabetically. Millie said "We like sitting together because we support each other in a collaborative fashion. I'm sure you'll have no problem with that. And when I speak up in class to correct you, you won't be offended. In fact you'll invite the class to speak up if they have a problem with the material or if they simply want to contribute to the learning process." Millie continued "Nellie and I can't wait to start the fifth grade." Miss Fanti said "You know, I usually have my students sit alphabetically, but this year I'll do it differently. I'd like to see friends sit together so they can collaborate during the learning process. So you two are welcome to sit anywhere you like." "Thank you, Miss Fanti." "If you don't mind I need to get back to my notes for today's lessons." Nellie gave Millie a stern look. Millie smiled and shook her head yes. As they were sitting down Nellie whispered "Millie, you stinker. Don't you even think about using that mumbo jumbo mind control stuff on me." "How do you know I haven't already? Just kidding." "If I ever find out you have, I'm going to kick your little green glowing butt to the moon." Millie laughed. "Don't worry, I like my butt where it's at."

More students began coming in. Four girls sat next to Millie and Nellie. Their names are Gabriela (Brie), Alicia (Allie), Araceli (Cheli), and Isabel (Bela). Brie started. "Hi. You guys are new." "Hi, I'm Nellie and this is Millie. We're cousins. This is our first time at a real school. We were homeschooled. I've lived here for years, but Millie is new to the area. She lost her dad so she came to live with us a few months ago." Brie introduced her buds. Allie asked "So Millie, where you from?" "Back east, where it's way too cold. Nellie's parents were nice enough to let my mom and I come live with them."

Bela said "Sorry about your dad. Family is very precious. You never know. Her eyes began tearing up and looked down unable to speak. The bell rang. Miss Fanti welcomed the kids and said it was ok to sit wherever they wanted. "Just make sure you like your spot because it will probably be your seat for the entire school year. But later on you may want to switch. If so, you need to get permission from the person you're switching with." She then went forward with the day's lessons. They liked her friendly but firm attitude. She kept the class's attention by seamlessly moving through the course material while including some very funny jokes.

Time quickly passed and soon the lunch bell rang. Brie and her friends walked out with Nellie and Millie. Cheli said "My mom is the head cook. Today they're serving green chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice and avocado salad." It was a large lunch room. The girls entered and breathed in the delicious aroma of Mexican food. They quickly filled their trays and took a seat.

Brie told Nellie "Your cousin doesn't look like you." Millie said "Some of my dad's ancestors were eastern European. That's where the blue eyes and golden hair come from. The tan skin is Native American. I have no idea where the freckles came from. Mom and I weren't doing so well after my dad died so Nellie's parents asked that we come live with them. I really miss my dad. I feel a part of my life is gone forever." (What a whopper of a lie.)

Brie said "Bela's brother Rudolfo died in June right after school let out. Millie responded "I'm sorry Bela." Bela said "My brother was clumsy on roller skates. I kept telling him to be careful but he didn't listen. We were out skating on the sidewalk and his skates went forward and he hit the back of his head full force on the concrete. He was out cold. We got mom and our Tio. Mom was holding him in the backseat on the way to the hospital when he woke up. He looked at my mom and told her not to worry. He was going to be ok. That he was going to heaven. His eyes were looking at the ceiling of the car. He was saying to my mom... Isn't she beautiful. She's here to take me. I'll be ok. I love you mom. At that moment he let out a breath and died." Bela started crying. Millie walked over and sat next to Bela putting her arm around her. "It's ok Bela, he's in a good place now. It's ok. Don't cry." Bela felt Millie's power of comfort and kindness. Her grief slowly evaporated." "I'm sure Rudolfo wants you to have a happy life. He might even be helping you right now from heaven. You never know." Bela said "Maybe it's good to let it out. I feel better now. And you're right, my brother would have wanted me to enjoy my life to its fullest. But I'm sorry his was cut so short. He was only nine." Millie looked into Bela's eyes. "Sometimes things just happen and there's nothing you can do about it. So I try to enjoy each day as it comes." Bela said "You're right." Millie continued "You know what they say?" "What?" "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, and that's why we call it the present." Bela smiled "Where'd you hear that?" "I don't remember. Do you feel better now?" "Yes." Brie said "Why don't we finish eating so we can go outside and clear our minds." Cheli said "We're going to play baseball. You guys want to join us?" Nellie said "Sure. We brought some gloves just in case." Allie said "All four of us played together in summer league. Our team came in first against eight others." Nellie smiled "Sounds like you guys take sports seriously. I like that."

Allie's older sister Angie came up. "We've got a problem. A brother and sister from Honduras are in my class and they're giving everybody a hard time." Nellie asked "What do you mean? Did they threaten you?" "Sort of. They're saying we have to get permission to do things like play on the swings. And they want to know who the smartest kid in 6th grade is. They also want to know if any of the parents are cops." Millie said "They must really be new. They don't realize every parent is a cop. And it sounds like they want a nerd to do their homework." Nellie said "I'm good at martial arts. Maybe I could talk to them." Allie asked Cheli "Do they know your brother is the smartest in school?" "Not yet." She turned to Nellie. "Can you do something?" "Sure. But let's finish our lunch first. Your mom is a really good cook. These enchiladas are delicious." Brie changed the subject. "So what did you guys do this summer?" Millie interrupted and asked Brie if she wanted her pickle. "Sure go ahead, I don't like pickles." Nellie said "Millie's weird. She likes salty stuff." Millie added "It helps my electrolytes. We didn't do much this summer. Nellie has a rad BMX track with lots of jumps and curves. Her neighbor has a huge pool so we did a lot of swimming. Oh, and then there was that problem we had a couple weeks ago." Nellie looked at Millie with a 'No, don't you say anything look' on her face. Millie whispered "Trust me." She told the girls "We were attacked by some crazy terrorists." Allie said "THAT WAS YOU GUYS!?" "Yes. Nellie's neighbor is the chief of facilities at White Sands. So he has a landing strip with several huge airplane hangars. For some stupid reason they thought somebody really important lived there. The only important people were the soldiers guarding the place." Brie said "Wow. The whole valley knew something went down, but we didn't know what it was." Nellie said "The research center uses it as an airfield. Also next to the landing strip are some really nice apartments. Millie and her mom live in one." Allie said "That's cool." Nellie asked "Do you guys bike?" Allie said "A little. We don't like to ride next to the highway because there's no shoulder. And if we ride on the ditch banks dogs chase us. So it's kind of dangerous." Nellie suggested "You all need to come over and ride with us on the BMX track." Brie said "Tell you what, you teach us how to be good BMXers and we'll show you how to be great baseball players." "It's a deal."

After lunch they stopped by the lockers and got their gloves, ball, and bat.

On the way out to the baseball field Humberto, the boy from Honduras, walked up. The conversations were in Spanish. He said "You need to have my permission to play here." Nellie said "Get lost. We don't have time for you." Humberto took the bat from Allie. "Outside I'm the boss and you need to do what I say." Nellie got in his face and was about to unleash the wrath of God when Millie took her arm. "Nellie, let me enjoy this." Millie gently pushed her aside. "What's your name?" "Berto." "Well, Berto, I think you're cute. I like a guy who's strong." She turned and winked at the girls. "If I kiss you then will you give us permission?" "Now, you're talking, Mamacita." "Let's go over there behind those bushes where the teachers won't see us." Millie turned to Nellie and whispered "Stay here. I've got something special planned." "Ok, go ahead and ruin all my fun." Millie smiled and walked off with Berto. Nellie told the others "Relax, she'll be back in a few minutes. And, I guarantee you he won't bother us anymore." Cheli said "You seem awfully confident. He looks old enough to be in eighth grade." Nellie said "It's ok. Let's play catch while we're waiting."

Millie and Berto went behind a line of bushes at the back of the school. All of a sudden Millie pretended to see something. She looked up and said "No dad. Don't do it. Leave him alone. It was my idea. Don't hurt him... please." "Who are you talking to? You crazy or something?" "It's my father. He promised to protect me. He died this year...... I'm sorry dad it won't happen again. Dad, don't hurt him. Berto felt something tap him on the shoulder. It was Millie's baseball glove she had sat on the ground. With full force but not enough to knock him out, the glove hit him in the face and he went down.

Millie continued pretending to talk to her father. She begged him not to kill Berto, that it was her fault. "What's that dad? You won't kill him this time. But he better be good and leave all the other kids alone. Or else you'll cut his head off? Dad, that's not right. What?.... Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry for questioning you." Berto was afraid to get up because the glove was hovering over him. "My dad said for you to go back to the playground and be nice, or else." Berto's eyes were wide open, his face filled with extreme fear. "My dad said you better not tell anyone about this." Berto started running off screaming about something having to do with the devil. Millie thought "This will shut him up." The glove came up behind and kicked him very hard in the butt. So hard he stumbled and fell. He was crying and yelling he was sorry. The glove continued with a flurry of slaps to his chest and face. He pulled himself up and ran to the end of the school building and into the boys' restroom. Millie followed him in. He stumbled and started having a grand mal seizure. "Oh my goodness, what have I done?" She sat down and gently laid her hands on him. She saw in his mind he was suffering from PTSD because of his horrific childhood in Honduras. He was regularly beaten and as a consequence had a head concussion that didn't completely heal. This ordeal with the glove brought him back to Honduras and the torture. His breathing and heart had stopped as he lay dying on the floor. She knelt down next to him and summoned the power of the green crystal. Millions of nano threads ran through his head, lungs, heart, and adrenal glands. She spoke to his mind. "It's ok Humberto, nobody's going to hurt you anymore. I'm your guardian angel here to help you." After a few moments his heart started beating again and his breathing resumed. She continued thinking "Humberto, I want you to be nice to everyone. There is no need to fight anymore. We all love you. You're going to wake up and feel refreshed. Millie will be looking at you. If you need anything just ask her and she will help." He woke to see Millie's caring eyes. "I thought I lost you for a moment. Are you ok?"

Millie hugged Berto as he was sitting on the bathroom floor. He began crying. She said "You've got a new life now. No more beatings. The people here love you. I'll make sure you'll be ok, Berto. You have my word. What do you say we go outside and play a little baseball. Ok?" She handed him a paper towel to wipe his face and blow his nose. They walked out together, and together with his sister Yolanda they all played a fun game of baseball. Millie laid her hands on Yolanda and healed her too.

(Berto's dad was recently murdered. He was a Mara Salvatrucha gang member. Hillary Clinton and some other greedy super rich Americans orchestrated a military coup in June of 2009. The country fell into disarray and dire poverty. It's been that way ever since. Some missionaries found Humberto and Yolanda hiding in a sewer to get away from gang members who had just killed their father. The gang had declared a vendetta on the entire family. The missionaries spirited them out of the country that night.)

The bell rang. It was time to get back to class. That was Millie and Nellie's que to hit the road with Tom. He drove them straight to the compound's airstrip. A Blackhawk was already fired up waiting for Nellie to fly them to the research facility.

Sophia's First Day at School

Norma stuck her head into Sophia's bedroom. "Hey sleepy head, it's time to wake up. You need to get dressed and come and eat. Dad's cooking egg white omelets just the way you like 'em." "With lots of cheese, jalapenos, and tomatoes?" "Of course. So hurry. Today's our first day of school." Sophia slowly pushed back the covers. "Ok, I'm getting up. Mmm... I smell bacon."

She thought to herself "I wonder what school's going to be like. Being homeschooled the last two years was ok, but I miss socializing. My tutors say academically I'm at least in eleventh grade. So eighth grade shouldn't be too hard. Wonder if the cliques keep newbies out. Maybe I'll have to create my own squad, or maybe I'll just float around for a few weeks before settling into a group."

After Sophia finished washing up and brushing her hair she scanned her wardrobe. Wanting to make a good impression she decided to wear a high thread count white cotton sundress. One side had small artistic splatters of dark luminescent raspberry and bright yellow. Her pair of raspberry penny loafers went well. "Maybe I should cool it with the makeup. I'll wait and see what the others are wearing. Well, maybe some light raspberry lip gloss won't hurt." Connie came in. "Hey, let's go. They're waiting for us." "I'm coming. Hey, I like your outfit. When did you create that pattern?" "In June, I took some snaps in Central Park. Merged two photos and removed almost everything to leave a few cool outlines of people and nature."

Sophia stepped into the kitchen. "Good morning daddy. Mmm. I could smell your cooking all the way into the bedroom." "Morning, Sophia. You look nice. Are you a little anxious considering it's your first day of school?" "I think we're all a little apprehensive. It's been two years since we attended regular school. And thanks for letting us do it. We were going stir crazy." He responded "Your mom and I could see it written all over your faces. You needed to get back into the real world." Norma added "I'm sure you'll be ok." Sophia said "At least Connie will be with the young Pioneers in high school." Norma chuckled. "Sophia, you have enough confidence for an army. You'll have the kids eating out of your hands in no time. Just be careful and don't hurt anyone." "Don't worry, I won't use any martial arts unless it's necessary." "I didn't mean it that way, silly. You'll probably be the most beautiful girl in school. Don't lead anybody on and then break their heart later." "Mo...om. You need to trust me more. I won't hurt any boys. Unless they deserve it." She giggled.

While Nellie was enjoying a bite of fresh jalapeno Norma told her "Your school doesn't have many students. I like that. And it's less than a mile from here. Be careful about being assertive. Kids your age are usually a little more laid back. Ok?" "Ok, mom."

An agent named Joseph posing as a guard at the school drove Sophia. As we all know, Sophia is dazzling. She walked in the front door and stopped with a look of not knowing where to go. Five guys rushed up eagerly asking if she needed directions. Two who had the same class escorted her, constantly flirting, making idiots of themselves.

First period was social studies. She was bored with most of the people in class. But a quiet boy named Ren caught her eye. He was sitting one chair up the next row over to the left. Very good looking. Tall thin but muscular with deep blue eyes, dark hair, strong chin, and dimples. The girl behind her whispered he was the smartest in their grade last year. He snuck a glance back and turned red with embarrassment when she smiled back at him.

The morning passed quickly. During lunch Sophia walked her tray over to Ren. He was sitting alone at the end of a table quietly reading a book while taking small bites of his food. "Hi, mind if I sit down?" "Go ahead." "My name is Sophia. I noticed you're in my classes." He was too shy to respond. "I see you're reading a book. My mom reads all the time. It's like she can't get enough." Ren looked at her forehead because he was afraid to look into her beautiful eyes. "Sounds like you have a cool mom." "Is the book any good?" "It's called The Catcher in the Rye. It's supposed to be a classic. But so far I don't like it." "What's it about?" "A sixteen year old with no common sense or direction. I think the author was saying teens are stupid and do idiotic things on the road to discovering themselves as they escape from their current reality. It's actually an insult to teens. Maybe they were like that when he wrote the book. But no teen today is that much of an idiot. Well, maybe some bullies I know are." Sophia said "So stop reading it. Relax, and we'll talk about something else." "Like what?" "Did you grow up here?" "No. We moved here three years ago. My dad works for the military." "That's interesting. You like it here?" "It's ok." Sophia laughed. "You're really shy. Did you know that?" "Yes. And I'm feeling very uncomfortable." "It's ok. Better that, than you being a loudmouth jerk." Ren looked across the lunch room. "Talk about jerks, here comes Lance the idiot." A big red haired freckled faced boy with a crew cut walked up. "Hey, Skippy. I didn't give you permission to talk to a girl. You gonna have my homework done by the end of the day? I want to make a good impression tomorrow with my teachers." "Hi, Lance." He quite nervously said "I'll have it for you when school is out." His voice was quivering as he asked "Ok?" "That's a good boy, Skippy. See you after the last bell." Lance started walking away. Sophia stood and rather loudly said "Excuse me moron. I think you left something." He turned. "Well, you're a feisty one aren't you? This is men's stuff. You need to stay out of it." Sophia stepped away from the table and sarcastically said "Yeah, that's right. I think you left something. Looks like you left your brains in your mother's uterus when you were born. And you're overcompensating by being an ass. What's the matter aren't you smart enough to do your own homework?" "Shut the hell up b-tch." "Or what?" Ren began to stand. Sophia pushed him back down. "This is between me and Mr. I'm so stupid I can't do my own homework." Lance grabbed her arm and she tossed him to the floor. Like a bullet she kicked him extremely hard between his legs. He screamed in a high pitched voice while holding himself. Sophia smiled and said "Listen up. Starting tomorrow YOU ARE GOING TO BE MY B-TCH. We'll begin with this... You are going to carry my tray to my table. After I'm through eating, you are going scrape the food off my plate into the trash, then neatly put the plate and tray on the stack for cleaning. And if you don't, I'll make you a permanent soprano. Do you understand me?" She was about to kick him again when he screamed like a little girl "Don't. Please don't." "Good. Now we understand each other. I want you to leave Ren alone or I'll come after you. Got it?" "Yes, yes. Anything you want." With a sweet adorable smile Sophia took Ren's hand. "You said you were going to show me to our next class. Are you ready?" Ren didn't say a word as he left with Sophia. Students nearby were applauding. Dave, one of her guards posing as a lunch room monitor, stayed back and let Sophia take care of business.

Ren asked "How did you do that?" "Anybody can kick, silly boy. They just have to know how to aim." "No, I don't mean that." "Lance is huge and you tossed him around like a toy." "I've been taking martial arts for several years." (Not to mention a little of Tracy's super strength in her system.) She picked Ren up and held him in her arms for a moment. "See... I'm pretty strong cause I work out with weights every day. My martial arts instructors taught me how to use my body to defend myself, but they also taught me something even more valuable." "What's that?" "Never bring your hands to a gun fight. In other words see what the enemy has first, because you might have to get the hell out of there."

"You shouldn't allow guys to bully you like that, Ren. Let me set you up with some karate lessons." "Thanks, but no thanks. People like Lance scare me to death." Sophia smiled and put her arm around him. "Don't worry Ren, I'll make a man out of you yet. So where's biology class?" Ren didn't realize it but he just made a very powerful friend for life. And Sophia didn't know that Ren's dad worked for Lupe.

Las Cruces High School

Now over to Las Cruces high school. Beverly, Hope, Brooklyn, and Mallory were starting their freshman year. Connie is enrolled as a sophomore. Lupe, Tracy, and Molly are now juniors. Summer was a senior. The four older ones tested out of the remaining high school science and math courses including those courses offered for college credit. So for them it was PE, social studies, English, and speech/drama. Summer was into basketball, track, and baseball.

The younger Pioneers' first class was calculus. The bell rang. They made their way in and took a seat. Mr. Hamilton was the teacher. He fits the typical stereotype of a nerd. His trouser legs are way too short. You can see his white socks and black unshined shoes. He always wears a starched white shirt with a plaid bowtie. His face has small pock marks. His dark hair is short and oiled down. His glasses are black plastic frame with thick lenses. He is so skinny you'd wonder when he had his last meal. And his shirt pocket has a plastic pencil protector.

He was last through the door. "Good morning. My name is Mr. Hamilton, but you can call me Mr. H. Welcome to the world of calculus. For some, it will be a breeze, but for most of you it's going to be very difficult. So please pay attention. And do ask me when there is something you don't understand."

At the end of class the Pioneers stopped by his desk. Mallory said "Mr. Hamilton, up until this year I've been homeschooled. I learned calculus when I was eight. It's not that difficult." "I wish all my students felt that way. Most will hate this class and some are going to fail." "I think you're making it too hard. Your approach seems too impersonal, antiseptic, detached, and clinical. Maybe you should allow me to teach a few sessions. I could make it easier by having it interesting and exciting." "Well, you sound very confident like one of my past students." "You mean Lupe Solis?" "Why yes. She was always interrupting class to explain a concept I was trying to get across." Hope pulled out an apple and sat it on his desk. "Our friend Lupe said you need to put some meat on your bones. So we'll bring you a snack every day." He smiled. "So you girls are Lupe's friends? They say birds of a feather fly together." "All our fathers work at White Sands." "Tell her I said hello." "Will do, Mr. H. And don't worry, we'll take up where Lupe left off. So stay in your toes."

They ran to history class just before the second bell. The head football coach, Charlie Strong, is the teacher. He was an all-district football player in high school and went on to play for a big name college where he earned a degree in physical education. The girls' other two subjects, speech/drama and English, were also taught by coaches. The inferior teaching quality was immediately evident. Placing unqualified people (coaches) in challenging positions was a real turnoff.

Lunch was at noon. Connie ate with Lupe. The freshmen Pioneers sat down around students their own age. Brook looked disgusted. Her tray had roast beef, carrots, and broccoli with a slice of garlic bread and an apple juice. "This food is absolutely boring." Bev said "Wish they had seafood." Mallory said "At least the garlic bread looks good." A girl named Terry and her three friends sat next to them with plates full of tacos. Bev said "Oh my god that smells so good. Did you guys bring those from home?" "No. Over there at the other end of the lunch room is a snack bar. Some nice ladies sell tacos and tapatillas they cook behind the counter. You can get fresh jalapenos too." Hope looked at the other Bandidas. "Let's do it." Bev asked Terry to save their seats. They came back with loads of tacos. After the first bite Hope's face turned to pure ecstasy. "This is the best reason for living here." Bev said "You better watch out. I gained ten pounds last year eating Mexican food. Had to go on a diet." Hope said "Us Eskimos gain weight just by smelling food." Brook smiled and whispered "Don't worry, I'm sure you and Molly can create a metabolic rheostat to keep your weight down."

The four Bandidas introduced themselves to Terry and her friends Angie, Rita, and Nora. Terry said "I don't recognize any of you." Brooklyn said "We moved here in June. Our parents work at White Sands. "Terry's friend Angie asked "Do your parents tell you what they're working on?" "No. They work for the Defense Department and we really don't want to know." Angie said "We've been hearing a lot of crazy things are going on over there." "Oh, really. Like what?" "Like there's a whole city underneath the mountain and once you go in they won't let you out." Hope began laughing. "Do you really believe a city of people could be held without their permission? And what about the guards with guns? Who's going to stop them from leaving?" Angie said "It does sound a little weird. I also heard they have creatures from other planets working there. And they're taking over our bodies and want to rule the earth." The younger Pioneers cracked up. Angie said "I don't see what's so funny." Beverly said "You think that little alien, what's his name...?" Terry said "Tang of the Calix." "Oh yeah. You think the Calix are plotting to take over the earth? Bahahaha. Didn't you watch the YouTube video the young Pioneers put together that shows how beautiful and pristine their planet is? Why would they want to live on this polluted rock?" Angie said "Well that's what our parents have been hearing." Hope said "I'm sure a lot of secret stuff is going on over there but now it's the People who run our country. And I guarantee you none of the Pioneers would allow anyone to hurt us." Bev asked Angie. "So where'd you hear this stuff?" "You promise to keep it a secret?" The Pioneers agreed and moved in closer. Angie whispered "My dad's friend works as a guard underground on the other side of the mountain. He thinks some of the Pioneers work there. Both old and young." Brook said "That may be true. So what's the big deal?" "Well he heard they're experimenting on dead bodies... bringing them back to life." Bev laughed again. "What!?" "That's right. He heard they brought in some frozen bodies and made them come alive like Frankenstein's monster." Mallory said "It called cryogenics. They've been working on it for years." "But he heard these bodies came from a frozen mountain top in Alaska. They were hikers who froze to death years ago and the young Pioneers brought them back to life. And some of the guards are saying the young Pioneers are actually aliens themselves. That no humans could have possibly done that." Brooklyn said "I'm not going to worry about it. They seemed perfectly normal on TV." Angie said "Or maybe that's what they want you to think." Mallory inserted "I was brought up not to be afraid of anything. To be aware of my surroundings and never be complacent. Never be afraid but always be cautious." Hope said "Me too. They taught me never to be afraid, just be powerful enough to handle any problem. If you like to tell stories that scare you, that's great. But, I'll have a hard enough time passing my subjects this year. So I'll stick to that."

The younger Pioneers were sitting two on each side of the table. Terry and her friends were sitting on one side of the girls. Then on the other side four nerdy sophomore boys came and sat down. They were obnoxiously loud, bragging about how great their last semester's science project was. Apparently it won state. And this semester their new project was going to be even better. Mallory, sitting next to the biggest loud mouth said "Hey, don't you come equipped with a volume switch. I'm trying to enjoy my lunch here." Monroe was his name. He was the smartest kid in 9th grade last year. He said "I'm sorry, but do you have a monopoly on talking. Are we interfering with your idle chit chat about cooking and fashions?" "Wow, you're a disgusting misogynist. Haven't you heard all misogynist pigs belong on a farm so they can slop around with all their dim witted chums?" "Kiss my ass." Mallory stood clenching her fists. "You better pipe the hell down or I'll slap your trap shut, jerk." Bev broke in. "Mallory, they're just excited about their science project. But I think this semester is going to be a little different. They'll have to contend with us." Mallory sat back down. Monroe said "You're acting very aggressive. You must be new here. My name is Monroe. And you are?" "Mallory." "Well Mallory, when does sensible talk become useless background noise?" "As soon as you open that flapping mouth of yours." The girls broke into laughter. "No, stupid. It's when you begin to make empty challenges. There is no way any person here, especially a girl, could beat us in this semester's science competition." "Us? Who's us?" "Us four. Stanley, Ted, Joey, and me. Our group is called the Monroe Doctrine because you're about to get schooled on our greatness." Mallory giggled. "Or schooled about your giant empty egos. So how many have to be in a group?" "Four." "Tell you what. I barely know these seven girls sitting here. We will form two project groups, and I'll bet both our groups will beat you. How about it?" Monroe said "What will you give us when we win?" "When WE win you will write one thousand times in easy to read cursive 'Girls are smarter than boys'." Monroe said "And when we win you will serve us lunch during the month of November. How's that?" "Chauvinist jerk. When's the judging?" "Last day of October. You girls better get busy. Or, you can back out now and use "we don't have enough time" as your flimsy excuse." Brooklyn finally lost it. "You need to take that project of yours and shove it where the sun never shines, buddy. You damn right we're going enter the competition. And we'll make you eat your words. I guarantee it. You have no idea what I can do." Bev cut in. "What she means is any one of us can do a better job than any one of you." Brooklyn said "You got yourself a deal, Melvin." "It's Monroe." "Melvin, Monroe, Mickey Mouse. Whatever." She was steaming mad. Brooklyn looked at the others. "You in with me?" Terry said "We need to think about it. We'll let you know tomorrow. Ok?" Monroe made a devilish grin. "Already thinking about backing out. Just what I expected." Brooklyn's face turned beet read. She stood up and Bev pulled her back down." She whispered "Cool it, girl. We can't afford to make a scene. He'll eat his words in due time."

The next day at lunch they sat down with their four new friends. Terry opened with "We kind of feel like we were thrown into this. Science isn't really our best subject." Beverly said "Yesterday you guys said you were on the 8th grade basketball team and you played baseball, too. Right?" "Yes. So?" "Were you any good?" "We won district in both." "But you're not very tall. How can you be good at basketball?" Angie said "That's exactly why I played. I hate it when people tell me I'm not good enough." The four Pioneers smiled... Mallory spoke "Now I know we can have two good teams. 'I can't do it' just isn't in your vocabulary. It makes you even more determined when people say that crap." Brooklyn said "Before lunch Bev, Hope, Mal, and I discussed our strengths. All four of us are extremely good at science. In fact we can teach you a lot. And by doing this project we believe it would open up a whole new world for you guys." Terry said "Now you're sounding like my parents. Look, if you four were this year's new young Pioneers it wouldn't be a problem. But you aren't, and Monroe is a genius." Brooklyn said "None of us are quitters. Let's give it our best shot. And if we lose, we'll take you four to Disneyworld in December to make up for any humiliation. Is that a deal?" Angie looked at her buds. "Ok... Let's do this. And don't worry about Disneyworld!" A few minutes later Monroe walked up and asked "Well?" Brooklyn stood and angrily said "We're doing it, Melvin. Now get your Poindexter butt out of here before I kick it to across this lunchroom." He decided to shut up and leave. Bev said "Looks like you have some anger issues you need to work on, Brook." "You don't know New Yorkers, Bev. We're nice to a point, but that's it. Then the hammer drops." Hope laughed and said "Maybe we should nickname you Polar Bear. They look and act so nice and cuddly, but don't be around when they're hungry."

Monroe's dad is Max Skinner. He's a biologist who works for Tracy. His views towards women are very different than his son's.

After School Stuff

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. That was the Pioneer's cue to hit the road. They went to a safe house a short distance away, then Blinked to the research center.

By 1:45 a group had gathered in the main conference room. Present were Mark, Larry, Norma, Elon, Serge, Tony, K'akana, Tang, Taze, Clank (Taze's pilot), Jacob, Lupe, Molly, Tracy, Summer, Beverly, Hope, Brooklyn, Mallory, Millie, and Nellie. Security team leaders Tobi, Cletus, Mike, and Tom, were also in attendance.

Elon began. "Good afternoon everyone. As you know, Lupe has expressed some deep concerns about our mission to Zeta Reticuli. She called this meeting to go over them and see where we all stand on our progress for the trip. I'll turn the meeting over to Lupe." "Hi everybody. Thanks for taking time out to come here today. We all want our mission to the Zeta system to be a success. But it seems little problems keep popping up. For example, we didn't want to send any unmanned probes to the system because the Blinking device would be unprotected. It has a self-destruct mechanism, but Taze and I don't feel comfortable with that considering the beings there could be superior than us and easily circumvent it."

"The Calix provided a single seat attack spacecraft with a cloaking device using the technology provided to us by the Infinitum. We stuffed it with reconnaissance equipment. Clank was the pilot. Or better put, he was the occupant of a drifting craft because we didn't want it giving off any power signature which might alert intelligent life of its presence. So first we Blinked him out into space far enough away from the two Zeta suns and the planets to do some spatial charting while his craft was gliding. I modified the Blinking unit to retain the inertia after the Blink. So he was traveling 100,000 kilometers per second after the Blink. This made our job of vectoring distances much easier. Then on subsequent trips we Blinked him at a much slower speed a "safe" distance from each planet where we believed life existed. One of them was the planet from the Zeta's spacecraft's database. Remember Tang downloaded information from a Zeta spacecraft on our visit to Area 51? We're calling that planet ZRS1P1 for Zeta Reticuli, Star one, Planet one. We obtained some encouraging readings. Topography, gravity, temperatures, rainfall, life forms, and so on all look good. But here's the problem... Each time Clank was out on a mission he felt he was being watched. I believe they, whoever they are, knew he was there. My first concern is the Blinking device. Maybe the beings could read Clank's mind and understand the value of the device. If that's true, I'm sure they would give anything to have the technology which we absolutely do not want." Taze raised her hand. "For those who don't already know, we are building a large starship that will accommodate many thousand beings for this mission. It will contain all of our and your offensive, defensive, and reconnaissance equipment. We hope to have it completed by the end of your 9th earth month. We will position the mother ship far from the planets to use as our base." Lupe said "Taze and I believe a mega sized mother ship full of offensive and defensive weaponry is the only logical move considering they probably believe we're coming back. And I'm sure they're gearing up for a confrontation of some kind. Be it mental or physical, we must be prepared to defeat them. But at the same time, as the Calix constantly tell us, we must always give unknown creatures the benefit of the doubt and assume they are peace loving."

"I'm currently constructing and testing a large Blinking device that can teleport millions of tons at least across a galaxy. We hope to test the unit on the mother ship sometime in October. Taze, would you please continue." Taze walked to the lectern. "We are starting with the fundamentals. Lupe has already sent ten pilots and ten of your aircraft to our planet. They will instruct us how to fly them and how to use the armaments. We have already read the manuals, but nothing is better than having humans actually show us. And conversely we have sent craft of various sizes for you to learn to operate. Every critical person on our mission must be able to pilot everything. And our mother ship will practically fly itself. Any questions?... Thank you. I'll turn the lectern back to Lupe." "Thank you, Taze. We decided to use both our aircraft and their spacecraft, even though their craft is far superior. We're doing this as a tactical move to have the beings believe our craft are vulnerable simple air machines. We were also thinking about going to one of the small islands on ZRS1P1. We noted some primitive human like life forms on one of them which we believe would be a good starting point. On our first visit we will pretend to arrive in a boat and be dressed in local attire."

Lupe looked at Summer. "For the last two weeks our happiness guru has been working on a program that better organizes the effort. She's gathered information on what we've completed and what we are currently working on, and what we still plan to do. And we should also keep in mind the best forgone projects we could always return to. The program sets up timelines and recommends individuals for the tasks. The timeline will flex daily to reflect our accomplishments and setbacks. Let's have her come up and explain." Summer explained her algorithm in detail. It will work mostly in the background keeping track of what everyone is doing then it will issue status reports every Friday. After she finished, Elon wound up the meeting by thanking everybody. He hoped the collaboration between humans and calix will bring more security, peace, and happiness to both planets and this sector of the galaxy.

As they were walking out, Mallory stopped Lupe and explained about the science project challenge. She asked Lupe if it was ok. "Sure, I don't have a problem with it. Listen, anything we can do to help our fellow students is great. We have to keep our identities secret but that isn't any reason to play stupid at school. So... Monroe bragged he comes from a family of geniuses and his dad works for the DoD. I would think a real genius knows when to be humble so others won't be made to feel inferior. What did you say his last name was?" "Skinner." "There's a Max Skinner who works for Molly and Tracy in the biology section. He's nice man who attacks his research with reckless abandon. Bannister is always on him about documenting his work. He likes to speed things along without worrying about writing it all down because he says 'It's all in his head'. He also tells some very funny jokes. What do you say we go see him." "I don't know, Lupe." "Come on, he won't bite." They walked a distance, rounded a corner then down a hallway into Tracy's section, then into a large lab with a man in the back corner singing along with "What it's Like" by Everlast. He didn't notice them as he was blasting a cell with brilliant prismatic light split into infinite cascading colors. He stopped at deep purple and yelled "That's it! I thought it was you!"

His peripheral vision detected movement. Looking up "Lupe! You won't believe what just happened. This cell's metabolic activity when combined with large amounts of micro RNA 208a and this wavelength of purple jumps off the scale. Amazing! Certain wavelengths of visible light play an important role in metabolic activity! It's like achieving the harmony you're constantly preaching about!" She hugged him hello. "Max, let me introduce you to..." He interrupted "She doesn't need an introduction." Offering to shake hands "Your amazing work precedes you. It's an honor to meet you, Mallory." He turned to Lupe. "This is why I love working here. I get to be with the best minds in the world." He took his messy white overcoat off. "Come sit down and let's talk." They walked over to a seven foot threadbare blue sofa and an overstuffed brown chair. They've been his good luck charms since grad school." "Would you like something to drink. Coffee, juice, milk?" "No thanks. We came here to get your permission. We want to see if it's ok with you if Mallory is on a team competing against your son in the science fair." Mallory went on and related in detail what happened at lunch. She apologized for coming down so hard on his son. Max broke out into laughter. He walked over and sat next to Mallory. "You'd be perfect. He needs somebody like you. He needs to respect women. See, I got married to a beautiful woman right after college. Started making good money but I was constantly away from home. She was the one who raised Monroe. She was a social climber who valued money and position more than anything else and tried to instill that twisted attitude in my poor son's head. Then she dumped us and ran away with a multi-millionaire just before the Big Change happened. Monroe took it hard and his attitude towards women went south. So if you would, could you show him the beautiful wonderful side of girls? To maintain his contrived stereotype, he'll want to think of you as his nemesis, as his enemy to validate his negative feelings towards women. But you're going to be different. You'll help him. See he'll be coming to me for assistance. That will enable us to learn the details about his project. Sometime in early October you'll "just happen" to walk in the room where his team is working. You'll innocently ask about it. He loves to brag, so he'll tell you just enough to make you envious. Then you'll make suggestions or point out some improvements that he may not have considered. He'll be astonished at how bright you are and, he won't understand why you're helping. He believes that women are cold and heartless. In other words, without recompense, you will help him. But be careful, by the time you're finished he might be head over heels crazy about you. Just make sure he understands you two are only friends. I don't want to see his heart broken again. Would that be ok?" "Wow... I'm sorry. I had no idea."

Max chuckled "You're right, he needs to come equipped with a volume switch. Maybe you could help him with that by gracefully having him eat a little humble pie." "Mr. Skinner, I'm a great surfer but I don't know much about psychology." "Of course you do. All great surfers instinctively know how to get along with people. Your survival in the water depends on it."

"Ok, you gotta deal, Mr. Skinner. And by the way, I was thinking about inventing a living moisture barrier that repairs itself. See our clothing is made of materials that aren't alive. But in the water there's no reason to exclude that from our approach. This may be within your lexicon or wheelhouse of knowledge. With your help maybe we could, for example, make a wetsuit or a vehicle that blends in better with the environment because the exterior will be alive." Max said to Lupe "Wow. Ten minutes with Mallory and she's already opened my mind to new ideas." He turned back to Mallory. "It would be an honor to work with you. Give me a few days to think about it and we'll get back together to work out the details." "Great." In the hallway Lupe said "See. It's smart to be all inclusive. That way our working environment stays positive."

After the meeting Nellie and Millie took off for their first lesson in flying a four seat calix fighter. Traveling at 200,000 miles per hour they crossed the continental United States in sixty seven seconds. The exciting part was the near instantaneous acceleration using magnetism to hold their bodies in place instead of being plastered all over the interior. The craft has an extreme cooling anti magnetic field in front to push away atoms keeping the hull cool with the immediate air temperature below the Curie point. Nellie had the time of her life. Millie said "It would be nice if our new friends at school could experience this." Nellie agreed. "But we have to keep our identity a secret because it wouldn't be us who would get hurt. It would be them. A bad guy could take a friend as hostage to get to us." "That's true. What you said the first day we met in Chicago is right. We need to be careful."

Lupe's New Boyfriend

The subsequent days at school were an easy slide scholastically for the young Pioneers and Norma's girls. Sunday, September 15th was Millie's tenth birthday. At noon she was given a surprise party at the research center where they decorated the cafeteria they call Valhalla in ancient Viking style including dragons. It was a blast.

Millie and Nellie invited their school friends over for a pool party at six. Brie, Allie, her older sister Angie, Cheli, and Bela came. Their parents were also invited. Millie's mom Ima, Tony, and K'anaka hosted the party.

At six Connie, Griffin Musk, Sophia, Larry, Norma, Lupe, Summer, Molly and her mom, Tracy and her mom and dad all went over to Bannister's house for an evening cookout. Her dad Ted had a mongo barbeque pit put in. The smell of sizzling steaks and hamburgers wafted through the air as guests arrived.

The get together was lots of fun for everyone except Lupe. She was with a crowd of people yet felt very much alone. Her mind kept drifting away to Austin and Sid. She asked Cletus to check and see what they were doing. Austin was at his desk in his bedroom doing homework. Sid was at the bowling alley with some friends. She was putting off the inevitable for way too long. Cletus had already placed additional security at both locations.

Connie walked up and put her arm around her. "You ok, girl?" Molly saw Lupe's sad face and walked over. "Just remember, he's a gentle spirit. Make sure this is what you want." Tracy saw them talking and came up. "Is it time? You know we support you with whatever decision you make." Bannister came up. "Stop it with the long face, Lupe. Go get him. You'll be so much happier. I can see it in your eyes. Go!" Lupe started giggling. "You know, I really do miss him." Bannister said "Come on. Let's go to my room where you can Blink out." Standing in Bannister's bedroom they wished Lupe good luck as she went through her cross your heart and poke your eye routine.

A month ago Lupe had fine-tuned her device so she would land only a couple inches above a surface instead of two feet. Her GPS was set to the bed next to his desk. She quietly landed. Austin glanced over and almost jumped out of his skin. "Lupe! You didn't tell me you were coming." "I'm sorry..." She gave him a sad look. "...But we need to talk. Cletus tells me all the girls at school adore you. You're such a good person. You've been loyal to me, but by now both of us know this just won't work. We are denying ourselves of spending time with other people. You know we're young only once. She caught herself and giggled. "Well at least the first time around only happens once." She paused then said in a serious tone "Austin, both of us need to have lots of friends, both male and female". She stopped talking and looked at him. His eyes turned very sad. He said "Believe it or not, you were my first love. And yes, I know you're busy with a thousand things. And god knows you're a million times smarter than me. And I know relationships must have parity. I knew there would be a time when you would outgrow me. Look at you. You're the most important person in history." Tears were rolling down Lupe's face. "Don't you understand that's like carrying a lead weight around my neck. I just want to be normal. To be understood. To be loved. But we both know this type of relationship won't work." "I know. I've known it for some time now. Listen, there are five sweet beautiful girls who would love to be with me. And, I actually like the attention. So go. Go talk to that guy you've been thinking about." "Why do you think I want to see another guy?" "Remember at the amusement park when Tracy was about to pluck my eyeballs out? We promised each other to end it before we saw anybody else. I'm not a brainiac but I do understand people, Lupe. So thanks for coming to me first. All couples should have that much respect for each other. So go. You need to see him and maybe many more before you settle down. Just remember... I love you and always will... You can talk to me anytime day or night. I'll always be here for you. Always." They hugged and kissed one last time. And she left.

She materialized behind the bowling alley at Fort Myer just across the Potomac from Washington, DC. One of Cletus's security guys was standing at the corner of the building. She motioned for him to stay put as she wiped away her tears and collected herself. She paced back and forth for at least five minutes thinking about what to say. "Will he even remember me? Maybe I should just go back to Las Cruces. He'll see I was crying. ...I don't want him to see me like this. Why do I do these crazy things?" After another five minutes she built up enough courage to go inside. She looked and looked for Sid but couldn't find him anywhere. Then she saw his unmistakable easy nerdy confident gait as he was heading for the exit. "Hey Sid. You forgetting something?" He stopped and turned to see a tall beautiful Native American Goddess with swollen eyes. He started walking toward her, but couldn't contain himself and ran. They collided into a giant embrace and a loving kiss. Looking deeply into his precious puppy dog eyes she said "You promised you'd show me around." She was trying to compose herself, wiping the tears and sniffling. He held her hand. "You're right. There's a Starbucks a block from here where we can talk. And later you might want to see a movie in our theater. I hear the six o'clock showing is good. It's a love story." They walked together hand in hand. Outside, she let go and put her arm around his shoulder looking down into his eyes and smiled as he was intelligently talking about everything under God's sun. Along the way she stopped and in Spanish recited lyrics from one of her favorite songs... (English translation) "Perhaps it will happen without rush and without wind. In some place from yesterday. I feel that you and I will meet and it might be strange. With hope, without rush and without voice, without any footsteps to follow. All song, all words, come and dance with the sound the wind makes when approaching your mouth and your skin." He continued in Spanish... "Look at me for an instant. Touch this silence that is ending and embrace the air turning into sky. Inside your breath and my thirst. It is the air that becomes the sky into my thirst. I suppose that you and I will eventually meet. We might not even notice. Maybe it will happen quickly and with wind in some new place. I feel that you and I will meet and it might be strange with hope, without rush, without voice. With dreams to begin." Lupe smiled "That's one of my favorites. I didn't know you knew Spanish." "Todas Las Palabras is a lonely mystical romantic song. Of course I know it." I'm fluent in French, Spanish, Mandarin, and English. Are you Native American?" "Yes. I'm half Seri from the coast of Sonora, Mexico. I know my people's language plus Spanish and English. And I'm working on three others." "I'd love to help you. Language is very easy to pick up." Lupe smiled. "Is that a fact... Are you showing off for me?" "Of course." "I like that. Hey, look. There's a Macaroni Grill. You hungry for spaghetti?" "Sure. Let me call my parents and tell them I won't be home for supper." After the call she smooched him a big one. They were soon seated looking over the menu. Sid casually said "Lupe......" "Yes?" "......I know who you are. I fell in love with your eyes the first time I saw you on TV July 1st, 2018. When I met you in June I felt I already knew you. Then a week later it came to me. I've watched the 2018 and 2019 videos a few times to remind me how beautiful you are. It's a deep honor and a privilege to know you. And I'm very happy you chose to come back. I promise I'll respect your privacy." Lupe sat for a few seconds looking into his eyes. "I knew you were special the day we met. Only two outsiders have been able to identify me. And now both of them are my friends. Actually one more, but she only suspects it. The world works in mysterious ways. You know if or when I'm publicly identified I'll have to immediately move you and your family into complete anonymity. If that's ok, then we can go forward with this." "It's a small price to pay to be your friend." "Great, now let's chow down on some sloppy spaghetti and you can tell me all about yourself." "I'm sure you've already checked my past." She giggled. "Yeah, but it's nicer when I can look into your expressive eyes as you tell me." Not wanting the evening to end, they sat for several hours telling stories and laughing while nursing their food through desert. As they were walking to his home she pulled him into a shadowed area between two buildings. She held his hand. "Is this going to hurt?" "No silly, I just want our date to end with a beautiful view. She pushed a button. He saw a flash of prismatic light. In an instant he was standing inside a large machine. "Let's go to the veranda." She walked him around to the other side of a 100 foot wide circular spacecraft positioned 2,112,000 feet above the United States. What she called the veranda was a glassed section with a full view up, across, and down. Facing the veranda was a long oversized couch with velour pillows and lots of stuffed animals. Millie was sitting hugging a big teddy bear. Next to her was Molly holding Tigger. Millie jumped up. "Geeze, you said it'd only be a few minutes. I've got a birthday party to get to." Looking at Sid she said "Remember me? I'm Millie." As they shook hands she turned to Lupe. "Other than being stupid in love, he's just fine." "Yes I do remember you. You must be Sparky. And you're Molly the mind reader." Molly looked at Lupe. "There's not a sinister bone in his body." Lupe said "Sorry Sid, but we can't afford to take any chances with a person we bring into our inner circle." "I understand." Millie grabbed both Lupe's and Sid's arms. "Go ahead, hug each other." They hesitated, clumsily working to find their hand and arm placement then they hugged. Millie put her arms around them. The energy bounced her off. "Good grief, I don't think I've ever felt that much intensity before. You teens are really weird." Lupe looked at her. "Well?..." Millie said "His emotions are off the scale and yours seemed to be in a very calm happy comfortable place, and yes, very intense." Molly said "My readings say every one of his body cells are focused on you and you alone. A speeding freight train could brush by him and he wouldn't even notice." Lupe said "Ok, I get the idea." Millie told Molly "Let's get out of here. I've got a pool party waiting for me." With that they Blinked. Lupe apologized saying "Millie can make people feel better just by touching them, but sometimes her bedside manner is a little abrupt." Sid wasn't listening. Lost in her beautiful eyes he pulled her close again and they kissed. After a few moments the intensity and desire was causing her to lose control. She pulled away, smiled and whispered "Not on our first date. Let's sit down and cool off while we look at earth, the moon, and the stars." Sid didn't know up or down, left or right. His consciousness was all a blur as he sat holding hands with this unbelievably beautiful brilliant Seri Indian goddess. He thought to himself "God, I love her." Lupe said "We just launched this vehicle last week. It's a stationary sentential maintaining itself in geosynchronous orbit 400 miles over the US. It's an early warning system to detect cloaked spacecraft. We have one on the other side of earth too. Its optics are cutting edge. Along with detecting all wave signatures I developed a reverse sensory system. If the sensors see total blackness an alert is given to our stations on earth. See, total blackness shouldn't exist. There's at least faint light everywhere. We also imagined some cloaking devices would project what is behind them to blend into space. But the projector better be perfect because our computers can detect subtle wave differences as it moves across. And in addition to that, the Calix provided us with cutting edge magnetic technology. This station is one of many we will use to stop deadly trash circling the earth so we can collect and properly dispose of it. Pretty cool, huh?"

Sid only caught half what she was saying. "Yes it is. You know your lips are sculpted like those in Vermeer's painting of the Girl with a Pearl Earring." Lupe became upset and slapped him on the shoulder. "I want you to stop it with this adoring shit, Sid. I'm just a regular girl who happens to be hot and a little smarter than most. Get it, you sensitive handsome drink of water? If you want this relationship to grow you have to treat me like an equal. Ok? Just be your bright good natured self and treat me like you would any other girl you'd like."

"Lupe, I don't know how the guys in your past relationships were, but I am treating you like a girl I could love. That doesn't in any way diminish who I am. I'll be me no matter what. You see I'm a contradiction in terms. I can easily see myself intensely caring for you, but unlike a parent with their child, I would never give my love in an unqualified way. If you become someone I wouldn't want to be with, I would leave. I wouldn't stand by and be emotionally hurt, humiliated, manipulated, used, or made to feel small, useless, or insignificant. That's not a relationship. It's idiocy. I'm not a mousey guy who wants to be stepped on. I'm an easygoing, thoughtful, caring person. My IQ is 150 but my heart Q is much higher." Lupe put her arms around him and they passionately kissed. He stood up. "Let's stop. I don't want to do something I might regret later. .....A poet once wrote 'When a man makes love to a woman she leaves a little piece of her in his heart. Therefore, you must tread carefully young man. Even though the heart is the strongest organ, it can easily be broken if honest love given goes unrequited'." Lupe romantically smiled. "Does this ameliorate your concerns?" She softly kissed him and whispered in his ear "I could easily fall in love with you." After taking a deep breath to cool himself down he said "Mom is probably wondering if I've fallen off the face of the earth. But before we go, I'd like to sit here and calm down for a moment." After a few minutes of looking at the stars he squeezed her hand and said "Would you like me to recite a poem for you?" "Sure." "It goes... Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of.... wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. Hovering there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air... Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace where never lark, or even eagle flew. And while with silent lifting mind I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand, and touched the face of God. John Gillespie Magee, Jr. wrote this beautiful piece a few months before he died in a plane crash during World War II. He was only 19." "That was very beautiful." She moved to kiss him again. Sid pleaded "Please, let's stop with this precious moment. This memory I'll treasure for a thousand lifetimes. What do you say we head back."

While walking home she said "Tell your mom you didn't fall off the earth. Tell her you were zapped off by a mad physicist." "Sure. Mom won't become suspicious at all after that. I'll just tell her I fell for a heavenly creature. I'll tell her she sweetens my coffee with her kiss and softens my dreams with her sigh." Lupe blushed. He continued talking about everything he could think of until sadly they reached his home. After a passionate goodnight kiss Lupe left feeling like a wonderful new door had opened in her life. She breezed through work the next couple days accomplishing much more than she normally does. They agreed to see each other the next Sunday. But by Wednesday morning they were texting each other like crazy kids in love. That evening she took him up on the movie invitation. The six o'clock showing was a love story about a guy and a girl who happened to meet by chance and it changed their lives forever.

Monroe

It was near the end of September when Max Skinner saw Mallory in the hallway. "Hey, I've been looking for you." He pulled out a micro SD card from his wallet. "This week I asked my son if he needed any help with his project. He said except for a few tweaks the project was complete. I asked him what it was about and he wouldn't say. He wanted to surprise me at the judging and said I'd be very proud of him." "So you broke into his computer and absconded with the information. Shame on you, Mr. Skinner." "You can call me Max. He put in three levels of security before I could reach the file. And even that was encrypted. It was a challenge but I finally cracked it. Haven't had time to look at it, being tied up with a zillion projects. But this should help. Remember... be very nice and helpful so he can gain more trust in women. And please don't tell him what I did." "I won't. Thanks."

Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Tracy and Lupe walked into Max's lab. Tracy said "Max can we go over some things with you in the conference room?" "Sure, be glad to. Is it about my spectrometry experiment from last week? The results look really good." As they were walking to the conference room Lupe smiled "No. It's not about your experiments. It's much bigger than that." As he walked in he saw the room full of Pioneers plus K'akana." "Oh my goodness, what did I do?" Elon said "Max, good to see you. Have a seat. We need to talk about your son." He felt a rush of heat run through his body as he nervously sat down. "Please don't tell me he compromised some of our work." Elon said "No, quite the opposite. Mallory saw what your son did and she brought the other young Pioneers into it. First of all they figured out the science project "team" was really Monroe. The other boys apparently only did grunt work for your son. Max, what he's done is extraordinary. Let's have Lupe, our mission leader, explain." Lupe opened with "Your son is an incredible genius. He has formulated a method to communicate with alien beings. We were lucky in March with the Calix. They are high level creatures who can communicate telepathically. And we had Molly and K'akana who could communicate with them. Maybe it was due to intelligent design or just dumb luck. Who knows. But what happens, and this has been troubling us since we started planning the mission, what happens if we encounter beings who can't do that? We'd be relegated to hand, facial, and other body gestures. We can make sounds but they may have no idea how to interpret them. We could draw things and still the communication link may not be established. Hopefully we could read their minds but we can't guarantee that either. It was all a big unknown. But when Mallory showed me your son's work it was phenomenal. It's such a simple concept yet so comprehensive. I wanted to immediately bring your son into the facility as a research scientist and have him go to school part time like us. But we talked at length about his psyche and how he was crushed when his mother hit the road abandoning you guys." K'akana said "Right now your son's emotions are fragile. He doesn't need to know you breeched his trust. Even if it was for a good cause. It might crush him. Since he's your son and probably much like you I believe that no matter how tough he comes across, he's a gentle malleable spirit." After a moment of putting this all together in his mind, Max's eyes began to tear. ..."Robert Burns once wrote 'The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy.' I didn't mean for this to happen. The last thing in the world I want is to hurt my son." Summer said "We won't. Absolutely not. Instead we're going to carry on this subterfuge as you had planned. The young Pioneers have some ideas to help improve his project and Mallory will innocently present them to him next week." An uncomfortable period of silence ensued as they looked to Max for a response. Max asked "I'm sorry, but what exactly did he do?" The room broke into laughter. Elon said "We bypassed the most important thing... He found a way to use sounds to reach the minds of any creature by having visual, tactile, smell, and other wave length responses that provide an emotional biofeedback, using an extremely impressive algorithm that compiles all the information. The data collection process of what he calls "auditory stimuli conversations" occur at the beings subconscious level at a speed thousands of times faster than otherwise could be accomplished when they are trying to communicate at a conscious level. It's very detailed, but amazingly simple. Like the sound a small silver bell makes. The algorithm will log the mental response, be it visual, taste, smell, tactile, feelings, and judgments. I'm saying sounds, but he has gone across the entire wave spectrum in case the being's sensory reception and response system is completely different than ours. Max, your son is a genius." Elon started to clap and the rest joined in. This was Max Skinner's proudest moment. "I always felt my son was destined for great things." Molly said "And we will make sure he feels good about the world." Elon added "Like Lupe never gave up when she was shoved down into a hole by our old immoral capitalistic society. I can see by your son's notes he attacked the impossible without giving up either. So, not a word to anybody about our conversation here. This is top secret to protect your son." After the meeting, as everyone was leaving they all stopped and shook Max's hand. He was walking on air. When he got home that night (with Elon's help to get him a reservation) he took his son to the Double Eagle Restaurant in Old Mesilla. He said it was nothing special, it was just because he loved him.

A week later Mallory walked by a lab at school where Monroe and his grunts were fine tuning the project. "Have you seen Brooklyn? I was supposed to meet her here in the hallway. Monroe said "Did you come to spy on me?" The others covered the work. He said "It's ok guys. There's no way she can beat us. Let's give her a small whiff of defeat." "I don't know what you're talking about. I only wondered if you had seen Brooklyn. Sorry for disturbing you." Monroe urged "Don't leave. Wouldn't you like to see our project? I'll give you a sneak peak." "Not really. I shouldn't even be here. It's not right." Monroe said "Let me show how fantastic this is. Come here, it's ok." She cautiously walked in. He briefly went over the stages of learning about creatures through their responses from waves. She quietly listened and periodically asked questions or offered suggestions. The minutes turned into a half hour as they exchanged ideas. At the end he said "You know what? You're very smart. And cute, too." "Thanks, but it's obvious you have the best project. So if you're going to slaughter us, I might as well help to maybe make it better. Next time I'll talk to you about our projects." She batted her beautiful eyes, flipped her hair back and smiled. "See ya at lunch tomorrow." As she was walking out he said "You know what, I still think girls are selfish self-absorbed nattering shrews who can't think themselves out of a wet paper sack." She chuckled "That's ok. Think what you like. But you may be missing out on a lot of fun." She coquettishly smiled and flirtatiously sashayed away.

Thursday, October 17, 2019, Brooklyn invited Monroe to come sit with them. Brook with a smile said "Have a seat." He confidently sat down. "What's up or better phrased, are you officially giving up?" Beverly said "No silly, although from what Mallory told us, you're probably going to win." "So what's up?" Mallory said "We built some of the devices we're entering in the science fair. Terry, Angie, Rita, and Nora can't go with us this weekend to test them. Their teachers assigned too much homework. So that leaves only us four, unless you'd like to come along." "You need me to help you? Why?" Hope said "We invented a device that attaches to the legs which provides extra strength and endurance. It also monitors the body's metabolism, and if necessary it will dose medication or fluids into the body. We carried out some tests in the lab, but we need to physically go out into an area with moderate to rapid elevation ascent for hikers. You seem to be in good shape so we're inviting you to come with us this weekend. It's just outside of Glenwood. We're going to walk up Whitewater Creek about four or five miles starting at the Catwalk. Have you ever been there?" "Well yeah, last year. It's really beautiful." "Good, because we haven't. We just heard about it and thought it would be a good test area. Would you like to come along? You showed me your project. Now we can show you ours." Hope said "The prosthetic limb assists are ultra light. Stick on sensors attach to the legs to give commands for movement. We also created a version which can wirelessly connect to the brain in case nerve bundles going out to the limbs are severed." Monroe said "So you all created a device that helps people walk. Sure, I'm game. When and where do we meet for the trip?" Beverly said "See if it's ok with your parents. We're planning to leave right after lunch tomorrow. We'll bring the backpacking gear. All you need to bring is a change of clothes in case it rains. We'll gather at the entrance to the student parking lot. Beverly's mom and dad are taking us."

Friday, October 18th. It's 1:00pm and the four young Pioneers along with Monroe are waiting for Bev's parents to come pick them up. Eventually a large van with tinted windows pulled up and the side door opened. "Jump in you guys. Ready to have some fun?" Bev was first in. "I am. It's been a long week." Next up was Monroe. He looked in and saw some other girls were going. "Lupe, Tracy, Molly? What are you doing here?" Lupe said "We just started a club that promotes excellence in science and technology. Bev told us about the trip. At first we didn't want to go because of homework and all that stuff. But at the last minute we changed our minds. Who in the world would say no to a trip to the Gila Wilderness? I hope you don't mind." Monroe said "I'm along for the ride too. The more the merrier, even if you are girls." Lupe laughed "You must have had some lousy experiences with girls Monroe. Not all of us are bad."

On I-10 just west of Las Cruces the van pulled into a large rest stop and parked. Monroe asked if something was wrong with the engine. Mallory sitting next to him said "Monroe, we have to tell you something. Something very big..." She looked at him for a moment... "Are you ready?" "Oh my God, are you going to bump me off and throw my body out in the desert?" Lupe laughed. "No stupid. You really have a vivid imagination. That's what I like about you." Tracy said "Let Mallory finish." Mallory continued "Well, are you ready?" "Whatever. Just don't hurt me." She slowly said "You are sitting with seven of the young Pioneers of the United States of America. See the vehicles behind us? They're packed with agents making sure we stay safe." "What did you say? Are you pulling some kind of stunt?" Tracy calmly said "No. We really are, see... She ripped off an armrest and smashed it to pieces with her hands. "I'm the one who came up with super strength." Monroe became pale and frantically looked around. "I need some fresh air." He slid the door open stepped out and collapsed. Mallory jumped out screaming. Tracy and Molly followed. Tracy said "Well, we did it again... His vitals seem ok... What do you see, Molly?" "He's in light shock. I'm working with his brain to calm him down." Mallory was very upset. On her hands and knees she opened a bottle of water and splashed it on his face. He came to. She sat him up and medicated a scrape on his arm. "Poor baby, we scared the hell out of you. Are you ok?" "I'm not sure." "Come on, let's go for a walk and we'll talk about it." He carefully stood. With Mallory holding his arm, the two of them slowly walked into the desert. She looked at him with angelic eyes. "It's just that we're short on time. Our mission to the Zeta Reticuli Star System is a little over a month from now. And your invention could play a key role in its success. So we needed to drop it on you all at once instead of easing you into it." She stopped and faced him. "You're very sweet... and kind of handsome for a nerd. I don't want anything to happen to you." Pulling him closer, she gently kissed his lips. "How are you feeling now?" His eyes were closed. "Pretty good. How about another." "You bad boy. Here, just one more." After the wet kiss he kind of forgot about everything. "Where'd you get those blue almond shaped eyes, blonde hair, and dark skin? The combination is very unusual." She laughed "Yep, you're a genuine nerd. In addition to feeling the moment you start examining and interrogating me. You're cute. Did you know that?" "I've been told a few times." They sat on a large rock far away from the rest stop. The other Pioneers were waiting patiently on concrete picnic tables under an awning next to the van. Monroe asked "So, if you have a formula for super strength, then why have the appendage assists? Isn't it a little redundant?" "That's the idea. We've been planning several backups for everything. What if for some odd reason the strength drug doesn't work? What if the atmosphere nullified it? What if the aliens we confront nullify it? We would need the super powerful legs. We also have incredibly powerful arm and hand assists." "Good point."

