With no warning, lightning began to illuminate the sky and ferociously bombard the stone circle. Thunder rolled across the plains and hot rain pelted the ground.
As David reached Stonehenge the storm began to subside and the farmer emerged from a pig ark he’d been sheltering in. Both were extremely concerned for the hippies’ safety. They ran to check on them.
As the newspapers of the day reported all they found were the charred remains of tents and burning tent pegs.
Their disappearances were never solved. The mystery is now only a small footnote lost on the internet.
Disconnected
2Stonehenge - Storms and tent pegs
(Earth Year 1971)
… from page 14…
Without warning the loudest thunder clap Colin had ever heard crashed overhead. He jumped up, briefly forgetting where he was. As he smashed his head on the underside of the tin he remembered. He liked lightning and it was still warm, very warm. A shower from the rain would not hurt, it may even help. Now that he had rested a little he felt in need of a wash, he did not want to be covered in after birth and pig shit any longer than necessary after all.
Crawling towards the front of the pig ark and stepping out into the rain and mud another extremely loud thunderclap crashed very close behind. Jumping he turned. The strike must have been near the stones. For the first time he was concerned about whoever was there. A weak white light started to appear and grow stronger. It was hard to see clearly through the rain that was lashing down so hard it stung. Colin got his bearings and realised it was car headlights. It could only be David coming to check the Henge. That was commitment for the beat cop.
Out of the corner of his eyes Colin saw the biggest strike of lightning he had ever seen. It was a white hot ribbon that hit right in the stone circle. He was only 200 yards from where it hit and the noise and shock wave actually knocked him back on his heels. As he regained his balance and shook the concussive noise from his ears he could still see the image of the lightning across the corner of his vision where it had burned itself there like a ghost. His heart was pounding. His mind caught up with events and all thought of staying away from the hippies was lost. He began to run towards them.
As he approached Stonehenge he heard David’s voice yelling, “Is everyone OK? Who’s there? Are you alright?”
The same thoughts were going through Collin's head. He called back to David. “It’s Colin here. I was over with a sow when I saw the strike!”
The two arrived within thirty seconds of each other; David in his soaked uniform carrying a torch and a first aid kit in a satchel. Colin looked like he’d been rolling in a mixture of blood, mud and straw, which he had. He looked a bit like a Halloween scarecrow.
“My goodness, Colin. I hope the sow is OK? You look awful. I have to say if anyone is in distress, especially if they’re high and frightened by the storm, I want you to stay out of sight unless I call for help. Is that understood? You’d make my old ma turn in her grave if she saw you.”
Colin looked down at himself and did not argue.
David went forward. The rain continued but was beginning to ease off slightly now. No more lightning and thunder was rolling over the plain. It was almost eerily quiet.
“Colin! Colin! Come quick,” yelled David.
Colin ran into the stone circle where he’d heard the noises and was sure he’d seen at least one tent. Only debris and some smoking tent pegs remained sizzling in the rain.
3Shock and Awe - Part 1
(Earth Year 2041)
Slowly Chris’s mind re-entered the reality of the here and now. Or at least what he presumed was reality. The experience of reviewing the memories of the hippies from his world was overwhelming. He looked at his drink, it was still steaming. How? Those memories, no experiences, had been almost a whole day. Chris looked to Adrii as she sat calmly sipping her drink and watching him closely, her sweet, bright blue eyes shining at him as she smiled reassuringly.
“Well?” Adrii asked gently.
“I'm still working on that,” responded Chris as he sat staring mainly at the hot drink in front of him. Eventually Chris reached out and touched the earthen mug holding his drink. “Hot,” was all he could say as he quickly pulled his hand away and blew on it.
Adrii sat quietly waiting, watching and taking a sip of her own drink. This spurred a response from Chris, not the one Adrii expected.
“My drink is still hot. Did you make me a new one while I was… away?”
For a moment Adrii looked confused then she laughed again. An infectious laugh that lifted the slight tension.
“You were not away, Chris. I think you are referring to the time that passed in the memories. My father, Ralph, explained it to me like this… We have dreams, long dreams that are over in seconds yet what happened in the dream, the details we remember, we perceive to take considerably longer than the seconds we dreamt them in. We have memories of whole days we can recall in seconds. The neural-net works in the same way.
“It is not like your TV where you need to view the whole emission to understand the whole experience or all the information.
“The Cranial Stone that your implant is made from is an amazing material. Illary, a scientist of ours from Pachamama guessed it is like the silica that your old computers used. We have never been able to get any to compare though.”
Chris sat in silence for another long moment trying to absorb everything Adrii had just told him and that he had seen. These realms that were primitive in many ways compared to mid-21st century Earth were light years ahead in other ways. He hadn't seen a single book the whole time he’d been in Millham for example. That, he found weird and somewhat discomforting.
“I have a friend who would love to help with that…” Chris responded still half lost between the moment and the thousands of questions rattling through his head.
