Prophet of ConFree (The Prophet of ConFree)

by Marshall S. Thomas

  He just stood there, mouth open, staring goggle-eyed at the envelope. Finally he spoke, almost in a whisper.

  "What’s Space-A?"

  Δ

  We had great starlink coverage from Pandaravos and there was no comdown between us and Providence. We used Legion starlinks and they were free for Legion pers. I sent for Honeyhair the same day I learned that Delta Research was an accompanied tour. The starlink's return address was CF Embassy Sajadhervana, just to avoid highlighting us. I didn't tell Honeyhair about Arie's leave – because we wanted it to be a surprise.

  As the days passed, I was a bit surprised when Honeyhair did not respond to my message. However, I did get a later starlink from Arie stating that his mission was accomplished, and he would be returning with his prize. He gave me the ship and time of arrival and I was at the Sajadhervana starport early, anxious to see Arie and Blondie but also anxious for news about Honeyhair.

  I spotted Arie and Blondie instantly in the crowd. He was in his blacks and she was in her knockout Civilian Support greys. What a lovely honey! She clung to Arie's arm proudly, head high, look what I've got!

  "Arie! Blondie! How did it go?" I asked.

  "It went perfectly! Just like we planned!" Arie said, with a giant smile. "I knocked on her door, she opened it, and I said, 'Hi'."

  "I was so shocked I almost fainted," Blondie said. "I actually peed in my pants. Then I grabbed ahold of him and kind of broke down completely."

  "When she was through trembling and crying for joy I made her sit down," Arie said. "Then, in an effort to outdo you, I got down on one knee, showed her the ring and asked her to marry me right there. Man! I thought she was going to pass out. You know – she really likes me!"

  "That's true," Blondie said. "True true true!"

  "Ah, great! That's great!" I said. "So. What's with Honeyhair? She didn't answer my starlink."

  "Oh, um," Arie said. "She decided not to come."

  "What?"

  "She decided not to come."

  I just stared at him.

  "Prophet. She's found somebody else." Arie was completely serious, I could see. I was struck dumb, astounded.

  "Hi," somebody said behind me. I turned. It was Honeyhair, tossing her lovely hair back, dazzling me with her smile, looking me over with those astounding emerald eyes, clad in her greys, tall and willowy, the most beautiful girl in the galaxy. She threw her arms around me and squeezed. Arie and Blondie were cracking up.

  "Just a mo while I finish this heart attack," I said, from Honeyhair's arms. "Man! Please don't do that to me again."

  "You should have seen your face! Now that was funny," Arie said. I didn't mind. I was in heaven, heart to heart with my own angel, mine all mine. Who could possibly ask for more? I was blessed.

  Δ

  "It's all about Dimension X," Doctor Dimension told us. "That's what it's all about." The three of us, Saka, Ice and I were lounging in airchairs while the Doc did his part to give us the big picture. I had seen him plenty of times in the hole, but never actually spoken with him before. He was a pretty strange bird, pale and intense, dark eyes, tangled uncombed brown hair that touched his shoulders. "People don’t like to talk about Dimension X because we know so little about it, and it's hard to talk accurately about what we don't know. But what you folks have got in your heads is a little thread of Dimension X – I'm convinced of it."

  "Why are you convinced of it?" I asked.

  "Because it does things that we don't understand. And in all three of you, your contact with the Brights resulted in the development of unusual neural pathways of unknown purpose. The Brights and the Demons are both from Mid Haven, and Mid Haven contains Dimension X. It seems clear that both Brights and Demons also are infused with Dimension X, because for a host of reasons that would explain their ability to teleport – in certain circumstances."

  "But our universe does not contain Dimension X," Ice said. "So how can it be in our brains?"

  "Ah, I have a competitor. You've studied theoretical physics!"

  "Sadly, I have not," Ice said, with a smile.

  "Then why do you conclude that Dimension X is not present within our universe?"

  "I thought that was accepted by the people who study other dimensions."

  "Ah, it is, but you forget, the accepted scientific truth is always wrong."

