

"Rude Awakening"

by Robert C. Waggoner

Copyright 2016 Robert C. Waggoner

Smashwords Edition

''Rude Awaking''

They were four students who had volunteered for a sleep study program at the University of Washington. To protect their privacy, only first names were allowed. Two were females, Beth and Andrea. The other two were males, Brad and Gary. All were around twenty years of age. All were healthy and emotionally stable according to the tests they had undergone. They had never met before the sleep program

They were placed in a room that was hermitically sealed. The inside atmosphere was mechanically regulated. It was sound proof and they were asked if they wanted some soft meditation music to sleep by. All agreed that would help them relax and sleep soundly.

All was set for Sunday until Monday after an eight hour time period. The test would begin at 10 pm and end at 6 am. An electrical alarm would wake them up. An assistant would remove all the connections and they could go home or have breakfast at the Student Union for free.

The night passed uneventful and when the alarm went off at 6 am, the first to awake was Beth. She was quickly followed by the others. All looked at each other and then through the glass walls to see when the assistant would arrive to unhook the wires.

Beth said, "Where is everybody. The place looks empty."

All looked around and then at each other. Brad said, "I'm starving and ready to ditch this place. I'm taking my connections off by myself. I'm not waiting for anyone."

Gary said, "I agree. I'll help you and you can do me."

Andrea said, "Let's do the same, Beth.

"I suppose cause I got to pee bad," said Beth. They quickly disconnected the wires. After that one by one used the bathroom which had new toothbrushes and toothpaste for the subjects.

Beth was the first to walk to the door to leave. However, the door was locked from the outside. Apparently because of the sealing of the room, the door could only be opened after the release of the pressure. Beth shook the door and then gave it a kick, saying, "Damn you open up. I'm ready to go eat and then go to class."

By this time, all four test subjects were gathered around the door each mumbling to themselves. Finally, all stood back and began to analyze what was happening outside the room. Not a person could be seen. All was the same when they began the test. Brad said, "Maybe at 7 someone will arrive, but they told us specifically the test ended at 6 am. Now, I'm suspicious that maybe we're under another test of how we react to being locked up after our night of testing."

"Christ, would they do that," asked Gary. "I wonder how thick the door glass is. We could take one of these beds that all have wheels and crash it against the door?"

"Shit man that could cost us the price of a door. There must be another way we can get out of here," said Brad.

The girls had moved back and were sitting one of the beds. Each had their own thoughts working around their minds. Neither wanted to crash the door, but how long would they wait until that very thing had to happen.

"Let's look around for a tool or anything we might use to get this door opened," said Gary. Beth and Andrea watched them search around a mostly empty room and into the bathroom. The only useful tool might be the towel bar. Gary looked at Brad and Brad shrugged his shoulders in agreement. Gary ripped the towel bar off and when he held it in his hands, it appeared useless for opening any door. However, they went to the glass door and looked the job over.

Beth rolled her eyes and Andrea dropped her chin onto her chest smiling at the futility of it all. Brad said, looking at his watch, ''It's after 6:30 and I'm for crashing the bed into the door. I'll be responsible for the damage, if it comes to that."

The single bed was made of angle iron and fairly stout. Brad took the covers and pillow off and said, "Stand back. I'm going to make a run at it."

Brad backed it up to the wall and then with all of his might, pushed the bed using the corner of the iron frame to break the door. The bed crashed into the door making a loud sound. Brad went flying over the head frame onto the bed. Everybody laughed like it was the funniest thing they had seen in years.

Even Brad laughed as he rolled off the bed. Gary walked over and they both inspected the door. Yes, indeed, it had a crack in it, but still remained fairly solid. Gary said, "Couple more times, dude and we're out of here."

Brad back it up and told everyone to stand back. He crashed it into the door. The door shattered with glass flying everywhere. Brad had ducked down and was spared any flying glass. The bed was kind of stuck so he pulled it back and out of the way. He turned and grinned, saying, "Let's go guys. I'm hungry now.''

The all tenderly walked over the broken glass and then quickened the pace towards the exit. As they walked, all silently wondered where all the staff was. Rather eagerly, they pushed open the doors to the outside. Even though it was early, they all stood with opened mouths looking at a totally empty area of campus. There should have been some students, staff or professors coming and going.

Slowly they all walked towards the Student Union building where breakfast was available. Beth took Andrea's arm and said, "This scares me a little, how about you?"

"Yes, me too. Maybe there's something special going on and everybody is at the event," Andrea said without much sincerity in her voice.

Beth looked at Brad and Gary walking together with stern looks on their faces. It was hard to tell what they were thinking about. There still was not any sign of another person around. The only sound was the clack-clack of Beth's slip on shoes upon the bricks of the courtyard in front of the Student Union building they were about to enter.

All slowed down because it was all dark inside and it looked like nobody was around. Brad grabbed the door and pulled it open. He thought it might be locked, but it was not. They entered tentatively and stopped just inside the doorway. Gary said, "What the hell is going on here. Where is everybody? This place is never empty. Something really weird is happening here."

"I'm damned if I know and now this is becoming rather scary," said Brad.

"Let's see if there's anything to eat around here," said Beth. They all moved to where the kitchen area and the cash register were located. The only light that was on was the donut case.

Brad opened the case and grabbed a chocolate donut and took a bite. He said, "Not bad, but a little stale. Let's see what we can microwave to fill up the empty place in my body."

Each of the others took a donut and stood munching looking around. The heat was on and apparently the electricity worked, but the absence of any people around was a mystery they hoped could be solved. Beth said, "Andrea I feel alone and want to call my parents."

"Me too. I'll try right now," she said taking out her cell phone. She tapped her home number and let it ring. The voice mail answered. Andrea left a message and hung up. Beth did the same and had the same results. Beth looked at Andrea and Andrea saw a tear roll down her new friend's cheeks.

Meanwhile, the guys discovered some similar to McDonalds egg muffins. Brad tossed a half dozen in a microwave and waited. Gary tried the hot drink maker. He punched in hot coffee and waited. It worked and soon all were drinking their favorite brew enjoying breakfast. Beth said, "At least we have power and heat here. What shall we do after eating?"

"I've a car," said Gary. "I suggest after walking around, let's go for a ride to see what is happening off campus. Next week begins spring break, but that's a week away. This is rather perplexing. I feel we're in some sci-fi movie."

Gary lived off campus, just across the street from the entrance in a rooming house. When they arrived at his place he said, "Hang on let me see if anyone is home."

All had noticed there was not one car moving on the street. It looked like everyone had just disappeared leaving just the four of them. Gary came back a little out of breath and said, "Nada, nothing. Nobody in the entire house."

He took out his keys and they got into his ten year old Honda. He asked, "Where should we go first?"

"Down the hill to I-5 and then on into Seattle. If there's nobody on the road and nobody in the city, lord help us all." They rode in silence ignoring the stop lights. There were a few cars parked, but not as many as usual. It seemed like the population drove off to who knows where.

Nobody said anything as they entered the freeway sound bound to downtown Seattle. A few cars were parked on the side, but they looked like older models. Nevertheless, it was an eerie feeling like being alone in the world without any fellow companions.

Gary took the downtown exit and drove slowly down to the center of the city. It was spring time and a breeze was blowing off Puget Sound into town. A trip up and down 4th and 5th avenues brought them no closer to understanding the vacant city. Beth said, "Let's go over to KIRO news by the Space Needle. We might be able to understand what is going on from their notes or computers."

"Good idea," said Brad. "We need to understand what is happening and why. People left here for a reason and we need to find the answer. There might be a deadly disease floating around right now and our time is short."

"If that were the case, there'd be dead people littering the streets and like back at the U students scattered around the campus dead. No, I think it was something that was very dangerous. The authorities decided to issue an evacuation order. But, where did they go," said Gary as he pulled into the news station's parking lot.

All four ran inside as if someone called them to a free dinner of steak and lobster. Once inside, they began a search for information. It was Andrea who discovered a scribbled note on a desk. She scanned it and said, "Hey, here it is. Let me read it to you."

The others came over and stood silently as she said, '"At 6 pm a geologist from the U of W said a volcanic eruption was eminent from Mt. Rainier. Seismic activity had reached a crescendo. A slight bulge was witnessed on the western side of the volcano. We highly suggest that Seattle and Tacoma be evacuated as soon as possible'"

"I have here another note that says, 'Seattle residents should head north and east over the pass to the east side if they live close to the eastbound freeway.'"

"It's been more than 15 hours since the alert was given and I see no evidence of a volcanic eruption," said Brad.

"Let's go up the Space Needle and have a look at the mountain. It's a clear day and we should see it very clearly," said Andrea.

They drove right up to level of the Needle. It seemed all were a little apprehensive about taking the elevator up. If they were trapped no one could rescue them. For that reason, they decided to go up in pairs. It would be Brad and Beth and Andrea with Gary to follow. As it turned out, it was unnecessary, but as time went on, caution always pays off.

At the railing, they looked to the southeast towards the volcano that still had snow on the top of it. Brad said, "Why the hell didn't we get some binoculars to get a closer look at it."

"Maybe there's some in an office inside. I'll be back after a quick look," said Gary. He took off and the rest looked hard at the famous mountain. It appeared close, but to drive there took a few hours from Seattle.

Brad came back smiling. In his hand he held a big pair of binocs. He looked and then handed them off to the girls. He said, "I see no 'bulge' anywhere. But then again I'm no scientist either."

After they all had their turn, they looked at each other wondering what the hell was going on. Each possesses their own thoughts. Beth said, "I wonder then, if all left town, then why don't they answer our calls. It seems that all the electronics work. Let's go see if the computers have access to the internet. We should have checked that a long time ago."

In the same office where Brad found the binocs, Beth jumped on the computer. She signed into her g-mail account. There were several messages from friends and one from her mother. Her mother told her about the evacuation and that they were going to her sister's up in Bellingham. After that she clicked on the news. It was at this site a shocker came and all four had chills running up and down their spines.

The news report said that all of the volcanoes from the Canadian border down through Oregon and into California had alerts of erupting. There was nothing subsequent to that information.

It was at that point, total silence except for a creak from the old Needle adjusting itself to the point of attachment. Brad wandered out and sat down at one of the dining tables. Gary followed and he too sat down opposite Brad who was starring out the window. Beth and Andrea joined them.

Beth said, "I'm not really hungry, but I'm going to check out the kitchen for something to eat."

Andrea said, "I'll come with you. I need to do something instead of wondering what we'll do next." In the kitchen Beth went to the walk in to see what might be had for lunch. She found a large chunk of roast beef.

"Hey, let's have roast beef sandwiches," said Andrea.

"Good idea and if we hit the road, we best make some for later," said Beth.

"I wonder if there's any salad in here," Andrea said while snooping around inside some large Tupperware containers. "Ah, here's some macaroni salad. I love this salad. I'll scrounge around for some containers and maybe we need an ice chest or two."

Beth was slicing the roast beef when Gary came in, looked, then took a slice or two and inhaled it. "Damn good stuff. Brad and I were talking about what to do next. Over lunch let's see what we decide to do."

Sitting and eating lunch, Brad said, "What do we do next. If we leave the city, which direction do we travel? How come we don't know what is happening east of here? I think before we make a plan, we need to do some research first. I for one we should go back to the news room and see what we can find with some research."

All nodded their heads and finished eating. Gary said, "I've never eaten here before because it was too expensive. Now, I eat for free and don't have to leave a tip. I don't mean it to be funny, but it's kind of ironic in my mind."

~~~~

Back in the news room, each found a computer and went to work. They all tried calling parents, but no answer, only voice mail. Andrea had a fair knowledge of computers as that was her intended major. First she went to yesterday morning and followed the news forward. All was or seemed normal news. However, at around 1 pm eastern time, a short article appeared about some strange activity on the west coast. The article went on to say that the entire Cascade Range of mountains was experiencing earthquakes.

What was really strange was the fact after that small nugget of information; no news appeared afterwards about anything east of the Cascade Range.

Andrea went looking for a phone book from Yakima just on the east side of the Cascades. It was 1 pm and the city hall or court house should be answering their phones. First she tried city hall. She got the typical message to push a number or stay on the line for a real person. Andrea waited and waited, but nothing. Next she tried the court house. It was the same situation. She then called Ace hardware. Again there was nothing. It looked like nobody home in Yakima.

It was rapidly become very depressing. Andrea looked around and saw that all of her new friends had dejected looks on their faces. Slowly they all drifted over to Beth who was slowly becoming the leader of the group of four.

She looked up and said, "Anybody have any good news?"

All shook their heads. Brad said, "I can't imagine we're the only four people left in the USA. What to do next is a real puzzler. If we leave Seattle, where do we go?"

"I think we have to assume that Canada is experiencing the same thing as we are. Does anyone have any ideas," asked Gary. Again all was quiet.

"Shit," said Beth. "Let's go down to Tacoma and check out the military bases there. McCord Air Force and Ft. Lewis have thousands of military personnel living there. If nothing else maybe we can learn something if there was a chemical war and we missed it, because we were in a sealed room, is rather strange."

"I'm for that idea," said Andrea and the others nodded.

Gary said, "Let's go by a car dealer and pick up a new ride that provides the passengers a luxury ride."

"I'm all for that idea. Should we take two in case one breaks down? We can't call triple A for help," said Brad.

"I suppose it might be a good idea. Let's try it down to Tacoma and see how it works. We can't use our phones as they don't see to work anymore," said Beth.

"My dad has a CB in his motor home. I know how to hook one up. We could stop by an electronics store and get a pair of them. We could also get some flashlights and other survival gear. Why, I'm not sure, but it sounds good," said a smiling Gary.

They decided on a pair of Cadillac SUVs. At the gas station, Beth had to figure out how to start the gas pump from inside the convenience store behind the counter. Once she figured it out, they pumped the cars full.

Next they went to a mall for new clothes. At a motel they took showers and were soon ready to hit the road. By now it was late afternoon, but the weather was holding onto a sunny afternoon in the Pacific Northwest.

The boys took one car and the girls the other. Nobody was really comfortable with the others because they had only just met that morning. Sure last night was introduction, but that was quickly forgotten once the electrodes were attached.

Beth was driving and Andrea held her phone using the navigator for directions. The SUV had a navigator but they did not know how to make it work yet. Later they would learn how to use it. Meanwhile, they ran down the center lane of the freeway without another vehicle coming or going. A few cars and trucks were parked alongside the freeway, but that was all.

Beth asked, "Where do you live, Andrea?"

"We live in Renton. Not far from right now. I want to go there, but I realize nobody is home. It would just make me cry. How about you?"

"We live north at Green lake. My father is a community college teacher. My mother works for Nordstrom's. I'm an only child. How about you?"

"I've an older brother, but he's married and lives down in Portland. My parents both work for Boeing."

Up ahead the two guys were doing the same thing. Brad told Gary he was one of two siblings. His sister was younger and still in high school. She was a hard rock girl and hard to control. Both mother and father were career insurance executives and they lived in Bellevue where a high class of people lived.

Gary said, "My parents are stock brokers. We seem to have everything we want. I'd guess we are rather well off. I always worked in the summer time when in high school. I liked to have my own money. I hated to ask for money. My parents made me feel guilty asking for money. Anyway, you have someone you're seeing regularly?"

"Not really. I like freedom of movement. I'm not out to set a record of scoring on girls, but like to keep my options open. I've yet to find anyone special. How about you?"

"I had a girl in high school, but she went on down to LA at USC. I haven't heard from her since she left two years ago. I usually find some girls to hang out with from my classes."

"Have you any thoughts as to what is happening around here," asked Brad.

"I thought it might be aliens, but that's too simplistic and without anything to back it up. It's the idea of nobody anywhere that baffles me. If it was chemical, then bodies would be lying everywhere. Same with a nuclear war. No, it's something weird. If an evacuation, then where did they all go? If all the planes are sitting at McCord, then if an evacuation notice would have all of the planes gone. If we find the place empty, then we can hope they went somewhere. If the planes are all there, shit, what do we do next?"

"Well, we'll soon find out. I'm running ninety and Beth is right behind me."

"We'll soon know. If I remember correctly, there's a big sign to McCord Air Force base."

"I see Brad's turn signal for the exit. God, I hope we can find some answers to this very strange phenomenon," said Andrea.

Nobody was at the guard station. A sign gave them directions to the check in building. Brad stopped and went back to tell Beth and Andrea that they were going to drive out towards the airfield and see what planes were about the hangers. "We'll go in and have a look while you're gone," said Beth.

Brad and Gary drove around and when they had a look at the runways and other places, big and little planes sat around looking like an aircraft graveyard. They could not tell if some were missing, but certainly there were lots of them parked.

They came back to find Beth and Andrea going through the visitor records. Beth said, "The last visitor came through at just after midnight last night. What did you guys find out about the planes?"

Gary told them that there were lots of planes around and that it looked like a normal day of operations except the people were missing. "I see, so something happened just after midnight when we were sleeping. Where is headquarters around here anyway?"

From a map they located headquarters and found the base commanders office. It was as if all just got up and walked out. Papers were on desks and computers were still on. However, not one computer produced any useful information. In the generals office a yellow legal pad and pencil lay flat on the desk. A few words were written: 'Sweet Jesus.....''

"I'm more confused than ever," said Andrea.

"We all are and where can we find out what the hell happened," said an angry Brad. "What the hell do we do now? Where do we go from here?"

"Let's see if we can call some other bases east of here, or maybe down in California," said a hopeful looking Gary.

They found a communications office and the listing of other bases. After a careful study of how to use the equipment, Brad called Travis down in California. Nothing or nobody answered the hail.

In the end, no answer was had from any military bases across the USA. They sat down at desk chairs going into their own thoughts. Gary came to first and said, "Hey it's getting dark out. Let's go find some place to hang our hats and eat. I saw some motels just a couple miles from here. I'll fire up a grill and cook some steaks. If nothing else, let's enjoy whatever time we have."

"What do you mean by 'what time we have', Gary," said Andrea.

"I didn't mean we're running out of time, but whatever happened to all of the others happened at night. I'm not sure if that means anything or not, but hell, let's enjoy a good meal, if nothing else."

"Okay, let's go," said Brad rising up and heading for the door.

There was a steak house and motel near the freeway just north of the exit to the base. Brad found the lights and Gary turned on the grill. The temperature was comfortable. Beth said, "Who wants what to drink?"

"I'm a beer man," said both Brad and Gary at the same time. They laughed and that eased the tension just a little.

"I want some wine," said Andrea. "Red or white makes no diff."

Gary found some filets in the walk-in. Brad about microwaving some left over baked potatoes.

Soon our foursome was eating a gourmet meal. While eating it was time for talking about the future. Brad brought the subject up, "Where do we go from here, guys?"

A few seconds passed and Beth said, "Let's head south down to California and check out Mexico. We need to know if this is local, regional or an international phenomenon. I wonder about the planes that were flying at that time and the ships sailing around the world. What about the military submarines?"

"Too many questions will ruin my dinner, Beth. I agree with you. Let's head south and see what is what. We need to know if we're alone in the USA or in the world. I can't believe we're the only four people left alive or able to function on the planet."

Andrea said, "I'm getting really scared. The thought of my parent's being dead or gone to who knows where, is hard to accept. We need to find some answers even if they are the answers we don't want to hear about, but need to know."

"Well said," remarked Beth. "It appears we have the wherewithal to go where we want without much trouble. We've good transportation, food and places to stay out of the elements. Let's get some good sleep and travel south. I also suggest we keep a sharp eye out for any stalled or obstacles in or on the road while we fly south."

It was agreed upon by the four to travel south for an inspection of what was or will be. Like Gary said, "This is a chapter out of a sci-fi novel." However this was not fiction but nonfiction or reality.

~~~~

Before they left Tacoma area, they installed two CB radios in their SUVs. They did not use them much. It was only needed for rest stops, eating time or some other need. They decided that why carry a large bag of clothes, but just stop and get enough clothes to tide them over for a few days. It seemed a waste at first, but soon it became a regular part of their travels.

As they drove south, they did notice a few cars and an occasional truck alongside the road, but nothing or no middle of the road obstacles were encountered. Brad and Gary led the way cruising between ninety and a hundred. If it rained, and it did, they would slow down for safety.

They bypassed San Francisco and targeted the LA area. By the second day of traveling, they approached the giant metropolitan area and all of its attractions.

"Well, here we are," said Gary speaking into the mic to the girls behind them. Let's stop and take a break at a restaurant. I know it sounds weird, but I'd like to see where the big stars live in Hollywood and the beaches that are or were so popular."

"It's not that we don't have the time," joked Beth. "I'm ready for a break. I'd like a walk on the beach. We can break into somebody's beach front home and drink their wine or lemonade."

Sandwiches were becoming tough to come by. The bread was old and soon it would be off the menu. The same would be true of the refrigerator contents. They would have to rely on frozen foods, but that was not so difficult to adjust to.

"Let's follow the signs to Hollywood and find the Rodeo Drive where all the rich folks shop. I want to look around," said Beth.

"Let's find a place to meet up with later. Gary and I are going to cruise the rich folks houses. I want to see how the rich or the other half live. We'll meet up in a couple of hours. How's that sound?"

"Good and then let's go to the beach. I love this weather. The sky is clear and not one drop of pollution. This must have been what is like before cars and factories began their slow ordeal of death. Anyway, I'm going to enjoy the day," said Andrea.

Beth and Andrea went from shop to shop looking and feeling the rich side of life. Beth said, "Let's choose and act like we're somebody rich and important. Like that movie, 'Pretty Woman'. We could also spend the night in a five star hotel. I like pretending we're somebody we're not. How about you, Andrea?"

"We're rich, Beth. Right now we're probably the richest people in the city. If you want money, go to a bank and take out a bag full of worthless paper. Or, go to a jewelry store and load up on sparkling diamonds and other things. We're experiencing redundancy when it comes to putting value on things."

"You're right, but these clothes are feeling nice. I like the way we look. Do you think of yourself as pretty," asked Beth.

"No, not really. I'm just average I think. My butt's a little too big and my chest is fine though. What do you think looking at me?''

"You're good looking and your backside is fine. I see Gary giving you the look of want. He's not bad looking and seems like a nice guy. Brad on the other hand seems like a wanabe leader of our group. I'm not sure we need a leader, but keep it a voice of the four of us equally. You know, Andrea, we could take off by ourselves and leave the boys behind."

The same kind of conversation was happening in a mansion of gigantic proportions. Brad was standing looking at a china cabinet full of silver. He said, "Hey Gary, do you see any hope of pairing up with either Beth or Andrea?"

Gary was wandering around looking at the opulence. He said, "Andrea has what I like in a girl, but Beth, oh, she's good looking, is a little too powerful for me. What's your take on them, Brad?"

"I'm not sure, but if all I had to choose from was either Beth or Andrea, I'd take Beth. She's a looker, but you're right, she's strong willed and Andrea is a smart thinker. Well, both are or seem smart. Let's see how it develops; if it develops."

Walking around the shops up and down the street, Beth said, "You know what, Andrea. I find it really odd that all the shops are open and not locked. If the call came at around midnight, wouldn't these stores have been closed?"

"Good question. I wondered the same thing. Does that mean it was during the day time when all the folks here took off or disappeared?"

"From the cars parked around here and from what we saw driving in, if they all left town, how did they go," asked Andrea.

"I'd like new watch. Why do I need to tell the time, not sure, but I like the feel of a watch on my wrist," said Beth. "Besides, sometimes like now, the guys said they'd be back in two hours. I suppose we need to tell the time. Or," as she turned to Andrea, "does it really matter?"

"Andrea had her hand on the door to a jewelry store when she said, "Yes, we must keep our rituals or we'll lose who we are."

"I like that idea a lot. Let's get two watches and one that we can change the battery if need be. I really don't need a flashy diamond band watch, but a Rolex would be nice," Beth said sarcastically.

"When the guys get back, let's go check the airport and see what happened in the last hours of human movement. Did the planes crash at the time people left or did they all land safely and then disappear," said Andrea.

"The docks too. Did any ships wash ashore or crash into the port," asked Beth.

They heard the sound of a car coming. At first Andrea thought a stranger was coming, but realized that they were the only ones shopping on the famous Rodeo Drive.

"Where to now ladies," asked Brad.

"Let's go to the airport and see if any planes crashed," said Beth.

"Okay by us guys. Follow us. I saw a sign on the freeway directing us to the airport. We follow I-10 south and bingo we're there in no time.

At the airport, they parked at the passenger pickup area. Again it was kind of eerie as nobody was around, but the escalators were operating just fine.

They went upstairs and to a place where they could see the runways. There was not any evidence of a plane accident. There were planes lined up for takeoff and lots of planes at the terminals waiting for passengers and freight to be loaded or unloaded.

Beth said, "Well, this doesn't tell us much. Looks like an orderly airport with no passengers. Remind me to sell my Delta stock."

"Very funny, Beth. I wish we could fly one of those big jobbers. But we are grounded. Let's go check the docks or port area. The port of Long Beach is the largest in the USA, if I remember right. There should be lots of ships there."

Down at Long Beach, it truly was a big operation. They wound through the area until the finally came to the dock area where ships were lined up for unloading. Thousands of containers were stack around. Big cranes were unloading the containers, but now they sat there like skeletons rotting in the sunlight. Some trucks were being loaded and some waiting to load. All looked like it was a normal operation, except there was not any personnel to operate the equipment.

Gary said, "You know what. We could find us a yacht and sail to Europe. Let's drive to the east coast, find a yacht that is sea worthy and has an autopilot to take us to, say, France."

"Wow! Is that something we would all want to do," asked Beth?''

"It would tell us what the east coast looked like and then make a decision," said Brad. Andrea nodded her head rather meekly. Her thinking, which she told Beth on the way east on I-40, she was scared of the water as she could not swim.

Beth said, laughing, "Never worry about that not being able to swim business. If the ship goes down we all go with it. Besides its summer time and no massive storms will come during our time on the ocean. I think it will be a lot of fun and why not go?"

"You're right, Beth. Let's tell the guys we're on board as soon as we get to Florida or wherever we're going," said Andrea.

They drove all the way across the USA. They stopped only for food, clothing and to sleep. They did stop off at Tinker Air Force base in Oklahoma City. It was right off the freeway. It looked the same as back in California and off they went to the east coast.

By now they surmised they were the only living humans in America. It staggered the imagination to think that, much less believe it. It was, however, quickly becoming a reality.

It was decided to change partners as being with one person day in and day out was becoming boring. Besides, one runs out of conversation after awhile. Gary went with Andrea and Beth with Brad from Oklahoma east on I-40.

Andrea, who was riding shotgun said, "Tell me about yourself, Gary. I don't mean to pry into your private space, but in general let's get to know each other better."

"Life story, huh," he said laughing. "I'm not special, that's for sure. I guess what was and is fortunate is I never got into drugs or alcohol. You might even call me a nerd, but at the time I just kind of run in my own world. Yes, I had friends and all were basically like me. We got good grades because my parents said to live the good life; one had to have a good education. I'm still getting good grades and if I ever finish, well, it doesn't look like higher education is in our future, Andrea."

"I wonder if whatever happened could be reversed. That reversal would put us back into being students again. But, let's get real here. No way can something this big be reversed. We can't make the earth spin backwards like Superman did to save his girlfriend, Lois. It might be a good idea for us to forget the past and embrace the future."

"I agree," said Gary checking his speed at around ninety. "Tell me your life and let's see how it compares to mine. I think we might have a lot in common."

"We both seem to be loners, but not standoffish at all. I think we can make conversation anytime we have to, but would rather not. I love to study and have ever since I can remember. I grew up reading stories and love to dive into the mix of characters. In high school I had a boyfriend, but he was too serious for me. I had my sights on a university education and to work in a big city where things were happening. I've been to a few parties at school, but really didn't like what alcohol did to me. Besides the boys would start being a bit too aggressive for my liking. If I want to go to bed with a man, then let it be my or a mutual decision. There you have it. I'm a bit boring, but have no plans to change that situation."

"I wanted a good life without having to struggle to make a living. I'm lucky that my parents have financed my education. I won't have a ton of student loan debt to pay back. Like you wanting to work in a big city, me too. I don't want to own a car and have that expense. I'll use public transportation. I realize it will be crowded mess, but it's something we have to live with. Even if married, I don't want a big place to take care of the expenses of heating and or cooling. One thing I do like to do is cook. My dream kitchen will be well equipped. I'll shop the organic markets and try to be a healthy guy."

Andrea had been listening carefully. When he stopped talking, she let the silence take over. It was a long ways to go, so there was no hurry to comment on his picture of life to come. Besides, he had hit a nerve in her body with his words of the kind of life he desired. It matched hers almost to the letter.

Up ahead in Brad and Beth's car, instead of discussing their lives, the two were looking at the future and what to do with all of the time and every means of transportation at their disposal. Beth said, "I've always wanted to see Europe. What have you wanted to do as regards travel?"

"I've never really given it much thought. It was so out of my reach, I thought it best not to concern myself with anything other than finding the easiest job for the most money. I don't consider myself lazy, but creative when it comes to earning a living. I want to do what I think is good for me. Not what's good for the company I work for. What I mean is, to make money at first, I'll look at all the opportunities of being an entrepreneur while toiling away at some giant company who could care less about me."

"If this situation right now that we're in continues, then I'm going to have to think about what the new opportunities out there that I'd be interested in doing. I love to ski and would like to ski in Europe. Summer time, look around and visit all the historic place riding a scooter or motorcycle. No use walking your legs off when there's no traffic or tourists around. What I don't want to do is do nothing. I really don't do nothing very well at all."

"Let's learn to navigate by land or sea. We can use an old sextant to check our position and with all the GPS gadgets available, we won't get lost. We should learn the basics of first aid and carry a well stocked aid kit. What do you think about that?"

"I like it and I think the others will like it too. It's time we accepted the life we are living. At least there're four of us and not just one. That would be so lonely. Those old movies that had only one person looking for another human to talk to, was a real downer. I know it's early in the game, but at some point we have to think about the future. No, I know what you're thinking, Beth, it's not that we have to procreate this minute or in the near future. However, at some point in time let's give it some serious thought."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'm not real excited about having children at this point in time. And I'm not sure that event is in my near future. I'm only 20 and have some oats to sow before a kid comes along and occupies my time 24/7."

"I'm laughing. Sorry bout that. I haven't heard that expression, 'sow some oats' since my grandfather used it when I was all dressed up for a high school date. Anyway, I was just thinking out loud," said Brad.

"Let's focus on today and not next week for at least a few more days. This is still a lot to swallow being possibly the only humans left alive on this planet."

"I agree, let's think about sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Maybe it's time to see some historic sites that we only just read about in school."

"Won't we need a fairly good size boat to cross the ocean," asked Beth.

"I'd think so. We need one about at least fifty feet with two motors in case one fails. We wouldn't want to be adrift at sea. I wonder if they make one with cruise control."

I think we should go down into Florida and see what is available. If nothing else we could sail up the coast to New York and then look around there," said Beth.

"I like it and why don't you call Andrea behind us to ask them what we just talked about," said Brad keeping his eyes on the road. One thing they all noticed, but never mentioned was the lack of animals or birds.

Andrea and Gary thought that was a great idea. All were getting tired of driving. There was the exciting idea of cruising along the eastern coast of America in a million dollar yacht. Of course they realized that there wasn't any value of anything anymore with people to determine price.

Ft. Lauderdale was the final choice to see what was available. They was a lot things to decide upon before leaving the dock area. Somebody had to steer or pilot the boast out of dock and out to sea. That somebody had to read the boats manual before even attempting to navigate a fifty foot boat out of the harbor.

"Wow! There some serious money here," exclaimed Beth as they stood at a marina next to the harbor. "

"I need to stretch my legs so let's walk around and see what is for yachts," said Gary.

Andrea was not too excited about being near water more than a few feet deep. She took Gary's arm and they walked down the side of the berthing area for these large boats.

Brad led the way and some looked too big and some too small. They guessed each boat would be locked up and to look around, they would have to break into the boat.

It was not too long before they saw one that kind of fit their size. It's name was 'Goofy' written on the transom. It was pointed out to the harbor and not difficult to navigate out to sea. "Let's look it over guys," said Brad.

All of the boats they looked at were very well maintained and very clean. They climbed aboard and made their way to the cabin area where the captain would navigate the boat. The cabin door was locked and they hated to kick the door in. Gary said, "Let me go find a drill and we can drill the lock. I saw a maintenance shop back where we parked. Look the boat over while I'm gone."

Twenty minutes later, Gary came back a little out of breath, but carrying a battery powered drill complete with bits for any size lock. He soon had the door open and inside was the command center for the boats. All four of them looked the bridge over seeing nothing that would be familiar to any of them. Brad said, "Lord, how do you drive this thing?"

"Where is the steering wheel," asked Andrea

"We've a lot to learn here guys," said Gary. "There must be operators manual around here somewhere. Look for maps and or a small room for radio and such things. I'm going down and look what powers this fine craft."

The girls took the drill to see what the cabins looked like for sleeping. Also to check out the galley and its stores of food, if any.

What they found for the owner or some vip was a stateroom that rivaled a small hotel penthouse suite. "I think we should claim this room," said Beth to Andrea.

"I'm with you. The guys can fend for themselves. I think this is like a big toy to them, but it scares me to be off land. I'll be the first to panic if something happens. I'm brave enough to try it, but won't get too close to the railing. Did you think, Beth that we might get sea sick?"

"Yeah and when we get supplies, we'll get some sea sick pills along with other meds to take with us," said Beth.

In the engine room, Gary found two large Caterpillar diesel motors. They too were spotless and it looked like fresh oil on the dipstick. Gary found the fuel gauges and they too were topped off. It appeared this boat was ready for sailing. Back up the stairs he went. It was three floors to the bridge with the second floor allotted to sleeping and eating.

The last thing he checked was the life boats and they looked adequate for an emergency with their own motors and covering from the weather. At the bridge he found Brad studying the boats operation manual. He looked up and said, "Piece of cake, dude. This is easy to steer or pilot or whatever the nautical term is for driving a boat. I'll need a little practice, but if we take it dead slow, we shouldn't' have much trouble getting out to sea. It also has a computer to steer it on a course of our choosing. What did you discover down below?"

Gary filled him in on the drive train and the fuel supply. "I'm not sure how far we can go on a full tank, but I'm sure that manual will tell us the approximate distance we can go at a certain rate of speed."

"I'll take this with us and study it tonight. We need the girls to make a list of supplies and then find a small truck to transport our good here to the boat. I'm sure they must have a small vehicle to transport supplies down the walkway to the berth. I see it's wide enough, but we best check it out."

"I'll go now and look it over," said Gary.

Meanwhile the girls were in the galley looking it over. Andrea was sitting down on a stool with a writing pad while Beth took a look at the stores. They were shocked to see that the walk in and the freezer were stocked very well.

"Hey girl, you come see this for yourself. The freezer is packed and so is the walk in. Gary is our cook and he'll have to determine what spices we need. Let's make a list of medicine and, hey, let's check and see what they already have for accidents. I wonder where they would have such a thing like a first aid kit. It must be somewhere that is easy and fast to get in an emergency."

"Well, it's not like we don't have time to look for it. Time is something we have a lot of. Oh, and what about water for showers and things like that. I'll ask Gary to check on that end of things. I also was thinking, Andrea, we should all cross train how to operate this boat. If something happened to Brad, then we need to have a replacement."

"I'd like to learn that job," said Andrea with a smile and a raise of the head in a sign of happiness. Besides, that would take her mind off not liking water or not being able to swim. Maybe it was time to learn how to swim and if memory served, the French beaches were lovely and delightful.

"Have at it and now let's find the first aid kit or station. I'm sure this boat has everything we need, but let's verify it. I think it must be on this level as that's where the most would hang out behind these cabins. Let's go see what we can find."

Gary found what he was looking for. It was a John Deere lawn tractor and trailer. There were ramps down every so often from the land to the side walkway. It was a simple matter of loading the trailer, driving down to the boat, unload the trailer and drive back up making a circle. The hard part would be loading and unloading. It was going to take some work lugging cases of drinking water onto the boat. Gary shook his head, but realized some physical exercise would not hurt any of them. He went back to the boat to check on what was happening.

Gary found Brad still studying the manual. He looked up and said, "This baby has all the comforts of any home. We've electronics like radar and a communication system, if there was someone to talk to, galore. We've thousands of gallons of fresh water for our use. I've a schematic of the boat that shows where the fuel tanks and water tanks are. I think I know enough to get us out to open water and on our way. There's a computer screen that shows the boat and the water surrounding it. If we turn slightly to port, then it shows the intended direction we're going. That way a pilot can't over steer and weave his or her way out of the harbor."

"I wonder what the girls are doing. Let's go find them and see what the galley holds for us," said Gary.

"I'm right behind you. I wonder what's in the liquor cabinet," said a joking Brad.

"I'm still liking wine or beer myself," said Gary. "I wouldn't think it's very smart to pilot this boat drunk. If all humans left then there should be some ships out there floating or steaming out of control. We need to keep a sharp eye out for those derelicts. The radar should tell us what we need to know. I wonder how far out the radar reaches?"

"The radar manual should tell us what we need to know about that. We also won't have any weather reports either. I sure hope we don't run into any storms," said Brad as they walked back along the rail towards the stern.

"We have to sail smart," said Gary as they heard the girls talking just up ahead in a covered deck area with chairs tied to the sides of the roof supports.

They looked and said, "We're looking for the first aid supplies. You guys have any idea where they might be?"

"I'd guess with the life preservers in a side storage area alongside the walkway. Again, the ships schematic should tell us where they are," said Gary.

"Let me run back and get it," said Brad.

After setting up four deck chairs and a small table that the legs fit into holes of the deck, they sat down while Beth told Gary about the stores in the galley. He said, after hearing the report, we want for nothing then?"

"You're the cook and spices are the only thing I don't know much about," said Beth.

"I've a feeling this boat was about to sail. It's spring time and the owners were probably getting ready for a spring run to Bermuda or someplace like that. We got lucky, but I'm sure there's a warehouse full of supplies not far away."

Brad came back with a rolled up schematic of the "Goofy". He unrolled it out upon the table. In his pockets he'd brought some paper weights to hold it down. He said, "Pointing to the water tanks, is where the fresh water is located. There should be a gauge nearby. Okay and just on the port side of the boat in a cabinet is life preservers and first aid kits. Let's make sure we have enough band aids and headache meds. I like ibuprofen myself. Oh, and by the way," as he dug out of his pocket, keys to fit any and all locks on board, "here are the keys."

"Andrea and I already claim the VIP suite. You guys can find your own bunks."

"There's a small cabin in back of the bridge for sleeping. I'll take that and Gary can fend for himself. Now, what else do we need to do before sailing," asked Brad.

"Eat," said Gary. "I'm hungry and need to check out the kitchen anyway."

"By the way, what is the port side and starboard side anyway," said Andrea.

"Facing forward, the port side is on your left and starboard is to the right obviously," said Brad. "If we're going to be sailors, let's use sailing talk. The bow is up front and the stern is the back of the boat."

"I got it and before we leave we need a pharmacy," said Andrea with Beth nodding her agreement.

"Me too," said Brad. "I need some shaving stuff and other things."

"Let's get some new clothes as well," added Gary. "Out on the ocean it will be a bit chilly. We need some windbreakers and assorted other stuff. I'm sure there's a close by clothing outfitters store we can visit. I don't want to make a bed, so a sleeping bag sounds good to me."

In the galley, Gary made some ham and cheese omelets. Andrea made the toast and Beth used the nice espresso machine.

It was a typical Florida spring day. Nice, but not so hot weather. After eating they all sat out on the deck and enjoyed the sights, but no sounds except the water lapping up against the boats. It felt good and Gary said, "I'm feeling better every day. I miss all of the good times we had, but I know human's adapt and grow from any kind of new environment."

"True," said Brad setting down the ships manual. "I can't believe we are the only people on this planet. I think there would have been someone who was hermitically sealed like we were out there somewhere."

"But how to make contact is the big unknown. Unless you run across another person, how else would you send out a signal that, 'Hey, I'm here,' kind of thing? No way Jose. I think we're stuck with one another. Or – unless – one or two of us decides to part ways and go 'your own way' sings Fleetwood Mac."

"Time will tell," said Brad standing up yawning. "I'm off to bed. Good night all."

