“Then we must not keep them waiting,” Bright said, indicating that Commander Beam lead the way.
The stabilizers on the Earth-bound Mothership worked beautifully, keeping the huge craft on course as it descended through the hurricane toward Cayman Brac. Alya Mark was experienced, having piloted and commanded several of the older generations of Motherships, Waterships, and transports through all manner of storms and solar winds throughout the galaxy. This new generation of inter-galactic Mothership was designed with superior handling and stability. Its ion-drive guided the huge craft effortlessly through the hurricane’s powerful, swirling winds.
The Mothership entered the roiling waters of the Caribbean one mile from the eastern shore of Cayman Brac. Alya Mark guided her craft down to a depth of three hundred feet, slightly above the sea floor, then turned her heading toward the horseshoe cove below Butterfly House, and waited.
The children, Bernie Lewis, the Margolin and the Martindale families stood impatiently on the beach below the steep cliffs. The storm was growing in intensity.
“They’ve parked a mile out on the sea floor,” Bernie shouted above the howling wind.
“There,” Scott Green yelled as he pointed to a light emerging from the water to their right.
“It’s the Probeship,” Bernie said. “Rose has them!”
Head Counsel Spooner was furious when the guard she had sent to fetch Gideon Mersky returned to her quarters without him.
“He is with the Costa female, Head Counsel,” the nervous guard told her. “Her quarters are locked. She would not answer my call.”
“You may go,” Spooner said with a wave of her hand. She then focused her telepathic powers onto Mersky. Before calling to him, she did something very un-Antarean. She locked onto his senses – an ancient power she had perfected during her priestly training. Such intrusion was forbidden by law, especially involving off-planet species and beings. What she experienced was confusing because she had, at that moment, stumbled upon the physical and emotional sensations of Earth-human lovemaking. Although it disturbed something very deep within her psyche, it was also intriguing and, if an Antarean can be titillated, she was. She then probed the same sensation center of Annabella Costa and found a very different emotion at play. Initially, Spooner thought it might be a male/female difference. But then she realized that while Mersky was sincerely immersed in what the Earth-humans called passion and love, Annabella Costa was not. She was play-acting, faking her emotions in an outward manner. Was this to somehow fool or control Gideon Mersky, Spooner wondered? The High Counsel withdrew her probe. “This Costa is a devious female,” Spooner said aloud. She summoned the guard to her rooms again.
“Go to the Brigade female’s quarters. They will come now. Bring them both to me.” Spooner then telepathed an urgent message to Gideon Mersky and Annabella Costa, interrupting their showery tryst. She demand their immediate presence.
As their parents exited the Probeship, the children raced through the hurricane’s wind and rain, across the wet, sandy beach, to greet them. There were shouts of joy, hugs, kisses, and tears. Eight of the children, including Beam Amato, whose parents were on missions, and thus unable to be there, stood back and enjoyed the reunion through the emotions of their peers. They were not jealous. They knew their day of reunion was close at hand.
Ben Green could not get over how his son Scott was the spitting image of his namesake, the son lost in the Vietnam War, nearly a half-century ago. Although he was only sixteen, he appeared to be the twenty years that the first Scott Green had reached before his death. When Ben released his embrace of his son, Mary Green grabbed Scott. She could not control her emotions. She hugged, and wept, and laughed, and kissed Scott’s face, trying to make up for the sixteen years of absent, physical motherly love. It was an uncontrollable release of seeing the reincarnation of her dead son. Scott, the stoic leader of the children, melted in his mother’s arms and also wept for joy.
Julia and Vincent Messina, Melody’s parents, did not recognize their grown daughter. They had prepared an image of a young girl. The adult who ran into their arms was far from that. They were stunned by her beauty and grace.
“You are a woman,” Julia tearfully told her daughter. She stroked her face. “Such a beautiful woman!” Melody also wept joyfully in her parent’s embrace.
While the children reunited with the parents they had not seen for sixteen years, Bernie greeted Ruth Charnofsky with a huge bear hug.
