Ripped Apart: Quantum Twins – Adventures On Two Worlds

by Geoffrey Arnold

  The lifestyle of the Meera village was firmly rooted in the past. It served as a basis for research into the traditional lives of the San, for the San themselves as a way of maintaining their historic traditions, and as a tourist venue, with visitors staying in the nearby Tourist Village.

  As a result, there were no physical reference points for language outside of the Meera’s very simple lifestyle. Her compiler was struggling with the different syntax of three languages and, particularly as a result of the very different concepts inherent in Aurigan, mistranslations abounded. Amongst others, the Tazian for ‘planet’ became ‘sun’ in Meera. When Tullia later discovered that the word for ‘sun’ sounded the same, she was not surprised. Many Tazian words sounded the same as each other, the accompanying thoughts providing the appropriate meaning.

  As they started to talk again, she held up her hand. They fell silent as she drew some more, explaining about Kaigii, her twin. ‘He is with tall trees. And,’ she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

  The Meera nodded and smiled.

  She drew them a picture of a tree which was totally unlike anything any of the villagers had ever seen before. With her compiler storing in her brain an ever increasing number of words, and their obvious interest and understanding, she tried to explain how she had arrived on Kalahari. She was amazed from their reactions that what appeared to be a simple, even primitive village community that was in the middle of nowhere and with no signs of any technology seemed to understand what she was trying to explain. She rationalised that it had to be their Aurigan legacy.

  Fortunately for Tullia she was unaware of the impression she was creating. With her aura still very excited and the red, flame-like patches all over her constantly moving arms and legs, she looked as though she was on fire. Added to that were her hands. Compared to Tamina’s dancer’s hands, Tullia never considered her fingers especially long or supple, yet as she drew and gesticulated, to the Meera they appeared to be very flames themselves. And when her eyes twirled: a Sun Goddess with eyes of purple fire.

  Scrabbling around on hands and knees, drawing in the sand with a look of fierce concentration on her face and her long, bright pink tongue waggling out of the comer of her mouth, smiling as she learnt more of their language, the Meera saw a happy child. A veritable Daughter of the Sun Goddess.

  That was confirmation of what they had understood her to be explaining with the two circles she had drawn at the beginning, showing that she came from inside. Her mother was the sun and, as her daughter, naturally she had been born from within her mother’s body. Now she was explaining how she had travelled on a ray of sunlight. And of course she came from another reality where she existed as pure fire.

  Slowly and carefully Xameb explained that the hills of Behengo she had seen on her arrival were where the Gods had rested after they had created the whole planet. And that they still lived within those hills. It was as if Gallia was speaking from within Gumma’s body. Admittedly, she said thought to herself, a Gumma that was a lot slimmer! Nevertheless, it was a comforting, Tazian quirk.

  Tullia was fascinated. Her people knew how the multiverse was created through science. Thinking about their history of the journey through space looking for a new home, she nodded to herself as she guessed the ten great Tazian Heroes and Heroines, Uddîšû as they called them, had to be similar to what the Meera were calling ancestors or Gods.

  Seeing Tullia nodding her understanding as though she knew the Gods; it was all so clear to Xameb. The Sun Goddess and the Sun God were the two halves of the sun: twins. Their children were twins who one day would be the two halves of the sun. And so on throughout all time.

  There was silence. With a start, Tullia realised that she had closed her eyes. She looked up, feeling embarrassed.

  Ghadi leant forward. There were no titles in the language of the Meera. ‘Mma’ was merely a polite form of address for a married or mature woman. He decided that was insufficient for a Goddess who he feared was about to burst into flames at any moment.

  ‘Great Lady, Daughter of the Sun Goddess, we are honoured by your visit. We offer help to find the Great Lord Sun God Kaigii.’

  Tullia’s compiler was having serious problems linking appropriate words and concepts between the two languages. She was struggling to accept what she was hearing. Being addressed as ‘KulaKesaa’ as if she were a Venerable and referred to as the planet’s Uddîšû. An image came into her mind of an WrapperEnactment. She had been the Aurigan Ambassador, wearing an outrageously gorgeous robe and headdress, the whole outfit flickering with changing colours. In front of her the planet’s ruler was bowing low, holding out his hands and offering her a bejewelled goblet from which both would drink as a sign of friendship.