The rest followed him to their cabins. Gary opened one door next to the girls and all was well their first night aboard ship.

~~~~

Gary was up early studying the manual. He wanted to make sure somebody else knew how to pilot the boat. He was also interested in the motors and like a good engineer, keep an eye on them.

Before long all were up and about. Beth and Andrea were in the galley making coffee and toast. Brad hollered at Gary to come have some early morning coffee. He went down and they sat around making a plan for the day. First they would go to the pharmacy and then to the grocery warehouse. The last thing was the clothing store.

Where the garden tractor was, sitting alongside the building was a van. They found the keys in the office and climbed aboard. There was a Walgreens not far away and after a half hour of shopping, they went to the grocery wholesale warehouse.

After some isle cruising, choosing some special items and spices, they left for the outfitters store not so far from the marina. With duffel bags filled with all weather gear and some sportswear, it was back to the boat. Gary drove the tractor loaded with their supplies down to the boat. The others walked.

Andrea said later she had a sinking feeling in her stomach about venturing out on a great ocean. Beth too was a little apprehensive about sailing with people who did not have any experience on the water. Brad was pumped and ready to show his new found ability to pilot the "Goofy" out to the sea and to cross the Atlantic to Europe. Gary was kind of in his own world. He made sure all the power was disconnected from shore and the dock ropes rolled up and put away. Andrea loved the way he took care of things. Besides that, she was beginning to like him, maybe, a little more than she should.

Along those same lines, Beth too had her sights on Gary. To her, Gary seemed the most mature of the two guys. However, she liked Brad for his boldness and positive thinking. For Beth it was a tossup between the two of them.

Gary stayed in the engine room while Brad started the two powerful diesel motors. The electric generator automatically kicked on delivering power throughout the entire boat. The last two lines connecting the boat to the dock, like an umbilical cord, were released. Beth scrambled aboard and the giant boat sat there free to go wherever the pilot desired. Brad turned the steering lever slight to Starboard to head to the mouth of the harbor. His speed was dead slow and that was fast enough for all the passengers.

Gary came up breathing a little hard and looked around the area. By now the ''Goofy'' was twenty feet or so off the dock area. Brad turned a little more to the starboard and the boat started to line up with the mouth of the harbor and open sea.

Andrea stood with her hand on the side of the door watching intently as she felt the big craft moving slowly across the harbor. Soon she saw the incoming waves of the ocean and waited for the up and down motion that she was so nervous about. She had taken a motion pill just after breakfast. She hated the thought of being sea sick, but Gary assured her it would quickly pass. She gave him an evil eye in response. He winked and went about his chores.

Beth was standing not far from Brad as he slowly increased speed to compensate for the incoming water. His rate of speed was four knots. That seemed about right for now. He was more concerned to keep the bow pointed east and in the middle of the channel than anything else. Beth liked his concentration. She said, to break the silence, "Here we go guys. We're sailing off into the rising sun. May the great spirit of the earth see its way to give us good weather all the way to Europe?"

Once ''Goofy'' cleared the harbor and cut its way to open sea, Brad increased speed to twelve knots. Andrea felt the boat moving up and down, but not as much as she had anticipated. Gary said, "Say goodbye to Florida and unlike Columbus, we know where we're going."

"I'll do some math and see how long it will take us to reach Gibraltar at our cruising speed of, what will we cruise at Brad?"

"The manual suggests with favorable conditions, whatever that means, twenty knots is a good rate of speed."

"How fast is that compared to miles per hour," asked Andrea.

"Twenty knots almost twenty three miles per hour.

"Well, what do we do now guys," asked Andrea. "I'm going to the deck and sit down to see how I feel about being on the open sea."

Beth followed Andrea leaving Gary alone with Brad. Brad said, "You know this could get real boring very fast. We need to think about rotating shifts here at the wheel of this fine craft."

"Fine with me. I'm not sure about Andrea though. But perhaps in a few day she'll get with the flow. I see we are paralleling the coast. I'll keep an eye out for any drifting ships or small boats. I'll also study the currents to see where a ship might be adrift so we can stay away from the shipping lines. Once we leave the coast, we could go further east to stay out of the shipping lanes. It's just a thought."

"No, I like it. If we were to crash against a big cargo ship we'd be in deep shit. Would you like to pilot while I run down and get a cup of coffee?"

"Sure and make it two. This boat is not hard to operate. I wonder though, how it would be trying to dock it to a wharf. Or back it up, for that matter."

"We could practice someplace in New York if we stop by there. I've never been to New York City and would love to see what used to be the world's financial capital. How about you, Gary?"

"Me too. Never been to any of the big cities east of the Mississippi."

"Be right back," Brad said dashing out the door.

The operation at sea was a snap. You set the course and the autopilot took over. All one had to do was look out the window once in awhile to make sure nothing was in front of you. Gary practiced reading the ships manual and looking up. It took some practice, but he was determined to master it. It was just too easy to become absorbed in a book and run into something floating or drifting in front of you. The odds were low that running into something on the open sea, but why take the chance. It helped having the radar on to see any blimps out there.

Brad came back to with two large mugs of coffee with lids. Gary took a sip and gave it two thumbs up for taste. Who ever owned this find craft, really knew how to live life on the sea.

"The girls are sitting on the deck watching our wake. They seem relaxed and enjoying the trip so far. You want me to take over," asked Brad.

"Yeah, I want to go down and check the motors and see what going on down there. I'm sure all is fine, but I'll check the gauges for safety sake."

"Fine with me. I'll see how far to New York and what time it might be when we get there. I'd guess something tomorrow. How should we handle the night shift, dude," asked Brad.

''At lunch time, let's discuss it with the girls. They can learn to pilot this boat very easy. Let's figure out how each of us can get eight hours of sleep."

"Sounds good to me. I'm fine now so go check out the engines."

"After that I'll go to the galley and prepare some lunch. I'll ask Andrea to help me and ask Beth to learn how to pilot this boat with you," said Gary.

At lunch time, with the ''Goofy'' on cruise control and a reduced speed, they all sat in the galley having lunch discussing the pilot schedule. With the four of them, on a rotating basis of four hours on and eight off, did not make for desired sleeping schedules, but they soon adjusted to it very well.

Brad said, "It will take us about fifty hours to arrive at New York. Let's take a vote on who wants to stop there and who doesn't want to. A show of hands please. All in who want----------- and all who don't want -------. Okay we stop and see what the big city is like with the wind whistling down or up the deserted streets."

~~~~

The trip up to New York was uneventful. Brad took the helm when they neared the entrance to the Hudson River. From there it was easy to navigate up river to Manhattan and Pier 90 where they docked. Brad practice backing in and after a few tries, managed to snuggle up to the dock. The tide was favorable so Gary slid the aluminum ladder off 'Goofy' and began to tie up it securely to the empty dock.

Brad said, "I'm sweating. It's not easy backing this boat up. I think it best to drive in straight and then back out straight, turn and head out to sea. Anyway, let's shut it down and find some transportation."

They found a passenger van complete with map of places to see. Brad drove with Beth riding shotgun with title of Navigator. Andrea said, "Beth, you do the narrating as we go. I'd love to see one of the fashionable Fifth Ave jewelers. Let's stop and window shop for some exercise after being cooped up on the boat."

"No problem," said Brad. "I don't think we'll have a parking problem," laughing. It was contagious and soon it resulted in a stress releasing of pent up emotion from the beginning back in Seattle all the way to New York.

When the tears were wiped and it got quiet, Brad pulled over next to jewelry store. Like elsewhere, the store was unlocked. Inside walking around looking at all the glittering jewels, it took Andreas breath away. She said, "I guess there're people who really wear and buy this stuff. The opulence is scary. I think I'll choose a simple silver chain necklace and diamond earrings."

"Me too," joked Gary standing just behind her.

"I'm going for that blue sapphire ring if it fits," said Beth.

"Get the bracelet too," said Brad. "Hell, just as well get a set of earrings to go with the whole thing."

Gary took a man's ring for a souvenir from his visit to the Big Apple."

Brad left with a gold necklace. They drove around seeing the sights and decided to stop in the Plaza Hotel which was next to Central Park. After a hearty lunch they could stroll around the park area. The downside was no birds or ducks to see or hear.

As usual, the kitchen stores provided lunch, but without lettuce for a salad. Frozen veggies and meat for sandwiches was had. Bread had been frozen so they had a good feast. Next up was the park.

What started out as Beth and Andrea leading, so became a pair or couple walking? Somehow, nobody really knew, but Andrea and Gary were walking some distance from Brad and Beth. An observer, if there had been one, would have thought there was two romantically pairs of men and women enjoying the park area.

As far as each of them was concerned, it just came natural as both species are designed for pairing. That is, if they have mutual interests; and these couples did have, for the most part, mutual interests.

The spring weather had a little bite to it. All wore windbreakers or hoodies, but Andrea seemed a little extra cold. Gary noticed and took her hand in his. She accepted readily and seemed to move a little closer to him walking around the green park with flowers beginning to raise their heads up to drink in the life giving rays of the sun.

Andrea said, "Gary, I'm feeling a little apprehensive about what life is like now that It's been turned upside down. I miss my parents and spring vacation was always nice for me and mom. We'd do things together and tell stories. I never kept a secret from my mom, unless it was about boys. She put me on the pill while I was in high school. How do you feel these days, Gary?''

"Like you, I guess. It's hard to change one's life completely in one day or even a week or two. I think it'll take us a long time to adjust to this kind of life. I guess we need each other more than ever. I sure hope we don't start fighting amongst ourselves over some petty thing."

"Beth and I talked about all of this and we both agree that communication is what will hold us together. We do have some good things going for us. One is that we're all fairly intelligent and come from good backgrounds. Anyway, we all know the value of sharing ideas and being open for at least a discussion about any issues that we have. Right now I don't have any issues unless being hot happy sailing across an ocean is a big issue."

Gary squeezed her hand and he felt the warmth of her being sending a slight signal of his sign of hearing her very well. What he really wanted to do was stop and hug her with a nice kiss. However, his brain took over where his libido was concerned and shut that thought down. He justified it by realizing they had an unlimited amount of time to do that very sort of thing.

Gary glanced around and did not see Brad and Beth anywhere. He was so taken by Andrea he had lost sight of them. He lost that thought as all knew where the van was parked.

In reality they were not far away, but had taken a different trail among the woods rather than around the lake. Beth asked, "Brad, what do you miss most about your old life just a few weeks ago?

"Now there's a good question. Let's see – maybe – hanging out with my friends, talking sports and about girls. Those two subjects go hand in hand with college kids. And you?"

"Sports are not or isn't high on most girls list of subjects. We talk about our classes and the professors who teach us. If the truth be known, we pick on the bad things about a teacher. How they're dressed, smell, walk and stuff like that. Yes, we too talk about the opposite sex. We love a man who is tender and respects us girl's feelings. We know most guys are out to score and keep a score card. Most of us try and stay away from that sort of guy. Which one are you," said Beth looking at him for any signs of insincerity.

He knew she was watching him with a keen eye. If he wanted to be close friends, he had better not lie much. "I admit I am both of what you say about guys and sports and girls. No, I never kept a score card or bragged about any scores I made. I found most I shared a bed with eager to do the same. I never once gave much thought to a long term relationship. But, if it happened, then so much the better. Truthfully, I didn't think I'd become a husband and father before thirty. What were your thoughts about a long term relationship after graduation?"

'Nothing was further from my about a family life of my own. I thought as far as the next quarter. I lived one quarter at a time. But, that's all over with as far as I can see. I liked learning but right now I'm wondering why I should learn anything new except our survival mode. I mean learning how to sail or pilot a boat, navigation, the currents are all necessary if we're to travel the world."

He stopped and looked at her. He cocked his head and said, "Travel the world, huh?"

"Why not. What've we better to do? I want to eat a banana off a tree in the tropics. Mangoes and pineapples and whatever else they grow down there. If all the insects are dead, then we don't have to worry about mosquitoes. Oh, my, I just thought about sometime. If there're no bees to pollinate the fruit trees, what happens then?"

"Damn if I know. Let's not think about it now. Let's continue our walk." He took her hand and they strolled off through the woods and down towards the lake to meet up with Gary and Andrea.

Brad was expecting Beth to take her hand away, but to his pleasure and amazement, she seemed to expect it. His thoughts were the same as the others: we are all we have. It is just the four of us. Humans are meant to be social animals. They were also meant to procreate to produce others.

They joined Andrea and Gary at the lake. All decided to go back to the van and drive around for awhile seeing some sights. After that they would spend the night in a luxury five star hotel.

Brad said, "Let's get a DVD player and a ton of movies for our sailing. There're giant HD screens onboard, but I didn't see any DVD players around. Did I miss something?"

"No, I never saw any of them either. I like the idea very well. Let's go somewhere they have lots of DVDs."

An hour later, they had what they went after. They chose four DVD players and a couple of boxes of movies and such things. Some historical documentaries and some sci-fi movies were added.

They toured around and at about dark, parked in front of the hotel for the night. All chose suites that joined just in case, well just in case.

Before leaving the hotel the next morning, Gary decided to clean out the freezer of some tasty filets, prime rib and halibut. He loaded the boxes on a hand cart, up the elevator and out to the van. He said, a little out of breath, "If nothing else we'll eat very well. Who knows what awaits us in Europe."

Andrea had helped him replied, "I'm getting stronger by the day. I'm losing my fear of being lonely and separated from my family. My family, all of us, was close. We shared our thoughts at the dinner table. I'd go home some weekends and slide right back into family life. I guess that's why I didn't have many boyfriends. Anyway, we're all loaded. I guess we start our sojourn to Europe."

"I guess whether we like it or not, the four of us are family now. I sure hope we don't start fighting or arguing which might lead to separation," said Gary.

"I've learned to walk away from arguments. There're no winners or losers when an argument is happening. Regardless, let's make the best of it a day at a time."

Brad and Beth came out carrying some expensive looking bed sheets and a stack of wool blankets. Beth said, "I prefer cool at night with a warm blanket over me. The ship didn't have any wool only acrylic crap. I like cotton and wool on my sensitive skin."

"Hop in everybody. We sail into the rising sun," said Brad.

At the boat, all supplies and gear loaded on board, lines cast off, engines rumbling, they left New York in their wake.

They sailed due east to avoid the shipping lanes and any derelict ships that might be waiting to be run into by their pleasure craft, 'Goofy'. Brad took the first shift of pilot. He ran at thirty knots. This was the fastest they had gone so far. The craft knifed through the water like it was designed for the open sea. The weather was calm and the up and down was minimal. However, both Andrea and Beth took sea sick pills. The guys appeared fine without the pills.

After a half day of plowing through the ocean eastward, Gary turned to slightly north, but mostly east to the Mediterranean Sea. That should suffice staying out of the old shipping lanes. The radar showed nothing on its screen. Gary went back to the ships manual on the section regarding the engine room and all that it encompassed.

Every eight hours he checked the fuel level, fresh water level and all things he was curious about. Andrea would often accompany him, but she really was not interested in the 'bowels' of the boat, as she called it.

Beth and Brad began spending more time together when off shift. They enjoyed watching videos and becoming more familiar with each other. The same could be said of Gary and Andrea. An outside observer would conclude that the paring off was almost established. The real question, however, is would it last?

~~~~

Beth was standing on the bow with a pair of binoculars looking in the direction where the Rock of Gibraltar would be. She had already seen West Africa and was waiting to see Portugal. Brad was staying fairly close to the land when they approached Europe. Radar had not picked up any ships as it seemed whatever happened, ships were not a problem on the open seas. The only one of them that was puzzled was Gary. The issue was not brought up until much later.

Meanwhile they sailed past the Rock of Gibraltar with sights set on France. Brad turned to the northeast after the 'Rock' and hugged the coast of Spain for Beth to gander through her glasses.

The timing was not quite right so they decided to dock in Barcelona for the night. In fact they were not in any hurry, so a look at Spain would be interesting.

Once they had passed into the Mediterranean Sea area, it slowly warmed up. It felt good from the cold North Atlantic Ocean with its weather coming down from the north. Beth said to Andrea, "It's time for shorts and halter top, I hope. I'm game for that kind of weather. I'm a little windblown and need a lot of lotion to keep my face from looking an old sailor. I'm kind of excited to see some foreign shops and their clothes. I'm thinking we should dress like the countries we visit."

"Sounds like fun to me," said Andrea. "What I like most of all so far is the lack of air pollution. It seems like I can smell very well again. If our taste buds come back, well, I'm thinking we could grow a garden and not worry about any insects eating our plants. I'm not saying we should have a commune like back in those old hippie days, but a small farm during the spring to grow and eat good veggies. Then in the fall and winter sail around wherever."

"You might be on to something," girl. "We could learn to drive a tractor, plant, fertilize and do what manual labor is needed. It'd be healthy and muscles would become taunt. I like it. I wonder if the guys would be receptive to such a plan," said Beth.

Andrea laughed and said, "Gary would follow me anywhere these days. No, he's not like a puppy dog, but it's obvious he needs human companionship. I guess for that matter, we all do. I can't see, at this point, a lot of faults in his being. But like my mother told me growing up, "You never really know a person until you live with them'', and I took that message to heart."

"It's a good rule to live by. Brad and I are similar in a lot of respects, but there seems like a wall between us on occasion. I guess we could use the word 'stubborn' to describe he and I."

"Do you think that will prevent you from developing a relationship with him," asked Andrea as she moved closer to the railing on the bow. She had become secure in her fear of drowning. Beth moved with her still peering through her glasses at the land passing by on the port side.

"I don't know Andrea. I feel sexually attracted to him, but emotionally not so much. I've always had a strong libido and soon I'll see what develops afterwards."

"I'm a little afraid of a physical relationship with Gary. I fear he'll become to – what can I say – attached?"

"I'll say this, go ahead and let the good times roll. If you two are a match, so much the better. It's a much nicer feeling living with the results of a good romp in the sack rather than being sexually frustrated. I hate the thought of being self stimulated for the rest of my life," said a laughing Beth.

"All this talking has made me hungry, Beth. Let's go have lunch."

~~~~

The pleasure boat marina in Barcelona was rather tight for their large craft. Once again fortune was with them as the large docking area in front of the marina was open. This time Brad had to back into the docking area after turning around. He did it rather expertly and he received a standing 'O' for nice work. He grinned and said, "Nothing to it guys. The idea is not to get in a hurry. Let the boat drift with a nudge now and again."

They found a van to take them to the city market area. It was designed for tourists, which was fine with our sailors. It was almost dinner time, but they decided to see what was available at a local deli. In or from their search, a fine deli with meats, cheese and crackers rounded off a great lunch. They washed it all down with some warm beer. Andrea discovered that warm beer tasted better than the cold beer of America.

"Let's go shopping, Andrea," said Beth. "I see lots of scooters around here. Let's ride them later to tour the narrow streets and back alleys."

"We'll do that and one better," said Brad. "We'll find a scooter dealer for four brand new ones. As this is our first time in Europe, let's check it out rather well as spring only comes once a year. Where shall we stay tonight? In a hotel or on the boat?"

"I don't care one way or another," said Gary.

"Let's stay on land tonight," said Andrea and Beth nodded her approval.

After dinner, the girl's went around to a few shops looking for clothes that were loud and colorful, with sandals to match.

It did not take long and they had a few tourist sacks full of spring and summer wear. Next to the boutique they were in was a hat shop. It took a while to choose what they liked, but in the end, they walked out looking rather chic, as the boys said later.

"You know what we're missing," said Andrea.

"I can think of a few things," said Brad chuckling looking coy.

"No silly, I mean we need a tan. Our white Washington skin contrasts with our new clothes. I'm not into skin cancer as the thought of us needing a doctor scares me to death. We have to fend for ourselves, so let's not be taking chances," said a firm spoken Andrea.

"They found a local hotel with some historic charm built into it. Brad was being his rather glib self saying, as they walked into the hotel, "Hey, we're here for our reservations for the best rooms in the house. Where do I sign and do you want my credit card or will cash suffice."

"Very funny," said Beth with a slight grin. It was nice to break the heavy weight of adjusting to no other human being around wherever they went. Anyway, it lightened the mood and they chose rooms on the second floor. Nobody trusted the old elevator, so they trudged up the stairs. Angela stopped half way up the first flight and looked back down into the reception area. The slightly stained wood counter had been there for many, many years. The backboard held cubby holes like in the old days when messages would be written and stuck in your room's hole.

A brass chandelier hung over the center of the room with a large fan slowly turning for the non-existent residents coming. One thing that impressed all of them was the marble floor. However, after all humans left, a slight coating of dust had diminished the fresh looking floor that had countless footprints across it.

Andrea turned and continued up the gilded staircase. None of their rooms were connected. It was decided they all needed some alone time so four rooms were occupied.

Hot water put a smile on Andrea's face as she stripped down and proceeded to take a long hot shower. Her showers on the boat were adequate, but the boat was always conserving water. Here, the flow was much better, but not up to American standards.

Afterwards, as she was toweling dry, she thought she saw a shadow of a person walk quickly past the bathroom door towards the balcony area. Covering herself, she peeked around the corner towards the bed and sliding doors off the balcony, seeing nothing. She shook her head and decided it was something in her imagination or water in the eye, but regardless, she decided to be on high alert. Gary was next door and she could not imagine him trying to catch a look of her nakedness.

She put on some flannel pajamas and tried to fall asleep. First her thoughts went to the shadow and then to Gary next door. She felt it might be time to join him in a night's pleasure in bed. She could knock on the wall. Also she could use the 'shadow' excuse for company.

While she was dwelling on the subject, a soft knock on the wall separating her and Gary was heard. She jumped out of bed and knocked back. She waited and then she heard a soft knock on her door. She hurried to the door and there he stood with a serious look on his face. She said, "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Maybe I did," he said walking in. "I saw a dark shadow run by my door just as I came out of the shower. At first I thought it was my imagination, but I've never had those kinds of thoughts before, have you?"

She went over and sat in an old fashioned cushioned chair and looking up at him, told him what had happened to her just a short while ago. He sat on the bed and said, "I wonder if Beth and Brad experienced the same thing as we did."

"If they did, I think they'd have knocked on our doors. All seems quiet other than us talking. This kind of bothers me, but having you here is better," she said lowering her eyes being slightly demure.

"I'll hang around for awhile just to be on the safe side. But, I have no idea what or how to protect us from a ghost, if it's even a apparition of sorts. I'll make sure the sliding doors are locked; not that will deter a real ghost, but make us feel safer.

"I'm a little chilly, Gary. I want under the covers and if you would care to, well, join me, please." She saw a slight reddening of his cheeks and from that, it sealed the deal he was a good guy not just wanting to score another female.

The two of them, lay there starring at the ceiling. She heard him say, "Andrea, I like you a lot. I don't want to push you, but how do you feel about me and us as a couple?"

Her answer was to roll over and plant a kiss on his startled lips. The 'startle' did not last long as they slowly made love. When they finished, breathing a little hard, he said, "I feel wonderful and feel close to you. I'm almost happy this human extinction happened just because it put the two of us together."

Andrea snuggled closer to him wanting to become one and more of the same thing. She reached down and felt his manhood. A few up and downs and it started to rise to the occasion. He moaned a little and hugged her tightly. A few more strokes and she climbed on top of him. She was the director of the play and he followed her faithfully to the crescendo.

She fell off onto the side of him rather spent. After catching her breath, she went to the bathroom to clean up. She was on the pill and had whispered that protection into his ear earlier.

Andrea had no more than soaped up, and then here came Gary for the same kind of cleaning. Afterwards, they went to bed not giving a thought to the 'Shadow'.

The next morning, early, as the sun was just rising in the east, Gary began his exploration of Andrea's body. He wanted every square inch of it. He started with the neck and moved down to her ample breasts and then down to the belly button. By now she was breathing rather hard. He went down further and then she began to moan and slightly writher under his touch. When he found the little go button, she shuddered with anticipation of things to come.

He did not disappoint her, when he began to make circles with his tongue, she did not take long to reach a place where totally ecstasy exists. He held onto her tightly and then laid his head on her stomach while she recovered.

No words were passed as they snuggled together watching it get lighter and lighter. She felt his breathing even out and soon he was asleep. She let him sleep thinking about last night and this morning's intimate love sessions. It felt wonderful and she gave a thank you to the big spirit in the sky. She flashed back on the 'shadow' and shook it off. They would be leaving today anyway. As she felt her stomach growl, realizing it was time to eat, she eased out of bed and walked to the balcony. She looked over the area up and down seeing nothing but buildings and no people out and about. She visioned back when there was citizens, the place was probably teaming with shop owners, shoppers and tourists looking for bargains.

Suddenly she felt arms go around her and a whisper in her ear saying, "If heaven can compare to last night, then I am willing to go. If not, I'll stay here and wait for you to call me when the coast is clear. I've never felt this good in my entire life. I hope you feel the same as me."

In a quiet voice she said, leaning back into him, "I pray it wasn't a one night stand. Although, there're only two of us alive on the planet that are female, so the list would be might short. Besides, I think in another room last night, the same kind coupling was happening. You're stuck with me and I you; but it's a nice place to be. There's just one thing, Gary, and that is don't lie to me. I can handle the truth, but can't handle a lie."

"I swear to all that's holy I'll never lie to you. If I do, you can feed me to the sharks or, wait a minute, are there any sharks alive?"

She turned around quickly and looked at him with a strange appearance. "Now that's a good question. Maybe there's sea life and we don't know it yet?"

"How can we find out, besides a fishing pole and bait," asked Gary.

"A glass bottom boat," laughed Andrea. "I've no idea and have never fished in my life. I love to eat salmon and halibut, but other than that, I'm not much of a fish lover."

A knock on the door took care of the fish conversation. Andrea walked to the door and opened it to a smiling Beth and Brad. "Hey, we're hungry and let's go find some Spanish eggs and sausage."

Dressed for a warm spring day, they found a place to eat that had eggs in the walk-in. Eggs will last more than a month in a refrigerator. Gary took the eggs, sausage and hash browns to the burner. Andrea and Beth found the bakery and took the freshest bread for toast they could find.

On the way, out of ear shot of the guys, Beth said, "I guess we both didn'at sleep alone last night. It was good for me, but it could be a lot better. He was tense and a bit too tense because it was the first time. He said later that he was afraid it couldn't satisfy me. I told him never mind and just let a natural thing happen. How about you?"

"Amazingly wonderful. He knows how to make a girl feel good. I'm a bit sore, but that will heal up in a short time. We really like each other. I sure hope he doesn't smother me. Well, here we are. Let's see what else is fresh that we could take with us."

At breakfast, Gary brought up the shadow or apparition he and Andrea witnessed last night. "I know you think we're both crazy, but if one of us had seen and the others didn't see, then okay, maybe something else, but in this case, it was a black shadow moving towards the balcony. I suggest we beat feet out of town soonest."

Brad looked at Gary with serious eyes and said, "I believe you and also believe there can be other things we don't know about out there. Let's stick together and not wander off too far."

"Gary and I were talking about fish. We would like to know if all the fish are gone too. It might be that the oceans and lakes might contain fish," said Andrea.

"You know, I hadn't thought about that. How do we find out if any fish or shell fish are in the oceans? I remember my father going out on Puget Sound with crab pots," said Beth.

"We could look around the fishing marina and see if any of the boats have any crab pots. If they do, then we can go crab fishing. I think we'd best stay aboard our boat until we reach France," said Gary.

After breakfast, on new scooters, they went to the sea shore looking for fishing boats. At the fishing boat marina, they saw and checked some boats with crab pots. Brad said, "We need a van to carry a couple of them to our boat. Also, we need some bait. Some frozen chickens would be good food for crabs."

They went back to their boat and with a van, picked up three pots. Gary rode off to find new rope. The old rope was rough with wear and salt that had dried on it. He found a tackle shop with new rope on a roll. He tied two rolls on the back of his scooter and rode back to the dock.

Beth and Andrea went looking for some frozen chickens. They were back about the same time as Gary. Gary and Brad loaded the pots on board and with the other stuff; they left the harbor with a shore map from one of the crab boats showing where they had caught crab. It was easy to locate and once there, it was time to use the anchor for the first time.

It was time to go crabbing. The chickens were tied into the pots. Then one by one they were dropped off the side of the boat and tied to the railing. The only thing left to do was wait. Brad went to look at the map to France, Gary to the engine room, Beth and Andrea to the stern deck. It was time for a tan. They put on bikinis, lotion, sunglasses and a hat. Using some giant beach towels from the boat, they laid on the deck soaking up the warm sun on the Mediterranean.

Both Gary and Brad, as they went about their business, were thinking about the last night at the historic hotel in Barcelona. Both were filled with joy and happiness thinking they were a close foursome that was sailing around the world enjoying life. However, even though they had each other, all sorely missed other humans around them. It's nice to have your own space, but sometimes that space can surround you with a cold feeling of loneliness. But for now, they all were filled with energy and they were awful close to being in love.

~~~~

An hour later, all decided that one hour would be enough time for a crab to enter the pot. Gary pulled one pot up and the others looked over the rail anxiously awaiting what, if anything but a dead chicken was in the pot. Gary was hoping for crab as fresh crab was very tasty indeed.

As the pot broke the surface, lots of water spilling out obscured what might be inside. Gasps were heard signaling the pot had crab in it. When they brought it on board, there were ten crabs inside. Only three were of a size to eat. Brad had brought a bucket just in case. Gary picked each one up and if it was of size, put it in the bucket and the others went back overboard to grow up. "I'm shocked," said Beth. "How come there're living things under the ocean but not above it except us?"

"None of us can answer that question. Let's be happy that there're other living things besides us on this planet. Now, let see what else we have with the other two," said Gary.

They quickly pulled the other two and when they had finished, eight nice sized crab would adorn the table today at lunch time. To complement the crab they opened a bottle of wine. None of them knew an expensive bottle from a not so expensive bottle of wine. They decided on a red that was not too bitter. It was on the sweet side, but right then, sweet what was desired.

After lunch, with the pots securely stored, they set sail for Marseille, France. Brad took the helm with the first shift and then Gary would take over. It was about a ten hour run to Marseille. Beth and Brad talked about the undersea world of living creatures, but they were not sure if fish swam about like before. "It's time for some fishing," said Brad.

"Even if there're fish, what does all of that mean to us," asked Beth.

"I'm not sure, but does it mean that not all living things have disappeared. Maybe somewhere on this planet there're other humans like us. The real question is do we want to meet or socialize with them."

"I know this sounds crazy, but what if there're some aliens here and we can't see or hear them. Like what Gary and Andrea saw last night. I can't fathom the thought, but I say, live and let live."

"Gary and I have briefly talked about being in a parallel dimension from our original one. If so, how did we get here and the big question is, how do we get back. Or do we really want to go back to our old world of the same shit but different day?"

"I don't know," said Beth. "But right now I need a hug. This talking has made me a little apprehensive about our future."

Brad looked at the horizon over the bow. The way was clear and calm. The craft was on cruise control. Beth was still in her bikini with a shirt over the top. He took her in his arms and after a big hug, he kissed her with passion. The next thing either of them knew, the carpet on the floor made it easier to make love.

In a short time they both lay panting side by side. Beth said, "I'm going to take a shower and then catch some more rays for a tan." She left him on the floor with a big smile on his face.

~~~~

Gary and Andrea were in the pilot's house when the coast of France appeared. Gary said, "France has always held a mystic to me for some reason. I guess maybe it's the history of the Renaissance Period. I think maybe the most famous capital in Europe is Paris. I like it because of the reputation of food and it's excellent cooking. I don't profess to be anywhere near what an Executive Chef is, but I still just love to cook."

"I know this might sound a bit silly, but I'd like to stay in one place for a little while. I like the idea of maybe planting a garden for fresh vegetables. What do you think, Gary," she asked while slipping her arms around his middle from the back side. He felt so strong to her. Her heart was thumping in her chest mostly because she needed a strong person at that moment.

"Why not," he said turning around to hold her while starring down into her clear blue eyes. "We could spend the spring and summer here in France and then think about what we might do next. The exercise would do us good. If there's fish around, we could have fish cooked many different ways. I think it would be fun. Let's check with the other love birds."

Brad and Beth came in a short time later. "I see we're not far away from port. Do you want to try your hand at docking Goofy for a change," said Brad.

"Yeah, not a bad idea. Stay close to supervise will ya," he replied.

"I'm going down to change for a trip to downtown Marseille," said Andrea.

''I'm with you," said Beth.

In the cabin and alone for the first time in awhile, Beth said, "How's it with Gary and you. He looks like he's in love. I can tell you like him and like me and Brad, let's try and make it a good relationship all around."

''I think we are doing well. He's not smothering me and I'm staying just a little aloof, but sensitive to his touch. Right now is the lust period and as soon as that wears off, well, let's see what happens."

"Same here. The sex is good, but I'm looking for more. Like you, let's see what happens. I'm going to take a shower and wear some long pants. With not knowing the weather on shore, we can always change in some shop. I'll see you on the bridge or the bow."

Andrea stripped down and could not help herself looking into a full length mirror on the side of the doorway into the bathroom. Her body was not perfect, but mostly it was fairly firm. Her breasts were a little heavy so a sag did occur. Her belly was flat, but a couple extra pounds occupied her backside. What were really nice were her legs. They were shaped to make any woman envy. Her last look, up close, was her face and hair. She had coal black hair with blue eyes. An attractive nose with a sensuous mouth, to make boys want to partake of her full lips, they were her pride and joy.

Getting dressed, she felt the boat slowing down. They must be close, she thought, finishing her dress. A few minutes later she was on the bridge looking at the marina about a football field away to the opening.

Gary was at the helm with Brad at his side. Andrea did not want to distract him so she picked up the binocs and gave a look at France. There was one thing always said about France and that was it was a very romantic country. She thought about some of the old town squares where people drank wine and danced in some local band's music. Now, however, that scene would never be observed in the foreseeable future.

"Looking good, Gary," said Brad. "Slow and steady. "I heard that it takes a big tanker or cargo ship more than a mile to stop on the open ocean."

"I think I'll pass piloting one of those big babies. This is a handful, if you ask me."

"I agree,'' said Brad."Docking is a real challenge. Just take it slow and just a nudge now and again will put you alongside the dock. One drawback is there's nobody on the dock to tie you up with a thrown rope. Never mind that. You can do it."

Andrea decided to go out on the deck and leave the guys to pilot the boat. Beth was on the port side starring out at whatever was on her mind. The present situation was perplexing to say the least. All of our parents are gone, friends are never heard from again, socializing with others is only now a dream long gone. It was up to each one to come to grips with the present and future; deleting the past as best one could.

She walked to Beth and put an arm around her for comfort. Beth turned and smiled. She said, "How you doing?"

"The best I can for the situation we're in. I'm so glad we are getting along with each other. However, I'm still scared of those 'Shadow' things. I wonder if they're here in France too."

"We'll soon find out. Let's stay in a high class hotel tonight. Or we stay aboard. Doesn't matter to me. I'm just damn happy to not have to sleep alone."

"Me too. I'm game for whatever we decide to stay. I'd still like the idea of staying put in one place and growing some veggies. It's spring and with no pollution or bugs, the environment is perfect. What do you think about my idea?"

"I'm free to do whatever anyone else wants to do. If we don't stay here, then where do we go and why would we go there. I guess Italy would be nice to see and experience the old Rome and Vatican. Hell, we could even sleep in the Pope's bed!"

Andrea cracked up and soon both girls were crying and laughing. It was such a farfetched idea that very well could be put into reality. After the laughing fit, they saw the marina coming up. Soon they would have to man the ropes and gang plank.

"Jesus this looks tough, Brad." said Gary. "What do you think. Am I doing okay?"

"Just fine Captain. Just keep on keepin on. Soon you'll need some reverse to line up with the dock, but that's a piece of cake with this fine craft. It's simple to pilot once you get the hang of it.'

Twenty minutes later, the Goofy alongside the dock, ropes tossed and the walkway slide over to the dock, they were tied up for how long, who knows. Gary was still sweating when he walked off the boat. Andrea said, "Nice job docking. I think I'd like a run at docking sometime in the far future."

Gary liked the hug and they looked around for some transportation to the downtown area. As usual, a van for taking tourists from their luxury yachts to town was parked alongside the terminal.

"I need a shower," said Gary. "Let's find a five star hotel and see if it has hot water."

"Fine by me," said Brad and the others nodded agreeing. "Besides I'm hungry and let's see what their kitchen might hold for lunch."

Driving around they thought the Inter Continental would be a good choice. Inside they tested the elevator by Gary going up one floor and pushing the button. It worked just fine. However, they did not push their luck and chose a lower floor instead of the penthouse. Regardless, hot water flowed and before the hotel, a stop at a clothing store outfitted the foursome for after showers.

Gary had mentioned that after a shower, maybe a nap would be in order. They would rendezvous later at a bakery they had spotted and had remarked that might have some tasty delights that were not so old they would be uneatable.

Gary and Andrea took turns scrubbing backs and of course the fronts as well. It was enough to prime the both libidos to action. They finished up on the bed where both were satisfied. Both were so relaxed a nap was in order. Andrea closed the drapes to darken the room.

Gary said, "I think, now, don't hold me to it, but if love is what I hope and want it to be, well, I'm in love with you."

Tears ran down her cheeks as she hugged him burying her head in his chest. He held her tightly and said nothing more. He was exhausted from piloting the boat and the love making. He fell asleep and so did Andrea.

Andrea thought she was dreaming about a full moon over the sea. She was on a sail boat with a man, but really could not see who it was. She strained to see him when suddenly she awakened feeling someone or something was in the room with her. She looked and saw a dark shadow at the foot of the bed and then race towards the window making the drapes flutter behind it.

She screamed bringing Gary wide awake looking around. Andrea was pointing her finger at the drapes and said, rather hysterically, "That shadow thing was at the foot of the bed looking at us. I woke and it took off in a flash. I'm scared, Gary. What are these things anyway?"

"I've no idea, but they don't seem to show any aggression. They were in Spain and now in France. Does that mean they're everywhere or are they following us. My God, are we test subjects for beings off world?"

"You're scaring me now. Let's go outside where it seems we're free of those Shadow things. Also let's bang on Beth's door and see if they had any visitors."

Just then there was a knock at their door. Gary threw on some pants and Andrea grabbed her clothes and scurried to the bathroom. Gary opened the door to a couple who both looked like they had seen a ghost. "Come in. I think you saw the 'Shadow' things like we did?"

"Yes, we sure did. I woke up feeling somebody or something was in the room. I saw two shadows that were motionless and when I raised up, boom they raced out the window," said Brad.

Andrea came out of the bathroom and Beth moved over to share her company. Gary said, "Let's go down to the coffee shop here and have something to drink. We need to talk about what is happening with, for lack of a better name, aliens spying on us."

Downstairs, they discovered ice cream still frozen. "My lord we have a treat here. Look there must be ten flavors of pure delight. I want chocolate syrup on mine," said Beth. Brad made her a triple on a banana split holder. The others had their favorite as well. Then the discussion turned rather grim.

Gary said, "Here's my two cents worth. I don't have any evidence so you can take it with a grain of salt if you want to." He took a deep breath and continued, "I think we're in a parallel universe. How, is or had something to do with that brain test back at school. Was it intentional, who knows. Can we return, who knows. How do adjust, who knows. Are these Shadow things sentient beings or are they aliens of some sort. What do we do about them, I think they mean us no harm, but if they tire of observing us, what then. Lastly, are we test subjects for another race of beings?"

"Well said, Gary. From what you've brought up, probably is on all of our minds. My suggestion is to ignore them and go about our business. There's talk of staying here for a few months and return to Mother Nature. I'm game if all of you want to.

"Let's plan of spending tomorrow with a map to see where some fertile land might be. An outlying town would have the supplies we'd need. It might be hard work, but fun," said a happy Andrea.

"First we need to make sure Goofy is secure. Also we should fill the fuel tanks up and top the fresh water as well. You never know when we might need to leave in a hurry," said Brad licking his empty ice cream bowl.