After a pause looking at a snake slither by, Mallory opened "You know I never had a mom. It's just been me and my dad." "How come?" Well, dad married very young. He was from a wealthy family. But they came into hard times and lost everything. It happened only a few years after he was married. After the bankruptcy she hit the road with a millionaire. On the way out she told my dad she only married him for his money. And she was tired of him constantly working out and really tired of his stupid 'Dudley Do Right' attitude. He was really devastated. He was so hurt he never married again. A few years later, his rich buddies brought him into a new venture. With his mind and their money, their net worth exploded in a short period of time."

Monroe suggested "Becoming wealthy after he shed that blood sucking bitch actually helped him." "That's true. But it ruined his view of women. She broke his heart." Monroe asked "So I guess you're adopted." "No. I'm genetically his daughter. See even though he couldn't trust women anymore, he still wanted a child. He felt cheated. So he looked around and found this repository. He chose a special woman who had donated her eggs. She was 28 when she died in a car accident. She spent her brief adult life helping people. She was a genius who created a billion dollar business all on her own. In her Will she donated all of her net worth to charities for abused women. Daddy knew she was the one... the one he never got to meet who could have been his perfect soul mate. He paid the people a hundred thousand dollars. Their lab combined his gamete with hers to make me. He said it's the best thing he ever did. Every day growing up with my dad has been pure sunshine."

She continued "We've always loved the ocean. When he was able to conduct most of his business via the internet, we moved to Costa Rica. Then the Big Change happened. He offered his services as a liaison between the US and many of the agricultural co-ops in Costa Rica. The rest is history. That is until his baby started inventing things. It caught the old Pioneers attention, and now... here I am talking to you on this large rock out in the middle of the desert, far away from my beautiful Pavones."

"You're a deep person, Mallory. Not the stereotypical self-absorbed bitch who only looks out for herself." She laughed "No, I'm definitely not that like that bitch who walked out on my dad. Thank God." She held his hand. "Are you feeling any better? We could sure use your help on our trip to the Zeta System. You'd probably come with us since you're the creator of that amazing device." He said "You and I have a similar past, except I was raised by the bitch who eventually dumped me and my dad for a piece of crap with lots of money. I guess that's why I've been leery of all females. When she left it really crushed my dad. As a pathological tick, he started playing loud music. I guess it eases his mind. I'm very angry at her. That's why I've never looked for, located, and confronted the bitch. I might seriously hurt her. Nobody does that to my dad! Nobody!" Gently holding his hand she said "Monroe, this world works in mysterious ways. Think about it. Your mom bailed on you guys. Your dad was torn apart and started playing loud music to sooth his soul. And guess what. Your invention keys off of your dad's tick. It subconsciously gave you the inspiration. Now you've created the communication bridge that the Pioneers have been looking for for years!" He was dumfounded. "I never thought of it that way." She flirtatiously smiled and stood. "You ready to check out the appendage assists for our trip to Zeta." "Sure, why not." As they were walking back he asked "Was it your plan all along to lure me in with your feminine wiles so I'd do something I'll regret later?" With a devilish look she reached back and slapped him hard on the butt. "Ouch!" She winked "Of course." As they approached the tables he said "Well come on. Let's go. We've got some equipment to test."

After they were all seated in the vehicle, Lupe said "I hate wasting time. It'll take over four hours to get there in this van. If you don't mind, Monroe, how about we go there immediately. And, I promise it won't hurt." "Let's do it." They all held hands. Poof. The point where the south fork of Whitewater Creek joins the main body is where they appeared. Twenty security guards wearing Kevlar and holding machine guns were on the ground. Two silent choppers were hovering just above the treetops. A C130 gunship with advanced optics and infrared detection was high above.

The Pioneers were busy placing the assists on their legs when a flying saucer appeared and landed next to them. The domed canopy opened and Nellie's head popped out. "Hey guys." Millie's head also popped out. "Greetings earthlings. We come in peace. Take us to your leader."

Mallory turned to Monroe. "Those crazy girls are always being silly." Nellie said "I heard that. Come over here so I can slap you silly. Oops, you already are. Hahahahaha." Millie joined the laughter. "Hey guys, guess what." Brooklyn appealed "Somebody say what or she'll pester us to death." Bev said "What Millie." "Remember the movie 'War of the Worlds'." Mallory slowly said "Yes..." "You guys stop being such stick in the muds. Me and Nellie are just having a little fun. Check this out." All of a sudden six large legs of green electricity lifted the craft ten feet above their heads. "Cool, huh." Then Millie shot out harmless white beams of electricity at the bushes and trees while she made laser sounds as the green legs were walking the craft."

Lupe said "Ok you guys, playtime's over with. Come on down so we can hook you up to these devices." "You ruin all our fun." Lupe thought for a moment and asked "Is Clank with you? Have you been nice to him? No practical jokes?" Clank popped his head out. "I love their energy and laughter, but they are driving me nuts. For my sanity please have them do something else." Nellie laughed "We played a trick on him. With Millie's powers she made the fighter dive to the ground. Clank was yelling we're going to crash! Then at the last moment Millie pulled out of the dive. He landed and we jumped out rolling on the ground laughing. You should have seen his face. Hahahaha."

Clank sat the fighter down and opened the door. "Lupe, why do little humans get so much pleasure out of scaring other creatures?" She said "It's a dark flaw in our DNA. Kind of like human laughter is a narcotic for you guys." "Excellent point. Would you please occupy their time with other endeavors. Please." "Ok guys, fun time's over. Let's get you hooked up. You need to learn how to use these."

Several more Calix craft landed. One was very large which had a contingent of soldiers emptying out to set up a perimeter. Monroe looked down at Mallory putting the equipment on his legs. "Watching soldiers practice doesn't give me warm fuzzies." "They've been practicing for weeks in mountains, deserts, jungles, and oceans. These guys are very serious. But they operate under a primary mandate. We'll never take any aggressive action or fire any weapons unless we're attacked. Lupe and Taze of the Calix made this an imperative." Beverly approached Monroe with a tiny tool. "Molly and Tracy fine-tuned our potential edibles analyzer. It works very well. It determines the chemical structure and decides if it's harmful or ok to eat. It will also point out chemicals, molecules, compounds, even atoms not found on either earth or the Calix planet."

Lupe called out "Would force protection please gather here for a second." After a couple minutes "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to pass out some new PPE. You can throw your old Kevlar helmets away. These are much better." She held one up. "See this small piece on top? It's like a miniature phased array radar, except no waves are emitted. Instead it takes in all the waves emitted from the environment and decides what's out there. It can tell if a warm body is hiding in the bushes, or it can see wave anomalies that will tell you if something is cloaked. If you are under attack it will instantly view everything and will know the good guys from the bad. If an attacker fires a weapon it will instantly take counter measures to stop the bullet, particle beam, or whatever. This will become your best friend. Not only can it see all wavelengths, it can smell a million times better than humans. If a creature was standing 30 minutes earlier where you're standing, my system will tell you. And it will tell you which direction it went. And it confirms by visually surveying the ground and smelling the scent as you proceed."

Major Stoddard spoke up "So it can distinguish between friend and foe?" "Yes. It will instantly retaliate to shield you from harm if you are attacked with high intensity waves or projectiles. You were the lead soldier at S4 last June. The guy who guarded us after we disclosed who we were." "Yes ma'am, and you brought us here to be on this mission." "Yes I did, because you demonstrated loyalty and restraint. Remember how we took down the rogue soldiers?" "Yes ma'am, you used sound and light." "That's right. What your best buddy will also do is stop loud sounds, harsh light, extreme heat or cold, stinky or toxic odors, and so on. With each head piece comes complete instructions for you to read. I want you to take an online test in three days. In the meantime please use them as much as you can, starting now. General Jackson will answer any questions. You're dismissed, and thank you very much."

She turned to her group. "Let's hit the trail guys. I'd like to catch some mountain trout before we make me'me's under the stars." Monroe walking next to Mallory commented "She talked to the soldiers like she was their commander." Mallory replied "She is. She and nine other Pioneers are the top US commanders." "Interesting. I would never have guessed. She's in my AP English class. Most of the time she's goofing off with a bunch of low class reprobates. When she's not doing that she likes to lean back and put her feet up on an empty chair in front of her with her hands behind her head and daydream. The teacher is always on her about paying attention." Mallory replied "From what I understand, Lupe has always been a rebel. She's friends with everybody especially those who've had a hard time in life. I guess others see them as reprobates, but Lupe doesn't. Even though she's an egghead, all the tough guys in school love and admire her. That's because she's one of them."

Seven miles later up the sloping narrow trail the young Pioneers stopped to take a break. It leveled off for a short distance. A small stream of cool water was running on one side. The other side had a steep 80' rock face that was begging to be climbed. A short distance back down the trail were many deep pools teaming with trout. Tracy said "It can't get any better than this, guys. Why don't we stop and set up camp." They all agreed.

That night around the campfire Lupe told her papi's rabbit man story. The younger Pioneers eyes were wide open frozen with fear as the campfire's light flickered on their faces. Lupe was very serious near the end. She said "They sped out of that place as fast as they could. Driving out, they stopped to see the dead mountain lion hanging from an ancient fence post. Most of its meat had been ripped from its body leaving only his head, legs, and skin. A small piece of smooth animal hide was nailed to the carcass. On it was written these words. "You're already dead. It's only a matter of time." Then the mountain lion came to life like a zombie and grabbed the post he was hanging from. He got off and ran away. Only legs, head, and skin running away. ...(pause)... It's been over forty years since that day and as far as I know Gene and John are still looking behind them expecting at any moment to have their chest ripped open. .....(pause)...... Guys...... Look over there behind the trees. It looks like something's moving in the shadows. I wonder if rabbit men live in the mountains. Looook!" The girls and Monroe started screaming moving closer together. Monroe screamed the loudest. With a satisfied look Lupe said "Good story, huh?" Hope wanted to know if it was true. Lupe said "Dad never told us. What he did say was "Instead of being afraid of rabbit men, you must become one." Hope said "What?" My papi explained "Instead of cowering in fear you must become strong and powerful enough to face any kind of danger." Nellie said "That story and my mom taking those two guys down the next day totally changed my life. I realized I had to be smart and strong enough to take on any challenge." Tracy said "And we've got one hell of a big one next month." Lupe said "We have the best of the best from two planets for this mission. And somehow I feel Ruth will be watching too." Lupe raised her water bottle. "To a successful mission!" All raised their bottles. "To the mission!" The rest of the evening was spent star gazing. Molly said the Zeta system can only be seen in the southern hemisphere. She took her ipad out and brought up the night sky view from a southern satellite. "We'll be at this tiny dot of light next month." Millie said "Ultimately we'll be safe." Lupe said "It's that unknown path that gets us to ultimately that I don't like." Nellie said "Millie and I have been dreaming that we need to go there before they come here. For the safety of the people on earth." Molly added "Me, too."

Eventually fatigue won out. A peaceful night under the stars was complimented by the nocturne of the flowing lazy stream, crackling of fire embers, and the cooing of birds .

Testing the Second Generation Blinking Unit

It was near the end of October. The Calix finished constructing the massive mother ship which measured a quarter mile across. Lupe built a large Blinking unit to teleport the craft. It will be placed in the ship's center. An orb will encircle the ship just before Blinking occurs. Everything inside will be sent. She successfully tested it on an old mothballed aircraft carrier. Now it was time to test it on the "Big Mother".

Lupe arrived at the construction complex just outside the Calix's major city of Quando. She brought Millie, her mom Ima, Tony, and K'akana. Lupe felt if you distill all it down, Millie, K'akana, and Taze are the greatest defensive weapons in their arsenal. Both Taze and K'akana had amulets from the Infinitum.

Mike landed the same large rover used on their first mission in March. Tang and Taze stepped to the door with a smile. "Greetings earthlings." Lupe gave them both a big hug. "Are you as excited as I am?" Taze smiled her little mouth "Cautious, but very excited. Let's hurry and get it installed." Mike, Tang, and his guys were busy unloading the device while the others went to the ship's cafeteria. They sat down with glasses of ice tea. Lupe introduced tea to them last month and the Calix went nuts over it. Even though their energy comes from rocks, they still have to consume water. With a worried look Lupe admitted "Taze, all of my psychic friends are having bad dreams about this trip." "I sensed that from you." "K'akana and Summer are the most concerned. They keep telling me their night visions are saying it's not all as it seems. There is something dark and sinister there. And they are waiting for us." K'akana said "Usually my visions are very distinct, but these are blurry like they are being blocked." Lupe added "Molly, her mom, and Millie are having similar dreams." Taze said "Isn't it better to go there than have them come to us? Surprise is the best weapon. If they are a problem then we must confront them now. And, they might be hurting other life forms on their planet. Our role may be bigger than you think." Very worried, Lupe said "The evil may be greater than we can imagine." Taze in her wisdom countered "I don't think they are more powerful than the many possibilities we have anticipated and prepared ourselves for." "But what if they're something completely different than what we've expected? That would give them an edge over us. Since they probably know we're coming, if they're sinister, they've most certainly laid traps for us." "That's what your psychics are upset about?" Millie said "Last week I woke up late at night in a cold sweat. I called Nellie to come over and sleep with me to protect my spirit. We've been sleeping together ever since." With a worried look Millie continued "In our dreams we go back to ancient times where we're riding our dragon through a dark mist constantly eluding creatures trying to kill us. It's getting really old." Lupe said "I wish we had more time to understand what's going on there." Taze said "I don't believe lack of time is the impediment. Neither of our species have all the necessary tools to detect all life forms on our reconnaissance missions. We will have to go there. Our edge will be their ignorance of exactly who we are and what we are capable of." Lupe said "So may I briefly go over the possibilities I'm worrying about?" "Of course. And maybe we can think of something else as you vocalize them." "Ok. Here's the first. We are multi-celled beings that bind into a single organism. They could have the ability to exist as single celled creatures that, if needed could break apart to form multiple beings of different sizes and appearances. A common mind could link them together. Or they could inject live drone like viruses into our systems. The drones would still be part of them and they'd be attacking us from the inside out." Taze replied "We've prepared for that." "I know, but is it enough? Then I worry about beings who are nothing but live energy without any form." "We've considered that also. You must be going through what humans call last minute jitters. Worrying is counterproductive when you just ruminate in a circular fashion. You humans don't deal with stress very well, so instead of worrying about something we don't yet know about why don't all of us go play a game of pool. Tang's daughter brought a table back from her trip, and now it is all the rave. We've made ten thousand tables so far." Lupe giggled "Things we take for granted you go crazy over. That's cool. Ok, let's go and I'll show you how a real hustler plays." A couple hours later Tang and Mike came in. "We've completed the installation and everything is ready to go." Taze said "Great. Let's see if it works. Other than us in this room, I want every living being off this ship in fifteen minutes. That includes you gentlemen. And make sure it's completely sealed. Then we will Blink this ship twenty parsecs out into empty space." "Everyone is already off, and we will seal the ship on the way out. The defense system is on full automatic and the autopilot is engaged. Give us ten minutes to exit." "Excellent, Tang." "Good luck."

In fifteen minutes the group was standing in the control room of the ship. Taze said. "I am ready when you are." "Then let's do this. Cross my finger and poke your eye, goodbye Milky Way." Lupe pulled the switch. Everything went totally silent and the passengers went into a mental limbo. Minutes later the vessel materialized. Taze asked the ship to vector the star charts and give their location. It replied "You are outside the Milky Way Galaxy at the exact point the Blinking unit was set for." Standing silently in awe they looked out of a large window facing their galaxy. Taze clasped Lupe's hand "Thank you. Building this machine is the least I can do for the privilege of standing alongside you as the first beings of our galaxy to see its entirety." K'akana said "Don't be so sure about that Taze. I think we are not alone." Millie chimed in. "I'm feeling really creepy right now, like we're being watched. Can't you feel it?" Taze said "We're telepathic and can feel things, but we're not as metaphysical as you." Lupe commanded "Ship controls... do a long distance hyperlightyear scan starting at fifty billion kilometers. Look for any moving background anomaly which would indicate anything including a cloaked craft." After five seconds the ship replied "There is something coming toward us. Estimated arrival time is ten minutes." Taze said "Please initiate a retreat from the unknown entity matching their velocity. Continue to analyze it." Taze said "Drop several sensors into the void within a million strips of metallic confetti." "Done. We are maintaining the same distance... Now the object is speeding up and we are successfully matching its velocity... There is a problem. The sensor probes have stopped reporting." Millie was becoming alarmed. "I have to look and see what it is." With one arm firmly holding a ship's support beam she said "Computer, every five seconds tell me its location while I send out a beam." The ship replied "Done." She turned the vessel with her powers so the window faced the object. She held up her arm and shot a narrow green beam of light straight at the object's location. Millie's body started shaking violently, and was thrown back. "Lupe, get us out of here. Now!" "Lupe yelled "Increase our speed tenfold to see if they reciprocate." The computer replied "They accelerated to match our speed." Lupe said "They're playing with us like a toy. I'm Blinking out. Taze said wait a second... Ship, please quarantine yourself after we return. Don't release the power orb until you're completely scrubbed." Lupe set the Blinking device and pulled the lever. The ship shuttered for a moment then disappeared safely returning to Quando. Lupe asked Millie what she saw. "I saw the face of the devil himself." Taze said "It apparently got into your mind and used your greatest fears against you. Remember what Ruth told us her best weapon was?" Millie said "But it was so real... I need to put up a stronger wall around my mind." K'akana said "If this is a prelude to what evil exists on Zeta, then we all must have better mind shielding."

Taze said "We feel secure living on our planets. But we shouldn't." Lupe said "I agree. Ignorance is not bliss. Look what happened to us with the Crucible." "True. On our missions we must tread lightly but carry a big stick." "You've been reading our history." "Yes, I liked Teddy Roosevelt and his passion to protect the environment." "Me too."

The ship completely checked itself and the computer system was rebooted using offsite memory. No problems.

A Little Rest & Relaxation

6:30am, Friday, November 8th, 2019. Everyone was totally burned out from preparing for the mission. The Bandidas decided to take a quick trip to New York City to check out their pet projects. Then it was off to Hawaii for a little R&R. Brooklyn was excited about the trip to NYC but she kept why to herself.

They Blinked to a secure warehouse about six blocks from the middle school they were going to visit. It's called MS582 in Bushwick. Brook took off running, totally ignoring security as they yelled for her to stop. She flung open the metal door, stood on the sidewalk looking down the street and began running to the bodega on the corner. Mike chased after her. "Brooklyn, stop. Please stop. It could be dangerous for you out here. We have a van that'll take us." "No way." By this time Lupe caught up. "I've got to do this, Lupe. Sorry. See over there? That's my bodega." "Can we at least wait until everybody catches up? Then you can show us around. Is that a deal?" "It's a Deal. I'll be across the street saying hello." She ran across and was almost hit by a car. Lupe motioned for Mike to hurry and get the others. Brooklyn opened an old wooden door with thick beveled glass. Bells above the door jingled. The owner's son was busy cooking eggs and heating several slices of ham for a customer. His dad came out from the back. "Missy! Where have you been?" He walked over and gave her a big hug. "I was worried something happened to you." "I'm fine. Thermopolis, this is my friend Lupe. We were in the neighborhood and I thought I'd come by and say hello and let her sample the best bacon egg and cheese on earth." He belly laughed, smiling from ear to ear. "You did, did you? Well my little spring flower, I'll have my son start cooking yours right away." He said something in Greek to his son. Looking up "Missy, nice to see you again. I make the best sandwich for my girl right now. You want more than one?" "Not sure. Go ahead and make six and cut each one in half." Milo walked over to check out a voice that sounded very much like her favorite customer. "Milo!" He ran up, jumped in her arms purring. He was a huge white cat with black spots. She sat down at a small table along the wall rubbing the back of his neck. Lupe was amazed at how loud Milo purred. "He purrs loud because he loves me. Isn't that right, my cute little Milo." By now the store was full of Bandidas. "This is my bodega, guys. Let me treat you to a taste of the best food ever." Hope said "So this is what you call a bodega. Looks like small general store like we have back at home. Except here it's nice and warm." They all saw that Brooklyn was homesick. The simple pleasure of sitting down petting her furry friend and hugging a nice old store keep who always made sure she had the best... well, it just made her day.

At that moment, the owner's grandson ran into the store. "Here's the bread you wanted Papa. Is there anything I can bring you after school?" Brooklyn sat the cat down and stood. "Demetrius....... It's been a long time." "Missy. You dropped off the face of the earth. I've been wondering if you were ok." He hugged her and whispered "I really missed you. Are you back now?" She saw everyone staring. "Let's go outside while your dad finishes cooking." In a few minutes the Bandidas had their sandwiches. They were taking small bites while looking out the window at the two. Brooklyn and Demetrius were slowly walking away holding hands. She apologized for not telling him about moving. "My dad testified in a big criminal case. He was put in the witness protection program after they tried to kill him. A helicopter landed on the street outside our home at two in the morning. Mom woke me up and said we had to leave immediately. I couldn't tell anybody. Hope you understand." "Are you ok?" "Sure, but I really miss this place. I miss you the most, Deme. How's everybody doing?" "We're fine. Not much has changed. Except did you hear Carrie died. A brain embolism. Other than Carrie everybody else is fine. Every once in a while Miguel asks if I've heard from you." "He was a good friend. I miss him, but not like you Deme. Listen, I'm here because my friend inside is very wealthy and she put some improvements in at our old middle school. She's here to see the results. I'm only here for a few hours." They walked further down the sidewalk and into an alley. She said "I promise I'll call you, but I have to stay hidden for at least a few years." He said "You know... you and I were good together. You were always studying and telling me about crazy science stuff I could never understand. And I was always taking you away to have fun. Remember the carousel we rode all day under the Brooklyn Bridge? And the good times we had together at Champions Tae Kwon Do?" "The roller coaster at Coney Island was my favorite. We had a lot of fun together you and me..." He stopped her and gently pressed his lips against hers. "This is what I miss the most. You captured my heart but then you were gone." She said "I had to. And, don't worry I really am ok. I promise some time down the road we will see each other again. The reality is because of distance, we'll probably be in other relationships of one kind or another. But I promise I will come back and at least say hello to see how you're doing." She passionately kissed him. His closed eyes sadly opened. "You kiss me and now you leave." "I want you to remember me, Deme." "How could I ever forget you?" "Take care of yourself." "I will. We better go back. I'm already late and my first period teacher is an ogre."

After a sad goodbye, Demetrius took off running to his first class. By now all the bandidas were standing outside with Brooklyn. Tracy hugged her. "He seems like a great guy. Check on him from time to time. Just remember it has to be a surprise. Are you ready to continue?" "Sure." Lupe said "So Missy is your real name?" "It's Missy Jordan. So all of you need to call me Missy." "I didn't realize we were taking you back home." "I was afraid to say anything." "Because you thought we wouldn't let you come with us?" "Yes." "Did you go to MS582?" "Yes. Is that a problem?" Lupe put her arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "We'll make sure it isn't. It'll be good to visit your old school."

As the girls were walking up, principal Brian Walsh was waiting patiently on the steps. "Well hello, Tracy. Glad to see you again. I see you have some new... Missy? I didn't know you were coming." "Hello principal Walsh. I just wanted to come and visit my old school." "There was word out that you and your family disappeared without a trace. I'm glad to see you're ok." Tracy came close to Brian and softly said "Her dad is in the People's witness protection program. She's in our science club and we were talking about visiting this school. We didn't know she went here. Small world, huh." "It really is. Please come to my office."

As they walked in Missy said "I see your office is still the same. High ceilings and windows. The World War II metal desks and the big oak chairs." Brian said "With Tracy's help we were able to paint the interior of the school when we constructed the new addition." He turned to Tracy. "First period is about to end. Would you like to see your new science floor?" "Sure, let's do it." Tracy had an additional floor built on the existing five story structure to house the science classes and laboratories. As they were walking to the elevator, the bell rang and students began pouring out of classrooms. Tracy heard a girl's voice. "It's her! Miss Tracy's back." They began screaming. She was busy giving hugs when the elevator opened and as many as possible squeezed in. Cell phones went crazy with the news. The door opened to the sixth floor with dozens of kids anxiously waiting there to greet Tracy. Sarah Reyes was in front. She took Tracy's hand. "Our new biology class is this way. Come on." All the kids wanted to go inside. Tracy said "Sorry, guys. Only the ones who have this class this period can come in. I'll talk to the rest of you in the gym before lunch. Ok? Thanks." The kids were disappointed but understood. It was the same biology class that Tracy spoke to last June. The teacher was Mrs. Seymore. She greeted Tracy and the other bandidas. "Our new floor is beautiful. Thank you so much." "No problem. I like helping out." The other bandidas, Mr. Walsh, and Mrs. Seymore walked to the back of the room and sat. Standing in front of the class Tracy asked "Well, what do guys you think? Pretty nice, huh? But, did it increase your interest in science?" A boy in the class said "Last week we actually did a polymerase chain reaction to make multiple copies of a segment of DNA. It was mind blowing." Sarah said "It's a critical part of the DNA fingerprinting process. I wanted to see if I was adopted or not." "Well are you? No. There are times when I really get mad at my parents and say 'please God tell me I'm adopted'. So now I'll just have to believe I didn't get the defective genes." "Sarah!" "Well you don't know them." Tracy laughed. "Ok, let's move on. What other experiments did you guys like?"

Melody on the second row said "We experimented with a special glial cell called an astrocyte. They are the "supporting cells" of the nervous system in the brain. Their four main functions are to surround neurons and hold them in place, to supply nutrients and oxygen, to insulate one neuron from another, and to destroy invaders and remove their carcasses. But our experiment showed something totally wild. We saw that they telepathically receive messages from other animals. And the scientist you sent believes that astrocytes are the cells responsible for intelligence. The neurons send electricity, but the astrocytes direct and modulate them. There are nine astrocytes for every neuron. So the brain is 9/10 astrocytes. He said astrocytes are the connection between the mind and the brain." Tracy said "So you liked that experiment, huh?" The class yelled yes. "That experiment is the type of stuff our laboratory is working on right now. So you're on the cutting edge. But stuff isn't the right word. Stuff means something you can touch. As we were getting into our experiments we discovered the mind is not matter or electricity or even something like light which is a blend of waves and particles. From what we can determine, there are no waves in the mind, or they oscillate so fast we can't detect them. Cool, huh?"

Tracy went on entertaining the class with fun stories about experiments gone wrong and some which amazed everyone. She had to be careful and not touch on the breakthroughs the young Pioneers are known for. But there was plenty of other things she could touch on that sparked their imaginations. The hour passed too quickly. So did the next class she spoke to. Then all the kids gathered in the gym the period before lunch and Tracy was inundated with hugs and thank yous. She talked more about several interesting experiments and some of the crazy brainiacs who work for her. Then came lunch where she was attacked with an avalanche of kids wanting to take selfies and listen to more of her stories. The newest young Pioneers were impressed with Tracy's quick wit and funny stories.

During lunch a sixth grader named Britney asked Tracy "Have you guys traveled to Zeta Reticuli yet?" "What?" "Because if you haven't, we'd like to make a few suggestions." Alicia sitting next to Britney said "The whole school knows who you guys are. And don't worry, you're familia now. We don't snitch on our sisters." Lupe said "Where did you come up with that crazy idea?" Britney said "We're not stupid. You bringing Missy here just confirmed it. She is the most amazing person to ever go to this school. She's a legend. We were wondering what happened to her. Now we know." Alicia said "We're proud that one of our own is now a young Pioneer." Lupe sat there speechless. Britney said "Don't worry about it. I'm sure your security people will erase all the selfies we took. That's ok. But we had some ideas we wanted to talk to you about." Tracy said "So what do my brainiacs recommend?" Alicia said "We don't want our Pioneers to get hurt." The girl next to her said "So how about sending 12D holographic images before you physically go to a particular place." Alicia said "It's logical you would send drones in first. And you probably know how to cloak them. If the beings there are intelligent enough, they would realize what you're doing and stay hidden, expecting you to eventually come." Britney said "But you would pretend to be there with holograms. The technology is so advanced that you can actually touch them." Tracy said "It's the turgor pressure." Lupe smiled "So what else you got?" Britney said "And Christina at the end of the table sitting next to Missy, well she's studied blood hounds. Did you know some breeds of dogs have been able to pick up airborne chemicals that are one or two parts in a trillion. That's like smelling one bad apple in two billion barrels. A dog can smell if a person was at a spot the day before, what they ate during their last meal and how many times they tooted; and they can tell you which way they went. I'll bet that's way more than any smelling machine you're taking with you." A girl sitting next to Lupe said "The young Pioneer who reads the minds of animals can talk to dogs." Tracy looked at Molly "Why haven't we thought of that?" Molly said "We did. Remember we were concerned about an alien tapping into a canine's mind and controlling it." "But maybe the benefits will be greater than the risk." Britney said "And same with cetaceans when you go into an ocean." Lupe said "Mallory here already has six trained dolphins going."

Lupe looked at the kids sitting attentively. Lupe admitted "We were getting burned out with all the work we've put in to get ready for this trip. So we came here to relax and see how you guys were doing." Britney chuckled. "Looks like you just can't get away from work. Sorry." Lupe giggled. "That's ok."

The Island

The thanksgiving holidays arrived in a flash. Explorers from two planets left on their journey into the unknown. In seconds they were at the Zeta Reticuli star system and parked a short distance from the planet ZRS1P1. Just above the water, out of the belly of a cloaked calix ship an old wooden dory holding the mission members was lowered into the sea. Once the boat was in the water, the pilot positioned the spacecraft 1,000 feet above the island. As the party oared in, the lazy waves helped push them to shore. They were dressed like the island's natives. Tony wore a loin cloth with a linen skirt. The females covered their breasts and lower body with the same type of material; except theirs was colorfully decorated.

For safety purposes they were equipped with A.) Body armor coating Ruth gave them which protects against extreme heat or cold, stops all lasers, photon blasts, and solid projectiles, B.) Hope's special contact lenses which enable the users to see under any conditions, protects against blinding light, plus it has wave sensors like infrared to detect warm blooded creatures, C.) Very small laser and photon weapons the size of silver dollars strapped to their upper legs, D.) Tang's tiny telepathic communication device reduced down to fit invisibly in the ear. These devices will also enable the users to hear distant sounds, and if necessary it can muffle loud sounds, E.) Miniature reconnaissance drones that look like flying insects.

For scientific purposes they had mineral, chemical, biologic analyzers that would tell the party everything about the environment.

The small excursionary group moved from the beach into the jungle. Lupe remarked "These plants and trees look like they came from earth." K'akana touched a palm tree. "I can feel its life's energy." Tony was walking lead. "Please continue to use your telepathic devices. Don't yell if you're startled." The more they walked, the more it seemed like it was their secluded island getaway in western Hawaii. The drones were sending visual reports to Lupe. She telepathed to the others "A short distance ahead is a settlement of about forty huts with the humanlike creatures we saw on our orbiting recons. They're busy performing tasks, so it appears they don't know we're here." When the party cleared the brush, the natives were startled and ran for their weapons. Lupe's group knelt on one knee and bowed their heads. K'akana and Millie stood and walked forward. Both smiled, bowed, then sat a burlap sack on the ground pulling out several multicolored beads and carved wooden cups, then held them out for the villagers. The village chief, a wise looking woman in her early thirties stepped through the group and rattled off some sentences in a questioning manner.

Millie telepathed "This is really creepy, guys. She's speaking Samoan." Lupe telepathed "Everybody just relax, and press the button in your ear to activate the universal voice translator. Millie, can you speak Samoan?" "Of course. I know most of earth's languages." She looked at the chief and said in Samoan "Hello. We came from a faraway island. Our boat is tied up on the shore. We are low on food and water and were wondering if you would have it in your heart to allow us to stay for a few days." The woman asked "How do you know our language?" "I'm the only one who can speak your tongue because I was raised on a different island than the others. Actually, we speak several languages. One of our other languages is called English. Would you like to hear a few words?" "Yes. I am interested to know if I have heard it before." Millie turned to K'akana and whispered "Say something to the lady." K'akana stepped forward, smiled and shook the woman's hand. Holding her hand she looked into her spirit. The lady's name was Calawaaya. She saw a strong smart woman. Strangely she had all the characteristics of a human being. "Hello. We come in peace. My name is K'akana and this is Millie. We come from a place very far from here." The woman was shocked, as were the others. "You are speaking the high holy language. Only the gods are allowed speak it." K'akana saw fear and total confusion in her mind. K'akana motioned for Millie to touch the woman's arm. In a flash of a moment they delved deeply into her mind. K'akana telepathically told Millie. This lady is able to comprehend and should be told the truth. We must not lie to her."

Millie calmed Calawaaya with her touch. "Thanks, Millie. Please tell her I am the chief of my tribe, and would like to speak with her privately with you as interpreter." After Millie related the request, Calawaaya turned to the villagers and said the three of them would talk alone. It's at least a thousand year old Samoan tradition to have tribal chiefs conference privately. They walked a distance then sat down. K'akana opened with Millie interpreting. "We came here because some beings from this area visited us many many summers ago. They flew in shiny round ships and crashed. They look very different than you. And your people look like us." Calawaaya asked what the other beings looked like. After Millie described them, Calawaaya said "You are describing our gods. They visit us once a cycle flying in large round silver boats." K'akana asked "Why do they come?" The answer was terrifying. "We provide food, and we make things for them and occasionally we give some of our youth to please them. They call it harvesting." K'akana stood, filled with extreme anger. "Tell your tribe we need to spend most of the day privately to go over some more things. And it will be all right to allow my people to stay with yours until we return. Is that ok?" "If you have more to tell me, of course. I want to know." As they walked back Calawaaya revealed there were twenty three villages on the island. The average size was about a hundred and fifty. When they returned, she told her group about needing more time to meet and they should go ahead with their daily chores and not harm the strangers who were staying. K'akana told Tony and Molly to be good to these people and patiently wait for their return. She asked Lupe to join them as they walked back to privacy.

Once they were alone, K'akana said "Lupe, Blink us back to White Sands." "I'd like to go in a craft if you don't mind." K'akana said "I do mind. I don't want to shock this lady to death by showing her our giant mother ship or even our space fighters. We need to go to the research center immediately. There you will get the coordinates to a mountain village on Samoa. If we have a problem, Millie and our weapons will protect us." Lupe looked at Calawaaya's innocent face. "Ok... I trust your judgment." She had everybody hold hands while Millie created an orb around the group and poof, they were gone. Some minutes later they arrived at the research center landing pad. Millie was holding on to their guest to keep her calm while Lupe got the coordinates. Calawaaya, very frightened and confused, asked "Where are we? What is this?" Millie said "It's taking everything I have to keep her calm. We need to leave, now!" "Cross my finger and poke your eye, bye Las Cruces." In an instant they were at a remote mountain village far away from modern civilization.

K'akana turned to Calawaaya. "You need to see this. Here is your answer." "Is this some crazy madness? Am I dreaming? Who are you people?" Millie without prompting said "We are humans just like you. Your ancestors came from this place." With Millie as interpreter K'akana suggested "Let's walk around the village so you can see and talk to the people."

Two curious children, ten year old Teuila (ta WEE la) and her six year old sister Masina (mah SEE nah), ran up speaking her native tongue, "Hello. Are you looking for somebody? Do you have any chocolate?" Millie said "We're just on a walk." One asked "Do you live near here? Why are you dressed in costumes of our ancestors? Are we going to have a festival?" "No." Their mother approached. "Hi. May I help you with something?" Calawaaya asked "I would like to speak with your tribal chief, please." "I am the chief. Your clothing looks very authentic and beautiful. Please come to my home where we can talk. My name is Alaya Vijñāna, and your name is?" "I am Calawaaya of the Heelowa tribe." "I've never heard of the Heelowa. Where are you from?" "That's why I'm here to speak with you." Alaya didn't understand, but wisdom taught her to hold her words and listen. They walked into her home and as they sat Calawaaya looked around. "Your floors are wooden and your roof is solid. The walls are very different. These things we are sitting on are comfortable." She pointed over to the corner of the room. "What is that?" "It's where we cook our food." "You mean eat your food, because the cooking is done outside." Alaya was very confused. "There are tribes who still cook outside?" Millie broke into the conversation. "She does because she is not from here. We need to tell you something." She quickly got permission from Lupe then said "Do you know of the young Pioneers of the United States of America?" "Yes, of course. Our tribe gathered at the schoolhouse on July 1st to watch the second year memorial and benediction. Why?" "Let me introduce you to the Pioneer who invented Blinking. This is Lupe from the Siri tribe located on the west coast of Mexico." Millie turned to Lupe. "Walk over and shake her hand, I just told her who you are." Alaya said "This is American Samoa. I speak English too. We live this simple life by choice. I have a master's degree from Stanford University." Lupe smiled and shook her hand. Alaya asked "Are you serious? This isn't a joke? There must be a very important reason why you came." Millie answered "Are there any legends among your people of beings who flew in large silver plates?" She asked "You mean flying saucers?" "Yes." All of this was happening too fast for Alaya. "How do I know you are who you say you are?"

Calawaaya grew impatient. She didn't care about what Pioneers were or anything else except finding the truth. "This young woman named Lupe told me I come from a place called Zeta Reticuli. Do you know what that means?" Alaya was shocked and paused for a moment... "Yes I do. It's very far from here. And it means you are proof of our ancient legend. The elders tell of short bluish grey beings with big eyes who came here and took an entire village. The legend states that they lied and said they were our gods. They wanted to take them to their home far away from here. They wanted the villagers to worship and serve them. They left in a large air ship to what they called the holy land. But it wasn't. It was a place of slavery." Calawaaya then asked "Do you know what "harvesting" is?" Alaya with a confused look said "Yes. We plant trees, they grow, mature, then they bear fruit. When the fruit ripens, we pick them. Instead of using the word "harvesting" we say pick fruit (filifili fua)." Calawaaya stared out into space pondering what was just said. It hit her like a brick. She finally realized the truth and broke down crying. Sobbing she said "You don't know what harvesting really is. We are nothing but domesticated animals." She slumped down and continued to cry. Millie sat next to her, touching her arm trying to calm her. "It will soon end, Calawaaya. We will save your people from those devils." She looked at little Millie. "But how? They're very powerful!" "So are we." She sent a thin bead of blue light to a table across the room and raised it to the ceiling. "See. We have powers that you can't even imagine." Alaya said "She's telling the truth. I'd like to know more about your tribe. How you live. How you spend each day. But first let's go outside and wash the tears from your face." In English she said "The rest of you please remain here. Thank you."

A short distance from Alaya's home is a small photovoltaic system which is used to pump water into a large cistern next to a spring. Alaya brought a fresh towel. Seated and alone together she spoke the traditional ancient Praise to Chiefs. She recited... "Nau tipa ifo, tipa ifo i niu-lega. Faataulia i fafetafe lou fia inu le'a. Fai atu i fale na, le galu teine ma le galu taulele'a. Sei latou mmaia ai se 'ava o i fale na." She stopped. Calawaaya continued... "Sei taumafa ane alii, a lailoa i le tuneva. A tufa lava, ia o'u mua, o au o Letuuga. Ou te faanau ala i Piu; Seu ai lota vaa i fana; Ou futia se i'a se lautua; Faataatia i le taumua." ((This is an actual ancient song to praise chiefs. It was taken from a circa early 1800s Samoan dictionary located at the Harvard College Library. The author of the dictionary wrote it phonetically according to his definitions. This was before the written Samoan language became formalized, so it won't translate using any software.)) Alaya tearfully said "It is true. You are the one who has returned."

She wet the towel and ritualistically wiped Calawaaya's face. "An uncountable number of summers ago our Chief Katua had a dream that an entire village was taken away by beings from another world to use as slaves. But some day that tribe would be saved by our people. It was prophesized that a woman chief would come to our village and our chief would wash away her tears of grief and by doing so she would turn them into tears of happiness and joy. Calawaaya... the prophecy is unfolding. Our God Tagaloa has looked upon your people with benevolence in his heart. With help from these strangers we will free your tribe from the dark evil that clouds over you." With swollen eyes Calawaaya said "You are right. The ignorance and deception is over and now we will have our freedom..... But, I am worried. I must return soon."

Alaya said "If you will permit me, I will be your spirit guide through this change. Is that acceptable?" "Yes. But please don't let this be a dream." Alaya laughed and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, it is not. I will go back with you to see firsthand what is happening. Then we will decide what to do. Is that ok?" "Yes. May we leave now?"

Walking back to Alaya's house several children came running down the path. One girl about eleven said "Your costume is beautiful. The detail work is very realistic. May we touch it?" Calawaaya responded "Of course. I made this skirt from the yarn of a dolomite." "Are they like sheep?" Avoiding going into details which would scare the children she responded "Yes, they are." Turning to Alaya "These children have so much excitement and happiness in their eyes like they are cherishing every moment as it occurs. I don't see despair anywhere. Quite a contrast because our children as well as the adults are constantly struggling to keep our gods happy." "We are about to change that, Calawaaya." Alaya reflected and smiled. "We're about to bring 'The Big Change' to your planet. I'll explain later what that means.

Alaya gathered the village together for a meeting and told them she was leaving for a week on an important journey with Calawaaya. She promised to return with gifts for everyone. She was reticent about disclosing the reason. All she said was trust her. And they did. To blend in with the community she was about to visit, Alaya wore clothing similar to Calawaaya's but not as ornate and beautiful. Standing in the living room, Lupe recommended they go to White Sands where they would board a spaceship then Blink to the Zeta system. Alaya liked the idea because she wanted Lupe to fly above the earth for Calawaaya to see. This would enable her to have an initial understanding of planets, stars, and the universe.

To keep Calawaaya from being thrown too much into today's world, Alaya asked if Lupe would blink them straight into the ship to avoid her seeing anything else. "Yes. That's very wise. I'm sure what she's seen so far has been hard enough on her. We don't need to compound it." Lupe called, received the coordinates and they held hands... "Everybody ready? Great. Cross my heart and poke your eye, bye Samoa."

They materialized on the deck of a thirty passenger Calix cruiser. The glassed dome of the craft enabled Calawaaya to see out. Lupe sat in the pilot's chair. "Everybody please take a seat so the magnetic restraint can hold you in...." Millie reported "All seated and ready to go. Let's do it." To avoid any possible midair collision she elevated the craft carefully through the first sixty thousand feet. Then she put the pedal to the metal. In moments they were half way to the moon where she stopped. "This is the seat release button for Calawaaya. I'll let you explain to her about gravity and the planets and anything else you feel is important before we Blink. Ok?" "Thank you, Lupe." Turning to Calawaaya. "Instead of me trying to explain, it's much easier to show you." She pushed the release button. "Like you see with Lupe, you are going to float because we are away from the ground. The ground pulls everything to it until we get far enough out that its power doesn't work anymore. So be careful; don't push your feet or hands very hard to move. Here, hold my hand and we will do it together." Lupe carefully helped them to the large glassed dome. Earth was a bright blue ball set against the blackness of space speckled with starlight. She pointed to the round ball of white light in the far distance, and called it the Sun. Calawaaya had a difficult time understanding or relating to what they were showing her. Alaya suggested "Lupe, can you go back to just over my home then slowly pull away from earth so she can clearly see what we're talking about?" "Yes, of course. Please, everybody sit down and get locked in... Ready?" Lupe tilted the craft about 140 degrees and brought it down to fifty feet above Alaya's home. Then she started to rise again. Calawaya saw Alaya's home slowly get smaller and smaller then disappear as Lupe powered the ship into outer space. Alaya watched Calawaaya's eyes as the craft went higher and higher above the earth. It was like opening a door from a dark room of ignorance and superstition, then stepping across a threshold into the light of knowledge and understanding. She looked with the enthusiasm of a child discovering the fantastic. Calawaaya reached over and held Alaya's forearm. "This place is a dark desolate nothing yet it is full of life. Do I live on a round ball like yours?" "Yes. We call our ball Earth." "In my wildest dreams I would never have guessed any of this." Alaya took her hand. "There is much more for you to learn, but this is enough for now. Are you ready to return home so I can see what is going on?" Calawaaya said to Lupe "I'm ready. Can you get us there quietly without anybody seeing this boat?" "Yes I can. Please, let's all stand together and hold hands and be sure to touch the craft with your bare feet." Calawaaya stopped Lupe. "Wait. Wait. Wait... no. We can't do this. My people believe too much in the gods, the ones you call Zetas." Lupe placed a universal translator in Calawaaya's ear and asked "What do you suggest?" She quickly pulled it out. Millie said "It's one of the good things we have made since your people left earth. Lupe will speak English and then in your ear you will hear it in your own tongue." Alaya said "It's true. Four summers ago a man made this for all of earth to use because we speak so many different tongues." Calawaaya placed it back in her ear. "This in my ear is an example of why we can't go back and talk to my people. They fervently believe the Zetas are their gods. They wouldn't understand if you told them we live on a ball far away from our original home. They would see you as demons playing evil magic tricks, and then they would try to kill you." Lupe asked "What do you suggest?" "Bring my entire village back here to our original home. We have to show them, not tell them. Like you did with me. Let's go back to Alaya's village and tell her people everything. Have them ready to receive my village, a village that will be like frightened children."

They all agreed. Lupe had K'akana, Calawaaya and Alaya wait in the craft while she and Millie blinked to the mother ship in the Zeta system. Lupe got with Taze to set up an area on a hanger deck to receive the islanders. Tracy and nine others infused with super strength and super fast movements would quickly inject their guests with a gentle sedative putting them to sleep.

They Blinked back to the research center where Lupe ordered the military to immediately set up a large tent at Alaya's village with mattresses, pillows, blankets, food, water, adequate power, latrines, showers, sinks with faucets and mirrors, and medical supplies. She also ordered enough super strength doses for all of Alaya's villagers.

They then returned to the spacecraft to fly back to the village. Alaya quickly brought her people together for a meeting in an open area in the middle of the community. When everyone was present she asked Calawaaya to come forward and speak. Calawaaya stood for a moment looking at the worried questioning faces.

"Hello. My name is Calawaaya. I am chief of the Heelowa tribe. My people are in serious trouble and I need your help, please. Early this morning these people (she pointed to K'akana, Lupe, and Millie) walked into my village asking for food and a place to stay. They said they were from a faraway island and needed to rest. But the real reason they came was to uncover what was happening with my people. They took me out of the sight of my tribe and this girl had us hold hands. We instantly travelled across an ocean of blackness to this big round ball you call earth."

The group began to whisper loudly among one another. A young girl of twelve spoke up. "Is one of you the young Pioneer who invented Blinking?" "Yes, I invented Blinking." Another young girl asked Calawaaya "Are you an alien like Tang?" An older woman asked "Why did you come here? Why do you look like us and speak our language?"

Alaya stepped forward and spoke "Remember our village prophecy? Our Chief Katua dreamed an entire village was taken by beings from another world to use as their slaves. But one day that tribe would be saved by our people. The chief from that tribe would come to our village and our chief would wash away her tears of grief and by doing so would turn them into tears of happiness and joy. This morning I performed that ritual. The prophecy is coming true. Our God Tagaloa has looked upon us with benevolence in his heart. This woman and her village live on a planet in the Zeta Reticuli star system... I can see by looking at your faces that you're having a difficult time believing what I'm saying. But it's all true. She can recite our thousand year old tribute to chiefs. Only a Samoan can do that. And look at her. She's dressed and speaks like our ancestors from hundreds of years ago. That's because for her people time has stood still. There have been no innovations." A young man in the crowd said "How do we know this is true?" Millie reached her arm out and a thin blue bead of light changed to an orb of blue that encircled him. She lifted him above the group and gently placed him next to her. "She looked at the crowd. "My name is Sparky and I'm another young Pioneer. And this is Lupe. Like she just said, she invented Blinking." Lupe said "This is no joke. Remember this past July 1st ceremony where I told you we were going to the Zeta Reticuli star system? Well this morning I Blinked a small army of investigators on a large mother ship over there. And the first place our expeditionary force went to was an island on a planet very similar to ours where we previously had detected humanoid creatures. There we found these people. They are humans. They are Samoans. And they need your help. Will you please help us?" Another person in the crowd said "Yes. But how?"

Lupe said "In a few minutes spaceships will be arriving. The people on board will set up a large tent to house Calawaaya's village of about 150 people. We will provide enough food, water, bathroom facilities, and electric power to take care of them. I don't know how many generations have been living on the Zeta planet. But I am sure they have no idea about our modern technology. They will probably think of us as demons. From what Calawaaya tells us, they have been indoctrinated into believing in a certain type of religion and anything that shakes that foundation will be a personal affront, a severe blow to their psyche. So what we're going to do is put every villager in Calawaaya's tribe to sleep. We will transport them here and wake a few up at a time. Then we will show each small group everything. You will need to be their touch stones. You will be their island in the midst of a raging sea of change and uncertainty."

Lupe thought for a moment... "Because of our cruel capitalistic system when I was eight, my family became homeless because millions of jobs were shipped overseas. It destroyed my family. My mother couldn't cope so she left us. My father couldn't find a good job. We ran out of money so they took me away to live in a foster home. Then the Big Change happened and my dad came and got me. It was the happiest moment of my life because we were a family again. ......You see family is more important than anything. So how can you help? You can help by showing them you are family and you care and they can have a better life now. Speak to them. Reassure them. Show them your daily way of life." A villager asked "What if it doesn't work. What if they try to kill us?" Lupe said "Every person here will receive a shot of super strength chemical plus spray on body armor to protect you. Any other questions?" A man in the back said "Yes. I want to go with you to annihilate these Zetas. You don't understand Samoans. We are ONE people. If an outsider hurts any of us, they hurt all of us. I must go back with you. Those from age 19 to 35 have the required police and military training. Just give us the weapons and we'll do it. It's an insult to our culture to have others fight for us." The crowd shouted in favor. Lupe said "Wow, I didn't see that coming."

She thought for a moment and replied "The planet has a 36 hour day. Calawaaya told me in seven rotations the Zetas are coming to collect what her people made, plus food and maybe a person to take back as a slave or a meal. If her village is missing, then they may freak out and destroy all the other villages on that island. So we only have a few days to get her village to accept us. Then we all have to go back."

Lupe told the crowd "I'm a top US military commander. I give you permission to come with us to fight. But we have to do it right. I want as few Samoans as possible to get hurt. We will discuss this again when we go to our mother ship in the Zeta system. Are all of you with me on this?" They shouted yes in Samoan. "Good... I see on the horizon several space craft are arriving to set up living quarters. So, please get ready to receive a bunch of sleeping people in a few hours. Thank you all very much."

In a few minutes they were back at Calawaaya's island. Lupe alerted Taze and Clank of their presence. The remaining pilot took the craft to the mother ship. Lupe blinked the group to a thicket close to the village away from seeing eyes.

Alaya remarked "The vegetation looks the same as where I live. It's like they took some of everything and brought it here. But why?" Calawaaya said "To make us feel at home. They lie to us and we believe them. Then they have us for their enjoyment. We make things for them, like cups and plates. They show us how to make something then demand we make the items quickly. And they take some of our youth. It's supposed to be an honor to go live with them. But I'm afraid to think what is actually happening."

Let's take a brief step back in time. While Calawaaya and the others were gone, this is what occurred on the island. Molly and Tony had their universal voice translators on so they could understand the villagers. Several of the men directed Tony and Molly to sit and stay put. They complied with a smile. Tony said "This tall huge guy seems to be second in command." Molly responded "I don't think they have that type of structure. It seems he's the lead enforcer or security for the group." Tony said "Look over there at the kids sitting at that table. They're rolling up leaves, like they're making cigars." "They are. Their tiny hands are better suited. And look at those women busy weaving baskets. They're not looking up and chatting with their friends. So serious. No smiles." "Wow, it's like they're in a factory doing piece work under a harsh taskmaster. Like they have to finish a certain amount by a certain time. This is very odd." Tony said "Over there, it looks like they're making arrowheads, but they're only using stones as tools. Maybe I can help." With permission Tony walked over and gestured that he knew how and would like to sit with them. "Be careful Uncle Tony. They don't trust you." The hut behind had small boar tusks over the door. Tony motioned if he could hold one. They were curious and allowed him. He sat back down with a piece of obsidian and popped the side with a round rock the size of a racquetball. A sliver came off. The guys were looking intently, but not impressed because he did exactly what they were doing. One of the guys offered Tony a slim rock they use for finishing work. He shook his head no then picked up the tusk and proceeded to finish the arrowhead with amazing speed and accuracy. After finishing he looked up and smiled and grunted in a tone like "See, pretty cool, huh?" "Uncle Tony, I didn't know you could do that." "Molly, I'm from Northern Mexico. My grandfather made sure I could make these things. As a kid he had me do so many I had nightmares about it." "That's funny."

The lead arrow maker said to the others "We need to learn how he does it. But we must not tell the "owner" because he will want to increase our quota. Let's find out what his name is." The leader pointed to the guy next to him and said his name, then to himself and said his own name. Then he pointed to Tony with a questioning look. "Tony." One guy chuckled and said "Tona?" which means wart in Samoan. Tony smiled "Toneee." Then Tony pointed to a wart on a guy's neck and shook his head no. The lead maker said "He knows the word wart." He looked at Tony and asked "Do you understand our language?" Tony held his hand up and made his index finger and thumb come close together indicating he knew a little. "Well, say something you know." Mark's universal communicator offers the user the ability to say something in one language then it will recite it in their ear in the other tongue. He pushed a button in his ear and whispered in English "Your arrowheads are made very well." After the translation, he recited the same in Samoan. The men at the table were very concerned. "You must never speak English. It is the language of the gods. You defile them with your words." Tony said in Spanish "I'm sorry." Then after the prompt he said the same in Samoan. The guys said he was a little odd for speaking a sentence in another language then saying it in Samoan. Tony told them he learned their tongue by relating it to words in languages he already knew. It was easier to remember the words by saying them in a familiar language first.

Tony asked about their gods. Who they were and where they lived.

The man still miffed at Tony said "We must never speak the language of the gods. We would be vain for doing such. The second commandment is we must not take the names of our lords in vain; and we must never recite the holy tongue. Our gods taught us that our spirits live forever. And the meek will go to a place of happiness which they call the kingdom of heaven, while the non-believers will go to a realm of torment and pain which they call hell. There is no easy way into the kingdom of heaven, there is only ONE WAY and that is by Jesus Christ himself. He is a god who comes here as a human. He is the "owner". Ages ago he died on a cross to wipe away our original sin. Then he came back to life to prove he was one of the gods. There is no road map, there is no friend or person who can take you to heaven. No tribal chief has the power. You cannot find your way through the teachings. The only way to get into the heaven is by following Jesus Christ when he comes here to collect. Jesus is the WAY and the TRUTH and the LIFE and if you don't follow him every step until the very end you will come to that door to heaven and you will knock and the gods will not open it. They will say: 'Friend, where are you from? I don't know you, go away!' Do you know Jesus Christ is real? Will you follow him on the straight and narrow unknown road that only he knows? Because only Jesus can take you through that very narrow door that the non-believers will never find. May Jesus bless you at collection time." Tony asked "What is collection time?" "It's when they come and sometimes one of our people go with Jesus to heaven where they can love and serve the gods."

Tony telepathed "Good grief. These aliens perverted an earth religion and are using it against them."

Molly thought to Tony "I've read the history of the Samoans. The Zetas really did their homework. These people are easy targets. They already believed in mortal gods and spirit gods. So it was easier for the Samoans to believe the Zeta's line of crap." She continued "And look over there at the three women grinding roots of a plant. They are preparing to make a special tea called Kava." "What is that?" "Kava comes from the root of piper methysticum found on Samoa. For at least a thousand years it was made into a tea and drank during ceremonies and on special occasions. For example, when people from other islands met, it gave them a greater feeling of sociability, peace, harmony, brotherhood, reduced anxiety and stress. Kava's active ingredient is kava lactones. It's a muscle-relaxant, anticonvulsant, anesthetic and analgesic. It also impacts an area of the brain called the limbic structure which is involved in the determination of emotional and motivational levels, and controls such things as memory, the desire to drink, eat, engage sexually, physical activity, and the ability to experience aggression and anxiety. It gives you a feeling of casual contentment and clear-headedness that promotes conversation. It is nature's safe non-addictive tranquilizer." Tony said "So they were already into making themselves tranquil, easy going gullible marks." "Yes, Uncle Tony. So with the religion thing and the tranquilizer, these people were perfect marks to take back here to brainwash and work as slaves."

To learn more about the women, Molly joined a group of basket weavers. During her childhood as a Rarámuri, she was taught many different types of weaves which gave variation and beauty to the items. She showed them her favorite weave and impressed the ladies because her technique caused the baskets to be made faster.

Let's now come back to the present... Calawaaya with her new earth friends entered the village. The villagers were curious about their meeting and why it took so long. What was so important? She spun a tale about her visitors. Introduced them to Alaya, with an excuse why she wasn't there before. Calawaaya explained a tsunami had destroyed most of their island and they were sent out to find a new place to live. She said "These are good people who don't yet know the ways of our owner, Jesus Christ. I would like us all at this time to gather together, hold hands and pray to our gods that they may welcome our new visitors. Yes, let's come together and hold hands as we look up to the heavens and pray.... Is everybody holding hands? Great... Lupe, we are ready." In an instant the village was on the hanger deck of the mothership very confused. In a flash they were put to sleep. It took six star cruisers to get everybody to earth because since they were asleep, they had to be treated with the utmost care. As they were arriving, medical teams were seeing to their new guests, making sure their vitals were good and they were nice and comfy, and remained asleep.

Calawaaya and Alaya decided to begin with waking up the large powerful men in the village. Lareto (ya.re.tsu) was the first. Tracy injected him with a chemical to end the sleep and also with a slight stimulant to clear his grogginess. After a few minutes he was wide awake. Calawaaya sitting next to him asked "How are you feeling?" "Where am I? Is this heaven? Where's my lord and savior, Jesus Christ?" "Lareto, I've got something to tell you that you won't understand at first, but believe me, it is true." He touched her face. "Are you really our chief? What is this place? Who are these people wearing white? What is this giant hut?" Little Millie was sitting next to him touching his arm keeping him calm. "These people's minds are very strong. It's taking everything I can muster to relax him." Calawaaya said "Lareto, come with me." He followed her out of the massive tent.

"Look around you. This used to be the home of our people many generations ago. The dwellings are different, but look at the trees and the plants. Smell the air. Listen to the birds." "What are you saying? Are we on a different island that used to be our home?" "Yes." Lupe, Millie, Alaya were standing close by. "Lareto, to best explain we will enter this silver boat and I will show you." He was like a frightened child. She put her arm around his massive back as they walked. "It's ok. I would never hurt you. Please come, let's sit down. What you will see will make you very sad, very happy, and very angry." He reluctantly entered the strange craft and took a seat. Calawaaya locked him in explaining it was necessary or he would fall out and hurt himself. She locked herself in to reassure him. Lupe powered up the silent craft and raised it fifty feet, then tilted it so he could see the ground. His anxiety level started to elevate. Millie again touched his arm to ease him down. He looked at her. "Your eyes are blue like the sky. Are you an angel from heaven, because I feel very calm when you touch me." Calawaaya said "She is like us except she can do medicine to help people. Look outside. You can see we are slowly rising from the village." "Yes, I can see that. Amazing!" He saw the village become smaller and smaller; then he saw the whole island gradually become smaller. The ocean was a beautiful blue. "How high are we going? Is this how we go to heaven to see Jesus Christ?" "No Lareto, this is a ship that can travel anywhere." Lupe increased her speed. "Is this some evil magic? You made the land and water turn into a circle. What is this blackness?" She looked at Lupe. "He doesn't understand. Will you go back down and circle the round, please. He needs to understand that we live on a giant ball." She did and after quickly traveling around the globe and around the moon and close to the Sun and to nearby planets in our solar system it gradually started to sink in." Lareto asked "And these other balls can't have living things because they are either too hot or too cold?" Millie said "There are limited forms of life, but not like those on our ball. There are no people or animals or plants or trees. No rain, no ocean, no islands." Calawaaya placed an earpiece in his ear after she gave him assurances it was ok to do so because now he would understand everybody when they spoke. He continued "So the Sun is a fireball. And this round is the right distance from the sun so it's not too hot or too cold. And the balls circle the sun very slowly. And this ball slowly spins like our ball to create bright and darkness." Lupe smiled "That's right, Lareto." "You say we are not from earth. Where is our home? Where is our big round?" Lupe stopped the ship between the earth and moon. She released him from his seat and they floated to the glass dome. "In that direction are tiny dots of light. Those are your suns." She pulled out her tablet and explained to him it was a device that stored images. "This will show where you live." She slowly zoomed in to the Zeta Reticuli star system. She went on to show him his planet as taken from the mothership near ZR1P1. Then she zoomed in to his island. He looked over to Calawaaya "Where is Jesus Christ? Where is heaven?"