“Still strong as an ox, Bernie,” she said as he released her. She kissed him on both cheeks – a greeting she had learned in Poland, before some of her family fled from Nazi tyranny. The rest died in Auschwitz, including two brothers and her mother. It was a memory she kept alive. “Rose looks wonderful. We are so delighted to see that your remaining here did not, uh, well...”
“Make us old again?” Bernie said. “Not a day, Ruth. Not an hour.”
“That means if the children aren’t able to travel yet, their parents can stay here and...”
“Ruth, my dear leader,” Bernie interrupted. “I don’t think any of the kids will be staying here...even the Martindale’s’.”
“But they have an infant, don’t they?”
“Yes, well...you’ve got to meet her. The children have been working their magic on her, too.” Bernie then noticed that Rose was leading the Antarean technicians and Commander Alya Mark onto the beach. A strong gust nearly blew the tall Antareans over. “The hurricane is picking up steam,” he told Ruth. “I suggest we all move inside.”
CHAPTER TWENTY - A WELCOME ON LIAST
As the Liastan day progressed, the reddish rays from their giant sun, which the visitors had named Musial, grew brighter and whiter so that it soon resembled Earth at mid-summer dusk. The transport that brought them to the Liast city could pass for a small eighteen-wheeler on Earth, except it had no wheels. It floated above a waterway, a canal that served as its road.
Tellic, the Liastan who first had spoken to Frank Hankinson, was concerned that the Liastan vehicle was too small for the visitors.
“The children told us of your size. I apologize for any discomfort.”
“This transport is the largest we have,” Shinner added.
“There is no need to apologize,” Frank told them. “We are quite comfortable, and appreciate your thoughtfulness.” He bent over a little and glanced out of the window that ran the length of the vehicle. “Liast is a beautiful planet.”
“Thank you,” Tellic said. “In many ways it is like Earth. Our air, water and soil are very similar, as are many planets in the systems we now know about. Planets in galaxies of similar age, seem to follow that pattern, or so the children say.”
“We are both beings fortunate to have such planets. Ah, look,” Shinner said, pointing to structures about a mile in the distance. “There. Our home lies just ahead.”
The Liastan city was neat and organized. Its structures were designed for the diminutive beings that inhabited them. As they passed through the streets, it was clear that the Brigade landing party would barely be able to enter them. Frank wondered where they would stay.
The vehicle arrived at a large structure that Frank later discovered was used for visitors larger than the Liastans. The vehicle parked, settling gently to the ground. Once they had all disembarked, the gates opened. There was an upwelling of applause as Frank led his Brigade landing party into a huge, open circular arena. They were completely surrounded by rows and rows of Liastans, who were standing and applauding in welcome. The Brigade party acknowledged the greeting with waves and universal signs of friendship. They observed that although most of the seats were packed with Liastans, the rows closer to the arena’s lush, grassy field, held several other beings, five different races that were also standing and welcoming the landing party. In the center of the field, a group of Liastans, and representatives of the other races, stood on a platform, applauding.
“As you can observe, Commander Hankinson, you are all most welcome here,”
Shinner, the city leader, said as they approached the center platform. Frank, and the rest of the Brigade party, stopped in front of the platform and made the universal sign of peace and friendship. The beings in the group returned the welcome. Two uttered soft chants. Another changed color and flicked its impossibly long tongue in the air. A tiny crystalline figure expanded to twice his size. All the gestures and attitudes clearly communicated a greeting.
Special chairs, larger than the others, had been placed on the platform for the Brigade party. Tellic guided them to their seats. Frank noted he was the tallest being present. When they reached their seats, nine Liastan children, one third the size of Tellic and Shinner, approached with bouquets of fragrant, dazzling, blue and white flowers that they presented to the Brigade visitors.
“I feel like Gulliver,” Frank whispered to Matthew Cummings, his second in command. Matthew had been a Miami detective in Florida, where he became involved with investigating the strange behavior of a group of seniors. Eventually, the investigation led him, and his partner, Coolridge Betters, to the Antareans and the problems with their cocooned army. Cummings, along with Betters, and Betters’ wife, Paige, had been invited to join the Brigade after they helped the seniors keep the Antarean visit a secret.