"Let's take a drive while it's still light out. Maybe we can get an idea of how the lay of the land looks," said Beth. "Besides, I'm not thrilled with those Shadow things right now.

~~~~

With a map from the tourist information place, they took the A50 road up the valley towards Aubagne. It's true that the town was not so big, but it even had a McDonalds much to their surprise. A nice hotel was available, if needed. It did not look like irrigation would be a problem at all. Rivers and creeks ran down from the nearby mountains.

It was just out of town, up a valley when the land became small farms. They drove slowly looking for a suitable house that was modern and not old and creepy, Andrea had told them. Gary stopped and pointed at the north. Up against the foot hill, was a low laying ranch house. A gate crossed the entrance drive. Gary got out and it was not locked. He opened the gate, got back in and they drove an eighth of a mile on a paved drive way to a lovely ranch house with outbuildings for a gentlemen's farm.

"My god it's gorgeous," exclaimed Beth. A Range Rover and a Mercedes sat in front and just off the side of the house. Gary parked right in front of the covered patio leading to the double doors with shiny brass latches. "Where is the maid to greet us," said Beth.

"This is real high class style," said Gary opening the front doors to an entry way of green marble. Unseen from the outside was the many glass sunroofs letting in natural light. Windows were like surround sound to see almost three sixty at the land. Everywhere one looked natural wood furniture made the place seem like a textbook ranch style house one might see in California. The art work included all scenes of nature from flowers to mountains and everything in-between.

Andrea was speechless with her mouth hanging part way open as she wandered all through the house. Gary went directly to the kitchen and was not disappointed. A fully modern stainless steel kitchen sat gleaming back at him. It left Gary wanting for nothing. It was a chef's delight. His thoughts flashed to fresh veggies and herbs and spices he could use to make tasty dishes.

Brad, meanwhile had wandered out to the equiptment sheds. There were two new tractors. One large and one small for an area a few acres or a small garden plot. He saw fuel tanks, both either for gas or diesel. Next to the tractors there stood a long low green house. Inside were seedlings, but most had died off from lack of attention. There were tons of seeds of any and all varieties one could think of. It was, quite frankly, a small farmers dream place.

Brad walked back to the house shaking his head. Gary met him just outside the door. "Hey dude, this place rocks. Let's try it out for awhile. I'm assuming the equipment is satisfactory?"

"That's an understatement. This is a turnkey operation without any cash out of pocket. It's hard to believe places like this exist all over the world. Well, what say we move in. All we need is clothes and food. Have you checked the stores yet?"

"Just a glance at the two large refers. There's enough stuff in there for quite awhile. We can tough it out for a few days. After that, we can make a list and go to town. It looks like servants quarters out back with a connecting walkway. I haven't checked it out but the girls have been snooping into each corner. We can flip for the master bedroom if we had a coin," Gary said laughing.

"We could draw straws or find some way to make a loser out of one or two of us."

"Let's let the girl's determine sleeping quarters. Makes no difference to me. Maybe there's a guest room that's equal to the master bedroom," said Gary.

"Let's see what this farmer was doing up until the time of his departure. The field looks like it's ready for planting. It's nice and smooth looking. I wonder what he uses for irrigation," said Brad looking around.

"I see a small building next to the that last shed which looks like a water control center. I've heard about the drip system, but it's expensive. Let's go take a look and see what is what," said Gary.

Inside they found a control panel for the drip system. All one had to do was turn it on and away it goes drip by drip.

Brad said, "I think all we have to do is plant the seeds, dude. Man this is so easy. But in reality, we need easy. I'm no farmer and don't claim any knowledge to that end of things."

"We can plant a test area and see what spouts," said Gary. I see a manual here so I'll read up on it. I think we've time to do our research, don't you?"

Laughing, Brad said, "No doubt about it. I wanted to do some tractor driving, but it looks like that part of the job is already been done."

"I always thought gardening was hard work. First you turn the soil and so on. The pulling of weeds was a back breaker, it looked to me. For me I'm going to use the green house to plant herbs and anything else I can think of. That takes time. What we need is some garden books in English. Maybe the library has some or maybe a good book store," said Gary.

Brad pointed at the SUV and said, "There's some fine transportation. Hop in and go for it. Or take the Benz. Man this place is something else. I wonder what size the guy was. His closet must be full of clothes. I'm six foot and one seventy. You look about the same."

''Close enough. By the way, how you and Beth doing. Me and Andrea are doing great. I'm in love and don't care who knows it. She's wonderful and very sensitive to my feelings; as I am towards her."

"Same here. She likes her space and I give it to her. Never be a puppy dog and follow her around. She'll turn and bite you," he said laughing. Let's go see what's going on in the house."

Inside they expected to find the girls chatting away, but instead the silence was a little scary. Brad hollered out and received no answer. Gary went down the hall way to the bedroom area. He discovered nobody was about. Brad had checked the kitchen and then went outback. He found the girls inside the servant's quarters discussing housing stuff. Brad called to Gary who came on a trot to see what or where everyone was.

"We had trouble finding you. Gary and I both thought maybe the 'Shadow' people had taken you away," he said with a crooked grin.

"We're trying to determine who will sleep where. The back guest room is quite adequate for any of us; as is the master bedroom. Andrea and I both want the guest room and not the master bedroom. How can we decide, guys?"

"Draw straws. I'm sure in the kitchen there's some plastic straws about or at least the wet bar would have something. Come on let's go have a drink and draw straws," said Brad.

At the wet bar there were four stools in front of a lovely bar. It was made of a dark wood with heavy grain. The top was white with black streaks of marble. A full mirror reflected back at you with either pleasure or chagrin; depending on the drinkers disposition at the time.

Gary found the swizzle sticks and took three out. He hid the three and broke one making it shorter than the other two. He did this while facing the three stool sitters. He said, "Are you ready and who will pull the first stick?"

Beth looked at Andrea and shrugged her shoulders. Andrea said, "I'll go first. Let's get this over with and settled." Gary held up his hand with the sticks and Andrea reached up and pulled one. She held it in her hand while Beth pulled another one. She held it out and so did Andrea. "Well, it looks like it's my choice of rooms," said Andrea.

"What is your choice," asked Beth.

"I like the master bedroom," said a smiling Andrea. I changed my mind. You love the guest room and I want you happy, Beth.

Gary said, "Let's open a bottle of French wine and celebrate our new digs."

"It looks like we're here for the night. We didn't bring any toiletries with us so I suggest we go to town and visit a pharmacy. Also, some clothes might be in order. But first, we should check and see what is in the closets," said Beth.

In the master bedroom, a standing picture of the head of the family and his wife stood smiling back at the observer. He looked much older than she did, but then he had bulging pockets to attract a likely prospect. The other bedrooms were empty indicating no children. A look into two walk in closets almost took your breath away. His was wall to wall dress clothes and the other wall was casual wear. The middle drawers held underwear and such things a man would need to stroll around the place.

After a try on, the owner's size was a perfect fit for both Brad and Gary. However, both shook their heads saying they had no use for his used clothes at this time. But on the contrary, the wife's closet held some very attractive clothes that fit better on Beth than Andrea. Andrea was a tad heavier than her friend, Beth. All decided to leave well enough alone for the present time. They took the Range Rover to town to load up on supplies.

At the pharmacy, even though all things were in French, it was not hard to find what one was looking for. Gary loaded up on first aid stuff, including splints for a broken bone and stitching material. He made a note to find a first aid book at the library and read about some simple procedures in case someone got hurt or sick. In the pharmacy itself, he found some Novocain and Morphine. He took both and some injection points just for drastic measures.

Brad filled up a plastic hand basket with shaving material and other manly products. The girls the same thing was occurring. Brad grabbed some canned peanuts and dried beef jerky as they went out the door. They found a department store in a small mall. They left there with enough outfits to last awhile.

The last stop was at the feed store that because of the farming area, quite large with a few tractors for sale off to the side. Inside was everything a farmer might use. Gary went for the seed racks and after that, plastic trays for starters. The girls were interested in some farmers work wear. They fell in love with the overalls and plaid shirts with cotton colorful handkerchiefs. Also, there was a nice assortment of hats. All had fun trying them on. Gary was sure he had all he wanted and so they left for their new home.

All sat around the kitchen while Gary defrosted a chicken for dinner. The conversation was about the Shadow beings. Brad said, "I like the idea of Gary's when he thought maybe we're in a parallel universe. Regardless, if we're faced with an alien species, how do we deal with them?"

"Communication would be a monumental problem," said Gary while digging out some frozen veggies out of the large stainless steel fridge. "What do we do, hang a sign up saying hello, how are you?"

"I wonder where they run to when they streak out of the room. It would seem they disappear, but while we see them, gravity tells us they have some substance to them. Are they following us or are there a lot of them scattered across the globe. So many questions, and..........." said Beth.

"I'm a little afraid to go to sleep. I'd be scared to death without a bed mate. What can we do to get rid of them or try and contact them," said Andrea.

"Next time I feel they are there, I'm going to watch and not move to see what they're doing. What interest is there in watching someone sleep. Or maybe, they are watching us making love," said Gary.

"How about we set up a video camera and see what happens," said Brad.

"Damn fine idea. I've noticed this place has video cameras in every room for security. I haven't found where the control center is, have any of you," asked Beth.

"Maybe the laundry room? I haven't seen the whole place, but there must be an office to do the paper work here somewhere," said Brad.

"Maybe in one of those equipment sheds," said Andrea.

Brad said, "I'll go look while Gary is cooking. Beth, come with me as I might need a technical person to read French to me," he joked with some sparse laughing. Right now nobody was laughing with the 'Shadow' hanging over the foursome.

The twilight was noticed as they walked to the tractor shed. "I'll be dark soon, but I noticed the night lights are well placed. I'm sure they are night sensitive and should come on very soon now," Brad said while finding a door that held the promise of something inside. He was surprised it was not locked.

Inside was indeed, an office with a full array of electrical equipment. One desk held a monitor for security with multi screens showing all rooms in the house and other areas. The master bedroom was dark, as was the guest room. Brad activated both for the night's observation. "Okay, we're set and good to go now. Let the 'Shadow' show itself."

"This is some office. I wonder what this guy did for a living," Beth said pawing through some papers that were all in French. "Can't read, so, best leave well enough alone. Come on, I'm hungry and a little tired from a long days snooping."

Gary had fried the chicken and with a mountain of potatoes, along with veggies, they ate heartily. The meal was topped off with a tasty wine followed up by some ice cream.

All three thanked Gary for a nice dinner. It was fully dark and time for bed, Andrea told them. All four were thinking the same thing: Shadow beings were coming."

~~~~

Strangely enough, nobody woke up to witness the Shadow beings wandering around the house that night. Andrea woke first, just as light filtered through the drapes. She looked around from the giant bed seeing nothing but tan colored walls with more prints of Nature displaying its grandeur. She went to the spacious bathroom with a shower the size for a basketball team. A sauna and whirlpool shared space with the throne. For Andrea, it was just a little too ostentatious for her taste.

She took a shower and was soon joined by a grinning Gary. "Where were the Shadow beings. Did I miss them last night," he said while applying some toothpaste to his brush.

"I slept all night long. If they came, I'm not aware they were here. I hope not," she said while washing her thick black hair. There were four shower nozzles in the walk in rain locker. Soon it was time for a back wash that always included the front. Andrea loved to wash his unit. She never realized how much men liked to be masturbated. However, she preferred the bed for joining together making love.

Brad and Beth were in the kitchen drinking morning coffee when they arrived with wet hair. "Morning guys," said Gary, as he walked to the refer to see what he could whip up for breakfast. "any aliens at your place last night?"

"Nary a one, but I crashed hard. Beth said she never woke up either. Let's check the video after breakfast," said Brad. Andrea hugged Beth and they went out the front door to see what the weather was like.

"I see some pure maple syrup and maybe some hotcakes for breakfast. What do you think?"

"Hell, you make it I eat it. Cooking is not one of my favorite things to do. I can work the garden no problem. I'll run to the video and be right back. I wish we had some eggs for the hotcakes, but can't have everything."

Brad ran to the office and ran the video of both the bedrooms. It was difficult to see because the room was fairly dark, but he could tell there was some movement. After a couple minutes he determined there were four Shadow beings that went from one bedroom to another. It appeared they moved slowly when nobody was looking at them. The one thing that was very curious, they walked through the walls and never needed a door way.

Just as he was finished, both girls walked in. He said, "Let's go back to the kitchen. I'll tell you what I saw on the way."

He told them and repeated the story to Gary who had cakes on the griddle. "I guess they did not mean any harm, just looking," said Gary.

"What do we do, just ignore them," said Beth.

"What else is there," said Brad, sitting down with fork in hand waiting for the cakes to arrive. Andrea brought plates and Beth the utensils. In no time they were enjoying Gary's cooking.

Gary went straight t the office to view the videos. His thought was that it was just a matter of time before something either good or bad happened. If these Shadow beings were a reasoning being, then it stood to reason they would try and make contact one way or another.

While Gary was in the office, Brad was studying the irrigation system. At least the manual had some illustrations of the working parts. After seeing what was what, he turned on the main power switch, took a shovel and went to the field. The drip pipes were buried and not visible. He dug through the soft loamy soil until he found the pipe. He smiled when he saw the ground wet.

The problem, if it was a problem, was they only needed a small area under irrigation and not the two plus hectares in front of the ranch house. It might be best just to hand water their garden.

He would check with the garden girls later. Meanwhile, he found Gary staring at the video screen. "Have you come to any conclusions," asked Brad.

"I think there're four of them. I tried to see what movements they did. Like us, if there're four of us standing around, we shuffle and so on. It appears these guys, do the same kind of things. If you observe closely, you see the upper part of their structure twist and turn as if they might be talking it over. What I find difficult is how thick are they? When they turn, it seems maybe they might be about six inches wide. Here let me show you."

Brad watched and Gary used a pencil for a pointer. When it was stopped, Brad said, "I see what you mean. What's really strange is they seem to pass right through a wall. Could it be, now hold on to your shorts, maybe the physical house is not part of their world? We just are there and where there is, we have no idea in their world. Kind of crazy huh?"

"Everything about this situation is crazy. This is pure science fiction and we're living it for real. I remember one time we, my two buddies and I, were fantazing about aliens and would they contact us. Well, the best answer, to me that is, why would they want to contact us? If they wanted our planet then they would attack it. I can't believe they would be traveling around saying hello to alien races like us. No, all sighting are real or unreal. What we do know is that of all the sightings, none have been ready for an interview by Fox or CNN."

Brad said, "We could speculate all day long and never come up with the right answer. If they want to contact us, then it's up to them. Meanwhile, let's enjoy our commune to the fullest. What I'd really like to do is some tractor work. I want to plow the hell out of the land. I'm going to drive around and find a field that needs plowing."

Gary was cracking up. He said, "Go for it. Nothing stopping you. It's a fine day out. Take the Rover and go look around. I'm going to start some herbs and other things this morning. I'll catch you later."

Andrea and Beth laid out a small garden area. The found some stakes in the shed. They made a rectangle and then made rows of where the seeds would be planted.

Brad walked up and when they weren't busy, said, "Good work ladies. I'm going to drive around and look for a field to plow with the tractor. Does anyone what to take a drive with me?"

Andrea looked at Beth and the silent message came back. Beth said, "I think not. We're into gardening and having a good time right here. Sorry but you have to go tractoring by yourself."

Brad said, "You know we need some hand held walki talkies to communicate with. We shouldn't be without someone with us. I'll go to town and see what I can find. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll also find one of those air canisters that make a noise like at a football game."

"I'd best go with you. Besides, you'd probably get lost and where would I be then? I hate to sleep alone and I'm sure Andrea and Gary don't want to share their bed with me."

"Oh, I don't know about that," said Andrea. "He's more than I can handle and It might be nice to watch while he makes love to her."

"I can't believe you said that," said Beth. "I heard him yelling for mercy the other night. It's you that wants more and more boomers. Anyway, let's get off this subject as it's making me want to take a nap."

Brad told Gary later that it was nice to see and hear the two girls playfully talking about sex. He said, "I thought it was only guys who talked about getting laid, but to hear it from both Andrea and Beth, caught me by surprise."

"I don't know about you, but Andrea makes me very happy in and out of bed. I'm in love and happy to be there. I very often pray that this is not a dream, but reality as concerns my personal life. Just think, it was only a few weeks ago when we were doing that sleep test with the only thought of the money they were paying us. Now here we are in France gardening and falling in love. Tis a strange world, my friend."

"We got two sets of walki takies. There're in the kitchen. And I did find a field that lay fallow just down the road a short ways. How's the seed planting going," asked Brad.

"Great. I've got everything a farmer could want right here. I can say this guy knew how to spend money. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some lunch. What are the girls doing," asked Gary.

"Gardening with hoes' and rakes' making rows to plant seeds. I'll be they'll be very sore tonight. It's a good time to try out that hot tub out back," said Brad.

After lunch it was nap time. Both Andrea and Beth said they'd enough of gardening for one day. Brad had suggested they find a library in the city. Of course the problem would be finding information in English. He wanted a book on tractor farming. Gary wanted some reading material on multiple dimensions.

They took the Land Rover to the city. From the tourist center they located the main library. On the way there, Gary said, "You know, it seems normal now to not have any traffic to deal with. How quickly humans adjust to their new surroundings."

"Well said," remarked Brad. "If the library doesn't have what we're looking for, I wonder about a book store, like Barnes and Noble?"

"We'll find something to read. Stop fussing about it and let's get going," said Beth with a wink to Andrea. The girls were in the back and the guys were upfront acting like the men they were.

The library was what they expected of an old city like Marseille. Without lights on, the place would be bathed in darkness. But on a sunny day, like it was, the sunlight shone through stained glass windows casting a rainbow of colors across the reading tables and the many shelves of books. A map of the library stood next to the checkout counter. All four gazed at the map to see what was what.

The nice thing was the map was in both French and English. What was even nicer, there was a special section on fiction novels and another section of nonfiction in English.

They spread out and went looking the place over. Brad found the current magazine section where he discovered several publications on farming. However, the mags were in French, but they had some pictures of farming if nothing else was available. The girls found a variety of glamour mags with glossy pictures. They took a few for easy reading. Gary went to the section where he hoped to find some books on dimensions. After a careful look, he found nothing pertaining to what he wanted. He was sure they had some of his subject in French, but that wasn't his language.

Meanwhile, as he was sulking, Andrea yelled out for him to come where they were in the fiction area. He hurried over and she held out a book and said, "Here's a fiction novel about dimensions. At least it's written in English, but whether or not it will suffice, that's for you to find out."

"He took the book and looked at the cover and the inside introduction. Gary decided it held some promise and gave Andrea a hug for finding it. She smiled up at him, cocked her head and said, "I'll keep an eye for anything else I might come across."

Beth was looking through the sci fi section along with Andrea. Because it seemed they were engulfed in a mystery that involved science, but not necessarily fiction, she looked for authors that had some noted reputation. Her eyes lit up when she spotted a book that was very popular back in 2012.

Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter) wrote "The long Earth."

She showed it to Gary who smiled and said, "I want to read it when you're finished."

"Here you read it first. I'll find something else. You are more interested in that stuff than I am. But it's true this existence is pure science fiction, I think. Anyway, I'm off to look this old place over."

Brad had scoured around and finally found some books on farming techniques, with pictures or illustrations that showed different landscapes and how to plow and plant different crops. He went out the door with an arm load of reading material.

After a short while, each of the other threesome came out the door with books. It would be rather quiet around the ranch house for a little while. However that silence would soon be broken.

Gary was anxious to read about parallel universes. He firmly believed that is what transpired back in the test center. Somehow, someway, probably electrical, triggered some pathway to another place in the same time frame, but without other humans, only fish. Another interesting point was reproduction. He wondered if they could reproduce in their new world. He doubted Andrea or Beth were ready to experiment. Actually he could see no reason not to be fertile as he knew Andrea had had a period. With Beth he did not know or was aware of her having a period.

Gary took time out to cook dinner and then he was back reading his new book. He scanned it all by late night. Andrea was in bed reading a magazine when he sat the book down and said, "If you have a stopping place, I'll give you my take on what may have happened to us."

Setting her mag aside, she said, "Sure, go ahead. But first come to bed so I can feel secure next to you while you expound about aliens and places that are hard to believe from a college student from the Pacific Northwest."

Gary shucked his clothes and found a naked Andrea beneath the covers. He almost forgot what he was going to say, when he found her small hand between his legs gently stroking his quickly coming erect penis. He decided the rendition could wait as he turned and met her lips half way.

Gary snapped awake feeling a presence in the room with them. He slowly looked at the foot of the bed seeing the Shadow beings slightly moving around each other. He tried hard to see what they looked like or represented in his world of sentient beings. However, appendages like arms and legs were undistinguishable. It seemed they floated rather than used a form of legs attached to a body that was affected by gravity. Could it be that gravity did not affect them?

He decided to try his voice without moving to see if they had a sense of hearing. He said, "Hello Shadow beings. I'm human and what are you?"

It did seem they stopped moving, but it was difficult to tell one way or the other. He did think they stopped just briefly, but then returned to movement. He decided to see about the sense of sight. He rose up and looked at them. They at first they froze and then exited through the wall leaving him more perplexed than ever.

Andrea woke up and said, "Is the Shadow folks again?"

"Yes, and they took off when I tried talking to them. I'm going ot the kitchen for a drink of juice. You want some?"

"No, I want more sleep. What time is it anyway?"

"It's just after 4 am. I'll be back in a flash."

That 'flash' never happened. When Gary walked into the kitchen, he immediately saw a plastic box on the prep counter. He could not take his eyes of it. Of course he realized that none of them put it there and it was definitely from someone other than the four of them. Next to it was a keyboard with an USB cable running to the box.

He brought a wooden stool from the bar area to sit and examine the new find. Reaching out to touch it, it felt like plastic, but it did not feel like plastic. It was about as long as a keyboard, but, he guessed, twelve inches deep and six inches high. It was clear that whoever put it there, along with the keyboard, wanted the person to type something.

About this time, here came Andrea asking, "I thought you were coming right back. Oh my, what is that?" She walked up slowly and stood just behind and off to the side of the sitting Gary.

"I have no idea, but it wants me to type something on this ordinary computer keyboard. I'm wondering what to type," said Gary.

"Just say hello and see what happens," said a curious Andrea.

"Okay, here goes," said Gary as he typed in the word and sat back waiting for something to happen. Suddenly a screen popped up as the box came to life. On the screen it typed in: 'Hello'.

"Did it just type my 'hello' or did it answer with a hello back to me," asked Gary looking at Andrea over his shoulder.

"Type more and make a sentence. Like this: "Who are you'' or ''What does this box do?"

Gary typed in: "Who are you and what does this box do?"

They watched the screen as it began typing back to them silently. "Our name does not matter. This instrument allows us to communicate with you as our language is impossible for you to understand. We can program this unit to convert our language to English or any other language on this planet."

"Good Lord, Andrea. We are talking to aliens and where did they come from and why?"

"I'm scared, Gary. What do they want with us? Tell them to leave us alone," said a upset Andrea.

"I'm curious and let's ask them if they, or what are their intentions towards us," said Gary. He typed that question in and waited.

It did not take long. It said, "We mean no harm. You've crossed into a parallel universe and dimension that is void of your human kind. We were surprised and from the equator north is as your world looked like your whole life. Below the equator, for some reason, we have our own world. We were curious and have been following you since you began your travels."

"Gary typed in, 'Can we return to our old world?"

"We don't know the answer to that question right now. We have our people working on that question you just asked. Anytime you want to talk to us, just type in what you desire," said the box.

Gary typed: "If we want to sail to the Southern Hemisphere, would we be welcome?" He sucked in some air and waited. Andrea turned her head not wanting to see what the Shadow beings might say.

"You can visit, but you would not understand who and what we are or our structures. We feel it would be a waste of time."

Gary typed: ''Thank you and we mean no intrusion on our part. We don't have any weapons and no plans to acquire any."

"That's good as your weapons are useless against our civilization."

The screen went dark and back into the box. Gary said, "Well, my love, what do you think now?"

"I want to go back to bed and put the covers over my head. What would happen if they decided they didn't like us?"

"There's no fear there about that. I think whatever and whoever they are, are far superior than us mere humans. Now, how about a long hot shower before breakfast?"

"Okay, but I'm in no mood for love making at this point in time," she said coyly.

Gary was preparing breakfast when Brad and Beth arrived. Brad said, "Morning all. What's for breakfast, Chef?"

"I found some frozen sausage. We'll sausage and hash browns. No eggs. I miss eggs, but as a rule, never ate many. It's when you don't have something you miss it the most. Anyway, I see you'v examine the black box. I'll tell you all about while I make us something to eat. It's alien and Andrea and I talked to them a few hours ago, via the keyboard."

"You're shitting me dude. Really! My god, what did they say," shouted Brad.

"They mean us no harm. Yes, we're in a parallel universe and they occupy the Southern Hemisphere. I suspect they will visit us once in awhile to keep an eye on us. This, I think, is the first time they have met humans, but with the black box, it translates languages. Crazy shit huh?"

"It's too much to take in before breakfast," said Beth.

"You should have been here when the translation was going on. It scared the bejesus out of me," said Andrea fumbling with a bread maker she found. She wanted some bread and wanted some nice and fresh.

Brad sat and thought about what he had heard so far about the Shadow beings. He was curious to lay eyes on them, but what would it serve to see an alien species without shape or voice. He said, "How did it make you feel, Gary?"

"I felt better after reading what they said about all the things I told you about. If we have any questions, just type them in. I'd suggest we don't ask silly questions and keep it professional. They did say they are working on a way for us to return to our own universe. However, I'm not so sure I want to go back. I like this situation very much. I feel like we're a family of castaways."

"I second that motion," said Beth. "Let's forget them and do what we intended to do when we decided to stay here for awhile."

"How cool would it be to be the first humans to see an alien civilization in real time," said Brad.

Andrea was quietly thinking about the present and future. On the one hand she thought about having a baby with Gary. If they stayed here in this universe and did not return, then having a baby was a fine idea. On the other hand, if they returned, and she had a baby to take care of, having an off spring was not a good idea. All of them would return to school and finish their degrees and then enter the work force. In her last thoughts, she agreed with Beth that staying in this place and time was what she wanted. Later she would tell Gary what she thought about the whole thing.

The remainder of the day was doing what each had intended to do. Brad went plowing, Gary played in the greenhouse, Beth and Andrea planted seeds in book ordered rows. All split their time thinking about the job at hand and the Shadow race of aliens. The difference in thinking was Andrea and Beth could openly discuss their thoughts while Brad and Gary were left alone in their thoughts. However, over lunch, all decided that staying in this time and space was what they desired.

By evening, Brad wanted to ask the aliens if it was okay to visit someday. Gary replied, "Let's wait a day or two and see if they continue to visit us at night. If they stop viewing us, then I think they believe us to be harmless. What do you guys think?"

"I agree with you, Gary," said Beth with nods from both Andrea and Brad. So it was settled to see what transpired tonight.

With the weather being super for a spring day, they sat outside on the veranda sipping French wine. By late evening they decided it was bed time. Andrea had had just enough wine to make her announcement to Gary about having a baby. She wished he thought it a fine idea.

A quick shower and in bed cuddled up to each other, Andrea told him what she thought about having a baby. Gary was silent for a long thirty seconds and then said, "I like it just fine. I wonder though, if there's some trouble, who will assist in the delivery. None of us has any experience delivering babies. I guess we would need to study up on how to assist in the baby delivery department."

"Let's practice before sleep," she said. "I'll stop taking the pill tomorrow. Come here and tell me how much you love me."

When they awoke the next morning, there had been no sign of the Shadow folks in either bedroom last night. All felt a sigh of relief while consuming some Quaker Oats with raisins. Andrea said, "I'm going to try and make some bread today. I need a recipe to go by. Gary, do you have an idea what I need for ingredients?"

"Not a clue. You might look around for a cook book, but finding one in English might be another story. Wait, I know. We go to department store, find a bread maker with a manual that will have multi languages in it for some recipes."

"Let's all go for a ride this morning to town. Unless someone has something better to do, let's go," said Andrea.

"I'm going plowing," said Brad.

"I'm going with you," said Beth.

"Will the walki takies reach from town to here," asked Gary.

"I've no idea, but let's try every half mile or so. It'll be good to know the distance for use. I'll wait in the shed while you guys drive to town," said Brad.

"I should stay here with you," said Gary.

"No, I'm alright and will be careful. You can drive the girls," said Brad.

On the way to town, Beth called Brad every few minutes until they parked in front of an appliance store. It was about two miles and they could still reach Brad pretty well. They went inside to look around. By now they were used to the eerie silence surrounding them.

A slight wind was blowing, but it was another lovely spring day. Andrea stopped and sucked in a lung full of sweet air off the Mediterranean Sea. It did have a tinge of salt, but hardly noticeable.

Beth led the way and was cruising the isles just looking at all the available things just for the taking. There was not anything she particularly needed so she went looking for a blender for making milk shakes with powdered milk or condensed milk? She really did not know, but turned and asked Gary, "I'm wanting a milk shake. What do you suggest?"

"We can use powdered milk and we have a blender at home. We'll need some yeast at the grocery store. We can pick up some powdered milk then," answered Gary.

Andrea had found the bread maker. She squatted down on the floor and opened it up. She found the manual and sure enough, it had a basic recipe for making bread. "Hey, we're in business. We need flour, yeast, oil and salt with sugar. This is simple. The hard work is kneading the bread. I'm happy now. Let's go to the supermarket for ingredients."

When they arrived back home, after a short visit with the tractor driver, they went to the kitchen. Beth was looking for that milk shake and Andrea wanted to make bread. Gary helped the milkshake girl and soon had the blender buzzing. Beth said she was a chocolate lover so what was poured into a large glass was a chocolate shake. Andrea wanted one also. Gary made three. Afterwards he helped Andrea make bread.

Brad came in for lunch. He had a perpetual smile on his face. He said, "The only thing better than operating a tractor is loving Beth."

"Well now, that's nice to hear. At least I'm better than an old tractor. I can't get any higher than that. I'll let you know when you can operate on me," Beth said with a ton of sarcasm.

Brad's face lost its smile and went rapidly into a frown. His first thought was why he put his foot in his mouth. He really did not mean it the way it sounded. His pace turned into a snails crawl up to the counter. Gary was smiling with is back to Brad. Andrea was fussing with the oven temperature. Beth was in the refer chuckling to herself with the door blocking Brad's view.

She closed the refer door and said, "Typical man honey. Most men walk around with a foot in their mouths when it comes to women. Why can't you just say that driving a tractor was very enjoyable? Instead of comparing a tractor to your lovely sweet girlfriend, would have been much better."

"I won't make the same mistake again. I learned my lesson. I'm done driving tractor. From now on I'll follow you and do everything you do. Is that alright with you," he said with a wink at Gary who had cut up some roast beef he found frozen in the refer. That and with Andrea's fresh bread would make a nice sandwich.

"I saw that wink, buster," said Beth rushing over to Brad for a hug. Brad buried his head in her neck and whispered how much he loved her.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "The room smells of fresh baked bread. I love the smell and makes me hungry. Hey, look, the box is sending a message," he said pointing at the screen which had magically popped up for reading.

All rushed around it to see what it said. It said, "Greeting humans. Our council wants to invite you to our place at the end of your summer. We think by that time you'll have fully adjusted to your new environment. It would be best if you sailed by your water craft. That will give you a place to stay while visiting us. We don't possess accommodations for humans."

Silence from all who had read it occurred. They looked at each other in surprise. The each thought about being the first humans to meet a civilization from another dimension; or aliens using other words.

Brad said, "I guess I'll be leaving my tractor in a few months"

"Very funny, Brad," said Beth. "If nature likes us, both Andrea and I'll be pregnant by then. That should fascinate the Shadow folks."
Part II

Throughout the spring and into the summer months, our foursome enjoyed the fruits of their labor. The garden produced fresh tasty veggies and Brad had his fill of being a tractor operator. It was in the evenings they read about being a midwife helping deliver babies. The library had some reading material and at the hospital they found more English books on birthing.

Andrea was the first to announce she was with child. She had a satisfied smile on her face. Beth was not far behind her. They baked a cake and had ice cream to celebrate.

By the end of summer, they prepared to leave for South America. The boat was totally supplied and a special stock of baby food was also stored. They had had all summer to plan and load what they needed for the trip.

The last night in their home, sadness prevailed over the two couples. They were all depressed having to leave such a nice home. Andrea said, while they lay in bed for the last time, "Gary, are we sure we want to leave this nice place?"

"No, I'm not sure about leaving here, but to ignore an invitation to visit an alien civilization would be un-American. If nothing else we can come back, we hope. My father told me he was friends of a Native American tribe. The elder said to him: 'Take a risk'." Well, I guess we're taking a risk. We're putting our trust in something none of us know whether or not we should trust them or not. However, my mother to be, we'll go and see what the future holds for us."

Just down the hall way, a similar conversation was taking place. Beth was about three months pregnant and had a slight protruding stomach. She said, "I'm scared, Brad. What if they want us for an experiment and kill us. Or capture us for observation and especially giving birth to a new born human should get their attention."

"I totally understand your fears, my dear. However, we must have faith in their spoken kindness. I think they are on the level and mean us no harm. They are as curious as we are. We could learn a lot and so could they. It's not inconceivable that more accidents could occur to move from one dimension to another. The next time it could be a whole city full of dimension people, not just four like us."

"That is really scary to think we could be invaded by –say—a tribe of natives from some island in the middle of an ocean. Never mind that. Let's hope our baby grows up happy and healthy."

They cast off the next morning. Brad was at the helm and the remaining three were standing at the rail looking with forlorn faces at the retreating French coast.

Later the girls retired to the Captains bedroom due to both morning sickness and the slight motion of the boat as it plowed through the sea. Gary thought this was going to be a long cruise indeed. He did his usual check of the engine room and then joined Brad in the pilot's house.

"Hey Brad, what do you think about we stop at Florida and take a break for a while. We need to brush up on our delivery procedure to insure our girls are or receive the best help we can give them."

"Yes, I think that's a good idea. Besides, I'm a little fearful of going south to unknown locations and to visit aliens."

"Maybe we ought to just hang out in Ft. Lauderdale until the babies are born," said Gary.

"Let's talk it over with the girls. Meanwhile, I'm thinking we should full throttle to Florida; or at least during the daylight hours," said Brad.

"How fast will this boat go," asked Gary.

"Not sure, but it's over thirty and that's fast enough for me. Any more than that, we will really make the girls sick," said Brad.

"I'll go down and prepare some soup and bread for their lunch. I don't want to disturb them at the moment. I'll be back in an hour or so to give you a break," said Gary.

In the bedroom, Andrea and Beth were bemoaning the idea of being pregnanat and sailing across the ocean. Andrea said, "Whose idea was it anyway to have a baby?"

"Not mine, I assure you. Now I know what my mother always said about child bearing: miserable experience."

"I really not thrilled about sailing all the way down to South America in this condition to chat with a bunch of Shadow aliens," said Andrea.

"I'm with you and now I must make for the head to throw up," said Beth.

''Now that you mention it, hurry up as I'm right behind you," said a miserable Andrea.

At lunch time, neither Beth nor Andrea was interested in eating. They both took some bread and went back to their bedroom to endure the rest of the day.

Brad and Gary split the shift with four hours on and four off. They caught a few winks in the pilot's cabin.

The next day, sunny, but windy, they entered the Atlantic Ocean. Needless to say, the girl's were totally sick with a pitching boat roaring through the ocean. It did not help whether slow or fast, they still had motion sickness.

Then to make matters worse, the sun disappeared and black clouds replaced the nice day. This was the first storm the foursome had experienced and when it was over, they hoped it would be their last one. At first they worried about the boat not handling the stormy seas very well, but after a while, they smiled witnessing the fine craft on a course for the Florida panhandle.

With the aid of sleeping pills, they slept a lot. Both, when awake, Beth and Andrea managed to briefly smile that regardless of their condition, they were still alive and well. Gary fed them soup and bread. By the end of the storm, they all felt much better.

Brad increased speed after the storm. He and Gary both were anxious to hit land again. They had lost track of where they were and when they took a reading, were surprised to learn they were only a couple days out of port.

When the powerful boat cut power, Andrea and Beth looked at each other and smiled. "Damn girl, we're here at last. I don't want to ride this boat anymore."

"I'm with you. Let's go see what is going on. I feel better now. A walk on land will stop this nausea in my body. It'll be good to sleep in a fresh bed. I'm afraid we've used these bed sheets enough. Let's throw them away and worry about new ones another time. I want to feel better."

"I've been so grouchy to Brad. It's a wonder he still loves my cute butt. That's what he always says to me that I've a cute butt. What do you think, Andrea?"

"Well, having never been into girl's cute butts before, but I'd say yours is a good looking backside. I love it when Gary is chewing on my backside. It both tickels and turns me on. You know, I miss not being turned on or want to make love. Having this baby has its drawbacks, wouldn't you say, Beth, as they walked to the rail seeing the mouth of the small harbor just ahead of them.

"Not only am I not turned on anymore, but poor ole Brad gets so hard when I'm around him. I feel sorry for him. I'll have to see about that later on land," she said with a smile.

Brad backed Goofy into its original berth. Gary was quickly off to secure it to the dock. With the boat nicely moored, the girls came off with their small bags of personal stuff. Gary wanted to make sure they had shut down properly and then just before they left, he plugged in the electrics.

Brad made sure the pilot house was left in fine shape. He grabbed a few things and left the Goofy feeling a little sad. It was kind of funny, he thought, that the Goofy and he had become one with the world.

~~~~

This time for accommodations, they chose a motel where their rooms were on the first floor. Luxury did not impress them, but access and convenience did. Just across the street was a fine restaurant that surely had some frozen protein in the freezer.

Gary brought the van around and it seemed to him Andrea and Beth were feeling much better. They were talking about getting some books on child birth. Both thought it was doubtful that they would have their babies at the same time. From that assumption, one or the other would act as a mid-wife with the guys as back up.

Gary had the box with him and it had not been used since leaving France. All four thought there was not any hurry to make contact. What they needed was a large house to set up living conditions like back in Marseille. However, for the night, this would be more than sufficient.

Gary wondered if the Shadow beings would show up now that they were on land. Regardless, he was increasingly reluctant to visit them somewhere in South America. What he secretly hoped was that they would not feel slighted if they failed to come this year. He knew the others felt the same way he did: stay here until the babies are born.

After dinner, Gary and Brad looked over a city map of golf courses. Not that they wanted to play golf, but alongside the country clubs were really nice houses. The marked two and both had shopping not far away. They would check the homes out and do other chores, like clothes to wear and a long hot shower.

They all went to bed early and all crashed hard. If the Shadow beings were watching them, nobody was aware of anything until around 10 am. Gary took another shower with Andrea. She said, "It's been awhile since we showered together. Let me do you first and then me."

Gary almost fell down he came so hard. He finally found his footing breathing hard and said, "Lord girl, that was over the top. I want to make love, but you'll have to be the judge of that joining. I've no experience in that arena of life."

"I think we can manage that end of things. I feel good and not or don't have any morning sickness right now. I'm hungry for some oatmeal and toast. Let's bang on Beth's door and see what they have in mind for sustenance."

When they were about ready, a knock on the door brought forth Brad and Beth with big smiles and rosy cheeks. Gary smiled back and said, "Let's go eat, but first let's tell the Shadow beings we've arrived in Florida. From that contact, we can tell if they are still friendly or not."

Gary typed in a greeting message. In a few seconds a message came back saying: "Nice to hear from you. We realize that having two females soon to bear little humans, that traveling would be inconvenient. Therefore, come at your leisure. We're in no hurry and have no plans to go anywhere. We've been here for countless eons. Contact us when you have a question or a notice of sorts."

"That sounded good," replied Brad. But, you know, I'm still suspicious that they're so accommodating and friendly. For example, if they've been there for thousands of years, when and if we go, what is stopping them from keeping us there until we grow old and die?"

"I don't want to think about it right now," said Andrea. Let's eat, find a home, and settle in for when it's time to deliver."

"Let's look at hospitals too," said Beth. This is no cake walk, guys. I've narrow hips and that could spell trouble with delivery. I believe we can pray for a small premature little Bradley."

"That scares me," said Brad. Let's do some research on having a baby. Jesus, I can't come to grips if something happened that was a risk to life of either the mother or baby."

Sitting at the table eating breakfast, Gary said, "I think we need to take a crash course in ultra sound and an emergency cesarean if needed. Let's see, we have about five months until game time. I suggest we hit the medical library and read the manual for ultra sound imaging. What do you guys think?"

All were looking at him with strange looks. Finally, Brad said, "Makes sense to me. Best be prepared than standing there wishing we knew more about what to do in an emergency."

"You know what," asked Beth. "I'll bet there are some CDs that we could insert into a computer to help educate us. Like on YouTube. Ask a question and up pops a video on how to change diapers."

When the laughter died down, all felt a sense of relief that they would not have to read page after page of some boring medical text. A video would be very nice to see and to learn from. This was no laughing matter. Like Brad said, 'This is truly a life or death situation.'

They parked right in front of the hospital. It looked ready and open for business. The only thing missing was the staff and patients. Andrea and Beth noticed there was a light coating of dust that would have normally be missing in a sterile environment.

All were wearing tennis shoes so the sounds of shoes upon the tile floor were nonexistent. They stopped at the big reader board to find the pediatric department. Up they went two at a time as always afraid the elevator might stop midway or something like that. Better safe than sorry, was their motto. By now all realized how fragile their condition really was. Any accident would strain their knowledge of repair or what to do next.

Brad and Gary were like hound dogs seeking the scent of a fox looking for the ultra sound room. Andrea and Beth were searching the files and desks for any and all information on having babies. What was nice that the files they were looking for did not require being on line. It was a little maddening that they guessed some of the files were in a cloud which takes being online to access.

It was not hard to find the room with the ultra sound machine. Gary said, "I wonder where the manual is?

"It might be on-line," said Brad.

"I'll check the fill system in the office," said Gary.

Brad examined the machine determined to figure out how it worked. He found the on off switch and was delighted when it sprang to life. "Hey dude, I got it working, what have you found to show us the way?"

"Nothing yet, but have no fear, I'll find what we need soon."

"Okay, let me know so we can practice a little bit."

Andrea found in a file box the CDs they were looking for. She said, "Beth, I think I've found what we're looking for."

"Me too. I'm going to print it out."

Soon they had what they came for. They left to find the guys. They met Brad walking out of an office with a booklet in his hand. He was smiling and he waved the book at the girls.

Brad was playing with the object that scanned the area desired. He looked up and grinned at the visitors. "Oh, here comes some test subjects. Who is first?"

"You of course," said Beth, "How do we know you can operate the machine?"

"Gary has the manual and it's not dangerous at all. I'll be the test person. Somebody has to volunteer," said Brad.

"I found the gel and just spread it around and up pops a black and white picture. Okay, here goes nothing,'' Brad said while climbing onto the table without his shirt on. He rubbed the gel on his belly and then said, "I'll take the wand, run it around on my stomach. You guys watch the picture in the screen. With a little practice, it's a no brainer."

Six eyes watched the screen while Brad slowly ran the wand over his stomach. It was clear that this procedure was not dangerous at all. Beth said, "Okay, get off the table and I'll get on."

Soon with her shirt up, Brad rubbed some gel across her stomach area. Next he gently and softly put the wand on her stomach area. The picture was a little murky, but soon there came an image of a tiny growth in her womb. All eyes were concentrating very hard to make sure the baby was in the proper position. The sex of the infant could not be determined at that time. All were a little disappointed with the unknown sex, but they were happy the image looked proper for that period of development.

Andrea was really nervous for some reason. Gary was curious, but kept his mouth shut. He asked her if she wanted to do an ultra sound and she said, "Later please. I'm not ready to see what is growing in my womb. I can feel it and now that I'm passed that dreadful morning sickness and off the boat, all things are well with me. But let me say this – I'm scared of the Shadow people. I think they are way too curious and for reasons we can't fathom. They could be right here and watching us while we do this procedure. It very well could be we're not safe anywhere in this time and space. I really don't want to go visit them anytime soon or anytime in the future. They already said we wouldn't understand or reason what they are doing. Anyway, I want to wait awhile before I do this test. I already think it's a girl. I've no idea why I think that, but I do."

"Let's wander though the maternity ward and get a feel for the place," said Beth. They followed the two girls to the maternity ward while thinking about what Andrea said about the aliens. Brad's thinking was that he would love to go see what the Shadow civilization was all about. Gary could feel the tension that both were emitting as regards future contact. He had no idea how to smooth it out or did he really care to get involved. He went along with Andrea's thinking.

Gary wanted to find a house and get settled in for a long while. He also, had not a clue what Beth thought about the idea of visiting the Shadow folks. What he did know was none of them felt good about having alien neighbors who could spy on you at anytime they desired. Also the subtle methods they used were alarming to say the least.

Finally they left the hospital with what they had come for. A bag full of disks and manuals along with the confidence of when the time came, they would be ready. Using a city map they drove to a golf course lined with houses of the rich and famous. It was conveniently located near a shopping center. After driving around, they spotted a home that looked promising.

Inside it was pure luxury equal or better than back in France. Even the backyard pool was clean with automatic cleaning. Like before they drew straws for the master bedroom. Gary said, "Like in France, the guest room provides all the goodies of the master bedroom. There aren't any losers with the draw of straws, as far as I can see."

"I could care less,'' said Brad. ''A pillow and clean sheets are all I want. Well, not all, of course. I can't sleep without my love of life and soon to be the mother of our child. Now, let's see what we need or don't need to make or play house in this fine home."

The short straw went to Beth who again chose the guest room. She told Andrea later that she felt more secure down the hall away from the front of the house. As it turned out, she was not bothered by the shadow beings as Gary and Andrea were. Not that it mattered much as the aliens did nothing but observe and then leave.

How they traveled and how they communicated was unknown to the foursome who lived on a grass grown up golf course in Florida.

~~~~

It was two days later when the black box sent a message to the humans. Gary was in the well equipped kitchen when the screen flashed a message. Andrea was making toast while Beth drank some honey tea. Both girls stopped drinking coffee and only occasionally had a glass of wine. Gary moved to the screen and read: "Greetings humans. Our offer to visit still holds. We did some research and found that reproduction is a big thing for humans. We presume that you will want to stay where you are until and after the offspring are born."

Gary waited until all had read the message before typing a response. They had all agreed that when the Shadow beings made contact they would respond by saying 'thanks, but no thanks right now. Maybe later.'

Gary entered the message and then waited for an answer. Beth slurped some tea, Andrea chewed a nail and Brad walked in fresh from a dip in the pool. It was not long in coming and it said, "You do what you need to do. We wonder if it would be alright for a few of us to witness a human birth. You would never see us as we are mostly invisible during the day light or mostly darkness."