Chris reached forward and picked up his drink in both hands. Almost as if holding it for comfort. He took a sip and then sucked hard as the hot herbal drink scolded his mouth. “Man, I miss milky tea!” he said. The scold jolting him back to the moment.
“Adrii, you’ve met me and my friends. Helping us get here to safety and I know we’ve had very little time to really talk trying to get here,” Chris paused and involuntarily shivered at the memories of the last few days, “but hopefully you did get to know us a little, and some of our friends back home. There are so many questions…” Chris trailed off not sure what exactly to say or ask. He felt like he had only heard part of the story. He knew the bit involving him. Yet he felt he'd only seen the beginning of the story that got him and his friends to this point. He had wanted so much to wake them but knew they needed rest.
“Go on, Chris. You can ask whatever you like. If I have an answer I'll let you know it.”
“I have lots of questions. But first I'm hungry and need some air. Can we go for a walk to the river to get some fruit? I liked the long red ones.”
Adrii grinned at Chris. “That, Chris, is an idea I like. My father used to take me on walks up the river when I was younger. Occasionally we still do. In fact that is where he first told me about your realm.”
“That's a memory I’d like to see, is that possible?” queried Chris.
“I tell you what, I'll show you where it is in the Guild of the Punku room and after you've seen it we'll go to the river. I can even take you to the places in the memory.”
“Done,” said Chris looking intrigued and still a little confused.
4Chosen - Memory recalled
(Earth Year 2009)
“But why, Father?”
“We’ve been through this, Adrii!” said Ralph slightly exasperated. “I need to explain something important to you. Family history. That’s why I’d like you to walk with me today. We can walk and talk today. No chores. Okay?”
Ralph was walking with his youngest daughter up the river from Millham towards the leats that branched off to irrigate the paddy fields. It was one of Ralph’s favourite
places and reminded him of his father Cauca, who had been Principal of Pachamama. His father had often brought him to this quiet spot to sit and talk and to watch the water flow down the small canal from the river. These leats were the life blood of the paddy fields as well as the water supply of the city. Cauca had told stories of how the river had brought him and his wife, Jane, together. The history and romance of the place made Ralph feel at home. Grounded and at ease. Today he needed reassurance as he was trying to explain a dark secret to his young daughter. A secret that threatened the safety of all people and not just in their city of Millham or his home realm of Pachamama but of all people in the sixteen realms that made up DiPacha.
It was a calm, sunny and warm day. The mountains above Lake Fosam could be seen and occasionally animals could be watched as they came down to the river to drink. Ralph and his young daughter, Adrii, had followed the same small path from their home on through the paddy fields and out to the river that they often followed. But today Ralph feared the walk rather than his usual enjoyment of it. Finally he understood the trepidation his mother and father had felt when they enlisted him in the Guild of the Punku. The walk had taken almost half the morning and Ralph had enjoyed watching Adrii as she walked or ran along the path. She was growing quickly now and turning into a young woman reminding him of his mother, her grandmother, with her blond tousled hair and thin strong frame. She had the same love of physical activity and a very keen inquisitive mind. They say the grandchild often takes after the grandparent. In this case, it was plainly true.
Ralph and his wife had struggled for a long time to decide when would be the right time to explain her grandmother's heritage. They would be trusting Adrii with this vital secret; and secrets were contrary to all Pachan culture! Together they had decided that Adrii was mature enough, she was ready. Ralph swallowed hard and continued the explanation he had started.
“Your grandma, Jane, came from another realm. We cannot easily visit the realm she came from. The realm was Chinkay WaytaPata, the Lost Garden Realm. This is our family secret.” Ralph immediately felt better now the words were out. He knew questions would ensue though. He continued quickly, “It’s a very important secret because almost all people believe that WaytaPata has all the resources we need to make our lives easier. We are lucky here with the river, lake and woods. The pastures that run along the river and by the reed beds. However, you know this is an island of green surrounded by harsh desert. And that this oasis is only here due to the generations who toiled before us to build the lake and divert the river. There are those who believe in WaytaPata; who believe that it has enough resources for all to share. We would not have to toil for each mouthful we eat. The problem is that other people already live on WaytaPata…”
“Father, is this some kind of joke? Grandma was a refugee from Chinchona?” said Adrii looking confused and concerned.
Ralph laughed remembering when he had learned the truth. “No, Adrii. That is the story they had to tell to protect your grandmother. The people of WaytaPata could be very dangerous to us, they do not understand our sharing culture. The people in WaytaPata know nothing of DiPacha at all. You’re sixteen cycles now right?”
“Yes, Father,” replied Adrii.
“So you understand that some people are stronger than others; yes?”
“Obviously, Father.”
“Good, the people of WaytaPata have technology I could never have imagined, until I saw it…”
“You’ve been there, Father?” interrupted Adrii sounding astonished.
“No,” chuckled Ralph. "No, in Illary and Kendra's workshop in Millham there are devices we can use to view what we originally called ‘emissions’ from WaytaPata. These were first found long before us. Old Illary was the first to fully understand them. The people of WaytaPata call these emissions ‘radio and TV’.”