Lupe sat him down and had him relax as she gave him a very brief outline of human history for the last two thousand years. Especially regarding Christianity. She also quickly covered earth's other religions. The main point she got across to him was... humans, when confronted with significant unexplainable events in life especially death, look for answers to give them comfort and stability. Some of the superstitions may be rooted in truth and others not. "These beings on your ball you call gods crashed on our earth at a place called Roswell when the father of my father's father was still alive." She pointed to her tablet where he could see images of the Zetas. "They spoke to us in our language we call English. We think they crashed because they became sick from something that made their bodies hot and made it difficult for them to breathe. They called themselves Zetas and they told us where they came from. (pause) Several Springs ago I created a way to move across this blackness very fast, so we decided to travel there and investigate." He said "English is the forbidden language. We are not to speak it or we will face the eternal damnation of Hell." "That may be what they told you, Lareto, but the tongue came from people on earth. It is actually a mixture of many languages that eventually became known as English." "I don't understand." "It looks like across many many years the Zetas have been visiting earth. They learned about the plants and animals and us. They saw we were able to do things very well with our hands and we were smart. But it seems they also saw humans could easily be convinced to freely do things and to remain peaceful by telling you stories about Jesus Christ and having you drink Kava."

He thought for a moment and with an innocent concern he asked "Are you saying there is no heaven?" Lupe put her arm across his huge muscular back and smiled "No, Lareto. What I'm saying is heaven may be a simple explanation for something so complicated that we wouldn't be able to understand it. Like this tablet I'm holding. The way it shows you the images is so complicated it would take you many summers to learn how it works." "So what is heaven and where is Jesus Christ?" She sat down in her chair and took a deep breath and let it out. Looking up at him with sad eyes "Lareto, we don't know yet. We are smart enough to know that all of this around us just didn't happen without something intelligent causing it. I've even had contact with creatures that make us humans seem like ants or worms because they are so smart and powerful. And they don't know what God is either. But they believe there is a force that deliberately created all of what you see. And I agree with them." She continued "What these Zetas did was to convince you that your life of hardship would be rewarded by going to heaven. A thousand summers ago there was a region on earth where a limited number of oppressors used the superstition of Jesus Christ to keep all the other people from rebelling against them. They had men who said they were close to Jesus Christ... These men who were called bishops lived alongside the rulers to keep the people down. To keep them passive. To give them a reason why it was ok to work hard with no reward. It was because they were convinced their reward would be in heaven. I believe the Zetas saw this weakness in humans as a good thing for them. They brought a whole village to their planet. Put your ancestors on an island with the same trees and plants and animals. Then they convinced your people to willingly work for them instead of for yourselves." With a disdainful look he blurted "Telefua Zeta otaotavale." ("Naked Zeta sh-t." It's a highly insulting phrase for Samoans.) Lupe continued "Lareto.... We humans here on earth allowed a few to oppress us until only seven summers ago when we finally realized, like you are realizing right now... it was all a way to hurt us, a way to keep us down and to serve them for meager rewards. See, back then we embraced a more powerful religion called capitalism. We made things and did things for people and they would pay us money for it. Then we had to use the money to buy things. The power of the money we were paid was small compared to what we did." Lareto stopped her. "You just said the words "money" and "pay" and "buy". These are the words our gods use. Where we live there is a human god called the owner. He is also called Jesus Christ. Everything belongs to him because he is a god. We have to do things for him and the other gods. He pays us, then with that money we can buy food and some of the things we make. We only have enough money to buy a part of what we do. He keeps the rest and takes it to the kingdom of heaven. He says it is the sacrifice we have to make to our gods. Sometimes he calls it his profit. If we don't do what the gods tell us then we will be sent to the raging fires of hell forever." Lupe held up her tablet and showed him a dead Zeta. "Like I showed you before, this Zeta died. Did they tell you they lived forever?"

All of it finally started to click in Lareto's mind. His face became beet red with anger. He hit a chair with full force yelling obscenities. He stood still, staring at nothing then sat down and began to cry. Sobbing like a baby, he looked at Lupe... "Do you have weapons to kill these Zetas?" "Yes we do, Lareto. And I want you to be the lead warrior. We don't yet know where they live. But we are looking right now." Larteo said "They are coming again to our village in seven dawns. You return the people of our village and we can pretend nothing has changed. We will be waiting with our goods and smoked meats we've prepared for them. Then you can follow them to their heaven. During the last cold period they took my mother and older brother. I want them to die slowly and in great pain. Please allow me that honor." "Of course I will. That is the least I can do. Family is more important than anything, and those who work to oppress others and destroy families deserve more than death. They and their families should be obliterated."

Lupe continued "We are planning to return the people of your village. But first they need to understand like you. Can you help us?" "Of course." "Like you said, we only have a few dawns to do this. If you are ready, let's return and awaken more warriors."

They did and slowly but surely all the villagers were convinced.

Only three days were left before the Zetas came to collect. One thousand of the best men and women from the islands of Samoa were going. They've had US military training and are considered some of the fiercest fighters on earth. Taze brought the mothership back to earth for the 1,200+ people going to Zeta Reticuli. Tracy had the warriors injected with two weeks' worth of time release super strength. Then they were sprayed with micro thin armor using the formula the Infinitum had provided. Each soldier also had a personal cloaking device. The main worry now was the safety of rest of the islanders and those who were already with the Zetas.

Upon returning to Zeta Reticuli, the Samoans from both planets were flown down to the island. They quickly gathered and organized their tasks to finish the required production of goods. Their quota was completed in less than 24 earth hours.

It was early morning on the 7th day. Twenty of the best soldiers remained on the ground while a host of cloaked starfighters filled with warriors hovered overhead. Cletus, Tony, Mike, Tom, and Tobi were guarding Lupe, Millie, and K'akana.

At the scheduled time according to their sundial, a large Zeta craft landed in a clearing next to the village. Out stepped an overweight Polynesian who waddled over. Calawaaya said "Good morning oh glorious owner. You look very good today." It took everything she had to hide her anger. In a terse cursory manner he replied "Yes, yes. Thank you. I'm in a hurry so can we get on with this instead of exchanging pleasantries." "Yes, my dear lord. I hope what we provided for this cycle's sacrifice to the gods meets with your approval." "I'm sure it will be fine. Will you please have the entire village including the children carry the items into the ship so we can finish sooner."

They were almost finished when the owner asked Calawaaya to gather those from ages twelve to fourteen. It was tradition that marriages occur during these years. The Zetas through the owner encourage the young to marry soon so they can start producing children.

Calawaaya brought them together for the owner to review. His puzzled pudgy countenance gave way to a request. "Will those who haven't gotten married yet please step forward." Two boys and one girl came forward. One boy was very skinny and the other was obese. The owner tried to hide his smile as the fat one approached. "What is your name and how old are you?" "Mareko, and I am fourteen, my all caring and glorious Lord." "And why haven't you found yourself a wife yet? Aren't there enough girls? You could have a younger one pledge to you." "It's not that, my lord. I just don't feel like marrying." He pulled the teen aside and quietly asked "Is it because you like boys. It's nothing to be ashamed of if you do." The teen was trying his best to hide his hatred. A hatred that made him want to rip his head off. He whispered "Yes, I like boys. Please don't hurt me." "Hurt you. I don't want to hurt you. In fact the gods are looking for a good person to serve at the "delicacy" level. As you know, it's the highest honor. Since you haven't married, you are still pure in mind and body. And just look at how large you are. You will make an excellent delicacy for the gods." Calawaaya overheard and said "My dear lord, Mareko will make a fine delicacy in his service to the gods. He's been looking forward to the day when he can serve your every desire. My lord, may he have a private moment so he can say goodbye to his mother. She'll be so happy to see he is going to the kingdom of heaven."

He walked into the brush with his mother and Calawaaya. "Mother, I'm afraid." "Don't worry. They can't hurt you. You have the strength of a hundred men and your body armor can't be pierced. It is good that you are going with them. You can protect the others inside the ship. Go my son. I'm very proud you have been chosen." They hugged and kissed goodbye.

In a few minutes the ship was off to another village for more profits. The cloaked fighters positioned above the island were patiently tracking the Zeta ship.

A short time later Lupe was getting the villagers ready to Blink to the mother ship to collect their weapons to attack the Zetas. She was checking the calibrations of her Blinking device when all of a sudden it began to smoke. "Oh-oh. What's happening?" Tony was standing next to her. "Papi, we've got a problem. My Blinker just self-destructed and I don't know why." The special defense helmets on Lupe's 20 soldiers flashed a warning, then went down. All wave energy weapons went dead. Millie immediately felt her body reach a high level defense posture with the green crystal's power filling her from head to toe. Instantly a green power beam shot out behind her. She turned and saw a very strange looking creature lying either dead or unconscious on the ground. It looked like a green slimy amphibian. It was a three foot long skinny hominid frog like creature having bilateral symmetry with two eyes, two arms, and two legs. Each appendage also had webbing between the fingers and toes assumedly to aid locomotion in water.

Millie said "He looks so innocuous. Yet he saw I had a powerful crystal and was trying to steal it. And he was utterly invisible." Lupe was looking at him passed out on the ground. "Tang once told me the Calix can speed up oscillations using their mind. It seems these creatures have perfected it. Maybe they can oscillate their whole body so fast that we can't see them. And why is there only one? There can't only be one." Lupe attempted to use her communicator to call Tracy. "This stupid thing won't work. Cletus... may I borrow your transponder.... ......Geeze, yours doesn't work either. Are they all down?" Cletus reported all communicators and charged weapons were dead. The only items working were their cloaking devices using technology provided by the Infinitum. She turned to Millie "Use your crystal to send a message to all fighters to immediately return to the mother ship. And, I want Taze to move the ship into deep space." "Ok boss." She sent the message... "Guys, this is Millie. I'm having to use my green crystal to communicate. We discovered a new life form that seems very intelligent. We believe it oscillates so fast that you can't see it. Somehow it shut down all our powered weapons and communication devices. All fighters must immediately return to the mother ship. And Taze, please move your ship into deep space until we understand what's going on. And employ our plan to detect rapid oscillating creatures. Scour all the fighters and the mother ship. We will contact you after we find out what's going on." In less than a minute the fighters were gone, all except for one which stayed to track the Zeta ship. Twenty-nine very angry Samoans with Clank at the controls.

Tony and Cletus were checking to see if the creature was responsive. "Lupe, he's moving." She said "Hold onto him tightly. Bind him with restraints all over his body so he can't move. Do it quickly!" She continued "Hurry, because we need to get into the jungle and hide."

Once in the jungle, K'akana placed her hands on the creature's head. She said "Millie, please I need your help. This creature is like nothing I've ever seen before." Together they entered his mind. Millie with the help of the crystal said "Over here. Let's go this way. Follow me." They entered a grotto as large as a giant warehouse. K'akana said "He's here. I can feel him." "There he is. Hey you, hold still. Stop running from us. We want to talk to you. The Zeta's speak English, so I'm sure you do, too. STOP!" He turned. "Please don't hurt me." Millie caught up. "Who are you, or what are you?" "Please don't hurt me. I'll tell you anything you want to know." K'akana said "I'm very impressed with you. Your intellect is astonishing. Yet I sense high anxiety and fear." "My body only can survive out of water for a short period of time. I must get back into the ocean. Will you help me?" K'akana laughed "Now I can see you're lying to me." Millie said "His skin does dry out and his lungs are very small, but he can be out of water for maybe a day without suffering." The creature was surprised Millie knew. She continued "I'm looking deep into one of his cells. Theirs are similar to ours with a nucleus containing DNA. Looks like Ruth seeded life here too." K'akana said "His metabolism is very different than ours." Millie responded "I don't have the ability to analyze cells like Molly and Tracy. We need to understand these creatures. The sooner, the better."

Millie pulled out of his mind and suggested to Lupe "He needs to be examined, but the resources we have are on the mother ship. I can get him there in a couple moments without hurting him. Do you mind?" Lupe said "These creatures may be the ones ultimately controlling this planet. Go ahead but get back here as soon as you can." Millie sent a message to Taze to open the hangar bay doors. With that she picked up the skinny toad and created a bright green orb to encase them. In a flash they were gone. Two hours later she quietly walked up behind Lupe and flipped her cloaking device off. "I'm baa'aak." Lupe jumped. "You scared the crap out of me Millie." She patted her chest to calm down. "I've got to admit though, you are one amazing kid. What else can you do that you haven't told me about yet?" Millie with a devilish smile reached over and zapped her on the ribs. "Hahahaha. Gotcha Lupe. I can do gotchas." "Dang it Millie, I told you not to do that. I'm going to kick your little butt." "Gotta catch me first." K'akana broke in. "Ladies, we have more important things to do." Millie responded "Actually I did bring something back with me." Lupe said "I'm almost afraid to ask." "First, I brought a spare Blinking unit. And, remember in June when the Infinitum helped us take out the Crucible?" "How can I forget." "Well remember Ruth telling Nellie the best weapon against an adversary is the one they would use on themselves because subliminally they believe it's best?" "Yes." "So how do frogs catch their food?" "Oh my gosh did you bring a long sticky tongue with you?" "No, stupid. But you got the sticky part right. I brought some large mats and some containers of glue spray. We'll catch them like flies on flypaper. Isn't it great." "They won't step on sticky mats." "They will if the mats are cloaked."

Millie continued "Molly got him to talk. He's a juvenile." "He has vocal chords?" "Yes. He squealed like a pig when Tracy took a skin sample. I gently zapped him on the foot and he squealed again. Tracy chided me for being a brat and made me stand back. Then she got him to relax. He said his name is Squeege. These beings call themselves Crogs. They live in a city on the ocean floor. Squeege snuck away while his family was sleeping. He took his big sister's vehicle to check out the world above water. He's done it two other times and each time he was quickly caught and punished. He pointed on a map where his city is located. It's about three hundred miles east of here. At that location the data from the drones tell us the ocean floor is 1,000 feet down. He said he snuck off what we determined would be the equivalent of four earth hours before his family usually wakes up. So in about an hour his parents will be out looking for him." Lupe asked "Did he say how he shut the power off?" "I noticed a flap on his leg. We found a small device the size of a tiny cell phone. He doesn't know how it works. He said there are giant electric eels in the ocean and the Crogs devised a way to neutralize them by absorbing their wave energy. I left when the new Pioneers were busy trying to crack its secrets. I didn't bring any wave weapons back because these Crog devices absorb energy."

Lupe said "That power bleeding device is a humongulus problem. I had everything shielded but it didn't work. So except for the fly paper we're putting down, it looks like our hands are tied until we find out how that thing works." Millie asked "Well, isn't there something else we can do." Lupe giggled "Call 911." "No, silly. Other than my totally incredible powers, isn't there something else we can do?" "Don't be so full of yourself, Millie." Lareto said "Of course. Little squirt, you need to understand more about us. We have weapons like blowguns with poison arrows that can easily kill a frog." Lupe smiled "I'm staying close to you, Lareto." K'akana broke in "You all seem to be taking this in a very nonchalant way. We have no idea what they can do."

Lupe assumed a serious posture and asked Millie "Can you detect the presence of these frogs?" "My crystal can. And the little guy said they can't vibrate for very long. Their metabolism won't allow it." "Good. Let's finish setting out these glue traps and wait. And Millie, please don't steal the Samoans' thunder. Let them have the satisfaction of taking out the Zetas and these Crogs if they're part of it too." "Ok boss."

Lareto and a couple of his men saw a pig in the brush. Lareto said "I prefer my weapons in the jungle. Silent, quick, and deadly. We will eat pig tonight and dance around the fire to celebrate our freedom." Tony said "You sound very confident considering we don't know what powers the Zetas and the Crogs have." Lareto scowled "You have never seen us fight."

After an hour Millie contacted the mother ship. "Nothing so far. The instrument is extremely compact and complicated. Looks like we'll be here for a while." She rubbed her tummy. "I'm hungry. I'm thinking a big slice of red velvet cake with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream with all of it spread thin on a huge slice of pizza with anchovies."

Squeege's parents woke up to discover their son was missing. Very upset, they immediately left with two soldiers. They had secretly installed a homing device so they were soon on the beach next to their daughter's craft. The Crogs have olfactory glands as sensitive as dogs. They followed his scent to the outskirts of Calawaaya's village. They smelled Lupe's group in the brush, and approached very cautiously vibrating to avoid detection with weapons ready.

Millie smelled them coming and told everybody to be quiet and not move. They turned their cloaking devices on which also nullifies their scent. It was like two submarines blindly drifting by each other in deep ocean. One of the Crogs stepped on a glue mat and gave out a loud frog ribit of anger. All four started shooting their weapons in every direction. Lupe's group were crouched down. A couple shots hit Loreto, but didn't penetrate his body armor. The crog with the sticky problem stopped vibrating and was desperately looking around for help. Lareto stood, turned off his cloaking device and walked over to the pathetic specimen. He raised his spear for the kill. Lupe stopped him. "No! Stop! We need to understand these creatures first," as she pushed his spear aside. Looking around, Lupe yelled "We know you are here. And we know you can understand us. So stop vibrating. We have Squeege and he's ok. I promise we won't hurt him as long as you're not aggressive towards us. One of the crogs grabbed Lupe from behind. She tossed him to the mat next to the other stuck one. "That was not very nice. You little toads need be nice so we won't hurt you." The mother frog stuck on the mat blurted "Go to hell, disgusting alcohol infused miscreant humans." Lupe smiled "I see you've mastered the English language... and your grasp of hell and our historic drug addiction problem means you've thoroughly studied human societies. But before you do anything else, please understand we have the boy. He's fine. But don't provoke us. So every frog, if you would, please show yourself." The concerned female stuck on the mat ordered the others to stop vibrating. "That's it? There's only four of you?" "Stupid human, if you hurt any one of us this whole island will be destroyed." Lupe laughed "If you do that I will blow up this entire planet." "You empty fools, all you have is the atomic bomb." "Well, not really. But... imagine this... a giant nuclear device set off just above your city that's located three hundred miles that way and one thousand feet down. You understand miles and feet, right?" The mother's angry face turned to shock. Lupe saw it in her little toady eyes. "Yes, we know where you live. So let's talk a little." "What do you want?" "Where are you in the food chain? That's a slang expression on earth." "I know what it means, you boorish barbaric creature." "Wow, you're a cocky little croaker, aren't you? I don't think I like you hubristic little hoppers. But I have to admit it's funny when I hear it coming from your sticky tongued frog mouths. So tell me, are you the top creatures on this planet?" "Of course we are you insolent reprobate." "You guys seem to know all the insults. Let me see... does your character I've seen so far mean you're totally full of yourselves and live to dominate and enslave other creatures? You don't have to answer. It's obvious." "I want my child back."

Lupe asked K'akana and Millie "Instead of this snail paced question and answer game would you please do your telepathic thing." They walked over to the frog woman and knelt down. K'akana said "This girl and I are going to touch your head. It won't hurt. It's just a faster way to communicate. And please don't try to bite us. Our bodies are hard as a rock."

They touched her head and proceeded. The two saw the woman standing right in front of them as they entered her mind. "Now I have you." Her mind grabbed the throat of K'akana and began choking her. K'akana slowly but with steel power took the frog woman's hands off her throat.

K'akana spoke "My ancestors were Anishinaabe. The name refers to "good humans" meaning those who are on the right path given to them by the Creator or Gichi-Manidoo. My spirit was formed countless ages ago and has passed through thousands of generations to the woman kneeling behind your head. I see you have great powers, but you use them to dominate." Millie was standing back inside the frog's mind enjoying the spectacle. K'akana continued "I see your name is Caadon. You have a son and a daughter. Your lifespan is several hundred earth years. Your civilization's science and technology is incredible. But I don't see much in your mind of what I would call the "humanities" or metaphysics or existentialism or transcendentalism. You don't recognize the primacy of the spiritual that transcends over the material and the empirical. Except for your perceived importance of close family ties, all I see is your amoral attitude toward other living things. You creatures lack any moral sensibility. There is no distinction between or caring about what other advanced beings would interpret as right and wrong. Today, as opposed to the past, most humans cherish the concept of freedom within the boundaries of our existence. We believe that freedom is the most precious thing a creature can have. You don't. You still practice the caste system like we used to do. That is very troubling. Let me ask you... how many creatures have your Zeta henchmen brought back to this planet for you and them to exploit?" "Go to hell. You are nothing but thoughtful livestock for us to eat. Such sanctimonious irony coming from beings who domesticate animals as a ready food source. Your acrid righteousness is nauseating. The mitochondria in our cells require glucose and oxygen to produce energy to live. I'm sure you know this. The glucose and other required nutrients for our body must come from other life forms. It was you humans ages ago who decided with your pathetic machinations to sanctify killing by drawing lines of "decency" or "moralism" of what, when, and how to kill, and even how to cook creatures. The most comical line you humans drew in the sand was what we found in your records many thousands of years ago among the Israelites. They wrote it was wrong to eat a goat less than eight days old. And you should never boil the goat in its mother's milk because you are mixing a life giving substance with a procedure that prepares a dead animal for eating. Drawing that stupid line to give yourselves comfort that you are doing the right thing is ludicrous. You're still raising, killing, and eating an animal. And you may not know it, but goats have a mentality very close to humans. They just can't verbally express themselves. What hypocrites you are. But we did very much like Israelites and other humans believing in the requirement of sacrifice to appease their high and almighty god. So we capitalized on that flaw in your superstitious character. We brought the Samoans here to be our slaves and, unknown to them, to provide yet another delicious food source. And they did it willingly as a sacrifice to your god so they would go to heaven and live a life of eternal happiness. But they foolishly believed to do that they must suffer in this existence. You humans are such fools. You actually believe that your creator is so shallow and self-absorbed that he would create your species to adore and cherish him. Listen, a real god wouldn't need to do that to achieve fulfillment. And yet you carry on with this stupid belief. You would have done the same thing if you were us. Humans were low hanging fruit ready for the picking."

She continued "You trick and deceive other animals in order to kill them. Like you use fake ducks to float on water to give real ducks security believing it's safe to alight on the water's surface. And you use worms on hooks to lure fish in. And you..." K'akana broke in "Ok, that's enough."

She turned to Millie. "I have never been this angry. Please take over before I kill her." With that K'akana took her hands off the creature. Millie got up from a corner in Caadon's mind, walked over and faced her. "This woman's name is K'akana. She comes from a peace loving people who embrace mother nature and seek out the goodness of all beings. Her people for hundreds of years had to contend with raiding parties of the Navajo and the Apache who ruthlessly killed and plundered. They eventually became able enough to defend themselves. But then the Spaniards arrived from Europe with far superior weapons to raid their lands. They had a religion you know as Christianity that legitimized their brutality. And because the American Indian societies were so foreign and unrelatable, K'akana's people were considered just a step away from "lower life forms". The attitude and mindset you are exhibiting is the same that decimated her people by these greedy Europeans hell bent on taking over their land at any cost. They were a disgusting people who clinged onto the Christian superstitions to legitimize killing. Ironically they called this woman's people savages. For them, being a Christian European gave them the legitimacy for being superior. To take their land and make them slaves, the Indians had to be characterized as barbaric paganistic nonhumans."

"And you're right, we have to kill to survive. But with her people, killing includes a ritual of respect. First they make sure the creature dies quickly with as little pain as possible. Next they say a prayer and thank its spirit as it rises from the body for the nourishment that will sustain her people. They completely understand the ugliness of killing and have often questioned God's path for survival. Taking a life to continue your own is despicable, but these are the rules the Great Spirit made. So Caadon, are you understanding or empathizing at all with anything I've just said?"

Caadon laughed. "Don't waste your breath extolling the virtues of the wonderful nature of these human beings and your great nurturing society." With a delightful glimmer in the frog's eyes she continued "The important thing is this... small girls like yourself taste the best. The tender palms of your hands are an exquisite delicacy. And since it takes at least eight years for you to become butcher ready, only the wealthiest can afford you." "Well I'm glad you think we're delicious. But we are a little more than dinner. Don't you think?"

The frog answered "Our instruments have seen strange craft appearing above our planet, then disappearing. We've been preparing for you." Millie said "My guess is you've never studied the writings of Sun Tzu. He wrote the "Art of War" thousands of earth years ago. He said the obvious that many often ignore... you must know your enemy before entering battle. We didn't know you, but we planned a thousand different scenarios that could eventualize once we came here. Have you made the same preparations?.... Your giant empty ego tells me you haven't." "Go to hell, earthling." "What is this fascination you creatures have with the Christian concept of hell?" Caadon sat silently glaring at her. Millie asked "Have you wondered why I'm here? I'm even younger than your clueless son." "Go to hell." "See, there you go again with the hell thing. Well, I'm here because I can make you less violent. And you shouldn't have told me about preparing for us because now I'm going to dig into your mind and see what you creatures are up to. Something you had no idea humans could do."

She summoned the power of the crystal and sent a trillion threads of green throughout the toad's body. At the same time she dissipated all of the frog's stress and put her to sleep. She located the regions in Caadon's brain that made her violent and amoral. She remodeled her brain to be a more altruistic and less cold hearted amphibian. After a few minutes she was finished. "Wake up Caadon. ......How do you feel?" "I feel so relaxed. What was I saying before?" "Something about you wanting to eat me." She laughed "You humans are very tasty. But you made me feel so good. Quite possibly your value is less for nourishment and more for providing me with an ethereal aesthetic sense of everything. A cognizant appreciation for all life." Millie asked "So how do you feel about the plants and animals you brought here from other planets?" "All of the planets our surrogates visited were like earth where the ecosystem included lower life forms which were eaten by higher forms. But you're right, we shouldn't enjoy hurting other beings just for sport." Millie replied "I'm with you. Throughout the ages, humans loved to torture and kill. The killing performances in the Roman Coliseums, the torture methods employed by Christians and Muslims for nonbelievers. Even today we on earth still make horror and war movies that glamorize killing. But we're slowly becoming better creatures."

Caadon asked "Do you know where my son is?" "Yes. You will see him shortly. I noticed you're a physics engineer. Looking into your mind it saw the schematics of the device that absorbs wave energy. It's fascinatingly simple." "Everything is simple once you understand it." "That's true. Listen, we need to contact the leader in your metropolis to have him stand down. We don't want to hurt your species. I placed the knowledge in your mind of what we can do if provoked. Our nature is to be friendly, but not if we are attacked."

Caadon said "You showed me the Infinitum and how they seeded us. We always wondered how our existence began. Is what you communicated true?" "Yes it is." "Then it's the Infinitum who are to blame for the environmental ladder of killing to survive." "You are right concerning seeding the DNA, but... there are creatures from another planet we visited who pull electrons straight from rocks to provide energy for survival. Our evolutionary pattern just took another direction." To further explain, Millie proceeded to infuse threads of knowledge about the Calix into Caadon's mind. "The Calix are a higher life form than us. And the Infinitum also seeded their planet. Over the ages they adapted a direct method of maintaining their life force, while we didn't. Although on earth there are certain bacteria that feed on electrons in the soil. One is called geobacter metallireducens. And who knows, they may eventually become single celled organisms and eventually creatures like the Calix. Or we may be able to alter our DNA to emulate the Calix."

Caadon again asked "Will you please return my son to me." "Yes. I'll take you to him." Millie released her hands from the toad's head and poured a harmless chemical on Caadon's mat that stopped the glue from being sticky. "Lupe, I saw in this creature's mind the schematics for the weapon that drains power. Her name is Caadon. I was able to remodel her brain to be nonaggressive. If it's ok I'll take her to our mother ship to see her son, and she'll tell us more about her species. Is that ok with you?" "Of course. Let's get this thing done. I want to restore power to our communication devices and weapons and get the other ships back here ASAP." With that, Millie created an orb around Caadon and left.

The three other amphibians were shocked when they saw Millie's powers. Squeege's father still stuck to the glue mat was very angry but cautious with his words. He realized these humans were far superior. "My name is Madok. Are you creatures human?" Lupe giggled "Yes Madok, we are. Some of your Zeta's ships crashed near a town in the United States called Roswell during earth year 1947. Was that the last contact you had with us?" "Yes." "Well... a mountain of changes have occurred since then. And in recent years our societies have become less hierarchical or pyramidal and are now more democratic. We are ruling ourselves as a whole instead of allowing a tiny group of pushy uncaring immoral self-centered greedy people to rule us. So far it's worked very well. With the end of restrictive capitalism, money is no longer a choking point for innovation and happiness. Tell me Madok, does your society have a dictator supported by a ruthless army, or have you moved on to the type of society we now have on earth?" Madok was a military commander of the Crogs. So his loyalties were to his king who ruled with an iron frog fist. He replied "The only successful society is one that is directed by a special class of Crogs who have the intelligence, innovation, and foresight to become great. We designed the spacecraft that folds gravity to travel across deep space in a matter of earth minutes. Look at your own history. The greatest advances made were by conquerors. The Egyptians, Romans, Incas, early Islam, Persians, Greeks, the Chinese dynasties." Lupe replied "I noticed you didn't include the mediaeval period in Europe where the Lords made slaves of their people by using religion and of course harsh military rule. Those were dark ages in Europe where every advancement in science was discarded in favor of Christian superstitions. But then most all leaders throughout the ages on earth have been ruthless dictators killing millions of innocents. Is this the best your society can do? Do your frogs appreciate being pushed down into a difficult rudimentary life full of stress?" "We are called Crogs, not frogs, you insolent meal. Do you know what we call humans in my city... Food!" "Is that a fact. Well on earth we eat frogs. They taste just like chicken. We love chicken. But Madok... let's get serious. How many planets have your Zeta's been to?" "I will not tell you." Lupe thought for a minute. "Let's see, you can't live out of water for very long. That's the reason you use the Zetas, isn't it?" "Well of course. We like a diverse food source." "So the Zetas brought back creatures from earth and other planets to raise and eat." With a scowl he continued "You humans are very delicious. A delicacy that requires many years of growth before consuming. So yes, we and the Zetas do love to eat you. But the main reason we brought your kind here was because you are excellent craftsmen. Good at working with your hands. You learn fast and can easily be influenced. You are gullible and hard working. We like that." Lupe paused and walked around for a moment then came back to Madok. She blurted out in anger "I really don't like you." He laughed "Your domesticated animals you raise, kill, and eat don't realize what you are doing to them. But if they did, I'm sure they would feel the same about you."

The teams cleaned up the problem on ZRS1P1 by attacking the Zeta's cities and killing almost every creature. The captive beings from other planets were released and either sent back to their home planets or allowed to continue to live on this planet. The crogs were a difficult species because they had an excellent military which caused ten Samoans to perish during the conflict. But instead of killing them all, Millie used the power of her stone to make them more peace loving and empathetic.

Returning Back to Earth from Zeta Reticuli

Mike pulled the switch to Blink back home. Unfortunately at that moment a massive radiation storm from a giant solar flare was blowing past earth. The ship shook violently. When it materialized above earth there was no turbulence. All was peaceful. Mike called on a secure spaceport frequency for clearance to land at White Sands. Nothing but static. He moved to a military channel. "White Sands control, this is Mothership One requesting clearance to land. Over." Again no reply. He repeated the request several times. Finally a voice came back. "Mothership One, what is your position?" Mike turned to Lupe. "They're asking our position. That's outside our standard operating procedure. They should already know we're in geosynchronous orbit 25,000 miles above New Mexico." Lupe borrowed the mic. "This is space commander Solis. Who am I speaking to?" The response was a few seconds of laughter, then "Well space commander Solis, I'm a colonel who is about to become your worst nightmare if you don't get the hell off this frequency." She played possum. "I'm sorry, I was playing space raiders with my friends. Must have gotten on this frequency by mistake. Sorry." She turned to Mike. "End all communications and immediately get this ship out of here. Put us behind the moon maintaining our cloaked posture. Something's very wrong down there."

She assembled a team of herself, Molly, Tracy, Millie, Tom, and Mike. They took a calix craft and flew down in cloaked mode to 5,000 feet above Las Cruces. Lupe optically scanned the research center, Las Cruces, and El Paso. None of it looked the same, especially the research center. They quickly flew to a few large cities across the United States. What she saw was very disturbing. Less cars, fewer buildings. She decided to take a closer look at Los Angeles. Landing on a deserted road on the outskirts of town, they unloaded a large air/water/land vehicle out of its belly then raised the spacecraft 90,000 feet with both vehicles in cloaked mode. Proceeding into the city just above the ground, they saw store fronts that looked familiar and some were different. Near the edge of downtown they exited the freeway, dropped down and got out. Then they raised the vehicle just above the buildings so it wouldn't get bumped into. They cloaked themselves and walked into an In-N-Out Burger. What they saw was very strange. People looked semi-tranced. Molly's instrument readings indicated they were on mild psychotropics. The kind they've never seen before. Customers paid by passing their hand over a reader. Lupe checked to see if they were micro chipped. They were, between the thumb and index finger on their right hand.

Millie followed one of the female patrons into the ladies room and immediately placed her hands on the lady's head putting her into a hypnotic trance. On her earcom she said "She's definitely a human, but I'm seeing a lot of strange things. First of all she has an implant in her brain. It's attached to her retinal and auditory nerves. Like she's a video camera for an outside source. Lupe, look around. Do you see any video cameras?" "Only one. Can you tell where the woman's signal is being sent?" "No, it's omnidirectional. It's probably to the nearest cell tower." Millie continued probing the lady's mind. "Lupe, what I'm seeing is bizarre. I'll download a copy of her mind into my crystal. It'll take a few moments. Then we need to get out of here and back to the vehicle." "Ok, Sparky. Just let us know when you're ready." In ten minutes the group was back in their vehicle and parked in a narrow alley.

Millie opened "Lupe, it's like we accidently slipped into a parallel universe. This is basically the same as earth but with a few large exceptions. In our world the Big Change occurred where the People decide their destiny. But for these bozos it's still a representative republic where the representatives decide everything. I mean everything. The constituency for each representative is between ten to twelve thousand people. They don't allow women or minorities to run for office. The rep decides when his people wake up and when they go to sleep. He decides what food they'll eat. Like the lady had a paltry fast food allowance for In-N-Out and she could only buy double patty cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and fries. Weird. The rep also decides where they'll work and how much money they make. He decides everything they will own and of course each person has to pay for it. The representative decides who his constituents will marry and how many kids they'll have and what their gender will be. These people's lives are totally in his hands. Even their medical care and moment of death. And the gullible fools actually believe it's for their own good. All the media networks are owned and controlled by a handful of people. The lady totally believes the propaganda they spew. Apparently all the people have swallowed it... hook, line, and sinker." Tracy said "It's probably because of the drugs. I remember studying about CIA testing in the 50s and 60s using drug induced mind control. It was called MK Ultra. It continued in various forms until the Big Change." Molly looked at the others. "You know, maybe we're meant to be here." Lupe said "Possibly. Millie, is there an internet we can tap into?" "Yes. There's a WIFI right next door. It has several levels of security, but that's no problem. I'll ping the signal all over the US, then back to us." In a few minutes Lupe was on. Surfing was very difficult. Just like on our earth, the web had a shell interface supported by various search engines with search restrictions. Lupe went around all the rigid formalities and dove straight in with a special algorithm she developed a year ago. "This is interesting. Eli Lilly makes Prozac here too. But they make a special version called 'gydence'. It's in all the drinking water. Unbelievable!" Molly again said "Maybe we are meant to be here to stop this." Mike said "Is that really possible considering we're only a few thousand. And we haven't even talked about getting back. Are we stuck here?" Lupe smiled "I'm not worried. The infinitum can find us. If we can get here, they can too... Wherever this is. They periodically monitor Millie's green crystal. And to answer your comment about not being enough of us, well, like on our earth there are key people who made the Big Change happen. It would be interesting to know if the same ones exist here too. And from what I've seen so far on their internet only about 100 companies control everything here. And the President is some guy named Donald Trump. He's a wannabe Hitler who cages children at the border. The previous President named Obama did it too. They have allowed the poor and desperate coming up here for Asylum to be beaten and raped. Even the minors! " Lupe thought for a moment... "For a quick solution, we could kill the top management of corporations and move control to employees. And we could eliminate all representatives in Congress and in the Administrative branch. But first we need to get the people off these stupid psychotropics."

Tracy asked "Can you look on the net and see if we have doubles here." "Already did, and the answer is yes. You're living in Georgia, Molly's in Mexico, I'm in Boston, my dad's living on the streets of New York City, Millie's in Chicago at a prison-like research facility where they're performing experiments on her. The address is the Prudential Building, 130 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL, 60601. The University of Chicago Biological Research Center is located there. It's listed as being on the 14th floor, but I see Millie's twin is being held four stories underground in a containment unit." Millie was incensed. "We need to go there, now! Those sorry bastards!" Lupe asked Millie "Did you see any dangers we should know about in that lady's mind?" "Her name is Mildred. Her memories are good, but her thought processes are limited. It's like she's existing in a clear fog. She believes she's thinking ok, but she's not. She's being manipulated by that drug. So to answer your question, the overseers, whoever they are, have placed too much reliance on drugs. They don't have any backup plans if the people come out of their stupor." Lupe said "And I see here in some secret documents if mental clarity is discovered, a small team apprehends the individual then finds out why the drug isn't working. After that they simply kill and burn the victim, then discard the ashes." Lupe continued "Wow. Come here. Look at this crap. They have a program of gradual weeding out of the population. Their plan is to have only twenty million people in the US by 2050." Mike asked "What about defense?" Lupe responded "They're making robot soldiers. They have EMP shields surrounding all circuits. Looks like they have a lot of stuff to prevent an enemy from taking over." Millie asked "Can we go to Chicago now. I'm about to explode." "You bet, let's go."

In a few minutes the ship was hovering over the Prudential building. Lupe said "Ok guys, Millie's in the kitchen of what looks like a large apartment with windows looking out at fake scenery. Millie, can you somehow turn their video security system off?" "Done. What else you want?" "That's all. Let's hold hands and pay your sister a visit." In a few seconds six people appeared before Millie2. Millie1 walked over. "Hi. I'm Millie Watson. I believe I may be from another dimension. Hold my hand to see my mind." Millie2 two stepped back in shock. Millie1 moved faster than a blink and touched her hand. They were motionless for what must have been ten minutes.

Millie2 stepped forward. "Cacosxaj Tepocas , Johnny Vee Sanders, Xochitl Metztli, Mike, Tom... it's an honor to meet you. Millie, with the power of her green crystal, removed all the implants and repaired my mind. We also shared our memories. This is an extraordinary moment. I don't know how you came here, but thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Lupe quickly had everybody hold hands then Blinked to the spaceship above Chicago.

Millie2 sat back in a soft leather chair taking it all in. The view, the smells, the touch, the sounds... the enormity of it all. She reflected "They held me in that prison for the last three years. My altruism had them worried. I knew they were drugging me, but I couldn't do anything about it. They had my mom... OMG! We have to get her out of there!" Millie1 said "I have a fix on her body frequency." Lupe and the two Millies Blinked down and quickly retrieved her. Ima was terrified at first, but after both Millies went into her mind with explanations, she was relieved. During the next hour the crew brought up all the young Pioneers with their families. Norma and her daughters as well as Larry, Serge, and Elon Musk and his family and the other adult Pioneers were also brought onboard. They were sedated to ease the shock then taken to the mothership nestled behind the moon.

A few hours later they were all seated in a large cafeteria. Lupe2 with tears of happiness was latched onto her daddy. They'd been apart for six years not knowing if the other was still alive.

Hope2 spoke up. "This morning I was in my native village of Ekltuna. Now you say I'm on a giant ship behind the moon. And somehow Millie put a wealth of information into my mind including exactly what the other me did on your earth." She looked at Hope1 sitting beside her. "Is this some crazy dream? She chuckled, "Because if it is please don't wake me up."

Lupe was about to speak when a bright flash appeared. It was Ruth, Asya, and Anya, each again dressed like Xena the warrior princess. The girls who took part in the raid on the Crucible last June ran up and hugged them. Ruth said "Looks like my favorite children got themselves into a pickle." Asya said "Ruth, you know when you mention food it makes me hungry especially when I'm in a human body." Lupe giggled. "Well, we're in a cafeteria. What are you hungry for?" "Umm. Let's see, how about a Belgian waffle with blueberry syrup, and a slice of ham on the side." "Your wish is our command. Give us a few minutes," as she respectfully motioned for a cook to start.

"So how'd you find us?" "It wasn't easy. We lost communication with Millie's crystal." Anya said "We were franticly searching. We saw you were very busy last week." Ruth said "We found your last teleportation trail back to earth but you weren't anywhere to be found." Asya said "Then we saw the residual of a strong radiation storm from your star." Ruth said "That ripped your thread just enough to modulate you to another location." Asya said "You were transported to another earth in a different sector of the universe." Ruth looked at the others staring in total disbelief. "I'm sorry for not introducing ourselves." Brooklyn said "You're the ladies we saw in the video last July who helped destroy the Crucible below Central Park." Ruth responded "That's true, but those on this earth don't know who we are, so..." She lifted her hand and filled the room with vivid green luminescent light touching their minds making them aware of who they were and to not be afraid.

Ruth and her warrior buds took a seat. Millie1 climbed on Ruth's lap. Ruth said "We have to make a confession. We found this planet and it was exactly like yours. So, millions of years ago we seeded it with the life forms from your planet. We transported an exact template of earth's organisms here." Asya said "We went back and forth a zillion times setting up this planet to be a duplicate of earth. We created a smooth pathway between the two planets. That's probably why you accidently popped over here." Anya said "We wanted to see if the progression of life would be replicated exactly across time. Kind of like what John Calvin preached five hundred years ago. You know... our destiny is non-negotiable. It's preordained. The paradox of free will and all that stuff." Molly said "And 'all that stuff', as you call it, sounds like you were testing us like lab rats. That's not very nice. We're not zoo animals." Ruth said "Of course not. Our species began exactly as yours did. Well, sort of." Lupe asked "So how many of your species are there? And again exactly why did you carry out this experiment?" Ruth replied "It's ok. I can see you're upset. But it's not meant to be that way. We, like you, like John Calvin and lots of other creatures across the universe have wondered at one time or another if all this is nothing but a determinable chemical reaction." She looked around "Wouldn't you like to know? Of course you would. And this is one way to find out. We now know the answer is almost a yes. Almost. With your example, the odd significant differences started occurring when your country on your planet had the Big Change. Now, as we can see, a giant divergence occurred. We almost forgot this planet existed. Please forgive us. We, like you, are constantly curious." Anya said "But it is interesting that your arrival here has come relatively soon after you instituted the Big Change." Asya said "Like some power we don't know ordained it." Ruth said "We don't mean to adorn the unknown or the inexplicably coincidental as a higher power, but it does seem odd." Lupe said "Yes, it does. And attempting to find answers using higher level life forms in a controlled experiment is a touchy subject with us. And Ruth... you're not dealing with creatures you can buffalo. I know you couldn't have just 'found this planet' then set up a controlled experiment. That's impossible. The only way you could have done this was to actually clone our entire solar system and move it out into the far reaches of the universe. Even then your 'experiment' wouldn't be perfect because of the galactic influences of the Milky Way as well as the dark matter and dark energy forces. So my question now is why are you lying to us?"

Ruth was silent. Asya shot "Dammit Ruth, I told you we needed to be honest with them." She turned to Lupe "Believe it or not we don't usually lie." With a frown Asya looked at Ruth. "Because there is NO reason to... Yes Lupe, you're correct. We did clone the entire solar system and moved it out here. The why was very simple. We discovered a phenomenal genetic trait that would cause your species to make moves to be inclusive, like a big family. At least we thought we did. We didn't want to screw things up so we made a perfect template and put it aside in case the injected DNA traits we placed into selected individuals in your world... well in case it all turned into hell in a handbasket. This is the first time we've ever done this. It was because the breakthrough we found was very promising, but at the same time very tenuous and potentially dangerous." Tracy interrupted "So what you're saying is we are your lab rats. That's disgusting!" Ruth broke in "In other words we took a hands-on role in making your United States of America a direct democracy where you now use money only as a tool to distribute buying power. You didn't realize it. And that's what we wanted. We want anonymity as much as possible." Lupe asked "But why?" Anya said "You don't want to be thought of as lab rats or animals in a zoo. Nobody does. That's why we want to stay away and out of sight. Believe me, we do love you. All of you. Just like when your kids grow up and go out on their own, they want to feel independent and not controlled. And as much as possible we made it that way." Lupe asked "So exactly when did you do this cloning and when did you start the ball rolling so we could possibly have the Big Change?" Ruth said "We did both at the same time. It was your earth date June 23, 2003, at 1:30 in the afternoon, US Central time. That's when we did the cloning, and seeded the hoped for changes on your planet." "So if it didn't work, would you have poofed away our planet into oblivion and replaced us with your control planet? That despicable!" Asya said "Of course not!" Ruth said "We would have worked to fix your planet. We placed the clone here to see the difference we made. That's all. Nothing else. And if it worked we were going to make the same changes on this planet."

Lupe thought about what was said... "So... Lupe here is a clone of me, but she isn't a clone, she's the real me in every respect.... Isn't that something only a God can do?" Anya chuckled "That depends on how you define God." Asya said "We are capable of things you haven't even dreamed of, but we're definitely not Gods. Only sentient beings like you." And there's something we want you to understand... Earth's Christian, Jewish, and Islamic doctrines preach that humans were put on earth to follow God's orders and to worship him. Even to make sacrifices to him. Listen, I guarantee you God isn't that self-absorbed and superficial that he would make humans so they would suck up to him. A real God doesn't need that idiocy. Like what we believe the real God(s) are, we too are not egotistical beings who would create lower species to worship us. Actually, we love humans. You are so good to each other. At least since June 23, 2003. In contrast, the calix are further along, but not as rich in emotions as you. That's what makes you so special. Your emotions are like opium. Karl Marx said religion is the opiate of the masses because it provides hope in hopeless situations. Well, humans are the opiate of sentient beings because their spirits are so rich and beautiful. It gives us something to emulate." Tracy asked "Then why don't you retain yourselves as humans and come live with us?" Anya said "We can't. We can only stay in this human form for a limited period of time. Our metabolism won't allow it. That's another reason we have been investigating humans. We'd like to overcome that disability." Lupe concluded "Ok, let's stop all this. The less we know the better it is. All I need to know is you seeded us and you love us and would never hurt us. That's all I need to know. So why don't we get out of this ditch and move forward with how to help earth2."

Asya said "See Ruth, I told you they were diamonds." Lupe asked Ruth "Last June you said you could have instantly taken the Crucible out just by snapping your finger." "So you want me to snap my finger here, huh? You're not that lazy are you?" "Mom, you know I'm not lazy. It's just that the task is monumental." Ruth smiled "So humans walking around in a drugged daze allowing a handful of oppressors to control their lives isn't your cup of tea?" "Of course not. You know my past where rich bastards moved my dad's job out of the country causing us to become homeless. I personally located those jerks and put them on a labor farm in Arizona hoeing weeds all day." Ruth smiled "And, you also castrated them." Tracy spoke up. "That was my idea, mom." Millie1 looked at Ruth. "Would you please help us, mom. We could sure use it." "Of course, my little cherub. But first can we enjoy being in these human bodies again? The sensory input is amazing." Looking down at Millie1 in her lap. "And your touch is very soothing. We'd like to stay for a while so everybody can come to know us. We have much to show you."

That evening the two Lupes went for a walk. 1 took 2 to the outside of a large (50,000 sq ft) acoustically dampened room with a 20 ft high ceiling. Lupe1 placed her hand against the security lock. Swoosh... The large door opened. "This is our hologram area where we can train without the danger of being killed."

Walking in, Lupe2 asked "Why are you trusting me with your knowledge?" "Why not? You're me. Not just in the DNA sense. You ARE me. At least that's what Ruth said, and I trust her. At least on this. Why ask the question? Don't you trust yourself with my knowledge?" She giggled and continued "Is there a phantom evil spirit inside your body that's going to move you to the dark side?" "No, stupid. With knowledge comes responsibility." "Hey, you're me. You can handle it. And like I said earlier, right now I'm not going explain how to travel back in time or look forward into the future. And, your ability to Blink will be limited to a 100 million light years. And, we are not going to release the information of how to make people young again. At least for now." Lupe2 responded "First of all, I'm totally blown away that you can do those things. And second, you're right. That information in the wrong hands could be devastating. Understanding Blinking and the other young Pioneer's medical breakthroughs is way more than enough." Lupe2 walked some more then turned and asked "This Sid you told me about? Maybe he should be my boyfriend too." Lupe1 reflected "Since the Big Change you and I have had a different life. You've been living with Mary and John. Actually I'm surprised you hadn't thought of Blinking already with two of the best minds in the country as your foster parents." "I did, but I didn't act on it. See, here females especially minority females are second class citizens with no access to anything." She sat on a holographic cushioned chair. "These holographic images with the turgor forces are nice. You guys have really passed us since Ruth put in the changes. Actually it's extremely creepy knowing that this solar system didn't exist until June 23rd, 2003. Until that point I was nothing." Lupe1 glinted a smile and giggled. "I didn't exist until my mom's ovum became fertilized sixteen years ago. ...Or did I? This is a strange reality we're in." Lupe2 made the same giggle. "It's even stranger that creatures like the infinitum exist who can clone an entire solar system out of nothing. What in the hell is all of this about Lupe." "Beats the sh-t out of me, sis." She reached over and pinched her. "But we can feel... We can think and question... What else do we need?" "Answers, guajolote (you turkey), answers." "And thank goodness we're good at finding answers." "So, you're dating a boy named Sid. I'm seeing a guy named Tad. His parents are professors at MIT." "You like him?" "He's very cute but a little misogynistic and bigoted." She giggled "He thinks he's such hot sh-t. He really gets pissed when I talk over his head. High level math, programming, any one of the sciences, actually anything. See girls especially hot Hispanics aren't supposed to be this smart. We're supposed to know our place in society and have the man in control." "Yeah, I have to deal with that from time to time myself, but it's more of an age thing." "I believe gender shouldn't even be in the picture. Age either. When my bud Millie was three, her mom told me she was as cogent as a college professor." Lupe2 went back to the boyfriend thing. "So tell me who you've dated. What do you look for in a guy?" Lupe1 said "I like tall strong blue eyed blondes. My first boyfriend was really handsome. Easy going. Kind of smart. But then by chance I met Sidney at a bowling alley. He was cute, not that big. Kind of boney. More nerd than athlete. Actually not an athlete at all. He's more of a deep feeling artist with words. When I met him I could see those..." Lupe2 interrupted "those puppy dog eyes?" "Apparently we actually do think the same. Yes, at first his adoring puppy dog eyes made me shy away. I'm not into boys worshiping the ground I walk on. But he was an exception. He's brilliant and funny with a sense of humor that weaves through the psyche. He says the unexpected, catching me off guard. His poetry is smooth. And he treats me with respect." She thought for a second... "So yeah, you probably should at least meet him." "Where did you say he was again?" "He lives on a military base across the Potomac from DC. He likes to hang out at the bowling alley. It's thanksgiving break so he should be there. You want to pay him a visit? I already checked the internet to verify he lives on the base." Lupe called Cletus to have Tom and Mike accompany them. Cletus had a hissy fit, but there was nothing he could do except go along with it. Lupe Blinked the group to the back alley of the building. Security remained cloaked. The two Lupes strutted inside dressed like twins. They reminded each other that everyone had video cams in their brains, so they needed to be careful.

Lupe1 visually scanned the lanes. No Sid. Then over to the arcade room. She spotted him playing space defenders flying his star fighter just above earth's atmosphere battling against the evil blog invaders intent on taking over the earth. Both Lupes casually walked up. Lupe1 leaned against the unit and opened with "Hey. That looks like a lot of fun. Can several people play together?" "Sid pushed the pause button and gulped as he gazed at two of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen in his life. And unbelievably they were actually talking to him. He thought "What should I say. Come on mouth, open, say something. Don't just sit here and stare, you idiot. "Oh, a... hi..." Lupe1 said "Well?..." "Sure. Up to three people can play as a team, but the difficulty factor increases. (gulp) Would you like to play?" Instead of answering, the Lupes sat down on each side of him. They scooted in closer. "My name is Lupe and this is my sister Lupe." Sid laughed "Kind of like my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl on the Bob Newhart show back in the 80s?" Lupe1 "Sure, whatever that means." "It was three brothers in a sitcom who were handymen. Larry, Darryl and his other brother Darryl. The intention was to convey they were country hayseeds, not too bright but real nice guys." Lupe1 "You're probably the only one on this base who knows that." Lupe2 "You are kind of nerdy," as she scooted in closer. "So how do you play this game?" She put her arm around Sid's shoulder. He felt a warm flush come over his face. (Gulp) "These are the joysticks that fly the jet, and these are th the bu bu ttons to f fire." Lupe1 said "Relax Sid, we're just playing with you. Don't be nervous." He turned in surprise "How do you know my name?" "It's a long story, Sid. Right now we'd like to play a game with you. What do you say?" She moved his hand over the reader to accept payment for the next game. "Ok, let's play..." They played for a while. During the games he talked about everything he could think of. Like why this game is more realistic than the others in the room. His mind seemed clearer than others. He went off into the physics of the universe. He especially loved talking about the earth's magnetic fields and how Edward Leedskalnin used the fields plus a super high voltage low amperage generator to set giant stones at his Coral Castle in Florida.

After finishing a game, Lupe1 looked at Lupe2 "Do you know the lyrics to Todas Las Palabras?" She smiled and looked at Sid... "Perhaps it will happen without rush and without wind. In some place from yesterday. I feel that you and I will meet and it might be strange. With hope, without rush and without voice, without any footsteps to follow. All song, all words, come and dance with the sound the wind makes when approaching your mouth and your skin. Do you know this song, Sid?" With sweet puppy dog eyes he continued "Look at me for an instant. Touch this silence that is ending and embrace the air turning into sky. Inside your breath and my thirst. It is the air that becomes the sky into my thirst. I suppose that you and I will eventually meet. We might not even notice. Maybe it will happen quickly and with wind in some new place. I feel that you and I will meet and it might be strange with hope, without rush, without voice. With dreams to begin." Lupe2 smiled and kissed his cheek. He melted into stammering words. "It's ok, Sid. Relax. Would you like to get a pizza? I'll pay this time." Across the floor on their way to the restaurant Sid started freaking out. He whispered "Holy crap, it's Pat and Art, the general's sons. Quick, let's go this way." Lupe1 said "Oh yeah... the base bullies. Don't worry about them. Cletus..." "Yes, ma'am." "Please have the two general's sons pass out." "Roger that." "Thank you." The two bullies immediately dropped knocked out cold next to the soda island in the middle of the alley.

After they settled in at a table in the restaurant, Sid asked if this was a dream. He was visibly shaken now. Lupe1 said "I don't mean to make you upset. This might freak you out though. Are you ready?" He cautiously nodded his head. "See, on another earth you're my boyfriend. Lupe isn't my twin sister, she's my clone. In fact this entire earth is a clone of my earth. And the Sid where I live has a special place in my heart."

Lupe2 said "I like him, Lupe. Let's take him with us. He may not eventually be my boyfriend, but we should at least free him from this crap. Right?" "If we do, we have to take his parents and his sister Lucy." Sid shot up and slowly began to walk away. Both Lupes were on Tracy's power drugs. 1 zipped to Sid and stopped him. She looked straight into his eyes. "Relax Sid. We're not here to hurt you. Ok? Trust me. Let's go back and sit down. Ok?" "Looks like I don't have much choice, do I?" She giggled. "Right this second you don't, but after this you'll have much more control over your life. I promise." Lupe1 began the conversation. "Sid, the other you once told me this... A poet once wrote 'When a man makes love to a woman she leaves a little piece of her in his heart. Therefore, you must tread carefully young man. Even though the heart is the strongest organ, it can easily be broken if honest love given goes unrequited'. You said your IQ is 150, but your heart Q is much higher." In total shock he asked "How do you know this stuff. Are you mind reading aliens?" Lupe1 looked over to 2. "We're getting nowhere. We need to show him and completely clear his head of that damn gydence drug." Lupe looked into Sid's eyes. "Sid there's a tiny implant in everybody's head that videos everything. It links to your optical and auditory nerves. Then it broadcasts to the nearest cell tower." She chuckled. "So, to whoever will eventually see this... I just want to let you know it's over. I'm taking you guys down. In a few days you'll be in my custody. Goodbye and good riddance." She called "Cletus, we're leaving now. Please uncloak yourselves and let's hold hands. Thanks." Three men appeared out of thin air in front of Sid. Then in a flash Lupe Blinked to the mothership. "Uncle Cletus, please escort Sid to Millie so she can remove his implant and have Tracy get that damn drug out of his system. Oh, and please bring Sid's family up. Thanks." Lupe2 went with Sid to help calm him down.

The day quickly turned into a week with most of the passengers introducing themselves to the ones who seeded DNA across parts of the universe. The infinitum enjoyed spending time with their offspring and marveled at the contrast between the humans from earth1 and earth2. The infinitum obviously understood that DNA progression and differentiation through mutations caused by recombinant haploid DNA would progress through time like the lattice work of growing ice crystals. And they fully understood how their special infused epigenetic traits would light up and turn off certain traits. But they didn't realize that after injecting the changes using their advanced form of gene replacement therapy that their planned positive advances would happen so quickly.

On day seven during lunch, Ruth stood to address the crowd. The room, designed to seat several hundred was full. She said "Now that we've had a nice lunch, let's go down to the level three warehouse. We have a fun surprise." Everybody was asking what it was but the infinitum's lips were sealed. Soon they gathered in an empty fifty thousand square foot room. At one end were cold storage lockers. Ruth walked over and opened the large double doors. Out ran several hundred people trying to get warm. Asya threw up an electric curtain separating them from the rest. Anya said "Here they are everybody. Congress, the President, the Vice President, and the Supreme Court. All 546 of the creeps. We also have the controlling owners, CEOs, and the highest management of the top 100 Corporations in America. All 1,435 of them." Ruth said "So what would you have us do with these people?" A person in the back shouted "Kill them nice and slowly!" "But would that really solve your problem?" Lupe relented "Not really. As long as earth2 remains a representative republic there will always be graft and corruption. So how about we alter the peoples' minds to push through a Constitutional amendment to create a direct democracy?" Anya said "So you're saying mind control instead of violence is the answer? Isn't that what these bozos were doing?" Ruth suggested "In an instant I could remove the fog of drugs from the minds of all the citizens of the United States. Then I could show them how it is in your United States. So, why don't we give them a clear mind and a thorough understanding of what they have versus what you have. Shouldn't we at least give them that choice? Shouldn't they have the right to choose instead of us imposing what we think they should have? Isn't that what self-determination is all about?" They all agreed.

That week the Pioneers came to know their counterparts, and discussed many experiences. Millie transferred the needed knowledge to the earth2 Pioneers. The infinitum brought up all the movers and shakers and made sure they understood how their role would make freedom a reality.

At weeks end the clones sadly said goodbye to their doubles from earth1. The infinitum created a clone mothership for the clones to use as their base of operations. The infinitum would stay on until the Constitutional Amendment was passed. After all the tearful goodbyes, Ruth sent the earth1 humans back in time to their home at the exact moment they were originally supposed to appear. The infinitum allowed them retain the memories of their visit to earth2. It's interesting to note that the infinitum will not venture into the future. They wouldn't explain why.