“I hear that,” Cummings said. “I can handle Lilliputians, Boss. I only hope they aren’t hiding any giants around.”
The party was seated and Shinner stepped forward. The crowd was immediately silent and attentive. Although no microphone or amplifying device was visible, his voice was clearly heard by all.
“I will speak in the tongue of our visitors, in the manner that their children have taught us.” He turned to the Brigade party. “We welcome you to Liast. We welcome you to our system that you have named Auerbach. We welcome you to our galaxy that you have named Bezzolentine. And our other visitors, gathered here today from our galaxy, and others beyond, also give their personal welcome. Ambassadors Trannis and Maliotre from the planet Moghes in the nearby Bant system...”
Two humanoids in shape and design, but with a very dark green, bark-like skin and two sets of eyes, one on the side of the head and one in front, stood and emitted a sweet, soft howl of appreciation.
“Regent Chilo, from the Hydran Galaxy, the system Pentole, the planet Karfi.”
A reptilian quadruped rapidly flicked its long orange tongue in the air from side to side as its scaly skin flashed every color of the rainbow. It sang its welcome, “Hachi, hachi, sssstton, hachi. Lo!”
“Our good friend Sem-Chem, chief of the Perinoola from the Narftilo Galaxy, the Corolil System, the beautiful crystal planet, Xomin.
The tiny crystalline creature, bowed to Shinner and to the audience that surrounded them, and grew to three times its size. Sem-Chem was popular on Liast and drew a great round of applause. It swelled even more before returning to its place.
“And finally, Ambassador Pochongilolto, who has visited Earth. She is from your galaxy in the Alphard System, the planet Billont.”
A humanoid that looked strikingly like the so-called aliens described in the Roswell “crash”. She was a little taller than the Liastans, with translucent, blue-gray skin, no apparent ears or nostrils, a small slash of a mouth and huge, wrap-around black eyes that did not blink. She folded her delicate hands and bowed, much as a Hindu might, in greeting.
“We of Liast, who have chosen not to travel in space, are always delighted to have visitors from other worlds and galaxies,” Shinner continued. “But to have the parents of the children of Butterfly House come to us is indeed, a great honor.”
As Shinner continued his welcoming speech, it was monitored by Duartone, aboard the Mothership. He was frustrated and upset that no Antarean was present at the event. With Commander Hankinson engaged on Liast’s surface, Duratone had no way to contact High Counsel Spooner, to inform her of this major breach of protocol.
“This is highly irregular,” Duartone told Andrea Hankinson, who was monitoring the events at the arena with him.
She saw Duratone was upset. “I agree,” she told him, feigning sympathy. “At times like this, I wish I had become a commander.” Deep inside, she felt great pride in having the Brigade, and not Antareans, chosen to be welcomed to the Bezzolentine Galaxy by the first beings to be encountered there. Duratone turned away from the view-screen. Andrea observed that Shinner had finished his remarks. “Look, Commander Duartone,” she said, “they have asked Frank to speak.”
“But an Antarean must be the first to welcome,” Duratone said plaintively. “It has always been that way. That is my mission. I have failed.”
“You have not failed, Commander Duartone. The Liastans want it this way. It is their planet. It is their choice.”
“They said the children of Butterfly House were here.” “Yes. Our children.”
“But that is impossible! How can they have traveled from our galaxy?” Duartone knew of Amos Bright’s missions to Earth. There were rumors of special newborn Earth-humans left behind, but nothing specific was ever revealed. All Duartone knew was that for reasons beyond his control, he had lost command of this historic mission, and Earth-human children, from a place called Butterfly House, were somehow responsible.