  The compiler seized on the image and ‘honoured by your visit’ became ‘Honoured Ambassador.’ And the references to Qwelby were naturally translated as ‘KosiKosuu’ for a Venerable, and again as the planet’s Uddîšû.

  It was all too much. Tullia lowered her head as she sort to repress her smile at being addressed as if she were over one hundred and forty-four years old. The amusement relieved her tensions, and she dwelt for a moment in the comforting memory of the WrapperEnactment.

  A feeling stole though her. She was receiving from the Meera a sensation as if she was in a KiddyLiveShow, where the young audience believed her to be the Heroine, and she had to act out that role. Looking up, she saw energies of relief and expectancy. Glancing around she saw that what looked like the whole village was clustered around the huts, and just far enough away not to overhear conversation at an ordinary level.

  The Meera in the circle around her were relieved. Tullia’s regal inclination of her head had told them that their leader’s words were acceptable. And they saw that her energy had calmed and she no longer looked as though she was about to bust into flames and destroy the village.

  Tullia realised that she was required to reply. Her head was bursting from all the language she was learning. Her mind went blank. All she could think of was the greeting she had given the previous day, and it seemed safest to return to them the words they had used.

  Taking a deep breath and full of nerves, she sought strength by imaging that Ambassadorial role, stood up, brought her palms together in front of her heart, bowed her head and lifted her head back up. As she formed the Tazian words in her mind, she swept her arms down, unaware that her imaging and movement once again made it look as though she was on fire.

  Feeling very much as if she was in a LiveShow, she remembered to speak clearly. In a steady voice which surprised her, the Meera heard in a beautiful, deep, rich contralto: ‘I, Tullia, Great Kehsa Sun Goddess, Honoured Ambassador to Kalahari, thank you for your welcome and offer of help.’ It was embarrassing to describe herself as if she were an Uddîšû. Had she known the compiler was translating that as ‘Sun Goddess’, she would have corrected that, very rapidly.

  The group clapped their hands as they smiled and nodded.

  Towering over them, Tullia felt as if she was receiving the audience’s appreciation. She smiled with happiness that, once again, she had managed to say the right thing. Without thinking, she inclined her head as if on stage.

  A sigh went around all the Meera, not only had they had felt the power in her imaging, unknowingly, they had absorbed it. Seeing her on fire again, this time they had realised that it was not threatening but a display of her natural power. Now, seeing the smile splitting her face from ear to ear and feeling her happiness, they knew beyond any doubt that she was the young daughter of the Sun Goddess. The gracious inclination of her head had shown that she had accepted her due and was dismissing them.

  Why she was lost was a puzzle. And that was for their Shaman to solve, if and when the Goddess so wished. They rose, picked up their blankets, and moved off in different directions.

  Tullia felt immense relief. She had played her part, the part they required of an Extra Terrestrial, the audience had applauded, and left. It was to be some time b
efore she discovered that the applause had not been for any performance, but was the Meera’s way of showing that she had touched their hearts.

  With her head pounding, Tullia needed to be by herself and in the open. She walked out of the village and into the bush, noting the position of the sun.

  It was some time before she saw the tops of very different trees, and made her way to them. The three Mongongos towered high up into the sky. She wrapped her arms as far as possible around the trunk of the largest tree.

  ‘I must learn their language quickly and explain who I really am,’ she said. ‘Please help me find peace, or my head is going to burst wide open.’

  At the foot of their rich, grey trunks was a small area bathed in sunshine and clear of spiky bushes. She settled down to meditate.

  The clearing and especially what she thought of as Mother Tree was to become her favourite place for being by herself.

  CHAPTER 41

  CONFUSION

  KALAHARI

  Tullia awoke feeling relaxed and surprised. She never fell asleep when meditating! She got up, brushed sand off herself and her clothes, and rested her forehead against Mother Tree. Thank you, she thoughtsent. Although it was a windless day she heard the rustle of its leafless branches.