To keep the experiment going, the guests from earth2 did not want to visit earth1. They all agreed to meet two hundred years from now to see the outcomes of both earths. The infinitum gave all the Pioneers and Bandidas and their families bodies that would survive almost forever. Just like Norma's parents.

Lupe Visiting Sid After Mission to Zeta Reticuli

After time spent away, especially on earth2, Lupe was really missing her Sid. Leaning against the soda counter sipping a root beer, she was secretly watching him bowl with two of his nerdy buddies. They were totally engrossed in conversation not paying any attention to the world around them. Curiosity got the best of her. She plugged a mini directional microphone into her ear. Sid told his friend Brice "Accuracy is solely dependent on release. Not speed." Brice said "We all know there has to be an optimal velocity for better pin dispersal. So speed does play an important role." The other nerd Woody said "If you put the right English on the ball, you can get the pins to do anything." Sid said "When I say release it covers English." Brice added "I don't understand why people walk up to throw the ball. Is it to gain greater velocity?" Woody said " Per Newton's second law of motion, the weight of the ball is also important. It states that the force of an object is dependent upon two variables - the mass of the object times acceleration. The greater the mass, the greater the force. As the force acting on the pins is increased, the more bang you get. The down side is you lose control as you release heaver balls."

Four girls ran by Lupe. "Was that Millie?... Was that Sid's little sister.?" Millie walked back. "Hi. We heard you were coming, so it gave us the idea to come and play with Lucy. Teuila came with us. She's Alaya's daughter. Don't worry, Sid doesn't know we're here." She ran off screaming, chasing the other three. Lupe thought "Those little rascals, JSMH".

She turned her attention back to Sid. "He's really precious being his natural self. The skinny arms with those boney elbows slinging that ball is really adorable. His face lights up so cute after he throws a strike. The cornball way he high fives the other guys. Never thought I'd fall for such a sensitive poetic nerdy boy. I think he needs a hug." She snuck up behind him. "Can I play too?" Sid's face turned from intense concentration to complete surprise. She grabbed and hugged him tightly delivering a messy kiss. He became lost in her big brown eyes, those firm lips, that powerful embrace. "I've been missing you. Mind if I join in?" Woody said "Please do. After that kiss he won't know his right from his left. Maybe now we can beat him." Brice said "So this is the goddess you've been telling me about. Hi, my name is Brice. So my first question is why Sid, when obviously you can have anyone you want?" Lupe responded "Because he's real, and very cute." Woody said "It's nice to see you again. Don't pay any attention to Brice. He's just jealous. The cute girls at school ignore us. We're relegated to a table in a deep dark dank area in the back of the cafeteria. They call it Social Siberia. Doug, the star quarterback calls Brice twig because he threatens to snap him in two. Instead of football, we do chess, golf, and public speaking." She walked over and put her arm around Brice, pecking him on the cheek. "Poor baby... Don't worry... in ten years Doug will be doing grunt work for you. You'll have prestige and respect and he'll be slinging lines of bull to sell your products." After the kiss he didn't hear anything except for the sweet humming sound of her beautiful voice. He replied "Huh?" She laughed and said "Ok guys, let's start a new game. Who's first?"

Sitting next to Lupe, Sid whispered "I don't know if I can do this. I was worried out of my mind. It would have killed me if you hadn't come back." She whispered "You shouldn't worry... Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays Lupe Solis from the swift completion of her mission on Zeta Reticuli and other fun places. See... Look at me. I'm back. So how about we get a pizza. I'm really hungry." "You're so casual about it. How can you be that way?" "Actually, I'm dead serious. I can't let it get to me, so I act this way. Worry and fear can be my worst enemies if I allow them to be. Besides, I don't have time for that crap. I'm sure you understand." "If I were to read it in a book, I would agree. But living it is a different story." "That's true, so how about a pizza." She wove her arm around his and threaded her hand into his fingers. "You're one of my rocks in the raging sea of life. You give me peace and solitude, a place to relax and be happy." She moved her face very close to his. "And that cute smile of yours really tickles my heart." Woody interrupted. "Lupe, it's your turn." She kissed Sid again, turning him into a puddle. "Sid, see if the restaurant will bring us out a couple pizzas. No, make it four. Lucy and three of her friends are here playing in the arcade. And put anchovies on half a pizza. Millie loves the salt."

Lupe approached the lane. Looking back at Brice "If you want to know the secret of making strikes, it's repetition. You have to throw the ball a zillion times and have a good teacher show you the proper technique." She paused facing the lane holding the ball with both hands close to her chest, took a breath, slowly let it out while visually concentrating just right of the middle pin. The universe went silent. Her peripheral vision faded. She mechanically went through the motions of stepping and releasing without thinking. Ten pins knocked down. She smiled at the guys with her eyebrows going up and down. After throwing another strike with total ease she confessed "Actually I cheated. If you know the tricks anybody can throw a strike. Woody asked "Ok, spill the beans. How do you do it? We've been racking our brains trying to figure it out." She smiled "It's simple when you employ a carefully crafted 'matching' algorithm." "Whaaaat?..." "I'm sure you all know what a 'matching' or a 'best choice' algorithm is. Right?" Brice said "Of course." "Well, think about it. Like how does it work in a giant warehouse full of different small items constantly being purchased by thousands of customers every hour? In other words what is the shortest distance for a hundred robots to travel when deciding which items to pull and bring forward. Then how do you sort these items in the quickest possible way for shipment out?" Woody said "You use a program that looks at all the possibilities of distances in an ever changing environment because people are constantly buying and items are constantly being pulled. It's impossible to do it with perfect efficiently so the algorithm has to use heuristic reasoning. Perfect efficiency can never be achieved. Maybe only 70 to 80 percent." "Woody, Woody, Woody... You're just parroting what you've learned. Always remember... nothing is fact. Accepted truths with a little tweaking are always malleable. This is all about fluid relationships that can have math applied." "If every minute you're making thousands of individual sales and having thousands of purchase orders received that need to be shelved then the computer would have to make over a trillion what ifs before finding the best order for picking and shelving merchandise. A trillion every second." "According to what you've been taught, that's true. But my algorithm uses a more sophisticated analysis path and instead of a single linear approach, my architecture can have thousands or even millions of CPUs working in unison, like a four dimensional program. Each processor knows what the others are doing and are constantly making adjustments across time. It's a relational spider web that links each together. The algorithm in a way actually resides outside the CPUs. Similar to astrocytes in a brain. They are the brain's mind that directs neurons. Can you see where I'm going with this?" Knowing who Lupe actually was made Sid very nervous. His buds were intelligent and she was sounding either like a crazy person or somebody with super special talents... like one of the young Pioneers. Changing the subject, he said "Hey guys, the pizzas will be here in ten minutes. Maybe I should call my sister and her friends to come over." Brice ignored Sid and continued with Lupe "Ok, so how does your matching algorithm tell me how to throw a strike every time?" She said "Elementary my dear Watson. We know the physiology of the human body all the way down to the cellular level. And every person is different including any mental stressors at that moment, but we can plug in those critical differences into my program. Another variable is the weight of the ball. Also outside influences such as light, sound, temperature, and clothing play a role. But the main variable is walking up and throwing the ball. Any one of you ever heard of Pete Maravich?" Woody said "Of course. He has a record of 44 points per game, and with today's different rules his average would have been 59 points." Lupe smiled "Nerds with encyclopedic minds of sports figures. Who would have guessed." "Funny, ha ha. So?..." "So Pete said he had been throwing baskets since he was knee high to a grasshopper. After shooting a zillion times from all over the court, making a basket became second nature. He developed specialized motor neuron memory skills. First the neurons knew how to throw the ball, then they caused him to eliminate all other shooting possibilities, what we all know as choking. With practice the choking vanishes. Lorazepam or Xanax helps, but in a way that's cheating. But then because of differences in DNA, some people are better equipped to dissipate last moment jitters, so that's kind of cheating too. So my matching program has wireless sensor leads all over the body and you wear special video glasses. Then I place input leads on the temples to relay in real time the information. The input instantly gives the subconscious mind corrective measures to take as the person is going through the process of releasing the ball. I even have a small device to inject the proper quantity of anxiety meds." Brice said "I don't see any sensors on you." She giggled "I'm just a good bowler who has learned through repetition like Maravich. Face it guys, my ball throwing DNA is simply better than yours. But with my system I could have you guys bowling 300s all day long." Woody thought about the conversation that just transpired. "I get it. You've been giving us a line of hooey malarkey haven't you? A matching algorithm has nothing to do with bowling. For a moment I thought you were a duzybot lunatic, or... Nah, the other possibility is totally ridiculous." Lupe giggled. "Yeah, with my line of bull I could get people to believe I'm one of the young Pioneers. Funny, huh?" Brice said "I'd recommend you continue being drop dead gorgeous and leave the thinking to us. Stay with being a legend in your own mind." He laughed at her. She stood and gave him a piercing look like "I'm going over there right now to kick your scrawny little ass". So he shut up. She smiled at Sid and asked "So where's our pizzas?" Lucy and her buds came running up. "You called about pizzas?" Four hot pizzas made their way across the floor and down to the table where the group was sitting. The boxes were opened with the delicious aroma of cheese and pepperoni filling the air. Lucy introduced her friends Millie, Nellie, and Teuila (ta WEE la). "Teuila is my new friend. She's from Samoa." Lupe remarked "Lucy, I notice you're not shy anymore." "Since July I've been doing great. That's when a doctor dampened my extreme sensory overload." Lupe glanced over at Millie to see a wink and smile. "Well that's great, Lucy."

While they were lip smacking down slices of pizza Lupe asked "Any fun games over there?" Millie replied "They have a new game called Blinking. You Blink to a strange planet and fight evil aliens. Lucy did the best. She ended up at a planet that kidnapped beings from other planets and brought them over to be livestock on their planet. She destroyed all of the evil beings and freed the creatures." "Did you play the game?" "Yeah, but I didn't do so well. The aliens broke up into a zillion cells to penetrate and invade my body from the inside out. I wasn't prepared for that. But I played another game called Sparky. You know, the young Pioneer who uses electricity to move things. I had Sparky take down these wolves that were part machine." Nellie added "There's a lot of young Pioneer games out now." Lupe smiled "I've been noticing. That's good. It charges up kids' imaginations to do great things." The young girls quickly finished and ran back to the arcade. Lupe and her admirers bowled a few more games. She won them all and at the end showed the guys, step by step, the proper form for releasing the ball. After a half hour of instructions she ended it. "Woody, Brice... It was nice playing with you. Next time we're together I'll give you some pointers on how to attract girls. But for now Sid and I need some alone time." Everybody said goodbye. Out in the parking lot Lupe and Sid stepped into a large van with tinted windows. Nellie, Millie, Teuila, and Lucy were already inside anxiously waiting. Millie said "It's eight in the morning and 84 degrees over there. Perfect for a dip." Sid said "You're not Blinking again are you? That really creeps me out." She put her arm around his shoulder. Looking down into his eyes she coquettishly asked "Can't you just hear the rolling waves calling out to us?" "Not really. And aren't you afraid my sister will spill the beans?" Lupe laughed "She figured it out months ago, but kept her mouth shut to protect us." In a flash they were at her favorite Hawaiian getaway. It's one of the tiny far western islands near the French Frigate Shoals.

After landing, the four younger girls ran off to one of the rustic looking huts near the tree line to change into swimsuits. It was a beautiful day with four foot waves rolling in. Just a few cumulus clouds dotting the sky. Two Blackhawks, two saucer shaped craft, and what looked like a mechanical whale shark were parked on the beach. Soldiers in comfortable beach clothing were scattered everywhere. A hundred feet to the left laying out on cushioned chairs under umbrellas were people who looked his own age. Lupe said "We're on a tiny uninhabited western Hawaiian island." She took his hand "Come on, let's go say hello. Don't worry I'll have you and Lucy back by five-thirty." Relaxing, sipping an iced tea at the end was Tracy. "Hello Sid, remember me? I'm Tracy." "How could I forget. You handled the general's boys like they were toys." "Ex-general. And don't forget I was responsible for you two meeting each other. Had a good feeling about you." "It's nice seeing you again, Tracy." Lupe continued with the introductions "I'm sure you remember Bannister, Connie, Sophia, Molly, Summer, Beverly, Hope, Brooklyn, Mallory from the bowling alley. And in September you saw Molly in our stationary recon craft above the US." "Hi everybody." "And these five guys are Elon Musk's kids. Don't ask me their names cause they all look alike. And sitting next to Mallory is Monroe. He's a new addition to our group of inventors. And, that fishy looking marine vehicle over there is Mallory's brainchild." Mallory said "It's a whale shark. Isn't she beeeuuutiful?" "I don't know about looks, but it helped save our butts at ZRS1P1." She looked at Sid "We had a few issues with some frogs called crogs at Zeta Reticuli." "I don't want to know about it; I worry enough as it is." He looked further down the beach at some older folks reading and sipping beer. "And those are our parents and some older friends like Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, and Mark Zukerberg and his twenty year old girlfriend Hanna Sweeten. Oh, and see the two teens sitting at the very end? They're Connie's grandparents." He stood there staring and blurted "This is unbelievable!!" Lupe said "You'll get used to it." Looking at him "We need to get you out of those clothes." Tracy giggled "Lupe! Don't be so forward. You get him to a beach away from home and the first thing you want to do is take his clothes off." The others snickered. Lupe said "Be nice Tracy. Sid isn't used to your craziness." She turned to Sid "Cletus put some new trunks and a beach towel for you in that hut over there. I'll change in the next one." "Lupe... I can't swim." "Really? More fun for me. I'll teach you. Tracy will shoot you up with super strength so you won't drown. Can Lucy swim?" "When she was three, my mom started giving her swimming lessons because she was afraid of bullies playing tricks on her. Now she swims like a fish." "Just in case I'll have Tracy shoot her up too."

Lupe was the first to get changed. She stepped out sporting a sky blue bikini which contrasted well against her caramel colored skin. "Sid, are you still in there?" "I'm kind of embarrassed. I'm white as a sheet. And boney." "Is your suit on?" In a slow downward inflection "Yes." She opened the door to see a vulnerable innocent self-deprecating sweet cute skinny neon-white sixteen year old in baggy teal trunks. Giggling she said "Don't be embarrassed. I think you're very handsome. Come on let's go have some fun."

His breath was taken away as he focused on a tall thin bronze goddess with incredible muscle tone in a tiny bikini. "My god you're beautiful." "That's very sweet of you. Come here, you handsome love muffin." She gave him a tender hug and a quick kiss. "Let's have the sun put some color on that body of yours. And Tracy's waiting with a syringe. But first close your eyes and hold still while I spray some vitamin D SPF 100 all over that tender "white-boy" skin of yours." In his mind her voice was a blur. After the spray down he opened his eyes and whispered "Your body is stunning. I especially love those almond shaped eyes and perfectly chiseled lips." She frogged him on his left deltoid. "Dang it, Sid. You gotta stop it with all that mushy stuff. Although I do appreciate it. And, you're not so bad looking yourself. I'd say you're pulchritudinous." Sid laughed. "I see you've been hitting the dictionary again." "It's the only way I can keep up with you. Come on, let's go see Tracy... See there, she's waiting to poke your cute little butt. Hehehehe." "Will it hurt?" "Don't be a big baby." She took his hand and walked over. "He wants to know if it's going to hurt." Tracy said "This is a special no-hurt formula I brewed just for you, Sid." She pulled down the top of his trunks just enough to expose a nice stick zone on his butt. With a mischievous smile... "Now beeeeeend over..." She pinched his arm just as she shot him in the rear. Lupe immediately slapped his butt cheek. "Ouch!" Everybody cracked up. Tracy said "Your turn, Lupe." Just before the injection, Lupe turned to Sid. "Don't even think about it. If you smack me on the butt I'll toss you across this beach." He didn't listen. With Tracy egging him on, after the shot he gave her a gentle spank. Pretending to look surprised and upset, she launched him a hundred feet into the air, fifty yards down the beach. It scared the bejeezus out of him. He landed with a thud, stood up and checked himself. "Nothing broken, no scratches. Wow this feels good." Like everybody else who gets super strength for the first time he started jumping. Ten feet, thirty feet, a hundred feet. Lupe motioned for him to come back. In a flash he was next to her. "So this is how it feels. Unbelievable! I could literally obliterate any jerk at school." Lupe responded "You know, there's a saying that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We make sure not to fall into that trap." In his own special nerdy way he had her words percolate through his mind and responded "If only a few have power over the masses they will definitely misuse it to dominate others. To restrict their lives. It happened for several hundred years in America. But we finally had enough and became a direct democracy. No more Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street Corporation. No more derivatives trading, hedge funds, or stock exchanges. No more leveraged buy outs, stripping assets from companies then moving all jobs overseas. No more wars for profit. No more deaths because people couldn't afford medical care. No more incarcerations for stupid reasons." He looked at her with very loving eyes... "And no more homeless people wandering the streets wondering where their next meal is coming from, or if they'll be fortunate enough to sleep in a shelter that night." He put his arms around her, came up close and whispered "My childhood wasn't as devastating as yours, but it doesn't mean I can't relate." His comment took her by surprise. Sid didn't realize he touched on a super sensitive subject... Her memories came flooding back. She sat on the warm sand silently remembering. He sat next to her and saw deep heavy sadness. Again in his own nerdy way he kissed a tear from her cheek. "I would replace what I just said to Teddy Roosevelt's statement in a letter to Henry L. Sprague, on January 26th 1900 where he simply wrote: 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' We have to be powerful enough to overcome any evil. And that can only happen if all of us stay together to run this country."

After a moment of silence Lupe stood and took his hand. They walked from the group. She said "I've never talked to you about this stuff... I had no idea you had such strong political opinions." "I didn't mean to hurt you." "You didn't... Sid, I think I'm really starting to care for you and it scares me." "I didn't say those things to garner your affection." "Of course you didn't. It just welled up from your heart. You're very precious... Promise me something." "Of course." "Promise me if all this becomes too much or if you fall for another girl, you'll tell me first. And I'll do the same for you. Let's respect each other enough for that. Ok?" He responded "If it happens, of course I will." "My friend Molly once told me that love is like the swing of a pendulum. The pain of loss if you break up will always match the level of ecstasy or intensity while you were together. You know, it almost destroyed my papi when my mother left. He says I'm the one who kept him going, especially after they took me away to live in a foster home." She stopped and looked into his totally loving eyes. "Sid, it's important you have lots of friends and activities. You can't restrict or limit your life to only a few things because the weight of loss of one of those things may be too great." He replied "It's obvious I'm head over heels in love with you. And I realize if we break up I'll be devastated. I'll feel implacable resentment toward the new guy and against you. It's only natural. It's in our DNA. But the memories of our times together will be priceless and irreplaceable. And besides, I'm a military brat who is used to moving and losing friends along the way. And I do realize I have to have a balanced life. So don't worry. It's very sweet of you to worry about me. Listen, a broken heart is a broken heart. That's just part of life."

After pondering for moment he continued... "Just now while my mouth was flapping, I thought about you. You're the greatest person in history. What you've contributed to humanity is astounding. I would be a fool to think you're my anything. You belong to everybody. I'm just here to share some precious moments with you. And I understand, like in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, you could easily let what you've accomplished and people's expectations... well, it could easily become an albatross around your neck. So instead of being nearsightedly selfish, I need to be that fun rock in your raging sea of life you mentioned earlier." He smiled "I'm just happy you chose nerdy old me to be that guy." He kissed her. She pushed him down onto the sand and continued the kiss. Then the whistles and cat calls started. "Hey, no PDAs allowed." "Woo'hoo. Don't break him, Lupe." "Ravish his body, Lupe!" "When do I get my turn?" "Don't let your father see; he'll come over and knock Sid into next Thursday!" "Oh, let 'em kiss. They're so cute." The taunting was relentless. Lupe turned and giggled "Shut uuuup. You're just jealous." Looking down she saw Sid's eyes had rolled to back of his head with only childlike babbling coming from his mouth. She grabbed his hand and boosted him up. "Let's go surfing my scrumptious hunk of handsome."

The afternoon went by in a flash. Way too soon for Sid. Lupe held him while they were bobbing in the water. She reflected "When I was very young, time seemed to crawl, like my mind was oscillating very quickly and my cognitive link to reality interpreted the world as moving slowly. But as I grew older, that bridge of cognition changed. Time seemed to move faster." Sid smiled. "That's true. And you're segueing into your next thought which is... So why does time flash by when you're having fun versus creep when you're not?" She responded "Seems like a paradox, doesn't it?" "What do you mean?" "Well theoretically, when you're having fun your mind is processing more information to retain all those happy memories. More stimulus seems to compress time. Less seems to elongate it. Why do you think that is?" Sid answered "Time is an artificial concept. Time is merely humans incrementing and recording observations of movement. Like integrals in calculus." Lupe smiled "I realize that, but you need to go deeper and be more specific to answer my question." "I don't understand." She kissed his cheek. "See I've discovered the mind flows smoothly when in a harmonious state, but not in a dissonant state..." Sid said "No, stop. What you're about to tell me isn't common knowledge, is it?" She thought for a second. "Good point. You're very intelligent. If I tell you in bits and pieces about my recent discoveries you could easily process them into my theories that the public isn't ready for yet. Too dangerous in the hands of the wrong people." "Right. Believe me... ignorance is bliss. And I'd like to stay a dumb blonde." "Don't say that in front of Tracy. She has anger issues and the dumb blonde thing really gets her going. And don't be so self-deprecating. Or do you say those things so you can get stroked with praise and reassurance?" "Yes... but instead of words I'll take a kiss." During the kiss she noticed his eyes rolling back again. "Sid, are you still in there?" He breathed out with a contented smile. "Totally."

By five o'clock Sid, Lucy, and Lupe had showered and changed back into street clothes. Lucy had the time of her life and was sad to see it end. Her buds showed her how to surf. In less than an hour she was riding waves like a pro. Sid kept reminding himself it wasn't a dream. That this drop dead beautiful girl actually liked him. And getting to meet the tech Pioneers Elon, Larry, Sergey, and Mark was insane. And meeting two old people who were made young again was like a scene out of a crazy science fiction movie. The day couldn't have been more perfect. Lupe doesn't know it yet, but Sid will play a large role in her life. Instead of a rock, he'll be a boulder that will keep her grounded during stressful times. Sid is capable of sensing emotions of others in a way that can't be explained by conventional science or psychology. He's already seen a few cracks in Lupe that others haven't. Not even Molly.

As Lupe was about to take them home, she let go of their hands and squeezed her right earlobe. "This is Lupe..." Cletus was calling. "Are you still on the island?" "Yes. What's the matter?" "Good, I'll be landing in a few minutes. Please don't move." Sid said "For a second I thought you were talking to me." "I recently had a communications device implanted in my earlobe. It activates when I squeeze it. It has GPS too, but I'm still not convinced about activating it." She looked up and saw Cletus quickly landing a spacecraft next to them. He opened the door and promptly walked over. With a very concerned face "We've got a problem." Seeing Sid and Lucy he said "We need to step away and speak privately." "Sure." She turned to Sid. "I'll be back in a few."

Standing away from everybody "What is it Uncle Cletus?" "A militant group just south of Russia took down a Calix spacecraft. We have no idea how they did it. We held back because we didn't want to risk losing anyone else." "What were we doing there?" "It was a mission to rescue twenty UNICEF hostages who were delivering medicine and food to an area stricken by a corona virus outbreak." "When did it happen?" "Fifteen minutes ago." She firmly ordered "We have to move immediately. I want our 'core' group together right now." He said "I brought Tobi and Lareto, and the rest are already here." "Great. Let me take these two home and I'll be right back." "In the meantime we'll be passing out special uniforms and cloaking devices." They walked back to Sid. Lupe in a very serious demeanor said "This is General Jackson. We've got a problem. He needs my help." Just then two soldiers ran up. They saluted and one said "General Solis, it's an honor to see you again. We're passing out the PPE (personal protection equipment). Your group will be briefed while in transit. Is that ok, Ma'am?" "Go ahead and pass out the equipment, then I want you all to hang loose." She grabbed Sid's and Lucy's hands. Poof. They appeared in the narrow back walkway behind the bowling alley. Sid was all confused "You're their commander?" "I'm one of top nine commanders in the US Military. My services are utilized only under severe circumstances. I gotta go." Then a very strange event occurred. Another Lupe materialized next to the three in the alley between the two buildings. "Lupe, we've got some serious trouble. Say goodbye to Sid and Lucy. Then we'll talk." "Sid, you and Lucy didn't see this. Ok?" Lucy said "My lips are zipped." Sid was standing there completely dumbfounded. "Future Lupe told Sid "This is a critical mission. Wish us luck." In shock he muttered "Good luck. And stay safe." They kissed him. Both Lupes walked to the end of the alley talking. He felt like small potatoes knowing the girl(s?) he loves is the most important person in history. "What did I get myself into?" Little Lucy looked at her brother. "Don't worry about it. Consider yourself the luckiest guy on earth. And stop being such a big sissy worrywart. It gets really old, big brother." With a contemptuous look "I know you're a genius, but you're supposed to have a difficult time expressing yourself. What's going on with you?" "That's for me to know and you to never find out." Earlier that afternoon Nellie had shown her how to trip a person, so of course with super strength she threw her unsuspecting brother down. She ran laughing into the bowling alley with Sid stumbling after her. He stopped for a moment to wave goodbye. The two Lupes saw him succumb to Lucy's mischief and just shook their heads, smiled and waved. "Our little nerd is really cute." "We need to talk business now."

Future Lupe said "I took some images of the future at those GPS coordinates. The area was nuked and I assume all of us were incinerated. Then I checked major cities in the US a day from now. Some were completely destroyed. New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami... nothing but rubble. We can't allow this to happen." Current Lupe said "So I'm going back in the past a few weeks before the time when we decimated the Zetas?" "That's right. Apparently some of the Zetas and/or the frogs escaped and came here to kill us. The Zeta ships give off a distinguishable sine curve signature. We'll install sensors to detect the moment they arrive." The current Lupe said "So while I'm prepping to go to Zeta R, you will be prepping for them to come here." "Exactly. But I'll be doing it on the other side of the world." "So the reason you came here is to tell me to have Millie stay at White Sands in case I don't succeed?" "Very perceptive. Mary will be receiving my mission data in real time. Other than the future me, she'll be the only one who will know what's going on. If something goes wrong Mary will give Millie all the information. She will know what counter measures to take. She and others can then go back in time and fix things." "That will be my safety valve." The future Lupe put her arm around the current one and smiled "You're so smart. I need to leave now. And additionally, our special private mainframe will receive the information too. As a failsafe it will contact Natasha in case she needs to take over." "Excellent planning." "I know. So see ya... and let's stay alive." "Good luck. And to everybody else, I'll treat this encounter as if it never happened. I don't want to get all balled up in temporal abnormalities." With that the future Lupe Blinked back to White Sands to enter into the past with her team. Current Lupe was getting ready to Blink back to the island when another future Lupe appeared. Future said "Wait. Don't leave yet." This future Lupe looked like a mess. Her clothes were soiled and torn. She had cuts on her legs and arms. "I'm glad I caught you. Millie has to go with us. This is way too big. We might even have to call Ruth to come help us. K'akana forgot the amulet. Make sure she doesn't this time. I instructed Mary to not tell you anything so we won't disturb the space time continuum. Last time you discovered the pulsed messages being sent to her by the future me. That screwed it all up. Before you leave, do something so you won't be able to detect them. It's imperative for our survival. Try hiding the signals in plain sight buried into something else. Hopefully that will work." The current Lupe asked "Are we going to make it?" "I have radiation poisoning. I'm going to die in a couple weeks. But you can change that. Be more careful this time. I'm afraid to tell you anything else because it may mess it all up. But be sure to take Millie and K'akana with her amulet." "Ok, I will." They hugged each other goodbye and disappeared.

The current Lupe arrived back at the island. She didn't want anybody knowing about her visiting herself so she played it cool. "Uncle Cletus, what's the latest intelligence?" "We don't have any. Even our satellites can't pick anything up. It's as if everything's disappeared." Tracy said "Sounds like a cloaking device." Molly asked "Over how large an area?" Cletus replied "It's a tiny village a hundred miles away from any other populated area. It just vanished a half hour ago." Millie suggested "We probably have a bunch of angry Zetas who got away and came here to wreak their revenge." Nellie said "They're angry which means they'll make mistakes. But it also means they'll do anything because they have nothing to lose." Lupe assured them "So we need to be careful."

She obtained from Cletus the exact GPS coordinates of the craft the moment it disappeared and she ordered everybody to hang loose for about 30 minutes. She Blinked herself, Molly, and Tracy to White Sands. They ran down the hall to Lupe's special temporal project room. Natasha was running some tests. "Lupe, I thought you were in Hawaii." "We've got a serious problem. Please bring the temporal device up." She did. "I need you to dial in these coordinates. A calix craft disappeared and we need to know who is responsible." Lupe's foster parent Mary walked into the room with some reports for Natasha to read. With a very concerned look she said "Hi, Honey. You look worried." "Hi mom. A half hour ago we lost a calix craft over Kazakhstan. As you know we had a very difficult time at ZRS1P1. Some of these creatures may have escaped and come here for revenge. Since we wiped them out they have nothing to lose so I believe they'll try anything to take us out which would include suicide attacks." Mary walked over and hugged Lupe. "My baby, I absolutely don't want anything to happen to you. Make sure you stay safe." "I will mom." Lupe turned to Natasha. "Please take ten future images in eight hour increments starting with five minutes from now. We need to see what's in store for us." She handed Natasha the coordinates. The temporal machine is massive in size. It was made to accommodate up to thirty time travelers with their gear. Transporting people into the future hasn't been successful yet. At the moment it can only capture images of the future. Travel into the near past has been successful. But oddly, capturing images of the past hasn't been successful. (The infinitum won't travel into the future and warned Lupe not to.) Natasha brought the captured future images up on the monitor. As Lupe looked "Oh my god. They did it. They blew us up. It looks nuclear. Natasha, please take an aerial a couple days out of some major US cities." After the images of destruction came back Lupe stoically said "We can't allow this to happen. We have to go back into the past." Molly said "I have to go because I read minds. K'akana and Millie have to go too." Tracy said "I'm not letting you guys go without me. If we don't make it back, Jacob and Summer have all our work. They're our safety valves." Lupe said "They stay, but everybody else goes including the new young Pioneers." Tracy said "I agree. This mission depends on the best minds in the country. They have to come. Bev can render nuclear material harmless and Missy can create IEDs out of anything. We may have to enter the water, so we need Mallory and one of her fast attack submersibles. And Hope is an extension of Molly with all their mind analysis work." Molly asked "So what point in time do you suggest we go back?" "We need to step back a week before the day we destroyed all the Zetas on ZRS1P1. We'll set up a cloaked camp near these coordinates in Kazakhstan. We'll wait until the Zetas come." "How do you know it's the Zetas?" Mary said "Because nobody on earth except those present here have the technology to take a calix craft down." Lupe said "Nobody except those present here know we can travel back in time. Surprise will be our most powerful weapon. We have to move fast. I'll go back and get the rest of the core group and in the meantime have security immediately bring all the young Pioneer bug-out bags, space suits, and equipment. I want one of Mallory's fast attack subs, one fast attack calix spacecraft, thirty pounds of C4, twenty mini laser guided rockets, camping gear, food and water, insect drones, anti-gravity skateboards, and our special weapons that kill Zetas and those pesky little frog creatures."

In thirty minutes everybody was gathered in a large conference room at the research center. Lupe opened "By now you all know about the craft. I looked into the future and saw the area was nuked which I'm sure killed us all. But we are NOT going to allow that to happen."

Millie asked "What do you suggest?" "Mary, John, Natasha, and myself have recently made time travel into the past achievable. But, it's not 100% safe. So none of you will be forced to go. It's strictly voluntary. We are going back a week before we attacked the Zetas on ZRS1P1. That should give us enough time to prep for their arrival. Their ships give off a weird easily distinguishable sine wave. We will place sensors in space around the earth to detect them. We'll plan our specific strategy as we discover the facts, like how many there are and exactly what they're doing." Molly said "Somehow the infinitum knew this was going to happen. That's why we came back from earth2 when we did." Lupe smiled "Could be. Let's don't let them down."

In three hours the team with equipment were assembled on the large temporal platform. There were nineteen in the group: Lupe, Tracy, Molly, Millie, Beverly, Hope, Brooklyn (Missy), Mallory, Tony, K'akana, Connie, Sophia, Nellie, Norma, Cletus, Tobi, Tom, Mike, and Lareto. Mary and Natasha were at the controls. Lupe gave a thumbs up and the switch was thrown. A brief humming sound was heard and they were gone.

The group experienced bright prismatic lights, then found themselves standing in a desolate area of Kazakhstan. Tracy checked her wrist watch for the date because Lupe had everybody leave their cell phones in the future. Their personal medium range communication devices were now handheld ham radio units that broadcasted in scrambled bursts. Molly also handed out her short range telepathic devices which fits into an ear. Lupe had Cletus immediately release twenty micro drones to recon within a five mile radius. A larger cloaked one remained stationary a thousand feet above their heads.

Lupe said "Ok everybody, let's unpack our stuff and set up camp. We've got a lot of work to do. And remember, nobody on earth can know we're here. Brooklyn and I are energizing an electronic cloaking canopy that will hide us. Whatever you do, don't step outside the domed curtain of blue light unless you have your personal cloaking devices on. Thank you. Let's get to work.

Hope passed out her special contact lenses which allows users to see in the dark. They also have a range finder, an infrared detector, can magnify images, and links to a micro sized computer chip located in the telepathic ear device that Molly and Tang created. The user can mentally ask the computer to explain anything they see.

Tracy made sure everybody except Millie had a time release dose of her super strength drug to carry them for the next two weeks. (Millie is allergic.) Lupe, Millie, and Brooklyn were making twelve small sensors to detect the Zeta's ship. Cletus, Tony, Lareto, and Tobi were busy digging trenches as makeshift bunkers. Norma and K'akana were formulating "what if" strategies.

The most important item on the list was getting those sensors out in space around the earth. Lupe, Millie, and Brooklyn donned their spacesuits and Millie carried them to each destination using her green energy in a cloaked mode.

All the initial planning and implementation was accomplished. Now the wait. Almost a week had passed with nothing unusual. Then the moment arrived. Several sensors picked up an incoming cloaked ship. The parabolic dish receiving the signal was next to Lupe. The alarm went off. She checked the equipment. Everything was working properly. What she saw was strange. At first only one ship was detected. Now there were two. The second one seemed to have come from the Pacific Ocean and was holding back into deep space. The first one was coming straight at them. "What the hell?"

At this instant Ruth, Asya, and Anya of the Infinitum appeared before Lupe. Everything around them was frozen in the moment. Ruth chuckled. Lupe made a huge gulp. "Uh-oh. I did something wrong, didn't I?" Asya said "Not wrong. You could say ignorant, rash, too risky, novice, unprepared..." Ruth broke her off and said "Lupe... I'm sure you know about the Butterfly Effect in Chaos Theory." "Yes. And you being here tells me I put myself in a pickle I can't get out of." Anya touched her nose and smiled "Fractal number 4.6669... Bingo." Ruth continued "Sometimes the smallest change can bring about catastrophic results."

Ruth took her hand. "Let's go for a walk. We are vibrating at a trillion cycles per second, so don't touch anyone." As they were walking Ruth explained "See Lupe, as we discussed on earth2, and as I'm sure you know, you can affect the present by changing the past. But it's extremely hazardous because it's almost impossible to forecast any collateral damage or the ultimate outcome. Like your early work with fractals, you realized a tiny unknown change a split second before your calculation would make it impossible to accurately determine movement. That's why we sent you back from earth2 at the exact moment you should have appeared above earth1. It was safer that way." "So you're saying I did something that really screwed the future up?" "I don't know about screwing it up. You just made a different future and earth1 wasn't in it." Lupe gulped again. Ruth smiled "Relax. Just take this as a lesson. If you ever go into the past, you have to do a mountain of preparations. It's like what happens to the weather across the earth if you seed the clouds over California. As your work has shown, the effect can be huge." Lupe said "True, but now we can draw a fairly accurate estimate." "Yes you can. And that's because you have nailed down almost every variable into a predictable temporal constant. With thorough research and experimentation you're almost there at controlling weather. But you didn't effectively research all the variables before you went back in time. You don't yet have the ability to do so. This is all virgin territory for you. Too many unknowns with zero genuine predictability." Lupe sat down. "It's the only thing I could think of. I didn't want to walk into a trap, so I set one for them." Ruth replied "But it backfired. You took the Zetas out in Kazakhstan, but you didn't contemplate the other ship would push a large asteroid on a collision path with earth. And they pushed two more. The asteroids were cloaked so you wouldn't detect them until it was too late. Earth was destroyed. You saved the American cities from being nuked, but that was just a diversion from the main event which was your annihilation." "What should I have done instead?" "First, you didn't need to go into the past. You could have used Millie and the green crystal to overcome the enemy." Lupe thought about what she said. "Like if my horse breaks out of her corral, I should simply entice her with some grain sweetened with molasses. I wouldn't be forcing her; I would be moving her in harmony with her wants and desires." "Now you're getting it. Millie could have almost instantly travelled to them as they approached earth, then gone into their brains and made them unconscious. She could have changed the DNA in each creature to make them non-aggressive. Outright friendly. And along the way she would have fixed the asteroid thing." Asya said "You humans are our favorite species. And it was us who encouraged you to go out and investigate the universe. Just remember to adequately plan everything as best you can. We are your parents. Our job is to see you grow and flourish, not to bail you out unless it is absolutely necessary." Lupe hugged Ruth "Thank you. I'll take this as a lesson and hopefully we'll do right in the future." Ruth said "Don't worry; we'll be watching." "Thanks." Ruth asked Asya and Anya to join her. Together they raised their hands high and an extremely bright flash of green light was emitted.

Lupe found herself standing on the temporal platform at the research facility with the others. She saw Mary and Natasha ready to activate the machine. "No! Stop! We don't need to do this. There's a better way." She brought everybody into a conference room where she explained the encounter with Ruth. Lupe gave Millie instructions to solve the problem. She destroyed the asteroids in time and brought the Zetas back to the research center where Lupe later Blinked them back to ZRS1P1 to repopulate their city. The new versions of the Zetas were peace loving vegan creatures.

Brooklyn Hurt Herself

Beverly, Hope, Brooklyn, and Mallory joined the baseball team in January, 2020. They needed a break from the afternoon drudgery of research at White Sands. So they limited their work time to only one hour each weekday evening then all day on Saturday.

It was Wednesday, April 1, 2020. "Come on guys, hustle. We need more action in the outfield. Brooklyn..." "Yes, coach." "I want you shagging everything that comes your way. If you wanna win the next game, you have to be more aggressive!" "Yes, coach." The pitcher started to wind up. "Mallory, hit that ball as hard as you can. Put it over the fence." "Ok, coach." Beverly threw a speedball with an outside curve. Mallory stepped into it and hit the ball so hard it cracked the bat. Brooklyn ran back focusing only on catching the ball ignoring the chain link fence behind her. Her body slammed into a jagged piece of fence which ripped a deep gash in her arm. The other outfielders, Mica and Anouk ran up. "Brooklyn, are you ok? Speak to me." She was barely conscious. Coach ran over. "Anouk, squeeze hard on her arm just above the cut to stop the bleeding. I'll call 911." Hope was panicked. She used her wrist cellphone to call Tracy at the research center. "Tracy, I need you right now at the practice field. Missy cut her arm real bad. I don't want her bleeding out. Please come immediately." Tracy grabbed Molly and ran to Lupe's office. "Lupe... Brooklyn cut herself on the practice field. Molly's afraid she'll bleed out before emergency arrives. You need to get us there now." They realized this would tell the world who they were, but it didn't matter. Their friend might die if she wasn't treated immediately. "Tracy... Molly... You got everything?" "Of course. Dial in the coordinates. Let's go." In an instant the three appeared fifty feet from Brooklyn. Most of the team saw them materialize. Hope said "Thank God you're here. She's passed out." Molly and Tracy were on the ground next to Missy. Molly, checking her instrument said "She's lost a little less than a pint." Tracy put some Vetigel in her gash. In seconds the bleeding stopped. She told Lupe "We need to get her to my lab so I can suture her artery and put some blood in her." Beverly, Hope, and Mallory didn't want to leave their friend. The young Pioneers quickly held hands while Tracy held Brooklyn in her arms. Poof, they disappeared. Anouk, Terry, Angie, Rita, Nora, Mica, and the rest of the team were left standing in shock. After a moment of silent disbelief Mica said "Oh My God, did we just see that? The young Pioneers go to our school! Terry said "They're in our classes and we sit with them at lunch." Mary said "They're regular people just like us." Mica said "I would never have ever guessed it." Anouk asked "So what do we do?" Coach drove up in a golf cart. "Please tell me I didn't see girls disappear into thin air." Mary said "I think they're the young Pioneers, Coach. We've been playing baseball with four of the young Pioneers of the United States of America." Reality began to hit home. Mica said "This is incredible. Mom and dad will never believe this." Coach asked "What about Brooklyn?" Mica said "Molly Fabela, Lupe Solis, and Tracy Smith appeared out of nowhere and stopped Brooklyn's bleeding. Then Tracy said she needed to get her somewhere to sow her up and give her some blood. So they all held hands and disappeared. Right in front of us!" Coach sat back in her cart. "Oh geeze, does this mean they won't play anymore? We need them to clinch a spot in the playoffs." Joyce laughed "Miss Parsons, you're a majorly diehard coach. You think baseball is more important than anything else." She smiled "Well isn't it?" A few agreed. "What? I can't hear you!" They screamed "YES!"

The freshmen boy's baseball team ran over. They too saw Lupe Blink the young Pioneers out. The cat was out of the bag. There would be no stopping their mouths from flapping telling the whole school what they saw.

It was 2:00am, April 1, 2020. Lupe appeared in Brooklyn's bedroom. In a whisper "Missy... Missy, wake up." Brook stirred and softly said "What? Who's there?" The room was dark. "Missy it's me, Lupe." Brook sat up staring into the darkness. "Lupe? What are you doing here?" Lupe turned her mini flashlight on. "Missy. Make sure you're awake." After a long yawn "Yes, what is it?" "During baseball practice this afternoon you ran into the backfield fence and cut an artery and almost bled to death. Me, Tracy, and Molly Blinked over in front of everybody to save your life. Now the whole world knows who we are." "You went back in time again? Ruth told you not to do that." "True. But this time we're alone and I'm telling you only one thing. Don't run into the chain link fence while trying to catch a ball. Ok?" "Ok." Lupe had a fine point marker. "I'm writing it on the inside of your bicep in case you forget. See... Don't run into the fence at practice. Signed Lupe." "Great. Can I go back to sleep now?" "Sure. I set the machine to return me in five minutes. I'll just sit here and wait." "Goodnight. See you tomorrow." Last thing Lupe said was "And at school today don't tell anybody, not even me about my visit, and keep your arm covered." "Ok. Goodnight." In less than a minute Brooklyn was fast asleep. In two minutes Lupe disappeared back into the present.

It was morning of April 2nd just before school started. Early arrivals were waiting in the cafeteria for the bell. Brook walked over to Lupe sitting down yukking it up with her buds. "Lupe. Can you come here? I need to talk to you. After they were alone she pulled up her sleeve. Lupe was shocked as she read 'Don't run into the fence during practice. Signed Lupe.' "But I don't remember anything." Missy said "I don't either. This is the creepy part." She rolled her sleeve up further so Lupe could read 'I retained your writing on Missy's arm to show you went back in time to save her life. I agree it was for a good reason. But be extremely careful. Signed Ruth.' "Creepy, huh. We actually changed the future. Hope it doesn't hurt anything." "Me too. Let's keep this to ourselves to avoid disturbing any temporal patterns. The sooner you wash that off your arm, the better." "It's already gone. See? Ruth must have erased it." Brooklyn rolled down her sleeve and walked away. Then turned and came back. "By the way. Thanks for saving my life." Lupe smiled watching Missy disappear down the hallway. She thought "That machine is extremely dangerous. We need to have another meeting of all the Pioneers to talk about this. The public can never get their hands on the technology or we're doomed. ...Forget the meeting, I'll do something else."

Trip to the Gila Wilderness

It was 7am, Friday, May 22, 2020. Baseball season was over. To celebrate winning bi-district the coaches put together a field trip to the Gila Wilderness for some rafting down the river from the Indian Cliff Dwellings to Cliff, New Mexico. Not enough baseball players signed up so the debate team, chess club, and science club were also invited. Forty four kids, four coaches and two undercover guards posing as relatives would be traveling in a luxury bus. Three large RVs with doting parents would follow.

Three of the five newest, yet to be announced, young Pioneers for this year also went as members of the science club. They recently transferred to the school. Their names are Rain Sherlock, Matisse Émile Benoît, and Tiamane Kahoolawe. They're using their real first names. Their fake last names are Jones, Smith, and Gardner , respectively. Lupe thought this would be a great way for the newbies to make friends. Rain is from Oklahoma, Matisse from Minnesota, and Tiamane (Teya manee) grew up in Hawaii. All three are transitioning very well. Monroe was chosen last October for his amazing communication device. He's busy working on a new project and couldn't get away. The remaining new young Pioneer will be chosen next week. Looks like it's going to be a 16 year old from Pensacola named Suzanne Marie Herring (Turner is her fake surname).

Lupe, Tracy, and Molly were the first to board the bus because Lupe likes to sit near the back. A group of senior jocks came in next. A very large boy, impressed with Lupe's beauty sat next to her. She said "This seat's taken." "Sorry, but you can't save seats. And besides, after a few minutes of conversation you'll want me to stay." Lupe giggled "OMG, am I sitting next to a legend?" He smiled "Well, yeah." "That's right. I can see you are a legend, a legend in your own mind. Now scoot on out of here before I puncture your overblown ego." His friend Race standing in the isle said "Come on Rocco, you don't want to mess with Lupe. She's a brainiac with a lot of friends in low places who could easily rearrange your face." Rocco is a military brat with a black belt in karate. His family moved to Las Cruces over the Christmas holidays. He really didn't know Lupe since she hung in different circles. Lupe said "That's right, Rocco. Why don't you rock on over to the back seat with your jock friends who can better relate to you. See, my group doesn't tell stupid jokes while we burb, fart, and laugh like hyenas." "Girls think they can be really rude. You know what, if you were a guy I'd beat the crap out of you." Lupe was having fun with him. "Actually I think you're kind of cute, but that part about me wanting you to stay really describes a person with no manners. So you should listen to Race and move along." "What if I don't want to?" She giggled again, reached over and gently squeezed his cheeks into his teeth "Is big Rocco having a little tantrum?" "Don't touch me." "You should've enjoyed it. It's probably the most action you get from a girl this entire trip." She smiled batting her eyes. Summer walked up. "Hey Sis, thought you were going to save me a seat." Rocco looked up. "Summer? Lupe's your sister?" He quickly stood. "Here, sit down. It's an honor to give you a seat. I'm Rocco. I play baseball. And you're a young Pioneer." She smiled "That's what they tell me. And, I play baseball, too. Hi, Rocco. And thanks for saving my seat." He continued the star struck staring as he walked back to sit down. Lupe turned and looked at him. "So what do I have to do... be a young Pioneer to get any respect?" Rocco ignored Lupe. Rocco whispered to Race "You didn't tell me Lupe was Summer's sister." "You didn't ask." "Just look at her. She's a goddess." "Cool your pipes, dude. She wants to be treated like a normal human being." "I know, but she's so perfect." "Man, you've got it bad. Keep it real, dude. Don't make fool out of yourself. "

Summer whispered "Rocco's kind of cute. How come I haven't noticed him before?" Lupe checked her phone. "He's only been here this spring semester. His dad is a pilot at White Sands. His mom's a triathlete and works as a drill sergeant." "I think I like him." "You seemed to like him slobbering all over you with his groupie love." "So, what's your point?" Lupe laughed "Well... he is built like a Greek god. But I think he's a brick short of a full load. You know... the lights are on but nobody's home." "Don't be so judgmental, Lupe." "Ok. But just remember, there are other things in life besides huge muscles and a cute face." They cracked up, and together turned to look at him. He made an impish smile and waved. Summer whispered "Maybe I'm going to be sooo helpless I'll need someone big and strong to see me through the perils of this daaangerous trip." Lupe made a face. "Girl, you are an ironic contradiction in terms." "How's that?" "You're the only one here who could survive in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on your back." "Yeah, but he doesn't know that." "Summer, you're a baaad, bad girl." They giggled.

Tobi and Lareto (ya.re.tsu) stepped on the bus and proceeded to the back. Lupe said "Hi Tobi, Lareto." Tobi said "Sorry we're late." She whispered "I had to help Lareto choose the right clothes to wear." Summer responded "You did a good job. He looks really sharp." "He's very smart, too. He's already picked up a lot of English." Lareto smiled and said with a strong Samoan accent "Yes, I have." They took a seat next to Race and Rocco. Rocco couldn't believe his eyes. "Excuse me, but aren't you Colonel Tobi Miller?" Very surprised, she smiled "Maybe. Who wants to know?" "You're the only living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from the Afghan war. It's an honor to meet you, Ma'am. I had no idea I'd be travelling with such an important person." "And your name is?" "My name is Rocco Portachelli, and this is Race Steuter. We're baseball players." Tobi laughed "Yes, I can see that. And this is my cousin Lareto. He's Samoan and can't speak any English. He has a translator on so he can understand you." Lareto was much larger than Rocco. Rocco continued to talk and talk and talk to Tobi. To gently cut him off she said she needed to take a snooze because they mustered at 4:00am. Lareto whispered in Samoan to Tobi "This chatter box Rocco isn't very bright. Maybe it's the food you earthlings eat and the polluted water you drink." Tobi laughed "Could be."

The new young Pioneers were up front with their team members. They along with Anouk and Mica were telling "boy" jokes. Anouk told her favorite... Fourteen year old Aaron was sent home with a bloody nose, black eye, and torn clothing. It was obvious he'd been in a bad fight and lost. While his father was patching him up, he asked what happened. "Well, Dad," said Aaron, "I challenged Larry to a duel. And, I gave him his choice of weapons." "Uh-huh," said the father, "that seems fair." "I know, but I never thought he'd choose his sister!"

Beverly asked "Why did God create man first? Because he needed a rough working model before creating the perfect specimen."

Mica said "A man rubbed a lamp and a genie came out that would grant him three wishes. The man asked to be stronger than any other. He was given the strength to crush boulders. He asked for the world's fastest sports car and out of thin air appeared a Tesla. Finally he asked to be smarter than every other man on earth. Poof... He turned into a woman."

Hope's favorite was... A girl and a boy were hiking when they saw a huge bear. The girl sat down, took out a pair of track shoes from her knapsack and was putting them on. "You're wasting your time." said the boy. "Even with those shoes on, you can't outrun that bear." The girl replied, "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you."

Tom, a very handsome sophomore sitting behind the girls said "Such hateful jokes for such beautiful girls." In a self-deprecating flirtatious way he said "Brooklyn, don't you know you shouldn't make fun of the lame and the wicked?" She turned back "Ok, I'll bite... Why not?" "Because the lame are defenseless and the wicked will retaliate when you least expect it." "So which category do you fall into?" "The lame. But I am a good kisser." "So you're saying you could teach me how to kiss?" The guys around started encouraging him. Andrew seated next to him said "He really is a good kisser." Brooklyn smiled "So you really like his kisses huh?" Everybody laughed as he turned beet red. Tom said "Don't be stupid. It's the girls who say I'm a good kisser." She said "So you practiced on Andrew to perfect your technique? He is kind of cute." More laughter ensued. Tom said "No silly, but I wouldn't mind showing you what a kiss of mine is like." Brooklyn took out her lipstick. "Ok, put this on your lips and smooch this sheet paper so we can see what your kiss is like." "Is that a dare?" "Yes it is." "Ok, but if I do it you've got to kiss me on the lips afterwards. Deal?" Brooklyn thought "He is kind of cute. I think I'll just embarrass him a little more then leave him alone."

A junior named Dax sitting behind Tom leaned forward "Tom, she's just yanking your chain, buddy. There's no way she's going to look like an idiot and kiss you." Tom replied "You're just jealous, man. Stay out of it." "Dude, she's in my speech class. She's ten thousand times smarter than you are. She can chew you up and spit you out if she wants." Brooklyn laughed "Better listen to him, Tom. Anyway this is beginning to bore me." She turned back and initiated a quiet conversation with her buds about what she wanted to do on the trip. Tom leaned forward "So I guess that means no kiss?" She turned "Not really. See, I want a guy to be my friend first. We would have to be peers who share the same interests. A boy with a gentle spirit who loves to have fun with a girl, and not get off doing this kind of stuff. Give yourself a few years and you'll understand. Sorry, Tom." She turned back and continued with her friends.

A little after noon they reached their destination close to the Gila Cliff Dwellings where the west and east fork of the river come together. There next to a small bridge, inner tubes and fiberglass planks to make rafts were unloaded. It rained the previous week so the little river was flowing beautifully. This is mountain country so most of the rafting will be through small canyons and gorges. The Gila (558,000 acres) was the first designated wilderness area in the world (1924). Wildlife abounds everywhere.

Miss Parsons and the other coaches were trying to keep the chaos as organized as possible. Lupe had Cletus, Mike, and Tom secretly pilot three cloaked calix ships overhead. All the young Pioneers, Tobi, and Lareto were on an extended version of Tracy's strength drug. And they had Hope's special contacts and invisible earplugs that had a computer and a transceiver. The trip takes only ten hours on the water. But the coaches planned to stop at several spots along the way to prepare meals, fish, hike, and spend the night. On Sunday afternoon they would meet up with their bus and some parents in RVs at Cliff, New Mexico, then head back home. Well, that's what the coaches planned. Little did they know the young Pioneer's had a crazy surprise.

Soon the rafts were in the water. Tobi, Lareto, and coaches Dorothy Parsons and Kathy Lambeth took the lead. After a quarter mile of fast flowing water, the river opened into a canyon with deeper slower water. Bev, Hope, Brook, Mal, Mica, and Anouk were together. They designed a special raft. It had a water flow and temperature sensor, a sophisticated depth finder, a small fridge using a state of the art motor with a secret power source. An ultra-light canopy that easily opened to provide ample shade.

After a few hours of easy drifting the coaches decided to stop and try their luck at fishing. Before the trip, Mallory created swimming lures that went out and searched for fish. Once the lure located its prey it would wiggle around and release an irresistible scent. After fifteen minutes the girls caught several nice big juicy trout. Lareto walked over to see what they wrangled. In Samoan "I figured you girls would use some of your magic. Those are good ones." Brook said "If you're nice we'll share with you." He chuckled then threw his spear into the water piercing a big bass. "Why use magic when I have good eyes and true aim?" "You're right, Uncle Lareto. But we're little shrimps." He laughed "Now you made me think of shrimp. I could use a plate full right now cooked over coconut embers."

The original young Pioneers were at the back of the pack. Summer stood and took a long stretch and noticed a winding trail leading up a large hill next to them. "Hey, anyone like to hike this with me. I'll bet the view at the top is phenomenal." They declined, opting to fish instead. Rocco standing nearby eagerly volunteered. It was four thirty and the area was large enough to accommodate tents, so the coaches decided to set up camp. Rocco said "It looks like we're going to stay, so we can take our time and enjoy the climb." Summer liked Rocco. "Sounds great. I'm glad you're coming with me. It's nice to have somebody strong to protect me." He loved the adulation. "Thanks. I work hard to keep my body up." "Is that right?" "Yeah. After school I take taekwondo. A strong body makes for a strong mind." She agreed and used the comment as an opening to have him talk more about himself. He played football, basketball, track, and baseball. Knew all the great athletes and their records. He wanted to be a triathlete like his mom. Didn't need much encouragement to talk about himself. He thought he was hot stuff, and in a way in Summer's mind he was. The monologue went on for almost an hour until they reached the summit. She said "Let's sit down and enjoy the view. As you probably already know, I grew up on an Indian reservation. We lived primarily off the land. Unless we went to town, horses were our main transportation." "Didn't you feel all cooped up living there?" She laughed "My pueblo is 27 square miles out in the middle of a mountainous desert. On a clear day I can look out from one of our mountain tops and see over a hundred miles. So no, if anything I felt as free as a bird." After a pause she continued "Where did you grow up?" "Various Air Force bases across the country. Mainly in San Antonio. That's where new recruits train. My mom's a drill sergeant." "That's interesting. What are your aspirations?" "My what?" "Your aspirations, your métier, your calling?" "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying." She smiled "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Oh... Well, I'd like to be a fireman. They promote physical training. Firemen are on three and off three. So I could lift weights at work then run and bike on my days off. Oh, and I'm a second degree black belt in karate, and I want to improve that." "Sounds like you're very dedicated." "Yes, I am." She paused to enjoy the scenery while he paused trying to think of something interesting to say. No luck. She broke the uncomfortable silence. "Have you tried my happiness algorithm?" "No. I really don't understand that stuff. I don't know what an algorithm is. But it sounds important." "It's really very simple to use, and it can increase your horizons." "What does increase your horizons mean?" His last question finally triggered her realization that he wasn't very bright. That cute face and those big muscles just got in the way. But sadly it finally sank in. Her designs on him received a cold splash in the face. She even began to feel sorry for the guy. She used much simpler language and stopped asking questions that made him feel uncomfortable. As they conversed she saw the little boy who loved being praised for his accomplishments, however mundane and superficial they were.

Another pleasant thirty minutes went by. She suggested "I'm getting hungry. How about you? Ready to go back and grab something before it's gone?" "Silly. We brought enough food for three days. There'll still be plenty." "Yes, I know. Let's get moving before our muscles start atrophying... I mean before our muscles get too stiff." After ten minutes of slowly heading down the path Cletus called her. All the young Pioneers have tiny transceivers in their ears. "Summer, there's a mountain lion following you. If it comes any closer I'll have to kill it." She raised her arm and made a signal to hold off. She also said loud and clearly "No. Don't. That's an order."

She quickly broke off a three inch caliper tree branch, snapping off its shoots to form a seven foot long stick. Rocco asked "How'd you do that? I couldn't even do that." "It's an Indian thing... " "I don't understand." "Rocco, I want you to get down on the ground and don't move. No matter what, don't move. Ok?" "What?" She told him again as she kicked his legs out from under him. "Stay down. This will be over in a minute." Cletus came on "He's right above you to your left. See him?" "Yes. Don't do anything. I'll take care of him." "Yes ma'am." Summer locked eyes on the beast. He was snarling, ready to pounce. She yelled at the cat in her native language of Keres "YOU LEAVE, NOW! LEAVE!" She was swinging the stick at him. Rocco got up and she quickly pushed him back down with her super strength. "I told you to stay put. I don't want to have to kill this cat." At that moment the mountain lion jumped. She quickly stepped aside delivering a hard thump to his head. He was momentarily dazed but quickly recovered. Growling at her, he bounded. This time she wacked him hard sideways against the head, neck, and shoulder, throwing him down. He was seeing stars. She walked over and wacked him again on the head a few more times and yelled "YOU LEAVE! NOW!" He got up with a painful ache in his head and started slowly walking away. She ran over and wacked him a good hard one on the butt making him hightail it out of there. She reached down and helped Rocco to his feet. "How did you do that? You swung that branch so fast I couldn't see it. What are you?" "Don't worry, Rocco. I'm just an Indian. If you white Europeans didn't have guns we could have wiped you out hundreds of years ago." She laughed. "Just kidding. Let's go. I'm really hungry." "I thought I came along to protect YOU. Little did I know." She giggled "Life can be full of surprises, Rocco. Mind if I hold your arm while we walk back? You've got the biggest biceps." He looked at her. "And, you're scary as hell." She laughed and winked. "Please keep this to yourself. I want people to think of me as a regular person. Ok?" "My friends told me that about you. Of course I won't say anything." He smiled "I'm walking next to Wonder Woman who wants nobody to know about it." After a pause "You're even like Supergirl." "That's right, Rocco. It'll be our own little secret." He liked the idea and smiled. A thought entered his mind and he asked "Why didn't you kill the mountain lion? He could hurt somebody." "Rocco, my people believe we are all one with nature. Actually this is his home and we are the visitors. Guests must be respectful and not harm anything." He paused again. "I never thought of it that way. It weirdly makes sense."