Brad said, drying his hair with a towel, "If they are invisible then why would we say no. They can do it anyway, so why not invite them to the event."

"I hate the thought of aliens watching me deliver a baby that is rather personal, don't you think," said an angry Andrea.

"We've no choice," said an equally angry Beth.

Gary typed: "Of course you are welcome."

"Thank you very much. For your information, so you can learn about us, we will send our method of reproduction. We will do our best to make it simple, but if you will understand remains to be seen. It will be sent in a few minutes."

They all relaxed a little while Gary fixed breakfast. Brad left to shower and change into some freshly acquired clothes from the mall. It was warm in Florida so short pants and T-shirt would suffice.

All four were becoming very comfortable with each other. Brad, for example, was skinny dipping in the pool. He wrapped a towel around his waist when he came in. The pool was just off the sliding doors from the kitchen. Andrea hardly glanced his way. When she and Gary swam, they too were naked. It really was not a big deal to any of them.

The first of what would be many documents about the Shadow beings came in. Andrea read it while Gary finished a cheese, onion and sausage or ham grilled on Andrea's homemade bread. Alien reproducton

She read: ''Basically we are a form of clones from our elders. Each of us has a parental blood line or what you know as a family gene. Within our body's operation center, you call it your brain; we also have an original central organ. Next to it sits our AI unit. The two of them work hand in hand, if you will accept the image. When we reproduce, it's by choice and need; a message is sent to a special organ. From that organ comes a group of cells to make one of us. It is sent to a place for nurturing and training for what it will do in the future. There, you have it in its simplest form."

"What does all of that mean," cried Beth.

"It means that they are aliens, honey," said Brad.

"I find something interesting," Gary said while serving up breakfast. "They mention cells and I wonder if they are meaning cells in life or just for our information related to English?"

"Really good question. But I'm not sure we want to find out the answer," said Brad,

"I wish they'd just go away and leave us alone. I find them revolting and downright scary," said Andrea.

Beth was quiet thinking while eating. Her thoughts had drifted off to what life might be like having a baby. She felt the little guy inside her, but at her young age, she could be a grandmother before she was forty. Her thoughts were interrupted by Brad asking her, "Honey, are you still with us here on planet Earth?"

"Yes, well, sort of. I was lost in the world of motherhood. It's not easy thinking just a short while ago we were in college studying our butts off and now look what we're doing. I'm with child, living in Florida with three other castaways with aliens as neighbors. Sounds crazy, I know, but such is life. What I'd like to do is find an orange tree and pick a ripe fruit."

"We can do that very thing. Let's go on a picnic and a drive to the orange groves, wherever they are," said Brad.

They had changed vehicles and now rode in a new Lexus SUV. On the way out the door, Gary said, "Should we lock the door, guys?"

"Real funny. Get in and drive. I want to sit in the back and neck with my honey," said Brad.

"Get real Brad. You pick a really strange time to want to make out. I might think about it in an orange grove. Some sex in a field of oranges is worth remembering," said Beth with a smirk on her face.

Brad was really falling deeply in love. It was more evident every day. He did not make a fool of himself, but was always looking at her with a self satisfying grin on his face. Naturally, Beth was cognizant of that fact, but secretly enjoyed being loved by him. Their sex was great, but getting to the point where she was losing interest with the new born coming.

Andrea was staring out the window think similar thoughts about her relationship with Gary. Yes, she thought, I love the guy, but I think there is more love to be had between them. What she was waiting for, she told Beth later, was to see how Gary responded to being a father. That would either seal the deal, or – she did not want to consider the fact he might lose interest – or wind up a single mother.

Gary was driving up I-95 at a comfortable 90 miles an hour. They should arrive at a citrus grove in a couple hours. His thoughts were on the Shadow beings. They were starting to worry him, but why he could not put a finger on it. They seemed benevolent, but was that just a guise to win them over? However, what would they derive any pleasure out of four humans? It would seem illogical to perform experiments on just the four of us and what would they learn from it anyway? Unless, they had access to another dimension or universe where many humans existed.

His first thought was a food supply, but that seemed really too simplistic with the advanced level of their civilization. No, it must be for reasons we cannot fathom or maybe it was something all together at another level of advancement we could understand, but would not like to think or be involved in it. Either way, it was becoming more of their daily thoughts than ever before. A hollow feeling hit his stomach as the thought of them observing the birth of his and Andrea's baby. But really, what choice did they have: none.

"Hey Gary, this is the exit we want. Take a left and follow the road to the citrus groves not far from here. We're looking for Al's Family Farm. I like it up here. It feels more like rural than big city, but I'm not suggesting we move," said Brad.

They found the farm and parked in front of the office. It was evident nobody had taken care of the place as tall grass and weeks surrounded the buildings and on out to the groves of orange trees. Nobody said anything as they avoided the office and followed the trail to the grove.

It was a little surprising that the trees were so heavy with fruit. Gary thought more would have fallen off, but it was hard to see the ground from the tall grass growing under and all the open areas of the land. Regardless, they made for the trees to see if the fruit was tasty or not.

After they chose a tree with tasty looking oranges, Brad and Gary picked and handed them to the girls. They quickly peeled the oranges and began eating. All decided after the first one that their natural vitamin C would be well taken care of. Large crates were easily found take home a couple boxes home with them. Next they went to the warehouse or small factory where they made fresh squeezed orange juice for a popular distributor.

In the walk-in cooler they found stacks of cartons ready for shipment. They had been pasteurized so there was no danger of food poisoning, but all of the stock was past use date. Gary opened one and took a sip. He said, "Hey there's nothing wrong with this stock. Never mind, we have what we want. Let's go find some place to have lunch at. Oh, I forgot. We have to wait while Brad and Beth have a run under an orange tree!

That brought on a laugh that felt good to all of them. The low hanging clouds of the Shadow beings prevented any real peace and happiness with our foursome. In addition, it was becoming rather boring doing not much. What they all needed was a job or some work to keep them occupied. Over lunch that is exactly what they did: discuss inactivity.

Brad was making lunch when Beth said, "Yes, we're all bored to death. Any suggestions as to how we can put some spice in our lives?"

"I think, now don't think I'm crazy, but how about we turn part of the golf course into a garden," said Brad smiling.

Brad was thinking he could get a tractor and plow up the unused golf course. Gary turned and grinned at him. He said, "Cool idea dude. Only let's take it a step further as our girls will soon have a hard time bending over, make raised beds."

Andrea and Beth were looking at each other with astonishment at the suggestion of a garden. Then slowly their faces turned into smiles. Brad said we could use a bucket on the tractor to fill up the raised beds. I think two feet off the ground would be a nice height. What say you all?"

On the way home then stopped at a farm tractor dealer. After searching for what they wanted, Brad chose a John Deere with a plow on the back and a bucket on the front of it. The girls gathered a bunch of various kinds of seeds, while Gary rifled through the magazine part of the store.

The last few things, such as, wide brim hats, gloves and all the hand tools you could imagine, off they went with their new hobby. Brad, after fueling up the new tractor, followed them home. It took awhile but he enjoyed every mile of it.

At home, the girls took naps while Brad and Gary went out to plan the garden area. As they walked on the course, Brad said, "We could plan for long term and ring the area with fruit trees?"

"Fine idea. I like it. Also get treated boards for the raised beds. Also, we need a green house for starting plants along with my spices," Gary said.

"We can turn the garage into a wood shop. We need a table saw or radial arm saw would be nice. My lord we could be very busy very soon," Brad said raising a fist into the air.

In the house the guys took paper and pencil to paper and drew or sketched out a map. It was decided that after two rows of raised beds, a space large enough for the tractor to pass through. Then they had to determine how to water the garden. They decided to use black pipe and rain bird sprinklers. The black pipe would be buried where the tractor went, but above ground between the rows of beds. In the end Brad and Gary agreed that this would be a lot of work, but gratifying in the end.

Their backyard of grass continued unabated right to the fairway. When Brad started plowing, he left about twenty five feet of grass so when the kids were old enough to frolic around outside, they would have some grass to play on. Brad said, "Time to see what this fancy John Deere can do for us." He put on his JD hat and smiled walking out to his tractor.

Gary saw the high stepping Brad climb onto his tractor and off he went. Gary thoughts turned to how he would transport the lumber and machines to cut it with home. He needed a small flat bed truck. However, he would wait until tomorrow to do that project. He turned and went to his bedroom to check on Andrea. He too could use a short nap.

Gary's nap did not last long. Andrea tossed and turned while she slept. Finally, after a fitful half hours nap, he woke her up and said, "How are you feeling my dear?"

"Restless and hungry for some ice cream. I want a shake with strawberry and chocolate syrup in it. Can you do that, magic man?"

"No problem," he said. ''But first I need some lovin. Maybe you could see your way clear to make me feel satisfied or would you like me to make love to you?"

"I can do that and will enjoy seeing you reach the peak. I think I might tease you just a little," she said while reaching down between his legs.

Later they all went out to see what the plow man had done to a once pristine golf course. Now, it their eyes, it look more beautiful that before. The soil was looking healthy and ready for planting. Gary said, "Well, looks good to me. Tomorrow we'll run strings and stakes for a lay out. In the morning, we need a flat bed truck to haul lumber and such things on."

After Andrea and Beth had their milk shakes, without the milk, they had a light dinner. When dinner was over, they went swimming in the pool. None of them felt self conscience being naked as they realized what a foolish thing it really was to hide one's body with clothes.

It was soon bedtime and all hoped it would be a dreamless sleep without the presence of the Shadow beings. Such was not the case. The Shadow beings made their presence know around midnight.

First it was Andrea waking up screaming followed by a loud shriek from Beth. Gary and Brad both turned the light on as the hairs on the back of their necks rose up. Andrea was looking around seeing nothing in the room but her and Gary. When she calmed down she said, with tears running down her cheeks, "I felt someone or something pushing on my stomach. I felt our baby moving around at the same time. It hurt just a little, but it scared me so I woke up frightened."

Both Brad and Beth came in to their bedroom with the same story. Beth climbed in alongside Andrea. They hugged each other for comfort. Brad told the same story as Gary heard. It was obvious that the Shadow people could actually touch them physically. All four felt some serious misgivings about their future with the Shadow beings living next door.

Nobody could sleep so they went to the kitchen for some refreshments. Gary blended some oranges and served to the two frightened women. Brad and he had coffee. It was no use trying to sleep so Gary and Brad made a list of things to do.

About an hour later both girls went to Andrea's bed and slept some more. For the rest of the night, they were not bothered by aliens probing their baby house.

~~~~

Gary went to the bedroom around seven that morning. He crawled in beside Andrea who was in the middle between Beth and Gary. He put his arm under her head and snuggled her in his arm and neck. She murmured her approval and continued to breathe easy. He had almost drifted off when she turned his head with her free arm and gave a kiss.

He said, "If you can, tell me what you experienced last night."

"Well, at first I thought I was dreaming a doctor was examining me. I was in a clinic with a doctor and nurse. She was trying to tell me something, but the words came out without a sound. The doctor pushed so hard it hurt a little bit. Then I felt more probing but not just one hand, but many hands pushing all over my stomach. I tried to speak, but when I looked at the doctor, he'd turned into a monster. I screamed and woke up."

Beth said, "I experienced much the same kind of nightmare. Instead of one doctor there were many of them surrounding me. Scary shit. I hate those Shadow aliens. I suppose I ought to get up, take a shower and put on a happy face. There was no harm done – yet."

With breakfast finished, they all went to a major hardware store to look over what they needed for raised beds, saws to cut to length, and an assortment of hand tools. While Brad and Beth took a lumber cart, Gary and Andrea went to find a small flat bed truck. There was a Japanese car dealership not so far a way. A perfect dual anxle flat bed truck with a length of about twelve feet was just right. On the back of it was a hydraulic lift gate for loading heavy equipment of whatever. Andrea followed Gary back to the hardware store.

Brad had located some 2 x 12s that were treated. He suggested they use a forklift and load up the truck. They also loaded various sizes of lumber to use with the large boards. The book they had read suggested to use screws instead of nails to connect the boards. They gathered up some cordless drills and a ton of long screws.

Brad said, "You know, we need a forklift at home to unload this heavy stuff. I wonder where the forklift dealer might be."

"Yellow pages, if we can find a phone booth with one in it. Wait, maybe they have a phone book here in the office. Hang on I'll run and find out," Brad said scurrying off.

Gary said, "I wonder where we can find a green house that snaps together. A plastic one would suffice. I wonder if this giant store has one. Let's go find the gardening section and maybe we might get lucky."

Indeed they did get lucky with a forklift dealer and the green house that was fairly easy to assemble. It took three trips to bring all of their goodies to home. In addition to hand saws, a radial arm saw and a table saw would fit into the garage rather well.

The whole excursion took until afternoon to complete. The girl's needed to eat so after the first trip, Gary made a healthy beef soup with veggies and homemade bread.

After lunch the girl's took a nap while brad and Gary kept dragging stuff home. It seemed to Gary that Brad was a natural equipment operator. He caught on very quickly. Gary on the other hand, was a natural with designing and working with wood. The green house came with instructions, but as usual, most people called them 'destructions' because they were not easy to follow. The idiot who made the instructions should have had to erect a greenhouse.

It took two days to put the electric saws together and then, while Brad made giant piles of top soil, Gary cut and with Brad and his tractor with the bucket, transported the twelve foot long 2 x 12s to the new garden area. Andrea and Beth ran errands carrying the drills and screws to the job site.

Gary admitted this was, for sure, hard work. All agreed, except Brad. He thrived on what they were doing. He was always there lending a hand where it was needed. He also made ready the irrigation system. He made many trips to the hardware store, but in the end, it was very workable.

All in all it took about ten days of work. What was nice, though, the Shadow beings kept their distance. One thing they did do was sleep with lights on and wore eye covers. The Shadow folks did not like the light or they were not comfortable in the light. That led, for some long discussions about their civilization life.

Contact came about two weeks after the major event of belly poking. The box came to life while they were having dinner one night. All surrounded the box and read what was appearing on the screen.

"Greeting humans. We've been a little busy lately. Our home planet is experiencing some unrest with our contract workers. Anyway, we see you are planting a garden again. We enjoy watching you construct things. You folks seem very creative. We're wondering if you're adjusting to us being around. We mean no harm, but like you humans, we're a curious lot as well. Once again, we're happy to answer any and all questions you might have about us."

That ended the communication. Nothing was said and all went about preparing dinner. Gary was thinking about how they might communicate with their home planet and where was it located. Also, how did they travel from one place to another? The simple fact was too many questions and the worse thing might be, they would not want to hear the answers. He was worried that it might all come to a head when the girl's had their babies.

After dinner, the weather turned nasty with rain and wind, but not a hurricane, drenched the garden area. "I wonder what we forgot to put undercover not giving a thought to rain. I guess it doesn't matter much. We can always go get a new one. What scares me is how do we know if a hurricane is approaching?"

"Damn fine question," said Gary standing up to get another bottle of wine. He and Brad were developing a taste for wine. Even the girl's had a small glass most days. "What can we do if a hurricane comes?"

"Beats me. The farmers of old had a root cellar or an underground place to hide. We good drain the pool and put a roof over it. That might work," said Brad.

"What do we use for a roof? Cement, steel or wood," asked Gary.

"Let's think about it and see if any local magazines or pamphlets are around anywhere to give us some ideas," Said Brad.

"I would welcome a hurricane or face a hurricane than those horrible aliens," said Andrea. Beth nodded while she took a sip of a white wine.

"They seem a patient lot. From what little information we've received, their civilization could be thousands if not millions or years in the making. So what's a few months in their time line. Kind of what scares me a little if we don't visit them, then they come here in a large group or in some way or fashion," said Gary.

"Let's try and dismiss the alien's from our minds. We've a life here and it's a good beginning. Forget those aliens. What I'd really like to know is what happened to all the people on earth. Why are we the only one's left? Everything is the same except the population is missing. Could it be that the aliens removed all except us to see what we'd do to survive or replicate," asked Andrea as she looked around at her companions for a response.

With no response forthcoming, she continued, "Don't you all think it's a little strange that all the power is still on, doors unlocked, and we've had such an easy time of living, it's questionable to me what is really going on out there."

"You bring up good points, Andrea," said Beth. "I too, wonder about why it's so convenient for us to do things."

"Once again we've more questions than answers," said Brad.

''It feels good to talk about it," said Beth. "I feel like a rat in a cage being watched as to what we eat, drink and how we reproduce. Sickening. I suppose it could be worse, but feeling bad is not a comfortable emotion. We should all be really excited about bringing to the world new life. I wanted having a baby a real life changer. Anyway, we all need to get used to the idea we have unwanted company that comes visiting unannounced."

''Easy to say, but hard to do. I want to ask them why they visit and observe us. What can it hurt to ask," asked Gary looking around at his mates. Nobody said anything. He shook his head and said, "I'm going to the hot tub and sit in the rain. Any takers?"

Andrea and Beth stood up with Brad mulling over what had just been said. He followed a few minutes later. The talk in the tub was when the babies were born, they could learn to swim in the pool, providing the pool was not used as a storm cellar. Brad said, "Why don't we take a trip back to the university and see what we might have missed by not reading what the test was about."

"Are you saying we should all go back home just to see what we missed," asked Beth.

"Yes, but after the babies are born and not so hard to travel. We could get a motor home and make the trip maybe next spring?"

"Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. I've seen some of those half million dollar motor homes before. I'd guess they're pure luxury," said Andrea wiping the rain off her head.

So, it was decided on a rainy night in mid-summer they would pack up and go home.

~~~~

Summer ended, fall was almost gone and the girl's were about to give birth very soon. The garden had produced a bountiful crop and all ate fresh salads and veggies till they ran out.

It had been very quiet with the Shadow beings all year long. However they expected visitors when labor started. Andrea had agreed to an ultra sound and they saw it was a boy and Beth carried a girl. Everyone shook their heads thinking God had a hand in the sex determination department. It was apparent that the two off spring would grow up and mate. It was, for all of them, too coincidental. All secretly thought that maybe the aliens had something to do with the whole reproductive event.

Regardless, all were excited and praying all would be well during the delivery.

There was not a day that passed that one or the other pregnant girls did not complain about something. It kept both guys busy running around doing things to make them happy. Brad and Gary totally agreed this was a demanding business being a mate and having to tend to their mate's every whim or notion.

That part ended on Christmas Eve for Andrea and Beth followed just a few hours behind Andrea. Off they went to the hospital. They had practiced this drill before, but now it was the real deal.

In the operating room, two beds for expecting mothers were placed side by side. It seemed like it was organized chaos. Both Brad and Gary were washing or scrubbing for the job of mid-wife. The girl's were breathing as per the instructions for a natural birth. All realized this process would take hours until a new life emerged announcing their arrival vocally.

When the labor really got underway, there was never a thought of the Shadow beings around. If they had been there, they would have witnessed an event that only a woman can describe the entire process of giving birth without any qualified practitioners around. If there had been any viewers, they would have witnessed two guys that did their best for their mates to make them comfortable and with encouragement.

Many hours had passed, but two healthy babies lie on their mother's chest content and asleep not so long after a arduous job of coming forth to life. Brad and Gary were exhausted, but not as exhausted as Andrea and Beth were.

If the Shadow beings had been around, they would have been impressed with the whole idea of the birth of a human. They would come to learn, yes, the Shadow beings had been there and exclaimed how painful it must be to give birth.

~~~~

Off world, a report was being given to the higher ups of the Shadow beings. "It was an interesting birthing event. Both sexes worked hard to bring forth a human baby. It did seem a little primitive that the female had to endure so much pain for a long time before the head came out. However, they are young so can deal with a lot of pain and recover quickly. Humans have about twenty five of earth years to reproduce. After that, they become rather useless; except for being a companion. As we've witnessed, they recover quickly if the parents are gone. They adapt well.

We see a problem and that is feeding humans will be quite a process. We'll have to find suitable planets that have favorable conditions for growing substance to keep them functioning. Of course water has to be available as well."

The head of the council asked, "What about the one's with gray hair that are so feeble and can't perform any type of work to sustain themselves?"

"I recommend we eliminate anyone over the earth age of sixty. Another answer could be that after age fifty, they could take care of the elders. They would have to make all things necessary to keep the elders alive."

"If we discount ages fifteen and under and eliminate sixty and older, how many humans does that leave us to perform what we need to keep living," asked the elder council member who sat next to the council president.

"We haven't finalized the counting, but in the neighbor hood of three billion is in the range we need. That should prove sufficient for around five generations of us. They would be split up across three of our planets that contain our precious chemical."

"From your previous reports, you've mention the word: compassion. Humans contain compassion for others, if I understand it correctly." They saw an affirmation and continued, "If that is the case, would it not be prudent of us to take care of the elders and when we split up the middle aged, to make sure the families are not torn apart geographically. That altruistic event would be antithetical to our civilization, correct?"

"In the past sire, if the humans are not happy, then slow down their work or stop altogether. Sometimes they revolt and many die off and of course, production ceases or slows down making others who have to have the product suffer, as well."

"We'll dwell on the subject and let you know later. Meanwhile, let's see what develops on planet Earth with our four subjects."

~~~~

Back at home having two babies in the house meant a lot of work for all four parents. They needed and implemented a routine of who did what and when. Gary still did the cooking, but now he made sure the baby food was stored in one place for easy use. Formula and breast feeding took care of the total nourishment for each baby. Diapers and other necessary items were easily obtainable at various markets and pharmacies.

Once all the needs were in place, they could return to everyday living, when they had time. It was decided that when late spring came, they would go west back home. Brad and Gary, when there was a break, left one morning to look over a selection of motor homes. Three hours later, Brad drove in or parked a giant motor home across the street. He got out smiling and waving at the girls who stood there holding their babies.

Beth said, while dancing back and forth from foot to foot, holding the little guy close to her breast, "Damn big. Couldn't you find a bigger one?

Walking up he replied, "Nope, biggest they make as far as I know. I think it will be fine. It drives easier than it looks. Lots of power too. When the kids nap, come take a look inside."

Gray had parked and walked up holding a fist full of manuals about how to operate the new ride. He said, while taking a peek at his daughter, "How's my lovely daughter and mother doing?"

"We're just fine. I have to appreciate what my mother went through raising me. This baby business is nothing but hard work, but rewarding."

''When are we going to name the babies," Gary asked.

"Beth and I are discussing that very thing. Right now we like Adam and Eve, but that seems a little corny. What do you think?"

"Seems a bit apropos to me. In addition, to me this place and time represents the Garden of Eden. Not sure what the forbidden fruit is though."

"We, Beth and I were never religious to the point of church going, God fearing, and such things. But, if there was a God, why would he have us here in this place and time?"

"No clue about that end of things. I do believe in a higher spirit kind of thing, but the notion of everlasting life, stretches my imagination. It might be, like some Asian's believe in reincarnation. I like that idea. I could come back as your pet dog and wait for you to rub my back," Gary said smiling.

"Real funny. What I do know is what is in front of me and that's reality. We are parents of a child. We're responsible and we must do all we can to provide a warm and healthy life for little Eve."

"So now you've named our little girl," asked Gary.

"Why not. It's as good as any. Her name will never be confused by any other people. Only the five of us will know her name for many years to come. Speaking of that, I'm not far away from wanting to make love again. Not sure why I'm desiring love making, but it's long past the sex part. I want love making and not just a boom boom."

"Me too. Somehow being a father lights a fire in my belly. I think that fire might be a thing called love. When you feel ready, you know how to make it known to me," said Gary with a big one arm hug and a kiss to the side of her head.

At dinner that night, they talked about when they might leave for the west coast. Beth said, "I like the sounds of leaving in March. My birthday is in March. I'll be twenty one and legal to drink on that date. I want a white cake with chocolate frosting. I wonder if the cake mixes are still good in the supermarkets."

"I'm sure the frosting is fine, but if not available, it's hard to bake a cake without eggs. I sure practice with egg substitutes if they are not all expired," said Gary.

"Let's talk about what route to take back home. I like going up to the Midwest and then west to Utah. From there we can pass through Idaho and Oregon along the Columbia River," said Brad.

"Fine with me," said Gary. "Meanwhile, let's see what we can learn about this magnificent motor home. Let's make a list of things we need for us and the babies, such as a blender."

"Don't we need a trailer to pull a car if we have some trouble," asked Beth.

''Good idea. Let me go look to see if there's a hitch on the back of the motor home," said Brad standing up striding to the door.

"I'll go check the babies," said Andrea. "It's awful quiet back there."

Gary said, "I guess you and Andrea have named the babies?"

"We like the Adam and Eve names. I think we can get over the idea of our kids being the first humans from God. However, under the circumstances, they're the first to be born under the umbrella of life we're living."

"I like the names and what do you think of having more kids, if I may ask?"

"Of course we'll have more, but for the present time and into the future, maybe a couple years from now might be the right time."

Brad came back in just as Andrea came back from a baby check. He said, "Yes, it's got a trailer hitch. When the time comes, we'll find a trailer and carry a SUV with us."

"I hate to bring it up, but what, if anything, should we communicate with the Shadow beings. I realize there's nothing we do that they are not aware of. I'm convinced they watch us twenty four seven. I also think that they did whatever happened to our people and planet. I suspect, and the how, I don't know, transferred or vaporized all of the people on earth. But that leaves the 'why didn't they take us' scenario," said Gary.

"Does that mean they'll be watching us develop as the months and years go by," asked Beth.

"Well, so far they haven't put any demands on us. We've been free to do what we want. If I was an alien watching us, I'd want to know about reproduction and rearing of our off spring," said Gary.

"What happened to our parents and the other seven billion humans of this planet," asked Andrea who gave a shiver of coldness as if a ghost ran up her spine.

"We'd be crazy not to realize the Shadow aliens are extremely advanced compared to us. For example, if indeed they are settled in South America, how do they travel back and forth when they visit us," asked Brad.

"Let's assume for a few minutes, that we never left our dimension or entered a parallel universe. Maybe for some reason or quirk, our sleep study in a sealed room prevented us from going wherever our race went. I think 'went' is a good thought as why eliminate an entire civilization for this planet. I don't see any evidence of exploitation anywhere we've been. It could be that they needed manpower or a special use for us humans," said Gary.

"You're scaring me," said Andrea. "Beth, let's go see how the kids are doing. I don't like this kind of talk."

"I'm with you," said Beth following Andrea to the bedroom closest to the living area. Even though they had the listening devices for hearing a fussy baby, the two mothers were, perhaps, a little over protective of their newborns.

~~~~

On April Fool's day, they hit the road just after breakfast. It was a sunny morning with high billowy clouds slowly drifting northeast. The day held promise of good traveling weather.

Prior to take off, Brad and Gary made sure all was how it should be. They had precious cargo aboard. Gary checked the hitch, trailer, and tires and made sure the backup camera was working properly. The last thing they did was close the garage doors, greenhouse doors and the house was all closed up just in case they should return some day.

All felt sad just like before when they left France. However, some excitement was felt as they were going back home and maybe determine what had transpired to leave them entirely alone in the world except the aliens.

Before they left, Gary made contact with them with a question they would expect and not be suspicious of a deeper inquiry. He asked, "We are just a little curious as to where your civilization comes from."

The answer came rather quickly. The message read: "We are from another galaxy many light years from here. We can transcend space and travel faster than the speed of light. We do have a home planet, but it would inhabitable for your species. However, there are many habitable planets like your earth that reside in our sphere of influence. Also we really don't have any enemies to speak of, or diseases to worry about. What else can I answer for you before you leave on your travels across the continent?"

Gary licked his lips and was afraid of asking the next question on his mind. He took a deep breath and typed: "Should we be scared of your specie or race. In other words, are you intending any harm to the six of us?"

"No we mean you no harm and just go about your business and life as usual. We'll continue to learn from your actions, but that is only for educational purposes. You have nothing to fear from us. It would be impossible for you to do us any harm. Biologically, we are immune to all forms of disease and or physical harm. Even your nuclear weapons are impervious to us. Besides it's very difficult to locate us at any given time. Your human eyesight lacks the ability to see our home planet for example. But the planets that are habitable you can see very well.''

"We thank you for the information. From what we can interpret is that meeting you would not be much to our stock of knowledge of who and what you are. Therefore, we leave now hoping for the best."

The luxury motor home was very nice indeed. It was quiet and comfortable. Brad said it was a dream to drive, especially without any traffic. What they all noticed, and were afraid to mention was the weeds and grass growing high alongside the road and in the cracks and so forth. It would not be long when it would be difficult to see the road from the growing plants everywhere.

But for now, all was well. Also what was in the back of their minds was the idea of finding a permanent place to hang their hats. Andrea and Beth had mentioned to each other that California would be best for growing vegetables. All feared that the stock of frozen food would become uneatable after a few years.

They motored on up and into Nebraska then west on the freeway to Salt Lake City. One thing that was nice was the rest areas were still functional. Another thing was they could take a shower at any motel or truck stop.

They spent the first night in New Orleans. The air was clean and fresh with the slight smell of salt in the air. Beth said, while streatching her legs walking around with Adam in her arms, "The air is so nice without any pollution. I think the Native Americans were the lucky folks here in North America before the Whiteman arrived. The peace and quiet is almost overwhelming. I can hear very well without any outside noise like before. Our kids will grow up with a whole new attitude in this new environment."

"Yes, this new environment is intoxicating. I'm beginning to like being alone with just the six of us. There's nobody to interfere with what we do or say. I've even given up the idea that the Shadow beings are bothering me. Who cares? Let them watch us and maybe they'll learn something from us lowly humans."

"Where is Gary," Beth asked.

"He's off looking for some frozen shrimp and something tasty for our dinner."

They both took a walk with their kids and immediately thought they needed a front pack or back pack to carry the little guys around. "Let's ask Brad to take us shopping for both baby pack and strollers," said Beth.

Meanwhile, Gary had found an upscale restaurant that had seafood on their main menu. He called Brad on the walki talki and told him where he was and to come for dinner. Brad acknowledged and told Gary he was taking the girl's shopping and then they would find him later.

After dinner, they drove to a nice hotel for a shower. The buildings now were becoming dusty. They decided to sleep in the motor home after a shower and a bath for the babies.

The next morning they were off and motoring over to Dallas and then up I-35 to I-80 west bound to Utah. It was a lovely spring day and for that matter, it had been a nice warm spring so far. There really was no hurry so they stopped often to walk around looking at the landscape just to get a little exercise.

The trip to Salt Lake City and on up to Idaho and Oregon was uneventful. In Salt Lake they had some spring rains dampen the trip. They decided to stop at a truck stop for showers and something to eat.

The next day dawned clear, but a little chilly. Gary was behind the wheel that day. They were in the mountains and would be until they hit Idaho. The powerful motor home hardly slowed down as it went up and down the hills with ease.

The same could be said of Oregon. It was mountains to the Columbia River where the freeway leveled out for a cruise down the scenic interstate. In Portland, west of the Cascade Mountains, the weather turned cloudy and cool. It dampened the spirits for two reasons, one was the weather and the other was coming home to where they were born and raised.

It was a quiet ride up I-5 to Seattle. They had not decided where to park when they arrived there. Brad said, "We can park on top of the hill and then walk to the place where we took the sleeping test. After that, I don't know what we should do, anybody have any suggestions?"

"I'm for going to my home and getting some of my personal stuff. There's family pictures and such things I want to take with me," said Andrea with all the others nodding agreement.

At each of their homes, it was difficult from not being emotional with memories coming from all directions to stir the mental side of things. The guys were trying to remain stoic and strong for the girls as they went through gathering up what they wanted to take south with them.

It went without saying they were headed south to California to set up house. On the way down to Portland, they all said they were tired of freeways so the coast highway 101 was by the Pacific Ocean. It was spring and on some nice days they could stop and walk the beach.

They entered the sleep center lab with timid caution. Nobody considered any change since they left about a year ago. However, as this place was their first opportunity to discover they were alone, it presented some short breaths of air seeing recent memories of what was then, a normal life of ongoing existence.

The crunch of broken glass reminded them of the guys ramming the glass door with the bed. Brad said, "Well, we're here and what do we now?"

"Let's look at the equipment that was used on us. Maybe we can find some clue as to what happened and when. I'm seriously considered the fact we are not in a parallel universe, but because of the hermetically seal of this room, were spared the removal of all humans off planet."

"You're suggesting or saying we were invaded by the Shadow aliens!" exclaimed Brad. "Come on, Gary, get real. How could they remove seven billion humans in such a short time?"

"Naturally, I've no idea how they did it, but highly suspect they were instrumental as to what happened to our people," said Gary as he looked at a machine that he had no idea what it did.

"We can speculate all we want," said Beth, "but, that doesn't change our position any, that I can see. We still are four adults and two babies and not another soul, that I'm aware of."

"Maybe, we can ask the Shadow beings to come clean and tell us exactly what happened," said Andrea. She had found a chair and was feeding Eve a snack of warm mother's milk.

"I like that idea," said Brad. He had been following the wires that were attached to their bodies during the test. The best he could determine they ended at the instrument that Gary was trying to figure out. Gary decided to push a green button and see what happens.

The machine came to life and from it came a sound of a printer on the other side of the room. Gary hurried over and as the printer spew forth a printout, he saw on a screen wavy lines that quickly turned flat. He thought for a minute and then decided that maybe the flat lines came after he and the rest of the subjects disconnected the wires from their bodies.

Regardless, they were no closer to telling what happened or when it happened. Brad, meanwhile, was snooping around an office desk looking for some notes someone might have scribbled on just before disappearing for good. His eye caught a post-it on the land line. He snatched it up and read it: "I saw two of our staff just disappear into thin air......"

"Hey, guys. Check this out. I've a written note that sheds some light on what happened," Brad said as he went out to the middle of the lab. He read the note and both Andrea and Beth sucked in some air. Gary stood motionless with a small grin beginning to appear on his face.

"Damn. Now we know a hell of a lot more than we did," said Gary with a high five to Brad. "This is the evidence we needed. Somehow and someway, every human being, except us, was taken away off world. This, my dear friends, is really science fiction turned into reality with science in front of the word, reality."

"Even so, what do we do now," asked Andrea who had finished breast feeding Eve.

"I think we should, with tact, ask our observers where our fellow humans went and why they did what they did," said Gary.

"I'm sure they already know what we're up to," said Brad. "Let's give them some time to dwell on the response. I suggest we hit our homes for what we want to take with us and hit the road where the sun shines most days."

~~~~

"Those humans are smarter than we thought," said the lead Shadow being to the council of elders. "The question is do we enlighten them, or just let them continue to speculate. Or, perhaps, we can use the one called Gary who seems the more intelligent than the others. Also his mate, Andrea seems just as smart as Gary. The one called Brad seems to be more of a doer rather than a thinker. His mate, Beth, is a leader and very powerful with an above level of intelligence. Maybe we could find a place for them in or on another world."

"Do you think any of them are a threat to our civilization and way of life," asked a member of the council.

"We should never underestimate anyone or anything. A sharp observation is always needed with aliens," said the leader of the observation team over the planet Earth.

"We'll take it under advisement. We need to check on the progress of the humans we took a year ago," said the lead Elder.

~~~~

After leaving Seattle with heavy hearts, they silently rode to the coast of Oregon. They were kept busy with the babies, but other than that, talk was seldom heard as concerns the Shadow aliens and their future.

Brad, especially, seemed more silent than his usual jovial self. He drove from Seattle to the coast of Oregon without saying ten words. Beth was a little worried about him, but after he smiled at her, she relaxed.

Arriving at the 'Twenty Miracle Miles', a stretch of Highway 101 that has many small towns in a short ways next to the sea shore, they parked at a seaside motel. The parking lot had tall weeds growing up through the cracks in the pavement, but the inside was fairly clean due to the fact an onshore wind was the primary source of weather on the Pacific coast.

They found the rooms clean enough to spend the night in. The restaurant was first class. All the freezer stuff was still good. Gary went to work making a dinner of steak and vegetables. Meanwhile, the girls took care of the kids while Brad brought in from the motor home stuff for the babies to take care of them for the night. After that he went to the beach for a solitary walk.

"Andrea, I'm a little worried about Brad. He's so quiet and it seems something is really bothering him. I was wondering if you could watch Adam while I go find Brad and see what is eating him. I think, he's worried that the aliens will take us away as maybe they did with our fellow humans."

"Sure can do. The kids are ready for a short nap before dinner anyway. Gary is busy in the kitchen and I'll stay here with the babies until you come back.''

Beth put on a windbreaker and left for the sandy beach. She never gave it a thought that under normal or usual times, this very beach would be packed with visitors on spring break enjoying the fresh salt air.

She found Brad about a half mile down the beach slowly walking with his shoulders hunched over from the constant wind blowing on shore. Beth broke into a jog to catch up. To her it felt good to expend some energy being tied up with the baby and inside the motor home for the last seven hours.

She hollered his name and with his keen ears, turned to see his mate coming on the run to him. She ran up to him breathless. He took her in his arms and said, "Why are you running down the beach. Is there something happening I should know about?"

"No, nothing is wrong. I was just worried you took off alone and you seem kind of quiet lately."

He pulled back and looked into her light blue eyes and said, while pushing back the hair from her forehead, "I'm fine. I'm just wondering what those aliens have planned for us. I'm scared they'll separate us and I'd be crushed if that happened. I can't imagine life without you and our little Adam. That holds true with Gary and Andrea as well."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Both sets of lips were cold, but the reaction was immediate. She whispered, take me now right here on the beach."

"Fine idea. Let's move up to the soft sand. We can use my coat to lie on."

Both were wearing sweat pants so it was not difficult to make ready for a passionate quick mating with the roar of the ocean that mixed with the sounds of love making. It was brief, but totally satisfying for both.

They walked back up the beach feeling wonderful and ready for a big dinner. Beth found Andrea and kids napping. She stripped down and took a long hot shower. When she was finished, Andrea was awake feeding her baby. Adam was laying there watching Andrea and looking around when he heard his mother's voice. "Thanks for the baby sit. We are just fine now. He was worried about the aliens interfering with our lives. A little beach sex took care of the problem," she said laughing looking a bit embarrassed.

"I could use a good romp myself. I'll take a blanket though. Damn cold out there bare ass naked," Andrea said while trading one breast for another. Her comment brought on a bout of laughter which upset Adam as he was still lying quietly until the loud laughter scared him.

At dinner they ate the succulent steaks and steamed veggies. The talk came around to the Shadow beings again. Gary brought up the subject of contacting the aliens. He said, "What do you all say about we ask those aliens what happened to our fellow humans. Also, what is their plan for us."

"I'm all for it," said Brad. Gary looked at Andrea who shrugged and so did Beth. It appeared that whatever the guys did it was fine with them. Both guys knew what the girls felt about the whole thing without asking. They all were beginning to miss other humans around them. Man was a social animal and with the six of them, they hungered for some company. Besides, traveling around was getting boring. However, they all realized even if they had a permanent home, soon they would want some interaction with others.

With that in mind, along with tending to the new additions, they motored south with the intention of waiting until they reached a new home to contact the Shadow beings.

Unlike before, when they teamed up to go exploring, this trip was taking place with not a lot of enthusiasm. In fact, a gloomy cloud of suspicious thought about what they faced in a future of a daunting expectation of doom. Gary in particular thought the entire human race was just fodder for the aliens.

However, regardless of the situation, humans never really give up hope until the dreadful end was clearly in sight. Such was the case with our foursome as they continued to California to set up house. Like before, they would plant a garden, live life every day, enjoy the new additions and have some hope that life would become better and better.

~~~~

From a map, they chose the Ventura area next to the golf course and adjacent to the course, was a large growing area, just waiting for Brad to show off his tractor skills. In the housing development, which was only a few blocks from a small harbor, they picked a likely home with a large parking area just across the street. It was perfect for parking the large motor home and anything else they desired to park there.

These were upscale homes with four bedrooms standard. The homes had small yards and lacked swimming pools. However hot tubs were, as it appeared, standard for each home. The corner home was chosen and plans were made to move in.

Of course the kitchen was the most important part and Gary examined it very well. It was not up to the other kitchens, but it would work with a few modifications here and there It did have, however, a counter where four could sit comfortably in its concave design.

Bedrooms were automatically decided by the girls and cribs were set up for the duration. The residents who lived here were neat and organized. Their clothes and such things were put in boxes and stacked in a spare bedroom. After that, all spent the time cleaning the house from top to bottom.

In a couple days they were satisfied with the house. Now it was time to make contact with the Shadow beings. It was just after breakfast on day three when Gary typed in this message: ''Greetings from the state of California. As you can see we are planning to stay here for awhile. We have a few questions to ask. We mean no disrespect by asking what your plans are for us. We seriously think you removed our human race off planet. Why, we have no idea and please enlighten us about why it happened and where are they?''

Gary hit the send button and they waited for the answer with bated breath. Both Andrea and Beth were giving the kids a bath in the large double stainless sink. The kids were flapping their arms splashing water all over the place. Both seemed to love the water and it was making all four adults laugh and take pleasure in having a new generation around. All of them knew the kids kept the stress level down with distractions that entertained all who cared to watch.

After what seemed longer than usual, a message popped up. It said, ''Greetings back to you. We understand your questions very well. The hard part is answering them. We did indeed remove all of your fellow humans off world. The main reason was we needed their help to sustain our existence. The other reason was to save you from destroying your world by war. War is something primitive races wage. If it was not war, then it would be human impact on a fragile planet regards climate and severe pollution killing off millions of your race.

Now as regards you four humans, we had a special plan to observe your reaction and subsequent actions once you discovered you were the only ones left on the planet. We watched you develop survival skills and especially liked what we saw in your reasoning and work ethic.

As to what we have in mind for you and your fellow mates is to show you what we have done with your race. They are safe and sound working for us. We are taking very good care of all of them. We have an idea that we want to share with you. For example, Gary is very good at reasoning and doing things by sequential order; Brad is a versatile person who adapts very well with anything mechanical. He would excel at showing by example to others how to do something to seek an end to a means.

Andrea and Beth are unique to us. They have a subtle way of doing things. We have seen that what was once known as the 'weaker' specie, quite the opposite in reality. They accomplish life by being the driving force behind men. Also, both sexes of humans have a delightful reproduction method. We are still struggling with the word 'love' but possibly over time we will come to understand it more.

We are currently discussing your situation and please give us a few of your days to contact you again.''