  Checking the height and angle of the sun, she headed back to the village. As she entered the small gate by her hut, Tsetsana approached.

  ‘You gone long time. I was worried, Great Kehsa,’ was what Tullia heard.

  ‘I sleep with big trees,’ Tullia replied with a smile.

  ‘How did you find your way back here?’ Tsetsana asked, in a surprised tone of voice.

  ‘The sun,’ Tullia replied, gesturing to it. And wondered why Tsetsana went bright red and her aura flared with embarrassment. Not realising that the girl was cursing herself for her stupidity and, at the same time, Tullia was confirming the tribe’s belief in who she was. Naturally, the daughter of the Sun Goddess had asked the sun.

  Tullia walked on to the Shaman’s hut. Xameb was sitting outside on a blanket. He rose, gestured, and they sat down together.

  He had spoken with Tsetsana about her morning with Tullia. Influenced in particular by what Tsetsana said had been Tullia’s horror at seeing the flame-like markings all over her body, he felt he understood Tullia’s mixture. She was a powerful Goddess who responded as such when approached formally. Yet, in her world she was a young woman and wanted the Meera to see her like that. He would approach her as it appeared she wanted, but carefully.

  ‘Will you tell me how I may help you find your twin, or…’ he gestured around them. ‘As you are here, will you walk the path of my people?’

  Relief flooded through Tullia. For once in her life she wanted someone else to take charge and tell her what to do. And she liked his energy field. He was not afraid of her, although she saw a strong measure of respect.

  The more they talked, the more Tullia’s excitement increased. As Gumma had explained, the compiler was reading her thoughts and memory recalls and associating them with Xameb’s words. She hoped it was doing that correctly as she explained that her people had no knowledge of gods or goddesses, instead, they relied on quantum science and the sometimes almost human manner in which it operated.

  ‘It seems to me the deep ways of our two worlds are very similar. We are only using different words to describe the same things,’ Xameb said.

  ‘I was thinking the same.’

  ‘Please explore the Tsodilo Hills. If you open to a deep connection with energies of this land, you will have a strong base from which to reach out to your twin. You understand?’

  ‘Oh yes. That is like at home. Anything to connect with Kaigii.’

  ‘Good. I will speak with Xashee. He takes tourists there, knows the paths well and our history.’

  ‘May Tsetsana come?’ Tullia asked.

  Xameb smiled and nodded.

  The sun was setting as Tullia returned to her hut. She saw Tsetsana coming towards her, bursting with curiosity, but reluctant to come too close.

  ‘Not now, Tsetsana, I’m tired.’ Neutrinos! I didn’t mean to sound so sharp.

  Tsetsana immediately looked down on the ground. ‘I am sorry. I did not mean to upset the Sun Goddess.’

  Tullia frowned at being addressed as “Uddîšû.” She gave a deep sigh as she accepted that she had been given various titles, and had to learn to put them on when other people used them. It was similar to the time she had taken several small parts in an KeyPoint LiveShow.

  The contrast stopped her thoughts with a jolt. This IS ‘First Contact’. I AM an extra-terrestrial. I AM like an ambassador. If they knew about quarks, twistors, XzylStroems: and Ing! If I could tell them, they would think I’m even stranger than an Uddîšû.

  She gave another deep sigh and saw Tsetsana glance at her, and almost shrink inside herself. She thinks this is all her fault. I can’t cope with all this! Her legs went weak. Drained of all energy she staggered and held out a hand towards the young Meera.

  Tsetsana reacted instinctively and stepped forward. Being so much taller than the Meera, Tullia had to bend down to put her arm over Tsetsana’s shoulders.

  Inside the hut, Tullia flopped down on the bed and made faint gestures. Tsetsana was awed at what she was doing for a goddess and at the same time puzzled. She could see she was helping a woman much taller and bigger than herself, but it felt as if she was holding someone the size of her seven-year old sister, Nthabe. Eventually, she got Tullia into her night robe and tucked her into bed.