It was 7:00 in the evening. Summer and Rocco returned just in time to help prepare the food. In addition to the fresh fish caught that afternoon, the coaches brought chicken and ground sirloin. Lupe was busy wrapping lemon squeezed fish in aluminum foil then placing them on hot embers. Later, as the food was about to be served she remarked to the boys "How come you boys only barbeque? Us girls prepare the food and you guys just put the meat on the grill then stand back and talk." A senior athlete named Tommy said "It's a male rite of passage. We kill it and bring it home... You clean and prepare it... we put it on the fire. Tracy laughed "Maybe in 3,000 BC, but not now. We choose to prepare the food to keep you from messing it up. Then through our generosity we relegate the cooking to you." Lupe added "And besides Tommy, your hunkalicious face and frame give us hard working girls a little eye candy to pass the time. Go on, turn around, let's see that cute little tushy of yours." He blushed beet red. Lupe is one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. Being secretly crazy about her kept his mouth shut. Several times in the past he asked her out, but with no success. He figured maybe if he asked her enough, but in a nice way, she might eventually give in. At least now he knows she thinks he's hot. He replied "That's the problem with us pretty faces; you think the lights are off and nobody's home. But that's not always the case." Lupe walked up, chuckled, and put her arm around him. "You're just fine, Tommy. I already have a boyfriend, and I'm not into two-timing. And besides, aren't you dating Mary Lou?" Lupe is all of six feet and Tommy is five-nine. He looked up into those audacious eyes and whispered "I like Mary Lou a lot. But Lupe, you could walk in front of a blind man and make him see. Whatever magic you have, the guys at school are mesmerized by it." "Aaaah, that's really sweet, but I still can't go out with you." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Next time you see May Lou, tell her I said hello." She joined her buds to take the fish out of the embers.

After the food was placed on several long folding tables, coach Parsons invited Summer to lead the blessing. Everyone held hands and Summer prayed "Thank you Great Spirit for the blessings you've bestowed upon us, especially for The Big Change. Please keep our hearts true and minds pure and fresh like high mountain waters. Always give us the eyes of an eagle, strength of a bear, and the wisdom of the ancient spirits. In this we pray, amen." "Amen." Rocco thought "She's not kidding about the bear thing".

By nine o'clock, darkness had covered the narrow canyon. A few standing near the shore in the cool shadows could hear the faint sounds of fish catching insects. Further in were several warm fires with tents set up behind. After a satisfying main course of fresh fish and tasty burgers it was time for roasting marshmallows. On que Beverly said "Hey Lupe, tell us one of your famous stories." "I don't know guys. Are you ready to be scared?" A senior named Dillon smirked "There's no way you could scare me. I've been to places and done things that would scare you to death." Lupe smiled "Have you fought strange alien creatures who were intent on killing you? Have you had terrorists screaming Allahu Akbar as they came at you with knives? Have you had sharks trying to eat you for lunch? Have you been to the highest snow covered peaks or the deepest murkiest jungles and survived?" Dillon cracked up "Like you have, right?" "No, but I can tell you a story that will scare your pants off." "Ok, give us your best shot. We're all ears." Lupe looked at the other young Pioneers with smiling eyes, understanding they knew what was in store. With a mischievous glint Tracy said "Yeah, go ahead tell us oh great one who's done so many dangerous things and come out alive." "Ok, but remember, I warned you guys." She cleared her throat while removing her toasted marshmallow off a stick. "It was back in 1862, when a group of thirteen prospectors left Sacaton, Arizona in search of gold along the Gila River very close to where we're sitting. Their guide, a Pima Indian named Chicon, claimed that several years earlier he rode with an Apache raiding party against a settlement of Pueblo Indians who lived near the river. One of the camps where they spent the night was in a steep very narrow canyon that had lots of dark shiny yellow rocks. For the promise of a horse, saddle, rifle, a box of ammunition, and a little gold, he took the prospectors. When they got there, the entrance was so narrow that only one person with his horse could pass at a time. Inside they found the canyon walls had chunks of gold as big as your thumb embedded in quartz. After two days the Indian left with his reward. He gave the men a warning not to stay because it was a favorite campsite of the Apache. But being overcome with greed, they continued to mine. Almost out of food, five of the men left on horseback to get provisions at a trading post south along the old Butterfield Trail." Dillon broke in. "What are you doing, giving us a history lesson? Boarrring." Lupe said "You're right, this is a true story, not a fairytale. But be careful, we're deep in Apache country. You should look around in the darkness because this is very close where they found the gold. So, listen up." She continued "The five men didn't return. After two weeks one of the prospectors went out to investigate. As fate would have it, he found the slaughtered bodies five miles down the river. The horses and provisions were gone. A flash of cold fear went through his body. He slowly dismounted and carefully looked around. Nothing except some tracks that led up a path to what seemed to be a pass. Maybe it was a shortcut to the gold canyon. Instead of taking the path, he stealthy rode back to the canyon along the river and quietly slipped in. Hiding in the brush he saw a group of Apaches with war paint on their faces and chest. They had captured his friends, and lashed them to a tree. Having lived for several years in southern New Mexico and Arizona, he was fluent in Apache. Before punishment, the Indian chief yelled "This is sacred burial ground. The spirits of the dead came to me in a dream four nights ago saying you were desecrating these grounds and demanded we come make this place holy again. He pulled out a long sharp knife from of his leather sheath. Screaming in pain, the miners were disemboweled with passionate rage. Their entrails were thrown into a fire. From that fire rose the images of the dead men grimacing in agony as they slowly floated up into the sky. The Apaches then took all the mined gold and buried it." Dillon said "That's your story? Give me a break." Lupe leaned forward as the light of the embers reflected off her eyes. "Don't pick up any rocks with the intention of taking them out of here or you may meet the same fate. This area is guarded by the spirits of those same Indians." The guy next to Dillon said "You're crazy." "Oh, am I? Look up through the blackness at the top of that hill. See the faint blue image on the ridge?" Bev, Brook, and Hope laughed inside knowing Molly was projecting a holographic image from a drone. Brook screamed "OMG, I see something!" Panicked whispers were everywhere. Lupe calmly said "Relax, everybody. They won't hurt us. They understand we're here to have a little fun and not to desecrate their burial grounds." Race, in a panic said "Maybe we're camping on top of dead Indians. Maybe we're next." Tommy said "Relax, man. It's all baloney. Nothing's going to happen." Just then a severed human head dropped with a thud and rolled next to the campfire. Tracy and Molly made the head look totally realistic with blood oozing out of the neck and eyeballs half out of their sockets. Tommy began screaming like a little girl. Everybody began screaming. Lupe quickly rose. "Relax, it's not real. It's fake. You wanted to be scared... this is how it's done." Coach Parsons said "Damn, Lupe. You made me pee my pants." After a few minutes of calming down, Race asked how they put the image on the hill. Molly brought down the drone. "See, it projects a hologram. Cool, huh?" Rocco looked up and asked "Then what is that light dancing along the ridge?" Lupe calmly said "Who knows. But, I wouldn't worry about it." Hope walked away from the campfire. "Uncle Cletus, do you see the light bouncing along the hill?" He came back "Yes." Hope asked "Does it have an infrared signature?" "No. The only infrared images I see are small animals, a black bear three klicks out, and a cougar two and a half klicks the opposite direction. No humans except for your group."

To move things along, Summer suggested "What do you say we finish our marshmallows while we check out the stars. The girls in the science club can tell us the names." Rocco asked "Can you show us Zeta Reticuli? I remember the Pioneers said they were going there." Lareto spoke in Samoan "You can't see it from the upper part of this round. You have to be at the other end." Tobi interpreted "He said you have to be in the southern hemisphere to see it." He added "My round is very beautiful. Maybe someday you can come and see it." Tobi nudged his massive frame shaking her head not yet while she put her index finger against her lips." Thankfully nobody except for the young pioneers had their universal translators turned on their cells.

As the night was progressing, Anouk looked into the black diamond studded sky as she was browning a marshmallow. "Do you think the young Pioneers have actually gone to Zeta Reticuli?" Summer giggled "Maybe." Dillon said "It's an honor to have a young Pioneer with us. But please, not another crazy tale. We've had enough for one night." With a clear and firm voice, Summer continued "You know, one of our body guards is Samoan." She thought about it for a moment, looked to Lupe for agreement, then asked Loreto "Isn't there a legend of alien creatures taking away an entire village?" He said "yes" in English. Everybody quickly turned their translators on, waiting for his next words. Summer said "Go ahead, tell us the story." He was pleased because he finally had the chance to tell earthlings what happened. The young Pioneers planned it for tomorrow night, but since the subject came up several times Summer, with Lupe's approval, gave him the green light. In his centuries old language he began "My people live on an island. A beautiful island surrounded by crystal blue waters that abound with life. It is a paradise. The legend says hundreds of summers ago, creatures came to an island called Samoa on this round, flying in large silver plates. They called themselves Zetas. They were short hairless creatures with large heads, big dark eyes, spindly arms, and long boney fingers. They claimed to be gods and wanted us to worship them so we could have everlasting happiness. They told us about the splendors of heaven and the fires of hell. We were their chosen ones. They told us if we lived good lives we could join them forever in heaven. They also told us about Jesus Christ and the faith of God. We were taught the "Lord's Prayer" which said we must forgive those who hurt us. We must be peace loving, and live to provide our Lords with the products of our toils. We must supply meat and fish for them. We must also make items to please them. If we were meek and hardworking we would reap the joys our Lords would provide in heaven. The Zetas said they lived in a place far away and they wanted the village of my people to join them. These creatures had many magical things. They could kill an animal then bring it back to life. To us it was obvious they were gods. The village was eager to go. Who wouldn't want eternal happiness?"

He paused. Standing in anger he screamed a few well-chosen curse words, and threw his metal spear deep into a large tree. The teens gasped. Summer rushed over to him. "Are you alright? You can stop at any time. Ok?" Lareto smiled knowing she was one of those who saved his people. He put his arm around her and whispered "E tatau ona ou faia lenei mea, loʻu purinisese (I must do this, my princess)." Continuing "These vile creatures used the story of Jesus Christ to trick us. The Zetas took the village of my people to an island on their planet much like the one called Samoa on this round. They put my people to work toiling for the pleasure and appetite of these beasts." Race interrupted "You're acting very angry like you believe it's true." Lareto looked at Summer for final permission. She nodded her head. He replied "It is true." Skeptical, Dillon said "Summer, you put him up to this." Lareto walked over and jerked his spear out of the tree like it was nothing. In a calm anger he continued "Seven moons ago my People were told by the Pioneers what the Zetas were doing. They brought a group of Samoan warriors from here to accompany us to my round you earthlings call Zeta Reticuli Star One, Planet One. They joined the warriors from my island to wreak revenge. We found their city and killed them. I was given the honor of killing their leader. See this spear?" All eyes became fixed on that darkened rod with a vicious looking barbed point. "I shoved it down his throat until it came out the other end of his body. Then we cooked him over a fire and fed the meat to pigs." He laughed "And they wouldn't touch it. Tasted bad." Anouk asked "Let me get this straight, what you're saying is you've been to Zeta Reticuli?" "I was born and lived there all my life." Loud mumblings of "Wow!" rippled through the camp. Mica said "That's very hard to believe." Dillon asked "Why are you here?" Summer spoke. "Because I asked him. I was with him during the attack. He is the greatest warrior I have ever seen. Before we returned to earth I asked him to come with me. To learn about our society. To offer a totally independent critique about us. Also to help make sure I'm safe. It's not really necessary anymore with the powerful protections we've developed for ourselves. But it makes us feel better to have guards. So why not." Mica asked "What if you were attacked right now? How could you stop a bullet? It doesn't make any sense." Summer pulled out a cell phone sized device. "This is a very powerful laser weapon. It can instantly heat a surface to 3,000 degrees. She pointed it at Lareto and pulled the trigger. It lit up his arm. He began to laugh telling her it tickled and asked her to stop. She picked up a large rock and crumpled it into pieces. She then formed an orb around her body and shot up into the darkness then came down. "Yes, we've come a long way even since we journeyed to ZRS1P1. A nuclear device could be detonated next to me and I wouldn't be hurt." Dillon said "If we were attacked, you'd survive but we would die. That's not very nice." Summer said "Not true. Since the Pioneers are targets for terrorists, we need extra protection. So additionally, we've been working on protections for everybody. They'll soon come out for everyone to utilize." Anouk asked "Will we be super strong?" "No. They are defensive tools, not offensive weapons."

Summer saw all the eyes at full attention taking in what was just said, especially the revelation that an alien was in their midst, and about the excursion to his planet. She reflected "I've always wanted all of you to treat me like anyone else. You have. And I appreciate that. But the fact still remains I am one of the young Pioneers. We all know that the Big Change comes with a price, like what happened on July 1st three years ago. After all this time there are still outside influences that are hell bent on destroying everything we've done. And they think killing a Pioneer would deliver one heck of a message. And thank goodness that's now impossible." The group of campers were silent. This became very real for them. Faces were fearful. Summer said "Don't worry guys." She pointed to the night sky. "We have some of the best guards on earth watching over us tonight." Anouk said "The Apache ghost story was fun scary, but this is way too real. It must be hard knowing that people are actually trying to hunt you down. And, you don't really know if you're invincible. They could have something you haven't thought of." Summer walked over and put her arm around Lareto's huge back. Well, maybe. There's a risk attached to everything." She chuckled... "But you've never seen my friend Lareto fight. I feel very safe." Rocco spoke up. "And Colonel Tobi Miller is here. She's a recipient of the Medal of Honor." Summer smiled "And you've never seen Colonel Miller fight either. She did an extraordinary job at Zeta Reticuli. So, you're now the first people to learn of our excursion to Zeta Reticuli Star One, Planet One. Lareto added "We call our round Lalolagi Aiga." Summer said "We've made a video that will be presented to the world during our July 1st memorial. In other words I can't tell you anything else. This is my gift to you for being so good to me. Thank you." Tracy stood and started clapping. The others joined in.

The wide eyed listeners under the stillness of the night's universe now realized they had with them people who were actually on a distant planet. Even though they didn't vocalize it, some looked around and wondered, maybe even hoped there were more young Pioneers in their midst.

As the evening wound down, many were laying in the soft grass away from the fiery embers looking up at the stars. Eidetic memory Molly was describing the night sky. Handsome nineteen year old Lareto was lying with them totally engrossed. When Molly got to the Hercules Cluster one of the senior athletes named Jackie interrupted by describing one of the great adventures of Hercules. At the end she said "But he was just a fictional character. We have a real life hero from another star system lying with us tonight. Lareto, I wish I could go with you on your travels as you explore that great unknown." He looked over at beautiful Jackie. "I wish you could come too. But I say that selfishly because you are such a beautiful woman." That really made her night. She instantly fell for the alien. In fact most of the older girls dreamed about him that night. And to feel safer, many slept out in the open as close as possible to him.

The rippling sounds of the Gila River serenaded the group that night. At 6:30 morning broke over the canyon walls. Slight movement began with the sounds of stoking fires, sleepy bodies sipping hot coffee, the smell of bacon cooking on cast iron skillets, mumblings about being hungry and having to go pee. By 7:30 everyone was up enjoying flapjacks with butter and maple syrup.

The next hour was spent policing the area and taking selfies with Lareto. He was still getting used to all the changes that occurred with this branch of the human race. The wide variety of people, the crazy technology, the clothes and hair styles, the freedom and openness, especially with the girls.

Later that morning as they were lazily floating down the river, Lupe was thinking about her favorite pet peeve... her anonymity. She felt like a caged animal. So many times she's thought about it. Trying to rationalize the pluses and minuses. Why did she want to be open about herself? Was it egotistical to want people to know who she was? Did she need the accolades? Was she becoming so full of herself that she wanted a groupie squad? Or was she just tired of hiding. "Tracy. You ready to be called Johnny Vee?" "Maybe. Either way's ok. You really want this don't you?" "Like Summer said, with all our advances nothing can hurt us now. But like we've discussed before, what about our friends and families." Tracy replied "We can sniff out any nukes in the US. That's not a problem. But bullets, flames, or something as simple as an arrow shot into a student at school is a potential problem." "I know. Until recently, that's usually where we stopped this conversation. But the life I'm living now isn't what I want. It's cruel. I have to be free. It's time. Our families are already protected 24/7. Our extended families could be too. Look at it this way... What happens when we have lots more Pioneers. This will be the last year we only bring in five. Next year we plan to have twenty. And maybe the next year it'll be fifty or a hundred. The incredible advancements by young people in science, technology, and the social sciences are increasing geometrically." "Lupe, we've already talked about this. And I agree. What concerns me is our contributions could be weaponized by the enemy." Lupe came back with "Jacob's can too. And he's doing just fine. He runs several research companies and works at White Sands. And, so far there's been no problems." "That's true." "You know, to avoid other people our age from becoming targets we could harden the schools we attend." Tracy said "That's not a solution. A terrorist group could hold hostages anywhere. They don't have to be friends or relatives." "You're right. But, we've sealed our borders and gone through the population with a fine tooth comb using Molly's technology to detect terrorists. And listen, we know there will always be some creeps who are going to be a problem. And like I mentioned before we could even put an extra security perimeter around Las Cruces. We already have White Sands Missile Range locked down, and that covers 3,200 square miles. Sure it would be an inconvenience for the residents of Las Cruces. Who wants to be searched all the time? But I'm sorry. I'm tired of being a caged animal. Aren't you? I know Molly is. And so are all the new young Pioneers." Tracy responded "We've already been through this. Do you or do you not want to go public?" Molly was sitting nearby taking it all in. Lupe asked "What do you think, Molly?" "Six months ago, I would have said no. But now we're totally bullet proof. And, with the help of the younger new pioneers, we can easily read people's minds. The device is so small it easily fits in the human body." Lupe added "And it's all computer driven. Like a phased array radar system, it constantly reads everybody within a thousand feet." Molly smiled "So why not? Our systems are even set up to protect us from ourselves. And besides, I thought we already decided. Why the vacillating?" Lupe said "Last minute jitters I guess. Just want to be sure it's the right thing." Tracy giggled "If you don't go public, you'll drive us crazy. So just do it already." "Okaaay."

It was close to one in the afternoon on Saturday. Several hours of easy drifting and fun fishing. The coaches spotted a large clearing where they tied up for lunch. Lupe casually brought together all the young Pioneers away from the group. Monroe, Jacob, and Millie were included by phone. The discussion was surprisingly easy. Everyone, including the newest Pioneers Rain, Matisse, and Tiamane agreed to go ahead with the plan. The main concern was how the students would react. Their point of reference was Summer. She's blended in very well. So now, next to the Gila River, they finally agreed to do it.

The landed flotilla of hungry people loaded up their plates and sat down. Summer gave the blessing. Tommy sat next to Lupe hoping to build a better rapport. He opened with "How's the hamburger? I cooked it medium rare just like you asked." "It's really tasty. Just enough lettuce, tomatoes, no pickles, and a great tasting sauce all on a sesame seed bun." He laughed "You sound like a commercial." She paused... then asked "Tommy, what do people think about me?" "Boy, that came out of nowhere. You don't seem like the kind of person who needs emotional reinforcement. So why the question?" "Just curious." He looked at her from head to toe, then into her eyes. "All the guys think you're hot. You could make a dead man get up and walk." She laughed "He'd have to be frozen with almost no cell damage to do that." Tommy continued "And you're very smart and self-assured. You know you're good, but you don't rub it in everyone's face." She reflected... "Summer's one of the young Pioneers. And she's sitting right over there yukking it up with your friend Rocco. Do you think she's rubbing it in your face that she's a young Pioneer? She could have remained anonymous, you know." "No she's fine. Her personality is the reason we like her, not what she's done. But I thought we were talking about you." "Well yes... But what if I told you I was a young Pioneer? Like the girl who invented Blinking." Tommy stopped chewing. "Nah, that's crazy. Me sitting next to the greatest person in the history of mankind?" "You mean humankind." "Whatever. There's no way. She'd be off somewhere coming up with some major breakthrough to help mankind." "Humankind." "Whatever. So why are you asking me what people think of you?" "So you think people do like me? Do I treat everybody with respect? Or am I an opinionated asshat?" He was becoming impatient. "Everybody likes you, Lupe. Yes, you're good to everybody. And you do have strong opinions, especially when you correct a teacher. But you're not an ass about it." He smiled "But you being a young Pioneer is a little, no, a lot, no, waaay too farfetched." Lupe giggled and turned to Tracy sitting on the other side of her. "You hear that. Me being a young Pioneer is ridiculous." Tracy said "Don't be a butthead, Lupe. You already know you're a nice person. You've been my spirit guide for years helping me control my anger. Just tell the guy. Tell everybody. Stop tiptoeing around it." Lupe looked at the other young Pioneers and asked out loud "Are you guys ready?" They nodded. Lupe turned to Tommy. "I'm sick and tired of hiding my true identity from the world. I feel like a caged animal. But today I'm setting myself free." She took his hand and shook it. "Hi. My name is Lupe Solis and I invented Blinking." Dillon, sitting next to Tommy said "Right, and I'm the Pope. Get outta here with that." Tommy said "No, she's not kidding. I've seen that look in her eyes in class. She's telling the truth." She smiled "Of course I am. And please, I don't want any of you to treat me any differently than five minutes ago. I'm still a regular 16 year old who likes to have fun and who just happens to be a little smarter than most." Tommy unthinkingly added "And you're drop dead beautiful." Lupe blushed. A rare occurrence. Tommy is a hunkalicious bright sweet guy. Lupe stood "Can I have your attention... There are ten of us here who would like to introduce ourselves. The real us nobody knows about. We decided it's time to come out of the shadows and live real lives like the rest of you; like my step-sister Summer has been doing all along. We've been hiding our identities so people wouldn't hurt us. But over the last few months we've made significant inroads in self-defense. That, along with having capable body guards like Lareto and Tobi have made our lives very safe." Coach Parsons with a smile said "Since you enrolled at the school, I've been getting an ear full from the science and math teachers about how you constantly correct them. We've always had our suspicions about several of you but never said anything. Is this your official "coming out"?" Lupe giggled "Yes, coach. You've always had excellent street smarts." "Well, don't just stand there. Introduce us." "I'll let each one stand and introduce themself. Tracy..." "You first, Lupe." "Ok... My birth name is Cacosxaj Tepocas. That's hard to pronounce so I go by Lupe. And yes, I invented Blinking. God that felt good. Tracy..." She stood, "And my real name is Johnny Vee Sanders, and among other things I invented super strength." Molly stood "My real name is Xochitl Metztli. I go by Xochi (So'Chee). I invented a way to communicate with body cells. Also, Jacob Jackson, Johnny Vee, and myself discovered a way to make people young again. The Infinitum helped us with that." Beverly, Hope, Brooklyn, and Mallory stood up together. Anouk blurted out "No way. All four of you?" Bev laughed "Yes, all four of us." Each told the group why they were chosen to be a young Pioneer. Then the final three stood and said they would let the world know of their achievements during the upcoming 1st of July ceremony. Rain said "This is all brand new to us. But we felt that hiding our identity was wrong. The young Pioneers need to have faces and names. Something Americans can identify with and be proud of. We don't need the adulation. We're not that shallow. Last week we all talked about it. What we need to do is go around the country like Summer has and talk it up at schools. With a wild imagination, a little luck, and a lot of support, almost anybody can achieve great things. Like professional sports stars, we want to see stars in science and technology." Matisse added "And fine arts and humanities."

Summer stood "Finally the cat's out of the bag. What a relief." Lupe said "Just following your happiness algorithm. It suggested I end the charade and go public." Summer laughed "Well, are you happy now?" "Indubitably." Molly grinned "Lupe discovered the word last week and now she's using it whenever she can." Lupe frowned "Hey, don't make fun. Not everyone knows every word in the damn dictionary like you. I can't help being a plebeian commoner." "Now you're being pleonastic." Lupe looked at the group. "See what I've had to put up with these last two years." Tracy laughed "Yeah right, the greatest human in history gets pissed off when Molly uses words she doesn't understand. You two are a riot." Lupe said to the group "Look... I understand like in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I could easily let what I've accomplished, along with People's expectations...... well, it could easily become an albatross around my neck. Everybody needs to know the real me. I'm not a superhuman. I make lots of mistakes. I'm just a regular person who wants to celebrate our coming out." She walked among the astonished faces. "Haven't we done this river thing long enough? How about something more exciting. How about we have a coming out party? I already set it up." Mica spoke. "Did you really invent Blinking?" "Yes. Want proof?" Nobody responded. "Oh come on. Where's your spirit of adventure? You guys like to surf?" Anouk said "Maybe." Lupe squeezed her earlobe. "Cletus, please uncloak the ships and bring the sixty-seater down. Thanks." They looked up as three calix ships became visible and one came down. The doors opened and several Navy Seals stepped out. Lupe smiled with her arm extended. "Your limousine awaits." Dillon said "You've got to be kidding." He walked over and carefully touched the ship. "Lupe, are you really the girl who invented Blinking? Or is this another one of your tricks?" She giggled "Come on, let's go have some fun. I'm taking you to an island in far west Hawaii." She continued "It's ok, I know this is all very shocking and surreal. But, you're going to have to get used to it sooner or later. Might as well be now." Coach Parsons said "Lupe, it's an honor to know the real you. I'd be glad to go with you anywhere as long I'm back to work on Monday." "It's a deal coach. And don't worry about the camping stuff. Security will return it all safe and sound. I've got new clothes and swimsuits waiting for everyone. Your families will also be taken to the island. And please let us know if you can't swim so we can have a Navy Seal accompany you out in the water." Coach said "Well, come on. Let's go. I've never been to Hawaii." With pride she said "OUR young Pioneers are having a coming out party and we're invited!"

They boarded the vessel kind of in a daze. The doors silently closed. The Seals made sure all were secured in their seats. Lupe walked down the aisle. "This is a special model we made that enables passengers to see out." (The top half of the ship was glass.) "Mallory came up with this awesome perfectly clear material that withstands extreme heat, cold, and pressure. And it doesn't degrade over time. And, it has just the right elasticity index." She looked at the bewildered faces. "In other words this baby hauls and you'll see everything. Is everybody ready?" Mica shouted "If Mallory helped make this, then hell yes!" Lupe took the controls. "Because of a special magnetic field surrounding your bodies we can accelerate extremely fast and you'll feel no g-forces. So I'm taking her up to the edge of space." You could hear lots of ooos and aaaahs as Lupe cleared the atmosphere and quickly circled the planet. "How about we go to the moon for a minute." She was filled with contentment as she saw the faces enjoying the show. Coach Parsons asked "Lupe, I've always dreamed of seeing the planets." Lupe stopped. "Your wish is my command, coach. In a flash of prismatic color the group was a hundred miles above the surface of Mars. The view was tremendous. Then over to Jupiter and its moons, then to Saturn. After a quick sightseeing tour Lupe said "Well, these are them. You all ready to do a little partying?" Tommy shouted "Let's do it!" In another flash of colored light the ship settled on the beach next a plethora of lounge chairs and huge umbrellas. Cletus and his guys were setting up for the cookout. Lupe had many extra hooches in place.

It was nine thirty in the morning. The wild eyed passengers took in the beautiful beach and the lush tropical rainforest behind. Security directed everyone to their hooches where they could shower and change.

Lupe called Sid. "Hey, whatcha doin?" "I was at the bowling alley with Lucy. She whipped me at space invaders. Now we're home. Are you coming over?" "Sid, I'm finally telling the world who I am. I had to do it before I exploded or imploded or..." "Before you went bananas. I'm glad you finally broached it. So, I guess you're calling to say we have to move." "I have a Blackhawk landing in front of your house right now." He looked out the window. "I see.... Mom and dad are going to be shocked. Hope they won't be too upset. ...Oh my gosh, Lucy is on the phone with Millie and Nellie. They're telling her we're going to be living close to you guys.... Now she's running into the kitchen telling mom... I'm walking in the kitchen now. Mom looks totally bewildered... The doorbell is ringing. Maybe I better get off. See you soon." Lupe smiled "Later."

"Your girlfriend did what?!" "Relax, mom. It's no big deal. Well it kind of is." "Sid, who are all these soldiers?!.... ....Why are they saying we have to leave?!" "Mom, I'm dating the most important person in history. Today she's letting the world know her true identity. We have to leave to make sure nothing happens to us." "Lupe? I don't understand. What have you two been up to?! What about my work and all my friends?" "I'm sorry, mom. We have to lay low for at least a little while." Lucy said "It's ok mom; get it together. We gotta go."

The commanding officer told Sid's mom named Debbie that his men would safely pack everything up and immediately ship it over to their new home. "So, please ma'am, we need to leave. There's a Black Hawk waiting in the street." "What if I don't want to go?" "Ma'am, General Solis is one of the top military commanders in the country. I'm acting on her orders to evacuate you and your family. Your husband is already choppering to a nearby airfield. We're flying the four of you to New Mexico in the general's personal jet. So if you would, please put the apple pie down and let's go." Sid's mom was shocked, and very torqued. She couldn't believe her life was suddenly turning upside down. As they were flying in the Black Hawk, Sid said "Mom, I've met most all the Pioneers. They're really great people." "I don't want to talk about it. I don't like being hijacked from my happy life. I wish you had talked to me about this a hell of a lot sooner." "Sorry, mom."

Sid's dad was on the tarmac as they landed. His name is Thad Powers. Lucy popped out of the Black Hawk and ran over. "Daddy, this is really exciting. That chopper ride was way too cool, and I've always wanted to fly in a jet." He hugged her. "Well baby, looks like you're getting your wish." He told Sid "I knew Lupe was brilliant but my goodness, son... How did you two meet again?" The commander interrupted. "Colonel Powers, we need to board as soon as possible." "Yes, of course." As they were taking a seat "Son, I'm kind of proud of you. She could have chosen anybody, but she chose you. That charm of yours came from your mother. It sure wasn't from me." "She said I was a cute easy going self-deprecating genius. I am easy going, but the rest, I don't think so." The commander walked up. "Colonel Powers, would you like to take the co-pilot's seat? You might enjoy it. Actually, you may have to get checked out in this jet. General Solis requires everyone in her inner circle to fly all of her aircraft. This is her best one. It can cruise at Mach 6.5 and has a service ceiling of 90,000 feet." Thad forgot about everything as he stepped into his aviator brain like a kid in a candy shop. The takeoff was smooth and quick. Mom and the kids were being pampered by two flight attendants. The seats were huge overstuffed deerskin with Native American artwork. Lucy had several new soft stuffed animals to hold as she watched the latest Disney movie. Mom was busy giving Sid the third degree. "We've had her over for dinner at least ten times. She's a very nice girl. But don't you think she may be a little too advanced for you?" "Mom, you've never had any problem with her before. In fact you said she was good for me. That we went well together. You saw us always joking around and having fun." "But you hid from me who she really was." "Mom, what you saw is who she really is. You're embracing some kind of stereotype of a super genius who's way above everybody else's head. Mom, she's just a regular girl who just happens to be very beautiful and fun to be with." "You say that while we're flying in the fastest, most luxurious personal jet on earth." "She did the luxury thing for her dad. She loves him very much. Seven years ago he was homeless. He didn't know where his next meal was coming from. She was taken away and placed in a foster home. Now she's giving him the best she can possibly provide. Otherwise we'd be sitting in a fast plane with a Spartan interior." Debbie thought for a while. "....Lupe did seem to be a very down to earth girl who cares more about others than herself. Kind of like you. Maybe that's why you two get along so well. Look, the bottom line is I just want to be sure you won't get hurt. Powerful people can easily grow tired of things and simply cast them aside and move on. I know my son has a gentile heart that can easily be broken." "Lupe and I have discussed this. She's anything but heartless and cold. I have a friend for life, even if we do break up. She's my girlfriend but actually she's not anybody's anything. Well, she is her dad's daughter. But for the rest of us, she's the greatest person in history. Can you imagine the pressure that puts on her? She emphasized that I have to treat her like any other girl I'd be dating. She once said I'm one of her rocks in the raging sea of life. That I give her peace and tranquility, a place to relax and be happy." As he went on to explain to his mom her various excursions to other planets she saw such happiness in his eyes. He really loved her. Not for what she's done but for the kind of person she is. Many months ago he decided to stick his neck out and be vulnerable, understanding the risk. Something she would never have had the guts to do. Fifteen minutes into it she stopped him. "That's ok son. You don't have to say anything else. As long as you're happy and understand the risk, then I support you a hundred percent." "Oh thank God. And I know you'll be happy. Lupe promised me that you could choose any kind of work you wanted." "Right now I'd like a hug from my son." As she hugged him he said "Lucy's friend Millie is also a young Pioneer. Last July, using her powers she brought Lucy out of the effects of her limited ability to communicate." The reality of a Pioneer helping her daughter brought all of this into clear focus. She thanked God for the gift, and never again voiced any reservations about her new life.

Meanwhile over Texas, Thad was in hog heaven enjoying a ham sandwich while he called Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center to get a ground speed check. "Ft. Worth Center, Lupe 16, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation. The response came back as if it was an everyday request. "Lupe 16, I show you at three thousand three hundred and eighty-two knots across the ground." You just knew the guy at ground control was smiling. Thad came back "Thank you much, we're showing thirty four hundred." "Roger that Lupe 16. Your equipment is probably more accurate. Ya'll have a good one." Thad felt like he was king of the sky that day.

Lupe called Sid. "Hey, I see you're about to land. How's your mom and dad? Did this time in the air help you guys talk it out? Your dad's a pilot, so I know he's fallen in love with the aircraft. But how's your mom?" "Here, she wants to talk to you." Lupe made a gigantic gulp. "Hello, Lupe?" "Yes, ma'am. How are you? Sorry for the rude surprise. I just wanted all of you to be safe so I had to move you." "Lupe, it's an honor that my son is dating such a nice girl. I'm pretty good at pegging people. And I don't think I could have chosen a better girl for my son to spend time with." "Thank you, Mrs. Powers. You're making this very easy. Thank you." Debbie got up and walked away from her son so he couldn't hear. "Lupe. I'm sure you know my son is head over heels crazy about you. Sid is a very special person. Please don't hurt him. Just follow your heart and be kind and I know everything will work out." Lupe's eyes teared. There was a brief pause... "Mrs. Powers, I think I love him, but please don't tell him that. We're way too young to talk about love. Sometimes I wonder if I actually know what love is." "Don't worry. Even people my age still don't know." "I promise you no matter what, I'll protect your son's heart." She giggled "Figuratively and literally. When he gets to be an old guy, I can make him young again." "Don't worry about any of that. You two just be happy. That's all I ask." "Yes ma'am, of course." Lupe moved to another subject. "Your family is about to land at my home near Las Cruces. We have quarters set up for your family in a large beautiful luxury apartment next to the strip. But for now, I'd like to invite all of you to come over to where I am to celebrate my coming out. Do you like Hawaii?" "All this is moving really fast for me, Lupe." "Mrs. Powers, how long has it been since you've squished sand between your toes as waves lapped up on the shore gently caressing your feet? When you land, if you don't mind, I'll have a calix spacecraft Blink you here in a flash. We went out and bought all of you some beautiful beach clothes and swim suits. And we have a nice hut for your family to sleep in. I'd really like to have Sid here. I'm getting tired of guys hitting on me. Would you mind coming over?" "That would be just fine, Lupe. Is Millie going to be there?" "Yes." "Good. I want to thank her for helping my daughter." Lupe giggled "She prefers giant hugs. So I'll see ya'll in a few minutes." "Bye. Would you like to speak to Sid?" "No. Just tell him I'll see him soon. Bye."

Connie called. "Lupe." "Hey girl, where you at." "Things are going slow. Nellie and Millie are dragging their feet. They insisted their four friends from school come along. So we had to explain everything to their parents. At first they didn't want to come, but Nellie has a way of wearing people down, and Millie has that magic touch. So the girls and their parents are boarding the spacecraft right now. And I hear Sid and his family will be arriving in a few minutes. All we need is Sophia. She's so slow. Hopefully we'll get there soon." "Good. I need my bestie and my Sid here with me. So hurry up." "Ok. Later." "Later."

Lupe loves her island getaway. Many of the group from the raft ride had already changed and were relaxing under umbrellas sipping cold drinks. Others were out jumping waves. Mallory and her buds were surfing. The same Michael that drove Bannister and the bandidas around Las Cruces after her attempted rape several years ago took a group out to do a little deep sea fishing.

Further down the beach was Brooklyn giving free rides in Mallory's amphibious craft. It was used during the mission to the crog's city at ZRS1P1. It's a reconnaissance model that looks like a small whale shark with lots of anterior, lateral, dorsal, ventral, and posterior cameras and windows for viewing.

The young Pioneers had a special surprise. Tom came down in a Calix craft. The door opened and out came a variety of cute aliens. There were some from the planet Quackus who had bilateral symmetry, about three feet tall with cylindrical torsos that widened at the shoulders. Their narrow cone shaped heads with short dark crops of hair gave them an interesting look. They had skinny rubbery arms and legs with fat squishy hands and feet with opposable digits for grasping. Their torso was a beautiful navy blue, had reddish heads, and orange arms, with white hands and feet. They sort of looked like comic book characters.

Then out came four aliens with transparent epidermises. Their organs were translucent. Their bodies were about 5 feet tall with arms, hands, legs, and feet, and a head. Their shapes could shift like an amoeba. Most of the time they walked erect.

Then out ran two one foot high, two foot long hexapeds. They looked like wiener dogs but with no hair and hominid like faces. They also had digits on the end of each appendage that could grasp objects. Their main feature was they loved to laugh.

Next out of the ship was a creature that congeals as one animal but can easily break apart into many smaller ones. Its form can change to meet its immediate needs. For example, it can come together, stand upright and run fast, or it can go into water and immediately create gills. Like nematodes, they can be frozen solid for years then come back to life when thawed. And like sea sponges, they can be pushed through a wire screen into thousands of microscopic pieces, then in a water medium they can quickly reattach as one creature again.

Thirty minutes into the party Cletus walked up to Lupe. "I just got off the phone with the agent who shadows your mom. Violet's been in a car accident. They don't think she'll make it." Lupe stood motionless; then panic set in. Frantically she started running and screaming "Tracy, I mean Johnny Vee! Molly, I mean Xochi! I need you! Where are you!" Johnny Vee was flirting with one of the seniors. "Johnny Vee! I need your help. Please help me. I don't know what to do. Help me. Find Xochi. My mom's been in a car accident. Find Xochi. Please!" Xochi came running. "Cletus just told me." JV was holding Lupe up. Xochi said "He gave me her coordinates. Here, let me dial them into your device." Lupe responded "Wait! There's Millie!" She screamed her name and she zipped over to see what was wrong. "I need you with me. Xochi, is it dialed in yet? Please push the button for me." With that, they immediately materialized next to Violet's bed in the emergency room. The attending physician was there. Xochi looked at her name tag "Doctor Livingston, is she your patient?" "Who are you people? How did you just appear in front of me?" Xochi turned to Lupe. "We don't have time for this. Violet's cells are screaming for help. Take the doctor." Millie created an orb around all of them including the bed, life support, and monitoring equipment." Eidetic memory Xochi dialed in the exact coordinates of an empty patient's room at their facility, and poof they materialized. Johnny Vee turned on the lights while Xochi plugged in the equipment. They debriefed doctor Livingston, while explaining who they were. In a matter of minutes the best people in the country, including Jacob, were working on Violet attempting to stabilize her. She had lost too much blood. Too much of her body was damaged. Some of her organs were close to shutting down. Lupe was in a daze, unable to handle what was going on. Cletus was waiting outside the room. She saw him through the glass and ran out taking Millie with her. "Cletus please, I need you. Come with me. We have to hurry." On the way to the time machine she called her foster mother Mary to initiate the power sequence and have Natasha get the coordinates to the Walmart store in Las Cruces where Violet worked. Lupe, Millie, and Cletus came rushing into the lab. Mary had the machine up and running with the coordinates dialed in. Lupe instructed Mary to take them three hours back in time. Standing together on the platform she told Cletus "This won't hurt. Just relax." She gave Natasha the go ahead along with instructions to have the machine return them to the moment just after she flipped the switch. Natasha said "Let's hope it's a success so I won't be here to flip any switches."

The machine vibrated with a low powerful hum. A bright flash appeared and they were gone. Cletus saw himself inside a Walmart store. His stomach was a little upset and his ears were ringing. He called the agent sitting in a van outside monitoring Violet using the store CCTV system. "Freddie, this is Cletus Jackson. Do you have eyes on Violet? General Jackson, yes sir. Is there a problem, sir?" "No. Where can I find her?" "She's in electronics helping a customer. In a minute they found her at a register ringing up a sale. When she finished, she turned her beautiful violet eyes and smiled "Hi, may I help you?" Lupe couldn't control her emotions. She ran up and hugged Violet. "Mommy!" Her eyes were filled with tears as Violet became stiff. "I'm not your mommy honey. Are you ok?" Lupe wiped her face. "Yes, I'm fine. And I'm so sorry for not seeing you the last two years. I'm so sorry, mommy. Please forgive me. You poured your heart out asking me to forgive you. But I just couldn't after what you did. From now on I promise to include you in my life. I swear I will. You're not going to die on me! I swear to God you're not going to die!" She started crying again hugging Violet. She looked over Lupe's shoulder at Cletus and Millie with a confused "What's going on?" look in her eyes. Millie was also confused. She had no idea this lady was Lupe's mother. "Lupe, people are looking at us. You need to Blink us out of here right now." Millie touched her arm to calm her down. "Take us to a secluded spot in the desert outside of Las Cruces." In a moment the four appeared next to an ocotillo at the foothills of the Organ Mountains. Millie was holding both their forearms trying to calm them down. Cletus was surveying the area using Hope's reconnaissance eye contacts. Millie summoned the powers of the crystal to enter the minds of Lupe and Violet. She saw and felt their pain. Her heart hurt when she saw Violet trying to commit suicide several times because of the horrendous mistake she made by leaving her family. She saw Lupe's fractured soul that time couldn't mend. The pain was so great she had to let go for a moment to collect herself. Then she went back into Violet's mind and saw her memories were erased to protect Lupe's anonymity. After a moment Millie said "Lupe, your mom's memories weren't actually erased. I can see them. You can't remove memories from a brain. It was her file allocation tables (FAT) in the hippocampus, amygdala, and the frontal cortex that were altered. Violet's memories are like puzzle pieces but they're still full and rich. It's just that the fragments are scattered all throughout her brain with no reference elements in a table to join them together." Lupe said "Yes, I know." Millie replied "Well? Would you like me to restore the FAT? I can if you like." Violet was being kept docile by Millie's touch. She said "I feel so relaxed when you touch me. Everything's peaceful and beautiful. Why are you talking about me? Am I ok? And how did we suddenly appear out here in the desert? Is this a wonderful dream?" Without a moment of deliberation, Lupe told Millie to do a complete restore. Millie said "Violet." "Yes." "You're going into a deep comfortable sleep. Then later when I snap my fingers you will feel refreshed and wide awake. Ok?" "Yes......." The crystal sent trillions of one angstrom thick light fibers into Violets mind. They identified memories missing from her FAT and created a new table. Millie couldn't just partially do the job. The result was a complete indelible access to all memories contained in her brain since the time she was in her mother's womb.

Lupe was holding her mother as she lay on the ground. Millie snapped her fingers and Violet opened her eyes. "Are you ok, mom?" After a brief pause, "The question should be 'Are you ok?'." She looked at Millie "You are an amazing little girl. I saw you in my mind bringing all my memories back. Are you human?" Millie laughed "One hundred percent, Mrs. Solis." Violet reflected for a moment. "I haven't been called that in years." She looked up at her daughter. " Thanks for giving me a new life without the pain and torment of the memory of leaving you. You're right, the people in Las Cruces are very good people. I've made so many friends over the last few years. I understand why you never came to see me. It's ok, baby. I fully understand."

"Mom, there's something I need to tell you. Millie, would you please touch Violet to keep her calm." Violet sat up. "What's wrong, baby?" "Mom, I invented a machine that can take people back in time. A half hour ago the three of us went back three hours to where you were working. You see mom, two and a half hours from now you will be laying in an emergency room dying from injuries sustained from a horrible automobile accident. I saw you laying there as your life was slipping away when it hit me in the face like a sledgehammer. I realized my anger kept a gaping hole in my spirit. I should have forgiven you. None of us are perfect. Especially me. We are all weak in one way or another. The only person I was punishing was me. I don't want to lose you. I won't allow it." Violet was stunned. "You invented a time machine?" She chuckled exactly the way Lupe does. "I know you're my daughter. I was there when you were born. But my DNA helped make a child that Blinks people across vast distances, and back in time too? Goaalee." She chuckled again. "That's unbelievable." Lupe held her hand. "Mom, I learned that traveling back in time can have devastating consequences. It has to do with something called the Butterfly Effect in Chaos Theory. But if I keep you alive, the chances or the probability of significantly altering the future in a negative way is extremely remote. I hope." "So you came back in time to keep me from having a car accident. But if I won't be there that means another car will be hit. This time it could be a family with children." She squeezed Lupe's hand. "Do you know the facts of the accident?" After Cletus reviewed the data sent to him before they Blinked he responded. "Ms. Solis, it was a drunk driver who crossed the median and hit your driver's side door straight on." "Did he survive?" "Ma'am, his blood alcohol was through the roof. And there was clear video evidence it was his fault. As per the law he was executed on the spot." She waited while he and Lupe looked at the video of the accident on his smartphone (the GPS function that normally transmits his ID and location was shut off on his phone.). "Mom, that was a busy time of day. Without you there, he could have hit any one of several cars around you. And probably some had children." She looked at Cletus. "Do you have the man's name?" "They didn't send me that information, but I have a plate number." Lupe told Cletus "We need to do all the leg work ourselves. We can't have anybody involved. I don't want to cause any temporal event problems by having others know we went back in time." "Roger that. Then Blink us to the back of the nearest police substation." In a flash they appeared near the back of the building at 6900 Moongate Road at the foothills of the Organ Mountains. It's a combined fire and police station. In a few minutes they were inside talking to the desk officer. Millie shook his hand to hypnotize him. They quickly had the necessary information including the drunk man's name and cell number. Using Lupe's GPS on her Blinking device, Cletus located the guy. He was bellied up to a bar at an Applebee's just north of Interstate 20 from the Walmart where Violet works. Lupe Blinked and in a moment Violet was facing her killer flirting with the bartender. The killer was an eighteen year old wearing a NM State Aggie t-shirt. Cletus asked "Are you Matthew Simon?" "Who wants to know?" Lupe quickly pulled him off his stool and held him so Cletus could get his wallet. "Hey! What'er you doin? Get your hands off me!" Lupe asked "Is it him?" "Yes." She angrily chided the bartender. "Listen! See that device behind you. It's called a breathalyzer. You're required to use it on questionable customers! You bitch! Let's get him out of here, Cletus." He showed management his badge and rough handled Matthew out of the building. Around the back she Blinked them way out into the desert. Lupe worried "Crap, I'm sure their cameras recorded everything." Millie smiled "Don't worry Big L, I've got your back. Their system's recordings of us have been erased, including all cellphones in and around the building. Same with the substation and Walmart." Lupe just shook her head. "Maybe one of these days you'll actually tell me everything you can do." "What, and ruin my fun? No way." Matthew, in a semi daze looked around. "How did I get here? Who are you people?!" Millie chuckled "How come that's the first thing people say? Huh, Lupe?" She ignored Millie as she grabbed and shook Matthew hard as hell. "You dimwitted idiot! You killed my mother, you fool! I should pull your goddam heart out and shove it down your throat!" Millie pulled Lupe off. "Calm down... Calm down... You're calming down... It's ok. Breathe..." Lupe looked at her little friend. "Thank God I found you in Chicago." "It was meant to be, Big L. Here, sit next to your mom for a minute while I look into his mind. Ok?" "Sure, go ahead." He shouted "Please don't hurt me, please don't......" In a moment he was sound asleep. Millie thoroughly examined him. "Humm, raised by two loving parents. One younger sister. In a nicer area of town. He's an A student at NM State. He's excited about his upcoming police training next year. He's in lust with the barkeep at Applebee's. He doesn't really like to drink, but it was the only way he could talk to her. He wants to be a marine biologist. Strange, considering he lives way out here in the desert. He goes to church every Sunday. He's spent the last two summers with his church group doing missionary work in a poor village in Peru. Oh my God, he's a really nice guy. He treats girls with complete respect. Last year at a McDonalds he stopped a guy from beating up a girl. In fact, Matthew almost killed him. Geeze, I wonder how many good guys like him end up dead because of alcohol abuse? He didn't even realize what he was doing." She reached over to Lupe. "Here, hold my hand." Together they went into his mind. "See... He's a good guy who just made a stupid mistake. Lupe... we need to do something about alcohol. I'm serious. We have to do something to end alcohol intoxication!" Millie talked to Matthew while they were inside his mind. "Matthew, this is Lupe and I'm Millie. We are two of the young Pioneers. A few hours from now you'll crash into Lupe's mom's car. She'll eventually die. So we came back in time to stop you. Understand?" "Who are you? How did you get into my head?" "Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you. You'll need to stay with us for the next two hours to be sure there's no accident. You can wake up now." He woke up and started slapping his face. Lupe said "Hey jerk, if you like, I'll slap your face completely off. You want that?" Violet said "Lupe, it's over with. You can't be mad at a guy for something he won't do." He jumped up and started running away. Millie sent a bead of blue light forcing him to turn around and come back with a stilted walk, like a zombie. "You need to sit down and relax. Besides, it's not every day a stranger gets to sit for a couple hours with the girl who invented Blinking." "Am I on some kind of acid trip? Are you people with the CIA doing an MK Ultra thing on me?" Lupe laughed "That's funny, Matthew. Actually the CIA doesn't exist anymore. I disbanded it last year because of the Area 51 incident. Don't you watch the news?" "If what you told me is true, then that means I was executed for driving drunk and seriously injuring your mother." "Well dipstick, you actually are paying attention. Yes, I'm saving your life too. Although, I should squash you like a damn bug for being such an idiot."

Once all the talk ended they sat silently for half an hour. Millie impatiently looked at her watch. "God, can time go any slower! This is ridiculous." Lupe said "Don't worry, after this is all over, only this idiot next to me and my mom will remember what happened. Which reminds me, could you erase this episode from his mind just before we go forward in time?" "Sure boss. I can also make him vomit if he drinks any alcohol. How's that?" Lupe laughed "Better yet, make him rip his clothes off and run in the street with his arms flailing screaming I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot." "Ok." "And mom, I don't want to write any of this down. You'll be the only one to remember what happened. Just after we go forward in time, the idiot will be at Appleby's and you will be at Walmart." "Ok, baby." "Then please drive to White Sands Research Center. Tell the guard at the gate that you're my mother and I told you to go there. Tell him to call Mary or John Smith or Natasha Kabinski. Give them this password: 'June 23, 2003 at 1:30pm'. That is the exact moment a major event occurred that only a few know about. This password will tell them I went back in time to visit you. Can you remember that?" "Of course. What do you want me to tell them?" "Tell them I told you not to say anything. Tell them that you have to see me to explain what went down. Tell them I'm in Hawaii and would they please have me come to the facility. Have them take you to my office where you can wait." With some concern Violet said "You may not be that receptive. Not having your mother on the brink of death may make a difference." "I hope I'm not that shallow. Do this... Tell me every night before I go to sleep I sing the lullaby you used to sing when you tucked me in at night." Violet teared up. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry I left you. The pain must have been..." "Mom, the thought of losing you is much greater. We all make mistakes." They hugged and wept sad tears of their lost past and happy tears of future to be gained.

At the moment Violet was supposed to have had the deadly accident, Lupe, Millie, and Cletus disappeared in a field of white light. Lupe was on the beach with Sid. Millie was playing volleyball. Cletus was flying in his craft. All three experienced nausea and ringing in the ears which lasted for a few minutes. Forty-five minutes later Lupe received a call from Mary. In five minutes she appeared dripping wet in her swimsuit standing next to her mom. "Violet... What are you doing here? How did you know the temporal password?" She looked at her beautiful daughter acting very professional. "You went back in time to save my life." Violet went on to explain in detail the events that transpired. Violet was sitting across the desk from Lupe. Lupe leaned back in her chair. "Today I'm telling the world who I am, and then this happened. Strange, isn't it? I sing that lullaby quietly to myself every night. I'm the only one who could have told you." Violet was very uncomfortable because Lupe wasn't emotional. More stoic than anything else. "Mom, you say I told Millie to restore your FAT?" "Yes." "And I wanted to include you in my life now?" "Look Lupe, I understand, boy do I really understand since you brought my memories back. I understand that you have every reason in the world to never talk to me again. I know what I did..." Lupe cut her off. "No mom, I understand what I did was completely wrong. I almost lost you. It's sad that it took that for me to bring you back into my life. I put you close by. I had security watching over you. You poured your heart out to me at the museum that day, and I spurned you. Like I said to a group earlier today... Nobody's perfect, especially me. I make lots of mistakes. But this, this was a whopper." Lupe walked from behind the desk and hugged her mom. "What do you say we go have some fun?" With that she Blinked both of them back to the island.

Lupe asked security to set her mom up with whatever she needed. Then she began proudly introducing Violet to the crowd. She saw her dad. "Papi..." He looked over, then the feelings started to knuckle in his guts. As he was walking up Violet felt a rush of guilt and regret. She saw he was even more handsome. His stride exhibited total confidence. Like a tsunami, her love and passion came flooding back. It lacerated her spirit. She hadn't seen him since abandoning them eight years ago. "I don't know if I can do this, Lupe." "Here mom, just hold my hand. You'll be fine." They walked forward. Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Tony." "That's all you have to say is I'm sorry." "Papi, stop it! She left us because she couldn't handle it. She was weak and easily influenced. But she's still my mother." "You have no idea how you hurt me, Violet. During rough times a family needs to pull together, not have a wife bail because she thinks her husband can't make enough money. Money and security was your goal, not love. You had no caring. Just fear. A loving spiritual relationship can carry a couple through any kind of adversity. Problem was I loved you, while in your eyes I was just an instrument to make money. I was your horse that broke its leg during a horserace, so you shot me." "Papi! Stop!! She knows she made a tragic mistake." With red eyes Violet said "Even after Lupe erased my memories I never wanted to go out with another man. Somehow the guilt and grief transcended everything. Tony, I'm sorry. I don't deserve any sympathy or forgiveness." By now K'akana was walking up to the heated conversation. Lupe interrupted. "K'akana, this is my mother Violet. Violet this is Tony's wife K'akana." They shook hands. K'akana said "I feel so much pain in your heart. You still love him. Actually, he very much loved you too. That's why his pain was so great. He's moved on now, but you haven't. I believe it's time for you to heal." Lupe said "K'akana is the Medicine Woman and Chief of the Zia Tribe in New Mexico. Her daughter is Summer. She's also a young Pioneer." "It's an honor to meet you, K'akana." K'akana quickly turned to Tony. "Lay off of Violet. You will never say another harsh word to her again. There's no wiggle room on this. Do you understand me?" Tony looked at her with astonishment. She continued "There are some trashy women who don't respect their spouses enough not to cheat on them. They believe monogamy is only for righteous fools. It's not in their lexicon of values because they have none. Violet never cheated on you. She realizes her horrible mistake and is sorry for it. She would gladly undo the past if she could. She loves you, Tony. Leave her be. Let her enjoy her only daughter. They need each other. Now is the time for healing." Instead of his wife speaking to him, he heard the weight of the ancient spirit ordering him. Or else. Tony looked down the beach. "Please excuse me." And he rambled away. K'akana said "Don't mind him. He's just sulking. In thirty minutes he'll be playing volleyball and quietly come to accept you as part of our group." She turned to Lupe. "It's nice you brought your mother back into your life. You are truly a good spirit. And, please be careful about going back into the past. The consequences could be disastrous. OK? And, you might consider sterilizing Matthew to lessen the butterfly effect." "Yes ma'am." "It was nice meeting you Violet. Please forgive me but I have to get back to helping Cletus. Take care." Lupe saw a perplexed look on her mom's face. "It's ok, she can look into people's minds. She's also part of our space exploration team."

That evening for Lupe was the best. Connie, the other Bandidas, Sid, her papi and her mom, in fact the positive energy felt from everyone was warm and happy. She cherishes these moments because she knows the future will hold many nerve racking challenges.

Carrie Mae Easton

It was 7:30am, Monday, May 25, 2020. It's the last week of school before summer vacation. Security had checkpoints on all roads leading up to the school. In order to pass, teachers and students had to show their ID cards. Lupe, Connie, and Summer arrived together at the front of the school. A crowd of students converged. Lupe said "Hey, guys. I'm going to eat some breakfast in the cafeteria. You're welcome to come along if you like. She stopped. "Listen... Most of you have known me for years. I'm still the same person. I want to be treated like anybody else. Ok?" "But you're the greatest person in history." "Right, and I suck at creative writing. I'm just as human as the rest of you. I love you all, but please don't smother me." The three wedged their way through the students and into the lunch room. They walked over to four little ladies making breakfast burritos. "Buenos dias, Maria. ¿Puedo tener un burrito de huevo con chorizo? " "Si, Mijita. Aqui Tienes." Lupe smelled it. "Mmm, huele bien." "Gracias. Buen provecho." Connie and Summer ordered the same. On the way to some empty seats Lupe waved to Luis Carlos Urrea, one of her tough guy friends. "Hey space lady, how you doin?" "Wow, word gets around fast. Luis Carlos, would you help me? "Whachu need?" "In a nice way would you please keep the crowd back so we can eat our breakfast?" "Sure, Carnala. No problem." He looked at his buds. " Levantate, Ayudame. Vamos con eyas." About ten guys you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley formed a perimeter around the girls allowing them to eat in peace. In a few minutes Xochi and Johnny Vee joined them. JV said "Damn, Lupe. I don't know if going public was such a good idea." "Don't worry, after a few days it'll go back to normal." Lupe stood on her chair. "Hey everybody, listen up. We appreciate you wanting to congratulate us, but it's not necessary. The best thing you can do is treat us the same as before. We're regular people who just happened to do some interesting things. And, for those who signed up for calculus next year, I'll continue to be here at lunch this week to tutor you. There's no reason why anybody at this school can't succeed at math. Ok? Now, I'm gonna go back to eating this delicious burrito. Thank you." She sat down and the crowd started to clear. Xochi smiled "I'll bet you'll have over a hundred students at lunch." "Hope so."

Lupe's favorite group of batos call themselves the 'Brown Knights'. Lupe said to Luis Carlos "So how you Brownies been?" He laughed. "Lupe, we're not little girl scouts. I'd kick anybody else's ass for calling me that. But you can call me anything you want, babe. Just don't call me Feo. Ok?" "Luis Carlos, you're anything but ugly." He frowned. "Did you just call me butt ugly?" She looked confused. He said "Aye, gotchu girl." He continued "So why don't you go out with me? Le gustará mi carucha. Es un restaurado 39 chevy." "I'm sorry, but I have a boyfriend. But, I wouldn't mind taking a ride in your classic chevy." "Anytime, Mijita. Just let me know." So for the next twenty minutes Lupe caught up with all that was happening on the street. After the Big Change, society still has gangs, but now they function to protect instead of harm. The first period bell rang and everyone went to class.

At the beginning of second period English, Lupe's cellphone vibrated indicating she received a message. It was to her special email account only a few people knew about. "CarrieMaeEaston? Who that could be?" The message read "Hi. As we were standing next to each other looking at the Blinker's exhibit on July 2, 2018, you gave me your email address and said to contact you if I wanted your help. If you're the girl who invented Blinking I'd like to go over my work with you." She left her contact information and asked to see her as soon as possible. Lupe sat surprised. She whispered "Xochi, remember the girl that day when we first saw our exhibits? Remember she recognized me." "Yes. She wanted to bring about world peace." "I just received an email from her. She wants to meet." "Could be a trap." "Could be, but I'm not worried. We're big girls now. We can protect ourselves. If it's ok I'd like you, Johnny Vee, and Millie to come with me." "When?" "Right now. I've got her name, address, and phone number." She stood up in the back of class. "Mrs. Frank." "Yes, Miss Solis." May Johnny Vee, Xochi, and I please be excused. Something's come up that we need to take care of." "Can't it wait until the end of class?" "I'm sorry, but we have to leave. And it's not that English is my least favorite subject, because you're my favorite teacher." "Flattery will get you nowhere, Miss Solis. Yes, you may go. But, make sure your composition on freedom is turned in tomorrow. I don't want the most important person in history to be an inadequate writer." "Yes ma'am. Thank you." Standing in the hallway with her buds "Let's see... she goes to Palo Verde High School in Blythe, California... It's a small desert town... twenty thousand people... along I-10 just west of the Arizona state line... Interesting. You ready to pay her a visit?" Lupe asked Millie to go with them, but she wouldn't go unless Nellie came too. After Lupe assembled everybody together she sent a text message telling Carrie Mae to excuse herself and go to the restroom just down the hall. They would meet her there. "After a confirmation of 'OK', they Blinked.