All four stared at each other wondering what all of that report said and meant. Gary said, "We need to make a copy of the text so we can analyze it. My first reaction is one of hope and happiness. No harm will come to us, or so they say. Our parents are alive somewhere."

Brad said, "They like my driving a tractor. I find that rather condescending. However, they said I would be a leader in that field; no pun intended.

Laughter erupted and that made the kids laugh too. It was time to dry them off and get dressed for a day of whatever babies do.

Gary found a printer in the computer office room. He took the black box and retyped the message and then printed out four copies. Each took a copy and found a quiet place to reread what was said and what it meant to each person.

It was noon and lunch time. Homemade bread was still warm. Gary was not in the mood to cook much, so they just had sandwiches and canned fruit. After lunch the girl's put the kids down for a nap.

It was a nice warm spring day. The four of them sat out on the back deck and discussed what the alien message said or meant. Gary went first. "The aliens admitted they took our civilization off world except us four. Our race, apparently, is well and working. What work they're doing is a very good question. I guess we have to trust in what they say as it would not do us or them any good to lie about the present time. Also, they seemed awed at our ingenuity and fortitude. We showed them we can survive under difficult circumstances. Physically it wasn't demanding, but mentally we had a lot to deal with. Where we go from here – is anybody's call."

Brad said, "I think you summed it up very well, Gary. I'm for asking the Shadow folks to show us our relatives. I'm not sure whether than can be done or not. It's been a year that they've been gone. If they're happy and life is good, then why don't we join them?"

"Honey," said Beth. We can make a life here, but what bothers me is the fact our kids don' have any other kids to play with or grow up with. Sure we can home school, but that lacks any social contact with kids of their own age. I'll go along with whatever we decide. I'm a mother now and have that part of me to work with."

Andrea was next as all had turned to look at her. She said, "Even when we were in school, or growing up, the future was always an unknown. I wondered about life after the university, jobs, relationships, things like that. Those future events were on all of our minds since we were kids. Now is not much different. We sit here wondering what the future holds for us and our families. I'd love to see my parents again. If, and I say if, we leave here, we're taking a big risk. However, we can't sit under a mushroom and not do anything being afraid of taking a risk. I'll go with the flow. I want our kids to have a social life with others like Adam and Eve."

~~~~

Off world, the Shadow beings were discussing the very same things the earthlings were: life of the human's off their old planet. The observation leader said, "What do you council members think about removing our four subjects and their off spring to a human occupied planet in our system?

"Are you telling us that the observation should end?"

"I believe we have all we can glean from these four humans. I think we should assimilate them into a planet of fellow humans. The one named Gary and his mate is special. He would make a fine addition to our development of our special chemical process. He's a thinker with the understanding of ramifications if something doesn't look proper. His mate supports him and is very intelligent in her own right. The four of them make a fine team. We should pair them together."

"That's all well and good, but we're not a race of altruistic features. We need the chemical to survive. Are you sure we can trust these humans to not tamper with our life giving substance?"

"I think so because of the fact each of our four subjects, have mated and that mating bonds them together for life; especially with an off spring. We need stability and a race of satisfied workers. We've the power to provide all that they require to live a full and satisfying life.''

"The first thing they'll want is their parents. Is that workable in your plan?"

"Certainly is, Sire. The parents of all four are together on planet Choi. All of their parents are middle class citizens who work for what they have. Unlike the rich, the producers of products are not the rich working, but their employees. In their civilization, the lower classes, which are mostly poor and uneducated, do the menial work. Those are unskilled workers that do the jobs nobody else wants to do.

It's those with a higher education who work at technical jobs are the ones we want the most. We've machinery to excavate our ore, but we need experts to extract the chemicals the ore possesses."

"We understand that very well. On another matter, what about this thing called religion? I'm informed they worship a god. That service takes place in a shelter called a church or some other names for places to thank a god for what they have. Is this something we should be concerned with?"

"We don't think so. It's rather harmless unless, in their prior history, there were wars based upon religion. However, we've taken away any means of waging war. To keep an account of their movements and beliefs, we have things in place to detect any unrest."

"This event or experiment is in your hands. If it fails, you know the consequences. If all goes well – we'll note that in your file. In their time, report back to us in six months. I'm told that would be sufficient time to take an early evaluation of our new guests the humans from Earth."

~~~~

Our foursome went about life rather slowly since their question and answer period with the Shadow beings. To Andrea and the others, Gary seemed withdrawn and she knew the reason: Aliens had kidnapped the entire human race. He was the thinker of the group and needed or required, reasoning for what had transpired to their race of people. They all felt like animals in cage being poked and fed information that did not have any logical reasoning behind it. Or at least, that is what Gary felt most deeply of the other three.

Conversely, their parents were alive, but under what circumstances were they living, was a good question. They had been gone for over a year and in that year's time, what was their life like? Once again, with this entire event, too many questions and not enough answers.

The girls seemed more content than either Brad or Gary. They had their kids to take care of and that was a full time job regardless of what else was going on. The two girls counted on their mates to take good care of their lives and the lives of two off spring.

The one thing they all realized was the idea of leaving this planet to travel to another world where their parents lived. It was sort of understood that they had a choice in the matter of leaving or staying. If and when the time came, they would have to make a hard choice.

After a couple days of dwelling on what might or might not happen, they went to work planting a garden for fresh vegetables. Brad had a new shinny tractor and hat. Gary was putting together a plastic green house and the girls were mostly taking care of the babies. When the babies were napping, they spent time working in the raised beds like they did before. Only this time it was much slower working as the kids demanded upon waking up, mothers attention.

A week went by and then one evening, as a very late spring rain made all of them stay inside, the black box came to life. Gary and Andrea were in the kitchen. Andrea was making bread and Gary was preparing dinner. Beth and Brad were in their bedroom with both kids between them on the bed talking baby talk to the kids.

Andrea scurried down the hall to alert Beth and Brad the incoming message. She scooped up Eve and all went to the kitchen. In order to have it quiet, both girls fed mother's milk to the kids.

All were gathered around the screen reading as it wrote out line after line. When there was a pause, Gary read it out loud. It read: "Greeting once again to the four or six of you. I apologize for being so long in responding, but we're a methodical race. I suggest you attach this box via a USB cord to a large screen for viewing some pictures and a short video of planet Choi. Choi is the human's home planet. There're three other human planets where multiple things are happening. When you are ready, just type in: 'Send'.

After you've viewed the videos, talked about it, then send a inquiry for any particular questions you might have. We desire you to think hard about transferring to planet Choi where all of your parents live."

Gary scrambled and soon they had the box attached to the large family room screen. He typed in the magic word and all sat back watching the screen. It came with a narrator attempting to explain in a foreign language what they visioned.

Of course it was being recorded for later frame by frame viewing. The first picture showed a planet not unlike Earth. It was mostly blue with scattered clouds around the globe. As the camera panned in, they could see less oceans and more land than Earth had. It also appeared to have more green flat lands rather than large mountain chains.

The closer the camera came to the land surface; rivers could be seen meandering across the land headed for the large bodies of water they assumed were salt water oceans.

Next to the river that was in the camera was a large square shaped city. The closer the camera came, they saw surrounding the outside of the city large building of some sort. In the center were what looked like housing.

A voice said, "What you see is Choi City the largest of all cities on this planet. It's the center of high level thought and planning. From here directives are formed and issued throughout the rest of the planet. An example might be that an order for more textiles is needed on another planet, which an order goes to the industry that makes the product. You can see the idea, I'm sure.

The camera held over the city showing dark green fields of food production. Brad sat up taking particular attention to the field of study he enjoyed. The voice said, "Here is one place food is grown for human consumption. The protein you require is located in another geographical area. We've cloned some of your domestic animals for food production.''

The camera panned closer to the building that were housing for humans. The voice said, "Housing is designed after apartments that were two story family dwellings. We thought it best to separate apartments by age group, similar to American idea of childless couples living with neighbors of the same size family. You get the idea, I'm sure."

The camera went to street level. No automobiles were seen, or buses. Down the middle of each street were narrow tracks for small rail transport. They were commuter trains for to and from work. Also, bike paths were seen for those who wanted a little exercise to stay in shape.

"I think you get the picture of life on Choi. If a person wants to travel out of the city, an air transport can be scheduled. We think life here is very similar to life on planet Earth. You never have to worry about war, terrorism or any violence of any sort. Any harm to another person is punishable by hard labor in the mines off planet. A video is shown each person what happens if violence of any sort happens."

The foursome heard the last report to ask question anytime they desire. It said that the time for leaving was entirely up to them.

After it finished, Gary asked, "Why do they need humans?"

They all were deathly quiet with the question that was on every mind except the babies. Brad was first, "It can't be totally altruistic in its pure sense. We've come to learn that it really doesn't exist in human life. However, maybe it does in an advanced civilization such as the Shadow folks."

"I read it as without help from another civilization, they are in some trouble of sorts. If so, is this the reward for our help," asked Beth.

"Let's look at it from a positive standpoint," said Gary. "Maybe life there is good, not perfect, but good. Even though we lived in a society of wealth, I really don't think most were a happy lot. I wonder if one of us could visit and come back to report."

''What can it hurt to ask," said Brad.

Gary typed in the question and waited for a response. It was not long in coming. It said, "We thought that would be what you might desire. It's agreed that one of you can visit and then report to the others. Please remember that traveling in space requires a demand upon a human body. It will take about forty eight hours to recover completely. After that you can send reports back to your friends anytime. Let me know when and who. We need a body size for special transport."

All looked at each other, but it was obvious that Gary would be the one to go. He had risen to the group's leader. Brad said, "Go Gary and see if there's any tractors in the fields.''

That night in bed, Andrea and Gary were discussing the upcoming trip. She said, "I know this sounds off the wall, but have you considered Eve being involved in your trip off world. Do you really think this is something you - we have to do?"

"I suppose we could go about our daily business like we have in the past year. We could have another baby and then another one after that. You're not a baby factory, honey. You're young and have things to do in your future; not just raise babies. That was old school and long gone from our present day thought. I'll see what they have for day care or something similar to a place where babies can socialize together while mothers work elsewhere. What I need is a list of things to look at and document for later discussion with all of you guys. What's hard to believe is how much I love you and our little Eve.

That was enough to make Andrea cry. Here they were, not yet twenty one years old with a baby and in a very serious relationship. He took her in his arms and they made passionate love while Eve slept the sleep of sweet dreams.

The next morning smelled fresh from the previous rain. The day held promise of a lovely spring day in Southern California. Gary sent a text message that he would be the one to leave Earth for Choi. He gave his exact size for a suit of whatever it was to travel across space in. It all seemed very science fiction to all of them. It was one thing to take a space ship to the moon or another planet in their solar system, but to leave this solar system for another, seemed totally outrageous.

A message came back saying it would be exactly twelve noon when a flash will occur over and around Gary. At that point he will disappear leaving behind an indescribable smell. He will return at the same time in about ten days their time.

Anxiety took over all except the babies. Andrea's heart was pounding and so was Beth's. Brad was standing close to Gary murmuring encouraging words. He swore he would take care of all of their families while he was gone.

At just before noon, all four stood outside of the house in the driveway waiting for the noon whistle to sound. It was exactly noon when a flash occurred, making all of them except Gary flinch. Then the air cleared leaving a sweet – sour smell and no Gary. He was gone. They looked up, but there was nothing but blue sky and a few clouds drifting by.

Andrea lowered her head and went inside to be alone with her thoughts of what might be the future in their lives.

~~~~

Gary never felt the trip from the time he left until he arrived on Choi. He woke up lying down on a soft bed in a building that kind of looked familiar. As it turned out, later, it was a special recovery room for humans to adjust back to what they were or felt before the space travel. A human with a smiling face walked up and said, "Welcome to Choi, Gary. We were expecting you. Just relax and take deep breaths. You need to sleep and let your body adjust to life off planet Earth. We've some special medicine to help you recover quicker. In about thirty hours, you'll feet just fine. Sleep now and in about eight hours you will wake up and eat some nutritious food. You'll sleep again and then when you wake up, you'll be good to go."

Gary felt a shot in the arm and he went into dream land. It was later when he woke up, the remnants of his dream was so senseless, that he instantly tried to discard it. He needed all of his facilities upon his present circumstances. The doctor later told him it was a combination of the drug and the rapid transportation to this location from Earth.

The conversation was when he ate some food and went back to sleep. Later he thought you could set your watch on the schedule he was on. It was thirty hours later he woke rather refreshed and ready to look around. This time it was a different doctor. Her English was not so good, but he discovered he would be accompanied by a guide in just a little while.

After a brief tour of the facility he was in, a young man with a wide smile, walked up and said, "Hello Gary. I'm Freddie. I'll be your guide for some of the tour. Are there any immediate questions you might have?"

"Yes. How long have you been on this planet?"

"A little over a year. I'm from England originally. It was rather strange that when I was working in the office, I woke up here with thousands of others. We were in a temporary structure that went on for as far as the eye could see. Anyway, now I live in an apartment with my new girlfriend."

"How do you compare here to England," said Gary as they walked towards the exit.

"It's fine here. The weather is great and the work is rather easy. I'm away from home quite often, but the traveling is easy. There aren't any long lines or traffic problems getting to or from the airport. As a matter of fact, their transportation is suburb. Anyway, you'll see that as we tour the planets."

"My parents are here and I'd like to see them if at all possible?"

"Sure you can. They've already been notified you're here. Later, after their work is over, you'll be reunited with them."

"Do you ever communicate with the Shadow beings," asked Gary walking outside where the warm sweet smelling air greeted him.

"No, but I guess you're referring to the, what we've come to know them as the Choins. We never see them at all. We do have sone of us that relays any messages or instructions that come from this civilization. They're simple instructions and nothing life threatening or anything like that. We're told to behave don't do anything harmful to any other humans."

"Alright, what now?

"I'm to show you are residential area and the surrounding production facilities. You can ask anybody we see any questions you like. We've nothing to hide and are as happy as we've ever been. We don't have any use for money. We can have whatever we want, except for a few things, like cars. The food, clothing, housing, education and so on are all free. What it has done, Gary, it has eliminated the greed in human's persona."

"That's unbelievable," said Gary as they stood next to a street that had a line about four inches under the, what looked like concrete.

"An electronic passenger vehicle will be in," as he looked at his watch, "three minutes."

Gary stood looking both ways and suddenly from about a block away, a vehicle came to a stop in front of them. The clear plastic door rose up and they got in, sat down and off they went at about fifteen miles per hour. Gary could not detect any sound what so ever. Freddie kept talking. He said, "After we tour a housing complex, we'll go to a textile factory. Humans are used to wearing clothes, so they have provided all that is necessary to make our clothes."

"It all sounds, Freddy, too good to be true," said Gary, enjoying the silent ride to an apartment building.

"I know it does, but as I understand it, they needed our physical bodies to make a certain chemical for their daily existence. Without it, they would disappear. How true it is – well – others have made reports of mining on other planets to produce the chemical that is called, Zarnich, or Zar for short."

"I see," said a bewildered Gary. They got out in front of a building that was multi-floor. Gary asked, "Who built these buildings? It seems like a lot of work and time. These appear to have been here for some time."

"I don't know the answer to that question. I've heard rumors that another race or civilization was contracted to construct as prefab units and then transported here. That's all I know about that end of things."

Freddy knocked on a door on the second floor. He had told Gary it was a random choice. It was not prearranged. The door opened to a young woman with a tablet in her hand. Freddy made the introductions and asked if she would mind having a visitor look at her apartment. She stood back and said, "Help yourself. I'm a little busy, but after a couple minutes I can answer any questions you might have."

To Gary, looking around it seemed very similar to back home. The appliances were more high tech looking, but was told they did the same things as back home on Earth. He asked, "How do you like living here?"

She said, "Very similar to back home in Michigan, but much calmer without any pushing or shoving trying to use public transportation. I work mostly from home, but have a workplace at an office in a factory. We all had to take a test when we came here. From the test we were assigned a job and housing. I'm happy, but do miss having cocktail hour with friends. There're coffee shops and things like that underground where we can go, but alcohol is nonexistent."Freddy said thanks and they left via the stairs. There was an elevator, but it was only used for transporting large heavy objects. The stairs were designed for exercise to keep all of the residents healthy.

Next was the textile factory. At first glance, as far as Gary knew, it looked like a typical factory, but maybe it had more robotics than usual. The humans were more quality control rather than sewing or cutting to size. Also, it was not a noisy place at all. Gary went down the stairs to talk to a few workers. He chose a middle aged man. He asked how he liked the job and life here on Choi.

"I like it just fine. The job is a little demanding, but with the end product perfect, it's satisfying at the end of the day. Time off is outside seeing the sights via a wonderful transportation system. Me and my family love it here. Schools are great; weather is great, no pollution or loud noises."

"Thanks for your time and hope life continues to be what you like."

They left and Gary asked, "What now, Freddy?"

"How'd you like to see where food stuff is grown and processed?"

"Love to. Let's go," said an eager Gary rising up to see the place might have possibilities.

Freddy called in a helicopter, but unlike any helicopter Gary had ever seen. It did not have a rotary blade on top or at the back of the aircraft. Under the belly were vents where forced air was used to raise the craft off the ground. At the tail, horizontal vents kept the craft from spinning in circles. Finally one larger vent propelled the craft forward.

What was really strange was the fact there was not any pilot. There was only a computer where Freddy punched in some coordinates and away they went, again, mostly silent through the air. It was a smooth and delightful ride for about a half hour until green fields appeared before them. The green stretched for miles in all directions. Another ten minutes and they landed in a compound where humans worked. Gary thought, this is where Brad wants to be. However, he did not see any tractors around. It would be one of his first questions.

Inside the large building/lab. There was a lot of activity. Scientists were examining the vegetables. Others, he was to learn, were measuring the nutrition and other things.

The leader shook Gary's hand with pleasure. He wanted to know what Gary would like to know about the operation. Gary asked, "For a friend of mine, do you use tractors here for plowing and such things?"

"We sure do, but the operators steer them by a joy stick like in a video game. It takes a keen observer to make sure all ends up in rows that are straight so the harvest machines can do their job. All the machinery here is computer controlled."

"I appreciate your information. Can you compare working and living here to back home on Earth?"

''Life here is slower and more methodical than back home. We have a job to do and when that job is over, we go home to our family or friends. We're not pushed or encouraged to buy anything. I love the idea of no money or the idea of keeping up with the Jones expression."

"How do you receive your instructions or orders," asked Gary.

"It appears on our main frame screen. We have a production schedule to meet. We can be over or under and never hear from whoever is sending the instructions."

"Have you ever seen the aliens who reside here," asked Gary

"Nope, never have. At first we all thought it would be for a selfish reason we were brought here. We do understand that many humans are mining for a specific resource to make a chemical for their use. I've never been there, but let's hope all is well, like here."

They left for it was time to eat something. They ate at a cafeteria in a factor that made various items out of plastic. It was very similar to any cafeteria Gary imagined. He was served a large bowl of stew. He saw the carrots and some dark meat in it. Some tasty homemade bread and a dessert of lemon pudding rounded off a healthy lunch.

After sitting down with other workers, Gary asked Freddy, "What is the meat of this stew?"

"I'm told it's a form or close likeness to our beef back home. I've never seen the animal, but I do understand they raise domestic animals off world. We've been eating it for a year now with no side effects that we know about. Doctors from back home check our blood regularly. The hospitals themselves are small and very few patients. Most are accidents with broken arms or sprained ankles. I've yet to catch a cold or the flu. Not sure why, but I'm sure not complaining."

"This stew is wonderful and very tasty. I'm an amateur cook and think this recipe is a winner. As a matter of fact, the bread is delicious. All things considered, so far so good. I'd like to see my parents and then the mines where the ore is excavated. One fear I have is slave labor in the mines."

Freddy laughed and said, "All of the mining is done with machinery. Humans operate the machines in a fairly clean environment. The downside is they work the mines twenty-four seven. Shift work is mandatory."

"I understand there's no perfect place to work. I also understand we have to do something for our existence. We've come a long ways since there was child labor with sixteen hour days six or seven days a week," said Gary licking his spoon clean of a delicious lemon pudding that he knew Andrea would love. He felt a pang of missing her and wanted to quickly rejoin her and their little Eve. However, his parents need to see him and to hear about being grandparents. It will be quite a shock, he thought.

Freddy raised his watch to his face. He pushed a button on the side of it and Gary was to learn that was how they contacted others on this planet. It was their idea of a phone.

Gary heard a familiar voice of his mother coming from the watch. Freddy put the phone close to Gary's mouth. Gary said, "Mom, is that really you?"

All Gary could hear was sobbing and then his father came on the line. "Son, we had almost given up hope that you were alive. We were told you were coming. Freddy can deliver you to our residence. It's only a short distance from where you are. I'll take care of your mother while you are in transit."

Freddy dropped Gary off at a carbon copy of the first apartment complex they visited. Freddy said he would pick him up in the morning. Gary was only half listening as his thoughts were the reunion upcoming in just a few minutes.

He ran up the stairs to the third floor and knocked on the door of his parent's residence. His father, Steve Loomis opened the door smiling at his son. A big hug resulted and some tears silently rolled down both men's cheeks. His mother stood back with her hands clasped in front of her as if she was holding back from using the bathroom. She was fighting hard to not cry, but it was a losing battle. She rushed to her son and he was surprised how strong her hug was. They remained embraced for what seemed minutes, but in reality, just a half minute before they separated taking stock of each other.

Father said, "Sit down son and let's catch up on what has happened since we've been apart."

Gary sat on a comfortable sofa and his mother next to him holding his hand. Father sat in a rocker that fit him to a T. Gary said, "I'll start at the beginning and come full circle to present time. As you might remember, I entered a sleep study program to earn some extra money. There was no danger of any drugs or things like that. Well, me and three others were place in a hermitically sealed room. We slept until the next morning without waking up. When we woke up, the place was empty. From there we went looking...................." And Gary went on to explain the trip to California, to Florida, the yacht, the trip to France and back. His last report was to explain the Shadow beings and the trip back home.

He said, "We went to California to set up our permanent home. We were lonely without other humans around. We were a family by then. We decided to ask some hard questions of the aliens. They agreed to my visit here and to see if we want to transfer from Earth to this planet. I'm looking at the idea of us coming here permanently. I'll go back and report to our three other adults. Ok, by the way, hold on to your hats, you're grandparents to my daughter, Eve. I'm a mate to the love of my life, Andrea. We were both team members in the study along with another guy and his new mate. They too have a child. His name is Adam."

''That's quite a story and an adventure to write about. So many of our friends are here, but we don't know where they might be. I think there must be a master list, but not sure if that is real or not. We took a test when we arrived. Your mother and I work at the same place."

"I wonder, Dad, what two stock brokers due in a place like this," asked Gary.

"We wondered too. It seems we have a talent for keeping track of production numbers, inventory and distribution. It's fairly easy and we don't dislike the work. Our lives are rather mundane, but we're slowly making new friends. Now that you might come, that would make us very happy to see you and your new family."

Mother squeezed his hand and laid her head on his shoulder. She said, "I want to see my granddaughter. I never dreamed I'd be a grandma at this age. This visit is my gift of a lifetime to see you again. Then to discover you have a mate and a baby, puts me in heaven."

"I have to visit some more places and then have a conversation with our hosts. That's not easy, but we've a translator that works well. If all seems what this place is, then I'm sure we'll transport here. I wonder why they took every human off planet Earth."

"None of us, it seems, has any idea why. Lot's of speculation, but nothing factual has been announced. I would guess they needed us to perform physical work and with our mental ability to reason, fits what they need. I've no idea how old this civilization is. It must be light years ahead of us. To have the ability to transport seven billion humans from one place in the universe to another is quite a feat. The food is very good and healthy. Our accommodations are adequate. We can travel when we want to. We've not gone anywhere just yet, but would like to see some other landscapes like we have back home in Washington."

"Yes, it's important we have the time and place to exercise and have our children play and learn about nature. I see the weather is sunny and warm. Does this planet have four seasons?"

"It seems to have two seasons, but the transformation of summer to winter, if I may say winter, is about two or three months long. Having been here for only a short time, we've only one year to judge the weather by. Winter is rainy and that is why we have such great veggies. It's nice change from the many days of sun that follows. So far so good, Gary," said Father.

"If we come, I wonder what I'll be doing and of course, my mate and the others. We've become very close and they're like our extended family."

"I suppose you'll take a test and then it'll be decided. However, it appears you have some say in things. Don't be shy about using what little power you have. From what I can see, these aliens are highly intelligent and it also seems they are just a specie from lord knows where. If they need a chemical, then they're somewhat vulnerable, but who really knows to what extent that vulnerability is."

"I agree with you, Dad. I'm not here to save our race of humans, but I'd like to see if we can have a life of our own without someone telling us what to do or how to live."

"What we need is some outside interest to share our lives with others doing something. The something, is an I don't know, but even if it was riding bikes would be something. We've put in a year, or thereabouts, and now we have learned our jobs very well. I want you to notice, Gary, that there're few fat people here. Indeed many were that way when we first arrived, but there isn't any fast food place or any store to buy junk food. It's definitely a healthier existence than back home on Earth."

"I don't mind that. We've been eating very well and more so since having the babies, which, by the way, Mom, my friend Brad and I delivered both babies. We studied and practiced and then went to work like the professionals we weren't."

Mom smiled and then started laughing. It was catching and soon the entire family was having a stress relieving laugh. It was not long after that Gary's mother yawned and it was time for bed. Gary was not so sleepy, but decided to go for a walk around the area. He wanted to experience the darkness as well as the daytime.

Gary was surprised to find several people out for a night time stroll. He decided to ask a few questions and when he came upon a couple who appeared middle age, he said, "Excuse me but may I ask a few questions about life here in the planet?"

"Sure," said the man who then introduced his wife and himself. "Fire away anytime."

"How do you see life here compared to back home on Earth?"

The man scratched his chin and then said, "Not a lot different. We work each day and come home to our residence. We perform our same rituals as before. The main difference, I suppose, is there's no TV or computer internet. We do have a reading device that connects to an English library. How they do that, is beyond me. We read and then sleep and over and over again.

"Are you reasonably happy living here?"

"It's not bad. It would be nice to have a place to shop for things and maybe a good restaurant to eat at. Other than that, there isn't any war looming over our heads. As far as I or we know, politics are non-existent here. That gives us peace of mind. We don't live under the knowledge that some crackpot could push a button and blow up the entire world. Peace is nice."

"Many thanks and I'll let you go know. I wish you all the happiness that you can find and enjoy."

~~~~

The next morning, after a hot shower, Gary's mother fixed toast and oatmeal for breakfast. Some various kinds of fruit were served. All of the fruit was different tasting from back home, but nevertheless, very tasty.

Gary said, "Freddy will come for me and we'll go see the mines at work today. I've no idea when I'll return, but he has a way of communicating. I'll ask him to contact you with the time of arrival back here."

Father said, "We'd love to hear your report. Ask good questions and keep a sharp eye out for things that don't look normal or otherwise strange."

Freddy arrived a short time after breakfast. Gary and he went to an airport of sorts. The craft they boarded was very different than anything Gary had ever seen. It was very hard to describe. The best he could come up with was it kind of looked like a futuristic bus. Inside was seating for about fifty or more passengers.

Freddy said, "An AI flies this craft. She can talk and communicate with us very well. All you have to do is speak clearly with the first sentence being: 'I'd like to ask a question, please.' She will then respond saying to go head and ask away."

Gary said, after sitting down in a very form fitting seat, "AI I'd like to ask a question please."

"You sure can, Gary from Earth. My name is Maria. Call me by my name next time."

''I'll do that. My question is, how long before we arrive at the mining planet?"

"From here to there takes about one hour of your Earth time. You won't feel much, but we'll be traveling faster that light. Just relax and enjoy the ride. I'll tell you when we are in orbit around Chora. You can get a good view of it from our sliding window covers."

Gary did slightly feel a push back into his seat. He guessed right that the seat was customized to absorb the acceleration of the ship as it rose into and out of the atmosphere into space.

Freddy said, "I was here once before. The ore is excavated and then shipped to another facility for rough processing. I'm not sure what that 'rough' processing is, but after that it's transferred to planet Chuppi for the final processing into the chemical Zarnich. I've no idea after that where it goes or how it's transported to another place. What I do know and you'll see, the process is very environmentally friendly. Everything they do here is neat and clean."

"Thanks for that information. I'm getting a better picture of this planet and civilization by the minute. I wonder, though, it seems like all is so well it's boring."

"Yes, I agree with you. We need someone or a group to address the boring part. We need parks, playgrounds with basketball and other sports to enjoy. I'm not saying we need professional sports, but family and friends type of thing. A swimming pool would be nice. My folks used to love camping and hiking in the mountains."

Gary said, "If there's a complaint about something or someone, where do you register or settle the issue?"

"I don't know that end of things. You'll have to find out from someone who knows what the answer is. I guess you're talking about a court system or a jury of peers who hear both sides of an issue?"

"Yes, that's what I'm talking about. I know alcohol is not available, but I do know potatoes are grown here. I can see a still being fabricated for what was known years ago as "White Lightning.""

The voice of AI came across to prepare for orbit around Chora. Gary felt a slight slowing and soon out of the windows the stars stopped blending a white appearance. This mining planet was mostly brownish with some blue in places. After a circle or orbit they landed at a base where other larger crafts were waiting to load the ore for transport.

Gary starred at the large rectangle blocks being loaded by conveyor into the transport ships. The ore appeared to have been crushed and then wrapped in plastic when they were made into blocks. It was rather clever he thought. He also noted the conveyors originated below ground. Therefore, the storage or warehouse was underground. He found out later that the chemical Zar does not like sunlight.

After debarking, a passenger bus, similar to the one he rode before, pulled up and waited for the two passengers to board. Inside was a comfortable level of warmth. Freddy said, "They learned we like a temperature of sixty eight or so. I've only been here one time before, but the weather was the same as it is now. Maybe they think we love the sunshine."

Gary was watching out the front window. He saw a large opening at the bottom of a tall mountain. When they entered, the light was such one could see very well. They traveled for what seemed about a half mile. At the end of the tunnel, a large steel door loomed before them. The transport stopped, turned around while the doors opened. It backed in and when the doors closed, down they went. How far down was impossible to tell. Gary wished he had timed it, but then he would not know the rate of descent.

At the stopping point, the doors opened and the transport drove out and stopped. They were instructed to exit and wait. This gave Gary time to look around at the walls and ceiling. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. The walls were black looking rock as was the ceiling. The floor had some sort of plastic road where small transports, not unlike golf carts, went up and down the road.

It was a short wait when a golf cart pulled up and a human smiled and said, "Gary, I presume. I know Freddy from before. I'm your tour guide and have been told to show you everything. Before we begin, let me say this. The ore we mine is in veins that run from about ten inches to more than two feet. You'll see a laser type ray cutting out the ore. From there it is moved by machine, operated by a human, to a conveyor. The conveyor transfers the ore to a processing machine where it is pulverized. From there it is again moved by conveyor to a packaging area where it is formed into blocks with a plastic type of wrapping. What little dust is formed, like at the Pulverizer , is sucked up and exited into the scrubbers that eliminates the particles from reaching the atmosphere. Men and women are the operators of all the machinery. We've hundreds of these mines scattered across this planet."

"Where do you live," asked Gary climbing into the cart with Freddy in the back seat.

"We live in a valley not so far from here. There's a small river and a lake nearby. The soil is lacking, but food is transported in for all of us. With a bit of fertilizer we could have small gardens. Maybe that will happen down the road. We have just learned how to efficiently operate these mines. Nobody says anything, so I guess we're doing alright. We work about nine hours and go home. Another shift comes and so on. It's a round the clock operation. All told in this mine we have about one thousand workers or operators."

Gary was looking as they drove to where the excavation was actually taking place. The lighting was very good, but after they passed by, the lights went off or dimmed. Interesting, he thought.

Upon arrival, it seemed to Gary that this mining operation was very simple and straight forward. A machine on tracks ran down the side of the tunnel using its laser to cut into the green vein of ore. It appeared to move about four feet and then cut down to the bottom of the vein and come back. Essentially it cut out a four foot rectangle block of ore. The machine behind it was rather interesting. It had a paddle like arm that after vibrating in, it moved around the rectangle vibrating. When it made the full outside perimeter, it moved off following the laser.

The next machine, with a conveyor behind it, inserted two paddles like arms and pulled the rectangle block out. It moved the block around to the front of the machine and dropped onto a conveyor that ran under its operator area to a waiting conveyor that transported it to the pulverizer.

Gary nodded his head in agreement with the entire operation so far. He looked forward to seeing the crushing and packaging part. Be that as it may, he wanted to see where they lived.

As they drove to the crushing area, Gary asked, Cliff, how he liked it here compared to back home on Earth. He said, "About the same, Gary. We work, go home and enjoy the family. It might be nice to have a restaurant or movie theater to go to. It's rather boring, but better than living under the threat of terrorism or nuclear war."

Gary noted the reference to war and terrorism. He wondered if that was not the underlying reason for removing humans off the planet. He also wondered what happened to all of those politicians from around the world. Where are they?

Arriving at the place of crushing the ore, it was a relative simple operation. Gary was told the inside the belly of the machine, giant spiked drums reduced the ore to golf ball size pieces. A conveyor transported the material to another machine that packaged the product for off world chemical processing.

Cliff said, "Have you seen enough, Gary?"

"Yes and thanks for the tour. We'll take a look at your residence town and then take a look at the factory where the final processing takes place."

The flight to Chuppi took about the same time as from Choi to Chora. The AI circled the planet that was mostly green save for some large brown areas. Those brown areas were desert and nobody lived there. However, the green areas were very attractive with low hills and saturated with forests of evergreen trees.

Near the giant factory area, a large meandering river ran close by. Housing was spread up and down the river. It looked like a lovely place to live. Gary took special note of this location.

He missed his mate and little girl. He missed them the most, but felt a real kinship with Brad and Beth. What would he tell them when he went back home. The attractive part, or at least one thing, was that other humans were around to socialize with. Back home it was just the six of them and nobody else. That alone almost put him to say that let take a risk and join our families in another solar system run by chemical beings that you could just barely see and not hear or communicate with except through a computer translator.

What he needed to find out was what would the four of them being doing when they arrived. Where were Andreas and the other parents living and doing? He had to find that out before returning home. Be patient he told himself as they stepped out of the cart and entered a germ proof building. They had to strip down and take a shower of some powder like stuff that killed any bacteria that was on their bodies. After that they were dressed in form fitting uniforms complete with a breathable mask.

Once ready to see the giant laboratory, they followed a woman whose name was Nancy from Nebraska. She was friendly, but remained professional throughout the tour. It was obvious to Gary that she thought she had better things to do than show them around a laboratory that most likely they had no idea what they were looking at.

Gary surprised her by wanting to know about the chemical process to break down the ore into a liquid substance. Her eyes shone with happiness as she delved into the process. She said, "The first step, as you will soon see, is to completely break down the ore into sand like pieces. From there it's melted to remove any impurities. The remaining substance is then given a bath in a special chemical that we have no idea what it is. We, scientists have never seen this particular chemical.

After the bath, the remaining tiny particles are given a final grinding and then heated into a liquid. What comes out the other end is the chemical they call Zarnich. its nickname is Zar."

"From the end procedure, where does it go from here," asked Gary.

"Don't know the answer to that question. We keep it in a temperature controlled room that is just above freezing. I do know it's packaged like in plastic bags that are used in hospitals for dripping into a patients arm. But how it's administered, we don't know."

"Thanks and how is life here for you compared to back on Earth."

"Not a lot of difference. We do have a head of department, but all she does is make sure the product is properly converted and shipped out regularly. Our living quarters are sparse, but livable. The food is rather bland, but it's healthy. One thing I do like is the peace and quiet. It was getting rather dangerous to live on Earth. What with the terrorism and the troubles in the Middle East, well, we can rest easy. My kids love it here. They say school is fun again without any bullying. Any bullying results in that person leaving and we've no idea where they might go"

"We thank you for your fine tour and feedback. I appreciate it very much. Someday I hope to see you again and meet your family," said Gary waving good bye.

On the trip back to the home planet, Gary ran through the day's events. He would write up some diary later back at his parent's house. The last thing Freddy said was, "I'll pick you up in the morning. We'll go to a special place for you to meet our hosts. I wish I could be with you, but you're the only one they're interested in talking to, I guess."

That evening Gary and his parents discussed what he had seen and how he felt about what he saw. Gary said, "I went there expecting nothing what I would be seeing. I had an open mind and still do. The mining operation was mostly pure blue collar work with some management bookkeeping and other overseers. The machines are needing some maintenance once in awhile. A message is relayed by computer to the mechanics to repair or maintain the machine. A lead man takes that responsibility.

Overall they seemed content with their lives. I was told that there were hundreds of mines on that planet. I'd guess millions were working the mines for the ore.

From there we went to the processing of the final product. That was on planet Chuppi. The factories are sanitized and only scientists are working there. The planet is lovely and has nice looking cities or towns along a river.

From there the product is transported by large spaceships to who knows where. Tomorrow morning I'm to go visit the Shadow beings.''

"What do you think so far, Gary," asked his father.

"I'm not sure, but I guess it comes down to the fact we, my group back on Earth, have little choice in the matter. Sure we could stay there and be the foundation for the new beginning of a civilization with the six of us. I've mixed emotions about all of that. In other words, is it written that we humans are given another chance on Earth to start a new way of life without war and politicians? Or – is that chance – here on a planet governed by aliens of a race we can't fathom who they are? It's not an easy decision to make."

"Gary," his mother said, "Families are meant to be together. Back on Earth family members were scattered from one end of the US to the other and in between. It was rare to have a family reunion where we could all get together and catch up on family news. Maybe here we can change that scattering of kin folk."

"Yes, Mother. I've considered that very much since we woke up to being along in the world. We went to our homes and saw what life was like just a few short months ago. It's truly an empty feeling. It haunts you every day. We clung to one another and that helped immensely. Having a baby really cements the idea of family. Chivalry seems to reach out and grabs the male. Anyway, I'll ask hard questions and hope they don't take any offense in my inquiries. Any pearls of wisdom," he asked looking from one parent to the other.

"I've not seen too many or hardly anyone that could be considered elderly. I wonder what happened to those folks. Another one is the politicians and all of their cronies, where are they? In addition the militaries of all the countries, where are they or what happened to them?"

"I'll ask, Dad. I too have thought about those worthless lawmakers. They wouldn't know how to do a day's work if ordered. I realize they've a bad reputation, but they chose it so they have to live with the stigma attached. Now, I wonder about a few of our parts of society. Where are the sick and, like you mentioned, the elderly. I'll keep an open mind until tomorrow. Now, if you don't mind, I'll take a walk to clear my head and prepare for a good night's sleep, if possible."

~~~~

Freddy was right on time. He said, "I hope you're ready to face our hosts with a strong mind. Here's one for you," as they went down the stairs to a waiting van that was their transport to wherever they were going, "who built this place before we arrived here?"

'Dam fine question, Freddy. I'll ask that very question later."

Not far outside of town, a square structure stood in an empty area. To Gary it seemed like a stainless steel building. The van stopped and the AI said, "Gary, please exit and there's a small screen next to the seemless door. Place your right had palm out onto the screen. A door will open and you can enter. There'll be a cart to transport you to a waiting room where we'll greet you."

Gary did as told. A door opened and he entered with a heart that was about to burst from his chest. His anxiety level was off the scale. Here he was about to meet an alien culture that, he guessed, no human had ever met before. This would be a singular experience to last a life time.

Inside a sterile area of some form of plastic, a cart waited for him. The voice said, "Please put this helmet on. The area we're going to is total darkness. This helmet will cast a low level light so you won't get disoriented due to the darkness and other things."

Gary did and wondered what the 'other things' were. He initially felt the cart move and that was all he remembered. Time was nonexistent for Gary. He did feel the cart slow and then it stopped. "Gary, we've arrived at our destination. You can remove the helmet, but the light is not what humans are used to. It's very dim in here. That will be explained to you in short order. When you're finished, "I'll take you back where Freddy is waiting for you."

The cart left and he was alone in a large room, but the light was so dim, it was hard to make anything out. He stood waiting for his eyes to better adjust when he heard a voice, the same kind of voice that all AI used before. It said, "Welcome Gary. Walk forward and you'll see a red dot not far from you. Put your hand over it and a door will open. Enter and we can converse."

Gary did as told. He put his hand over the red dot and a door slid open. He stepped in and stopped. He looked down and the floor was casting enough light to see where he was going. A voice said, "Move forward and have a seat at the table please."

Again he did as told. He sat down on a form fitting chair that was similar to the chairs on the spaceship. He looked around and soon his eyes caught first one shadow and then four more appeared across the table from him. It was impossible to tell which one, if any, was doing the talking. However, a voice said, "We officially welcome you to our home planet, Choi. We know you've a lot of questions, but maybe if I gave you a summary of our race, which might eliminate a lot of your inquiries."

"That would be fine. By the way, how might I address you?"

"You can call us, by your name for us, 'Shadow Beings'. Our name is very difficult for you to pronounce. Now, I'll preface this saga using your human years and subsequent months and so forth.

Our race is by definition, millions or years old. I hate to use the word billion, but that is closer to the truth than millions. We evolved from a physical form to a chemical one. What keeps us living is the chemical you saw yesterday. That chemical circulates through our system bring life into the form that you've seen before. The only way we can cease to function is to stop using Zar.

Now, where are we in relationship to your planet Earth? Your galaxy is the Milky Way. This galaxy is many galaxies away from yours. Like your solar system, we too have a sun we rotate around. The planets you visited are distant and they too have a sun to rotate around. We can travel through space very quickly. You human's refer to it as 'Folding'. Let's leave it at that.

You're wondering why we brought you here. It's a long and a difficult story, but let's begin. We have outposts scattered across many galaxies. We had one on your moon for centuries. We watched early man develop into who you are at this moment in time. What we saw was a penchant for violence. There's been wars on your planet since man multiplied to fight one group against another. We studied the phenomena carefully. It mostly came down to what you know as 'Greed'. It appears to us that man is never satisfied with what he has. He always wants more and more. Indeed there're other civilizations similar to yours scattered across the universe. However, humans were about to destroy a lovely planet with nuclear war. We had to prevent that from happening.

Some of us got together and decided to make some major logistical moves involving your planet's civilization and the one we had here currently. We have a sister civilization in another galaxy. They had need of what we had, so we decided to give them what was here and replace them with humans. There you have it."

"Very enlightening. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain what happened and why to me. What I wonder is why you are explaining this to me. Why not just say, 'We're transferring you and your friends to here'. I don't have any way to prevent you from doing just that."

"You're onto the path we've chosen, Gary. We, and forgive us, needed to see a test case of what humans or how you would react to being alone on a planet devoid of fellow humans. We arranged the test to happen. We chose two males and two females. We observed how and the why you did things. We also saw the different personalities develop. We saw you as a logical person with leadership qualities. The mate you chose has strengthened that part of your personality. She will make a fine mate and breed very intelligent children."

"Thanks for that, but that brings me to ask where are the former politicians and the senior citizens from our planet?"

"It was the politicians that brought your planet to the edge of extinction. We transferred them to a planet that was very much like Earth. We gave tools and seeds for harvesting. We left them to fend for themselves.

The seniors are on another planet enjoying their twilight years. We have caretakers and provide for all their needs. They are all fine and happy."

"I found that we need a few additional things to make us more satisfied with living here. We would like some parks, playgrounds, sports complexes and other things to enjoy when we aren't working. Is that possible?"

"We were waiting for that kind of thing to come up. Indeed we can do that. We want all of you happy and satisfied with life here. We want you, Gary Loomis to be the human's spokesperson. You can set up a form of government that deals with issues and ideas."

Gary was totally shocked and a reading of his BP would have scared a cardiologist. He gulped at the thought of being the man in charge. He asked, "What do we do in case a human does some violence against another human?"

"You must hear both sides of the story, and then five of you will decide what to do with that offender. The guilty offender is not allowed to live on this planet or any other planet that has humans working for us. That offender will be cast off onto a planet without any means of support. If he or she survives, it will be by their own volition. Yes, it's harsh, but we have no need for any violence here.''

"I see. So any major decision has to be a majority of five?"

"Yes, that is what we have within our civilization. We tried three and seven, but found five works best."

"Okay, but one more question, please. What happened to the militaries of our planet Earth?"

We evaluated each one and if they showed a tendency to want to wage war, we gave them to a civilization that loves war. Those that didn't were assimilated back into our population here or on our other planets."

"What if I or my group wants to stay on planet Earth rather than come here?"

"It's totally your choice. You think about it and let me reassure you and your friends, your families will all be reunited and live close to each other. Your parents should enjoy their new grandbaby."

"We wonder and not sure you can answer these two questions, but it seems to us that this whole thing is rather altruistic and close to utopian."

"The first part says there's no selfishness in the plan or life. We are providing a life and job in exchange for our necessary product. We can't physically do it ourselves. We think it's a 'scratch your back' kind of thing.

A utopia society exists where all things are perfect and never is there a bad day. We think this life and environment is far from utopian. Humans need satisfaction with what they do. If you take away goals and provide everything a human need, that human will turn into a monster eventually. It'll want more and more until it chokes on its compulsions to take it a little further than last time.

We noticed that the old standard of a work ethic has gone by the wayside in recent years. That is what made our civilization great was pride in our work. We demanded perfection in the end result of a product that was offered to the public. Be that as it may, we don't use money and items for daily needs are provided."

"What about disease and sickness. I haven't seen any hospitals or clinics."

We have all but eliminated disease on our worlds. Every time you take a shower, you're coated with immunity to all known diseases. A broken bone is set by robots and machines. The food you eat has the proper nutritional needs for humans."

"Are there day care centers for women who have children and want to work?"

"That's your job, Gary. Set it up and recruit the personnel to operate it. Delegate is a good word to use in this case."

"When I need something from you, how do I contact you?"

"Either through Freddy or the black box we gave you.''

"I guess you've answered all of my questions for now. I'm ready to return to Earth if and when you are prepared."