  Too much was going through Tullia’s mind to let her fall asleep. She knew the Tazian third segment structured learning cycles in a precise manner, most especially during the second era between their twelfth and twenty-fourth rebirthdays. As hormones were released in a very specific progression, so youngsters were able to access increasing inner awareness and delve deeper into the knowledge that was held in the Collective and their own third segment. Now, Qwelby and herself were in the fourth phase of their second era: exploring the wider meaning of home and roots.

  She sat up, stifling a little cry with her hand. Was this it? ‘The Mystery’ as they thought of it. The reason for Quantum Twins? Was that why she was with the descendants of the Auriganii – in the third dimension – to link them with the Azurii through Qwelby? Restoring an Aurigan ‘home’ by spearheading the reunification of the two races? Tazii and Azurii. They would have to slide through dimensions. In their real bodies. And go home!

  Forgetting, she reached for her twin and almost cried aloud at the fierce stab of pain through her mind. Clutching her head she fell back onto the bed and lay there looking through the open doorway, over the other huts and into the millions of stars twinkling in the night sky.

  Steadily, she disciplined herself only to think about her twin and where he was as if he were a separate person. Their normal inner communication meant going to the empty corner in her mind. Too much pain. Trying to reconnect through meditation was different. That was outside their internal relationship. If I focus first on Wrenden, then image Qwelby alongside him… She smiled wryly at the idea of using Qwelby’s irresponsible youngerest as a helper.

  The energies here are so like at home, although much weaker, and there’s a lot about their energy fields I don’t understand, but I know that Xameb does understand. I feel it. I see it in his aura. He will help. As that knowledge steadied her and the pain in her head turned into its usual dull ache of absence, she rolled onto her side, curled up into a tight ball and fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 42

  A COVER STORY

  FINLAND

  School holidays, late nights, lots of excitement, the children slept late. By the time they came down for breakfast on Wednesday morning, Paavo was at work on the ski slopes, leaving his wife to explain.

  ‘Last night all four of us agreed. We will not tell the police or anyone about Qwelby. Well, that is who you are or how you got here.’ She saw him looking puzzled. ‘And we need to find a way to explain you.’


  ‘Why?’ he asked.

  ‘No-one must know you’re an alien,’ Hannu said, taking over the conversation.

  Relieved of the responsibility, Seija got up from the table, telephoned Taimi Keskinen, and got on with her morning chores.

  ‘But why?’ asked Qwelby. ‘You all know where I come from.’

  ‘They’ll want to take you away, experiment on you,’ Hannu explained.

  ‘They’re not all like my Dad,’ added Anita.

  ‘But we won’t let them,’ Hannu said firmly.

  ‘So, let’s plan,’ Anita added, tapping the table.

  By the time that Paavo returned from work and the Keskinens arrived for lunch, the youngsters had prepared their plans. Viljo was reluctantly dragged into the planning by his daughter’s suggestion.

  ‘Mmh,’ Viljo grunted, turning to look at Qwelby. ‘Dr Jadrovic has just gone back to his home country. It was an opportunity that came up at the very last minute and was too good to refuse.’ He took a deep breath, blew it out. ‘Anita’s right. We could say that a holiday had been planned and, as he didn’t want to disappoint his son, you’d agreed he could stay with you.’ He looked at the Rahkamos.

  ‘He was planning to bring his family here’, Taimi added. ‘He’d asked me to speak with his wife and tell her what it’s like. That’s not happening now.’

  ‘That’s perfect,’ Anita said. ‘That’ll explain why Qwelby’s been learning Finnish. Ready to go to school here.’

  ‘As he’s on holiday, we’ll have to take him round and show him all sorts of things,’ Hannu added with excitement. ‘Qwelby, you did say you’ve skied and skated on Vertazia?’

  ‘Oh, yes. I like both.’

  ‘Hold on a moment,’ interjected Viljo. ‘There’s one thing you need to understand. All three of you. Whatever country you’ve come from, Qwelby, you are already speaking Finnish well. And with a perfect accent. If I understand what is happening, you will be speaking it better as each day passes?’