  "Always?"

  "Always! We learn new scientific truths almost daily. Now think hard – doesn't that mean that the old scientific truths were crap? Of course it does! People who proudly quote the scientific community's pompous accepted wisdom on whatever you're talking about are like trained baboons. They mimic what they have been taught, but are incapable of original thought. The accepted scientific truth used to be that the Earth was flat, and that the sun revolved around the Earth. All wrong. But people who suggested otherwise were burnt at the stake."

  "So are you saying that Dimension X is present within our own universe?" Saka asked.

  "Of course it is! No other explanation is possible!"

  "But…but…"

  "But me no buts! When we first became aware of this new dimension, I was also a trained baboon, I'll admit it. But as we learned more – I started thinking. That's how new scientific truths emerge, combine thinking with experimentation and, voila! You can see the truth peering dimly at you through the dark. The IDAG saucers stardrive works perfectly in our universe, just as it does in Mid Haven. And by now it's clear the stardrive is a function of Dimension X. Anyone? Anyone? Come on – give me a guess."

  "Dimension X is present within our universe," I said.

  "Ya dang tootin' it is! Right under our noses! And we’ve been unaware of it because it’s another dimension, dummy, and we can't see it or touch it. But now we've got Demon ships that are shooting all over our universe using Dimension X stardrives, and Brights and Demons who evidently use it for teleportation. And the Brights use it to bring the dead back to life. Man! You two should certainly not scoff at the presence of Dimension X within this universe. You owe your lives to the stuff. We've got a lot to learn about DX, but I'm convinced you were revived and healed with DX, and you've got DX in your brains as a result. Think about if, folks! And don't stop thinking! You three are the only humans in the galaxy with this unusual structure in your brains. What does it mean? Are you going to create a new mutant race? Will your children inherit what you have?"

  "Doc, if DX is present within our universe, how come we get along without it, while the Brights and Demons seem to be dependent on – or at least aware of it?" I asked.

  "Well, until we get a better grip on exactly what it is, we won't know if our evolution just bypassed DX or whether it is, perhaps, a vital part of our life process that we simply haven't yet discovered. That's one of the many puzzles that we will be working on when we're studying you folks."

  Δ

  A whole lot of strange people started to show up to work with us – psychers, psychics, remote viewing savants, ghost finders, hypnotists, theoretical physicists and dimensional experts of all kinds, cosmologists, neurologists, brainscan experts and analysts and readers, psychologists and psychiatrists, futurists, and a bunch more unidentifiable types whose obscure specialties all ended in -ologist.

  It was heaven for me, having Honeyhair with me. She fixed up my somewhat spartan apartment suite and had it gleaming in no time. I spent a lot of time kissing her and looking into her eyes. The Prof recruited her and Blondie into Bees' medical office, as they were both certified emergency nurses. The A's transferred Lan Hwa and Kwan to Delta Research as liaison officers. That solved two problems at once, and everybody was happy about it.

  I introduced Honeyhair to Delta. I explained to her what they all meant to me, and explained some of what we had been through. She was kind of stunned at first, realizing that these were all quite normal people who had become quite exceptional in the crucible of battle. At first she was in awe, then she made efforts to get to know them all better. She told me of one incident that had made a b
ig impression on her. Bees was treating Ice on the patient medcouch, applying medgel and fleshstim to speed up the healing of her scalp and face and neck wounds. Honeyhair was helping, handing Bees the medications she needed.

  When they were through, Bees leaned down and kissed Ice tenderly on the forehead. Ice then got up, approached Bees, cradled Bees' head gently in her hands, and kissed Bees on the forehead as well. Then she left the room silently, just like a ghost. Bees stood there watching Ice until she disappeared around a corner. It was almost as if she was hypnotized, or in a dream. Honeyhair went over to Bees, embraced her, and held her tightly. Bees was all choked up and was blinking back tears. And she whispered, "I love her so much." Then she gently pulled away, said, "Thank you," and put away her tools.