~~~~

Gary told his folks he was going back just after lunch time. They asked him if and when he might return and he said, "I'm fairly sure we'll all be coming here permanently very soon. My friends will agree with me and I sure hope we're not making a mistake. If you think about it, little Adam and Eve could be a new beginning for planet Earth."

"What's to say that maybe in the future, man can return to his original home," said his Father.

A hug and he was off traveling through space to back home and his mate waiting for him with his child.

Gary was given some drugs to take when he awoke in own bed in California. He wrote the instructions down and then he realized he had not changed clothes since he arrived. However, they were still clean and so was he.

~~~~

When he awoke the first time, he saw a smiling Andrea and Eve playing with a small something in her hand. Behind her was Brad and Beth. They too were smiling. Andrea passed Eve to Beth and then took a large pill and gave it to Gary. He took the pill and had a much needed drink of water. He smiled back and drifted off again.

The next time he woke up Andrea was asleep next to him. A dim light was on next to the crib where Eve was sleeping. His throat was parched and he felt bone tired and stiff. He slipped out of bed, put on some slippers and walked to the kitchen. He looked at the clock and it was just before six am. A hunger pang alerted him that he had not eaten since lunch with his parents some days ago.

At the refer, he saw nothing he really wanted. What he wanted was some French toast, but that took eggs. He scrounged around and found some egg substitute and mixed it up with powdered milk. In the bread box he found some of Andrea's bread. A few minutes later he had a plate full of toast floating in real maple syrup. He was licking the last of the plate when his mate came walking into the kitchen with tears running down her cheeks.

He stopped and stared at her wide eyed. His first thought there was something wrong, but then when she ran into his arms and almost strangled him, realized she missed him very much. He returned the hug of love and then some. Finally she pulled back and said, "It's about time you returned. Brad was teasing me that you probably found some hot looking alien broad. I beat him about the shoulders until he called, uncle!

Are you home for good or are we all going off to places unknown to us," she said nuzzling his neck. He sucked in her fresh smell of shampoo mixed with a slight hint of baby.

"It's up to you guys, honey. I'll tell you what I saw, heard and smelled. It's a nice place. I saw my parents and know your folks are alive and well. The same goes for Brad and Beth." He pulled back and took stock of what he loved most in the entire universe. Just then a cry was heard from Eve. Andrea ran off and Gary went to make a pot of coffee. He suddenly became aware that he had not a cup of coffee since he left.

With a freshly brewed cup of French Roast, Gary sat at the counter staring at the black box. He only slightly wondered how it got here or maybe this was just another one brought out of storage. He was still staring off in the distance thinking about being on an alien planet, when Brad came walking in with hair messed up and yawning.

"How's the space traveler," asked Matt grabbing a mug for a cup of smell good coffee.

"I'm good, but slightly bewildered at all of what's happened over the last year. Space lag is a new expression I just coined. How's Beth and Adam doing?"

"Just fine. There's been a twenty five percent hole in our circle since you've been gone. Andrea has been moping around probably wondering if you'll ever come back. That was quite a risk you took, bro."

"I tried to take it all in and be objective, but the contrast between us and them is staggering. It seems like a wash. We need them and they need us, maybe. It would seem, Brad, they realized this planet was doomed by man's actions. I think they know more than they're telling us. Can they look into the future, darn good question."

"What's a good question," asked Beth strolling in with Adam looking at both father and uncle. He had startling blue eyes and the beginnings of a light red crop of hair. She went by the pot of coffee, stopping to inhale the wonderful aroma. She said, "I wish this kid would hurry up and get off the tit so I can drink coffee again."

"Good luck. What if you have another one back to back," laughed Brad.

''I'm cutting you off big boy. Go find an alien with a tractor. That should turn you on. By the way, do they have tractors out there in never- never land?"

''They've tractors, but the operators are computers that are AI. However, I found they need a logistic guy to program the areas that need tractors. I'm sure we can find a place for Brad. When Andrea returns we'll have a discussion about where I went and what I saw."

It was a pleasant morning with the temperature warm enough for the kids to be outside. The foursome sat in lawn chairs out back. Both babies were having breakfast. All eyes and ears were on Gary who would report what he experienced in another world quite a distance from their own Milky Way Galaxy.

He said, "First all of your parents and others are just fine going about their daily lives working for the Shadow folks. They mostly want for nothing. Food, clothing, shelter are all provided in exchange for labor. The labor is not intensive, but rather mundane. Their days are thirty hours long. I ate the food and as it's all naturally grown, taste like the original here on our planet. Housing is nice, but not luxurious at all. Comfortable is a good word. Transportation is all public. Kind of similar to cable cars but modern design. They don't make any sound. Once again, comfortable says all. I went to the mines and machines with humans operate the excavation units. The environment inside is dust free and those that I talked to liked the job well enough. That mining, by the way, is off planet. So is the process to make a chemical out of the ore. Scientists work there and it too is completely sterile. Where the finished product goes, I've no idea.

Medical facilities are few as I understand it. The main reason is there's no disease and with everyone eating healthy food, well, no need for doctors, except for any accidents. I didn't follow that end of things very much. I do know having babies is by a midwife or trained nurse. I'm not sure what happened to all the doctors and dentists.

The next morning, when it was the day I was leaving, I met the Shadow folks in a special place. They don't like light. It was very dim for me, but all was well. Here is the strange part of the story. I realize you'll have more questions than I've answers for, but, here goes.

It seems we were chosen by the Shadow folks to do that sleep study. They experimented with us to see how we fared after all humans were removed from our planet." Gary paused and looked at his friends. They were hanging on his every word. Andrea nodded that Eve was sleeping after mother's milk. Both girls stood up and put the babies down for a morning nap.

Meanwhile, Brad sat silent thinking. He licked his lips and wanted badly to listen to more. He knew there was a lot more coming. Beth had told him to speak less and listen more. He was doing that very thing right now.

Gary saw Brad twitching and anxious to ask some questions, but he held his tongue. Gary thought Brad would like Choi once he arrived and saw the many challenges ahead of him. Beth, he thought needed something she could really sink her teeth into. Andrea, on the other hand, was similar to him: a thinker. He hoped others who saw him and her heading up the higher human council, would be jealous or think she was not really qualified because she was his mate. But right now that was the least of his worries.

Girls back, coffee refilled for Gary and Brad, Gary continued saying, "The Shadow folks want me to head up a formal council to oversee the humans. The council of five will make guidelines and settle any disputes that might arise. Also, the council will develop extracurricular activities to keep the humans from being too bored. It appears that they want us happy and to enjoy our work and life here. They're not interested in politics, military, police, or any business that generates profit. There's no money there, so no reason to ever have any desire to increase one's social or economic level.

Well, of course not having much time to dwell on the various things I saw and heard, let's talk about it. Here, you don't have any preconceived ideas or grievances to cloud your judgment of planet Choi. So, a bang of the euphemistic gavel and the floor is open for discussion.

"Who will be with you on this council," asked Brad.

"I've no idea as of yet. Not you as I see you overseeing vast areas of farm land development. This is not a slight to you, but I doubt you'd be happy discussing the need for supplies to build a basketball court."

"I agree with you," said Brad. I think Beth and I make a good team. She can do the paper work and I'll implement the plan. What I wonder is this, how much of our culture can we implement on their planets?"

"I think we can most anything we want as long as it's not for profit, violence or any form of greed," said Gary.

"What do the women do when they're working and need a day care place for babysitting" asked Beth.

"Not sure, but if needed, we provide and find the right people to operate such a place. Schools as well," said Gary.

Andrea, who had remained quiet up an until then, asked, "Do you think we can trust these aliens with our lives?"

"There's no real way of knowing, at this point. Given our propensity for war and environmental destruction, we could look at is a second chance."

"I don't see any reason suspect any devious reasons why they saved our race of people. Our planet just gives them another place to stash a race from God knows where. Beth, what do you think," asked Brad.

"I really don't know. But this I do know. Andrea and I both have babies to nurture. That part of life is real and present. We have to consider the whole family and not just ourselves. I wonder what I'd say or do if I were single and without an off spring. However, that's never going to be a factor in whether we go or not. I for one would love to see my parents and they would love to see their grandbaby."

"I'm with Beth," said Andrea. "Let's pack up and hit the road."

"I'm for a rest day. Let's take a couple days and then alert the aliens of a transfer of six. Not sure how they do that with babies, but I'll ask," said Gary.

~~~~

The Council of Five that govern the planet Choi were discussing the session with the human Gary. One said, "My thoughts are he is smart and has a good brain. We must be careful with that one."

The next one said, "I agree and his mate makes a formidable team. The other two, are the ones to watch. They could be a little dangerous to our way of life. Especially the red hair one. We must keep her under observation at all times; and busy doing something."

"Well, so far bringing the human's here is working out well. Also to keep them happy and satisfied, we must give them the time to play their silly games," said the third one.

"I've nothing to add to what's been already been said. We need to market our product. The universe demands items of trade to keep from entering into the dreaded action of war."

"Thanks for all of your input. I want a daily report on the one called Gary. If he proves to be the one we hope, then we can bring him onboard to oversee our exports. His mate will steer him along the path of success for all," said the Grand Council Controller.

~~~~

Later that same day Gary and the others had had their round table discussion, Gary and Andrea finally had some time alone in the afternoon. Eve was napping and the parents were on the bed talking and playing around with each other. ''I fear we'll not have this kind of free time when we live on our new planet," said Andrea tracing her finger down around Gary's belly button.

Rising to the statement, he said, with sharp intakes of breath, "We'd best enjoy this opportunity every chance we get." By now she had reached the scared area of male enjoyment to the touch.

"I wonder if they'll watch us make love like they did here," she softly said drifting down with her warm breath on his stomach.

Gary was beginning to give off soft sounds of pleasure. He ran his finger over her back feeling the smooth skin of a slightly dark body. "I can't think anymore. You're driving me crazy."

"Okay, you win. No more talking. I'm a bit busy right now and my mother told me to never talk with my mouth full."

He returned the pleasure with a love meant for the stars. They lay panting when Eve decided it was time for an afternoon snack. Mother obliged and later sitting outside enjoying the warm spring day, Gary said, "Who is right mind would want to leave this wonderful place. I guess man has not meant to let the days drift by without some constructive work of sorts. Can you imagine the Egyptians fawning over the kings who virtually did nothing year after year watching their tombs being constructed. That's like us going to the cemetery watching a grave digger prepare your new house. Now that's a waste of time. I guess that means we can't lay around here making love every day."

"I'm ready to go back to work or studying. I hope we can find a good babysitter. I'm back on the pill so having another is put on hold for awhile. Beth too. We want to do something besides raise babies at our young age. We were entering an age of Women Power and we want to keep that idea going. I'm sure our hosts have already delved into man's history and have seen that males have dominated the two sexes for eons. I just want to be equal and treated fairly.

''I've no problem with sharing life equally with all females, not just you. In my new position, I plan on having two women and two men with me the tie breaker. That's about as fair as it can get. The problem I face is wanting you as part of the five. Somebody will cry foul, but that's their problem. The whole point of this is to keep the politics out of it. As you and I know, power corrupts and then our old nemesis greed rears its ugly head. Well, enough of that for now. Let's enjoy a little relaxation before going to real work."

"Sounds stressful to me, Gary," said Andrea. "You know, it has to be better than what we faced before. Even our professor's had political agendas. I see no need of that type of system where we're going."

"Let's hope so. Meanwhile, what do we need from here to take with us or ask our new friends if they can provide us when we arrive? You mentioned birth control pills. We need a list so I can communicate our inquiries before leaving," said Gary.

While Gary and Andrea were discussing the future, Brad and Beth were doing likewise. Beth said, "I wonder if we'll be happy, Brad. Here is wonderfully pleasant, but rather lonely without other humans around. I'm a bit torn between leaving and staying. Of course, before you say anything, I want to keep our relationship going. You're the father of our baby. That can't be changed. Neither divorce nor separation can change who the parents of a child are. However, reality tells me we must adventure forth into the unknown. There's risk no matter what planet or life we live on. Anyway, Adam is sleeping and come here big boy and jump my bones, as they used to say."

"I think because it's daylight, the Shadow guys can't see us frolicking like in the darkness. We have to make love in the daylight. I hate the idea of them staring at my backside while I'm seeking total pleasure making love to the mother of our child."

By dinner time they had a list of things to ask the Shadow beings about obtaining like things in their world. Gary typed the list and sent it with the affirmation of all leaving for planet Choi in forty eight hours.
"There that's done and now we wait for an answer. I'm sure we can get or produce or make anything we have to on their planet. Or we have the scientists who can reproduce, like the pill, using known ingredients. Anyway, when we are transported, I had only the clothes on my back that went with me. Be that as it may, let's not worry too much about that and think of the future. From what I witnessed, we've an opportunity to make life there what we desire life to be,'' said Gary.

It was not long and a message flashed up on the screen. It said, "Not to worry. We have or can make or produce anything you desire. We've all medicine ingredients and those chemicals are available here or on one of our planets. Relax and enjoy the new life coming."

"Well, there you have it. I guess we are set to rock and roll, as they used to say," said Gary.

~~~~

They were instructed to have the babies lying on mother's stomach with the head between the breasts. Both couples lay on one bed as they prepared for departure. As the time drew near, Andrea reached out for Gary's hand. They felt each other for the last time on planet Earth. Brad and Beth did the same. Gary said, "See you on the other side of the universe."

Gary woke up first. He knew the ritual and had passed on the information to the others. It was after the thirty hours before they all woke up rather lagged, but cheerful of their safe passage. Both girls checked to make sure the babies were fine. All seemed well. Gary was like a welcome coach with his team of players ready to begin the game of life on planet Choi.

"Are we all okay," he asked. Looking around he saw head nod and as they were in a state of space lag, it was going to take a little while to recover.

"We'll go with our guide, Freddie to have something to eat. He'll be with us to point out any sights you might be curious about. He was with me before."

After the introductions, they left for a cafeteria not far away. Gary carried Eve and Adam was being carried by Brad. The girl's were a little shaky, but seemed in good spirits as they rubber necked around leaving the Recovery Travel Center.

At the cafeteria, Andrea said, "Reminds of back home. I can't seem much difference at all. Well, welcome to our new home. I can't wait to see our accommodations."

"I can't wait to eat something. I'm starving," said Brad rubbing his hands trying to peer at the row of food just in front of him. Sadly, for him, the food was plentiful and healthy, but was on the bland side. He wanted meat and a lot of it. However, when he finished, he was satisfied and said so.

Freddy led the way to the transportation area for a ride to their new dwellings. Gary said nothing and let Freddy to the talking. He did notice they were going the opposite direction of his parent's apartment. He decided to keep his mouth shut and see what developed.

Gary realized they were going the direction of where he met the Shadow beings. He swallowed hard wondering if they were going to be questioned. It was just past the last apartment complex when the van turned down a new looking street where some new dwellings were being erected. These prefab homes are like duplexes back home, he thought.

The bus stopped in front of a new duplex. Freddy said, "These two units are your new homes. They were specially designed and built while you were gone. I've some video showing different furniture that you can choose from. After you've decided on what you want for furniture, I'm to transport you to a gathering place where all of your families are waiting to greet you."

Freddy thought this reunion was the happiest a reunion of family one could get. Tears flowed, laughing broke through the sobs and some smelling salts were needed, but not available. A wonderful time it was seeing love flowing like the tears on every face in the room, including Freddy.

The parents of Andrea, Newt and Audrey Jury were shocked to find out they were grandparents. Audrey said, after the tears were mostly dried up and she had stopped shaking, "Andi, you look so much more mature now that you're a mother and have a mate. I've no idea what they do if someone wants to marry, but I guess it doesn't matter a whole lot.

"As far as Gary and I are concerned, we're married, just not on paper or in front of a pastor. I think the idea of God must take a serious examination of what He represents. I like or love the idea of a higher spirit, that's for sure.''

"We miss church and its social aspects mostly. I'd like to see more community centers where we can meet others to support each other with this new life we are living. It does get a little boring, but now I've a grand baby to enjoy. Do you know what you might be doing," she asked with a cocked head.

Andrea was not sure what to say about the future prospect of being involved in the exact subject of a community center and other plans for extracurricular activities. She said, "Gary and I will be working together on some special projects. I'm not sure, mother, what those projects are, but I'm excited to be involved in doing something constructive. Gary is very smart and he does a lot of thinking before acting. The Shadow beings like him, I think."

"We don't have any contact with them. Your father and I work in a factor that provides parts for vehicles used for transportation. The specifications are exact and they must fit perfectly or discarded. A robot takes the piece and puts it in special analyzer for fitting. We've learned how to make them fit perfectly now. I like the work and it's similar to back home working for Boeing."

"How's dad doing," asked Andrea.

"He's doing fine. The food we eat is very healthy and with no alcohol available, he has more energy. We just need something to do when we're not working. It's time we looked around and we're told that we'd have time off to travel. I sure hope so."

Gary was talking to Andrea's father, Newt. Newt had asked him what he'd done in the past and how he met Andrea. He told him his parents, Steve and Flora Loomis had been stock brokers. He said, "Andrea and I met at the sleep study laboratory. We were stuck after all of you had left the planet. We traveled around for a year and half. With our time together, we fell in love. All four of us decided we must restart humanity with a pair of humans. Ironically we had a girl and our friends had a boy. We named them Adam and Eve."

"Do you know, Gary, what you'll be doing here for work?"

"Yes, I do. I'll be working on some construction of parks and recreation facilities to start with. Andrea is going to help me with the inventory and such things necessary to construct a – say – a playground with tennis courts, basketball courts and soccer fields."

"We'd like that very much. A camping trip might be nice too."

The same kind of conversation was taking place with Brad and Beth and their parents. All ten, including the babies, were huddled talking about what had happened and their new lives on Choi.

In the end, all were sitting in a circle getting to know each other better. As it turned out, much to everyone pleasure, they got along famously.

~~~~

By the time they had returned home, furniture delivered, the two babies were fussing something awful. For the time being, both couples were in one duplex talking. Beth and Andrea were lying on one bed nursing the babies while Gary and Brad talked about what they saw and heard since being here.

"I'm anxious to sink my teeth into a project, Gary. We've sitting on our dead asses for a year now. It's time to burn a little energy. If you've got some pull, get me something. Beth feels the same way as all of us do."

"I'll do my best. You might have to work with robots with AI brains. However, as I have come to find out, they develop a personality and become friends with humans; if they are nice to them. I've a sort of plan to raise some lean beef for our protein needs. Chicken too, if there's such as thing out here in no – mans –space."

"Nice expression," said Andrea walking out fresh from a hot shower drying her thick hair. "Are you guys planning something without Beth and I as part of a team?"

"No way," said an anxious Gary. He thought she was dead serious, but then he saw the small smirk cross her face. "Besides, we really have no idea what we're going to be doing. I suspect I'll hear from Freddy and learn much more. Meanwhile, we best take inventory on our living conditions. I'm a little disappointed in the kitchen, but then they probably don't know I love to cook. Let's see what happens."

A knock on the door brought for Freddy. He said, "Sorry to bother you guys, but I received word that our hosts want to see all four of you tomorrow morning. I'll be by to pick you up. That's all for now. I bid you good night."

As bright sunshine flowed through the kitchen windows, Gary was preparing oat meal for all four of the new arrivals. The two babies were devouring mother's milk. Gary said, "Kind of bland and without some homemade bread, even worse yet. I like healthy, but this seems like a poor start of a new day on an alien planet."

"Hey, we're not doing too bad," said Brad. ''We'll find a way to fry some spuds and a way to have a few eggs in our basket."

They ate in silence not knowing what to expect from the upcoming meeting with the Shadow beings. Freddy came and off they went to the large tunnel or cave entrance to their residence.

For Gary, it was just a repeat of a past experience, but for the others a new and scary time not knowing what to expect at the end of the tunnel. Lucky for both Andrea and Beth, their mother's came to baby sit while they were absent.

It got even scarier when the light dimmed after they had entered the final chamber where they would meet the Shadow council. Gary said, "Not to worry, we'll be able to see, but relax and listen carefully."

They took their seats in very comfortable chairs around a table with the familiar black box and a much larger screen was used for viewing the text. Andrea saw the Shadow beings slightly wavering across the table and about ten feet away. Then she heard a voice saying, on the screen in perfect English, "Greetings and we hope you are settling in well."

Gary said, "We're doing fine. The travel was a little tiring, but we have fully recovered. We're here to receive instructions for our productive lives on planet Choi."

"Let's hear what you think we ought to do to make our newcomers to our planet happier. You mentioned before that outside of work playing sports and meeting facilities would be more than welcome. We agree and give you a free hand to construct and organize any complexes you desire."

"Thanks and as you suggested before, I would chose four people to be on a human council. I think we need five more under the initial five. I'd like a population account to make sure no friends or families have lost contact. Relationships for us humans in tantamount to a happy life."

"Whatever you want to do, Gary and council, you have our blessing. We've a space craft specially designed for you to travel in. It has all the amenities of a nicely furnished home. It's designed for interplanetary travel as well as home planet transportation and accommodations. Anything you need, just tell Freddy what you desire and it will be taken care of."

"We'd like some variation in our food. Basically, exception being Asians, we're meat and potatoes consumers. Asians substitute rice for potatoes. We realize that too much of any food is not good for our health. However, for example, eggs from chickens, pork and beef are some of our food staples we enjoy. Are there any animals here that resemble what I mentioned?"

It was a little quiet for a long twenty seconds and then the screen flashed, "We're not sure about the animals you have mentioned. What we do have is a computer base of planets in this galaxy. Have a member of your team accompany Freddy to a special structure where we have our computer base system. We're sure you'll find that somewhere in this galaxy or another galaxy animals of your liking."

"Brad will head up the search and design a program for raising eatable stock. We don't need pets, but only animals for food. We'll take advantage of your computers to search for a suitable place to raise animals and for processing."

"To refresh your memory, our primary need is the chemical Zarich. As long as nothing interferes with the production and processing of Zar, then feel free to establish a human civilization of your own design. One more thing we need to discuss is we've been contacted by off world civilizations we trade with. They're interested in employing a select group of humans to plan and extract a special ore they use for trading. It seems the AIs have become -- how to you say – obstinate. They are refusing to work with beings who verbally abuse them. We'd like for you to send a delegation to that planet and report back your opinion of the situation. You're in a position of strength so cut the best deal you can. Make it attractive to some of your human population."

"We'd be happy to do that for you. I want to ask a rather curious question about planets. We have named planets that humans can live and reproduce as Class M. Are there many planets in this galaxy like that?"

Again there was a long silence and then finally, an answer came forth, "Yes and no, Gary. This planet has artificial elements to make it habitable to or for humans. We control the weather, for example. Once we discovered this planet had the material we needed, we came and made it habitable for others like you humans to live on. There're others we've made in this fashion. To accommodate billions of humans, it takes a lot of area. It's not healthy to have so many humans in such a confined space, such as your China with its billion plus population."

"You did say yes. I wonder if there're some natural Class M planets in our neighbor hood," asked Gary.

"Yes, there are. Most are primitive and not without some danger from animals that are predators. If you were to look back in your human history and see it before man spread out and flexed his muscles over the environment, it was a natural and pristine world. We've planets similar to that type of landscape. We hesitate to show you and fear some of your specie would want to develop the land into what you see today as Earth. We don't need fights between clans or countries or anything like that. The first thing humans do is make weapons. Indeed to kill for food is one thing, but to wage war is another. Human's can't be trusted on their own."

"We were only thinking of a vacation when humans like to explore the wilds and spend time near a lake fishing, for example."

"We see what you're saying. I think we can arrange such a place for you to spend some time doing what you like to do."

''We also wonder what facilities are available for working mothers or parents to have their kids stay in what we call a day care center. Sometimes it's not convenient for a mother at work having to take care of her child or children."

''We were not aware of any problems in that area. Once again, you can solve the problem the best way possible. One more thing. We will spread the word that you, Gary are the final say in anything human that needs an answer to any situation. We assume older humans may complain, but if they complain too loudly, they will be transferred to another planet. The final decision on anything has to come from your council of five. You're the tie breaker, Gary."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of authority. However, if that's what you want and see is the best way, then I have to accept the position."

"We've seen in your history that older humans are not flexible in their thoughts and ideas. They govern for what they want and not what is good for the overall population. We've also seen that every human generation thinks somewhat differently than the prior one. Each generation learns more and more information than before. Your grandfather, for example, probably doesn't know how to use a computer. Your generation learned from childhood how to operate and learn knowledge from a computer. You can see where I'm going with this line of thought. Anyway, if there are no more questions, we'll end this session for now.''

~~~~

A year went rapidly by for our foursome. Brad and Beth set to work on the domestication of animals and Gary and Andrea proceeded to add a much needed infrastructure to the planet. Community centers went up, day care facilities followed and playgrounds, parks and not the least were bike paths everywhere were happily received by the human population.

Gary delegated his father and mother to begin a census of human population on all planets. It was not an easy task, but Gary wanted to know who was where and why. Somehow he never really believed the Shadow aliens were being nice for human existence. He never told anyone, but Andrea secretly suspected as much. His thoughts were a selective breeding program for a healthy stock of labor for the future. There was not any sign of really old people or sick ones either. He shuddered when he thought about the handicap humans who might have been lost in transit.

Freddy was good as gold. Even though, come to find out, he was a cyborg. It did not really matter as he tried hard to accommodate Gary's wishes. His brain was human, but most of his body was mechanical. He told Gary he was an experiment from the Shadow beings.

Gary asked, "Freddy why did they experiment on you?"

"I was paralyzed from the waist down and one arm was not much good. They asked a few of us if they wanted to be in an experiment for mechanical parts. I raised my good arm and was happy that I did. Some of the others refused and I've no idea what happened to them. Inside of me somewhere is a chip that they use to talk to me and give me instructions."

"We can assume then there're others like you on this planet and off planet."

"I'm sure of that, Gary. More than just me raised an arm or vocalized a desire to be rather normal again. I'm very happy and thank the aliens a lot for their help."

Gary gave that some serious thought. If Freddy and others like him were given a new lease on life, then if the aliens suggested something to them that might go against their human kindness, they might compromise the idea that the Shadow beings were ever so nice to humans. In other words, the aliens would use the Freddy's of the planet as spies. Gary was forced to keep that thought to himself and only Andrea would share his thoughts.

That night at home, Gary and Andrea were in the bedroom relaxing. Andrea was feeding Eve and Gary first mentioned the Freddy story saying, "He told me how grateful he was receiving the use of his legs and one arm. The mechanics looked and felt natural he said. My suspicious mind thought only of him and others like him, were too grateful and would be mouthpieces for our hosts. Maybe I'm over reacting, but something is nagging me all the time these days. What's your take on this my love."

"So far so good. Let's store it on our USB for safe keeping. I'll keep a sharp eye and ear out. I don't mind working hard, but not working like a slave to the system or for some other reason that is not nice. I'd hate to think us humans are just here to breed workers for a higher level specie to exploit. Now, my love, Eve is finished eating and how about you and I take a shower together?"

The next day, as was planned almost a year ago, was to visit a planet that was having trouble with robots in the mining industry. The planet Egos was a considerable distance away. Gary and his team would be away from home for a few days. Eve would stay with grandmother.

On a space ship that traveled faster than light, they arrived at Egos in about six hours. On the way, Gary read all the information about the planet known to Choi computers. The atmosphere was acceptable, but the gravity was more severe than what humans are used to. It was like mountain climbing on flat ground.

They were greeted by the resident aliens. They appeared as robots with aliens brains operating a mechanical body. They lack expression and intonation in speech. It was flat and rather gradating on human ears. It was all business with the Ego beings and that was fine with Gary and his team. They were told it would take a few days to see all what needed observation to assist in reaching full production.

Gary asked, "What are you mining and the reason for it?"

In a flat monotone, one said, "Does it matter what and why to see what the problem is?"

"Indeed it does matter. We human's use psychology to solve problems of disagreements. Without that knowledge, I can't help you and we should return where we came from," Gary said rather defiantly.

An unintelligible murmuring was going on while they waited for an answer. Finally one turned and said, "We mine an ore called, Egot. It's use is for making a product for weapons of war. A neighboring galaxy is having a prolong war with another galaxy."

"Okay, we understand, but don't approve. Let's go visit a mine and see what is what," said Gary moving off to a helicopter craft unlike any humans had seen before. It was quiet and comfortable to ride in. The terrain of Ego was ninety percent mountainous. However, not any flora or fauna was witnessed over the entire planet. Ego was depressing to say the least.

At the mines, plastic type buildings were seen along with large transportation ships loading the product for shipment. The heilo landed and Gary, with his team, with some effort, exited the craft. They followed in single file to the waiting vehicle to take them inside the mountain where excavation was taking place. Sitting down felt good to Andrea and the others, as well. The tunnel was dim and dank looking. It was obvious why nobody on their team had a smile on their faces.

A long ten minutes later they came to a large cavern area where a round clear plastic building sat. Inside were other robots and mixed in were the working robots with AI sitting on their shoulders. Those robots were all of the same color and size, while the resident Ego folks were of various sizes.

At one side of the building sat a circle of chairs that were special to the visiting humans. This is where meeting for the grievances would take place. They all got down to business without any prior discussion taking place. The first AI said, "We are verbally abused constantly, but our superiors. Consequently, we have intentionally slowed down production until that is corrected. Additionally, they constantly push us for more and more production without allowing us any free time. We maybe artificial, but we all have our own personalities. We like to share in conversation with each other now and then. The handlers here don't like that."

"Okay, thanks for presenting your side of the issue. Now let's hear from the Ego as to why they are making life for you difficult."

In the bland voice that once heard, creates a sound that human ears really do not appreciate. An Ego said, "For many revolutions around our sun, we have treated our robots the same. Now, within the last two revolutions, they are becoming more demanding. Why is that?"

Gary said, "Artificial Intelligence learns over time. They grow with knowledge learned and witnessed. They share thoughts and ideas. Naturally, most sentient beings have personalities. An exception to this is a unit that is capable of developing their knowledge and relating to other AIs or in our case, humans.

Look Ego beings, you want production, they want social time. If you give them social time, they will give you a high rate of production. It's pretty simple really, if you think about it. A happy worker works harder than an unhappy worker. I ask this question, why don't you just use pure robots that are programmed for a specific job?"

"We tried that in the past, human. We found that we had to spend most of our time trying to clean up what the did. Operating a machine that takes ore out and then places it in a conveyor or some transportation device, takes skill with judgment. Robots fail in that department. We had to use AIs to do the job we need to do."

"Well, here's what I suggest you do. Try it their way for one revolution of the planet around the sun. If the production numbers are not to your satisfaction, then revert to the old ways. Meanwhile, construct a place where the AIs can relax and enjoy talking to each other. How about that Ego beings. Take a risk and see what happens."

The Egos went into a huddle and a buzzing sound was heard. Gary looked at his team and saw smiles across the board. He nodded and waited for their answer. It came sooner than he thought it would.

"We will try it, human. We're not excited to have to add a cost, but if it raises production, we'll enjoy that."

"I'll leave one human here for a short while to see and report what is happening on Ego. Now let's go see more of these mines."

At the end of the tour, all were dog tired and ready for their own beds rather than cots in a sterile shelter with only the very basic amenities. Andrea said, "Job well done. You're quite the mediator. I can only say that those Ego aliens are really unlikeable and ugly."

"Time to go home and see how Eve fared while we were gone. She misses her mother's milk, don't you think?"

"I think she misses both of us, Gary. But weapons are scary and I thought this part of the universe was peaceful. What if we're here to expand the spread of weapons unknowingly?"

"Scares me too. We must keep a close watch over what is happening on and around us. Next time I have a meeting with the Shadow folks, I'll bring that very subject up," said Gary

~~~~

Back on Choi, Brad and Beth were both working hard on the beginnings of the domestication of animals. It had been quite a struggle finding wild animals that resembled beef. After a search of two planets, Brad finally found rudiment specie that looked like an American bison.

With hilos that were quiet, the bison did not seem scared. Brad had decided instead of tranquilizers, nets would work better. The bison were in herds which at this time, males were mixed with females. Brad guess was right that it was breeding season.

On planet Choi, Beth was fencing off areas to control the raising of the newly acquired supply of rich protein. It was not long before they all sampled the taste of a Choi burger. The name stuck. There was Choi steak, stew, roast and so on. It was definitely a planet delight to have some meat.

Next on Brad's list was chicken and eggs for breakfast. That search was exhausting. Birds such as he was looking for were in trees or running around under the forest.

One day he got lucky. He was flying low over a lake and saw some duck like fowl paddling hard to shore to get away from the giant bird above them. Brad landed and with the Hilo quiet and not moving, he waited for the duck like birds to show themselves.

A half hour later, a mother duck came out leading her flock of little birds behind her. Brad said aloud, "If there're little birds then they come from eggs. Duck eggs will do for a beginning.''

Now, was how to catch a mother and where is the father at, he wondered. He sat and waited as the mother duck paddled around acting just like ducks back home. While Brad enjoyed the peaceful surroundings, a small flock of colorful ducks flew in and landed some distance away. Brad knew they were males as males were more colorful than females. Now, how to catch them became the challenge. Net's of course, but he needed to set a trap with some duck food under a net might work.

With the help of his team, Brad eventually captured a small flock of females and males to begin a domestication of ducks. It would be slow to start with, but given some time, eggs would flow.

Beth had a manmade lake made for the newly acquired fowl. With the team trained to capture and increase the domestication, they soon had a steady flow of animals.

Brad went to work developing fields for bison grazing and breeding pens. Of course processing plants were set up using the latest in technology to keep any diseases from the animals. There was never any problem with space for grazing and for processing.

Both Brad and Beth took a break for a couple days. It was at the same time that Gary and Andrea had returned from Ego. They met and discussed what had transpired recently between both couples.

Brad said, "Our trip was rather successful. We reached an agreement that both sides would benefit by working together rather than fighting each other. It was a simple case to mediate. However," he lowered his voice and leaned forward on his chair to continue, "The product they are mining is for weapons. The how and so forth is not for me or us to understand at this point, but I was led to believe this part of the universe was weapon free or close to it."

"Do you mean we, as humans, might be helping another race make weapons," asked Brad.

"We must not jump to any conclusions just yet. We've only their word, for example, that the mineral we help mine is just used for their existence. What if that was a misconception on our part. Maybe it's used as a chemical weapon. Lord, let's not even think about it. Regardless of the whatever's, we're stuck here."

Beth said, "Let's keep our mouths shut and eyes and ears open. When and if we get the chance, ask a discreet question or two. We must never raise any suspicion or who knows what might happen."

"I agree," said Andrea. "Our kids are walking now and let's spend some time at one of the new parks we built. It's time to relax for a couple days. This might be a good time to invite Freddy to join us, if you get my drift."

"I'll take care of the invite and this will give us a chance to see how the new strollers work. They're equipped with an anti-gravity device. No bumpy roads for our kids," said Gary.

"Let's make it a picnic. We can have sandwiches on Andrea's homemade bread. You know what we need to find? We need to find some peanuts for a PBJ."

"That will take a computer search for cashews which grow on trees in tropical regions. That would be a good place to begin. Besides that, cashews are very good for humans. I think it's about time to go exploring again," said Gary.

~~~~

''These humans are a curious lot," said a council member. ''I wonder if it's something we should concern ourselves with or leave it alone to develop."

"What harm can the humans do to us? We have the power to extinguish the entire population if we desire. So what if they found out that the Ego are manufacturing weapons for sale to other civilizations. As far as we know, there isn't another civilization that compares to our level of power. We know that Gary and his mate will ask us about it. Let's be rather honest and tell him we fear not from anyone in this galaxy or any other galaxy we know of. We have in place an alert system that is light years from here to warn us of any aggressive civilization that poses a threat to us."

Another council member spoke up and said, "We've seen in the past year a happier group of humans. That stems from the construction of structures and parks to make a fuller life for the humans. Now they are expanding into protein production. Any addition, in my view, is welcome to the whole of our system."

"I'm not talking about now, but in the future they'll realize that they're not as fast to reproduce as in the past. We should encourage them to replicate and produce more humans for our benefit. There's a great demand for our stock of humans. We need to diversify the large groups into smaller ones. That way we can transfer the whole lot of them at one time to another civilization. If possible, we need to expand our specie to other solar systems."

"I agree with you. It'll take a few centuries to meld a human into one of us. That process is slow, but we must be patient. They suspect nothing that the food they eat is genetically designed for maximum development into our specie. If they were told this, it would be met with resistance, but they'll see in the big picture, the benefit of immortality coupled with such great knowledge is irresistible."

"Let's leave it here for the time being. The other business I want to bring up is our trade with the Triix. We need their fabricating product to expand our settlements around our solar system. I wonder, and if I'm out of line, as humans say, if we could use Gary and his mate to negotiate with the Triixians. They did a fine job with Egos issue, why not brief him and see what he can do for us."

There was dead silence within silence. The only sounds that ever came from them was a voice with a language all its own. "I for one am in somewhat of doubt he could negotiate with a specie that doesn't speak his or a similar language. However, with our language translator, well, maybe."