“So in their realm they have technology that is very different to ours, stronger than ours and they do not believe in sharing to benefit. Is that it? But why can we not talk to them and explain it?”
“Ah!” said Ralph light dawning on him. She had accepted what he had told her. She was not resisting the knowledge. She had moved on already to ask questions about WaytaPata. He’d asked a similar question of his mother and father, Cauca and Jane, when he was about sixteen cycles. It had taken much longer for him to accept the existence of the realm, the new paradigm and the knowledge represented. He was not yet convinced Adrii had the language to explain what she seemed to instinctively understand.
“That is a very intelligent question,” he replied. “One that deserves the truth.” Ralph paused to gather his thoughts. He’d been born just over forty-five cycles ago and was the second child of Principal Cauca and Jane. Both of whom had sadly died in the last five cycles just before Ralph and his wife Miyla had started their family.
Adrii was their second child, Samin was their oldest and a strapping young man of nineteen cycles. He also took after a grandparent but in his case his grandfather, Cauca. With black hair the colour of the night sky and eyes almost as dark that both contrasted with his fair skin made him a striking figure. Samin had not taken the news about WaytaPata well and it had taken a lot of explaining. He had received a lot of counselling from the Chief Listener on Pachamama, Sarenen, before he had come around to understanding the situation. Many people had been worried he would have let the secret slip. If it had not been for the Listeners support Ralph feared his son would have not been able to understand the reasons why the secret of WaytaPata needed to be kept.
While Ralph reflected on these memories of his son he tried to think how best to explain things to his daughter. She had always enjoyed the Listener philosophies, Ralph hoped that the WaytaPata parables may offer a solution.
“Do you remember the parable of the two travellers the Listeners tell us?”
“I think so, Father,” said Adrii sounding slightly unsure. Listeners liked their parables. There were a lot to remember.
“I’ll remind you,” said Ralph smiling to himself. “Once a woman had to travel to TuyTuy Pacha to get the TuyTuy stones her realm needed for building houses and fetching food. She was travelling alone through the two realms that lay between her and the TuyTuy mines. Her journey was expected to take one quarter of a cycle to get there and back. There was no way she could carry all she needed with her as she had no TuyTuy stone yet. The return journey would be quicker as she could carry rations on the floating TuyTuy stones she was going to fetch.
“The journey took her across some barren lands where few people lived scratching out a meagre living. She would have to rely on these people who had little to share during her journey. She had been travelling for many days and accepting the little food she needed whenever she met someone.
“She liked to keep a day’s rations in case she did not meet anyone who could offer hospitality. Yet she had not seen anyone herself for a day and a night and had finished her rations leaving her with only had half a day’s water left. She was scared.
“On that same day she came across a man who was lost in the middle of the same cold dry plain. He had not seen anyone for three days and had a broken leg. He had a TuyTuy stone but no water for himself or to make the TuyTuy stone fly. He was close to death and said he was half a day’s TuyTuy stone ride from his home where he had food, water and shelter. But with no water to pour on the stone he was stuck and dying.” Ralph spotted Adrii’s eyes were glazing over. He knew that look, she was staying quiet only to humour him. At least he had raised a polite daughter…
“Look,” he said, “you get it. Long parable short. She shared her water and they were Okay. Sharing worked.”
“Yes, Father, I remember the parable now but how does that answer the question about WaytaPata? They have the food and shelter but they are not lost and close to death.”
“Yes they do have those things and they need nothing from us. In DiPacha we share because it benefits us all. What we have learned over the last fifty-one cycles is that our two socie
ties have grown apart. We originally shared as a survival need. If we did not we may have died, or at least many of the first settlers in DiPacha would have died. Sharing has become natural to us. It is hard to consider how society would work if we did not share.
“On WaytaPata they have so many resources sharing was never a necessity. From the history of WaytaPata we have been able to review and understand they have fought over resources. I need to explain that when they fight they can, and often do, kill each other. Not just one or two people but whole communities. Cities of people. This has been one of the hardest things for us to understand.”
Adrii was now looking shocked and pale.
“It is hard to explain this. When you’re ready I will show you so you can see for yourself. They do not, however, fight for survival, over basic resources like shelter, food and water. They do not fight as if there was only one jug of water left, only enough for one person to survive. In almost all cases the people of WaytaPata fight because they want more or believe something different from the person they are fighting with. They do not understand the abundance that they have.”
There was a long pause while Adrii watched the water of the river go by. The warm sun slowly bringing some colour back to her cheeks. She looked at her father saying. “I understand your words and what each one means but the sentences I do not understand. How can people treat each other like that? Life is precious, delicate and should be celebrated!”
“I agree, my love. This is the reason we keep WaytaPata a secret from all other Pachans, especially the Listeners. Imagine what would happen if people who only want more and more come here? We do have things they would want, TuyTuy stones and the Telelink for example. But they would likely take these things and destroy our society. This we do not want and cannot risk.”
DiPacha Lore Page 5