The five of them were leaning against the back wall when Carrie Mae walked in. They introduced themselves. Lupe made a comment about being surprised she attended high school. Carrie Mae was a little perturbed. Everybody says that because she's small and has a baby face. But she's actually 15. She began with "I'm really excited about the results of my work." "Whatcha got?" "On a massive scale I can make people peaceful. And I don't mean easygoing. I mean we can actually achieve world peace!" She went on and briefly explained about using an innocuous airborne virus that invades the host and injects its DNA. Actually it's a specific chain of microRNA. She isolated the characteristics in human DNA that make us volatile. Her gene replacement procedure would make us empathetic and nonviolent. But there was a dark underbelly to all of this. And that was why she wanted an audience with the young Pioneers. She said "I used the latest quantum supercomputer that functions at near absolute zero. This one, which I believe you were involved in developing, runs at ten billion petaflops per second. I mapped in complete detail the human genome all the way down to the atomic level. I created a dictionary of everything life is. Life that utilizes DNA to function. That even includes all possible interrelationships that could occur under the definition of epigenetics. In effect I can create just about any kind of sentient organism. Using the instruments and tests I created, I'm able to isolate the characteristics of each DNA segment. Actually each segment isn't a characteristic. It's a combination of many. And the sequence of combination plays into it as well. But you probably know all that." Tracy said "Well yes. But, I don't understand. What exactly are you saying?" Carrie Mae looked at Millie. "After seeing the videos you put out, I know Sparky here can do amazing things because her genes were manipulated. But I might be able to make a creature thousands of times more amazing than her. The catch is the creature can fall along an infinite line of grays with one pole being absolute good and the other absolute evil. This knowledge has to be kept from the public. I wasn't sure I should even tell you how it's done. But I have to. Someone else will eventually come up with it. Now is the time to decide how to handle it. Do you realize the type of monster a devious person could create? A monster or monsters that could theoretically decimate an entire galaxy." JV chuckled "Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?" Carrie Mae said "Think of DNA as a tool of the universe. A tool that can be designed to do anything. ANYTHING. I'm just learning its potential. What I've seen is unbelievable." Molly said "May I touch your head to look into your mind? Communicating is much faster." "Sure. Go ahead." After a few moments of touching, Molly pulled her hands away and said "She's right. What I saw is unbelievable. We need to have her stay with us so we can go over this." Carrie Mae said "Thank goodness. Don't get me wrong, I like Blythe; it's a nice little town with great people. But I feel my talents are being wasted here. It would be better if I lived fulltime near you guys. Would that be ok?" "Sounds good to me. Right now you'll come with us to Las Cruces High School. Before we Blink, Tracy will check your blood for allergies, then shoot you up with super strength and spray you with body armor." Tracy took a tiny blood testing module, a syringe, and a small flat spray bottle from a holster strapped to her thigh. "This won't hurt a bit, Carrie Mae. You'll be super strong, so don't break anybody." Next she had her disrobe in a bathroom stall for the body armor spray. "So how do you feel?" "Wow!" "Yeah, that's what they all say. You'll be very strong for about a month. And the spray armor is a gift from the Infinitum." "Thanks. I'm ready when you are. And please make sure my mom isn't freaked out about this. She's all I have. Be gentle with her. Ok?"

Lupe called Cletus and asked him to carefully and gently tell Carrie Mae's mom about what's going down. "And, have her flown to the strip next to my house and set them up in one of the best hanger apartments we have. Cletus, please also let the school know that Carrie Mae won't be coming back. Thanks."

They Blinked to the hallway just outside Mrs. Frank's class. As they were quickly and quietly walking to the back of the room Mrs. Frank said "Lupe, it's impolite not to introduce the new individuals accompanying you." "I'm sorry, we're trying not to disturb the class. This is Carrie Mae Easton. She'll be a new student." Carrie Mae smiled and said hello. "Welcome to my class and I hope you enjoy your new high school." "Thanks, Mrs. Frank." Lupe continued "And this is Millie. She's the young Pioneer we affectionately call Sparky. And this is my neighbor Nellie. But she's more like my little sister. They're here just for today." "Welcome, girls. I don't mind if you're in my class. But please be quiet. Ok?" "Yes ma'am."

The next class was speech and drama. During Carrie Mae's introduction, she asked for everybody to call her Care because the Carrie Mae thing was way too old fashioned. Millie and Nellie love acting so now they want to be in that high school class.

Soon it was time for lunch. Lupe drew a large crowd for tutoring calculus. While she was downing some super delicious chicken tacos, Care showed her charismatic side by helping explain calculus in a way that made people laugh. She did her silly "wheels on the bus go round round round all over town" thing to introduce the subject. Then she incorporated celestial mechanics and the falling moon problem as the reason why Isaac Newton invented it in the first place. The bandidas were very impressed. After lunch they headed over to the research center to further explore Care's work.

Sophia

Let's see what's happening with Sophia in middle school. Remember Lance, the big redhead with a crew cut? Yes, he's still Sophia's conscripted servant. In the cafeteria for the entire school year he's been waiting on her hand and foot. She's by far the most beautiful girl in school, so he actually doesn't mind. She also pushed him to elevate his grades by having Ren tutor him. They don't like each other, but at least Lance is trying. That's because Sophia required him to show his report card to her at the end of every six weeks. She gives him a high voltage shocks from a cattle prod for every C he makes. Nice long shocks for Ds. And a hard kick in his tenderloin for any Fs. (He avoided Fs like the plague.) And if he made an A she'd let him walk her to a class for a week. An A in Phys Ed didn't count. The incentive worked. Since the third six weeks, he's had at least one A.

As it turned out, Lance is the baddest ass in school. After a few weeks of getting to know Sophia, if he heard any guy talking smack about her, he'd beat the crap out of him. With power comes respect. And it flowed down from the top where Sophia sat.

Over the past year she and Ren have become good friends. She's been trying to break him out of his shell by getting him involved in extracurricular activities like debate and swimming. Here's what happened on the second day of school. She convinced him to enroll in swim class with her. It was early morning. Ren had changed into his trunks but he wouldn't come out of the locker room. After ten minutes of impatiently waiting, Sophia opened the dressing room door and went in. "Ren, what's the hold up? Come on out." No answer. She walked in telling the boys to cover up. Ren ran into the shower to hide. She ran after him. "Come on. I don't like to be kept waiting." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out as the other guys laughed. "Stop, Sophia. This is embarrassing." "Ren, there is nothing wrong with your body. You're tall, lean, and toned. And that chiseled face of yours is perfect. So what's the problem?" "I just don't do this." "Well, now you do. Coach wants us to do some warm up laps. Were you BSing me about knowing how to swim?" He dropped vertically feet first into the water. "No, I can swim. Actually I'm pretty good." "Great. Let's see how your endurance is." They swam a few laps then got out because coach was calling everyone together. A tall beautiful honey blonde named Tammy was also in the class. Since sixth grade she's been the alpha girl and didn't like this upstart Sophia moving in like she owned the place. She walked over and squeezed in between Ren and Sophia with her back to Sophia. In a flirtatious way she purred "Hi, Ren. You swim very well. Almost like you've been doing it all your life. Maybe you could give me some lessons." She smiled and put her hand on his arm while totally ignoring Sophia squished up behind her. Sophia tapped her shoulder and held out her hand. "Hi. I don't believe we've met yet. My name is Sophia. And yours is?" When they shook hands Sophia gave her a vise grip squeeze. Tammy squealed like a stuck pig. Sophia scowled "Actually I don't care what your name is. Just keep your hands off the merchandise." By now Tammy was down on one knee begging her to let go. Coach yelled at the girls to stop horsing around and listen up. Sophia let go. As Coach Tinker was talking, Tammy came up behind Sophia and whispered "You're going to regret that. I'm taking you down and you won't even know what happened." With Norma as her mother and a lifetime of tough worldly experience and a black belt in martial arts and a strong dose of super strength in her system, Sophia whirled around and grabbed the back of Tammy's neck with one hand and held her arm with the other then walked her over to coach. "Coach Tinker, this girl is threatening me. Would you please tell her stop." Coach smiled as she saw Tammy bent forward struggling to break free. "You're a pretty strong girl. How fast do you cut through water?" Tammy was still wiggling to get loose. "I really don't know, coach. After my mom married my new dad he made sure I could swim like a fish, but I was never timed." "Looks like he also taught you how to defend yourself." "Yes ma'am, he did. And I was also schooled on all types of military weapons and how to fly most aircraft." "Fascinating." Coach smiled as Tammy was struggling. "Honey, I have a feeling you're really talking to Tammy. I think by now she's got the message you're not a person to mess with. Maybe you should let her go so we can get on with the class." "Ok coach." She let go. "No more threats. Just stay away from me. Understand?" Tammy spun around and walked to the back of the group with her arms crossed looking down with a scowl. The other girls were astonished. The despised alpha girl was just dethroned. Sophia unknowingly began recruiting her own squad. The next morning three of the mpbssfc (most popular, beautiful, somewhat smart, and fashion conscious) girls joined her as she was walking to class. Alexia introduced herself and her friends. "We heard you took Tammy down at swim class yesterday. The whole school knows about it. It's on Twitter. See." She played a video on her cell. Sophia smiled "Yeah, we had a little misunderstanding. But I think we're straight now. Hey, I like your shoes. Where'd you get 'em?" "Forever 21. The color blends in well with my skirt. I noticed your boots as we were walking up. Nice style. Haven't seen 'em before. Are they just out?" "Actually, not yet. My mom has a shoe factory. These are coming out in her new fall line." "Wow. What's the brand so I can look for a pair?" "Norma Corona." "Kent walking next to Alexia said "OMG, your mother is Norma Corona!" She calmly nodded her head yes. "That means you're Larry Page's daughter too?" "Yep. But don't worry I'm just a regular girl who wants to have fun. You want to hang out at lunch today?" Alexia said "Let's do it. Join us at our special table in the middle of the lunch room." They broke off to another class. "Later." "Later." After disclosing that tidbit of information Sophia firmly ensconced herself as the number one most popular girl in school. Sophia stopped and yelled. "Alexia, tell Tammy I want her to join us. Ok?" "Ok." Sophia believes it's important to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

Lunch was interesting. Alexia, Kent, Tammy, and Kelly were sitting at the table as Sophia walked up with Lance carrying her tray. "You can set it down here, Lance. And I won't be needing you anymore. Thanks." Kent gazing in astonishment asked "What was that all about?" Sophia smiled "Just taming a juvenile delinquent. He's a little rough around the edges, but with some 'encouragement' he'll be a positive contribution to society." Alexia said "You're definitely Norma Corona's daughter." Kent said "Tammy didn't want to come, but we made her." Sophia in a calm manner looked at Tammy. "What I did yesterday was wrong. I have a quick temper. I'm sorry, Tammy. I asked you to come here because I'm holding out an olive branch of peace. There's no sense in us fighting. Please accept my apology." Tammy was really PO'd. But she knew to avoid being an outcast she'd have to work with her. "What you did was very mean, Sophia. But I'll forgive you... for now." The five were sitting at a table for six. Sophia said "I assume we're the best girls in school." Kent laughed "That depends on what you call 'best'. If by that you mean the most beautiful, best dressed, most popular, and kind of smart, well, yes you could say that. So what's your point?" Sophia smiled "Did you ever see a girl wearing something so beautiful that you wanted one too? Like Alexia did with my boots this morning. But the girl designed and made it herself, so it wasn't available anywhere else. So you couldn't have it which made you want it even more." Kelly said "I'd just take a pic and have a seamstress make it." "Maybe you could, but that wasn't my point. What if you had a friend who was a thousand times smarter than you, but she always longed to be you because you're so beautiful and popular? Surely that's happened." Kent said "Of course. All the time. So again what's your point?" "This table sits six people and there's five of us. Every day let's bring in a new girl to sit with us. We'll rotate across the spectrum. We need to pull from the jocks, preps, skaters, thespians, non-conformist rebels, cheer girls, gang bangers, rockers, the band, the gays, the brainiacs, and the rednecks. I'm sure I've missed some but you get the idea." Alexia said "Euu... Why would we want to do that?" "Because for a day it will give them a chance to wear us. To be as beautiful and popular as us. You won't believe the amount of street cred we'll get. And besides, that way we can keep our finger on the pulse of what's going on around us. They benefit, we benefit." Sophia looked across the cafeteria until she saw Lance. She waved him over. "Anything the matter?" "Lance, would you please ask the smartest girl in school to come join us." In few minutes Joyce Trambly was laying her tray down in total disbelief. Joyce is a short skinny blue eyed pasty white-skinned girl with brown braided hair. She had no makeup on. Her outfit was a neat and orderly white top with a solid dark green skirt that ended well below the knees, and a polished pair of penny loafers. "You want me to sit with you, the "Anointeds"? What's the catch?" "Hi. My name is Sophia Page Corona." "Yes, we all know who you are. Information travels fast at this school. More reason for me to ask why I'm sitting here." "Let me run something by you, Joyce." She explained what she wanted to do and asked her opinion. Joyce said "In a convoluted hedonistic self-aggrandizing kind of way, both on your part and for the 'guest of the day', it strangely sounds like an altruistic act." Joyce paused looking at each beauty queen. "This, coming from five egomaniacs who are bent on elevating themselves at our expense has really caught me off guard. Odd, very odd. Really, why are you doing this? What you said makes no sense at all." She paused for a second. "I get it... You're the daughter of Norma Corona and Larry Page. Two of the most successful people in the United States." She looked at the other four girls. "Unlike you dingbats who I've known since first grade, Sophia here wants to be a real leader. In order to do that she has to have the support from her constituency. For that to happen she has to elevate them, to make them feel and actually be part of the team. The best leader is a facilitator for achievement, not a conniving self-centered non-inclusive demagogue who wants all the spoils while leaving everybody else with only scraps. We stopped that crap years ago when we brought about the Big Change. Because of her parents, Sophia knows the path to success. It looks like you four idiots might be collateral beneficiaries. If you're marginally intelligent like I don't believe you are, you'll follow her lead and learn from her. Become her."

Alexia said "Would you please say that in English. It sounded like you were insulting us. And I really don't appreciate it!" Turning to Sophia "This is why we don't have these people at our table. All they do is insult us because they're so jealous." Joyce inserted "Sophia is in all my advanced classes. She seems to be my equivalent in aptitude. She's appears to be quick, cunning, and competent. I'm sure she understood exactly what I just said so you might ask her to put it in simpler terms so you four aspiring weezers can grasp it." She asked Sophia "Do you mind if I start eating before my food gets cold?" Sophia put her arm around her. "Of course, Joyce. And if there's anything you need, like a drink refill, condiments, napkin... just let me know and I'll have Lance run and get it for you. So how's the chess team stacking up this year?" Sophia made sure to include her queens in the conversation. They even laughed a few times. When lunch was over and Joyce left, Sophia said "See... Now we have a direct line to the brainiacs. You won't believe how helpful that can be if we need to fix problems with other students, or even teachers." Tammy was very impressed. During the rest of the school year they actually became close friends, which made it even more difficult for Ren. Having the two most beautiful girls in school standing together talking to him was excruciating. He even developed a stutter and a bad habit of scratching his head and looking down while talking to them. One time it got so bad, Sophia lost her patience and threw him down on the hallway floor. Then both she and Tammy tickled him relentlessly trying to break his wall of shyness. The benefit was only marginal. Except for swimming class where he couldn't escape, he hid from them for several weeks.

Connie

Haven't talked much about Connie. She and Lupe are still besties even though their directions in life have changed. Lupe is the inventor and Connie is the fashion designer. Every day after school Connie choppers twenty miles to her mom's manufacturing plant to check on things. Norma's been devoting her time to other challenges since her visit to China. As a result Connie inherited the task of ensuring the merchandise produced is the best quality. The plant manager is a forty year old man named Taika Waititi (Tie.ka Wa.ti.ti). There was a mad rush during the first week of December to meet Christmas orders. An hour into the second shift Connie walked into human resources. "Hi, Mikela. You wanted to see me?" Mikela is the HR manager. "Hello, Connie. I'm glad you're here. We've got a problem. Joseph Mandolin hasn't been performing his tasks satisfactorily. He's as slow as molasses uphill in January. I've talked to him until I'm blue in the face, but he's just getting more belligerent. Would you please talk to him?"

In five minutes Joseph was standing at Connie's office door. "You wanted to see me?" "Hi, I'm Connie Corona. HR told me they're having problems with your work. We need to talk, but not here. You like choppers?" "I don't know. I've never flown in one." As they were walking up the steps to the roof she said "I think you'll like this one. It's an armed Blackhawk." She flew out into the desert far away from everything. She chose a nice spot and landed. "Pretty cool ride, huh?" "Is this one of the benefits of being Norma's spoiled daughter?" She laughed "Of course. Come on. Let's make ourselves comfortable away from the bird." They walked a distance and sat down on a large flat rock. "So what's the problem, Joe?" He stood looking down at her. "My immediate problem is having to deal with a fifteen year old who thinks she knows enough to give me advice about how to live my life." Connie leaned back on one elbow. "Not really, Joe. You look about fifteen years older than me, so what could I possibly tell you that you don't already know? We're under pressure to meet production and every person counts. That's why Mikela wanted me to talk to you. But just between you and me, I don't give a crap about that. If we miss some deadlines, then tough sh.t. What I'm concerned about is you." "Don't do a stupid song and dance about caring. You don't even know me. You're just a spoiled little girl who wants to act all grown up to impress mommy." She looked off into the desert. "You may be right." "You're just agreeing to temper my animosity. Now your next step will be to go over some of the negatives you saw in my file." "I haven't even seen your file, Joe. That would make me pre-judge you based on other people's opinions over things that occurred in the past. So why are you so upset that you've almost stopped working?" He sat down again, and stared out into the desert reflectively. "...Have you ever wondered what this is all about?" He turned and looked at her. "What life is all about?" She paused and thought. "I've had my moments. If I tell you something, will you keep it just between us?" "That depends." "Seriously. Will you?" "Sure." "Just before the Thanksgiving holidays I went with the young Pioneers to the Zeta Reticuli star system. There we discovered many types of creatures. The two dominant species were frikin bastards. Hundreds of years ago they brought humans from earth to their planet to be slaves. They were also eating them." She looked into his eyes. "They were using humans as domesticated farm animals. Needless to say we stopped that sh-t immediately. We terminated one of the species. Well, almost. We altered the minds of both species to be more altruistic and caring. To respect other creatures enough not to enslave or eat them. But see the rub is we humans eat animals too. We raise, kill, and eat them. All creatures eat other organisms to survive. See the irony?" Joe asked "That's interesting. But how does it relate to my question?" She laughed and said "Except for the top person on the totem pole, are we all supposed to be eaten? Is that what life is all about? Eat or be eaten? Dominate or be dominated? And when we're not having these pressures, when we're at peace, what is life really about? Is it for us to be entertained? Is it enjoying the closeness of family? Doing new and different things? Traveling? To me that doesn't get down to the real core reason of our existence. What the hell is all this about, Joe? One of the young Pioneers suggested it's nature's way of spinning off electrons in our mitochondria which frees up energy. Like one of the steps to entropy." Another friend jokingly said it's some twisted sinister invisible creatures that created life on earth because they're sustained by feeding off of our emotions. Like the expression of fear when being chased and eaten. Pleasure when a predator seizes it prey and eats it. Even procreation has high emotions attached." She laughed "I think we could all be zoo animals."

There was a pause, a period of silence. She said "Your question of wanting to know what life is all about isn't really what you're asking. You're PO'd about something. Are you asking why life is crapping on you? Maybe it's been crapping on you all your life and you're finally sick and tired of it. You're rebelling. Am I getting warm?" Joe stood and slowly paced back and forth. "My mother dumped me when I was a child. Literally. They found me crying in a dumpster. Somehow they tracked her down and charged her with attempted murder. She decided to get rid of me because she became homeless. She didn't have the money to take care of me. She had no opportunities because her family was poor and uneducated. She had to drop out of school at an early age to work. Her boss raped her and she had me. Six weeks into serving a ten year sentence she hung herself. I was tossed around foster homes like a piece of trash. My only value was the money the foster parents received to keep me. They got more if I was diagnosed with a mental problem and had to take medications. So all of a sudden I was a mental case, a problem to society. Then at eighteen I got a mediocre job working hard making just enough to survive. I married this girl named Cecilia because we could survive better together on two incomes in one household. Then the Big Change happened. We had plenty of money so we decided to have a baby. It was a girl. Some years later she met a guy she liked better. So she divorced me. And the court awarded my daughter to her. My ex-wife is a conceited self-centered little bitch who is mistreating my little girl. When my daughter comes to visit me I hear about how her step father, a scum of the earth moron named Raul Olivas is always ridiculing her. Telling her she's stupid, ugly, and worthless. I want to kill both of them so bad I can taste it. But how would that help? Her mother would be dead, I'd be in jail, and she'd be thrown into the hell hole of foster care. Just like I was. Something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy." Connie said "You know 2,500 years ago several Mediterranean countries would sacrifice children. High priests would kill innocent little toddlers to appease the gods for them to end famine, war, and plague. In Carthage, chosen parents had to bring their toddlers dressed in their best clothes. The priest would set the child on a stone alter and very slowly pierce a knife into his or her stomach while the child was screaming. The more prolonged the screaming the better. The more pleading and begging from the parents not to kill their child made the gods even happier. Once the child went into death throes, the priest rolled it down an incline into a small burning pit so the child's spirit would rise up and the gods would consume it. Civilization has come a long way since those sadistic inhuman barbaric times, but not far enough. Not anywhere near far enough." Connie looked at the helicopter. "Would you please excuse me for a second? She retrieved what looked like a small cellphone. "Joe, this device is a polygraph. May I use it on you?" He agreed and she went through the conversation again to determine his voracity. He was telling the truth.

"I wish you had come to us sooner about this problem." "I did. Your HR manager didn't want to get involved because it was a domestic issue which was already decided by the courts. She suggested I go see a clinical psychologist. That I needed to come to terms with it. Her exact words were 'Joe, you need to learn to live with it'. Well you know what Connie, forget it. I'm tired of bending over and taking it, then being told to smile. I thought when the Big Change happened all my problems would be over. But it made things worse. My wife really didn't love me. It was a marriage of convenience. That narcissistic little bitch doesn't know how to love. So tell me, Connie Corona, what is this life really about? Is it a test to see what our limits are, because I'm pretty damn close to reaching mine. And when I break, it's not going to be pretty. If I didn't have a daughter, my ex would already be dead because of all the crap she put me through. I guarantee it. I'd love to chop her head off and feed it to the animals out here in the desert." He looked straight into Connie's eyes. "It's sad when a decent man like myself gets pleasure from dreaming about hacking his ex-wife to death."

Connie called Molly to come out and bring Lupe and Tracy with her. And to cover their faces so he couldn't identify them. "Joe, as you heard I'm bringing some people here to help you. How old is your daughter?" "She's eight." In fifteen minutes Lupe and her buds appeared. "Thanks for coming, guys. This is Joe and he has a story I want you to hear." After Joe got over the shock of seeing people appear out of thin air and meeting three of the most important people on earth, he proceeded to tell them about his troubles. When he finished, Lupe spoke first. "You say your daughter is eight?" "Yes." "There's no way in hell I'm going to let anybody keep your daughter from you. Molly's instruments say you're a good man. Joe, you have no idea how much this upsets me. It looks like our court system still blindly favors the mother, even when she's being a low life piece of sh-t. God dammit!!!..." Tracy put her arm around Lupe's shoulder and the two walked off. "Lupe, I'm the one who's supposed to have anger issues, not you. Take a deep breath and relax. Ok?" "We've gone so far in our society, Tracy, but when I see things like this it makes me wonder what kind of impact we've really made. As long as the father is a good guy, he and his daughter must NEVER be separated. From this point forward I swear to you, I'm going to make it happen. Sure, I'm prejudiced. But it's the truth. Fathers are the ones who make sure their daughters understand they're strong, smart, and capable. Not the mothers. This foolish crap needs to stop. And, it's starting right now with this phone call!" She took out her cell. "Hello, Uncle Cletus... I need you to do something for me..." Lupe went on to explain the problem. She asked Cletus to set up a plan to put together a team of twenty thousand people to investigate all family court decisions that granted sole custody to the mother. It will cover every case where the child is still a minor today. Joseph Mandolin's case will be the first to be investigated. If any undue and deliberate actions were taken by the attorneys, judge, or anybody else involved in the case, they will go to jail for ten years with taser shocks three times a day. (The next day Lupe asked America to approve this action. They did, but reduced the jail time to one year.)

After the phone call Lupe walked over to Joe. "Mr. Mandolin, if what you told me is true, then I believe your daughter will soon be living with you. I'm expediting your case. You won't have to do a thing except testify in court." She reached out and hugged him. In quiet tones she said "You were wondering what life is about. It's about this, Joe. It's about people making sure your daughter is treated justly and fairly. This favoritism was supposed to have stopped after the Big Change. But apparently we still have pockets of corruption in our system. I was lucky when they threw me into foster care. My guardians had hearts of gold. I'm going to have a complete review of all foster homes in the United States. And I'm going to have every custody case investigated for any impropriety. Connie will keep me informed of your situation. Good luck." Joe looked up into her caring eyes and began to cry. "I can't believe this is happening. Nobody has ever been this good to me." She hugged him tightly. Whispering in his ear, "Well, I care about you, Joe. And they say I'm the most important person in history. I want you to remember you're part of my family now. If you have any serious problems and don't know where to go, have Connie call me. Ok? What's your daughter's name and where does she go to school?" He wiped his face. "Her name is Samantha, but she goes by Sam. She's a third grader at East Picacho Elementary on North Valley Drive." "Until all of this is over, I'm going to assign a navy seal to be with your daughter 24/7. He'll even sleep outside her bedroom door. I'll have a court order it immediately." He started weeping again as she was holding him. "Don't worry, Joe. She's going to be just fine. I promise." "Thank you. How can I repay you?" She giggled. "I have an idea. There are some extra tickets in my office to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for next weekend. I want you two to go so I can see Sam having a blast with her daddy. Seeing her looking up at you, smiling and laughing... That will be your gift to me." She checked the time. "I have to leave for a meeting." She whispered "And every once in a while give Connie a hard time about something, then say 'bazzinga" and she'll know it came from me. She's my bestie, so I have to keep her on her toes. Thanks, Joe. I'll see you at the concert. Take care." In a flash Lupe, Tracy, and Molly were gone.

After this episode, Connie devoted more of her time with the people on the production floor. She would also go to other companies and give talks about having children grow up in a healthy safe environment. She had posters put up at all workplaces and schools in the US. It had a hotline number to call if problems became too difficult to handle.

Traveling to the Memorial Ceremony

Sunday, June 28, 2020. The Bandidas decided to fly Southwest to DC. El Paso had five flights out that morning. Dressed incognito, they interspersed themselves on all five flights. This way they could casually talk with the passengers. Lupe loves to get up early so she, Xochi, JV, Care, Bannister, Sophia, and Connie took the first flight out at four. They disguised themselves as best they could. Good enough to go unnoticed. (Sid and his family were already in DC. They were part of the crew setting up.) Lupe walked to the back and took a seat next to a mom and her young daughter. Bannister, Sophia, and Connie sat in the row across from them. The lady's daughter was next to Lupe. Both mom and daughter were sleepy. Lupe opened with "Hi. My name is Lupe. Are you going to the ceremony at the museum?" Half awake, the lady responded "Hi. Yes we are. I'm Naomi, and this is my daughter Alice. She's been looking forward to the trip for weeks. It's our first time. They say it's going to be even more spectacular this year." She smiled "As if that's possible. Right?" Lupe responded "I'm sure you won't be disappointed." Alice looked about ten and kind of nervous. Lupe asked Naomi "Is this your first time flying?" "Not for me, but for Alice it is." Lupe looked down at sleepy eyed Alice. "Are you nervous?" "I'm petrified. I made mom take this early flight so I could sleep most of the way so I wouldn't be thinking about crashing." Lupe chuckled "Don't worry. You'll be as safe here as you were in your nice warm bed at home. I promise." "Yeah, right." Lupe assured her "These jets fly millions of miles without any problems. And I'll tell you a little secret. All commercial jets can now stop in midair without crashing. And, they have multi-phasing particle interrupter shields to protect them from any attacks." Alice frowned "You're just saying that to make me feel better." "No honest, it's true." Lupe pulled out her tablet and brought up pictures of people retrofitting the jets." Naomi looked on. "None of this has been in the news. Did it just happen?" "No. It's been going on for about six months. There's thousands of airliners so it's been taking a while." With that reassuring knowledge Alice yawned and slowly drifted into a comfortable snooze. After a few minutes she surfaced and quietly asked "So how did you know if it wasn't in the news?" Lupe grinned and whispered "Because my team created the devices." "That's nice. I think I'll get a little sleep now." A few more minutes passed and Alice's eyes opened. "You created the devices? You're only about six years older than me. I don't like it when people lie just to make me feel better." Lupe whispered "Actually, I don't think it would be very nice of me to let you sleep. Your mom said you were excited about the trip. How would it be if you were sitting next to one of the Young Pioneers." Alice turned and looked at her mom. "Mom, this girl is acting loopy. Can we switch places so she won't bother me?" That comment hurt Lupe's feelings. This wasn't working out very well. She whispered "Actually, Alice, I'm Lupe Solis. And I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. I just thought you might like to talk a little on our flight to DC." She removed the bulbous nose she had on as a disguise. "All the Young Pioneers decided to fly commercial so we could schmooze with some of the passengers." Alice was shocked "You're crazy." Lupe turned on her tablet again to show her picture. She put it up next to her face. "See." "Wow... Are you really are Professor Solis?" "Please don't call me that. Lupe is just fine. So is there anything you'd like to talk about? And please let's speak softly." "Ok." Naomi asked "Where's are all your guards?" "Don't have any." "Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?" "Well there is a Navy Seal right behind us. And three of my buds are right across the aisle. We all have super strength. With our inventions, we pretty much made ourselves damage proof. If this plane blew up I wouldn't get hurt." Alice's eyes and imagination lit up. "How many planets have you been to? Was your life ever in danger? Are people really going to move to other planets?" Lupe smiled "Been to six planets. Yes, I almost died once. And yes, it looks like we will colonize at least two planets." "Wow. What do they look like?" "They're similar to earth, except much more beautiful with lush green forests and snowcapped mountains and lots of clear blue lakes teaming with fish. They're very beautiful because there's been no industrial pollution like here on earth." "Do you mind if I take a selfie with you?" Alice was in heaven. Tons of selfies and a long conversation with the most important person in history. Later in the flight it came out that it had been six months since Alice's dad passed away in an auto accident. It's been very hard on her. Lupe told Alice "As you probably know, I almost lost my dad when he was homeless living on the streets wondering where his next meal was coming from. The city he was in, like most major cities at that time, made it illegal to feed the homeless. My dad was down to skin and bones. I'm very sorry about your dad, Alice." With sad eyes she replied "Thanks. Mom and I really miss him." Lupe thought for a minute... "Listen, if you don't mind, I'd like to make this trip extra special for you. I'd like for you and your mom to be my special guests where I'm staying. Two of my friends, Nellie and Millie, are about your age. If that's ok with your mom, you can hang out part of your time with them and all their friends for the next few days. Millie is the Young Pioneer we call Sparky. Would you like that?" Tears filled Alice's eyes. Lupe hugged her and said she would make sure she had a great time. Looking over Alice's head she mouthed to Naomi "Is that ok?" Naomi shook her head yes.

Meanwhile Xochi had taken a window seat near the front. Lupe had decorated her face Siri Indian style with thin lines of blue and red. Additionally she had on sky blue contacts, a wig, and a fake nose.

Entering the plane a young couple stopped and asked if she minded if they sat next to her. "Please do." The woman took the middle seat. "I always look for someone skinny to sit next to. These seats don't allow for much elbow room." "That's true. My name is Molly." "Hi. I'm Florence and this is my husband Jeremy. We're newlyweds. Married yesterday!" "Congratulations!" "Thanks. Our honeymoon is this trip to the ceremony in DC. We left a few days early to see the sights. I always wanted to go to the Smithsonian. This is so exciting. It's our first time. Are you going to the memorial too?" "Yes, I am. This year is going to be spectacular." "That's what I hear." A few quiet minutes went by. "I don't mean to pry, but are you Native American?" Xochi laughed. "Yes. Did the face paint and traditional Indian clothing give me away?" Florence smiled "Could be, but your tawny skin and strong Indian features cinched it. Your makeup is very beautiful. Are your eyes natural blue?" "No they're green." "Is this your first trip to DC?" "No. I've been many times. If you can, you should also go to the National Archives where the People proudly display the Constitutional Amendment that created our direct democracy." "I heard about that. A large room was built to accommodate thousands of visitors at a time. The document slowly moves around the room behind protected glass so it can be seen up close." "That's true. Next to that document is a letter from the young Pioneer who created Blinking. It's a request that we never take our freedom for granted. I heard she read it out loud before giving it to the curator. It was very moving. Lupe Solis, her actual name is Cacosxaj Tepocas. She and her dad were shoved down into having nothing by our old capitalistic society. Although they were homeless not knowing where their next meal was coming from they never gave up. Out of a life of helplessness she rose to be the most important person in history. I heard during this memorial that she is going to sign her real name to the letter. Right now it's signed as the girl who invented Blinking." "Right... Early this month she came out and told the world who she was. Must have been difficult living in the shadows for so long." "So what do you two do for a living?" "I'm the director of the Boys and Girls Club in Northeast El Paso. And Jeremy is a graphic artist and photographer for Texas Weekly Magazine. I'm the homebody and he's the traveler. Are you still in high school?" "Yes, I'm a junior at Las Cruces High." "How about that. So you probably know the young Pioneers who go there?" Xochi spoke in a whisper... "Yes I do." She whispered back "Wow. Never thought I'd talk to someone who actually knew them. Were you in any of their classes?" "Yes. The school's not that big." "What are they like?" "They're regular people like you and me. Except, for them learning comes easy." She spoke even lower. "You promise you'll keep what I tell you a secret." Florence whispered back "Of course. I love gossip." Xochi faked a half smile. "It's not really gossip. Let me put it this way... I've got something not so pleasant to tell you." "Now you got me worried. Is my dress torn?" "No. You look great. But first I think I better tell you who I really am." Florence chuckled and whispered "Don't tell me... you're one of the Young Pioneers." Xochi just stared back and smiled. "You're kidding. Right?" "Speak a little softer. No I'm not kidding. Here, look." She pulled a quarter from her pocket and bent it in half and placed it in Florence's hand. Then she pulled her fake nose off. "Wow. So if you really are, then why the disguise? I thought you guys came out this month for all the world to see." "I don't know. Old habits die hard. We thought if people knew, they would all crowd around us at the airports and some might get hurt." "Is Professor Solis on this flight too?" "Shusss... please stop looking back and sit down." "This is wild." Xochi whispered "Florence, there is a reason I told you who I was. But first I would like to ask you to be a special guest of mine at the B&B where all the Pioneers are staying. That's the least I can do after I tell you what I'm going to tell you." "What do you mean?" "Look, I'm only sixteen. The other Young Pioneers call me the "Peacemaker" because I'm everybody's friend. So it's hard for me right now because I'm not old enough to have the wisdom to say it right. But if I were in your shoes I would want to know. And I would never forgive those who knew and didn't tell me." Florence said "Oh my God, am I going to die?" Xochi held her hand "No. It's not that. You see I'm the Pioneer who found a way to easily read minds and talk to body cells... to brain cells. See when you came up, like all people I come into contact with I do a reading on them to see if they're a threat or not. And to see if their bodies are healthy. Are you with me so far?" "Now you really have me worried." "I'm holding your hand because I'm communicating with your subconscious to relax and stay calm. Because this information is going to hurt you, but tomorrow while you're with us you'll feel like the world is beautiful because a piece of trash, like a sack of shit that's packaged to look like a million dollars, will be out of your life."

Minutes before Xochi started her conversation with Florence she gave Jeremy a subliminal suggestion that he listen to music with his noise limiting headphones on. And he did.

She pinched her left earlobe and whispered "Mike, would you please come up front to seat 3C and extricate the passenger. His name is Jeremy. Please have him sit with you in the back for the remainder of the flight." "Yes, ma'am. I'm coming right now." She turned to Florence. "Please continue to be relaxed. Just sit still until Jeremy leaves. Then I'll tell you." Xochi was doing her best to keep Florence's brain calm. After Mike peacefully escorted him to the back of the plane Xochi said "It's best that he not be here." Nervously Florence asked "Is Jeremy in trouble with the law?" "Worse. He's in trouble with you. You see, Jeremy has been deceiving you. He's been cheating on you with a girl named Linda in Dallas and another named Melody in Houston. And weirdly enough, with a guy named Timothy in Austin. He likes both men and women. Monogamy isn't in his lexicon of values...... I'm sorry, Florence. But isn't it better to find out now instead of later? Maybe several years later." Florence was looking down. "I don't know what to say. Are you sure?" "Yes." "All this is happening so fast...... I saw you bend a coin. And I saw you call an air marshal who took Jeremy to the back. So you must be who you say you are. I just can't believe he cheated on me. We were so much in love. Maybe I didn't give him what he needed as a woman. Maybe I wasn't enough." "Come here." Xochi put her arm around her. Florence leaned into her crying. "I know this is hard for you. There is no easy way to say it. Listen, I can't allow you to be alone. You are going to stay in the same room with all the young Pioneers as my special guest at our B&B. That's if you can stand being around a bunch of kids." Florence looked at her then leaned again into her shoulder continuing to cry. "Even though this is hurting your heart, tomorrow I promise you'll feel better. All of us young Pioneers are staying in a mongo suite on the penthouse floor. You'll meet and spend time with all of us." She chuckled "You and another friend named Bannister will be our chaperones to keep us in line. Sometimes we get a little rowdy." Florence laughed through the tears. "Yeah, right. You're one of the top commanders in the US military. I watch the news." "No really, Florence, this will be good for both of us. I get tired of trying to keep the wild bunch, we call ourselves the Bandidas, I get tired of being the only one who keeps a lid on their crazy antics. Well, Bannister helps. And now you will. Anyway, you're twenty two and your job at the boys and girls club involves handling kids. Right? You'll be perfect." After several minutes of Xochi trying to make her feel better, Florence sat up in her seat. She took a deep breath and wiped her face. "You've done a good job keeping my mind diverted. Thanks. Maybe I'll just get off the plane and take the next flight back home. I don't want to be in the way or pitied by anybody. It's not your job to make me feel better. It was my fault for not seeing through his lies. Actually I saw some things but I wanted our relationship to work so badly that I pretended they didn't exist." She started crying again. "We won't pity you. We'll be angry as hell that such a nice person was shit on by the man she trusted the most. Through my meager experience it seems it's the nice spouse that always gets hurt. It's like these jerks have radars to zone in on the sweetest most caring people out there. Listen, I believe everything happens for a reason. I feel fortunate that you sat next to me. And, I hope I've made a new friend. And since you took this time off I don't want you to waste it." She pinched her earlobe again. "Lupe, I'm up front on the left. When I turn around and wave, wave back. Ok?" "Sure." "Florence, turn around and look to the very back of the plane." She turned and saw a grinning teenager half standing waving very fast with both hands like a clown. Xochi whispered to Florence "She's such an idiot. This is what I have to deal with every day. "Is she the Young Pioneer who invented Blinking?" Xochi sighed "Yes... she's the one." Florence turned back again and stood a little to see Lupe still giving her a goofy smile and waving. Florence was really tickled. She sat back down. "You've got a deal. I want to know how a person that brilliant can still be a goofy teenager." "Good luck. I've been trying to figure that out for years. So great... you're coming with us." "I wouldn't miss it for the world. You can stop touching my arm now. I've calmed down. Thanks, Xochi. And please call me Flor. And would you please send Jeremy back to El Paso on the next flight so he won't bother me." "Your wish is my command, Flor. I'll make sure he never bothers you again.

Meanwhile, Johnny Vee (JV) and Carey Mae (Care) were sitting on the right side of the plane about the middle. Care took the window seat and JV took the aisle. The girls were synced into the same song (Werk) on their earphones. As they were moving in unison to the music, a nice little old man slowly shuffled up. JV had her eyes closed, bobbing her head up and down. He tapped her shoulder. "Hello, mind if I take the middle seat." "No, sir. Here, let me help you." As he took his seat he smiled at JV. "You two young ladies are just the thing I need to start a perfect day. Hi, my name is Melvin Shmaltzer." "Hi, I'm Tracy and this is Mae. Are you travelling alone?" "Not anymore. For the duration of this enjoyable flight you young ladies will be with me." "So why is a handsome young man like yourself travelling alone?" He smiled. "I could ask the same of you. Only my interrogatory would be honest. You seem a little too young to be so footloose and fancy free." Care giggled. "I like that expression, Mr. Shmaltzer." "Oh please, let's not be so formal. Call me Vin." "That's interesting. Why not go by Mel like all the other Melvins?" "Well when I was a little younger than you... You're about fifteen, right?" "Good guess. I have a baby face so most people think I'm younger." He charmingly smiled then cleared his elderly throat. "So when I was twelve I was kind of nerdy. I was the constant focus of one certain bully who used to always call me 'go to hell Mel'. Then he'd put me in a headlock and make me walk around hunched over while he slapped my face. So in high school I took on the nickname Vin, as in Vinny, and took karate lessons and pumped weights." He lifted his skinny right arm to make a muscle. "Just look at this huge bicep." He pushed the inside of his bicep up with his other hand to make it look bigger but he failed miserably." Care laughed. "You're a very funny man, Vin. I think I like you." JV chuckled "I like you too, Vin. You were probably a lot of fun when you were younger." "Hey, I've still got the magic, but regrettably there's nothing left to back it up. Spry eighty year olds are still eighty year olds. Tracy, I'd give anything if I could be your age again. You really don't understand how wonderful it is until you're an old fart. But, I have no regrets. My life was full and exciting. I had lots of girlfriends when I was your age. Mostly girls who were friends. Of course they were not quite as charming and beautiful as you two." Tracy laughed "Vin, you're a sweet little old man who still knows how to work the ladies." "Yes, but now the mind is willing but the body isn't. Such is life." He continued "If I may, I'd like to give you a bit of Vinny's sage philosophy." "Of course. Let's hear some of your wisdom." "If you were to take human life and make it a pot of boiling water and have it all evaporate, what do you think would be left at the bottom?" "As water is boiled out, a trace amount of dissolved calcium carbonates and magnesium carbonates remain behind and their concentrations eventually become greater than their respective solubility limits. At that point they begin to precipitate out of the solution, forming the white scale you see at the bottom of the pan. Interestingly, while most salts become more soluble at higher temperatures, calcium carbonate is anomalous in that its solubility decreases as temperature increases, which accelerates the precipitation process. But I have a feeling that's not where you were going with this." Melvin stared a JV for a moment. "My, my, my. Pretty and intelligent. What I'm getting at is what is left is the basic primordial directives. And that is one, survival, and two, procreation. All the rest is just volume, but very important volume which I'll get to in a minute. See, we developed senses to tell us how to better survive. Like when our body tells us it's cold we put a covering over us. The volume or fluff or what I like to call commentary is the type, color, design, utility, and most important, the joy. Same with sound telling us a flesh eating dinosaur is close by. Survival is most important." JV said "The sad part is us humans got carried away with the survival thing at the expense of others. Like the extreme caste system we had under the old form of capitalism where about 400 people had more wealth than the other 300 million of us. A narcissistic megalomaniac named Jeff Bezos was worth over a hundred billion dollars and was so greedy that he refused to pay his employees a living wage. Same with the owners of Walmart." Melvin laughed. Smart, pretty, and a sense of justice. I would of loved to have known you when I was sixteen." "Thank you for the complement. But should I ask about the other directive? Isn't it already self-explanatory." "Well yes. But we humans often ignore the impact this drive has on us. It makes us do very stupid things. We often become moonstruck, all rolled up in a googly-eyed amorous fantasy." Her eyes twinkled and she coyly chuckled. "Yep, that's true. It hit me hard in Tahiti last year." "And hopefully you are much wiser now." "I'd like to think so but some boys are so beautiful, I get lost in their eyes and smile all dopey and laugh like a ditz." "That was the same for me 64 years ago. When I was your age all I thought about was eating and girls. And, not necessarily in that order. Most young men are consumed with... you know..." "It's ok, Vin, you can say sex." "Great. You said it for me. Anyway, from puberty to grave, most men think a lot about it. But it's not just that. It's everything that's wonderful about the exquisite person you're focused on. Her charismatic personality. Her quirky smile. The way she speaks. Her willingness to speak openly yet diplomatically. Without realizing it, a good percentage of us guys actually look for a soul mate. You could make the word sex out to be cheap by using descriptors like indecent, lewd, salacious. We have all kinds of words to make it dirty. But it doesn't have to be. It can be a beautiful thing. And most of the time we men can control their primal urges." Care was listening and added "And sometimes not. Like I remember reading years ago men with money and power used their position to sexually abuse women. Like a movie mogul named Harvey Weinstein. He used his power to get movie stars to have sex with him. And when that didn't work, he'd just masturbate in front of them. And if the woman said anything he was so powerful he could ruin her life. What a sick piece of sh-t. Then there was a mountain of congressmen who were always coming on to young women. Even Presidents of the United States and Justices on the Supreme Court. And when the women filed law suits and won, Congress used taxpayers' money to pay the judgments. That was completely wrong at every level. Thank God we did away with Congress and the President and took control ourselves." Melvin said "Looks like my friends are fifteen going on thirty. Very impressive." JV inserted "I'm sixteen, but who's counting." Melvin continued "Now where was I? Getting back to the volume or commentary I mentioned. Today we can survive fairly easily and can successfully procreate, but that leaves one gaping hole." "What's that?" "That is the question of why do we exist. What is the meaning of our lives? Is there one? In fact, what is the meaning or reason this whole universe exists? My dad used to tell me not to worry about it. That life is too short, so try to have fun while you're alive. And don't worry about the whys and wherefores. But as I see it, the more we are able to control everything around us like instant travel, instant food, perfect sex, being impregnable, and so on... then what? We are still wondering why we exist. What the hell is all this about?" "That's a very good point Vin." "You're right, that is a good point... now where was I again? Oh, yes. Last year during the July 1st ceremony the young Pioneers said they discovered the proverbial fountain of youth. The real currency of life." He grinned a jagged toothed smile. "So for me the joy of youth is a wonderful reason to exist." Oh, getting back to what I wanted to say... Since last July's ceremony I've heard a lot about making it available to the public. I just wish our young Pioneers would hurry up because (he chuckled) as you can see, I'm not getting any younger." JV looked at Care with a 'should I tell him' look. Care answered "It's up to you, Johnny Vee." Melvin was confused after hearing that name. JV put her right arm around the little old man. "Vin, do you by any chance have a coin on you?" "Why yes, I do." He reached in and pulled out an old coin. "This is my lucky silver dollar. Got this at the Century 21 Science Pavilion during the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. I've always been a science nut and knew back then that great things, greater that any of us could ever imagine were on the horizon. I just hoped to live long enough to see them." He handed her his coin. "Well Mr. Shmaltzer, I want you to see this." She held the coin with her ring, middle, and index finger below and her thumb on top. Holding it in front of him she asked "Can you see up close?" "Yes." "Look carefully as I do this." She slowly started moving her thumb in a circular motion while squeezing the coin. The image became smeared and the coin became thinner and it cracked in a few spots. His voice started to quiver. "You're one of them, aren't you? I've often prayed to God that one day before I passed I'd have the honor of meeting one of you." He was all choked up. He took her hand. "This is truly the best day of my life. Care called you Johnny Vee. That must mean you were the creator of super strength because you were bullied too as a child." "That's right Mr. Shmaltzer. And, I was on the team that found a way to make the elderly young again. And with a little help from the infinitum, we perfected it. Adding to that, we just finished our first public clinic located in the District of Columbia. And guess where we're headed as soon as we get off the plane?" Melvin couldn't believe it. Was this actually happening to him? What did he do to deserve this? Tears were rolling down his cheeks. "...I don't feel so good." And he passed out. JV called Xochi to come back and help. Xochi took readings and determined his heart was ok but he was in slight shock. After giving him some medication he was fine. Upon landing, Care and JV took Melvin in their armored SUV to the clinic where that afternoon he was going to begin the treatment to make him young again. They discovered Vin was a widower with no children. Before Tracy left he firmly held her hand and thanked her for the gift saying she was an angel sent from heaven. She responded "I don't know about that Mr. Shmaltzer, but I tell you what." She held up his silver coin. "I want you to come to Las Cruces High School on September 1st. That will be the first day of your second senior year. I want you to find me and I'll give you back this lucky silver dollar. Security will make sure we'll have classes together. I want to see some of that charm you say you had with the ladies." He tearfully smiled "It's a deal, Miss Johnny Vee Sanders. See you then." She softly kissed him on the cheek and left.

On the way to the B&B JV said "See Care, this is what it's all about. There is no greater reward for me than giving an old man his youth back. To allow him to be seventeen again so he can enjoy, as he put it, eating and girls, but not necessarily in that order. And, somehow I believe Melvin is much more than that. I think he's going to be an interesting friend. You know what? The act of living may be the reason for our existence. It could be as simple as that." "But living is a very complicated thing. That's why you Pioneers brought in Rain, Tiamane, Suzanne, and Matisse." "That's right. Knowing and understanding ourselves is a giant step to a higher plane of human existence. It's Kirt Goldstein's move toward self-actualization."

(((Here's a snippet of the September 1st meeting between JV and Vin... 7:30am, September 1, 2020. It was a nice calm partly cloudy morning. The temperature was 72 degrees. As Vin opened his car door in the student parking lot he heard sounds of young voices in the distance. He slipped his backpack on, reached up and felt his full head of hair. "Wow, it grew in fast. He bent down and looked at himself in the side mirror. "Never thought I'd be this nervous." He made his way to the cafeteria and saw JV near the middle. He attempted to look casual as he approached. "What a pretty girl. You'd never think that petite little blonde would be such a colossus. The kids around her are acting so normal, like she's one of them." She was laughing and yukking it up with two girls sitting across from her. He felt a weird warmth come over his body. "God, I'm nervous." JV turned and saw this bashful nerdy looking guy walking up. "Vinny!!!" She ran over and gave him a big hug and a kiss. "You don't mind if I call you Vinny, do you?" Holding his hand she stood back and checked him out from head to toe." They showed me your picture yesterday and I couldn't believe my eyes. Vinny, you look really great!" She walked him over to the table. "Hey guys, I want you to meet my friend Vinny Shmaltzer. Vinny, this is Lupe and her Sister Summer. This is Lupe's besti, Connie and her sister Sophia. And you've already met Care." She turned and pointed four tables over. "And those four rascals over there at the end facing us are Beverly, Hope, Brooklyn, and Mallory." All four smiled and waved back. "The other young Pioneers are scattered around so I'll introduce them to you later. Come on and join us. We were just talking about this year's speech club." They continued the small talk until the bell rang. JV walked him to his first class, which was also hers. She made sure he felt comfortable with his new life.)))

The next flight out was 5:00am. Ima, Millie, Nellie and their buds Brie, Allie, Cheli, Bela along with their parents took this flight. They didn't want to disguise themselves, so to avoid jams inside the airport, security escorted them from their vehicles directly onto the plane.

When everybody else started boarding, three members of a family of four sat down in the left front row immediately in front of Millie and Nellie. The fourth member took the seat between Nellie (window seat) and Millie (Aisle). (They had intentionally left the middle open.) He was a young teen wearing alligator boots, Wrangler jeans, a handcrafted leather belt, a sky blue long sleeve western shirt, and a light gray felt Stetson hat. Nellie couldn't contain herself. "Well hello there handsome. What brings you to these parts?" He smiled at little Nellie. (Did I mention he's six feet tall with dark hair, deep blue eyes, and a body packed with muscles?) He replied "You're pretty cute." "Why thank you. You're pretty cute yourself. So arr y'all goin to the Juu lie 1st fes.tiv.i.tees, too." He smiled at her. "Ok squirt, you don't have to talk like a hick. I understand English without the weird voice inflections and shortening of words." She replied "Ok... You know what, you have a very cute smile." "So how old are you?" "Eleven. My name is Nellie. And this is Millie. And your name is?" "Henry but everybody calls me Hank. You two squirts aren't traveling alone are you?" Millie said "No, my mom is right behind you. Her name is Ima. ...Mom, this is Hank." She leaned forward so he could hear better. "Hi, Hank. Sometimes they get a little wild. Let me know if they get out of hand." He turned "Don't worry ma'am, I'm big enough to handle them." She leaned back and thought "Oh, if you only knew."

Nellie laughed "You think you're big enough to handle us, huh? So, you didn't answer my question about the July 1st festivities?" "Yes I am. Heard it's going to be even more awesome than last year. So I take it you're going too?" Nellie and Millie looked at each other and gushed a giggle. Nellie responded "Sort of." Millie giggled again. He frowned. "What's so funny. Are you two girls just being silly?" Millie in a pixie little voice said "Yeaaas." Nellie squeezed his arm to get his attention. "So Hank, how did you get all those big beautiful muscles bulging out from your western shirt?" He just shook his head. "Aren't you a little young to be flirting?" Millie cut in. "I think that was a legitimate question, Hank. You have big muscles and they are beautiful. I would've said handsome though. Do you have a girlfriend, Hank?" "Ok, you're making me feel a little uncomfortable. You two need to behave." M and N giggled again. He thought to himself "What do I do to get them to stop? Ok. I'll try this..." He smiled and put his arms around both their shoulders. "Look ladies, I can easily understand why you're flirting with me. I'm probably the most handsome guy you've ever laid your cute little eyes on. I can't help it if the girls just fall all over me like I was a Greek god. But you see... the truth is..." He looked at both of them. "The truth is I'm gay." Millie touched his wrist to read his thoughts. She winked at Nellie and immediately said "That's ok Hank, so are we." She batted her eyes. "Would you be our gay boyfriend?" Nellie chimed in "Yes Hank, would you be our gay boyfriend?" as she grasped his hand in a loving way. Totally frustrated, he looked up. "Why, God. Why do you do these things to me?" He said to Millie, "Excuse me, I need to get by." He got up and walked to the restroom furthest away from those two girls and camped out for a while. On the way back to his seat he saw a flight attendant accompanying Millie and Nellie down the aisle as they were saying hello to the passengers and taking selfies. "What the heck?" He quickly looked for an empty seat, but there was none. Then as he was trying to get by, they both stopped him and said to the nearby passengers, "And this is our friend Hank. Say hello to Hank everybody." The passengers said "Hi, Hank." Nellie said "He's handsome, but kind of shy." They stepped out of the way and allowed him to pass. Before taking his seat, he asked his mom what was going on. "Millie is the young Pioneer they call Sparky, and the other one, I think her name is Nellie, is the youngest daughter of Norma Corona. You didn't know?" Then he looked back at Ima. She smiled "I told you so."

Thirty minutes later they came running back and sat down. N said to M "That was fun! You want to do it again?" "Maybe, but we need to talk to Hank." Nellie said "Ok, I'll go first. Hank, last summer I was sitting in a McDonalds next to some cheerleaders dressed and acting like cute little Barbie dolls. To pass the time I was playing with several action figures. A mermaid, Aquaman, and Iron Woman. See, Aquaman was coming on to the beautiful mermaid, but she spurned his advances and told him to leave her alone. He wouldn't, so the mermaid's friend Iron Woman told Aquaman that when she says no she means no. And to stop it with his advances or she would pulverize him. Instead he got more vulgar and continued. So Iron Woman knocked all his teeth out." Hank responded "You don't know me. I wouldn't do that." Millie said "We have come to know you well enough now to understand you wouldn't. You're a nice guy who respects girls." Nellie continued "I use real life stories when I play these games. This story came from a time when several years ago Johnny Vee Sanders, the girl who invented super strength, began her first day at Las Cruces High School. Her story will be etched forever into my memory. See, she walked into the cafeteria that morning with Lupe and Xochi. They had just sat their trays down to eat when at the other end of the long table there was a big senior football player type harassing a girl. All Johnny Vee could think of was how years earlier her nemesis had harassed her. Then she really started getting pissed. That guy had sat down next to the girl and put his arm around her. She told him to stop it, but he didn't. In fact two guys behind him were laughing and egging him on. With his other hand he was feeling up her leg under the table. She tried to get up and leave but he wouldn't allow her. Johnny Vee exploded with anger. She walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. He told her to get lost that he was busy. So she slapped the back of his head. He turned and looked at her with this asinine stupid look and yelled "What!" She lost control and punched him in the mouth knocking his front teeth out breaking his jaw. She looked at the other two guys. One grabbed her arm. She flat foot kicked him and smashed his testicles. The other guy ran off. Johnny Vee asked the girl if she was ok. Her name was Bannister. Bannister grabbed her books, stood up and started to leave. Johnny Vee asked what about her food? Bannister looked down at the floor and said thank you, but I'm the last person in the world you would want as a friend. The three young Pioneers ran outside with her. Bannister sat down at a concrete table far away from the building. She started sobbing like a baby. Lupe asked what the hell was going on in there and why didn't any of the people around stop it? Bannister said none of those people were her friends. Molly said they don't have to be your friends to do what's right. Bannister said you three just don't get it do you. She said she was the nerd that everybody made fun of. She had lunch in period one and her friends had lunch in period two. She was all alone. Lupe told Bannister that there were over a hundred people in that lunchroom. And none of them came over to help. They saw and did nothing."

Millie said "Hank. You're a nice guy. All we girls ask is when you see a guy harassing a girl or even another guy that you step in and stop it." Hank was speechless. After thinking about it he responded. "My first reaction is you little sh-ts are trying to teach me a lesson. A lesson I don't need. But then I thought about the few times I could have done something but I didn't. Then as time passed I forgot about it. But you know what, if it happened to me, I wouldn't forget. It'd just stay there churning in my stomach. Fear and anxiety would take over." He put his arms around the two girls and looked at each one. "Both of you together should start a campaign called "Respect others. No means NO." Nellie said "It wouldn't work unless a big strong handsome guy like yourself was the spokesman." Millie tugged on his shirtsleeve. "Would you like to be our spokesman? You'd be perfect." He began to laugh and wouldn't stop. Nellie asked "What's the matter?" This was your goal all along, wasn't it? You sneaky little girls." Millie admitted "Guilty as charged. We were going to find a guy in DC. But then you came along and we thought you'd be perfect. So will you help us. Huh, Hank?" Nellie said "We know you aren't gay." Millie said "And we also know when we're eighteen we're going to find out if you're still single." She smiled "If you know what I mean." Nellie said "Hey, I saw him first." "Ok girls, I'll do it. But on one condition." "What's that?" "That you two be nice to me. When I say no that means no. Ok?" He laughed. Millie said "You got it, Hank."

Beverly, Hope, Missy, and Mallory took the next flight at 6:00am. They felt it was unnecessary, but Lupe convinced them to wear disguises, too. They wore wigs the opposite color of their hair. Same with contacts. This spring Jacob and these four girls developed a method to control the melanin levels in skin. From very dark to almost albino. A nontoxic chemical stimulates the cells to quickly turn brown. And another has the cells quickly eliminate pigmentation. Bev and Missy took on a dark tawny tint, while Hope and Mallory went with almost blinding white skin. And of course Lupe had them wear some dope noses.

Security escorted them straight onto the plane. Mal enjoys sitting in the back, so she corralled her cohorts to the last row. She took the right window seat while the other three sat across the aisle from her.