"Let's invite him for a meeting and see what he has to say. Alert Freddy to issue the invite, Now, let's let all other business rest. I'm going to covertly fly over Ego and see what is happening down there with their new agreement."

~~~~

Gary and Andrea were in the office going over some population reports that his father had compiled when Freddy arrived. Gary liked Freddy and so did the rest of Gary's staff.

Freddy sat down and said, "Gary our hosts would like to have a meeting with you and Andrea. They've a special idea they want to discuss with you. I get the drift they are very pleased with your negotiations with the Ego issue."

"It wasn't much, Freddy. But, if they want to see us, that's okay by me. When do they want to meet?"

"Now if you're not too busy. They're kind of anxious to solve a problem I think.''

Gary's head shot up thinking they had done something wrong or something someone said or did. Freddy saw his reaction and said, "No, nothing is wrong with anything humans are doing. It's something else, but I don't know what it is."

Inside the dim lit meeting room, the speaker said, "Thanks for coming. We have a small problem that we hope you and your team might solve for us." He let that sink in and then continued, "We trade with a civilization called the Triixians on planet Triix. Their production to us is way down and we can't seem to get a satisfactory answer as to why. It's a product we use to construct all of our structures with. Our inventory is very low and we need it rather quickly. Now, we are asking you and team to go there and see what the problem is and enter into negotiations with them"

Gary and Andreas minds were spinning with the thought of entering negotiations with an alien society about a product. He asked, "How do we communicate?"

"Using the familiar black box and you can also use it to talk to us. We think it would be quite a learning experience for you."

Gary looked at Andrea and she shrugged her shoulders. Gary said, "We'll give it a try and please provide all the information about the planet and the inhabitants who live there. The more we know, the better we can negotiate. We also appreciate your trust in us to perform some business for you. We hope we can help. Our people are adjusting to life here very well.

''Freddy will provide all the information you need at our main frame. He'll also arrange transportation for your team. We've specially equipped a space craft for your needs. It has a bed, kitchen and a shower with hot water. You can stay in it while negotiating."

"Thanks for that amenity. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave. I hope to report back with good news. Be prepared for tradeoffs. We'll have to give to receive."

On the way back to the office, Freddy said, "I'll get all the information you need so you can review it before and after we leave. I'd guess we'll leave in a day or so."

"We'll be ready. Meanwhile, Freddy, do you have any idea what happened to the senior or the elderly humans? You mentioned the handicap folks were given new life, but what of the others too far gone to fix?"

"I really don't know. I heard rumors they were all located on a distant planet being well taken care of, but not sure of that as fact or rumor."

''As you know, my father is assigned to give us a human population number and with that the location of where they are."

"Let's see what I can find out. I'll check in with you later," he said leaving looking just a little like he was embarrassed. Gary guessed he knew more than he was letting on.

After a year, what seemed like a golden opportunity, was beginning to enter Gary's mind, some doubt as the real intentions of the Shadow aliens. However, he vowed to keep an open mind and not let doubts interfere with his judgment. Besides, he guessed correctly that Andrea and Beth both were pregnant.

The next day they were off at the speed of light to planet Triix. With Gary and Andrea were a team of four plus Freddy. All seemed rather excited about visiting an unknown planet. Gary often wondered how all of these planets, so far, had breathable oxygen and suitable gravity. Like the Shadow aliens, maybe all of some of their trading partners controlled the weather and the environment. If so, such advancement was scary in his book. He hated the thought humans were being used and not informed why.

A voice came across saying orbit was upcoming in just a few minutes. All of the team members were staring out the window which showed mostly green, but some blue of water was dotted throughout the lands below. It, from the air, looked pristine with green forests and lakes evident.

The giant spaceship, equipped like an expensive motor home, landed softly on a very large tarmac. Around the perimeter were structures being active with workers. A van like vehicle silently rolled up and they stepped inside a perfect atmosphere of temperature and breathable air.

Waiting in an office structure where a large plastic looking table and a dozen chairs sat waiting for the human's to sit down, were a group of three Triixians. Andrea described them later as medium height and really thin. She guessed their nutrients came from chemicals rather than food as humans consumed.

On the table were a large black box and a screen to show the written printout of each other's mother tongue. All sat down with nods of introductions. A voice that reminded Gary of a synthesizer began by saying, "Welcome humans. We're honored by your visit. We're delighted to show you our planet which we're very proud of. Our civilization has lived here since time began countless billions of your Earth years ago. Now, if you're not too tired, we can show you around. We Triixians don't require any rest. Like your hosts, we are mostly chemical in substance."

"We're ready to view your lovely planet," said Gary. ''Before we leave, may we view a map of your mines in production at this time. A count would be helpful for us to know also."

"Here you go." A spinning planet arrived on the screen with tiny red lights denoting a mine. There were countless red lights shining back at the humans. "There are, in your counting system, over six thousand mines in full production. The rest of the mining information will be revealed as we tour the planet."

Off they went in a similar hilo as the others that had transported them silently and with speed to destinations targeted for landing. It was comfortable and offered a view of the heavily forested mountains and the occasional lake dotting the land. Gary thought there did not appear much need for wood products. Apparently the plastic material suited most aliens regardless of any other natural products.

They landed on a large pad where giant space ships were loading up product for markets. The product was packaged in large rectangles wrapped in another plastic substance. Robots were scurrying everywhere doing their jobs.

Another golf cart like vehicle picked all of them up for a ride to inside the tunnel to where the actual mining was taking place. It was a one way tunnel and the substance that was being extracted, went out another way through a similar tunnel.

A twenty minute ride brought the team to a large circular cavern where, like spokes on a wheel, tunnels ran in a full circle of the center. In the center of the cavern, a large round table gathered the ore from the multiple tunnels. It was ground into tiny pieces and then sent by a under story conveyor, to a waiting chemical bath that exited outside on the tarmac for transportation.

The Triix spokesperson said, through a hand held translator, the chemical used is a very strong toxic tightly controlled. When the ore resurfaces, it becomes a sludge like material. We isolate the product in a rectangle, wrap it in a protective wrapper, then we load it on transport ships for delivery. By the time it's loaded, it has hardened."

"Thanks for the excellent report," said Gary. "Can we see the actual extraction of the ore please?"

"Yes indeed. Climb back aboard and we'll go down a tunnel to where the actual mining is taking place."

Again, twenty minutes later they were at the head of the tunnel. Here the machines were a very likeness to the ones on Egos. AI robots were operating the machines to load the excavated ore onto the conveyor. Gary was told that a laser machine was used to cut out the ore followed by a giant circular tunnel drill that enlarged the ongoing tunnel. Gary at first glance thought this was as good as it gets. He could see nothing here to improve production. A closer look was needed, he thought.

Gary walked over to the conveyor that was delivering the ore to the chemical. The conveyor seemed rather short or lacking ore. It could transfer more if more were available. That was not any revelation by any means, but it was a starting point. What he wanted now was to see exactly what the lasers were doing and if they could be improved upon.

It took some doing, but they agreed to shut down the tunnel maker and go beyond it to where the laser machines were doing their jobs. Once past the tunnel borer, the first thing they saw was a small conveyor running off to the side of the giant tunnel maker. Gary had not noticed before that a smaller conveyor ran under the big one. The red ore was traveling faster than the big bore machine. Gary wondered why they were making such a giant tunnel. The ore had been extracted, so why make a giant tunnel?

It became clear later on. It seemed that another product was being extracted from the large tailings from the big machine. But for now, Gary was concentrating hard on the laser operation. He saw a group of lasers concentrating on a single vein of reddish material. It seemed to him a lot of work for such a little result. But, the question still remained: how to increase production?

He asked Andrea and the other team members what they saw and how would they increase production. His response back was a shrug and that resulted in an 'I don't know' answer. Gary returned his inspection on how the vein ran. He saw, from the inclination, it ran slightly up hill and slightly to the right. It was similar to a long slightly uphill curve. He shook his head and could not see what that information would make any clues to increase production.

Gary focused back on the lasers. He timed the results that went into the conveyor. He estimated how many cubic yards passed by in ten seconds. He retuned his attention to the lasers. Even if they increased the number of lasers, they would outrun the small tunnel borer in conjunction with the lasers. It appeared simple: increase the size and speed of the laser bore machine. After that add more lasers to the new and bigger machine. Gary wondered if that simple fact had been considered or simply overlooked. Maybe they could not make it bigger. He needed to ask some questions

Meanwhile, he kept his mouth shut and watched. He wrote down: 'what powered the laser bore machine' and 'if lasers were added, would that be a problem'?

Gary gave a nod that the inspection was over for now. He wanted to see more and the topographical maps of the planet. He whispered to Andrea as they broke out of the tunnel and stepped onto the tarmac, "If I'm not mistaken, these aliens and those other Egos folks, all lack common sense. They are light years advanced from us, but they, somewhere along the line, lost the ability to connect the dots."

''I think you're right. I know you've some idea how to increase production. If so, this would be the second feather in your hat," she said poking him in the arm, which made a Triix jump back.

They visited two more and then told the Triixians they were tired out. The results were the same. They returned to their space ship and relaxed. Gary sat at the computer with Freddy looking at the relief maps of the planet. Freddy asked, "What do hope to see or want to see with these maps?"

"I'm looking for another way to mine the ore. It follows a vein that is not hard to trace. In other words, it seems to follow an almost level line with a slight curve to it. All three mines we looked at were the same as far as the veins were concerned. I'm not sure, but maybe there's another way to mine the stuff."

"I see but as I'm not a geologist or a tunnel expert, darned if I know," said Freddy looking slightly bewildered.

"What if we split the two extractions or ore into single ones? That is, now they mine two products from one tunnel. I guess the with the large tunnel machine, they extract some other product other than the plastic that is so needed. Okay, we design a high speed laser borer with a computer programmed route through the mountain. The conveyor system could be made larger to handle more material exiting the mine. It would be similar to what the French and English did with the tunnel under the English Channel," said an excited Gary.

"Wow! Do you think we could really do that," said a visibly excited Freddy.

"Not sure, but keep it under your hat for the time being. We would need to experiment with one mine first. Remember, the vein was slightly uphill and curved to the right just a little bit. If the vein held true, then we could bore into the other side of the mountain where the vein should be."

Andrea came out and said, "We're all hungry, honey. Come cook for us starving humans." As she sat back relaxing and thinking back two years ago when they, she and Gary, met, seemed a very long time ago. In those two years they had become very close, had a baby, another one coming, and had space traveled to who knows where. From the beginning she saw and felt his thoughtful attention to detail. He was a thinker and did not make hurried or rash decisions. The aliens must have seen his unique personality and that is why they wanted him to guide the rest of the human population.

They saw in Gary a pragmatic human who looked at things just a little different than others did. It was a pleasant surprise when he solved a labor problem with the Egos production. Presently, she felt his attention peak, that he had something in mind to improve the Triixians production.

"Time to eat team. It's nothing more than just good nutrition, but it will fill up the empty place that needs filling."

"We appreciate your cooking," said Freddy digging into some bison burger with potatoes. The carrots were sautéed in the bison drippings to add taste to a rather bland vegetable. After that they ate in silence.

After dinner, the entire team made good use of excellent geological maps from their hosts. What they needed was a degree of slope and a degree of angle to estimate where the vein would be around the other side of mountain.

They decided to call it a day and went to bed to rest for the upcoming days work. Gary and Andrea's room was isolated from the rest of the teams. Andrea waited for his time to inform her or enlighten her to his plan. They settled in bed and with his arm under her head and she snuggled into his chest, he said, "If the vein of ore remains on the path it has for more than a kilometer, we will excavate a test hole to see if we can find the opposite end of the vein.

The big work, if, it follows on a path we estimate, we can enlarge the boring machine and perhaps double the production of the ore. It'll take a new laser design, but that should not be a problem for this advanced society."

''You know," said Andrea running her fingers around his nipples, they sure seem lacking common sense for such an advanced civilization."

"That's my impression too. And if you don't stop that, I'll cease talking and close my mouth over your nipple."

"Go ahead," she said beginning to breathe more rapidly.

The next day, with the curious Triixians following every move Gary and team were making, the survey of the first mine took place. Once they had found -0- relative to a point of beginning, next they moved to see how far it was from front to back. After that they needed to find the angle of curvature. After determining the numbers, it was the job of the computer to do the rest of the work.

Gary had to hand it to the aliens that they never questioned what he was doing. They were waiting for the end results to comment on the project. When the team had finished, Gary said, "We need to run a test bore where the vein exits on the other side of the mountain."

They flew back to home base and inserted the numbers into the computer. The computer showed a mountain where the entrance was and then it showed where to drill for access to the vein.

To the Triixians Gary asked, "We need a test bore into the mountain on the other side right here." He showed them with his finger on a red spot on the image of the mountain. Do you have a test machine to bore a hole for a test?"

"Yes, of course we do. Give me a minute and I'll order it flown to those coordinates that are showing on the map. We'll follow when you're ready."

"We're ready any time," said Gary.

They flew out and in a very short time landed behind the transport ship. A flurry of activity by the robots moved the boring machine into position. Gary estimated that the vein should be about twenty meters inside the mountain.

To say he was churning inside was an understatement. His reputation depended on this inspection bore being on target. Andrea was holding onto his arm tightly. Freddy was all eyes and the rest of the team was holding their breath. The residents were observing without any expression. Andrea said later, "Those aliens have no sense of emotion in their entire bodies. How can they just stand there and not say or do anything. Is this what happens when you become so advanced that you lose all emotions that makes us who we are?"

"If we compare humans to our hosts and these guys, it's such a far distance that it's unimaginable. One thing I miss is music. I'm sure some of our kind here plays instruments and we can have them form a band or group to play all types of music. There must be people from Europe who can build a piano from raw materials such as some of the majestic giant trees we've seen. Anyway, they've started boring and let's see what develops."

Gary watched a laser auger bit drill into the mountain. From the waste coming out he guessed a meter every three minutes or so. The proof would show up in a short while, if the vein was tapped, red ore would show up. They waited while holding their breath. Freddy shuffled from one foot to the other. Other team members were taking videos of the operation. Gary on the outside was rather calm, but on the inside he was feeling the knot in his stomach growing. He continued watching as if time stood still. The tailings were all dark grey or black. He began to think they had missed the vein when a slight mix of grey and red appeared. A few second later, pure red ore spilled onto the ground.

Mouths flew open and soon Freddy began clapping. Soon the whole team was clapping. Even the Triix folks were just a little more active than usual. However, they still did not know what this all meant as far as increasing production. Gary had to sit down at a table back at base to explain it to them.

He said, "I suggest you discontinue using two methods to excavate the ore. I encourage you to build a larger laser bore machine that would double the speed of the one being currently used. That machine would only follow the vein by computer programming and the larger conveyor would transfer it to a bigger chemical bath. That should, if used at all the other mines, double your production of ore."

Silence occurred as his last words faded into the air. His team sat without expression while the Triixians looked at one another and seemed lost in thought. Gary found a scribe and drew a picture of a much larger laser drilling machine. It had twenty revolving lasers rather than ten. The size of the drill equaled the size of the vein. By the time he was done with the picture or illustration they had the concept. They went to work leaving the humans behind sitting there grinning.

The team stayed on planet for a few more days until they saw the new machine working well. The Triixians were visibly happy. They said, "We thank you Human Gary and team. We do have other problems to solve, but they can wait for another time. If you ever decide to relocate, we have some planets that would be similar to your Earth. We bid you farewell."

They left for back home and much needed rest with friends and family. Freddy spent some time relaying the report back to the Shadow beings. He informed Gary that they were very happy to have the problem solved. More than one civilization would be well satisfied with the new rate of production of a vital material for all types of construction.

Gary, meanwhile, turned his attention to the population of humans. His father was compiling the census. Up to this point, seniors and politicians and some handicapped humans were missing. Where were they and why were they not visible. This missing human issue needed discussing with the host of their new planet.

After returning home, both Beth and Andrea announced they were with child again. The grandparents were ecstatic. So were Gary and Brad. Brad was especially excited to tell Gary that he had discovered a chicken like bird on some distant planet. He said, when they were sitting around after dinner, "We heard from some off world explorers that this particular planet had birds that couldn't fly far and were not scared of people like us. I flew there and sure enough, a chicken like bird was pecking the ground with brood of little ones. The hard one to catch was the male. He liked the trees and sounding like a rooster back home. We used nets to catch a batch of them. We came back with more than a hundred females and a dozen roosters. Breeding is taking place as we speak. Eggs will flow soon.

"Eggs are good for a lot of things. I'm sure there'll be a great demand for your eggs. People will be happy and that is always good news. Back on earth, most weren't happy for a number of reasons. Here there's no need for money. Therefore, no need for banks. Also no need for corporations. Money takes the power away from a few to benefit the most. Billionaires are a thing of the past. This civilization has eliminated the need for paid slavery. It sure feels good not to be in debt.

We have no laws here so no need for lawyers or a judicial system. We do have in place a meeting where you can voice your grievance and a fair and impartial decision will be immediately forthcoming. What's happened is really staggering because with no government, no need for government employees or any politicians for that matter. Which brings me full circle wonder where all those government people went?"

"Interesting observation, Gary," said Brad. Here if you are doing something, you're working. If you need something, it's delivered free of charge. If you want to go somewhere, hope a bus or van. Want something to eat, go get it or go where it is waiting for you to consume. What more do you want?"

"I'd like to see some artists at work. There must be thousands of artists just waiting to paint a picture, carve some stone, create wood products such as furniture or frames for pictures," said Andrea walking in with Eve trailing at a fast waddle.

"There you go," said Brad pointing at Andrea and half scaring little Eve. Beth followed with Adam walking slowly by her side holding hands. "We need to find some artists and get an art club started."

"What about singing groups and band players," asked Beth? "Anyway, it's a good idea and we need someone to organize the whole thing."

Gary said, "I appoint you, Beth to head up a team of folks who would like to see the arts and such things become a real part of our lives here on Choi."

"Thanks a lot, Gary. I'm just a tad busy holding Brad's hand while he flies off to some unknown planet looking for who knows what next he is looking for. And to top it off, morning sickness has attacked me again."

"Well, I'm sorry you're a woman with child and having to go through child birth is not an easy thing to endure. But now you've parents who can support you through the long hours of labor. Besides Gary and I are professionals now," said a smiling proud Brad.

The next day, Gary asked his father to meet him at the office. They sat down and without a lot of chit chat, Gary said, "Father what happened to all the seniors and the very sick. Also, what happened to all the professional politicians and bankers?"

"I don't know, but have been thinking about that ever since we came here. I just assumed they were on this planet, but a long ways away. Or they might be on another planet doing I don't know what," Father said.

"I'm going to ask the Shadow beings that very question. I hate to think that all of those government workers and corporate rich guys bowed their backs and refused to work."

"Those that you mention are a stubborn lot. They think life is different for them. Exploitation, greed and power makes up their persona. If they can't corrupt they go home and kick the dog. It's not genetics, but learned behavior."

"I'd like you to come with me for the meeting. I think it's time you met these aliens face to face. I'm also going to ask for an explanation why they removed us from our planet," said Gary.

Gary asked Freddy to arrange a meeting with the planet hosts. In less than a half an hour he returned to inform Gary that after his lunch would be a good time. Gary and father prepared a list of things and a recorder for future reference.

Gary and his entire team had lunch at the cafeteria. Lunch was never very exciting, but always nutritious and somewhat filling. Brad always left hungry. He told everyone that soon the cafeteria would have bison meat to serve. He received a round of high fives for that announcement.

Freddy rode with Gary and his father, Steve to the underground quarters of the Shadow beings. Like before they sat down at a table waiting for their eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room.

"Welcome Steve and Gary. We were waiting to congratulate you on your fine work on Triix. You're making life for many much easier and without a lot of, what you call, stress. We're at a loss how to reward you and your team. If there's anything you need or desire, let us know."

"I thank you and my race of human's thank you. We are a curious race and we're wondering what happened to our older senior group of humans. Not only them, but the government workers and highly paid corporate part of our former society."

An answer quickly flashed on the giant screen in front of Gary and Steve. "They are all on another planet. Your seniors age sixty or over, are living in a special area of a large Earth like planet. The ones who want to work or stay busy are given jobs they like and want to do. The one's too old, but are still active or have a strong brain, are cared for by the former elite of your social classes. They have a choice in what they do. They can help their fellow humans or move to a primitive planet and scratch out a living much like your first immigrates did when occupying the east coast of North America.

The politicians are all located in the wilderness of a primitive land. They either work together or perish. We viewed those who chose a life of deceit, lies, greed and power including riches, worthless humans. Those and their rich corporate friends are the ones who almost ruined a lovely planet.

A very long time ago, there were civilizations like yours. All of the evil emotions that were available were central to their way of life. This includes the religious sector of your society. Many wars were fought with relgion as the central issue. Some of the first money for profit was instituted by monks of ancient times. Debt was the idea how to control the masses. Make the masses work to provide profit for the powerful. That was and is the center piece of Earth's life.

That is the real issue and what was about to happen, was another world war on your planet using nuclear weapons. We couldn't let that happen to such a jewel in that solar system. Given a few centuries your planet will recover and cleanse itself ready for occupancy again."

"That answers all of my questions at this time. I'm guessing that when you left the professionals in the wilderness, you provided tools and some food to tide them over?"

"Of course we did. If you'd like to take a look, just let us know and Freddy can take you there. It's not that far. We'd like your feedback when and if you want to go."

"Yes, I think we'd like to go and get a head count for our census. We thank you for your frankness. We like to say: 'So far so good.'"

~~~~

"I wonder, council, did we satisfy their curiosity?"

"I for one am not sure we did. They have been lied to; cheated, made slaves of for so many thousands of years, gaining their trust won't be easy."

"We need to address the rumors from our outposts that the Volens are preparing for war against us and some of our allies. As you know, we control the chemical Zarnich and the ore for making plaza is on planet Triix. We are sworn to protect those two precious mineral with our very existence. If we're attacked, do we bring our humans underground with us, or leave them to fend for themselves. If we bring them down here, we have to feed them and such things for their very existence. I'd like some discussion on this situation."

"First the Volens would have to penetrate our shields. We are unaware of any weapon that could do that. Is there something we don't know about them and new technology that might have been developed without our knowledge?"

A new council member said, "We are still trading with them. Why don't we send a human delegation to offer an overview of their production process? Send the production figures that the humans have increased to impress them. Meanwhile, have Gary and his wife covertly see if they are indeed preparing for war and if they might have a secret weapon. What I don't know is if they would be able to do that, but I think it would be worth a try."

"We need to seriously think about that idea. What would be the advantages and the disadvantages of that proposal just mentioned?"

"One advantage is our humans, if caught, could play dumb and just naive about what they were inquiring about. The downside is they could be executed as spies."

''We need to know why they are preparing for war with us. It's been countless eons since we entered into any conflict. First we must try negotiations to solve whatever the problem might be. Gary and his team might be able to help in that arena."

"I'll send an emissary with a good will delegation to show our increase in production in two vital areas. Meanwhile, let Freddy take Gary and his team to observe the primitives and the old folks."

~~~~

Fully equipped with the latest maps and information on the two planets where the professionals lived and the seniors resided. The primitive or Professional planet had both adequate flora and fauna to support a large number of inhabitants.

The senior planet was much smaller, but dotted with area of pristine beauty. This was their first stop. Gary's father was happy to be involved and happy to be traveling to another planet. Father was also impressed with Gary's space craft with its accommodations that made traveling very comfortable. He said, "I finally think I'm doing something worthwhile. This creates a little excitement in my life. Your mother is content with her grandchild and that's in its own way, exciting for her. I sure hope, son, that we find our old folks comfortable."

"I don't think they would have shown us the life of our seniors if they were being neglected. I think they have a lot of respect for age and even though our years are short compared to their years, they appreciate age in any form."

They left it there as the space ship entered orbit above the senior planet. Soon they were on the flight pad with other similar ships bringing in supplies and such things. Freddy had never been here before. He said, "I've a map and a van is waiting for us. I understand it's about a thirty minute ride to the first structure where our seniors live."

The road ran alongside a meandering river that was crystal clear and just a hint of blue color. It could be late spring or early summer. Gary had no idea about that, but with some old timers rather talkative, he would hear the weather talk shortly. The land rose slightly up and over rolling hills with dark mountains far in the background. It really was quite lovely. Like on earth, yellow flowers waved as they went by.

A side road to the right away from the river went up a hill and down into a valley or a large swale where a structure spread out across the flat space. It was surrounded by green grass and oak type trees for shade. The temperature was pleasant not too hot. It appeared a suitable place for retired people to stay at. Gary hoped they were happy.

The van pulled up in front and two middle aged humans were standing by for a greeting. The staff was very friendly and after the introductions, one said, "Let's show you around. We are part of a team that tends to our residents."

Inside was what one would expect of an assisted living residence. Gary was told that over three hundred seniors lived here. The structure was larger than it appeared from the outside. Gary and team were chauffeured around by electric cart. Other seniors were also motoring around in their own carts. All saw the new comers and all wondered why such young humans were visiting them.

They were shown everything from the rooms to the cafeteria where three meals a day were served. All looked well and all of the residents seemed okay with life here. Gary and his team each took a senior and asked them a few questions. The only thing all of them missed was contact with their relatives. That was totally understandable. Gary's father made a list of the residents and told all of them he would find a way to have a message sent to each resident about their relatives.

They spent the day with the seniors and with the staff who were mostly health professionals from hospitals back on Earth. Gary discovered that because of their diet and a special medicine, the seniors never needed any additional meds like they did back on Earth. Additionally, there was never a need for any operations.

The health professionals were shown how to operate a machine that resembled a MRI imager. A patient was placed in the machine and a scanner ran from head to foot. When it finished, whatever was ailing a human, was no more. All forms of cancer were eliminated along with all other diseases. Residents here would pass on from old age and never from a disease.

Afterwards Gary made a note that there did not seem a lot of human staff, but mostly AI robots doing the work. It made him wonder where all the rest of the health professionals were.

They spent the night and then in the morning left for the primitive planet where the professionals of Earth were living. Gary and his father both tried to prepare themselves for what lie ahead, but even through that effort, it failed in reality to what they witnessed of a civilization just beginning to develop.

The first difference was robots with hand held weapons that Gary was told were just extensions of their hands. The robots were there to protect the team from any violence that might occur. Even the traveling floating transport van was secured upon stopping at a settlement. Because it was a silent operating vehicle, the habitants at first failed to notice they had company. That gave Gary and team a few moments to observe the settlement as it really was.

Their first look saw women in ragged work clothes doing their chores. Off in the distance you could hear a chopping sound where someone was felling a tree. The structures were log cabins. It was definitely not professionals cabin makers who built these log structures, but neophytes just learning the fine art of wood working.

The team walked up the trail to a flat area where the first settlement was still under construction. Gary saw a woman look at them and then hurry into one of the cabins. A few seconds later a late middle aged man with a long beard came out putting on his tattered coat. He threw his shoulders back and strode forward to greet the visitors.

With arm outstretched, he said, "Greetings. I'm Mayor Whitlow. Welcome to our little settlement. We named it Whitville after my father who passed on the first winter we were here. Who might you folks be, if you don't mind me asking?"

Gary saw a man around fifty who desperately needed a shower. His dirt streaked lined face bespoke the lack of facilities around here. Besides that, the outhouse smell was rather pungent as well.

Gary said, "We're from planet Choi. We live and work there. I'm the de facto representative who asked to visit your planet to see how things are. My father is here to take a census."

"Well, most of us who originally came are still alive. We know the reason we are not in a modern society, but that is a path we followed back on Earth. We all have been humbled and we do give thanks for the food and tools, we still struggle hard to make a living. Did you, perhaps, bring any good news?"

"No not really. I think you are stuck here and make the best of it. On planet Choi, we live a comfortable life working and being totally provided with all things necessary for us humans to enjoy life."

His face dropped and so did the new faces that had joined the conversation. The women looked haggard and the older children looked unkempt. Gary could not imagine that at one time these women were caked with makeup and jewels. They had been dressed in the finest fashions and now they were hiding their broken dirty fingernails. Andrea felt sorry for them, but held her tongue.

Gary asked, "How many settlements are there and how many of you live on this planet?"

The mayor kicked the ground with his worn out shoes that had one sole flapping when he walked. He gazed around and then said, looking at Gary's hair, "We've about three hundred settlements. Our handlers dropped us off in groups of three hundred or so. I've only been to the one closest to us, but they're all the same. You can do the math. When we ask about a close colleague back home, nobody remembers who you're talking about. I'm told there're three former presidents somewhere on this planet."

"Do you get enough food and what about clothes," asked Andrea.

The mayor looked down his long sharp nose at a female asking him, the mayor, about the necessities of life. Gary saw the sneer and vowed not to forget it.

He said, "We get by. They drop off some bland food, but it keeps us alive day after day."

Gary asked, "What did you do prior to coming here, mayor?"

He threw his shoulders back and with a yellow smile said, "I was a republican senator from Texas."

"I suppose you were very well off?"

"Us Texans are all well off, young man. I had a ranch that makes this settlement look like a dot on my map. I had over one hundred mex working for me."

"And did you pay them a fair wage or because they were immigrants, paid them less than the minimum wage?"

A squint out his skeptical eye let Gary know he was on to him. He replied, "Hey, they were happy with the wage and living conditions."

"Then," as Gary looked and pointed around with his finger, "you must feel right at home living here like the Mexicans did on your ranch."

"Fuck you, smart boy. You saw and now you can get your ass out of here and take that short bitch with you," the mayor said walking away.

"Just a minute, mayor, I've got something for you," Gary said walking up to the major with a smile. The mayor had stopped and turned to see what he had or was going to give him.

Gary said, "Here it is, mayor," and an uppercut laid the mayor out on the ground. Gary and team walked away giving Gary high fives.

It was decided to leave most of Gary's team with his father to determine a census on the planet. Also, Gary would send some additional workers and another spaceship for living quarters until a complex could be built to house the census takers.

Meanwhile, Gary was asked to attend a meeting with his Shadow beings. The meeting was about traveling to Volen to meet the Volens for a discussion about trade.

Gary decided to take Brad, Beth and Andrea with him. Brad had a sense of good or bad and Gary needed that input to see whether or not the inhabitants were telling the truth or not.

Gary went to the meeting alone, but was accompanied by Freddy. Freddy was turning out to be a good friend with the team. However, Gary always held a small piece of doubt because of Freddy's gratitude for being able to walk again after being handicapped for all of his life. Be that as it may, he was good company to Gary and team.

Gary sat in his usual place at the table with the screen doing the interpretation for him. Gary still had a hard time adjusting to the dim light and more recently wondered just how many Shadow beings there really was. He had never seen any additional aliens other than the council members.

A council member dialogue flashed across the screen, "You've been accepted as a guest of the Volens whenever you decide to travel there. We used to be very good trading partners with them, but over the last century or so, they have become just a little greedy. The rumors are consistent that they are preparing for war with us. It seems they want more of life chemical, but we've always supplied them with adequate amounts. We need to know the real purpose, or substantiate the rumor for our chemical.

Another thing, Gary. We've a personal message in your translator for the leaders of the planet. Be sure you have them view it please. Are there any questions?"

"Yes, what do the Volens produce for trading stock and why do they require our chemical?"

"They produce a resource known as Vercury. It's a valuable substance used in high technology hardware and for AI robots. Their military is mostly robots with space craft flown by AI robots. However, on board a battleship, there're at least two high ranking Volens to assist in strategy."

"I see. Well, that's not a lot to go on, but it'll have to do for now. If they're anything like humans, and I doubt it, they would be very curious why I visited them at this time. What do you say to that idea?"

"Gary, all of us, including Volens, are curious about many things, but we've such high technology, that even if they attacked us, it would be futile. Our shields can withstand any onslaught from any weapon known to us. Our shield is elastic and bends when a force is applied to it. It just doesn't stop the force, but springs it back into space. If a space ship launches an attack, it is likely that the same force expended will bounce back destroying the space craft.

Let's say if they did pass through our shields, they would have to enter our well protected underground space where we live. Anyway, if all else fails, we've an escape plan that has been in place for countless centuries. Never fear, Gary, we're not going away very easily."

"I can't think of anymore questions at this time. I was wondering though, do you have allies that would come help in time of war?"

"Not really. We and the other civilizations pretty much are on their own. One thing we can say is that for the most part, greed and gain at the expense of others was all but elimated long ago. It's extremely rare for a civilization to declare war on another one."

"That's about all I have. We'll depart very soon and take your personal message with us. I hope we can return with good news and not the fact war is on the horizon," said Gary leaving the council in the darkness of their habitat.

~~~~

Before they left for Volen, Gary made sure that none of his team let slip anything about humans or the Shadow beings. Listen and let's no talk because we have no idea what they understand or how to interpret what we say. I'm not sure but this might be a wasted trip. However, we can always learn something. To survive and prosper in this solar system, we must accumulate as much knowledge as possible.

Here is what we know. The Volens produce a chemical called Vercury. It's used in technology, such as computers and for AI robots. That's all I know about that end of things. Choi trades Zarnich for Vercury. Who else they trade with, we can hope to find out. What we really need to know if war us imminent or not. I've no idea what we would do if another civilization invaded this planet. I think if that is going to happen, our people need to find safety in the mines. I hesitate to start a panic if this rumor doesn't bear fruit. Let's wait until we know more and hope we're making the right decision."

Freddy came the next morning after a hearty breakfast of bison burger and eggs with toast. Gary asked Freddy how long a trip was it going to be. Freddy said, "I'm told it's quite far and will take about two of our days to get there. I've some history on Volen if you desire some reading material."

"Yes indeed I would like that. We can't learn enough about our new life in this solar system. If we're to survive and keep our heads up among more advanced civilizations, then we must acquire tons of knowledge. I think we need to befriend more AI robots into our arena of life."

"Wow! You're raising the bar, so to speak. I'm with you and so are the others. I hear they think your some kind of magic guy with a tongue to please the ears. Mostly they are impressed with how you have made increases in production."

"That's all well and good, but until we can be self sufficient I won't be happy. Depending on someone or something, sends chills up and down my spine. Before we depended on our government to do the right thing for its citizens. What a laugh that was. All we did was the slave labor at minimial wage to line the pockets of rich dudes. Don't you just love it when the new president said he was going to bring back to America millions of jobs that had been outsourced. What a laugh. What are they going to do, sew shirts, sweep streets, mow lawns, pick fruit for a few dollars a day. Robots took many of the factory jobs. High technology eliminated countless jobs. To live and prosper, education is the key. We don't need coal miners any more. Coal is or should be obsolete as the pollution causes many serious diseases.

That brings up a very good question. Where did all those uneducated people go? They're not here on this planet. We had seven billion people on Earth. Where are all of them anyway? I'd guess they got lost in the transfer."

Freddy was silent and with head down, deep in thought. To hear what others just think about was a little scary. He never gave that a thought before. Now, he was curious as to what happened to the others who were unaccountable? Sometimes, he thought, it is better to not know. That was a major difference between him and Gary, Gary cared and he did not care.

Gary returned to studying about the aliens they were about to visit. The report about the Volens lacked a lot of information about the civilization and its history. Apparently they were on off shoot of another distant civilization that was splintered due to war. What was hard was the time line that Gary and his team could follow. A year on Earth was one thing, but a year on Volen was another. It was in another solar system without any documentation about how long it took to circle their sun.

However it did have a very nice geographical map of the planet. After studying the map, Gary came to the conclusion it was an attractive planet with a diverse relief of land and about an equal amount of water. Whether the water was fresh or salty remained to be seen.

Gary was getting drowsy so he left to find Andrea in their cabin taking a nap. He quietly lay down next to her and closed his eyes. She reached out and held his hand while he went to dreamland.

His dreams were fairly typical of other people's dreams. They were scattered with faces of the past and faces never seen before. You did things that were far into the past and did things that were not yet seen or developed. One of his favorite dreams was playing with his daughter and mother. Many times they were in a park playing in a giant sandbox. Strangely enough, he could hear the roar of an ocean, but when he looked around no ocean in sight.

Gary was woken up rather rudely with someone pounding on his door. Andrea was already at the door, but the sound was still heard in his ear. It was Freddy who said, rather excitedly that a message had come in from the Volens, "They have sent an escort to protect us from another civilization who just declared war on the Volens. We're advised to keep deep scanning for the enemy."

"Thanks Freddy. By the way, does this craft have any armament?"

"Not sure, but let me check with the pilot and the captain. I'll be back in a jiffy."

Andrea said, "I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I'd be in a space craft, outside of my own solar system, having to worry about another civilization of aliens attack my plane. This is pure lunacy. I want to go home and raise our children. What have we got ourselves into, Gary?"

"I really don't know. But like you, I'm not happy at all. At first I thought we'd found utopia and a really nice life to live. Now we are about to enter a war and who really knows what that means to us humans. I don't think raising a white flag would get anyone's attention. The last thing we need is being attacked and that ends our stay in the universe. I'm going to see what is going on and see what we can do about it," he said hurrying out the door.

He ran into Freddy coming back with a message. He said, rather breathlessly, "We have some armor, but it's not like we're a full blown battleship with air support and such things. Anyway, the Captain assured me that we are neutral and the attackers always respect civilizations who remain neutral during war time. Also, he said they would increase speed and land ahead of schedule. We should be landing in around six hours he told me."

"Thanks and I'll go have a look around. I want to see our protection and if possible see the enemy's position." Gary went forward to the bridge and took the scene in: A Captain standing with two AI robots at the computer controls. Also, what looked like a navigator was staring at a large screen of space.

With his small black box for hand held conversations, he asked, "Can you show me the escort ships and the enemy, if possible?"

The Captain nodded and showed Gary the large screen in front of the navigator. He pointed at six small fighter craft outside their craft maintaining close proximity for protection. Further out he pointed at a group of small yellow dots. He then typed in the following: "Enemy, but at least two days of your time away from us. There's no danger at the present time. We'll be under the protection of the Volens long before they arrive."

Gary nodded and with a slight bow, walked back the way he came. He was getting hungry and presumed right that it was time for something to eat.

After dinner he rested again. But this time he entered into a conversation with Andrea. He said, "We have to make the best of the present and future we can here in or on a planet we know very little about. Also, the Shadow beings are a mysterious group of how many we have no idea what their population might be. They live underground in a dim environment that can't be much fun. I wonder what they do for entertainment, if any."

"When we met with them, I could hardly make them out it was so dark. I wonder where their operation room is where they have contacts all over the universe reporting in. How does that information flow?"

"No idea, but I've a hunch they have some high tech way of communicating with contacts light years away. One thing that has surfaced is they don't know what another civilization is planning. We're on a good will mission to discover if another civilization is planning to war upon the Shadow aliens. Therefore some things are missing between civilizations. Somewhere along the line, we humans need to deal from a position of strength and not weakness. Maybe, just maybe, this sojourn will enlighten us somewhat."

~~~~

The Volens were a gracious lot. They gave Gary and his team a red carpet welcome, without the carpet. What was nice, these aliens lived above ground and had eyes and ears, albeit rather strange looking creatures. They were not above five foot tall and rather thin looking. The skin color was a light brown that pleased the eye. They wore robes that seemed to float or swirl when they walked. Their heads, which held large eyes, seemed oversized compared to humans. Gary assumed they had well developed brains inside their hairless skulls.

After a few hours of talking, if you could call it talking, it seemed that it did not take long to become comfortable with their gestures and presence. The words that came from the translator were friendly and full of good information.

Upon arrival, Gary said, "Thanks for the escort. We felt safe under your protection from a warring neighbor. Also thanks for the warm welcome. We come in peace and appeal to your citizens that we maintain peace throughout this solar system. I've a message here from our hosts that is personal and for your eyes only." He handed a USB to one of the dignitaries standing before him.

The Volen gave it to an underling and it put it in a small device. Whatever it said, Gary and his team never heard a sound coming from the device. However, the Volen heads went up and down in apparent agreement from what they heard. Gary smiled thinking this might not be such a bad event after all.

One Volen spoke into a small hand held device and words flashed up on Gary's screen. "Please follow us into our place of conference. We are excited to meet you humans and we have a lot of things to discuss with you."

They followed into a waiting van that took them to a round structure with dark shaded windows in what appeared a circle city of sorts. It was like on Choi, the van silently rode along wide streets where other like vehicles were going back and forth. It did not appear that space was problem and low one story buildings were the norm here.

Inside they followed their hosts to an escalator that went down, Gary guessed, about four floors before ending in a giant cavern. Many Volens were scurrying here and there looking busy, but who really knew what they were doing.

At the far side another escalator took them down another two floors to a smaller cavern that was ringed with giant screen showing space complete with planets and stars. It was startlingly beautiful, but a little daunting for Gary and team. Many Volens were manning their stations. Gary wondered where all the AI robots might be or even if there were any in use here at all.

They went up a short flight of stairs to a balcony where a large table had been set up for their arrival. "Please have a seat. This is our war room or under peaceful times, a watch on the solar system and beyond. However, right now it seems a neighbor is flexing his muscles, as you humans are fond of saying. We've had no word of their reason or reasons for wanting war, but we'll not back down at any rate."

Gary said in response, "We humans never learned our lesson that war has no winners, only losers. Some would say it's population control and others say it's pure economics at the expense of the blind leading the blind. The power brokers and the ultra rich are the only ones that profit from war. Having said that, I, we would think your societies that are so far advanced than ours was, would learn that war is not the end to a means."

"You are so right, Gary, if we might call you by your given name. Our defenses have not advanced like our technology has. We allocate our energies to production of goods and services rather than items of defense.

We have word of your past negotiations and increases of production being highly successful. We're taking this opportunity to ask you to enter into talks with the Ferox in our behalf. Please think about it and before you answer, ask as many questions as you desire."

Gary was taken aback and so were the others. Andrea had sucked in some fresh Volen air to make her presence known. He looked at her and then back at the Volens who sat calmly across from him. His mind was spinning with the upside and the downside of this proposal. If he refused, then he might lose some advantage with his Shadow beings wanting to get the latest rumors on war against them from the Volens.

However, with the Volens about to enter war with the Ferox, it would be irrational to have a war on two fronts against two different civilizations. He said, "Why do you think the Ferox want war with you?"

"Quite frankly we have no idea why they are seeking conflict with us. We do trade with them, but it's not in any big way. We have certain resources we send for various uses, but nothing to go to war over."

"Before we do anything, I need a print out of all your domestic product and labor use and from where they originate. In other words, are they citizens of this planet or recruited from other worlds. Are AI robots used and to what extent. Another thing, how powerful are you and what is your estimate of the strength of the enemy?"

"A print out will be here in just a few moments. A population or census will follow soon thereafter. Yes, we use a lot of robots in our daily lives both at home and elsewhere. If given a little time, we could modernize our defenses and update our fleet of space ships. But right now we are rather at a disadvantage from a more powerful Ferox."

Gary sat thinking and was deep in thought about the rumors of war against the Shadow planet. It sure did not seem the rumors were real from what the Volens just said. Gary had a sudden horrible thought. What if the Shadow aliens were thinking about war against the Volens and his mission was determine the strength of the potential enemy.

Suddenly he felt used and was not happy about the idea, if it were true. Meanwhile, he kept his thinking close to his chest and waited for the documents to arrive by a Volen currier.

Again he looked at his mate who was starring hard into his eyes. Gary guessed correctly that she was thinking exactly the same thing as he was. He smiled and winked at her. She gave him a raised eyebrow in return.

Freddy was watching carefully any gestures or was listening to every word Gary said. His orders were to watch and listen carefully to all things involving this meeting with the Volens. As for him, he had not a clue what was really happening at this round table discussion.

A print out was finally made available. The numbers meant little to him, but he asked what each major product did and for whom. Once he was made aware of all the manufactured products and what constituted the product, he came to the conclusion that this planet did not really have something rare and much desired across the solar systems. The one thing that did pique his curiosity was a gem of some rarity that was mined at the mouths of the rivers. Apparently it had a strong appeal to a few similar planets that, from what he would learn later, had close dealings with the Ferox civilization.

Would that commodity be valuable enough to go to war over? Gary needed to know that answer. It was a small thing, but maybe to another civilization, it was worth killing for.

One thing that was clear, however, life was becoming much more complicated than just cooking and playing with his new born. He was beginning to feel like back on planet Earth, the nation's Secretary of State. Here he was flying all over space doing political business instead of growing herbs for his gourmet meals. And besides that fact, he had to do all of this without speaking and hearing his own language: English.

"I need some time to digest or think about this entire information overload. What I'd like to do is fly over your beautiful planet and have a firsthand look at it. It'll also give me time to consider what I might be able to do or what we can try to keep the peace.''

What Gary really wanted to see was the gem mining operations. That's the only thing he felt was worth going to war over. If those gems were so valuable, then a greedy alien nation might just want to see if they could take over the business.

They provided Gary and his team a special craft that was very comfortable and had excellent viewing from anywhere on the ship. He had been told this was a sightseeing craft for special guests. Gary smiled and said, "We appreciate your hospitality. Coming in we saw some of your planet and we were delighted to see such a variation of nature. I'd love to read more about your flora and fauna that habitat this planet."

''We've some nice video of our planet. We feel fortunate that we live here. What we don't need is a war to deface or destroy our home. We are counting on you to help us."

With the heavy responsibility, they flew off for a tour. From the beginning the sights were staggeringly lovely. Tall snow capped mountains with green valley's were seen. Not so far away were high plains with herds of animals grazing. Lakes and rivers made fresh water not a problem on this planet. And like on Earth, the planet had a semi-tropical belt around its middle.

Gary asked for a run up or down the coastal areas where the rivers emptied into the oceans. The first one they saw was a river that emptied into the ocean. A large structure straddled the river and he was told that was a mining machine. He did not want to seem overly curious so he directed the craft to fly along the coasts. An hour went by and every river outlet had a mining operation on going. The conclusion was the Volens were extracting all the gems possible out of every river. Therefore, the mining operation was very important to the economy of the planet.

After they returned, Gary met gain with the leaders of Volen. He said, "I'll be willing to help in any way I can. Let's put out a feeler to see if they will agree to a meeting to discuss the grievances they have again you. I can't promise you that by me meeting with them, will help in anyway. You know them better than I do about whether or not you should prepare for war or not. Let's do all we can to prevent war. There're not any winners and both warring factions are losers in the end."

"We understand, Gary. In a few moments we'll send a message to the Ferox high command. After that we wait. You're invited to a dinner of your human food requirements. We have a beef like dinner with tubers and a leafy vegetable. We hope you'll like it. We too eat food, but in very small quantities. We love to eat fruit and hope you'll like it as well."

"We look forward to your dinner. Meanwhile, I'll study all of what you have on Ferox. In the meantime, if word comes from Ferox, please inform me of their answer."

Meanwhile, Gary studied what they had on the Ferox. It seems they were just a little on the war like being involved in some disputes over what, it was not clear. What was clear was they imported more than they exported. That trade imbalance would require some specie to make the accounting balance. Was that the reason they wanted to wage war against the Volens to obtain the valuable gems? It was sure something to think about.

The planet itself, Ferox was a desolated looking place. What he wondered was if the Ferox were mammal or maybe chemical like the Shadow beings. Here the Volens ate regular food, but they had not seen any females or youngsters running around. He made a mental note to check on that observation.

Andrea came by and said, "Take a break honey. You need to get some rest especially if you enter into negotiations with two different civilizations. Besides, I wonder where the females are on this planet. How do they reproduce and where are the youngsters. Seems strange to me."

'I too was thinking about what you just mentioned. I'm not sure if it makes any difference in why we came here or not. However, the more we know the better off we are. It seems like we humans are the only specie around here that have common sense. Let's see what develops."

A messenger arrived with a USB from Ferox. It was video message showing a strange looking alien that said, "Let it not be said we would not listen to others during a time of war. We welcome the representative from Choi. We have heard of his gift of tongue. Send a ship and we'll meet on a space station outside of our planet. We guarantee his safety."

Gary and Andrea took a nap before flying off into never never land. It was decided that they would use their own space craft for transportation. Without knowing how long or what kind of attitude the Ferox possessed, it was deemed sensible to take their own craft for if an escape was necessary, then they could scurry on back to their home planet.

The Volens asked Gary if it was okay if two of their members could accompany him to see the Ferox. Gary could see the logic and readily agreed. It was understood that the particular Volens had the power to agree or disagree regarding any issues that might arise.

About ten hours later, at light speed, they arrived at a space station orbiting the planet Ferox. The planet was cloaked in cloud cover making it impossible to see any land or water.

As they slowed to approach the space station, Gary took a deep breath and slowly exhaled onto the window that filled the glass with the space station. The station looked huge and like a city more than just a space station housing just a few astronauts. In a short while it would be game time.