“Thank you for your very warm welcome to Liast,” Frank Hankinson began. “This is our first visit to your galaxy. As I gather you know, I am from the planet Earth in the galaxy we call Milky Way. I informed Tellic and Shinner that I am not the leader of this mission.” Duartone listened with interest. “Antarean Commander Duartone, who now orbits your beautiful planet, is in charge,” Hankinson continued. “The Antareans are a great race of travelers, educators, diplomats and traders. I am sure you will welcome them and allow their ambassador to greet you on their behalf as friends.” There was a great round of applause with everyone standing and clapping, including those on the platform. Duartone felt a little better. “But for now,” Frank went on, “on behalf of my mission commander, the Antarean Duartone, I greet you and offer you the friendship and the inter-galactic facilities of the Antarean race.” He made the Universal sign of peace, extending his arms out, palms up and bowing.
Three-hundred sixty-eight nautical miles above the arena, Duartone’s shiny, pale blue skin turned an angry yellow.
“How dare he speak and greet on my behalf without authority,” the Antarean commander said. “The Master forbids it! Inform your husband that upon his return he will communicate this breach to the High Council. He stormed out of the communication center. Andrea Hankinson quickly telepathed down to her husband, warning him about what had just transpired.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - FIRST VISITORS TO PACCUM
Halfway across the universe, the Brigade landing party on the planet Paccum, in the Manigra Galaxy, had been made comfortable in a single story building set into a hillside above a tranquil lake whose water was the deepest blue Betty Franklin had ever seen. It was made so by light from the blue dwarf star, now registered as Sparkle Plenty in the Mothership’s Finder. Betty, and her second in command, Francis Rush, sat with Halo, sipping a tea that was both relaxing and invigorating.
“The only visitors we ever had on Paccum, before you arrived, were the children,” Halo said.
“We knew nothing of their visit,” Betty responded.
“They are your children, are they not?” Halo asked.
“Yes. But to the best of our knowledge, they have no way to travel from Earth into space. Our mission is one of only two to ever travel outside of our own galaxy.” Halo turned to three of her Aicha companions. They communicated rapidly to one another. The sounds they made, as they waved their tentacles, were incomprehensible to Betty and Francis, even with their universal translators. When Betty tried to tune into the Aicha’s thoughts, they too were cloaked in the strange language.
“The children first came to us through our unborn,” Halo began. “We did not know what was happening until they hatched and we discovered that they were different.”
“How were they different, if we may
ask?” Francis Rush inquired.
“They were larger, especially their brains and nervous systems. And there were indications of evolving from reptilian to mammalian. Perhaps you observed this when we first met.”
“The downy hair?” Betty asked.
“Yes. And warmer blood. Yet they are still adapted to our blue star you called...I forgot.”
“Sparkle Plenty,” Betty answered.
“Sparkle Plenty. Yes. Very poetic. We call it Pa-Ha-Cho. The life-giver. The children say the life-giver is young compared to your star, Sun.”
“It will be so registered in our data banks,” Francis said. “Thank you. So you see, until our young matured a little, we were not sure what had happened. We feared a disease or terrible mutation. Then they began to tell us about the children of Butterfly House and what they had learned from them while in egg. It was most extraordinary!”
“The children taught your young before they were born?” Betty asked, surprised. She knew there had been an indication that the children communicated with each other while in-utero, but to have the ability to reach across galaxies to unborn was mind-boggling to the Brigade commander.
“Yes,” Halo answered. “And afterward, the brain capacity of our young more than doubled. Through them, your children began to teach all of us.”
“Teach? Teach what, may we ask?” Betty inquired.
“To join with all life in the Universe. They told us why we, the Achia, would be able to join, while there are many who cannot.” Halo’s words were confusing. What did “joining all life mean?” And why were the children espousing this?
“What, may we ask, makes one kind of being able to join with all universal life while another cannot?” Betty asked Halo. The Achia leader poured more tea.
“Those who war cannot join; those who enslave; those who defile the environment; those who take not for need, but for greed; and those who believe they alone are chosen by a supreme being to rule over others. Those who do all this in the name of a god, master, lord, maker, omnipotent ruler... They cannot join the Universe of peace.”
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