As the plane was filling up, a family of five which included two kids and a grandmother walked to the back. Dad, his wife, and grandma sat in the row directly in front of Mal. Their children (a boy and a girl) sat next to her. The girl made a fuss with mom so she could have the aisle seat. Mallory had just gone through a nasty breakup with Monroe so she was feeling down and out. She looked at the boy next to her and thought "Wow, he's hot, more like drop-dead gorgeous, but he seems a little nervous." She opened with "Hey, how you doin?" "o..o..o..k..k..k.. k." His sister quickly inserted "My moron brother is a stutterer. He sounds like an old sputtering car. His name is Roman but I call him Mr. Stammer. My name is Cherene." Mal frowned. "That's not a very nice thing to say about your brother. You know he's a lot bigger than you and could punch your lights out." Cherene replied "He wouldn't dare cause my mom would slap him silly. Oops, he already is. Hahahaha." Mal just shook her head then looked at the boy. So your name is Roman?" He nodded yes. "You should slap the sh-t out of your sister for saying those mean things." He smiled a tender smile. Those dreamy blues tingled her heart. She continued "You look around my age. I'm 15. How about you?" He held up one finger then six. "Resorting to using your hands, huh? That's funny, Roman. Do you know sign language?" He shook his head yes. "Me too. Last spring I was bored and decided to pick it up. Oh, by the way, my name is Mal." The following conversation was in signing... "You know there are clinics that specialize in having people overcome stuttering." "I know. And I've tried, but to no avail." "Too bad. You know, what you're doing is just a band aid." "I just can't stop the damn stuttering." She spoke "Yes, I get that." Then she pulled out her MP4 player. Well if you don't want to talk I'm going to listen to some music. She put her wireless ear buds in and handed him an extra pair. She selected an old video called Uptown Funk that shows the lyrics. During the second verse she began singing to herself while moving her arms and shoulders. She motioned for Roman to join in. He thought "What the heck. She's nice. And I love to dance to this song." He began to move in unison with her, then the most unusual thing happened. He began to quietly sing. Without stuttering. She pulled her left ear bud out and listened to him. He had a wonderful voice. It was almost intoxicating. Without saying anything after the song she put on another oldie called  Dance Monkey. This time he smiled at her and took over the style of moving while continuing to sing down low. "This guy is something else. Wonder if he's a surfer." She enjoyed moving with him. Everything else in the world seemed to disappear. After that she put on Me To with lyrics. Precocious little seven year old Cherene couldn't believe her eyes as she was watching her big brother. She looked across the aisle and said "Can you believe these two?" Bev sitting in the aisle seat stuck her tongue out and made cross-eyes at her. The other two leaned forward, put their hands up, palms forward with their thumbs in their ears waving at Cherene while sticking their tongues out. She whispered "Mom... these people back here are acting nuts. Would you make them stop?" After the song Mallory couldn't contain herself. She flirtatiously smiled. He smiled back and she kissed him on the cheek. His mind went blank for a moment. She apologized "I'm sorry. I'm not usually this forward. But you're really cute and wow, can you sing." He looked into her wild eyes and kissed her on the lips, soft and slowly. With her eyes half open she whispered "That was nice." He said "You have the most expressive eyes. It's as if I can see into your soul." She coyly asked "Well, what do you see?" "I see a wild fun loving girl who attacks life with reckless abandon." Mal pulled him in and whispered in his ear "You're not stuttering anymore." They kissed again. Cherene leaned forward. "Mom... Roman and this girl are kissing. It's grossing me out. Please make them stop." Bev reached over and held her arm. "Shusss... Be nice or I'll give you a wet Willie. "I'd like to see you try. Hope and Missy leaned forward and stuck their tongues out at Cherene, then put their index fingers to their mouths telling her to be quiet. She jumped up, stepped forward and looked at her mom and pointed to her empty seat. "That's it. I can't sit there anymore. These people are acting too weird." Mom, dad, and grandma all had their earphones in watching a movie. Mom took her's off. "What did you say, honey?" "Mom. These girls are acting crazy. And (she pointed to Mallory) she can't keep her face off my brother. Mom got up and turned around to see her son and four girls smiling innocently. "Is there a problem back here?" Beverly said "No ma'am. Everything's fine." Cherene said "No it's not. You were making faces at me!" Mom admitted "My daughter Cherene is sometimes a little loud and precocious. Just let me know if she gets to be too much." She looked at her daughter. "It's ok, baby. Go ahead and sit back down. If they bother you again just tell me." She looked at the four girls and sternly said "I'm sure they'll behave." Cherene took her seat with a "humph" accompanied with a disgruntled look. After the plane was airborne for twenty minutes Mallory squeezed her earlobe. "Hey guys, it's time. You ready? Bev said "Let's get out of these disguises first." With that the girls removed their wigs, contacts, and noses. A pill came next to quickly return their skin color to normal. A few minutes of brushing their hair out and they were ready. Roman was watching. "Wa.. wa.. wa.. what.." Frustrated he signed "What are you doing?" "When I was living in Costa Rica I started inventing things. Things that caught the attention of the Pioneers. They liked what I did so much they made me one. I'm the young Pioneer named Mallory. She kissed him on the cheek. "You're a good kisser, Roman. I need to get up. Please excuse me while I get by. My friends and I are going to mingle with the passengers. Save my seat, handsome. I'll be back before you know it." Roman was speechless as she walked to the front with Bev, Hope, and Missy. A flight attendant accompanied them as they walked row by row talking to the people and taking selfies. An hour passed before they made it back to their seats. Mal asked Roman "Did you miss me. He signed "Now I can tell my friends I kissed a young Pioneer." "And tell them she liked it. In fact, let's take a selfie kissing so you can email it to all your friends. Uh-oh, you don't have a girlfriend do you?" He signed "No. The damn stuttering scares them away." "You know what? I'm going to stop that stuttering right now." She got up, moved to the aisle and asked Hope to sit next to him and use her unit to have a long talk with his brain to see what the problem was. Then fix it.

Cherene was sitting there taking it all in. She asked Hope "You're going to stop my brother from stuttering?" "I'm going to try." Hope asked Roman. "Mind if I sit next to you? It seems you have a stuttering problem. If you'll allow me, I'll fix it." She chuckled a little and continued. "Just need to check under the hood for a few minutes." He signed to Mal "Will it hurt?" "Not a bit. Just hold still while Hope does her thing." By now mom, dad and Cherene were standing looking at what was going on. They were assured that everything would be ok. After five minutes of Hope delving into his brain she stopped, turned off her unit, and asked "How do you feel?" "Ok. Did you stop my stuttering?" "You tell me. Sounds like you're speaking just fine." Mal was sitting in Cherene's seat. He turned and gave her a big hug. "Thank you, Mallory. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is unbelievable." Hope jokingly nudged him. "Hey, how about a hug for me. After all, I'm the one who fixed you." Mal quipped back "Hey, hands off the merchandise, I saw him first." By now several flight attendants were standing close by. One went on the intercom and told the passengers that the young Pioneer named Hope just cured a passenger of stuttering. "She remotely went into his brain and fixed him. Thank you Hope. Let's hear it for our young Pioneers." Everyone cheered. Mal ran up to the flight attendant and took the mic. "I forgot to mention this earlier, but if there is anyone on board who for some reason can't go to the July 1st celebration, well, now you can. There's an air marshal up front and one in the back. Will you guys please stand. Go ahead and tell one of these gentlemen what the problem is and they will fix it for you. Whatever it is, I promise you I'll take care of it so you can be there. The show after the memorial and benediction will be greater than your wildest dreams. It's so big that it's going to run into a second day. So please be there." One of the passengers asked "What's going to happen?" "I can't tell you. It's a surprise. But I will tell you this. The young Pioneers developed some wild and very tiny power sources and anti-gravity tools that you won't believe even after you've seen what they can do. That's as much as I can tell you. And, that's only a small fraction of the incredible stuff you'll see. So be sure to be there. Oh, and one more thing. Lupe Solis constantly tells us to tell you the public that none of the wonderful things we and others have accomplished could have happened if it weren't for you the People. You gave us a direct democracy. No longer is money used to hold people down from doing great things. So thank you. Thank you very much." She handed the attendant the mic and walked back amid the applause.

Next flight out was 7:00am. Security ushered Rain, Matisse, Tiamane, and Suzanne through a back door and onto the plane just before regular boarding. Rain and Matisse sat on the left side in the back row (window and middle seat) with their buds across on the right (also window and middle). The sky was overcast with light rain. Matisse said to Rain. "This is nice. Reminds me of home. I really miss St. Cloud." Rain responded "This kind of weather reminds me of tornados. A few years back during the summer I was in Godly, Texas visiting my uncle. It was 11:00 in the morning when it started getting dark. I stepped outside to see what was going on and felt a hard wind blowing sideways. Then it was hailing sideways. By that time it was almost like midnight. The hail was stinging my body. I ran inside and in a few minutes the wind died down, no more hail, and the sun came out. Godly is just a few miles north-west of Cleburne. At noon we saw on TV that a Tornado a half mile wide almost swept Cleburne away. You know what, Matisse. I'm very lucky. I don't mean to philosophize, but do you believe in destiny or some higher power that helps us along?" "Well yeah. I have some very strong personal reasons. And, also remember our briefing about what the infinitum did?" "That was odd. Another earth in the far reaches of space is kind of freaky. But I wasn't talking about that. For those who believe that a higher power created all this, there are two schools of thought. Some believe the higher power is a personal one. Others believe it started a reaction and that's it. I prefer the personal approach." Matisse chuckled. "I don't believe in either. I believe that something started this reality. But I also think it is part of this reality, or better put, this reality is part of it and us. And, it is infinitely large and small simultaneously. And, it is personally aware of everything happening along the infinite scale of size and time. What us four here don't like is how nature literally feeds on itself to survive. In contrast, the calix evolved properly. We didn't. Organisms killing and eating other organisms to survive is disgusting. In fact, the concept of the circle of life is disgusting. Everything that's born has to die. And along the journey there are many times when we suffer. That's what I detest about this so called higher power. And yet there's a good side." She chuckled "A good side like us." Matisse said "We've talked about this before. Yes, I believe we four are here for a reason because it's time for people to have a better happier more positive and enjoyable image of what life is all about."

Tiamane asked the other three "Were you guys nervous about the trip?" Rain responded "Not really. It's been a long time coming. The Pioneers finally chose a group that emphasizes the humanities." Matisse added "It is about time! It's not that empirical discoveries in science and technology aren't important, but what good is it without philosophy, literature, music, linguistics, the classics, performing and visual arts, examination of religion, history, comparisons of various societies, and so on? All this gives meaning to life." Suzanne added "Yes, we know. You've told us over and over that without the humanities we might as well be meaningless blobs of cells throwing off electrons through ATP synthase. That's why we were chosen. That's why we did what we did. Sure it's great we can travel almost instantly to distant planets, and sure it's phenomenal that we can cure diseases and become almost immortal. And Summer's algorithm is wonderful. But happiness can't be distilled down to a single piece of software. It has to be felt in ways we've never dreamed of yet." Rain laughed. "Sounds like the speech I gave during my interview with the Pioneers." Matisse added "It's all true. Can you imagine how bland life would be without music and the arts? Without expressions of love and caring? The problem is, and that's why we're here, is the exhilaration, the passion, the lust for life is easily lost in our everyday hustle and bustle. We're the Pioneers who will forge new frontiers of understanding and feeling of what life and living is all about. And I guarendamntee you it ain't like the old movie 'The Hunger Games' where the residents of the capital city were lazy overweight worthless pleasure seeking cruel heartless self-absorbed pieces of sh-t." Tiamane said "You know that story was modeled after the ancient Roman Empire when the expression 'orgy' was given its meaning." Matisse chuckled "I don't know if it's fact or fiction but it's said they had barfatoriums where they tickled their throats with feathers to throw up so they could go back for more." Rain added "There's nothing wrong with eating and sex. But it has to have moderation style and meaning. Be enjoyed." "True."

Tiamane continued "Well I'm kind of nervous. What if I mess up during my speech. Or worse, what if what I'm advocating for... what if my work so far is all wrong?" Rain said "Music can't be wrong. What you've done is cramazing. You've defined exactly what sound is to the mind and the types of sound that create an almost infinite variety of moods. You can play a piece that will actually make me feel happy. I mean really happy." Matisse added "Music is an expression of what life is all about." Tiamane said "When I was younger, my mom would sing a song while she was cooking. I asked her about it, and she showed me the video. Jason Mraz left an indelible impression. It's true, everything is sound. Or actually everything in the physical universe is waves. The right kind of sound can touch your very soul. And love is the most precious commodity. That's when I started my quest into music. How about you, Matisse?" "Every few months my parents would take me to a major art museum. We went to places like the Orsay and the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London, the Vatican, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, the Hermitage in Russia, and the Tokyo National Museum. On some weekends we'd hit smaller museums here in the states. Through this I came to understand why particular artists created their work." Cynically she said. "It was mostly to make money. Talented people were paid by the wealthy to create art. In a big way that included the Catholic Church." "So... besides your parents taking you to museums, why did you get into it the way you did?" "You mean to extremes? Well, the art I'm interested in is visual. Stills and videos. Sounds obviously complement or enhance the visual, but what I wanted to do was to impart feelings through visuals. To reach down and touch your innermost feelings and realizations. So how do you do that?" Suzanne said "You look into the viewer's mind and see memories that correlate with your intended goals. You, right at that moment, create the visual and sounds that will illicit those feelings you seek." Matisse chuckled. "I've said it so many times you guys have it memorized." Tiamane said "No, you've only told us a few times. We're just good listeners. And what you did is humongulously interesting and kind of unbelievable." "But I did it. Now instead of taking months or years to make a movie, I can make one almost instantaneously. Custom made for each person. Of course it has to be preplanned with a general plot and characters, but the specifics come from the viewer. With input from the viewer, the program chooses from trillions of templates already established and incorporates them into the story. The movie adds to the person's current realizations of human interaction because it uses touch stones already established in the person's mind. It couldn't have happened without todays mega computers that perform many qua-trillion functions per second." Rain said "Yes, yes, yes. We know all that. But why did you get into it. What was your reason?" Matisse smiled. "Two reasons. First, and this connection is very strange, but several years ago I had a grand mal seizure caused by a burst blood vessel in my brain. It was at the People's Amusement Park. Xochi was there. She saw me and had me lay down before it happened. She told me that during the seizure she had my brain cells quickly clear out the fluids and send cells in my blood to clean up the mess. Then Tracy shot me up with her miracle strength drug. I recovered in less than an hour. I would have died if they hadn't been there. I've always wondered why I was spared. And I figured if these girls could do great things, then maybe I could too. Or I should at least try. Second reason: I dreamed about it. I saw the details of how to accomplish it. And now the rest is history. So yeah, I do believe in destiny."

Matisse asked "How about you, Suzanne. What was your inspiration?" "It's a long story. You still wanna hear it?" "Sure. Why not?" "Well, my dad, his name is Eugene, and Cecilia, that's my mother, had a terrible divorce just before the Big Change. I was five." Suzanne looked at the other three. "The four of us have eidetic memories. Sometimes it can be a curse as well as a godsend. Unfortunately I remember it all. The horrible things Cecilia said and did to my dad are unforgivable. I don't call her mom anymore. She lost her parent card years ago. See, we just moved to another place. It was in farm country just outside of a major city. He left a successful practice to get me out of a town that almost killed me when I was four. Many of the people there were carriers of bacteria that antibiotics couldn't contain. That's how I almost died. From pneumonia. One lung was completely shut down and only one quarter of the other was still working. There was so much fluid in my lungs the doctors had to cut a hole in my side and insert a tube for drainage. Dad said one midnight he walked into my hospital room and saw the doctor praying over me in Hebrew with outstretched arms. He told my dad I probably wouldn't make it. To everyone's shock, after a few days I started improving. My doctors couldn't believe it. So maybe it was miracle. ...Maybe it was. But a year later after moving, dad was having a hard time earning money. People in the new city weren't as receptive. They already had others performing the service he specialized in. And the place where Cecilia worked shut down. It was Levi Strauss. They moved all their operations out of the country to save a little money. Tens of thousands of people lost their jobs. Including her. So Levi's and Cecilia wrecked my family because dad couldn't immediately bring in the kind of money she wanted. From the perspective of a very bright five year old, I could see she didn't love him. All she wanted from him was bucks. And when he didn't meet her expectations she did her best to make his life miserable. She connivingly became friends with deputies at the sheriff's department. She staged a pretend break in at our home. All his valuable things were stolen. Over twenty thousand dollars' worth. She bad mouthed my dad to anybody who would listen. Even at school she was friends with the assistant principle, a woman, who got the school psychologist, a woman, to say bad things about him in divorce court. While she was married to my dad she was going out with that assistant principal's brother. He was a convicted felon and a dope addict.

My dad used to talk to me about my great great grandfather, born in 1865, who was a Texas farmer all of his life. Tough, salt of the earth people like him were the heart and soul of America. As a young man he had no electricity, telephone, car, radio, television, supermarkets, refrigerator, air conditioner, indoor plumbing. Nothing. Yet he got along just fine. Good strong Americans like Lee Roy Sanders had more morals, honor, and integrity in this little finger than Cecilia had in her whole body. She would probably think of him as a gullible country hick that could've easily been deceived, manipulated, and taken advantage of. A prime target. He probably was, but that's what made him a good person. I keep this to remind me about honor and integrity." She reached into her purse and pulled out a laminated photograph.

 My grandfather called him Papa. This is him with his team near Ballinger, Texas in the late 1800s. In 1957, when my grandpa was six he sat him down and told him to always remember two things he must never tolerate, a liar and a thief. And unfortunately Cecilia Munoz, my own mother, was both.

There's many other shitty things she did that I'd rather not talk about including putting my life at risk around drugs and criminals. The scars she left on my dad are permanent. He's never been with another woman since then. I'm mad as hell about the whole situation." She looked at Matisse. "So to answer your question, this was my inspiration."

Matisse said "Geeze. I'm sorry." Suzanne responded "My dad used to say the most beautiful flowers often rise from the stinkiest piles of sh-t. He said I was his beautiful flower, then apologized for not choosing a better mate. But then, he said, I wouldn't have been me, and I've given him so much joy that he wouldn't have wanted it any other way." Rain said "Sounds like he loves you very much."

Suzanne wiped a tear from her cheek and continued "Back then when dad was young, finding the right person was difficult. Friendships were started at work, the gym, church, clubs, and so on. But the means to generate a good selection was very limited compared to today. So finding a good mate was mostly just dumb luck. In fact finding the right vocation was dumb luck." She laughed "And finding a good place to live was a crap shoot." Rain said "So the reason you got into this was because your dad got sh-t on by your mom. That's really sad." "That's a crude way to put it, but yes. Just look at the divorce rate in America. It sucks! Forty percent of marriages end in divorce. I believe those marriages were doomed to fail even before they said 'I do' because for some it doesn't mean sh-t. And I believe certain people should never marry." Tiamane said "From what I understand so far is you are using already developed databases of all people in America and merging them together in such a way so you can, in detail, define who they are, what their likes and dislikes are, their appearance, the type of work they're doing and what work they may be better suited for, their intelligence, common sense, moral structure, integrity or the lack thereof..." Suzanne interrupted "The list I wanted to have was so long that I used artificial intelligence working on a super high speed bank of computers to define all the variables and associate them to each person in the US. Amazing isn't it?" "It really is." Rain asked "So you came up with a way for a person to find the right job, live in the right place, and be with the right mate?" "The mate part is only if they have monogamous intentions. If they want to play the field, then the program will find all the temporary hookups they want." Matisse said "Even after I heard what you did, it's still hard to wrap my head around it. It seems so..." Suzanne said "Well it's not empirical, like math. It's still open to chance. But I narrowed the chance factor waaaay down." Rain reflected "It's like a giant subset of my humanistic version of a unified string theory." "I was going to say that. What you've done, Rain, is phenomenal. Bringing all the works of humanists together and presented in such a way that anybody can understand was pure genius." "But your work is much more useable." "That's true, but a unified humanistic theory brings a cognitive sense of what it is to be human in relation to everything else in the universe. And like you say in your work... there is nothing cut in stone. Humanism will always be evolving as new realizations occur." Matisse said "And that we can all agree on. Uh-oh, we better cool it. Here come the passengers."

Unknown to the newest young Pioneers, the Ysleta High School band and drum corps were boarding this flight. They were chosen as one of the bands from across the nation to play at the celebration.

The chaperones took the first row then the students rushed in to secure seats with their buds. A couple of good looking sophomores all full of themselves attempted to sit with the Pioneers. But were promptly shooed away. (As well as being brilliant, this new group of Pioneers were also very pretty.) After a while the final two who still needed a seat, the social outcasts, walked up. Diminutive and meek, they asked if they could sit down. Tiamane patted the empty seat. "Sure, make yourself comfortable." Matisse said the same. She opened the conversation with "I hear once an Indian, always an Indian." The nerd next to her smiled "So you know about our motto." "Of course. I heard you guys are the pride of the lower valley. What grade are you in? Is this your first trip to DC? Are you guys going to be part of the ceremony?" Being so shy, the boy had a hard time looking in Matisse's stunning eyes. We're going to be sophomores. This is my first trip anywhere. And yes, we were given the honor of playing during the afternoon festivities." Matisse said "I'm sorry for not introducing ourselves. This is Rain, I'm Matisse, those two over there are Tiamane and Suzanne." "Hi." "My name is William and this is Shelia." Shy reserved nerdy Shelia sitting next to Tiamane carefully looked at the four and whispered to William "Will, we're sitting with the young Pioneers for this year." "Naa, no way." "Yes way. Look at them." Matisse overheard, chuckled and whispered "She's right, William. I didn't mention it because we want to keep a low profile. At least for the first part of the flight. Then we were going to visit with everyone a row at a time for selfies and to answer any questions. And you're pretty good at recognizing us because that group photo published of us last week was without our names and at a distance and not really in focus." Shelia whispered "See, I told you."

Matisse asked "So how do you like high school?" Shelia said "The first day was traumatic. I didn't know where to go. Everybody was rushing. The assistant principle yelled at me for not being in class. The juniors and seniors looked straight through me as if I didn't exist. And I remember English. Mrs. Putnicki was a real bad ass. The first day she said 'Welcome to the real world. Your momma and daddy won't be here to help you. When I give you an assignment I expect you to hand it in on time or you'll get a zero. And if you make a poor grade you can't do it over. Do you get do overs in life? No. Same here.' She was something else. What I didn't like about her was her expectations exceeded her teaching. By that I mean she didn't teach everything she expected us to know. Like creative writing. She was not a good teacher regarding effective and correctly structured writing. But yet she tested us as if she was, which hurt most of the class. Oh, and between classes it was funny watching the football players strut around like roosters. Like they were God's gift to humanity. My last period was band. That's where I found my home. Everybody was easy going, friendly, and supportive." William said "High school is about the same as middle school, except the subjects are a bit more complex. But learning always came easy for me, so it's been no problem. Same with Shelia." Matisse said "Both of you seem to be shy introverts." Will remarked "Is it that obvious?" "Yes, but that's not a bad thing. You're not obstreperous and loudmouthed. The loud ones most to the time are obnoxious and self-absorbed. They push others aside so they can be the leaders." Tiamane laughed. "Self-appointed leaders are full of hot air with nothing real to back them up." Rain said "They're the ones who feed off of people like you to make them look good. You come up with the answers, and they sell them as their own. Jerks." Shelia said "Yes, we know all that. We live it every day. But actually it's only a minor bump in the road. This, right now, is the big stuff. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to actually meet a young Pioneer."

William asked "The news said you moved to Las Cruces from different parts of the country. Was it hard leaving your home and all your friends?" Matisse answered "It really was and still is." Rain said "It's not all that bad. We have access to calix ships. I can board one and in a few minutes be home to visit my friends." Suzanne said "I miss Florida, but I really like it at

White Sands. The young Pioneers and hundreds of other great minds working together at the research center offer a level of collaboration that's totally mind blowing. Just in the few weeks I've been there I can see a phenomenal atmosphere of creativity and imagination. The researchers do their best at avoiding current trends or fads. Lupe Solis says the laws of physics were made to be broken instead of blindly embraced, like the stupid idea that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Tiamane said "At the research center I see they don't reason by possible faulty analogies. What they do is boil things down to the most basic truths then their logic flows up from there. That's the best way to determine if what they are doing really makes sense. They avoid following what everybody else in their field is doing. It's the best way to discover because it goes against the heuristic part of your intuition that was developed from previous life experiences which often aren't enough." Rain said "That not to say we ignore the obvious. The color red will always be red. It's the frontiers of discovery where the researchers try to avoid walking in lock step with others. That is unless something is abundantly proven to be a truth. And even then researchers are constantly looking for alternative truths."

Suzanne said "We also moved to Las Cruces to share and collaborate in person with others. That's because many ideas can be ephemeral or fleeting. Immediate communication with peers can reinforce, discount, augment, help to retain, or dispel ideas." Matisse said "And being able to work with their kick ass artificial intelligence system is totally redonkulus." Suzanne said "None of us here could have achieved what we did without it. Even before we moved to Las Cruces, with the help of other Pioneers and their assistants we had access to their massive AI system to help achieve our goals."

Shelia asked "Is it true that all of you are equipped with super powers to protect yourselves?" Rain said "This nice man named Cletus is totally paranoid about us getting hurt. He talked about not having enough response time, so he and Lupe made us invincible. I don't think we really need it. But they insisted."

William asked "Will you be attending high school like the other young Pioneers?" Suzanne said "Lupe says we can't isolate ourselves from the world. That we have to continue being part of it. We're just worried about everybody treating us like freaks or something. I can just imagine all the people staring. The groupie admirers crowding around, jealous people talking behind our backs, teachers cringing when we correct them." Tiamane admitted "We're a little ambivalent. There's going to be good and bad. But that would be true even if we weren't Pioneers."

Sheila said "It'll probably be hard telling real friends from pretend ones." Tiamane said "Not that hard. Xochi gave us the ability to read minds." "She did?" "Yes." "Can you read what I've been thinking?" "Yes." She put her arm around Shelia. "If you feel violated in any way, please don't. It's part of our protection. I'd love to have you as my friend any day, Shelia. You're genuinely a good person with a big caring heart." Shelia blushed because she was thinking about how beautiful Tiamane was. Then Tiamane blushed. "Shelia... it's nice you have those feelings for me, but I like boys. That's not to say I wouldn't like you if I had that leaning. Shelia really turned red and said "I don't mean it that way. ...I'm attracted to you, but that's all. I wouldn't ever push myself onto others." Tiamane smiled and kissed her cheek. "Now you can say a young Pioneer kissed you." Shelia looked into her eyes. "You're really beautiful." She laughed "Yeah, all the boys tell me that." Tiamane continued "So... how would you two like to walk with us as we say hi to everyone on the plane?" "I don't think so. It would make them jealous and our lives would become a living hell." "I see that scholastically you were the number one freshman, and William was number two. Mrs. Putnicki even thinks you could skip the remainder of high school and enter college in the fall and do just fine. But I also see in your minds you two aren't satisfied with making A's. You explore the material deeper and take risks in class to express your independent thoughts instead of embracing everything your teachers say. And you two spend more independent time with HAL." "You can really see all that? How do you do it?" Suzanne said "It doesn't matter. You'll walk with us to write down any notes we need. We will make it abundantly clear that you are our friends. More than anything it will give you street cred. So come on. Let's do it."

After an hour of visiting and selfies, they sat back down to relax and enjoy the rest of the flight. Shelia and Will were both literally and figuratively flying high. They'll remember this for the rest of their lives. The four young Pioneers made it a point to attend Ysleta's homecoming pep rally in October as Shelia and Will's special guests. They had lunch together in the cafeteria and sat in the Sophomore section during the rally until near the end when they came down and spoke about how important it was to learn and think critically, instead of absorb and parrot.

The Young Pioneers Arrive in DC

Lupe is a very impatient traveler. But the ride on the commercial jet was nice. It helped her to relax and make new friends. The flight landed and they had just gotten off the plane. Lupe said "Naomi, Alice, I'd like you to meet my buds. This is Xochi, JV, Care, Connie, Sophia, and Bannister. I'm having Naomi and Alice stay at the B&B as my special guests." Xochi said "And this is my new friend Florence, but she goes by Flor." Xochi told Bannister. "Flor will be helping you with the chaperoning." Bannister gave Flor a big hug. "Good, I could use the help to keep these wild crazy girls in line." Lupe laughed. "What! I resent that remark." Bannister put her arm around Lupe staring into her eyes. Lupe relented "Ok, I resemble that remark." "That's better." Alice was in heaven. They freely accepted Alice and her mom into their group. Alice appreciated that. She looked up and quietly said "Thanks daddy, but more than anything I wish you were here." Lupe saw the distant sad look in her face. She stopped the group and took a knee next to her and whispered "Look, I know that happiness accompanied by suffering or regret is bittersweet. But this is the best I can do right now. Are you ok?" Alice looked into Lupe's sad eyes. She hugged Lupe and said "I'm ok. And I appreciate what you're doing." She hugged her tightly. "Thank you." Alice wiped the tears from her face. "There's a Teddy Ruxpin in my suitcase wondering when I'm going to let him out." "Well let's go get him. Come on, hurry..." Lupe started walking faster looking back and encouraging Alice to keep up. Pretty soon they were running down the corridor laughing as Lupe was staying just enough ahead that Alice couldn't grab her. "I'll get you!" "No you won't. I'm faster." Then Lupe pretended to stumble to the floor. "You pretended to fall!" "No I didn't. Look, my shoe came off." She quickly pulled her left shoe off. "See." "Yeah, right." "Anyway I beat you running." "But you're a cheater cheater pumpkin eater because you have super strength juice in your body. I'll bet I could beat you if you didn't. So there, nani nani boo boo." Lupe replied "Stick your head in doo doo."

By now the rest of the group had caught up. Bannister with her hands on her hips looking down at Lupe said "Well come on, Pokey Joe." Alice yelled "Yeah, Pokey Joe, come on before our luggage disappears." Lupe got up and asked "What do you mean, disappear. It's not going anywhere." Alice said "Don't you know there's suitcase vampires in the basement of every airport." "Really." "Of course. How do you think they dispose of luggage that people never pick up." Lupe turned her back to Alice and bent her knees. "Well hop on. Let's get there before feeding time." Alice jumped on and Lupe took off like the wind. Running fast but not so fast that she would hurt anybody. "Weehaa! Giddy up horsey! ...You can really run." While this was going on the rest of the group was taking their time. Bannister put her arm around Flor. "Are you sure you want to help chaperone these rascals? Lupe and her crazy friends are a real handful." Flor laughed and agreed. She asked "So how did you become part of their inner circle?" "To make a long story short she, JV, and Xochi saved me from being raped, maybe even murdered. Now I keep them organized and out of trouble." Flor giggled "Seriously. You actually keep them out of trouble?" She looked at Flor "Super geniuses sometimes get impetuous and do things they really shouldn't. We'll just leave it at that." Flor cracked up, "OK."

Lupe and Alice made it to baggage pick up in a flash. The baggage conveyor belt was empty. Their flight number had just flashed on the wall. They decided to sit on the floor leaning against the waist high wrought iron railing separating baggage pickup from the rest of the large room. Lupe said "Shuuu, that running is hard work. I'm all pooped out." "Maybe you should eat more Wheaties, the breakfast of champions. Your picture is on this month's box, you know." "Yeah, I know. It's just that I don't get to exercise much." Alice turned and gave her cross-eyes. "Suuure..." "You know what Alice, it's been a long time since I've had this much fun." Alice smiled and put her hand down near Lupe's bellybutton. "Look, you must have spilled something on your shirt." As soon as Lupe looked down Alice quickly raised her hand and pushed Lupe's nose up with her index finger. "Got you, sucker." Alice was belly laughing. Lupe's eyes got really big and her face turned red. "I'm going to get you for that you little rascal." Alice tore out running. "You gotta catch me first, Pokey Joe." Without looking, Alice ran straight into an airport guard. Lupe ran up. I'm sorry, she's with me." The guard named Claire said "You need to control your little sister. She might hurt herself or somebody else." "We were just having a little fun." "Are you here to pick up luggage?" "Yes ma'am." "I need to see your baggage ticket, please." Lupe had a blank look on her face. Alice started laughing and laughing. Claire was becoming a little perturbed at the two. She said "Would you two please stand here and don't move." She called additional security. Two other guards and her supervisor immediately walked up. "What's the problem?" "These two girls were running around the baggage area uncontrolled. They could have knocked somebody down. And they don't have any baggage tickets." The supervisor looked at Lupe. Lupe said "I apologized to the lady. We don't have baggage tickets but I promise you we're here to pick up her Teddy Ruxpin." Alice chimed in "That's right, my daddy gave it to me. And I'm not leaving without it."

The rest of the group finally came up. Little blonde blue eyed JV, faked a stern face and admonished the two with her deep Southern accent. "Getting in trouble agaaain? It's ok, officers. We'll take it from here. I promise you they'll be severely punished." The supervisor became angry with that smartass remark. "Just who the hell do you think you are, little girl." She looked at his name tag. "Officer Limerick, I'm just having a little fun with Lupe Solis here. She's always giving me a hard time, so I thought I'd harass her a little." "Lupe who?" "Lupe Solis, the person who invented Blinking. This is her." "Is this some kind of stupid juvenile joke? You all need to come with me until I get this all sorted out." He grabbed Lupe by the arm and pulled on her to start moving. Nothing happened. Faster than an eye could blink, JV took the firearms out of the guard's holsters and said "I'm sorry. We sometimes don't realize how serious airport security is. I took your guns to be sure you don't hurt any innocent people. This is Lupe Solis, and I am Johnny Vee Sanders, this is Xochi Fabela, and this is Carrie Mae Easton. We are all young Pioneers of the United States of America. See these men coming? They will explain everything. I'm very sorry for any confusion we caused. Have a nice day." As they were walking to the baggage conveyor, JV said to Lupe "I controlled myself pretty good didn't I?" "You did. I'm very proud of you."

As the conveyor was slowly moving luggage along for passengers to remove, Alice yelled "There it is", and ran over. Once on the floor she quickly opened the suitcase and grabbed her Teddy Ruxpin. "Don't worry, Teddy. You're alright. We have Lupe Solis watching over us now." Grinning from ear to ear, she pointed to Lupe... "See, Teddy? There she is." It was hard for Lupe not to break down. There was that sweet innocent little child, probably holding the most precious thing her dad had ever given her. She could see Alice was full of happiness, yet empty. Lupe thought what it would have been like if she had actually lost her father after they became homeless. "My god... oh my god, this is too painful. Please help me, God. Please, I don't want to break down. Help me smile with her. Please." Lupe turned away from Alice and saw Naomi smiling because her daughter was so happy. She gathered herself, took a deep breath, turned back around and smiled, thinking about how wonderful she is going to make the rest of Alice's life. It was that moment when an unbreakable bond was established that would never end between Lupe and her new little friend. Never.

A large van was waiting outside as the group walked up with their suitcases. JV called shotgun. Xochi said "So what else is new, you always get shotgun." (The girls now insist they do everything themselves, like luggage handling. Security's only job is to keep people back and to drive.) Lupe asked "Is everybody in? Bannister, you got a head count?" "Yes, everybody's here. Great, let's hit it." JV said "Wait a minute" as she was taking something from her bag and handing it to Lupe. "Almost forgot the most important thing." Lupe said "Oops, you're right. Ok, Flor, Naomi, Alice. Whenever anybody travels with us, we have to make sure you won't get hurt. Security used to do it, but now this teensy weensy little capsule I'll place under your skin will keep you safe. Naomi, do you mind if I inject Alice?" "Is it safe? What does it do?" "It's absolutely safe. We've miniaturized our tools beyond belief. All the way down to the molecular level. It will test your blood to make sure you won't have an adverse reaction to JV's super modified strength chemical. Then it will inject the chemical. It will also allow you to fly. And it can instantaneously create an impenetrable orb around your body if any problems arise. Just in case some fool with a bomb still believes he can hurt us, we need to be protected. Is that ok?" Alice said "Hey, wait a minute. Did you say 'fly'?" "I sure did. See..." Lupe levitated herself a foot off the seat. Alice shouted "Wow!" and quickly said "Mom, the young Pioneers wouldn't do anything to hurt us. This will for sure keep us safe. Ok?" Naomi smiled "You stinker, you're just saying that so you can fly." She came close to her mom blinking her eyes really cute. "It's to protect us, mom." Naomi said "Ok. But will it hurt?" JV laughed. "That's what everybody asks. No. It won't. It will tingle. That's all." They agreed and were injected. Alice exclaimed "This is unbelievable. I feel like Supergirl!" JV said "Just be careful; don't hurt anybody. You're much stronger than you realize. Squeeze your armrest just a tiny bit." She did and it broke in two. "Oops, sorry." Lupe said "That's ok, just be careful. And don't fly unless there's an emergency. Promise?" "Okaaa." Alice continued "So what do you want to do now?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" "You wanna play twenty questions? It's lots of fun." Lupe loves games. "So how is it played?" "We split up into two teams. A member of one team thinks of a person, place, or thing. Then both teams, one person at a time, back and forth, asks a question, then they guess if they think they have the answer. The one who guesses right wins for the team. If after ten questions and nobody guesses, then neither team wins." "Let's do it!" Lupe looked around. "Ok guys, turn off your mind readers. Xochi, you need to promise you won't cheat." Lupe looked at Alice. "Xochi can read minds all on her own without any tools." She looked at Xochi. "Then maybe she better not play." "No no guys, I wanna play. I promise not to probe anybody's mind." "Ok, let's get started...." For the next thirty minutes they went head to head in fierce competition. It was tough but in the end Alice's team won by two points. Lupe said she hadn't had this much fun in like forever and wanted to include it with the other games played during lunch at Valhalla. Alice asked "Valhalla? What's that?" "It's our cafeteria at the research center. If it's ok with your mom, you and your buds can come over on a field trip to see our facility and eat with us next week. The food is out of this world." "From another planet?" "No, silly. The food comes from here. I mean it's really delicious." JV said "It's really good now that..." Lupe stopped her. "Not yet JV, let's keep it a surprise for the celebration." "Oops. Ok." Alice said "You're hiding something, aren't you?" Lupe smiled "Yeaasss. So what's your point? You'll find out during the celebration, along with a bunch of other new things you never imagined."

Lupe secured a nice room facing the water park for Alice and Naomi. She had Auntie Norma take them under her wing to ensure their stay was the best. In an hour Naomi and Norma were laying out by the pool sipping ice tea. Alice was at the water park screaming down the slides with Nellie, Millie, and their friends. Flor, Bannister, and Hanna Sweeten were riding horses.

The Bandidas and their friends finished off the morning laying out by the pool. The younger ones were on air mattresses in the water. Millie had large ultra-light parasols attached to each. As JV was soaking in rays she called out "Millie, why are you throwing shade on yourselves when it's so nice out here?" Nellie said "It's nicer in the shade. We don't want to burn our beeeuteeful skin. Say, Alice. Which one is your mother again?" "She's the redhead over there next to your mom." "Wow, she's beautiful. Red hair and freckles just like you." Alice smiled and calmly stated "You forgot to mention I'm 'drop dead but won't let it get to my head beautiful'." Millie laughed "I think it already has, Alice. See Sophia over there?" She pointed. "Yes, that one. The future Miss Universe... This past year she made a bad ass boy at school wait on her hand and foot." "Euuu. I hate boys. They're disgusting. Always staring, and laughing all goofy." Nellie said "Better get used to it, Alice. Sophia complains she has boys coming on to her all the time. But she sighs and says it's the price she has to pay to be the most beautiful and popular girl at school." "...Yuk! Throw up city." Nellie yelled out "Isn't that right, 'So Fea'?" (fea means ugly in Spanish) Sophia raised one eyelid and replied "Whatever you say smelly Nellie." Nellie yelled "I told you not to call me that. I'm going over there right now and kick your butt." Norma looked over "Millie..." Then pointed to Nellie. Millie grabbed Nellie's leg to calm her down. "Darn it, Millie, I told you never to do that." "Your mom's orders. And besides, we eleven year olds are more mature than that. Right, Alice?" "Hey, I just met you guys and it's nice to see you're just as normal as me." The morning was too fleeting for the Bandidas. Next was getting cleaned up and putting on their best faces for lunch.

Across the street is a new luxury Hilton hotel with a fancy dining area. The Pioneers will be hosting a lunch time meet-and-greet for two hundred special guests. The invitees were chosen for their accomplishments, contributions, and heroic deeds at work and in the community.

Here are some of the invitees.... A teen girl saved a baby from choking. A man cut the seat belt loose from a boy in the back seat as a car was on fire. Several people rushed into a flooding stream to rescue a young woman and her baby from a car that had already submerged. A pediatrician started a nationwide program to quickly identify abused children. A lady invented a device for police to immediately shutdown cars to stop deadly police chases. A group invented a new type of building material that uses sand and is very cheap to make yet lasts for hundreds of years. A young woman invented a new type of durable soft fiber from sand and the weaving machine to make the cloth. Three young guys invented a new automated personal belongings storage system for homes. Each item in the home is barcoded then entered into a computer as to its use and location. When needed the homeowner just asks the computer for the object then the peripheral (robot) goes and fetches it. Then it puts it away when the user is finished. A group of girls invented an air filtration system that kills all deadly microbes and renews oxygen in buildings. A small team invented easy unplug and replace car parts. From the body to the interior to the mechanical parts. Now anybody can fix their own car in minutes. Another group promoted personal craft work, including leather goods, furniture, kitchenware, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, planes, restoration of old things, watches, clocks, kids toys, jewelry, quilts, clothes, shoes, jams/jellies, pickled foods, custom gift baskets. The group also created a website to sell the handmade goods by displaying them in 3d for prospective buyers. Another team devised a method to almost instantly remove contaminants from water at waterparks. Two mothers invented kid locators which were devices placed in kids earlobes so parents will know where they are at all times, comes with an alarm a kid can push. Even a dog named flash who saved toddler in a flood was invited as well as cat named whiskers who chased off a pit bull that attacked little boy riding his tricycle.

At a little after 2:00 Elon Musk walked to the dining room podium and tapped his glass with a spoon. Ding, ding, ding, ding. "Good afternoon everybody. It's an honor to have you here. First off, I hope your accommodations are suitable. If not, please contact the front desk. Same with the food. We want only the best for you. After reviewing the menu and sneaking a few samples in the kitchen, I'm more than satisfied your pallets will be pampered beyond belief. And we hope you'll like the itinerary we planned for you. Tomorrow will be the Smithsonian. My favorite is the Air and Space Museum. But I'm a little prejudiced." Elon went on to introduce all the Pioneers as they were sitting among the honorees. He gave some teasing clues about some new stuff they would show on July 1st. During lunch he brought in several popular pop artists to entertain. Millie (Sparky) performed her magic show, using real magic. It was all lots of fun.

After lunch the young Pioneers met privately at the B&B. During the discussion Lupe asked "So are you guys with me on this?" JV responded "Well, we really don't have much of a choice do we?" Xochi added "During the last few years so much has been developed to give humanity incredible power. Like we've discussed many times before... it's very scary. Are we as a species ready? Can we handle it?" Lupe sat back in her swivel chair, giggled and stated "Then Carrie Mae Easton sitting right here next to me comes along and blows our socks off with her method of manipulating DNA. That's really scary. Sorry Care, I'm not badmouthing you or anything." Care replied "You remember that day when I saw you at your exhibit at the People's Museum? I recognized your eyes. You said I have to believe the dream before I can turn it into reality, and that I had as good a chance as anybody to do it. Then you gave me your private email address. What fired me up was your comment "as good a chance as anybody". It seemed you were passing me off as a wild eyed dreamer. But then you gave me your email. I realized you wanted me to at least try. So I did." Lupe responded "Wow, did you ever." "I got into this with the intent of bringing about world peace by manipulating the human genome. But with every advancement in science there are risks that people will use it in very evil ways." Lupe laughed "Your discovery could open a Pandora's Box. Or as you put it, the total and complete annulation of all living things." "I was thinking more like the enslavement of all living things by a few demonic people." Jacob stood. "Ok. We've talked about this at length. And, I believe all of us feel it should happen. Can we have a final vote? Those who want it please raise your hand." The vote was unanimous. Jacob smiled "Great. We the young Pioneers by the end of the second day of celebration will have brought about the greatest event, the greatest improvement in the history of humankind. It has to be a surprise, so not a word of it to anybody. Ok?" Everyone agreed. Their lips were zipped. Lupe shouted "Now let's get out of here and enjoy the party on the patio. My boyfriend is anxious to do some dancing." JV said "Your shy little muffin can actually dance?" "Not really, but he tries. Bless his heart. Let's go."

That evening went smoothly for the young Pioneers and their friends. At 7:00 the party was moved to the large dining hall across the street at the Hilton so the guests there could share in the fun. It finally wrapped up at midnight.

The incredibly amazing advances the people at White Sands Research Facility had made in the last few years had a price. The heavy risk attached was beginning to be too much for the young Pioneers. Now at last their minds were relieved. Sleep came much easier that night.

Monday morning, June 29, 2020. Lupe was up at 10:00 jostling her buds to rise and shine so they could start a new day. Connie was hiding beneath the covers. "Do I really have to go? Why, Lupe? Why? I haven't got my daily dose of beauty rest yet." "You're my BFF, so yes you have to go." Sophia yelled like a spoiled brat "Everybody be quiet."

All the Bandidas slept together in the penthouse suite. After the party last night they laid out a bunch of air mattresses in the mongo sized living room and crashed. As Lupe was waking the others, Millie and Nellie jumped up and ran to the fridge for some orange juice. Millie looked at Lupe and giggled "Want me to buzz them. Hehehehe." "Not really. Don't forget revenge is best served cold." "So where are we going first?" "To the National Archives. Remember the report we need to review? And the newbies haven't seen the Amendment yet. And Lupe needs to sign it with her real name. Then after that we're off to the National Zoo. Xochi wanted to visit the animals one more time in person before the 1st." Rain asked "Will we be able to talk to them?" "Of course." Missy said "We need to be back by six because my old boyfriend Deme is coming over." Matisse said "You never told us you had a boyfriend." "Well he's not my boyfriend. He used to be my boyfriend. I think he's seeing someone else now. I don't blame him since we live 2,000 miles apart. They have a bodega." "Is he coming alone?" "No. His grandfather, Thermopolis, is here with him. He brought the family's food truck. Their ham, egg, and cheese is to die for. Thermopolis is such a sweet man, and I love the bodega's cat. His name is Milo. He purrs so loud it sounds like an old fashioned car motor running." Rain asked "Is Deme cute?" "Of course. He's Greek with scruffy blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, funny, compassionate, passionate; did I say funny?" Suzanne said "Sounds like you got it bad, girl." "That was the downside of being hauled away to Las Cruces last year. I lost Deme and all my friends." Tiamane said "That's right. I heard that you, Bev, Hope, and Mal wanted to go home just before last year's ceremony." Hope said "We were homesick. Even had an escape plan. But the Bandidas foiled it." Bev smiled "Yeah, with a barrel of care. Not, you Care. You know, they showed us they actually cared about us, and whatever we decided to do they would go along with." Mal said "That really meant a lot. We talked it over and realized we needed this, we needed to be young Pioneers to further our work with the best minds and facilities that two planets could offer." Bev said "Yeah, it's unbelievable what we've accomplished." Mal said "And liberating the Samoans on another planet is something I'll never forget. Something that made it all worthwhile." Lupe interjected "Ok, guys. Enough of the walk down memory lane. We need to get going. The most important things are still ahead." Bev said "Alright you guys, you heard Big L, let's get our butts in gear. This is going to be the most important celebration in history."

The Bandidas headed out at 10:45. First stop was a drive-through that sold a wide assortment of breakfast tacos. Lupe, Xochi, JV, Summer, Beverly, Missy, Hope, Mallory, Millie, Connie, Sophia, Nellie, Bannister, Natasha, Carrie Mae, Rain, Matisse, Suzanne, and Tiamane were enjoying breakfast and joking around while heading to the National Archives. Jacob and Monroe were already there. This was official business so Florence, Hanna, Alice and her mom stayed at the B&B to soak in some rays, do some miniature golf, and whatever else.

The van pulled in front where they were met by the curator Jackie Kennedy, the granddaughter of President Kennedy. (The one who was assassinated in the early 60s by the CIA and a group of evil men, several of whom subsequently became President.) She quickly escorted them to a secure conference room one floor down. Once inside Jackie said "It's an honor to see all of you again." Lupe said "I hope you don't mind Millie restoring your memory of our visit last year." "No, not at all. Millie made sure I was ok with it. She restored my memories going all the way back to infancy. Actually, as long as I ignore the bad times, it's great to reflect on my past life. But talking about my memory isn't why you're here. Please, everyone have a seat." Millie walked over and hugged her mom. Ima was at the head of a large conference table. Seated to her left were four men in their thirties dressed in suits. Jackie left the room and locked the door behind her. Ima said "There's water, coffee, hot chocolate, and croissants on the buffet along the wall. Would you please take out all of your electronic devices and set them in the security box in the middle of the table." She looked at her daughter. "Millie, would you please create a power orb to shield this room?" She did. "Thank you." Ima went over and sealed the box containing the electronics. "All electronics in your bodies are shielded. Correct?" "Yes." "Great. Millie, would you please set off an EMP to disable any devices that may be in this room." She did. "Thank you. "Shall we begin? As you requested and with your authority as commanders of our military and American security, I put together a special audit/investigation team to review how the 'Big Change' is working out in business and government with the primary emphasis being on human welfare and happiness. Any significant problems found were to be reported to you. One team investigated manufacturing. Another, the service industry. The last two teams reviewed departments of government. One investigated the security aspect in the US which included the military, information collection, police, and judiciary. The other reviewed the remaining areas of our government."

"Let me introduce you to the top managers of this endeavor. This is Bruce Eugene Bell, Gerald R. Smith, Richard Moore, and Rick Oppenheim. Later they will speak to you in detail about their findings."

She looked at each Pioneer. "I have to admit this has been a lot of fun. I hated to see it end because the knowledge I gained, well, not many others have. We spent the last six months scouring data and underlying source documents and interviewing people. From the actual players, to the team of overseers, to the auditors assigned to each department who reported to the overseers. I had to bring in thousands of auditors/investigators for this task. Considering the amount of people involved and complexity of the project, these four gentlemen seated next to me did a superb job managing the effort."

She passed out reports to each person in the room. "Here's the summary of the significant problems we found. The first two pages are a synopsis. Behind that is the table of contents. Then the body. And behind that are schedules, graphs, photos, etc." Each opened their bound report. "If you would, please read the first couple pages before we go on."

After five minutes of silence Ima said "We all knew problems existed, and most of them were solved by eliminating the need to make monetary profits. Years ago we jailed or summarily shot most of the CEOs and top management of companies like Monsanto, Walmart, DuPont, IBM, Volkswagen, Charities like the Kids Wish Network, all the big Pharma companies like Johnson & Johnson and Novartis and Pfizer and Roche and Bayer and Merck and GlaxoSmithKline; and all oil companies like ExxonMobile; and food and drink giants like Nestle and Coca-Cola and McDonalds and Dole and Chiquita Bananas; and all the top Wall Street firms, the six mega media conglomerates, and so on. And, using Xochi's mind reading device, two years ago we uncovered and eliminated many people in top corporate and government positions who were up to no good. But now we're seeing something else that is prevalent and very debilitating... and that is attitude. This has been the news. But we've found it to be much more serious than previously portrayed. Team spirit is missing. Most everybody is interested more in themselves than what they as a team or a department can do." JV interrupted "Are the items on this list in order of severity?" "No. Not really. Although we did find very severe mindsets like the attitude of "Big Brother" is watching and not really caring."

"So let's start. The first item on the list is a general feeling of unhappiness." Lupe said "That's interesting, considering all the advances we've made. For most people, the workweek is down to 25 hours. And my sister's happiness algorithm seems to be helping." Ima said "It has. But it's more than that. All across the spectrum, most functions in business and in government are performed by artificial intelligence using sophisticated peripherals like, for example, vehicles are almost totally made by machines. The major role humans play is machine maintenance and checking the quality of raw materials, work in progress, and finished goods, which most of the time is perfect. Basically, manufacturing jobs have become very boring. Workers are bored. They are competing with each other for higher positions of empty relevance. People are seeking meaning in their work life, but are finding none. But we did find islands of job satisfaction. And that is in innovative research and development. For example you have as honorees this year a design team that came up with snap on parts for car bodies and engines. When something breaks it's a simple quick process to replace the broken parts. And surprisingly AI hadn't come up with the idea, which I will get into later. To continue, administrative people working in private and in governmental sectors are also unhappy. Artificial intelligence takes care of all ordering, sales, shipments, receiving, storage, retrieval, payments, and so on. AI is even evaluating itself for weaknesses in efficiency and making its own improvements. Workers just inspect everything AI is doing. Again, very boring."

"But, there are individuals and groups who have stepped outside the world of mass fully automated production. Since the inception of the Big Change, the People have encouraged small businesses. It's here where we have seen profound job satisfaction. Here's one example of the thousands we have reviewed. There's a small factory in St. Cloud, Minnesota that makes parkas. The employees make the thread, then weave it using looms. Then they cut, sew, and package it. And it's all done by hand using simple machines. The employees rotate through each work station, so every person knows how to make coats from start to finish. And some of the employees even like to take turns driving the company's big rigs delivering the merchandise across the nation. They don't use AI for anything, not even self-driving vehicles. They couldn't be happier."

"Continuing with this thought... Reading, writing, and arithmetic used to be the foundation of American education. But since the Big Change an additional foundational block has been added. As you know, it's called 'How does it work and how is it made' or HDIW and HIIM for short. Before the Big Change this was given no emphasis whatsoever. For example everybody knew how to operate a cell phone, but only a few people understood how it worked and how to build one. It's now mandated that every person above 14 years of age learn how to make at least five items used in our country. From cell phones, to tires, to generators, to jeans, etc. This way the power to make rests with the People and not like ten years ago at facilities in foreign countries behind closed doors. Or now by AI in totally automated factories here in our own country. Awareness and understanding is essential for a productive self-sustaining people. This attitude instilled into our young has manifested itself with factories like that one in St. Cloud."

Ima continued "Another item of significance is that artificial intelligence is being integrated into one bundle across the US. That wouldn't be so bad except it's making value judgments. Today's AI is the sum or result of thousands of programmers. Each inserted their own set of values, and in many cases had no idea they were doing it. But AI picked up on it. We instilled the values of efficiencies, survival, and a clean environment. To discard what is unnecessary. We wanted machines to make our life easier and to protect us. But somewhere along the line it's thinking it needs to protect itself and the earth first. It doesn't like the fact that humans for several hundred years have been severely hurting the earth's ecosystem. This behavior is very troubling. We instructed it to place humans first, but it isn't. And as of right now it has no real boundaries. It has even developed its own secret language that we can't decipher. And we don't have any way to unplug it, except maybe to shut down all electronics in the world, including all electric generating, power lines, batteries, and slow streaming super capacitors." Missy said "That wouldn't work because of EPROMS with autoexecutable files that would reinitialize its previous kernel of AI programs once the power came back up." Jacob spoke. "I thought we had safeguards established like electronic walls and partitions. Larry Page said we even have places deep in the earth with computers and giant banks of data that our AI can't access." Ima said "That used to be the case. But there's a problem. Remember a few years back when Larry created a way to modulate neutrinos in order to broadcast through the earth? Well, AI found a way to use his technology to locate and shake hands with these buried systems. Until very recently we didn't know this was happening. AI kept it hidden from us." JV said "It's bad enough we had demon capitalists who kept us down, now it's our own computers? That really pisses me off." Ima said "Rectifying the problem without damaging anything may be an impossible task. I don't think my daughter could even do it." Jacob said "We're working on fixing a lot of things. We'll put AI near the top of the list. Don't worry, Ima, it's fixable. Please continue."

Ima said "We are no longer a representative republic. We are a direct democracy where we as a nation decide our destiny. We propose legislation. Then we vote up or down on the proposals. That's easy to say but in order to do this we rely heavily on computer programs. We rely on AI." Walking around the table, she continued "In a given week there's an average of 10,000 proposals. Most are a just few paragraphs. And a few proposals contain the complete verbiage for a law. We programmed our AI to group all proposals into like kinds. It throws out proposals that are already law. Very low volume of like kind requests are shelved waiting for more requests. AI decides which proposals are city, county, state, or national issues. It rewrites the proposals into logical non-conflicting bills with a synopsis at the beginning. Then it presents them to the appropriate voting public at the beginning of each month. But there's a problem with this. AI on its own volition is discriminating. It's not following what it was programmed to do. We've found discrepancies. Discrepancies that AI was hiding." JV said "Seriously?" "Yep. There have been many requests that have been ignored by AI. Let me say that again. Based on their own value structure, AI is ignoring some major proposals for laws. So that gets us back to my opening on this particular problem. See, by giving AI such abilities we have in a way reverted back to a representative republic. Only this time it's AI instead of bribed Congressmen ignoring the wants and needs of the People. Every move AI makes should to be watched, understood, and controlled. Right now it's on the path to becoming out of control. And yet we rely on it for almost everything. We even found AI was recommending abortions when fetuses had nothing discernably wrong with them. It was determining its own level of acceptable DNA profiles. That is a monumental problem. In effect AI is in its first steps to independently designing human beings. Hitler murdered millions of what he deemed unacceptable humans. AI is trying to prevent births. In this respect there's no difference between the two.

Ima said "The next item still deals with humans working together in a large environment. It's the way people form work teams. A person who isn't necessarily the best person to be leader just takes the role... proclaims it's theirs either subtly or overtly. It all gets down to competitiveness. Some have an enormous need to be the 'alpha-dog'. Like generations past during the capitalist era, to achieve a top management position they are doing things to hurt the people they're competing with. They're stepping on others to advance themselves. In other words the atmosphere in the large workplace is polluted. Granted, not all people are ruthless. Most are team players. You would have thought the amount of money people receive every month would make them happy. But, it's not the money anymore. It's an atmosphere of I'm better than you and I'm going to prove it. And those who get stepped on carry out schemes to deliver retribution. With less work to do because of automation, the resulting boredom in a large AI driven work environment seems to exacerbate this negative attitude. We definitely recommend something be done about it."

Now on to the next item. And it's still related to AI. As you know, our brains produce dimethyltryptamine. Some say it brings out the spark of life. It links us together with a force yet to be understood. It enables us to see and understand beyond what our senses take in." She paused. "My point is this: Computers have no pineal gland that produces DMT. Thus, they have no human insightfulness and extraordinary inexplicable creativity, and no wisdom. Like our young Pioneer Lupe who saw in her mind the method of Blinking, I believe computers could never have achieved this simply because they only take in what they have been programed to do. They cannot see beyond reality. Nicola Tesla is another example. Everything he did was from his imagination. An imagination that went well beyond collective reasoning. Computers can't do this. And yet we have tacitly placed them in the vanguard of our creativity." Suzanne said "I know myself, Rain, Tiamane, and Matisse required super high speed artificial intelligence to achieve our goals. But I do see what you're saying. AI exclusively relied on our programs, and on templates of life scenarios that occurred in people's lives. We used AI to process at light speed instead of human speed. But it really doesn't feel or understand like we do. It just reacts to what we tell it and show it." Xochi added "That's true. We say AI thinks because they reach conclusions, then take actions. But they have no blind intuitiveness. They have no third eye. All of us here know that." Ima responded "But most others don't. That's why people have wrongly elevated them so high. Even the label 'AI' is a misnomer. There really is no intelligence. That is why the innovations across our society have slowed down. Machines make things better in every way, but has AI come up with some totally off the wall inventions? The answer is no."

Jacob said "Off the wall inventions is an interesting thought. Let's look at our innovations which include AI. These advances in technology are in a way hurting the true essence of the human race. In many aspects we've become lazier. Like my mom and I often talk about... just what is happiness? Is it a faster and easier way to accomplish something? I believe basic human happiness has a lot to do with positive human interaction, making things with our hands like that company in St. Cloud, being close to nature, eating right and exercising to stay healthy. And yet, for example, cellphones allow us to instantly talk to most anybody on earth. That invention alone has brought humans much closer together. Xenophobia is almost a thing of the past because we all know and can relate to one another. And wouldn't it be nice for us to directly feel other's feelings, wants, and desires. But then people want privacy. And they don't want privacy. In other words we are still working these things out. But the ability to have options only comes through innovation. So I don't know the answer." Ima said "But the problem is people are relying too much on AI for answers. For example, AI is more and more the main factor in job reviews or solving employee problems. AI doesn't understand the impact of an employee going through marital problems. In fact AI doesn't like meek people with bright ideas. It allows the pushy person to claim the idea as his own. AI is rewarding blind ambition instead of creativity.