~~~~

After docking a message came through saying a good will meeting would occur in about two hours of human time. Gary and his team relaxed. Freddy was busy with other members of the team reassuring them that to listen and make or take good notes.

As for Gary and Andrea, both were relaxing their minds to wipe out any preconceived idea or notions before listening to one side of an issue. The last thing either one of them wanted to do was jump to a conclusion. Also, do not react with a off the cuff remark that could come back to haunt you later on.

The Volens had been sitting quietly just waiting for the time of the meeting. They gave Gary a miniature video camera so they could see and hear the contents of the meeting. If the Ferox complained, Gary would tell them it was for his use later to review the meeting. A language barrier existed and that was why the camera.

The first look at a Ferox was rather shocking, but all the humans remained as stoic as they could under the circumstances. The strange thing was they somewhat resembled humans after a fashion. They were powerful looking with oversized heads. However, their dark eyes showed intelligence and seemed not threatening.

Gary had his translator box and when the Ferox spoke, with a grating voice that bordered on the soprano side of the scale, It said, "We are happy to have you visit us. We are proud of the fact we have open minds to see all sides of an issue. We'll present our side of a sore spot we feel threatens our planet and way of life. We know that there're some Volens with you and that's fine us. That way there're no misunderstandings between us. We're familiar with their language and vise versa. A human expression and one we like. You're our guests so we invite you to begin the discussion."

"First let me say we appreciate your openness for discussion on such an important issue. We humans tried to learn from our mistakes when we were evolving, but, sadly, it failed to bridge the gap between reality and insanity. On our planet the warring sides had thousands of nuclear bombs to literally destroy all forms of life for hundreds of thousands of years.

Even before the age of nuclear when conventional weapons were used, millions of humans died from wars. What I don't know is what weapons this solar system and planets that enjoy life, are used. Regardless, any weapon usually has the ability to take a life. Now, having said that, can you share with me the issue or issues that are a major grievance between you and Volens?"

The Ferox sat perfectly still looking at Gary totally expressionless. Gary wondered what he said wrong or were they just gathering their thoughts before replying. He felt Andrea reach under the table and squeeze his thigh. That gesture made him relax and wait out the Ferox.

Finally, a Ferox said, "Our main issue is with trade and the under production of the Volens gems. The scarcity has driven the price up and it's to the point of having to curtail other needs and services to compensate. We feel it's a deliberate strategy to raise the price of that commodity."

"I see," said Gary making a note in his tablet. "Do you have any evidence other that just speculation that we can present to the Volens?"

"We have spies that have informed us of the deliberate slow down of harvesting the product. However, such a thing is very difficult to prove. But remember, the price has almost doubled in the last fiscal period we call annually. It's not only us that are suffering from the high price, but other civilizations as well."

Gary sat still with his mind out running the fastest processer known to him. It appeared that this issue would not have a successful ending. How to prove a slowdown was in fact happening or was the Volens stock piling the product for the intention of price hiking. This was a dilemma for sure. Help was needed, but where would any help come from.

He said, "I need to give this issue some serious thought. We learn at an early age that nothing is impossible. A solution is out there and we just have to open our eyes and ears to search for the answer. By the way, do you have any other issues that need bringing up for discussion?"

"We have a few others, but those can wait until we either solve the issue or go to war. It's not right in our solar system that one planet and one civilization possess a rare and valuable product which is in high demand."

"Very good and I am grateful for your frankness. We'll send a message when we want to meet again," Gary said standing up indicating the meeting was over.

Inside the space ship, the Volens were pacing back and forth like caged animals. When Gary and team entered they said, "We're not holding or stockpiling our gems. We're mining around the clock without a break only to service our equipment."

Gary said, still standing up, "I've no way to believe you or disbelieve your production of gems. I did see mining equipment when we toured the planet, but accountability would be difficult to prove or disprove. How do we convince the Ferox that all is being done to supply the market?:

"It's become ubiquitously fashionable to sport one or more of our gems all over the solar system. It's simply a matter of supply and demand. To go to war over the price of gems is just an excuse to invade our country to obtain the product. I can't see any way not to suggest to the Ferox that war is preventable. As you humans say, "Unless you can pull a rabbit out of a hat'' we are or should prepare for war."

"Let's not rush into war. Please sit down and let's think about an alternative to bring to the table."

They all sat at a conference table. It was Freddy who first felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. At first the Shadow beings thought the Volens were going to attack them. But, come to find out the Volens were about to do battle with the Ferox. Andrea had the same feeling as Freddy. The other team members just sat wondering what to do next.

Gary cleared his throat and said, "What do the Ferox have that is desired as an export product?"

The Volens thought about for a few seconds and said, "They have an animal that is much desired for a delicacy. If they could increase the production of that commodity, that would increase their income. We love that delicacy, but they have always said it was hard to raise for some reason."

Gary and Andrea immediately thought of Brad and Beth. This might be a project for them. He sat up straight and said, "I've an idea and let's rejoin our guests for another meeting."

Back at the table, the curious Ferox were a little puzzled over such a short time since the last meeting. But they were listening whenever the discussion began. Gary stated the case of their food product and would they be interested in having Gary and team evaluate the possibility of increasing the production with the possibility of off world production.

''You must mean our Eylin. Yes, we are proud of our special animal that all planets love to eat. Unlike the Volens, we aren't greedy and price our product fairly. I might add it's in high demand."

Gary asked, "Why don't you raise more and receive additional funds for your imports, such as the gems we've been discussing."

"Frankly speaking, we've not had a lot of success domesticating this animal. It's rather wild and doesn't seem to want to remain docile and content."

"I have a proposition for you to think about or consider," said Gary. He gazed from one Ferox to another to capture their attention. "We've a special human team that has had great success in increasing production from animals. Would you agree to a pause in hostilities for one of your calendar years to observe the success or failure of the project?"

The Ferox went into a huddle to talk it over. Andrea once again squeezed his leg for good luck. One Ferox said, "We agree, but only one condition. That condition is the Volens provide us a small discount on their gems to show good faith."

Gary knew he was over half way there. He said, "Let's adjourn again and I'll communicate the whole proposal to the Volens. Meanwhile, I'm going to send for our animal division to expect to travel very soon. The sooner we get the program instigated, the better for all concerned."

Back at the ship, the Volens were very excited and happy. They congratulated Gary and his team. They agreed to a twenty-five percent price reduction for the average amount of gems that the Ferox purchased over a year's time.

Gary sent a message to Brad and Andrea to pack a bag and take a spacious space ship to Volen where they would meet up. Andrea nodded her agreement.

However, one thing nagged at Gary. He wondered about the climate and environment of the Ferox planet. He wanted to see it first hand before leaving. He asked for all things necessary for life on a planet: water, sunlight, shelter and so on.

The next day a Ferox ship took them down to the planet's surface where the Eylin were pastured. Needless to say, Gary was not impressed. These bovine like animals were grazing on very sparse grass. It also obvious the pastures held too many for one herd to feed on.

Gary asked his guide, "Is this typical of your raising of the Eylin in or on conditions like this?"

"Yes, it is. We've many of these pastures, but they need more feed to grow up to processing weight."

"Do you ever supplement their food supply with other grains?"

"No we don't. We think that is not cost effective to import food to raise our animals."

"I see," said Gary. He was thinking of taking some of the Eylin off planet and raising them on a planet that had grains aplenty. However, before that happened he wanted some research on the other civilizations taste for the Eylin. Also, he wanted to taste the meat and so did the rest of the team of humans.

They received some Eylin meat and Gary broiled it along with some potatoes. The whole team was sitting with their mouths watering as it smelled really good while it cooked. When it was ready, Gary dished it up to all and one for himself. Nobody cut into until Gary took the first bite. He looked around, smiled, raised his eyes to a higher power, cut a chunk and began to chew. The others followed suit. Gary smiled and looked at the others while they too chewed with delight.

He said, "Delicious, do you agree?"

Head nodded and it was not long before the plates were clean. Gary thought, 'Hey Brad, you're going to go nuts over this meat.'

With a big smile and a wave, they left the space station for Volen. The trip back was a happy one. However, they were not expecting what confronted them upon arrival.

~~~~

As they landed and waited for the Volens to ask for a meeting, Gary went over the geography and climate reports on Ferox. He read what he expected that the climate and geography was not suited for the high production of an animal for both local and export. The numbers showed that once again, aliens did not use common sense to manage their economies.

Gary was interrupted by a messenger said a meeting was going to happen in a short while. He gathered his papers, box and they left for the meeting. Gary thought it would be a friendly meeting and expected a thank you for him and team.

Indeed he received the thank you and one said, "You averted a war, Gary and team. We thank you for that. I'm sure you have a plan to increase their production and now that confrontation is, hopefully, over, we have something very important to talk to about."

Gary came fully alert and this sounded like something he really did not want to hear. It's been one thing after another the last few months. Now he was about to hear more problems that somebody had. The Volen continued, "It seems you were originally sent her to see if we had intentions of going to war with the planet Choi. I doubt we can assure you verbally, but we have or had no intention of warring with them. We're aware of their spies on our planet and they're aware of our spies on their planet as well.

This is what we think happened. They knew the Ferox wanted war with us. What they really wanted was us to go to war and after both civilizations were weakened, they would swoop in for the spoils. Let it be known that with a takeover of our planet, that would give Choi total control of our gem production. They would provide Ferox with a token amount to satisfy their end of the spoils. Does any of what we say make any sense to you, Gary?"

Gary thought, how can this be? Is it the truth or make believe? How can it be substantiated? How do we humans fit into the overall scheme of things? Once again, Andrea squeezed his leg for strength.

Gary said, "Let's assume for the moment you're telling the actual truth of the matter. What or how does that affect us humans and what about our plan now to increase a gourmet product to boast the Ferox income?

"We're not sure about that, Gary. What we're sure about is you humans are to replace the Choians over the centuries to come. They are to the point of not being able to reproduce in their original form. We believe the chemical that gives them life has somehow affected their reproduction. Anyway, you are to be their replacements.''

"This is simply overwhelming to think of such a thing happening to us. What would the ramifications of the change over time do to us?"

"We don't know, but you've changed the plan with the fine negotiating between us and the Ferox. The Choians probably won't like it one bit. However, like you humans are fond of saying, 'There's more than one way to skin a cat.'"

"We humans like to trust and be trusted. Our former politicians and the power brokers of corporations were not trust worthy. The Choians removed that part of our society and replaced it with humans that have pride and satisfaction of having done a good job. Now, we see our hosts are not as trustworthy as they led us to believe. What advice might you have for us humans?"

The Volens went into a group huddle. A long minute went by and then one said, "We advise you to return and see what develops after awhile on Choi. Pretend nothing has happened other than what you and team accomplished. Get your eyes and ears open. Go ahead with your plans of making humans happy and satisfied with life. We have a spy that will keep you appraised of what we learn after you leave here. Don't be surprised at who it might be or what it looks like. Trust it completely, but weigh the information the best you can."

"We'll do just that very thing. In your opinion, is the planet Choi well protected or how powerful are my hosts?"

"Indeed they have a shield that by all accounts is impregnable. We do have such a defensive weapon as well. War is not something any of us in this solar system like. But, apparently they think our gems are valuable enough to wage war. It's entirely possible they know something we don't. They might have a unknown system that when they tested the gem market with our product, the desire was great enough to want to control our gem markets."

"We are grateful for your information. We want to remain here until another team arrives to survey the idea of increasing the export of the delicacy the Ferox possess."

''You're welcome here for as long as you like. Feel free to tour our planet if you like."

Leaving the meeting, Gary thought about Freddy being present. Would he report to the Shadow beings what was said at the meeting, or would he keep quiet. Was it time to have a little chat with Freddy?

~~~~

Brad and Beth came in roaring ready to tackle the job. Beth had caught Brad's enthusiasm and both Gary and Andrea thought it was refreshing. Little Adam was with them and if all things remained equal, Adam would follow in his father's footsteps. Beth thought the one she carried was another boy, but that remained to be seen.

It was a nice reunion. Gary and Andrea needed the support from their dear friends. They had been thrown together just a short two years ago, but as humans hunger for companionship, this worked exceedingly well. To the original foursome, it was not strange at all to develop such a close friendship. Simply put, there was not a lot of choice. Indeed, one has always a choice, but on a planet with only four humans, to leave the group would be a lonely experience.

Brad said, after the hugs were performed, "What's so urgent that you're in need of our services. It's hard to believe that civilizations such as these lack the common ability to reason out a problem or issue. I think they advanced right by the common sense period in evolution. Their technology, in most cases, is way beyond us, but then, a simple problem arises and, boom, they need us. Well, so much the better for us. Now what must we do to solidify your negotiations to have peace around here, wherever, here is."

Brad laughed and relaxed for the first ttime in days. He said, "There's an animal called a Eylin that the Ferox have sort of domesticated for export. It's a delicious meat and you'll have to sample it to see what I mean. Your job is to increase the production to increase the Ferox bottom line. They want the gems that the Volens have at a lesser rate and more of them. The Volens say they have only a finite amount and supply and demand the price of the commodity. The Volen agreed to a twenty-five percent discount while we are in a growth period for the Eylin specie. It looks, by the way, like an African Impala."

"What seems to be the main problem of increasing the herds?"

"I see two problems; one is the lack of feed or pasture to raise the animal and the difficulty of domesticating the specie. We can, if need be, take the specie off world to a place where grazing would be more productive and add the artificial insemination to the herd. I leave it all in your hands," said Gary

"Won't the Ferox get nervous if we move some off planet to another one," asked Beth.

"Yes, we mentioned that situation. Wherever you decide to take them, a team of Ferox will be there to confirm the population numbers. What I didn't see was their processing plants. Take a look at that end of things also. We humans have or are susceptical to disease. I don't take the Shadow beings word we can't get sick. In fact that brings up another important subject to talk about."

Making sure they were alone and no eavesdropper was listening, Gary lowered his voice and told the story of double cross and strange alliances that might develop. The main point being, it was the situation and the future of the human race out here in space with no place to go.

"Lord have mercy," said Brad. "I don't mind being used, but be upfront with me on the why kind of thing. Sneaking around behind our backs is like a poison snake slithering around your body while sleeping."

"My God, Brad. Can you be a little more graphic," said Beth, holding onto Adam more tightly. "You scare me and Adam to death."

"Sorry bout that, but I guess I made my point a little too strongly. What do you suggest, Gary and Andrea?"

"Let's just keep doing what have been. Let's look innocent, but keep our eyes and ears open. I worry about Freddy most of all. His ties are strong to the Shadow beings. He knows about the entire situation from A to Z."

"If nothing else let's show this solar system what us meager humans can do or accomplish. Animals, you know, like me, need food to function. The more of it, the happier I am. Same with animals. We give those Eylin some tasty grains or whatever and watch them grow. Speaking of food, I hope you have some Eylin to taste?"

Gary made dinner of Eylin and potatoes for his friends. Brad raved over the taste of the Eylin. He said, "This is some kick ass stuff, Gary. It's taster that a rib eye steak. No wonder omnivores love this stuff. Our specie will love the hell out of it."

Gary said, "Before we go home, let's take a look at the Eylin and see the herd in action. I think we can have some ideas and that will be good when Andrea and I go back to Choi. I'm still suspect about those gems of Volen. It's not easy to hide inventory for a long time. Spies about around her so word must come sooner or later. Well, let's take a rest and leave when we are refreshed."

~~~~

''Our sources inform us of Gary and his team negotiating a temporary peace between Volen and Ferox. It could become permanent if all goes well to satisfy both sides. It seems the Volen will discount the gem by twenty-five percent and the Ferox will increase production of their valuable commodity the highly sought after Eylin meat. We realize it affects our plans, but a new plan must be devised, don't you think," asked a senior council member of Choi.

"Apparently what we thought would happen, didn't happen. Let's not underestimate the humans in their ability to look at a problem logically and sensibly. It's quite possible we made a mistake when we asked Gary to first mediate and then negotiate grievances. It's obvious he excels at that skill. I think we should rethink the whole program. To reveal our hand now would bring alliances upon us without question. We don't know for sure if we can defend ourselves against more than one civilization."

"I agree, but it would be nice to add Volen to our domain. You know, the old politicians and the wealthy of human history could possibly have an idea how to exploit the gem commodity. Let's send an emissary to test the waters. Be prepared, however, to grant a lot in return from their assistance. They're a greedy lot and since having to actually work to live, are not a happy lot at all."

~~~~

Brad and Gary, along with family and other crew members landed at a Eylin feed lot on Ferox. The first thing that hit their senses was the awful smell of scat. To make matters worse, the wind was blowing in their direction. With some form of face cover they hurried to the structure where the processing of the Eylin was taking place.

Inside the facility, the smell was not any better. Additionally, the inhumane treatment of the animal was nauseous. They were electrically prodded repeatedly from beginning to end. The only thing to do was shake their heads at such a primitive method in such a high tech world they lived in.

They observed and then went out to the lot where hundreds of Eylin were waiting for death to come. Contrary to what most people think, animals sense their demise coming. Some males on the perimeter were searching hard for a way out of the impending death awaiting all of them. They could jump very high, but the fence was higher than they could manage.

It was also dangerous to be in the feed lot with them. They would charge the handlers with their heads down, but the long electrical prod stopped them in their tracks. They would lie on the ground twitching for a few minutes and then struggle to their feet.

Brad said, "We can do better than this. Let's get the project going soonest we can. I want to start a program off this planet and also begin a feeding program here on this desolate place. Let's inform them that we humans will take over the entire operation from a date to be agreed upon."

"Sounds good to me," said Gary walking back to the fresh air of the inside of their space ship.

When all were sitting around relaxing, Gary said, "We'll go back now and report our findings. All of us should go about our jobs with a blind eye as to what seems to me all is not what it appears as to why we're here. They led us to believe we were being saved from our own greedy upper classes and war mongers. Yes, that has a ring of truth, but it also appears they've an underlying purpose for us humans. But, before we revolt, which would be futile against such a powerful being. It could be the end of the human race or even worse, servitude scrapping by like the politicians we observed pioneering a wilderness. Yet, that might not be so bad after all. We could do it just fine, but our parents might find it difficult to live that kind of life."

"We're counting on you, Gary. We'll follow what you suggest while we continue our work. Already other civilizations have seen what we can do. Soon the Shadow folks we'll either do one thing or another. They could either try to work with us or suppress us."

"I agree with you, Brad. I don't like to keep secrets from our kind, but maybe ignorance is bliss, in this case. I know this next statement sounds off the wall, but you know our greatest president was Abe Lincoln. The fact was he didn't have any close advisers to guide him through his term of office. He had to make all those discussions by himself. Probably the reason he was so successful was of his nickname: 'Honest Abe'.

Be that as it may, I think we four have the same type of personality as old Abe had. A lie is hard to remember, but the truth is never forgotten. Not sure who coined that one, but history is full of pearls of wisdoms."

~~~~

"Gary and Andrea, we hear great things about you negotiating a peace between two great civilizations. All of the planets in this galaxy are certainly curious who these articulate humans are. Can we assume that the war threat from the Volens was misunderstood?"

"I think so. The precious gem is in such high demand, that its price has increased enough to make the Ferox upset. They believed the Volens were holding back inventory to inflate the price. To me and our race of humans, a small thing to wage war over. However, our human history has that very thing at its roots of war. Well, we implemented a program to increase the production of Ferox prize export, the Eylin, while the Volens offered a discount for the gems. A year was agreed upon to see how the agreement was working. Brad and Beth are heading up that program. I've little doubt that it'll work and that should take care of the conflict for the near future. After that, who knows what might happen."

"Good work and what can we do to help this program along," said a Shadow being without any expression or any reading between the lines.

"We need a planet that has a good climate to grow grasses and have extensive areas of fertile plains. Much like the Mid West of the United States."

"We have a data base in our computers. Take some time and see if there's one or two that will suffice. I suppose you'll need large transport ships to move the beasts. If the Ferox lacks such ships, we'll be happy to supply the transportation for them for a small fee."

Gary and Andrea left wondering if all was well and good with the Shadow folks.

After the humans left, one said, "I think, after the transfer of the delicious Eylin animal, we attack both the Ferox and Volens to take their valuable products for our own. Who is with me on this proposition?"

There were five council members sitting or floating around the room. The final vote was three to two in favor of war. The head council member said, "Let's get our war machine primed. I want our military leaders here in however long it takes them to arrive for a meeting."

~~~~

Andrea asked, as they traveled to the computer center, "What do you think about a future war or not?"

"I think this needs some thought and needs some ideas from all of us what or how to deal with the idea of war. If war breaks out, where do we fit in the scheme of things?"

Gary said, "The most valuable thing the Shadow beings have is the chemical Zarnich. I think the best indicator of war would be their increase defense of the planet Chora and maybe Chuppi where they process the chemical. Other than that, I don't know what we can do. We can't alert the entire human population. But, we can have an escape plan if worse comes to worse. The 'how' to transfer millions of humans is beyond me. We'd need to know how the Shadow beings did it. To discover that process is risking the fact we know something and maybe we know too much."

Freddy was waiting for them at the computer center. He was always smiling. Gary wished he could trust him more, but Freddy had to be considered a 'which ever way the wind blew' kind of guy'.

In any case, Gary and Andrea both realized they could not make any mistakes. Freddy was a risk they could not take a chance on. However, he had a pipe line to the hosts that remained unclear to Gary. At any rate, Gary had to consider him a spy and he left it at that.

After a long search, two planets, not so far away from Ferox, were found suitable. At least on screen they appeared what they were looking for. Gary passed on the location to Brad and left the rest in his good hands.

With that job taken care of, Gary and Andrea went home to take a rest. Andrea had been a great soldier all through the process even though she was pregnant. She never complained and by listening carefully to what went on and what was said, she could regurgitate it almost verbatim.

It was time to rest and it was time for their daughter Eve, to spend some time with the parents.

A pleasant shower together and then a nap, Gary and Andrea made ready for both sets of parents to arrive for dinner with Eve.

After a dinner with the famous Eylin meat, the grateful parents raved about the great taste of the new found meat. They wanted to know more and Gary happily told the story, but left out the suspicious parts. The grandparent's loved the adventure they experienced. They expressed a desire to do some traveling, but realized it was not for pleasure, but business. Besides they were happy doing what they were doing with their grandchild and looking forward to the new one coming.

With Eve between the two parents, all three slept the sleep one always wished each night: peaceful and dreamless.

Across town, deep underground, a dim lit room was buzzing with activity. It was the secret war room of the Shadow beings. Their top military staff had arrived from all over the galaxy. Only a few really knew how big the military was. If other civilizations knew, they would be foolish to even think of waging war against such a power.

If Gary knew, he would have immediately changed his thinking. But, Gary was patient and would not do anything until he had a complete report on anything. He needed some spies and needed them as soon as possible.

The problem was, where would he recruit anyone who might report on the Shadow beings? He took a deep breath and let it out with a slight whistle. Little Eve giggled at the sound and Gary turned towards her trying not to wake up a sleeping Andrea. Gary again blew little streams of air across Eve's face where she loved the air caress. The next thing Gary knew she sat up and blew back into his face with a splatter of fine misty spit covering his face. He wiped it away laughing out loud, which woke up mom.

"What're you guys doing that's so funny early in the morning? I was having a nice dream and then I heard laughter where laughter shouldn't be in my dream. Come here and give your mother a hug, little girl."

Eve turned to her mother, laughed, then blew in her face just like she had done to her father. Andrea was shocked and after wiping her face with the sheet, saw that both Gary and Eve were laughing their heads off.

"That's funny?" she asked acting a little angry. "Who showed you how to that, Eve?"

Not able to talk yet, Eve understood and looked at her daddy.

"I thought so. Let's go get some breakfast, shall we?"

Later at the office, Gary had a chance to talk to Freddy. He had decided to lay some heat on Freddy to make sure he did not tell too much information to the hosts. Also he sent a message to Brad asking for him and Beth to see if the new planets might be suitable for human habitation.

If for example, Brad needed large transport ships for moving his herds of animals, Gary wondered how many humans might fit in one or more of the transport ships. What he really wondered was whether or not the Shadow beings would become suspicious of so many humans relocating to the new planets. Gary needed a convincing argument that was for sure.

Freddy listened while Gary talked about maybe the Shadow beings were using him. When Gary had finished, Freddy said, "You're right as always, Gary. I was so grateful to walk again and use all of my body; I felt I owed them a lot. Now I can see they used me for their own gain. I'm human and not an alien. I'm smart enough to play their game and will keep you abreast of anything I hear."

"The information we need, Freddy, is whether or not they're planning on waging war upon Ferox and Volen. I've a hunch they're in the planning stages right now. Nobody has any idea how long it would take them to launch an attack, but we have to assume it's in the very near future."

''They asked for me this afternoon. I've yet to give them my report on our journey. Let's see what I can find out. They give nothing away with any gestures or things like that. I think it will come from a directive for me to look into something. That something might have war related uses, but seem innocuous to us.''

Sometime later, after Freddy had left, a stranger walked in wanting to see Gary. Gary appraised his new stranger. He appeared totally human in appearance. However, his voice was not in sync with his gestures. Gary guessed this was an AI with a human body. After the introductions he realized his guess was correct. What he did not know was Vorki was sent from Volen to be his Choi spy.

They sat down and Gary listened. Vorki said, "I'm your new team member, Gary. The Volens told you that they would have spies on Choi to help guide you in what the current situations are mostly concerning war. We've reliable information that the Choians military leaders are gathering here to plan war against us and our neighbor Ferox. No, we don't know when this will begin, but we're preparing as we speak. The Ferox are preparing as well. What we don't know is their shield strength. We've been led to believe it's impenetrable. However, in our long history no defense is absolutely impenetrable."

"What do you suggest we do, Vorki?"

"Your team that is transferring the Eylin to another planet that is capable of animal life should be your destination. Or at the very least, the caves when they mine the chemical Zarnich."

"Transportation is a big problem for us because we're so many," said Gary with a little desperation in his voice.

"We understand and we also know the Choians want to keep you safe and sound. Perhaps between the two methods you humans will survive intact. In addition, there're more of me like humans out there gathering information. I think I know what you're thinking: What if Gary and team try to negotiate a peace before war happens?"

"None of us in the solar system and in the galaxy thinks they would be open for negotiating a peace. They want the gems and the Eylin for themselves. That would give them a monopoly on three, which includes their ore Zarnich, gems and a food that is very much in demand at any cost."

"If I alert my people, then the Choians will suspect we know more that we should. What do you suggest?"

"Play dumb and let it develop. We would like to see you and your team members, including the ones working with the Eylin, stay safe and out of harm's way.''

"In your opinion, how do you think this war will turn out," asked Gary with Andrea just walking in.

After introducing his mate, Vorki said, "We are not without the means to wage war, but in the final analyses, it remains to be seen who the victor is."

"If we were on Earth, nobody would be a winner and all are losers in the short term and especially, the long term. It's a form of population control and for the arms makers a chance to fatten their bulging pockets of money till it bursts."

''I'll leave now and when I've some additional news, I'll contact you soonest I know. That contract might be at your home, so be aware that news doesn't always swipe a clock."

''Anytime night or day. Day time is best as the Shadow folks hate a bright light."

Vorki left and Gary discussed what happened before she showed up at the office. After all was said about the visit, Gary said, "I think we need to stay here and protect our people the best we can. Our parents are here and many families live and work here. If an attack comes, how or what we do is an unknown. I'll ask Freddy when he returns later from his meeting with his superiors. Meanwhile, let's enlighten your parents and mine too."

Just after lunch time, Freddy found Gary and Andrea in the park playing with Eve on the swing. Freddy was smiling giving Gary a heads up that the meeting with the Shadow beings went well.

Freddy said, "I'm not sure, but I do have some information that might be useful. They were really concerned and interested in the agreement with the two planets about gems and the Eylin product. Specifically how they treated you and why were you so successful. I told them you had a gift of gab and had the right personality to make all parties feel at ease.

After that, they asked about how popular you are in the solar system. I think they were scared of the power you're developing. Anyway, they questioned me about the locations of higher levels of government and things like that. Be that as it may, I think they're planning on war. It's just a feeling, mind you. What shall we do, Gary?''

''I wish I knew, Freddy. The only thing I can think of is to keep our eyes and ears open. We need to know what is happening so we can go from there. If you think the Shadow beings are scared of me, then maybe my life is in danger. But, let's not overreact. Our vision of war is where airplanes, cannons and tanks roar around blowing things up. I'm not sure that is what will happen in this war."

"Oh, by the way, they wanted to see you after your afternoon office time. They seemed rather casual about it, if that is any consolation. Well, I'm off to run a dumb errand."

Andrea had been listening while pushing the swing with Eve having a great time. "Gary, I'm a little scared of what might happen. Not so long ago we were excited about having a baby and now we've another on the way. A war between planets is not my idea of being happy living off world. Isn't there something we can do?"

Gary saw the look in her eye that was asking for guidance in a stressful time. He said, as reassuring as he could be, "I'll do what I can to make us safe, but we've not a lot of options at this point in time. I'll bring it up at my meeting with our hosts this afternoon."

"Let's go home and take a nap. Eve is ready for her snack and I'm a little tired. I want to fall asleep beside you and even if you're gone when I wake up, that's okay."

Gary made his way to the underground quarters of the Shadow beings. He was alone this trip. He knew the way and the procedure to do it on his own. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he sat down and waited for his screen to light up with English words.

It did seem rather more quiet that usual, but then there never was much outside sound when he met them. His screen came to life saying, "Welcome again Gary. Sorry to drag you away from your work, but we've some things to talk about with you. Before that begins let us say that your prowess as a negotiator and leader impresses us to no end. We feel we made a good choice.

What follows is as truthful as the universe gets. Throughout this solar system and beyond, we're known as the Choians. That name has always commanded respect for countless centuries of your time. We are more developed an advanced than any other civilization known to us. We evolved into pure chemical form. Our entire form is an entity of unbelievable knowledge. However, and this pains all of us to no end, we are slowing disappearing losing our form. At first it was thought some outside influence was affecting our form. But now we know that like a flake of your skin, Gary, we are losing miniscule flakes drifting off to somewhere unseen by any sentient being.

The elders of our race are pretty much gone. The only remaining Choians are about our age. We're the last of our race. For that event occurring we went outside and imported your race of humans to replace us. However, it seems that we misjudged the time factor by a few centuries.

We especially chose you and your three other friends as the elite next generation humans to run or govern our planet and all of our outside holding. You were chosen, after a long and thorough search on your campus, as our next leader with your three friends as part of your council.

You're wondering why we're telling you this story and at this time when you've only been here a short while. Let me tell you and then you can ask some questions. So far to date, you've done a fine job as an arbitrator and negotiator with three different planets or civilizations. You've made a name for yourself.

The Volens and the Ferox are planning to wage war against us. It doesn't seem that way to you, but let's assume it's true. The most valuable thing in this solar system and beyond is our chemical ore Zarnich. With the ingestion of the processed ore into a chemical, give the taker immense power of the mind.

The Volens and to a lesser degree, the Ferox want the chemical very badly. They suspect we are vulnerable and now is the time to attempt an invasion. Now, Gary, we've decided to take war to them. Regardless of what they've said to you, you have to trust us. We're ninety nine percent sure our shield will protect this planet and our other planets, Chora, Chezi and Chuppi.

Our military is in place waiting for our signal to begin war on our neighbor. We don't really anticipate any great loss of beings from any side of the conflict. Mostly it's just a show of force and a determination to finish the job if we have to. Be that as it may, war begins in a few hours of your time. Any questions?"

"As you know, Brad and his mate are transporting the Eylin from one planet to another. Are they safe?"

"Yes, we've sent word for them to stay on the transferred planet for the time being."

''How long do you expect this war to last?"

"No real way to determine that answer at this point. But if the Volens and Ferox are reasonable and can see the event as it unfolds, then I think they'll ask for you to negotiate a peace. Let' hope so."

"I've nothing more except, what if they invade and your shield does not hold?"

"You're still safe as they trust you in all things. Humans are here and here to stay."

"I'll go home and wait for developments. This is a sad time for us and for all of us who reside in this system."

~~~~

At home Andrea and her parents, along with Gary's parents, were anxiously awaiting his return. There was no mistaken his gloomy face that the meeting did not have any good news. He sat down heavily and after looking at each one of them, said, "War is imminent. There's not much we can do to prepare or what we can do to protect ourselves. They assured me that no harm would come to the humans, which this fight was over the chemical Zarnich. Both the Volens and the Ferox want control over the most important product in this solar system. According to them, we are in very little danger as the shield will or should protect the planet from any devastation. If that were the case, why would either the Volens or Ferox attack?"

"Let's all hang out here," said Gary's dad. A nod of heads went around the room.

"We can stay at Brad and Beth's place while they're gone. I sure hope they will be safe. Have you heard from them, Gary," asked Brad's mother.

"Not directly, but they've been told to stay on one of the planets where they'll raise Eylin. Brad can and will take care of what he must."

A knock on the door startled everyone. Gary hurried to the door and when he saw who it was, relaxed. It was Vorki the AI spy from Volen. After he was introduced, he said, "I'm happy to meet all of you. I came to tell you that war has already started and that regardless of the results, you all should be safe. I really can't say any more than that at the present time, but I'm to pass on that your friends with the Eylin herd are safe as well."

"We thank you for that information. What about the shield that surrounds this planet," asked Gary?

"I'm not at liberty to answer that question. That information is at a much higher level than I'm at. Once again, try to remain calm and this whole thing should blow over in a few days. The main battles are being fought off planet in space. Wait a minute," he looked up and ceiling and stood still for a long thirty seconds. "I just got word that at this point in time the Choians are in full retreat back to where they are safe in another galaxy.

At that same moment, a rocket blast was heard and felt shaking the house. Gary said, "What is that!"

"That's the Choians high council leaving the planet. They were given the freedom of exile. The shield is down and our ships will be arriving shortly. I'm told you will meet with our leaders at your office in one hour's time."

"Are you saying the war is over," asked a shocked Andrea.

"Yes mom. You and your babies are safe and sound. This is a great day in history. The Choians have held the power over all of us for way too long."

"We have no idea what is happening or will happen, but if the fighting is over, then thanks to a higher power for that.

"Yes, it's over for the time being, but as long as there is something of value, a fight over who possess it seems to happen. For now, we Volens control the chemical and the gems. That in of itself is worth having to have a strong force of deterrent."

Another knock on the door brought forth Freddy who was still smiling after all was said and done. He said, "I'm here to escort you to the office, Gary and Andrea. I now work for the Volens. My how things change so quickly, even here, light years away for Earth."

~~~~

At Gary's office a part of Volens were gathered in the conference room waiting for Gary and Andrea to arrive. When they walked in, three Volens, dressed much different than when he visited their planet, gave a half bow.

Gary returned the greeting and then one Volen said, "Please sit down and let us tell you what we think should happen." Gary took his usual place at the head of the table and with Andrea to his right. Looked around telling them he was ready to listen.

"The Choians are gone to a distant planet where they have a satellite home to end their final years. You see, they were disappearing from over use of their own chemical. They discovered you humans too late to save them. They really didn't mean any real harm, but they were greedy. After we talk here, we'll go to their underground residence and I think you might be rather shocked at what you see.

Anyway, we want you and your fellow humans to occupy all of the Choians planets. Namely, Choi, Chora, Chezi and Chuppi. We are installing you as the ruler of all four planets. You and your council will govern these holdings. A central distribution point will be set up for the export of the chemical Zarnich. The export of the chemical will be a transparent operation for all to see. We all want fairness in all dealings. You'll be administrator of the entire operation.

It's the same situation with the Eylin. Your friend Brad and his mate are in total charge of that operation with the overall decisions concerning that product, coming from your council. You and only you have the final say in any and all issues that come your way.

We realize this is a lot of responsibility, but we need your help. It's for the best for all concerned. Now before you comment or ask any questions, let's take a look at the underground area that the Choians lived in. We have installed some temporary lighting for all of us to view what they left behind."

As they rode to the tunnel, Andrea had a death grip on Gary's hand. They had been warned a shock was about to be seen, but never in their wildest dreams were they prepared to view the warehouses.

Entering the tunnel and then deep within the underground area, the lighting showed how advanced they really were. Smooth plastic walls with floors of the same material. Side tunnels branched off in all directions. Later Gary would investigate many of those side areas.

A Volen said, "Be prepared to see what happened to your fellow humans." They entered a well lighted cavern through a special door. What they saw made their jaws drop open.

Lined up in rows side by side and stack four deep, ran cubicles of humans for a far as the eye could see. There were thousands and maybe hundreds of thousands of a reddish cubicle of liquid that housed a naked human.

"Yes, Gary and Andrea, they're alive. They're being fed an increased amount to accelerate their growth into the Shadow beings. This entire project is automated. To turn it off would result in all dying. You can see," as they walked closer to one of them, "a timer tells when the event is over. From what we gather, this group here and there is others, ends in about fifty of your years. We suggest letting it run the course. What we don't know is at what level they'll be when the event ends."

"Meaning that is a bridge to cross when it happens," asked Gary.

"Yes. We have no idea what mental state they'll be in. However, you'll have the ability to isolate them in any case before releasing into society or releasing onto another planet."

Andrea gave off a shudder thinking about it. She said, "Excuse me, but from what we understand, we're consuming that chemical every time we eat the food here. Have you any idea what affect it might have upon us, say, in ten years time?"

"We know this much. The chemical allows you to live much longer than you were accustomed to. Our math tells us that when after you have been here for ten years, your bodies age has only advanced one or two years. You'd better get used to the idea that you'll be around for a long, long time."

~~~~

