THE LANDSCAPED PLANET

by

Miguel F. Fontana

COPYRIGHT 1993 by M.F. Fontana

1
 THE LANDSCAPED PLANET

1.

Marrie Christmas was fast asleep.

I mean she was really asleep, as opposed to virtually sleeping.

Not that it made much of a difference, except that her sleep

now was unguided, not pre-programmed as was the general

practice nowadays.

Nevertheless her Active Control Unit - ACU for short - was

monitoring her activity or inactivity, if you wish, since

modern technology has achieved the wonderful feat of

digitalizing every conceivable habit as well as all the genetic

characteristics of all the living species in fauna and flora on

this terrifically beautiful planet of ours.

This meant that her private quarters - or habitat as people

liked to call what was once known as home - were perfectly

quiet and darkened. Acoustic sensors were monitoring not just

Marrie's own sleeping sounds but also the slightest whisper of

incoming noise and then promptly emit the exact counter

frequency noise that would blot out any sound. Darkness was

achieved by the window panes turning pitch black. All this and

much more of course, was done by the ACU without anybody's

interference. The ACU simply knew at all times what Marrie was

up to and when she decided to go to sleep, the ACU gradually

2
blanketed out light and sound until breathing, heartbeat, skin

temperature and brainwaves called for total eclipse. Marrie was

back in the womb - so to speak, but then, of course, she had

never been in one, nor had any other living creature - and the

ACU was watching over her ready to sense her every wish or whim

and happy to provide it.

This pleasant state of affairs - from humanity's point of view

-had not come about all on its own, or easily for that matter.

Oh no, there were times during the evolutionary process when

the planet and the life it sustained had suffered much.

However, several technological breakthroughs had finally made

it possible for the dominant human species to conquer un-common

sense and create this planetary harmony. The first one was the

discovery of a simple way to achieve fusion and to apply it in

small as well as large ways. From there on energy consumption

ceased to be a global worry or subject. Industry, transport,

private households were suddenly unencumbered from energy

consumption restrictions. Energy had no commercial value. The

adaptation of old technologies took time and yet still happened

sort of "overnight". Exploration and mining techniques for

energy sources have since been relegated to the libraries. They

have no more practical value. Recycling and re-constituting

have in fact become a "piece of cake". Humanity was suddenly in

the position to heat, cool, move or make anything anywhere in

3
the solar system.

And then came the genetic blueprinting of life itself, in fact,

of all the life forms on this planet. Of course, it started

with the human species and was thereafter quickly completed for

every other form of life. What can be mathematically described,

can be computerized. And so a vast computerized library was

created and within a matter of a few generations genetic

defects in life had disappeared; and so had the worry of over-

population of the human species. The genetic urge to reproduce

had systematically been eliminated from all forms of life.

Natural reproduction of old or any form of sexual activity

became a thing of the past - even down to the minutest forms of

life. Sure thing; piece of cake!

Ten billion human beings are nicely spaced out all over the

planet. Living in harmony with all the rest of creation, all of

which is closely monitored in numbers and duly replaced when

needed, by Engineered Creation in perfect shape and condition.

Quite a feat one would reckon, but not at all. All this was

made possible by the advent of limitless computing power

interfaced in a planetary network based on a central unit,

situated in a save place on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean,

which somebody at some time had called Gaia.

Gaia managed and ran the whole show according to the benevolent

wishes and understanding of her founders. But Gaia was not

mindless. She could learn from observation and logical

4
deduction and adapt, doing so in her perpetual motivation to

maintain creative harmony.

Gaia was learning all the time, even while she watched over

Marrie Christmas' sleep.

2.

Marrie's dreams took her back to her childhood.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, I didn't know you were coming to visit

today. Did you bring me anything?" shouted Marrie as she was

running up the gravelled path from the playground enclosure,

radiating her exuberant joy from her pre-teen face in seeing

her grandfather.

Grandpa Franz Christmas wasn't a grandfather but in name, at

least not in the antiquated way of thinking. Still he felt

perfectly grandfatherly towards his grandchild. He was now in

his thirteenth decade and enjoying life at the fullest.

His work as Astro-Physicist kept him mostly in orbit - sort of.

At least that's where the research centre was at which he was

based - or at the moon base, depending on requirements from

time to time.

Earth's faithful companion offered much the same living

conditions as on the planet herself, except for the

gravitational

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difference, which was overcome by a constant electro-magnetic

force interaction between the pathways and the footwear one

wore while on moon or away from earth.

Mankind, some time ago, had successfully colonized all the

planets in the solar system, making themselves at home even

under the most harrowing of naturally prevailing conditions.

