MEEK

by Richard Johnson

  “Yes, of course,” broke in Lough. “Most welcome here, definitely.”

  “I think it is more appropriate for us to be on our own territory, rather than imposing constantly on the hospitality of Tuath.” Richard had used the word our. Mark knew they were going to have to slug this out in private.

  “I’m afraid it’s not quite that simple, Richard. We have a few problems we would need to resolve first. Let’s leave this to a later discussion, please?” Richard gave Mark a hard look, but backed off.

  “Sure Mark, you can bring me up to speed on things.” He sat down giving Kana a swift look that said: problems.

  Lough was at pains to keep things light-hearted and the elders were happy with Mark’s reaction. They were totally opposed to a Consortium claim to Tuathan land on Tuath. Mark had won a lot of kudos with his stance. Richard also brought up his desire to have a conference with the Friend. This was also met with a negative response. Lough explained that a chat with the Friend would only happen if the Friend asked for it. As it had been many years since its last appearance it was a moot point. Richard was under instructions to stamp Consortium control over the native colonies. Mark was to be brought into line and made aware he was a de facto employee of the Consortium and was to take orders from them. There was to be only two players, Tuath and the Consortium. Mark invited Richard, Kana, the tube ship captain and his two aides to be house guests at the colony. They accepted, stating that they were under instructions to take inventory and report on the overall condition of the colony, anyway.

  Later in private, Mark confronted Richard and Kana. “I will never allow the Consortium to dictate the future of this colony. You two of all people must surely realise the need for us to be independent?”

  Kana spoke quietly and firmly, “You are our friends but the need for true Earthmen to present a united front is paramount now. It is not in Earth’s interest to have the vast majority of what’s left of its population being controlled by Tuathan interests. We are the only independent force representing Earth’s interest, Mark.”

  “What I see is the grubby hands of Mr Chang reaching out for supreme power over everything! Where is your gratitude? Have some humility!”

  “Humility, gratitude? Mr Chang would not regard those as the words of survivors but of capitulation. We need to rebuild and be ready to take back the Earth,” said Kana.

  “To hell with Mr Chang. In a couple of months I will be made President of the Earth colonies. I will have the sole right to decide on relationships and agreements between the colonies and Mars.”

  “Then that is the position we will report to Mr Chang. Kana and I wish you all well here and hope you are successful. If you should change your mind and wish to side with your natural allies, there is still time before we leave,” said Richard regretfully.

  “We are building new lives here and we are prepared to adopt Tuathan ways as they are logical and peaceful. Tuathans and natives can integrate, both sides wish that to happen.”

  “How far will you take that integration Mark? Will you allow genetic engineering of your children?” Kana had hit on a sensitive matter. The natives were in the majority against it while the majority of Tuathans saw it as the logical step for the natives to take.

  “That is under discussion. Both sides are weighing up the pros and cons and I expect the debate to burble on for quite some time.” Mark was pressing for a softly softly approach by the elders and they seemed to be prepared to allow that, for now.

  The captain of the Connie One invited Paul, Mark and Barry for an inspection of the tube ship, which they accepted. It was a fine piece of engineering even though it seemed primitive compared to the compact disc ships. It was large and built for the natives’ physique. The tubes themselves were the living quarters, hydroponic units and store rooms. The observation deck was the nerve centre and had its own AI. Mark felt that it was in fact much too large and a waste of resources. He said as much to the captain and the explanation offered was that it was designed for future exploration and long haul flights so it was, in effect, to be a mother ship. More short-range craft would be attached at a later date.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  DECEMBER 2050

  The Friend finally made an appearance. It was met with relief and the elders made a big fuss of it. It asked to talk to the President. Lough sat in front of the Friend wondering how much it knew of his plans and the measures he had already taken.

  “Please Mr President, we wish to know your opinion of the state of affairs on Earth. Will the natives survive? Will you continue to help them?”

  “Here on Tuath the natives are proving to be very happy to adopt our ways. They are still capable of violence and injury but they have demonstrated no tendency towards violence here. There is also a small amount of cross-breeding going on, so their future is looking bright.”

  “Yes, but what of those still on Earth?”

  “They still have the Plague to contend with but we are seeing the possibility of curing small mammals and releasing them into the environment in the future. Their embassy is also being expanded.”

  “So you feel you are doing the right thing for them?”

  “Ahh, yes. Given the circumstances.” Lough was now feeling uncomfortable with the line of questioning. How much did the Friend know? Could it read his mind? It had told them it could only gain impressions, but perhaps it knew about the research results?

  “I see, given the circumstances you have made the right choices. Yes I see.”

  Lough was now close to panic. Would The Friend blow away all his efforts? No it couldn’t, even if it knew his plans, that would be against the prime law.

  “I would like to meet the boy known as Conor Crawford. He is the main reason for this visit.”