  Yes, I was worried about Bees. Arie had taken good care of her while I was in Quaba with Ice and Saka, and now that Ice was back, she continued her close relationship with Bees. But Ice was spending a lot more time with her new husband than she was with Bees. That was only natural, and I'm sure Bees understood it, but it probably didn’t make it any easier for Bees. I'm sure she was lonely. Honeyhair and Blondie did their best to cheer her up.

  Once the first batch of long-term TDYers settled in and began working on us, the Prof called a staff meeting in the auditorium. Standing at the podium under our new logo, a stylized DR dawn radiating sunlight through a delta with the eternity symbol, he welcomed the newcomers, introduced everyone, and briefly summarized how each person was to contribute to the mission. Then he summarized the mission.

  "This auditorium is security sealed, so we can speak frankly," he said. "The mission is to learn all we can about Dimension X by studying, stimulating and developing the mental capabilities of our three comrades – Prophet, Saka and Ice. Each one has experienced mental visions that accurately predicted the future. Two of them were killed in action, then revived and brought back to life by the Brights. One of them was able to save probably hundreds of allied lives by accurately predicting a Demon attack. All three are heroes. I warn everyone – treat these heroes correctly. If anyone mistreats my comrades, I will become very angry. And you don't want to see that.

  "My dear friends! We are all united in this noble effort. And you can all help in your own ways. The initial objective is twofold: to revive and heal the dead, and to see into the future. Both these goals will save lives and ensure the survival and triumph of a strong, secure ConFree. Both are weapons to use to defend ourselves and defeat the enemy, and assure a peaceful, meaningful life for our families, our women and children. Once these objectives are achieved, we will continue our research into Dimension X, wherever it may lead. Now, let us begin. Delta Research is now officially open for business. We welcome you all. Let us now seek divine guidance. Bees?"

  Bees took the Prof's place at the lectern. She looked out over the audience, faintly smiling. She was in her Legion blacks and wore the combat cross, but looked more like a fashion model than a preacher or a soldier.

  "Raise the dead," she said, "and see the future. This has been done before. But not by mortals. A noble effort indeed, for us. We are immortals. Perhaps it is our destiny to do this, to follow in the path of the Gods. But we cannot do it alone. We must seek guidance from those who have gone before us. From those who, even now, watch over us. Speak to them, and they will listen. We have much to be thankful for. Ice and Saka have been raised from the dead. And Ice and Saka have found eternal love and happiness, with Kwan and Lan Hwa. And Prophet and Honeyhair and Nitro and Blondie have also found eternal love and happiness. Now we have all been reunited, thanks to Ambassador Wester and our own Professor, who by the grace of God rescued his daughter, along with a host of other innocents, from the evil clutches of the slavers, by the will of God. It is time to give thanks. Let us pray to the Lord, to Deadman, to whatever holy spirit resides in your heart.

  "Dear Lord, we pray for guidance. Please lay your holy healing hands on us, the dust of the earth. Please fill us with your infinite knowledge, and passion, and love, and glory. Let us see the glorious future. Let us use this knowledge for good, and not evil. Saint Michael the Archangel, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God we pray you stand by our side in battle against the evil demons of hell, and strike them down where they stand with your flaming sword. We beseech you O Lord, almighty and eternal God, to send your holy angel from Heaven to Delta Research to cherish, to protect, to abide with and to defend all who dwell in this house. May your blessings always be upon us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

  Δ

  "You had a dream? You were asleep? On both occasions?" The psycherchick was hovering over me as I lay there stretched out on a soft and luxurious leatherette sofa. She was on one of those glider chairs, and had parked it right next to me as she questioned me. She didn't look much older than a teenager, although they had told me she was a very hot psycher. She was a pretty little thing, limp brown hair, no makeup, a lovely little mouth with full soft lips. Paula was her name.

  "Yes, that's right."

  "All right, well I can't put you to sleep but I thought I would give you some advice on relaxing, and see what kind of impressions I can get from you. Are you relaxed?"

  "Doing my best."