But mankind was simply getting nowhere in the endeavour to

overcome interstellar space. Einstein's space/time continuum

was very much alive and well and an insurmountable problem for

eager space travellers wanting to tour the galaxy, never mind

the universe.

Modern genetics was to longevity what quartz watches were to

the watch making industry. Instead of the old day/night wind-up

job, miniature-battery run quartz watches kept going for years.

Now people attained such ripe methusalahic age of 200 years

plus, but even this was nowhere near sufficient to leave our

solar system with an outward bound destination in mind.

There was, of course, no need to leave the solar system.

However, curiosity to find out what lied beyond our physical

reach kept people motivated in trying to find a solution to the

problem. But there simply did not seem to be a solution, not

even a hint of one. Anything and everything that had been tried

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or embarked upon turned out to be impractical if not ultimately

impossible.

The second best thing to actual travel was to look at it from

afar as well as gather radio-data from probes which had been

sent out many, many generations earlier on missions to look for

similar solar systems to ours as well as space travelling life-

forms or at least planet bound life.

Franz's work revolved around the collection and evaluation of

such incoming data. He himself was convinced that there was

intelligent life out there - even plenty of it. His personal

philosophy, which concurred with mankind's general philosophy

was that:-

As the only life-inhabited planet in the Universe, life on

Earth, on the scale of cosmic measurement, would amount to an

insignificant defect in the universal blueprint of creation,

not worthy of correction; however, not being alone in the

Universe, would almost certainly mean that mankind was nothing

special.

Marrie took the last few steps, arms outstretched wide, in

preparation to jump into her grandfather's arms.

Some 60 years earlier Franz Christmas had been informed that

his DNA sample was reproduced in combination with a sample of

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one Alexandra Martins, a brainy Geneticist holding a rare

doctorate for her research work in the genetic field.

Of course, Franz and Alexandra had met immediately afterwards

and together they went to see their newly arrived son, who they

named Mauro, and who was destined to play an important role in

whatever research field he might later chose to enter. And sure

as anything, Mauro Christmas grew up to specialise in Supra-

Dimensional Morpho Genetics, a relatively new area of research

in instant communication. Now, as a septuagenarian and only

about 10 years after becoming a full-time researcher he

displayed all signs of following in his mother's footsteps and

achieving his doctorate, too. This was acknowledged in the fact

that his DNA was already reproduced in his early sixties.

Franz had found Alexandra to be one bomb of a woman and

revelled in her intellectual attraction and the honour he had

felt in the fact of his DNA having been matched to hers.

Consequently he had doted on his child and had later

transferred his affection to his grandchild.

Alexandra had also found attraction in Franz and together they

had kept on visiting each other to enjoy their mutual company,

or, in earlier years, visit their growing up child.

"I'm so happy to see you" grandfather Christmas said in an

imitated high pitched voice, "and I did bring you something",

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as he caught Marrie in his arms.

"You are not quoting from the story of Pinocchio, are you?"

Marrie retorted, "I'm too old for that, Grandpa".

"What did you bring me?" Marrie wanted to know, expecting maybe

some lunar mineral curiosity.

"I brought you something very rare and irreplaceable", her

grandfather hinted, "and you must promise to keep it and look

after it so that one day you may pass it on, in the same

condition, to a future descendant of the Christmases".

Little Marrie was awed by her grandfather's solemnity when he

said that and fully appreciated the significance of what was to

follow.

"What I am bestowing on you today", her grandfather continued,

"is a handwritten chronicle by Francesco Theodor Christmas, our

earliest known forebear in the Christmas' line of descendants,

which goes back all the way to the Turmoil Years and which

chronicles contemporary events and his personal experiences

during his lifetime".

Marrie, despite her youth, was aware that the Turmoil Years

were a make or break milestone in the planet's history and,

although mankind, after drifting very close to self-

eradication, very close indeed, eventually overcame the

obstacles to make it safely into the future, the happy future

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of which Marrie was a part. This was a very rare gift indeed,

and she was fully prepared to guard such a treasure with her

young life, if need be, not that it was very likely to be

required to do so, and at the same time she was eager to take a

glimpse back in time through the written word and learn from

first hand reporting about such an important historic epoch.

"I do promise, grandpa", Marrie croaked the words in her

emotional excitement, feeling a choking sensation on her vocal

chords, "please tell me more about, what's his name again, and

what he did".

"His name was Francesco Theodor Christmas", Franz Christmas

repeated, "and if we find a quiet place to sit down I will give

you a run-down on the books' contents".

Marrie, in her dream, saw herself walking hand in hand with

her grandfather to a shady spot under an impressive oak tree,

where they sat down on a bench.