  Conor was of course in the audience. He had rushed to the shrine as soon as he had heard of the appearance. He was stunned to hear it speak his name. He stumbled forward towards the stage area. As he got closer he felt something calming, soothing his mind. It was a strange but very pleasant sensation. The Friend was smiling at him and beckoning to sit next to him. Conor said clearly and confidently, “I am honoured to meet you, Friend.”

  The Friend smiled, “I am very, very pleased to meet you Conor, we are going to be good friends, I hope.”

  “I would like that. There are so many things I want to ask you.”

  “Yes I know, you will be given plenty of opportunity. If you agree I would like to spend tomorrow with you in a private session as I also have some questions for you.” The Friend looked at Conor’s parents and then at the elders. “Could that be arranged?”

  Mark was quick to respond. “You would be most welcome at our home.” Mark wanted to keep this close to his chest. The elders were caught off guard and were nodding in agreement, even though they were feeling ignored.

  “Excellent. I will be outside your home at sunrise, I would ask that this is treated as a private meeting, just Conor and I.”

  After getting the assurances it wanted, it apparently was going to disappear again, but Richard stood up and called out .

  “Friend! No one has introduced us, we are the delegation from Mars and would also like an audience with you.” Richard was desperate for this contact.

  “That will not be necessary, I am aware of whom you are and in the words of my friends the Tuathans, I hope the stars smile on you and your lady and guide you with wisdom to the benefit of all.”

  The Friend then did its usual impressive vanishing act, leaving the shrine in turmoil. Richard and Kana were staring at each other in incredulity. The Elders were buzzing with speculation, while Lough was taking calming breaths, hoping no empaths were too close to him. Jade, Mark, Barry and Paul were staring at Conor, who was grinning from ear to ear. The elders quickly came to the conclusion that the relationship was still intact and for that they were grateful. Lough came to the conclusion he needed to go back to Earth and check things out with Hawk. Richard and Kana came to the conclusion they had been c
harmingly brushed off, but it probably was due to the prime law.

  The sun rose and painted the sky with violet and purple streaks. Conor was outside the house sitting on a wooden bench beneath a pine tree. Jade and Mark watched from a window as the familiar amber glow appeared and the figure of a young Tuathan male coalesced and sat beside Conor.

  “We have much to talk about, my young friend. Please be patient. There will be, I believe, many other meetings between us in the future. What is your most burning question that you wish to ask?”

  “Why did you want this meeting?”

  The Friend laughed, “Of course it is the most obvious question. I want to find out what you know.”

  “Why? Do you think I know something you don’t?”

  “You do not know things that only I can tell you. Let me explain; you are special. You’re existence has created a new possibility, one that I, that is we, do not fully comprehend; which in itself is a novelty to say the least for us. When you first met me, what happened?”

  “I felt you inside my brain calming me, making me feel good. You were projecting into me, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, It’s a bit like your Tuathan empaths do. You can do it also because I sense it in you.”

  “I have never tried to do that, but I know I am an empath just like the Tuathan empaths.”

  “You are probably better at it than them as I sense your power to be greater. That is what I mean by me being here to find out what you know.”

  “I understand; but I’m not supposed to have any special talents. I am only half Tuathan. I have had no genetic engineering. I have not even told my mother about my ability as an empath.”

  “Yes, interesting isn’t it? Let me give you some advice, do not presume to know who or what you are. Try out everything and see what works for you.”

  “Am I some sort of hybrid mutant, is that what you think? That I’m a freak?”

  “Oh no! You are the product of the evolutionary process, a natural process. It could be argued you are a more natural outcome than your own mother. Now you can see why I/we are so interested in you. I/we have hopes that you are the next step above the Tuathans and therefore closer to us. If you have learnt about us you know how important that is to us.”

  “Yes, I have been studying everything I can about you, which isn’t much. I understand but I feel you are going to be disappointed as I’m not some sort of wonder boy.”

  “You are young, just starting to learn your potential. Now that I have explained it to you it will come faster and easier. As your strength grows it must be compensated by wisdom and compassion. That is also my role, to make you fit ethically to shoulder the responsibility of your power.”

  “Does that mean I can ask you anything and you will tell me the truth, I mean the truth about absolutely everything?”

  The Friend laughed again, his elven face full of kindness and understanding for this young man.

  “You forget the Prime Law. I am bound by it and so must you be, it is not an easy law to follow as the temptations to ignore it are great and the ways to justify breaking it are many. I will answer all questions that I can with the truth as I/we comprehend the truth.”

  “What is the truth?”

  “Ahh, that is the ultimate question. Truth exists as a reality that is incorruptible and is beyond manipulation. It is in fact the ultimate reality. It is the destination for all sentient life, we are all travelling toward the truth.”

  “Do you know the truth?”

  “No. We have believed in the past the truth was in our grasp, but saw our knowledge alienate us from it .The more we knew, the more we found out we didn’t know. It is the paradox of knowledge. We know now the pursuit of truth is our reason for existence. We evolve towards it and no longer make the mistake of believing we have it in our grasp. Yet we do know it is not an illusion, our existence proves it and it in turn justifies our existence”

  Conor took a deep breath, he was not sure he fully understood. He decided to take a different approach

  “I have been studying the various religions of Earth and they confuse me. I see the danger in them and realise the Tuathans were almost destroyed by them. I am confused because in some of the writings I sense great and profound truth. Is all religion evil? Is there a God?”