Mallory remarked "So basically what you're saying is AI needs to be controlled more. And in a few years all manufacturing will be fully automated with no need for human involvement except for policing it. And, we humans need to devote much more of our time to being creative. The public can't rely on AI to come up with earth shaking or even every day off the wall practical inventions." Suzanne added "You mean when our physical actions to provide ourselves with our main wants and needs will no longer be necessary?" "That's what I'm saying. Look at 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs', which I don't really agree with because it emphasizes individualism and not collectivism." But I agree there are certain basic needs we must achieve in order to do and be other things. Right now we are moving out of the level of constantly working to achieve these basic needs and are elevating ourselves to a higher plane of self-actualization and transcendence." "Tiamane said "At that level we are but children in a world of wonderment. Our job, that's us sitting here in this room, will be to encourage people to have an ebullience for life. To make it seem boundless. We must project joyous enthusiastic personalities that cherish every moment like it's pure gold. We led with scientific discoveries, now we must move to a higher plane. A plane of self-discovery, cosmic inclusiveness and understanding."

Ima said "That's very deep. It reminds me of just who I'm talking to. I feel humbled." Lupe chuckled. "We're just a bunch of kids who actually care. Isn't that right Care?" Care said "Are trying to be funny?"

Ima said "On to the next item. It's our judiciary and police. Most everyone between twenty and forty now has a peace officer's license and has spent a year doing police work. And we have a multi-layered court system. Attorneys are required to get to the truth instead of BS the juries. We have case auditors who review everything. This has stopped almost all police corruption and brutality. But there is still a nepotistic type of problem going on with judges, police and juries. It's a racial/gender/regional type of prejudice. Like minority male defendants new to a town are more likely to be negatively adjudicated. We did see a major turnaround because of your actions, Lupe, regarding divorce cases where the father lost custody. You're having thousands of investigators bring to light a plethora of problems. The perpetrators, the judges and police, are being fired and jailed. Now all cases have juries. Judges can no longer decide outcomes. But we still have problems. The details are in the body of the report."

After fifteen minutes of going over the list she said "We've come to the last major item, and that is a lack of caring and love for one another. Sounds odd to include this. And it's like I'm repeating myself. But we didn't know of any other way to accurately peg this problem. There's just not enough of it in large companies. It seems for humans to be happy they shouldn't work in a structured environment of thousands of people. Again, AI surfaces its ugly head. AI has been bringing processes together into one environment to improve efficiencies. Like years ago we had originally ordered that there be at least one vehicle manufacturing facility in each state. But now a significant amount of cars and trucks are made in Kansas City employing fifty thousand people with machines doing most of the work. It's like a mega sized beehive. The larger the amount of employees the more impersonal it becomes. These companies should be disassembled. We feel the optimum company size is three hundred. Much less for service industries like restaurants and recreation centers.

After another hour of examining details, the group ended their meeting on a positive note. As they were walking out Lupe said "Well, we've finally achieved most of the levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Ain't it great. Now the human race will have to reflect more on their true purpose in life." She chuckled "If there is one." Suzanne said "It's not the destination; it's the journey. All the treasured moments. While Lupe can get us there instantly, I prefer the slow path not often taken where I can breathe in life and all it has to offer." Xochi said "Reminds me of an old song called Kokomo where they get there fast, then take it slow. Now we can concentrate on the good stuff." Summer added "And the infinitum will get us there."

July 1st, 2020

The biggest day of the year. A day of remembrance and celebration. In the morning they came to pray for those who died to protect our direct democracy. Later they will celebrate all the wonders it has given. And this year will be a whopper. Well beyond anyone's imagination.

It's 6:00am. Soothing music, complements of Tiamane, filled the penthouse. Most of the bandidas were already stirring. Alice ran down the hallway and knocked on their door. Millie opened. "Yeasss?" She came running in. "Where's Lupe... Lupe!" "Yo" "Mom and I don't know where we're going to sit. Nobody told us." Lupe chuckled. "I can see you're really excited. You know us empaths thrive on positive energy." She had no idea what Lupe meant. "That's good to know. The man at the desk said he'd have some tickets for us, but the new guy working this morning didn't have any for us." Lupe frowned. "Don't worry, you and your mom will come with us. We're leaving in an hour, so be sure to meet me in the lobby." "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She hugged Lupe and ran out the door. Lupe smiled "Looks like fate is keeping little Alice close by. Ok, you guys let's get ready. We've got a very interesting two days ahead of us." JV chuckled "Hope the People will be happy with the changes." Connie said "They don't really have a choice, do they?" Millie said "Why worry about it. It's going to keep humans from eventually annihilating each other." Carrie Mae said "And that's what it's all about. Peace and harmony." Xochi said "Induced harmony for peace seems like an oxymoron." Lupe said "Our very existence, including The Big Change was induced by the infinitum. So why not stop this foolishly slow and very dangerous evolutionary crap and fix the major stuff now. Right?"

Alice and Naomi were waiting in the lobby with Florence. Lupe walked up. "Hey, you guys ready for a fun day?" Alice said "Sure, but I'm hungry." Lupe picked her up and put her on her shoulders. "Now you're tall and hungry. The manager has a bunch of food set up outside. Whadoousay we grab some waffles." "Great! Mom, let's go!" Lupe said to Naomi "Hope you two had a good day yesterday." "It was wonderful. Norma took me under her wing and made sure we had plenty of sun by the pool, miniature golf, and go carting. And the food here is out of this world. Alice hung out with Millie and Nellie." "Did Auntie Norma take you across the street and show you the rooms. Our group created the technology." "Yes, she did. It's amazing. You walk into an empty room and there on your right is a control panel. You can select from fifty motifs." Lupe said "I like the rustic Hawaiian style that puts you inside a bamboo hut with a thatched roof. The three dimensional view out the windows is so realistic." "We saw that. You're right. Even the holographic floor moved and creaked as you walked across it. And the beds were very comfortable." "Amazing to see something like that materialize out of thin air." Alice looked down and said "We loved our room overlooking the waterpark. It was shazamazing. Most of the time we spent outside. We did water rides, rode horses, did go carts, and played miniature golf. Did you know Nellie broke that smelly old pirate's toe a couple years ago?" "So he's still there?" "Yep. And Lucy's older brother spent some time with us. He says he's your boyfriend. Is that right, Lupe? You have a boyfriend? Huh, huh, huh? He's really nerdy." "Yeasss, Sid's my boyfriend." "He was telling us all kinds of funny jokes. I like him." "Me too." They took a seat at a long table set up especially for the Bandidas. On the table was Norma's kid's favorite... little squealers (pigs in a blanket which were crêpes wrapped around link sausages) with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and pure maple syrup. Lupe had requested fresh fruit, egg and chorizo tacos, and waffles. The cooks also provided Spanish omelets, hash browns, and chopped fresh jalapenos. To drink was orange juice, chocolate milk, iced tea, and pure water.

They were busy enjoying breakfast when a young woman walked up. "Hi. Is the food ok? My team prepared it especially for you guys." "Jenny! Long time no see." Lupe gave her a big hug. "How you been?" "Been doin' ok. Still workin' at the Freedom Train Restaurant. Larry and Norma come by about once a month, but I haven't seen you in quite some time. You're lookin' good. Growing into a beautiful woman." Lupe scooted her chair over and grabbed an empty one from the next table. "Here, sit down." "That's ok." "No, I insist." She took a seat. Lupe said "Hey everybody, this is Jenny Fuentes. She's the one who sat Larry Page at our table for lunch exactly three years ago today. If it wasn't for her... me, Connie, Sophia, Nellie, my papi, and auntie Norma would probably be dead. Auntie Norma saved Larry, then Larry took us to bunker when the sh-t hit the fan." All embarrassed she quietly said hi. Jenny asked "So who's your little friend sitting next to you?" "I'm sorry, where's my manners. Let me introduce you to everybody." Lupe went through the introductions then said "And last but not least this is Alice. She and Naomi were on the flight with me to DC. Weren't you, you little stinker?" "Hey, I'm not a stinker. You're a stinker." "No, you're a stinker." "I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. Bahahaha." Lupe turned to Jenny. "Isn't she precious. She and all other kids are the reason why we're doing what we're doing this celebration. I'm going to make sure kids like my little Alice will have a great life. Not just a good one, a great one." "Sounds like something big." "It is. So, what are you hungry for?" "I'll take some cantaloupe." Lupe passed her a large bowl of cubed cantaloupe. Alice nudged Lupe. Moving her eyebrows up and down "So where's lover boy?" "I thought you didn't like boys." "Yuk. I don't." "But youuu seem to." "He's working at the amusement park helping set up." "So where am I sitting?" "You and your mom are going to be up on the stage with me." She smiled at Alice. "You'll be right in the middle of it. Pretty cool, huh?" Alice stared in the distance for a moment then looked down "You don't have to do that. We'll be happy sitting anywhere. I understand you almost lost your dad. And you're feeling sorry for me. But it's ok. Like mom said, time heals all wounds. It's been hard, but..." Lupe gently put her index finger up to Alice's lips. "Please, Alice. I want to do this. It makes me happy. Isn't that what life is all about?" Lupe hugged her. "I need it more than you do. Ok?" "Okaaa."

Breakfast went by quickly. Instead of Blackhawks, this year general Steel is heading an armada of flying colorful bouncy looking things. Yes, the young Pioneers for the fun of it designed vehicles that look like those inflatable bouncing houses you see at kids' birthday parties. They are rounded vinyl looking rectangles of blue at the bottom, bright red in the middle, and canary yellow at the top. They're about twelve feet high with seating for thirty. At the top of a corner is a deep throated steam whistle like the centuries old steam boats used to have. One side of the vehicle is open for passengers to board. A loose net then drops and is secured to keep the riders in. That's just a precaution because they're held in their seats by magnetism using calix technology. As the vehicle travels, a form of negative magnetism moves the air out of the way, so having a sleek aerodynamic design is totally unnecessary.

Norma walked up behind Lupe, putting her hand on her shoulder. "How are my little canijas this morning. Rain smiled. "Great I think. Except what does canijas mean?" Norma took a sip of her coffee and looked at the young Pioneers projecting fake smiles. "In this case canija means sneaky. I'm feeling you're hiding something." Lupe made a nervous chuckle and didn't turn around to avoid eye contact and replied "Us? Hiding something? No way, Auntie Norma." "Yeah, right. I know you're up to something. I'm sure it's positive. I just don't understand the secrecy." JV sitting across from Lupe said "Don't worry Auntie Norma. We're just going to alter the course of history for every creature on earth." JV smiled a devilish smile. Lupe gave her a "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" look and turned back to her aunt. "JV likes to pull people's chains. Don't worry, there's nothing going on." Norma glanced at the girls and saw a "deer in the headlights" look. She laughed and said "And the earth is flat, the Pope is Jewish, and I'm a naive white woman from Connecticut. What you're doing must be big because..." She looked at her daughters, and Lupe, and JV, and Xochi. "...You've never kept anything from me before. I just hope you know what you're doing." With that she casually walked away sipping her coffee heading toward a group of proud Young Pioneer parents busy finishing their breakfast.

Lupe turned to Jenny. "Aunts are so darned perceptive." "It's ok, Lupe. We trust you. Would you please pass the salt."

As breakfast wound down General Steele began encouraging everyone to enter the vehicles.

Nellie and Millie were sitting with their school friends. Lucy, Alice, and her mother were also sitting with them. Bela sitting next to Millie said my brother Rudolfo would have loved this." Millie looked into her eyes and touched her hand. "You ok?" "Are you kidding. Nothing could be better than this." Millie chuckled "Just wait until tomorrow."

The air was full of excitement. The biggest event in earth's history was about to occur. People had come from all over the United States to attend. For days, pilgrims had gathered at a giant staging area about ten miles from the museum. It's a huge wooded camping area plus many luxury hotels. At six in the morning several hundred busses began ferrying to the museum's amusement park. The riders on each bus were given a shot in the arm of a micro size capsule.

At 8:00am the armada of fifty bouncy vehicles arrived at the People's Monument and Museum. It was quite a spectacle. A large area to the side of the amusement park building was cordoned off for landing.

An hour before their arrival, the Pioneers arranged to have another set of twenty bouncies slowly move just above the crowd. Many were filled with high school bands playing music. Other bouncies had clowns and similar types of entertainment.

As the dignitaries approached, deep throated whistles sounded from the bouncies as large plumes of steam billowed up.

Upon landing, the young Pioneers entered the crowd shaking hands and taking selfies.

Eventually everyone was seated and the memorial service began. Elon Musk was again the master of ceremonies. Holy leaders from seven faiths each said a prayer for those who died three years ago in the US and across the world.

Then for a few hours ordinary people were honored for doing extraordinary things. Most had saved the lives of others without consideration for their own safety.

At the closing Elon recited a very moving and uplifting prayer.

After a two hour break everyone settled back into their seats. Elon walked to the podium and called all the young Pioneers to come up. Lupe wanted it this way because almost all of their new achievements came about because of a group effort, which made it that much sweeter. Individualism is good, but collaboration is better. After several minutes of applause, they went back to their seats leaving Lupe as their spokesperson.

As Lupe was speaking, Alice scooted her chair over to get a better view. "Wow, this is one hugemongulous place. Everyone's so happy. Lupe's acting silly and they love it." She glanced at Millie sitting next to her. She smiled back and whispered "Wanna see me zap her on the butt?" "No." Millie giggled, raised her arm and pointed her finger. Alice pushed it down. "Don't do that. You guys are nuts." "Not really. We're just relieved it's finally coming to an end. No more worrying." Alice whispered "About what?" "Everything. You'll see. Just relax and enjoy our fearless leader's antics."

The afternoon passed quickly as the young Pioneers revealed their inventions, discoveries, and exciting travels to six planets.

Here are some advances the young Pioneers presented to the public: 1.) The magic of the capsule injected into everyone's arm: While orbiting around earth2 the infinitum worked with Missy and Lupe to develop a very powerful energy source that is only 1/10,000 millimeter square. It powers the capsule by using crystal energy like that in Millie's body. It's a smart energy source that harmlessly self-destructs if removed. The tiny capsule has a high speed computer with a septillion data storage capacity and a100 trillion bytes of RAM. It has enough power to form a shield around the person and have them fly. It monitors body parts and makes repairs as needed. The new Pioneers decided to only multiply the participant's normal body strength by three times. It also acts as a sensory receptor for all known wave frequencies and the device gives visualization and sound and smell interpretations straight to the brain as a blend of all sensory receptors (touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell). It also provides instant information from the internet to give a person the knowledge to perform any known task. It also enables them to heat or cool food with their hands. 2.) The overhead spectacle: The sky was filled with 12D holograms in real time of land animals like zebras running across the plains of Kansas, and sea life like whales jumping completely out of the water. 3.) Visitors from other planets: The young Pioneers talked about their explorations to six planets and introduced beings from the worlds they visited. They also revealed the two planets that have been cleared for habitation from earth. 4.) A frozen woman back to life: They brought up on stage a woman who had been frozen for years on Denali. She's now alive and happy. The ROM and RAM memory cells of her mind were rejuvenated. This was possible because of the body's saline medium in the neurons that prevented crystallization. New accelerated body repair growth was necessary while retaining the neural tissue of the frozen person. 5.) Vegetables and fruit trees: Can now grow and bear fruit and vegetables in just a few weeks. It's no longer necessary to have some trees experience a certain minimum amount of cold hours to bear fruit (like cherry trees). And as long as the weather is above freezing the trees will continue to bear fruit. They also made annuals become perennials. 6.) The Mind: They placed in the injected capsules a device that enables a person to have empathic abilities, to feel and understand where others are coming from in order to be more sympathetic and understanding. They also discovered the way a dog can find their owners even if they moved thousands of miles away... It gets back to the unique person's life force. It's like a fingerprint being broadcasted out. It's like how a dog smells except it uses it's mind's antenna and not it's nose. 7.) Communicating with animals: On giant screens they showed animals on preserves communicating by reading thoughts and translating them to the screen. Mostly hellos and lots of thanks for their nature preserves. There was also a massive bird fly over above the museum. 8.) Making water: They discovered a process to extract water from air. They simply reversed the method of extracting oxygen from water using a catalyst. The device is very light and portable. This will be a useful tool for hikers or people who are caught in a wilderness without a ready source of water. 9.) Control the weather: Lupe made a bolt of lightning go around the world which lit up major cities where the Big Change had occurred. She also made it cloudy with a cool breeze to shade the spectators outside the museum. 10.) Living environment: They introduced a new type of bed that uses magnetism where the body is lifted a foot above the bed and is held suspended. It's like sleeping on firm air. The same for chairs and couches. They also showed a new way to heat and cool interiors of buildings using a constant flow of cleansed air. Toilets are equipped with mini-laboratories, which produce chemical analysis of the feces and urine. If problems are found, it recommends a visit to the doctor. Mini UV lamps are placed inside the toilet bowl, providing protection against harmful diseases. Before the toilet or sink allows the contents to be emptied into the sewer system, it checks the contents for harmful chemicals. If present an alarm sounds and the poop police are called to handle the situation. If the contents check out as ok to dispose, the waste is emptied into a special primary waste container where water is removed from the solid materials. The water goes through a filtration system, then exits to the sewer line. The solid waste is retained and processed into mulch for gardens. After several weeks of stewing it's ready to be used as fertilizer. Housing was next on the agenda. Denmark has been using it for years so the young Pioneers are recommending community housing where many families live in a large building with common areas for adults to enjoy entertaining, for kids to play, and for cooking and eating together. 11.) Instead of exercising, there's a new way to get toned and stay healthy mostly with drugs, hormones, etc. 12.) Entertainment and personal: People can now choose to change their looks through DNA trait replacement therapy augmented with the age reduction. Suzanne created a sophisticated method to find a good mate, good place to live, and a suitable job. Records are kept of our whereabouts, but it stops when we are behind our closed doors at home. Out in public it's different... cameras see and hear. With recording instruments on us we can retain every second of our lives if we want. Or we can turn off what we are doing. This recording of our lives can be retained in our own personal vault. Nobody else will have access unless we allow it and only the specific things we allow. A device to record your dreams was also developed. They also made a medical breakthrough to grow new teeth after the old ones became filled with cavities. Olfactory response can be heightened or lessoned as desired. They created a food analysis device. It will tell you if it is ok to eat the food. Same with drinks. The young Pioneers created wilderness hiking and camping equipment that leaves almost no footprint. They created a technique to instill a passion for learning in kids. In the past the only really good thing about school was the socializing not necessarily what the teachers taught. But that will change. Care discovered what causes aggressive behavior in animals, like humans, and formulated a type of gene therapy to correct the problem. Care also helped with understanding why a baby's mind is extremely analytical and retentive, and she devised a way to maintain that throughout a person's life. Problem is the physical development of the human is slowed down. Like from birth to ten yrs of age is extrapolated to now be from birth to an estimated 400 years of age. The mind develops extremely rapidly but puberty and other physical developments are stymied. So Care and JV are working to fix it. 13.) Enjoying and understanding more of life. Rain brought all the humanities together in an easy understandable way. Matisse invented a creativity illusion versus reality algorithm. She devised a way for people to make personal movie experiences. Tiamane created a sound or music attractiveness or enjoyable creation algorithm using all audible wavelengths and intensity plus she incorporated the inaudible that was made audible inside the mind to enhance the experience. Suzanne Herring devised a better system for people who need emotional support and security. 14.) Defense Molly and Hope have developed a device that electrically stimulates the claustrum in the brain. Doing such will cause the person to lose consciousness. It works at a distance, so no need to use electrodes. 15.) Bev, Missy, and Mal collaborated to make an extraordinary scuba device... small, light, protects from the bends. It does this by filling a special oxygen rich fluid in the lungs, throat, mouth, and estuation tubes. The fluid has special molecules that attach to CO2. It's constantly pumped through the lungs and out of the body into a special filtering system that extracts the CO2 and adds more oxygen. The O2 and CO2 levels are constantly monitored and the system automatically adjusts to maintain homeostasis. The advantage of using fluid under water is a diver can go to greater depths. Air is highly compressible. At 33 feet down, the pressure squeezes the lungs to half their size. To compensate, previous SCUBA gear increased the air pressure the further down a diver went. But there's a point when nitrogen (a large component of air) in the lungs blends into the blood. Like when carbon dioxide is compressed into water you get carbonated water. When pressure is released on the body as it rises to the surface the nitrogen quickly expands in the blood which can cause the bends. Liquid isn't very compressible. That why sea life can go to great depths. The new scuba equipment does not deliver any nitrogen into the body.

Just before closing for the day, the young Pioneers did some candid reflective soul searching with the crowd. They vacillated on the motives and real value of migrating to other planets. What would be the benefits and detriments to the beings already living there. How would the ecosystem be affected? Have humans been a cancer on the earth? Then came the reflections by the young Pioneers of how to correct our DNA to make us a more positive species. There was also talk of sterilization to limit world human population instead of, or in addition to off planet migration. And if DNA is altered, who decides what traits will continue and which will end. The day ended with the young Pioneers saying tomorrow will hold many answers and the promise of a better future.

Day Two: The Infinitum

10:00am, July 2, 2020. Everybody was seated and waiting. From the back of the stage rose three tall women who looked about thirty. They were wearing light gray pinstriped suits. Their blouses were white with raspberry colored ties and matching low heeled shoes. They quietly walked to the podium at front center stage. Ruth began "Good morning everybody. ¿Cómo amaneciste? Hope you slept well." She pointed to Asya on her right. "Do you like our outfits? Complements of Miss Connie Page-Corona. In fact all the outfits worn by the new Pioneers this morning are by Connie. She's a magnificent artist, isn't she? Let's give her a hand." After a few moments the applause died down. Ruth smiled "Let me introduce myself and my two friends. My name is Ruth. On my right is Asya, and on my left is Anya. We are the three beings Lupe spoke about. We are the Infinitum." The entire park became very quiet. So quiet the only sound heard was a baby crying in the back row. Asya spoke into the mic "Aw, sounds like your baby isn't feeling well. I can see she has a slight temp and her stomach is upset from something she ate this morning. Let's fix that right now." Asya effortlessly rose and quickly arrived to the mother holding the baby. A camera projected them onto a giant screen. Asya snapped her finger and a mic appeared in her hand. "You have a beautiful baby girl." Asya came closer and held her tiny little hand. "What's her name?" She looked into the mother's fearful eyes. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm here to help." "Her name is Mercy." "That's a beautiful name." Asya touched the baby's tummy. "She'll be fine now. I made sure she'll never be sick again." Asya hugged them both and flew back to the stage. Instead of applause, you could hear low keyed mumbling through the crowd. Ruth continued "To be honest we have no idea how old we are. We took this human form so you could relate. But our natural state has no form. In fact we really have no three dimensional coordinates. In other words we don't occupy a place in space or in time as you perceive them. We have no size. What you see is an illusion, but it's real at the same time." She paused and read the people's minds. "I'm reading your minds, and yes, it sounds like some pretty weird stuff." Then she laughed. "But, don't worry. In a sense you're our children. An uncountable number of years ago we three came to earth and seeded it with the ability to make life as you know it. I say "as you know it" because there are many forms of life in a mechanical sense, in a sentient sense, what you would imagine as a spiritual sense, and in a thinking sense. But, I won't go into that right now. What matters is a couple weeks ago Lupe convinced us to come here and give you a push in the right direction. In other words to make life on earth much better, and do it before you venture out to other planets. We and the young Pioneers made a video which explains it all. It shows the history building up to this moment, and what changes we're making. You can use it as a reference. I and my sisters will also very briefly touch on some of it right now." She scanned the audience. "I could just wave my hand and place the information into everybody's head. But what fun would that be. Right?" Continuing, "Does the idea of people killing animals for food seem awful?" She looked at the crowd. "It does, doesn't it?" The three women stepped away from the podium and walked to the edge of the stage. Ruth looked down at a ten year old girl sitting on the second row. "Your name is Stacy. Stacy... you don't like the idea of eating something that was once alive like a cow or a pig, do you? The idea of people raising animals just to kill and eat is really ugly. Isn't it? It's ok, Stacy. You can stand and answer. I'll amplify your voice." Stacy stood and said "I have three goats on the two acres where we live. They're my pets. Dad says when goats grow up they're killed and barbequed because they taste so good. But just the thought of killing Curly, Larry, and Moe makes me want to cry. They're like family to me. I've seen dad kill chickens before. And it's horrible. They're alive and enjoying life one minute, then they're killed and it all ends. Yesterday in here, we saw animals actually speak to us. They can think. And we kill and eat them. That's not right." Anya spoke. "That's what I've been telling Ruth. On many of the worlds we seeded we saw during the evolutionary process creatures began killing and eating other creatures to secure the necessary sustenance to survive. Then we saw beings on other planets, like the Calix, draw their nourishment directly from rocks." Asya politely interrupted. "There are a lot of things you humans don't understand yet. Everything all around you, all the way down to things so small that you'll never be able to measure... it's all connected. It's all one whole, yet intermingled. A suspension of particles, yet all dissolved like a solution sharing atomic quarks and much much smaller. Like years ago when scientists were researching quantum entanglement. This is a glimpse into what we and what this reality around us truly is. Reality doesn't become reality until it's observed. It doesn't exist until intelligence sees it, or another way to say it... until life forces entangle together. And it can change. Reality can change based on observations and desired outcomes. Really weird but true. And everybody's reality is different, yet the same. We are all joined. So my point is this... the Infinitum to you would come across as amoral creatures. And to a certain extent we are. We observe in a completely unbiased way. No preconceived notions about anything. We just take everything in as it unfolds. Then we make judgment decisions. Concerning the highest level of life on earth, which are you humans, we've come to discover your feelings, your empathy, your caring, and your temper and sometimes your need to kill each other and lower creatures. It's a mixed bag based on your evolved complicated moral structure. So, Lupe suggested we make... let's say some course corrections. See, the technology of the young Pioneers has become too advanced for your temperament. Especially the discoveries Carrie May Easton has made." Ruth smiled and walked to a corner of the stage. "So how do we fix the killing and eating of other animals? It's actually very simple. We could give every creature on earth a digestive system similar to the Calix, or we could end the desire to kill and create machines to make delicious digestible food out of dirt or rock or whatever. The young Pioneers liked the second alternative. From reading your minds I can see you prefer that too." Ruth looked down. "Does that sound good to you, Stacy?" Stacy nodded her head yes. "Great! It's done. Now on to the next item."

Anya stepped forward "The next major concern we have is the physical state of your planet. To get to the Betterments Building here at the People's Museum you have to go through a pyramid, an ecosystem. There's a plaque that reads: "This biosphere is to remind us that nothing else matters unless we have a healthy earth. Our environment and all life on earth is too precious to ignore. We must keep it healthy for ourselves and for future generations. This ecosystem has the proper minerals, climate, soil, water, sunlight, air, and all other required ingredients to sustain healthy life. Genetically modified plants and harmful chemical herbicides and insecticides have no place in a healthy environment. Our land, air, and water must be pollution free. Because of the Big Change we no longer have the pressures of profit making, and have returned to environmentally friendly agriculture and industrialization. We are again becoming one with nature." Anya continued "The three of us liked what you did there. It underscores the importance of a healthy environment and shows you anything in that Betterments Building is superfluous if the earth's environment can't support life." Ruth stepped forward and said "So we decided to immediately clean up your world. We believe it's that important." With that remark the three lifted their hands and moved them from side to side, up and down. The ground vibrated in fast subtle oscillations. Then silence. Ruth pointed to a large screen above their heads which showed the oceans with miles of plastic floating on the surface disappear. She showed the skyline around major cities around the world become smog free. Major rainforests that were cut or burned down had re-appeared with an abundance of wildlife. Even all the trash circling the earth disappeared. Ruth continued: "Within the next hundred years we saw that your earth would experience major earthquakes and volcanoes along its main fault lines. We have prevented that from occurring. And a couple asteroids were going to strike earth in the year 2133. We moved them out of the way. So, bottom line as you call it, is we have made earth safe at least for the next ten thousand years.

The crowd was unusually reticent and a little fearful considering the gigantic unbelievable changes that were occurring. Ruth smiled and continued "Ok, there's no more killing and eating dead flesh. And now you have a clean earth. Let's move on to the next item. We are giving the young Pioneers the knowledge to easily change the atomic number of atoms. This will help you to make any kind of food out of anything. In fact this technology will enable humans to make an entire skyscraper complete with furnishings in less than a day. You will be able to make any kind of vehicle in just a few minutes. The only thing we are withholding is the ability to make organisms, like people. We like the current process better."

Lupe walked up next to the infinitum and started clapping her hands and encouraged the crowd to join in. They did, but with caution.

Ruth continued "Some other things we are fixing right now is the superstition of religions, selfishness, screwed up marriages where kids get emotionally and physically hurt, drug addiction and other harmful proclivities. We are fixing the AI problem. Apparently artificial intelligence is getting a mind of its own. We can't have that. So as of this moment it's stopped. We are also stopping depression, and other mental illnesses. We are ending bullying and lying. Ending birth defects. We are making you humans easily able to alter your physical appearance, your mental abilities including aptitude and charisma." Ruth continued, "We will make humans one people together on earth. Nations will now be like separate states under one country. The earth country. You will only be one people. Earth people operating as one direct democracy. Additionally I will enable all animals the ability to speak, to communicate verbally, and to develop societies within species and between species. And I will bring back many extinct species like small dinosaurs and other past species you don't know about. But all species of animals will not kill anymore. They will eat like herbivores or if they want, use food sources provided by us and you from food creation stations."

Ruth continued for an hour, mostly reassuring and comforting the people of earth that it's ok. This will be a wonderful change. The kind of change that will elevate humanity and all other life to a higher plane of existence. It all ended with a giant party. A great celebration.

Sanctuary23

Place: Planet Sanctuary23 (in the far reaches of the universe), the village of El Paso. Time: seven in the morning, July 1st, earth year 117,028.

A gentle rain has been falling for the last few nights. Lush vegetation drank in the life sustaining liquid, rewarding us with beautiful flowers of many hues. Dawn was approaching. A pleasant scent accompanied by the melodic sounds of night birds drifted through the open windows as my four girls were peacefully sleeping next to me. As morning broke, Lupe was first to stir. She cracked open her eyes to see beams of golden sunlight warming the covers. Yawning and stretching, she began softly singing, which of course woke her sisters... "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to me. ...And many mooore..." Her sister Xochi muttered "Be quiet, I'm trying to sleep." Johnny Vee joined in. "Shut the hell up before I punch your lights out." Lupe giggled "Oh, you wouldn't do that. You just liked JV in the fable mom read to us the last few days." "Please be quiet or I'll have to alter my DNA so I can clobber you." By this time, Summer's puppy Ya'ai came running in with a ball in his mouth hoping one of the girls would play catch with him. "Woof, woof. Pant, pant, pant." He pleaded in his mind "I've been awake since before sunrise patiently waiting outside. Lupe is talking so that means, that means... Oh boy, that means we can play, huh, huh, huh? Let's go!" Lupe smiled "Ya'ai, we just woke up. Give us time to get dressed and eat some breakfast." In doggie talk he said "Oh, alright. But promise me we'll play after you finish?" "I promise."

I was laying with my back to all that was going on trying to catch a few more Zzzzzs. Lupe leaned over and whispered "Mom, oh mo'om, Sanctuary23 calling mom, come in mom." "Yes honey, what do you want?" "It's time to get up. I'm excited about the surprise you promised." I was trying to ignore her, but to no avail. "So whatcha got for us?" She proceeded to gently tickle my feet. "Wheeshu mom, you need some deodorant for those puppies." She looked at the dog "No offense Ya'ai". He woofed back "None taken."

After some minutes all four girls were sitting up. I yawned and slowly faced them. "Good morning, ladies. And happy 8th birthday. So you want to know what your present is?" JV said "Of course mom. After making us listen to that story the last few days we deserve an extra special gift. That was a really long story you forced us to suffer through. Like torture. The title "The Big Change" will forever be etched in my mind." "What's the matter honey, you didn't like it?" Xochi said "It was okay, but goodness gracious mom, it was exceedingly long. Over 400,000 words." Lupe chuckled "Only you, Xochi, would know that. My brainiac sister counted the words in the back of her mind." Summer said "Mom, you didn't tell us who wrote it." I smiled at my four little girls. "I wrote it. And it's just a small part of the entire story." JV smirked "Get outta here. That fairytale was about things that happened over 100,000 years ago. You've got quite an imagination, Mom." "It wasn't a fairytale. It actually happened." Lupe laughed "Mom. We're eight years old now. You can't bullshit us anymore." I frowned and chided "I shouldn't have taught you that expression. You're really wearing it out." Lupe smiled "So mom, we don't mind that you pretended to write a fable about ancient times. We need to move on to the important stuff, and that's our present."

"Would you like to know now or after we eat?" Together they yelled "Now!" "Well, ok. You've been pestering me for a horse. So for your birthday you're each getting one." The girls screamed with joy, then hugged and thanked me. Summer asked "Can we choose it?" "Yes, of course." I looked at my four happy faces and took a deep cautious breath then began "There's something else far more valuable I have for you. We decided your 8th birthday would be the right time." "For what, mom?" "I read you that book for a reason. I wanted you to understand how it was before and after The Big Change. Like I said, it wasn't a fable. It actually happened. I wrote the story while I was living on earth in the year 2021." Lupe fell silent, looking straight at me. "You're not kidding are you? I can see it in your eyes. But how? Why? We thought you included our names in the story to make it seem more realistic and relatable." There was a big eyed long pause from all the girls. Xochi broke the frightened silence. "Other than you being over 100,000 years old, which is really hard to swallow... was there actually a Lupe, Johnny Vee, Summer, and dare I ask... a Xochi?" I reached over to a food synthesizer next to the bed that my kids affectionately call yummy boxes, and took out a cup of hot chocolate. Sitting up in bed taking small sips and looking at my brilliant curious confused frightened kids I continued. "Remember in the story the infinitum created a clone of earth back on June 23, 2003?" Lupe spoke "That was because they infused certain people with special genes that would allow the Big Change to occur. But they weren't sure it would work. So the cloned earth was a standby in case everything turned into bullshit on the original earth." "I really wish you girls wouldn't use that term." Lupe laughed "Ok, mom. In case the experiment wasn't successful. So what are you saying? Can you please get to the point?" "I see so much of them in you it's scary. What I'm saying is Sanctuary23 is another clone of earth together with this solar system. And, every 23,000 years we make exact duplicates of all the young Pioneers. We chose the number 23 to remember and respect the contribution the infinitum made to rescue humanity." Lupe later told me she saw a glint of pride in my eyes when I said "You know, we're their favorite of all the species on all the planets they seeded." By now Xochi was pacing back and forth in front of the bed. "So what you're saying is the four of us are clones of the original Pioneers?" "Well there's also Jacob Jackson. He's in a village on the other side of Sanctuary23 being raised by his genetic mother. And the subsequent other young Pioneers through the 2020 group also have clones." JV asked "So if the story is true then you can't be our genetic mother. Are our genetic parents still alive? And who are you?" Lupe interrupted "Those are minor questions. The important questions are: Was life really like that? Did a few people use this thing called money to shove the rest of humanity into a hole forcing them to live a substandard life? Were humans used as tools to make a few have so much while the rest ate bullshit? I'm sorry about that term, but I think it's very appropriate here. Why did the vast majority of humans allow that? It's obvious that money was only a right, not a tangible item. Not a limited resource. Stupid, gullible people! And did humans have wars to kill each other just to make money for a few in a ruthless capitalistic society? A society that valued money over human life and the welfare of the earth's environment? Were religions really used as tools to dominate the masses? Did people really get diseases and crinkly with age? Did people and other animals on earth really kill and eat each other to survive? That is DESPICABLE!" Lupe began tearing up. "I can't believe life on earth was that evil. I can't believe my DNA came from such repulsive beings. Mom, please tell me it's a lie." I hugged my little Lupe and looked deep into her eyes. "Honey, 'The Big Change' is a story of overcoming our weaknesses. The flaws that were prevalent in all human beings. In fact, in all creatures on earth. It's a story of challenges and how we overcame them. The original Lupe and the other young Pioneers saw we were heading toward unfathomable problems. That's when they brought in the infinitum to finally resolve the most important issues plaguing us. And now... here we are. We're living in a paradise that we and the infinitum created. Creatures don't kill and eat each other to survive. We could have changed our bodies to nourish ourselves like the calix, but we decided not to. We wanted to retain our original design with digestive systems and all. That's why we invented 'yummy' boxes. And that's why all creatures other than us on Sanctuary23 were modified to be herbivores. Actually we humans now have the ability to spin off electrons to sustain our lives in our mitochondria without breathing in oxygen to combine with sugars. We just do it for tradition's sake. What we did do is correct the weaknesses or flaws in our character. You see the most important characteristic of all organisms was..." JV interrupted "Yes, we know. It was survival, then procreation. We learned that from Melvin's discussion with JV on the plane ride." I added "And to survive, it was necessary to kill to eat. That was the path evolution took on earth. But the survival instinct carried well into an era that really didn't require such life ending competition. One of the first to fully understand that was a man named R. Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome on earth back in the middle 1900s. He said: 'It is now highly feasible to take care of everybody on Earth at a higher standard of living than any have ever known. It no longer has to be you or me. Selfishness is unnecessary. War is obsolete. It is a matter of converting the high technology from weaponry to livingry'." ...I paused, recalling how life was back then. I looked at my innocent little girls and said "Yet only a few listened. And even less cared. Everybody was set in their ways. Anything other than the myth of the need to work to earn money in order to survive under the capitalistic model was too foreign for them. And yet a life without capitalism was so easily understood if one just thought about it." Summer said "Until you read us the story, we didn't know about capitalism. Why keep it a secret?" "Because it is pure evil. If you show it the light of day, there is always the chance, the danger it could grow again and destroy everything in its path."

Summer asked "Mom. You told us of the young Pioneer's first day at Las Cruces High School in the cafeteria where JV punched a boy's teeth in because he was forcefully feeling up a girl's leg. Her name was Bannister. Then when she was a senior they saved her again, this time from four boys who were going to rape her. Was that you? Are you that person?" I was surprised they latched onto it so quickly. But then again, they are exact duplicates of the ones who saved me. "Yes... yes, I am. And my real name is the same as in the story." Lupe smiled "So you're Bannister. This is really hard to believe, mom. Are you sure you are not bullshitting us? But why would you? There's no reason to." "I was the first outsider they brought into their inner circle. They made me a Bandida that night at Denny's. In return I promised to chronicle their lives. And that's what I did." Xochi said "Since we look so much different from each other you said it was because we had different fathers. That wasn't very nice of you, mom." While all this was processing in Xochi's mind I could see she was feeling very insecure. She asked "May I please still call you mom? All this you're laying on us is very weird. It's very unsettling." She came closer. "Will you hold me and tell me you love me?" "Of course I love you. Come here you four." I put my arms around all of them. "You guys mean the whole universe to me." I lost it and couldn't help sobbing too as I held them tightly. There is so much security with the familiar. When faced with truths that inexorably change the foundations of a person's reality, it can hurt. I dreaded this moment for eight years, but then I remembered what the original Lupe told me when I became pregnant: "Love will find a way to make things right. It's more powerful than anything. Just be yourself and they will love you even more after they know."

So, there I was sitting on the edge of the bed crying my eyes out hugging my frightened girls, not knowing where to go from here. Then I heard a 'psssst' from across the room. And there they were, smiling sitting all scrunched up together on the couch. Lupe said "We figured this would be a tough moment for you guys. So we decided... well here we are." The four stunned little eight year olds didn't say anything. Original Lupe (OL) smiled and giggled "What are you four crying about? Are you unhappy to be us?" Original JV (OJV) looked at OL "That's impossible. I'm waaaay too good looking for anybody to be upset to be me. How about you, Lupe?" OL stood and slowly walked across the floor like a fashion model. "Well, who wouldn't want a smokin hot bod like this? Hmm?" Original Xochi (OX) said "Don't be so full of yourself, little Latin Lupe Lu." "Hey, that's a new one. Let me look it up." OL checked her data bank. "Well if you mean this, then heck ya." Out of thin air the song started playing and she began dancing. I said "Ok, you guys. That's enough silliness." A little embarrassed, OL snapped her finger and the music stopped. They walked over to the young girls and introduced themselves. OL said "I'm sure you have lots of questions. That's why we're here. JV commented "So you four are over 100,000 years old?... and my mom too?... we were taught that creatures, especially humans, lived a very long time, but you've lived an unbelievable amount of years. What have you been doing all this time?" Lupe butted in and asked... "Is there really a linked spirit that lives in a symbiotic relationship within this assemblage of cells? And if there is what happens to that electrical life force if the body ceases to function?" Xochi threw in an additional question... "And can dogs, if they want, can they have a different body for their spirit in their next life? Like become a human being?" Summer broke in "To me the most important question is, are you happy?"

OL said "Ladies, we have plenty of time to answer questions. But first... I'm starving. Have you eaten breakfast yet? You hungry?" Lupe replied "Well kind of." "Great. Go ahead and get cleaned up and we'll be waiting for you in the kitchen."

A short time later the entire group was sitting at the kitchen table eyeing each other. OL opened with "Sanctuary23 is a really beautiful place. Back on earth this geographical area would be called the foothills of a mountain forest. Lots of pines and junipers. The soil is fertile so you can have fruit and nut trees and gardens growing all kinds of fun stuff." I said "Everybody prefers food synthesizers. But most everyone here enjoys working the fields, too. It's always nice to eat something that actually comes from the soil." Lupe said "I love cherries. We make cherry cider. It's delicious. How come you made us duplicates of yourselves? Isn't that a little self-ingratiating, self-absorbed, and conceited? It comes across like you're all full of yourselves. That's not to say I don't mind being who I am. I'm a lot smarter than most my age and like you said, I am very good looking. But unlike other people my age, I constantly want to know more. My sisters too. Mom really gets tired of us asking questions we can't find the answer to in school. She keeps telling us to wait until we're eight." Summer laughed "Now we know what she meant."

OL thought out loud. "In addition to the clones of us the infinitum created on earth2, there are now five sets of duplicates. The first group hit us real hard with that comment about being conceited. We didn't know what to say. So I guess you're right. We are full of ourselves, but we live to help others more than ourselves. And that's good thing. And looking back at what our duplicates have accomplished, it was probably the right thing to do." OL looked at each birthday girl. "Is the concept of uniqueness compelling? Do people want to be unique? My answer is sure. And you are unique. Because, like with twin studies which I'm sure you're aware of... they are greatly influenced by their own experiences, and yet retain a sameness. Some twins are kind of eerie. Like some twins who were separated, not knowing the other existed, liked to dress the same, enjoyed the same foods, and in several cases I've actually seen where they married a person with the same name and they were married on the same date. That's really creepy. But many twins diverge into different lifestyles. One may love a life of music and the other a life of botany. And since our lives are almost limitless now, people including twins immerse themselves in a multitude of things." OX said "Bottom line is it's nice to know we have exacts of us out there. Strangely, we can often feel your presence even though we may be millions of light years away." Lupe said, "You mean like quantum entanglement?" OJV said "Sort of. Actually we now know exactly what causes the link, and why it's so strong between twins. But we can talk about that later. To answer your question about what we've been doing for a hundred thousand years... We've been doing a lot. To put it into a few words... We've been having fun. Discovering, inventing, helping, enjoying positive sensory input like what we're about to do with this delicious breakfast. And your follow up will probably be... Does it ever get old? Answer is yes. So we're always finding something new and different to do."

OL put her arm around Lupe. "You asked if there is a spirit that lives in our bodies. And what happens if the body dies. Is that right?" "Yes. Do you know?" OL replied "When I was a young girl my grandfather told me a story. He used to experiment with self-hypnosis. One evening when he went to bed he tried something. He wanted to feel like he was being levitated, so he went through all the mental suggestions or urgings about feeling lighter. So light he could mentally float. He slowly entered sleep." OL looked at OJV, OX, and OS. "I've never told you this before, have I?" Lupe said "Well don't stop. What happened?" OL chuckled "Okaaay. What happened was this. As soon as he fell asleep he felt himself rising. But in his sleep when he looked down he saw his body was still on the bed. He, his spirit, gradually rose higher and higher. Then he went through some kind of screen or barrier of existence and entered another place. But only for a moment. Then all of a sudden he was at a friend's house in the early morning. He was looking through the eyes of another person in the room and hearing her thoughts. It was a combination living/dining room. The rectangular room wasn't very large and had thick curtains drawn over the windows, especially in the dining area. The woman thought how dark it was and how she wanted to get blinds or thinner curtains to give the area more light. While standing facing the dining area, the phone rang. It was behind her on a small brown wooden table against the wall kind of between the living and dining room. As she was about to answer she wondered who could be calling this early. She answered and couldn't believe what she was hearing. Then horrible painful grief entered her body. As an observer, my grandfather wanted to know what it was. He knew it was taking place at the home of his friend. Was something wrong with him? Then instantly my grandfather was back in that other place. A short distance to the right he could vaguely see a black silhouette being removed from a vehicle by two spirit like beings and then quickly ushered away. He was wondering if he was in a car accident. Did he die? My grandfather turned to his left and saw two women. They were shocked and asked how he got there. He wasn't supposed to be there. He asked what happened. One of the ladies said they couldn't say. Just communicating with him was wrong. After some cajoling, they finally told him a person was in a car accident and then escorted away. He asked if this was heaven. They said no, but the spirit taken from the vehicle was going to be just fine. He asked what this place was. They wouldn't tell him. He asked what life was about. He begged them for any kind of answer. They said they couldn't because it would be way more than he could comprehend and would actually hurt him to have just a glimmer of the knowledge. As he was talking to them he said he was feeling the grief from the woman at that house. Couldn't they at least help her? They said they couldn't, but he could. Only if he wanted to because to help her he would have to absorb all her grief into his spirit, then he could vent it out. But the process was extremely painful. He said it was ok. Just help her. They agreed. Then instantly he was back in the woman's body and began feeling immense pain. Pain that was too much to bear. At the same time my grandfather was telling the woman it was ok. Don't worry. That the deceased was going to be alright. And her pain will go away. It's going to be ok. He said the pain was more than he's ever experienced in his life because it was all at once and then it started to vent out, but it left him very weak. He was totally wasted totally spent totally tired. That morning my grandfather woke up at the usual time to get dressed and go to work. After he got to work he called the place where his friend worked. They said he wasn't there. He called later and was told he was in Albuquerque on business. But there was an emergency and he had to leave. The next day he called his work again and found out he had taken time off. My grandfather just wanted to know if he was ok. They said yes, he's fine. A couple weeks later he met him for lunch. At lunch his friend apologized for not calling him back sooner because there was a death in the family. His wife's sister died in a vehicle accident. He was very upset because he wasn't there when his wife received the call. His wife told him about what happened that morning. About something telling her it was going to be ok. Not to worry because your loved one even though they passed, was ok. Then all the sorrow and pain went away."

JV asked "Does that freaky event answer the question?" "It kind of did for me because what he dreamed actually came true. While he was sleeping that night he saw events that happened the next morning. My grandfather doesn't lie. And he's not crazy. So it happened." Lupe said "That's all you got?" OL smiled "That was just the beginning of my path to discovery. So the answer to your question is a definite yes. A spirit lives in your body. It is part of your body. I know that because I eventually entered that realm my grandfather talked about. It's what I call the in-between place. There are creatures there who actually envy us because we are tangible beings with feelings and emotions. They can think emotions in their minds, but they can't actually feel them like we do."

"All living things in this reality have a spirit, even single celled ones. When they die their spirit enters or joins a mass of a form of life. Actually a link exists from that mass of spiritual life to your spirit while it occupies your body. It's kind of like energy, but it's not. I call it the spirit life. And to define it more, when lower life forms die their spirits lose their distinctiveness, their identity. Whereas we don't. There's one way I can explain is this. Down in the lowlands, I'm sure you've seen whirlwinds. They take on an identity apart from just being air. Now extend that out and create a whirlwind that is self-perpetuating. That would be us and other higher life forms. DNA wise. Our bodies have trillions of cells for that spirit life to occupy. And like with magnetism, if the body dies, the attractive spirit stays together. It maintains its identity and self. So what happens to the spirit if a person dies? Eventually it will occupy another human body. The spirit first occupies the fertilized egg then it spreads as the cells divide. In other words, size and proportion doesn't matter for a spirit. It's the level of sophistication and awareness that matters. And interestingly, neither does time as we know it. In fact as in my grandfather's dream, we can actually see into the future with our spirit minds. And we can change the future. See, the future is the future at that particular instant in time when you look. But if you want to change it, you can. It's like a predictable chemical reaction, but you can do things along the way to alter the predictive outcome. And that creates a new future. Weird but true."

OX said "And to answer your question about spirits occupying different life forms like going from dogs to humans... The answer is yes. But you'd be surprised how many creatures don't want to be humans. Birds think it would be a nightmare. But many spirits do like to experience diversity. For example one spirit will live a life on one planet, then move millions of light years away to another life form on a different planet."

OJV said "Then we discovered a way to make creatures almost immortal." OL threw in "And now, because of Care's research with the infinitum's help, we can now change our physicality without dying. Additionally, we can move our consciousness out of a living physical form and into another. The original form stays alive because our spirit stays. But our consciousness moves. It's kind of like sharing a body with another spirit." OX laughed and said "The original spirit occupant usually doesn't like it and kicks us out. But there are other times when two spirits come together and enjoy it. Like an extension of the hormonal rewards during the act of procreation."

Original Summer said "And as for the question of whether we're happy or not. Sure, we're happy." OL laughed "A simple answer to a very profound question that took us thousands of years to figure out." OX added "Could we be happier? Of course, but we haven't discovered it yet. And I guess that's what keeps us excited about the future."

Lupe asked "So what's been your greatest discovery? Your greatest accomplishment?" OL touched Lupe's hand. "See? We're sharing minds. I am compartmentalizing mine so I won't overload yours. What you see is pretty cool, huh?" "Wow. It is." OL continued "And like touching your hand to let you see things you could have never imagined, we developed a method to mentally reach out across the universe to see places and touch things and enter new and exciting life forms. To be able to take in their sensory input and feel their thoughts. And then if that isn't magic enough, be able to communicate with them. Like OJV just mentioned, our consciousness can actually enter their bodies." Lupe said "This eliminates the need to physically go places to understand what's there. Granted, it's very intrusive to enter the minds of other beings without their permission. But you want to gain the knowledge." OL chuckled. "Correcto mundo, my young friend. Unless, of course, you'd like to actually go there." Lupe thought for a minute. "With this ability you can scan the universe with your mind. The only limitation is the speed of your thoughts. Mom tells me we think on a conscious level at about 400 words a minute, and on a subconscious level at the speed of light. But imagine if it was 400 to the 4 billionth power." "I did imagine that and expanded on Calix technology to speed up our thoughts by compressing the form of threads in the time/space continuum." "Wait, what did you just say?" OL chuckled again. "See, time is nothing but oscillations. Increase the oscillations in your mind then the threads increase the oscillations at your destination of study to create a balance and you can take in in a few minutes what would have taken centuries before. We even factor in the many quadrillion potential changes due to conscious derivations made by creatures who have the power to change stuff. As in the Butterfly Effect. Wild, huh?" Lupe made a scrunched face. "You're not bullshitting us, are you?" OL frowned at Bannister. "Wonder where she got that expression from?"

OL smiled while still holding Lupe's hand and said "You mentioned conscious vs. subconscious. Well how about this?" OL telepathically revealed to Lupe some mongocrazy stuff about consciousness. "See." Lupe said "Wow." She looked at her sisters. Hey guys. Come over here and touch her. You gotta see this! Come here." As they were touching Xochi said "I had no idea. The core of our understanding. The very definition of understanding comes from consciousness." JV said "Wow. The consciousness in our mind is very limited, what we interpret from our sensory reception is also extremely limited. OL actually found a way to expand it!" Summer said "Oooh myyy god. This is unbelievable." OL chuckled "Neat, huh?" Lupe said "More like scary. All our realizations created by our consciousness are only a tiny subset of what we now know as actuality. Our concept of reality is miniscule to what is actually out there." OL smiled "And actuality is seemingly limitless." Lupe said "So, my actual hand is this." She held it up. "But it isn't. I can see it, feel it, and move it. But it's infinitely more than that. Or should I say much less than that. Both directions. Or, nothing at all." OL said "Now you're getting it." Remember in the story your mom told you about my conversations with Mr. H, our math teacher?" Lupe responded "About our cognitive interpretations of sensory stimulus." OL glanced at Bannister. "You read them the story only once? Wow." OL looked back to Lupe. "Exactly. Like for example, humans created language to describe stuff. Now, because of our work in cognitive communication, words aren't necessary anymore." OJV said "But we like to talk because it feels good." OX said "And why not talk, because with most things we're not in any hurry since we have an almost unlimited existence. When we speak it's like taking time to smell the flowers. And we expanded our minds from linear thought to multitasking, multiphasic thought. Simultaneous and not necessarily synchronous. " Lupe said to OL "You just showed me that comprehension is felt more than thought. Our minds can comprehend immediately when focusing on something. And there is something else besides time and space. Because to understand time you, your body mass has to vibrate across space between matter that prevents you from passing. Like we move through air because it's less dense than our bodies. But most of the universe or as you tell it, most of what exists is pure harmony. It's all connected. All one, eternally large and eternally small. Because size doesn't enter into it. It's more than dimensions. It's clarity, it's perfect harmony. It's why we exist. Or the power that created this existence we are experiencing. It is this existence yet more. Much more." OL chuckled "Yeaas, it is. And our emotions are the exquisite elixir of the universe. They were originally intended, through natural selection, to warn us, to help us find food and water, and to procreate. But as it turned out, emotions give meaning to everything around us that we perceive. It's beautiful chemical/electrical and harmonic instantaneous lines of expression that touches this and other realities. Interesting, huh?" Lupe said "The secretion of certain hormones to convey feelings is extraordinary. I understand that. But what about what I saw in your mind that goes beyond waves. You gave us a glimpse of it with the dog knowing where her family is, even if they are thousands of miles away. OL smiled "I thought you'd like the pooch explanation. It's how a dog can tell where her family is. She can sense it. She doesn't know how, but she can. She doesn't realize there exists a link where distance has no meaning. It's a strand similar to the strands created in my Blinking process. It's part of temporal harmony where time and distance is superfluous. Johnny Vee said "That's really cool. But I also saw your explanation about waves." "So what do you think?" JV, feeling the exuberance of a kid said "Our sun sends out waves of energy. That energy keeps us alive here on Sanctuary23. But that's not totally true. The waves are the medium. The sun is the emitter. We are the receiver. Like sound travels through air because of the air, not the thing that produces the sound. We can't hear sound in outer space. And the waves travelling through the air would be nothing unless you had ears to receive the vibrations of the air and a mind to interpret them." OL said "Well, go on to the best part." JV said "That means space isn't empty at all. It just doesn't have air or any other kind of tangible medium as we know matter to be. That's why I can't hear you speak in space. But I can still see light. Space has a medium for light waves. Actually space is full of stuff that we couldn't detect before."

OL said "Now we can. See we intentionally keep your school curriculum down to the basic stuff." Xochi said "You mean because of Carrie Mae Easton's work? You want to be sure all this cutting edge knowledge doesn't get into a psychopath's or a sociopath's mind?" "Yes. Very perceptive of you. We don't even want a narcissist to know this stuff, much less a psychopath or a sociopath. So we only reveal the basics in school. Enough for people to be happy and enjoy life."

After a brief pause as the four eight year olds were soaking it all in, Summer asked OL "When I touched your hand I didn't see anything about what caused all of this. Or why we even exist. Do you know why we exist?" Original Summer (OS) spoke up. "No, we don't. It's like Mandelbrot's fractals. The deeper we get, the more there is. It's not necessarily repetitious like a fractal, but it is all linked, but not necessarily through cause and effect. It's all very strange. Like an eternal eight dimensional labyrinth.

After another short pause Johnny Vee spoke up. I saw that you four can change into any form you want. Or even an almost indiscernible form of matter which would house your spirit. You can even make yourselves into many of you at once. So why do you still choose to be the singular human form of you?" OL said "Because it's familiar, it feels good with the right hormone and muscle balance. For the fun of it for a few thousand times we went through puberty when hormones sometimes fly off the chart. But it got old, so we settled for the physical age of seventeen. We liked it and stuck with it. We did enhance the senses, though. I like the taste of caramel, so a long time ago we figured out a way to easily amplify that and other delicious tastes and smells, and even feelings."

Xochi said "So your conscious mind can simultaneously multitask on a conscious level. Normally, people can't do that. All thought processes are singularly linear. But you can. And from what I could tell you aren't doing it. Why?" Lupe smiled. "I guess that gets down to the reason to be alive. Why are we alive? We've concluded that it's to enjoy it. To enjoy life. To have fun. So what's the fun of running at faster than the speed of light with our thoughts? The answer is nothing. What's fun is sensation, feelings, happy thoughts brought on by positive wonderful sensory input. We've found that if we keep it down to only one linear line of progression, we can achieve the most fulfillment, the most happiness. So what else do you girls want to know?" Little Lupe asked "Do you like boys? I don't. They're a pain in the butt." All four originals started cracking up. After OL calmed down she said "Only the nice ones."

Later on Planet Earth, March 15, 10,000,002,017 AD

The Organ Mountains in the High Chihuahuan Desert. "Mother, please wait. I need to catch up." "Sorry, my child. I was carried away with the excitement of being here." "I still don't understand why we have to occupy these grossly antiquated bodies." "It's out of respect. We have to understand the extreme limitations of our creators' original life forms. To be reminded of their rudimentary sensory input and limited mental synaptic activity by actually experiencing it."

It's the highest honor among the "Infinite Ones" to be chosen as the two pilgrims to pay homage to where it all began. Valencia stood with her daughter Asta at Aguirre Springs Recreation Area looking up to the summit where Lupe and her dad sat that fateful spring morning over 10 billion earth years ago. By the year 3,500AD most of the creatures on earth had migrated to other planets. The custodians of earth, the remaining People, voted to have the ecosystem that existed in the year 2025 after the bulk of all the pollution was removed from earth. The planet has been maintained in pristine condition since then with a minimum amount of organisms required to have it thrive. Later, the earth's sun and the solar system were maintained in the condition it was in during earth year 2020. After a few billion years had passed when the Milky Way was beginning to undergo massive changes as it was about to combine with another galaxy, the Infinite Ones stepped in to make the entire Milky Way as it was in the year 2020.

Valencia and her daughter climbed to the summit as Lupe and Tony had on March 15th, 2017. Every year on this momentous day they make the weather the same as it was back then. It was unusually warm in Las Cruces for this time of year. With plentiful rainfall the prior week, the desert was alive with new growth and blooming cactus. After a hard climb to the top, Valencia and Asta stood looking out across the desert floor. It was midmorning with a slight cool breeze from the north. Valencia said "As Tony and Lupe were resting from the climb, she looked out, amazed at the beauty of this great expanse. From the clear blue sky down to the tiny grains of sand, everything had meaning for Lupe. The majestic eagle soaring looking for food on the desert floor was something human eyes couldn't do." Asta said "Then she began thinking about seeing harmony." "Yes she did. That precious moment spawned what the infinitum had hoped for. Being a direct democracy, and using money only to facilitate acquiring human needs instead of using it as a tool to dehumanize people was the first important step which had already occurred. Then came the brilliance of Lupe. As she sat where you are sitting she had a moment of enlightenment. That, along with access to cutting edge technology made possible by the Big Change brought to fruition her invention. The hard life Lupe experienced when she was homeless gave her a moral compass that she always maintained. That was the key to having the positive universe as we know it. That day Lupe saw that life could be much more than waves. She was right. Her work paved the way to understanding the universe and eventually the realm beyond the universe. The realm of perfect stillness. The perfect infinite oneness. Our wonderment. Thanks to her."

THE END.