  "You seem…tense. Let's lower the lights." The lights dimmed. It was only the two of us in the examination room. I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

  "Ah," she said. "So many images! So much action! Wow. Please slow down a bit. Who is that girl, tall, slim, an absolute princess."

  "Honeyhair. My wife."

  "And, ah, I know her! That black girl, the preacher."

  "Bees. Yes."

  "So many people roaming around in your mind. The dog! Wow."

  "He's a wolf."

  "If you want to open and calm your mind, to allow it to do whatever it may want, you've got to calm down."

  "Yes, I know."

  "Your images are all happy images."

  "Is that bad?"

  "Yes, I think so. That's just my personal opinion, other psychers may not agree with me. But I believe psychic powers stem from adversity and unhappiness. I know all about your visions. The first was in the heat of battle – hatred, horror, terror and violence, all around you. The second was brought on by personal jealousy and fear. Am I right?"

  "Yes, you're right."

  "Happy people don’t turn into good psychers. We're all screwed up and miserable souls, and many of us decide to check out permanently with a laser track in the brain. Offhand, I'd say you're not going to get any new visions until you calm down and get miserable."

  "Calm down and get miserable."

  "Right. Then you'll be in the proper mood."

  "I'm having a little trouble calming down with your hand resting on the inside of my thigh like that."

  "Oh! I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive me. Some of my subjects respond well to that. I forgot, you're a happy newlywed. You must be so happy! That's the problem! Consider a little adversity. It frees up your mind. That's my theory."

  Some of our facilitators – like psycherchick Paula – were in need of more help than we were.

  Δ

  "You believe in ghosts, right?" He was some kind of spirit medium, a young intense man, Doctor Dorak. Almost twitching in excitement, he kept looking around the room, as if searching for someone else. He was in civvies, a suit coat and a loose tie that was half undone.

  "Well, sure," I said.

  "Good, good. Some people are so superstitious they refuse to accept reality. All right, so you know ghosts are all around us. They are inhabitants of Dimension 2, which is part of the fabric of spacetime in U1, our universe. Of course, we normally cannot see into this dimension, or see the inhabitants, or interact with them, except on special occasions. And D2 is where the souls of our dead reside. But lately, oh my goodness, we’ve made so much progress in communicating with these spirits. Let me see if we have any with us here." He fumbled in a jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of thick, blue-tinted spectacles, his h
ands trembling as he jammed them onto his face and looked around the room, blinking.

  "Let's see, let's see, anyone here? No? No. I wasn't really expecting it. After all, I know very little about Pandaravos." He took off his spook glasses. "But you see the connection. We can see and talk with the spirits in D2. Your visions are from another dimension, DX, which is brand new to the scientific community. And it is connected with another universe, one the natives call Mid Haven. My! Is this new dimension inhabited, or not? Or is it just connected with both U1 and Mid Haven? Either way, the DX portions of your brain are reaching out somewhere and pulling in these visions from the future. You can see the future! Isn’t that remarkable?"

  He was telling me a lot of things I already knew. Some of our facilitators were like that. But the Prof asked us to be patient, and try to learn all we could from them. So we did as he asked.

  Δ

  Saka and Ice and I took refuge in the Delta Lounge between individual sessions. Nobody was allowed in there except members of the former Delta squad. That included Blackie, of course. He often hung out there alone, when Doggie was too busy to take him out or play with him. He would wander back and forth on the open balcony, looking over the scenery.

  "Anything interesting so far?" Ice asked me. I was sipping dox in an airchair.

  "Well…not really. I guess the best insight I've received so far came from that dingy psycherchick. What's her name, Paula. She believes the best visions will come in very stressful situations. Violence, fear, worries, danger, uncertainty and so forth. I think she may have something there. She says we're too happy here to have any effective insights into the future. Ah, she said, 'calm down and get miserable'.

  "I see," Ice said. "So we should all go back into combat."

  "Yeah, or return to the Recovery Hospital."

  "Well, let's put that one down as a last resort. I'd like to stay here in Happyland as long as I can."