  “Religion is a construct, many races develop superstitions and religions. It also is a natural evolutionary process. The Tuathans were unique in that they leapt over the need to explain their existence with a creation myth. They said that they exist and that is enough, they take full responsibility for their actions in life in a way that is uniquely Tuathan and also is why we are so interested in them. God is the ultimate truth and exists in the nucleus of everything. The word God can be substituted by the word Truth. This perception can help you define the concept. Our knowledge indicates that the purpose of life is to blend with truth, to join in the ultimate knowledge of reality. Life is a journey, for some it ends in misery and annihilation, for a few it progresses on towards the ultimate all pervading truth. ‘The view from outside’ is how we describe it among ourselves. We glimpse it but we have not achieved that sense of a view from outside in totality.”

  “The view from outside. Yes, I understand that. I am not Tuathan or native, I view them both from the outside and see them sometimes better as a result.”

  “Objectivity can also be deceptive, Conor. The subjective has passion, commitment and love and should not always be seen as the result of a narrow view grounded in ignorance.”

  “I’m not sure I understand what you are saying.”

  “Have you read the works of Shakespeare, seen the paintings of Van Gough, listened to Mozart?”

  “Yes of course.”

  “They use the poetic to describe the indescribable. The natives’ languages are limited as all languages must be, so imagery is important. These metaphors for reality are built from the subjective perspective of the artist and yet touch the essential recognisable truth with a clarity that is recognisable on an emotional level. Van Gough was mentally disturbed with impaired sight, yet his perspective came from somewhere deeper and held its own truth which was still recognisable as something transcendent.”

  “The Tuathans regard the Bible as essentially fables constructed to explain erroneously the nature of existence. They see such works as destructive, filled with attempts to remove mankind from its responsibility to humanity and replace it with an illogical subservience to an external selfish deity. What is your opinion of these books of religion?”

  The Friend paused and answered slowly and deliberately as if contemplating on each word.

  “There is truth in the Tuathan perspective. There is also that deep truth of the artist in works such as the Bible. Each being chooses the path they take and sees the truth in strange places. A book is only a book, it is the reader who either accepts or discards. It is the reader who must be trained in the art of discernment and interpretation. The ignorant spit on art whereas the educated embrace it. One is threatened and confronted, the other is enlightened and comforted. Education comes first enlightenment second.”

  “I need to think more about that. I’m not sure I have fully understood what you have said.”

  “It will all come clear soon, Conor. When I see you next I will have a favour to ask you, but for now I must go. I will return here at this time in four days.”

  Conor was feeling exhausted, his mind full of questions still. The Friend was right, knowledge was paradoxical. Mark and Jade sat him down with a warm drink and gently questioned him. Conor said that he did not want to talk about their conversation and they respected his wishes. As the days passed, he thought about the fact that his talent for empathy was growing. He experimented with trying to project feeling like the Friend had done to him, but he did not notice any response from his parents. He tried it on the chickens and cat and found they stayed away from him. They acted as if he had physically touched them. He kept on practising, until he realised his thoughts created a
physical force, not a mental state.

  On the fourth day, the Friend turned up again and told him events were moving fast and he may not be able to have another visit for some time. Conor asked him about the favour.

  “Soon you will be aware that you may need to go to Earth. I want you to realise that you will need to act according to that which guides your thinking. Do not hide your talents and true nature. Be brave, you must not pretend to be something lesser than you are, even though you will be tempted.”

  “Is that all?”

  “It is enough. Do you understand how an AI makes predictions?”

  “Yes, collected data is processed into an extrapolation with the odds of accuracy also presented.”

  “Correct, I/We can do the same but far more efficiently and with greater accuracy. I can tell you that Earth, Tuath and Mars are reaching a crossroads. When that happens, you will need to make choices, chose sides and become a leader of men. You will succeed in whatever path you take and everything will be different after you self-actualise; different for you and different for humanity.”

  “Speaking of self-actualising, I want to show you something.” Conor looked at a pebble on the ground and it acted as if it was being pushed sideways, as indeed it was.

  “Well done, you have made a start. Explore yourself and develop your talents they will be needed. When we meet again it will be under very different circumstances. Farewell Conor.”

  “May the stars smile on you, Friend.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  APRIL 2051

  Chang and the entire board had been deliberating over the report given by Richard and Kana. Orders had been given to build two more tube ships and research had resumed with gusto into a cure for the Plague. Chang was in one of his quiet, pensive moods. Richard knew he was preparing a strategy.

  “Richard, your report stated that Lough, in front of the Elders told the alien creature that a possible cure for the Plague was on the horizon and that he told you on your return flight that he would be pursuing the matter and releasing small mammals into the environment once he arrived on Earth. Correct?”