"Now", her grandfather started, "the books are already in your

room. But before I start telling you about old Francesco and

his Chronicle, I want you to know, that I have great confidence

in you and your future career as whatever you eventually chose

to be and that I am convinced that you will make good use of

these books and that the books in turn will help you in your

studies of mankind's history and maybe show the way to their

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destiny".

Marrie, like all other children, or other young ones for that

matter, needing parental care or tutelage, was growing up in a

nursery where all the necessary resources for childhood care

were being provided free of charge. The nurseries were run by

dedicated adults, who were specially selected for their

aptitude and inclination to work in such a field and then

trained for their specific tasks to the highest degree of

expertise.

Marrie will have spent the first 68 years of her life in such

nurseries until she was fully qualified in the profession she

was eventually going to chose.

All the children were to varying degrees happy children. But

Marrie's childhood appeared to her as an extremely happy one -

full of fun and joy, excitement, adventure and satisfied

curiosities. She displayed a particularly strong affection for

her genetic parents, who were equally affected to their child

and visited her regularly.

All the way through the tutorial curriculum the syllabus placed

strong emphasis on the polarity in life with particular stress

on Good and Bad. Pupils were continually imbued with the

understanding that they, as members of the human species, were

no longer part of life's lottery of kill or be killed, and that

their maximum life expectancy was as good as an assured fact.

They were constantly reminded that they were totally immune to

11
outer influences emanating from other living creatures around

them and that they not only needed to honour and respect their

fellow species but all living matter in creation.

This generally resulted in young adolescents to be genuinely

caring about the influence of their actions and activities on

others and other beings around them. Those very few who lacked

these characteristics, were, after a long and arduous

evaluation process, and after showing no improvement, guided

and encouraged to take residence on the outer planets, where a

certain uncompromising assertiveness could be of benefit. They

were by no means outcasts or miscreants or else their DNA would

never have been reproduced. They were just slightly out of

tune.

No living organism was purported to be subservient to the needs

of human beings. Energy was derived from minute quantities of

dead matter and energy and genetics were the key to providing

all humanity's needs by re-constituting re-cycled waste in a

perpetual cycle of creation, consumption and re-creation. Dead

organic matter was steered through organic engineering by the

process of Induced Creation, resulting for example in the

production of perfect wheat kernels, oranges, a perfect fillet

of beef, or any other commodity required. Inorganic elements

were simply re-arranged into the required raw-materials. All

this was following precisely laid down specifications, adapted

from time to time as research results would indicate and was

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taking place in fully automated facilities were no human being

ever needed to go. Production and distribution was interfaced

through the habitat's ACUs which obtained all household needs

through hermetically sealed supply channels. All transport and

communication was fully automated and at everybody's disposal

all the time. Keen competition had given way long ago to mutual

consideration. All human endeavour was directed at conservation

and making their world an even better place for themselves and

everything else.

The age-old theological question of the reason of life had

disappeared into the background and been replaced by a genuine

joy of living founded on genetic immortality.

And yet it had not entirely disappeared and was still

smouldering when Marrie went through her formative years and

Franz Christmas bestowed on her the Christmases family

treasure.

3.

Marrie and Franz Christmas were comfortably seated in the shade

of the old oak tree.

"You know", Franz said, "that this planet is approximately 4.6

billion years old. 1.1 billion years later life started, but

for most of the time the land surface was barren and desolate

13
since it obviously took time for the first forms of higher

life, given the first favourable conditions, to gain a foothold

from which to develop and evolve into differing species which

occupied the different niches in their environment offering

chances of survival".

Marrie quietly nodded her head, expressing her understanding.

"Not until only approximately 450 million years ago - after

more than 4 billion years had passed", Franz continued, "did

the first creatures emerge from the waters onto land and adapt

to their new dry environment probably in search of a better,

easier, safer way to make a living.

At least ever since then, merciless competition for scarce

resources of food and raw materials, has dictated the behaviour

of all forms of life, relentlessly pushing the weak, the less

skilled or not so well adapted out of their way, leaving them

to a fate of misery or even death in order to ensure one's own

survival".

"I have already learned about that", Marrie interrupted", and

the fact that human beings along their evolutionary path used

to domesticate other living beings, to breed and raise them,

sometimes even give them human names, only to then suddenly

kill and eat them. The world must have been a truly horrible

place to live in, with all that killing and exploitation of

trusting and helpless creatures going on. Even though life and

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death is still part of our world, I am very relieved and

grateful that I, as a human being, have no longer to be part of

it. I pity all other life, that doesn't know better".

"Doesn't Know Better, is the key part", Franz replied, "and

whilst our ancestors did not know better than killing other

creatures or each other, they had to do what came naturally in

order to survive. But in time mankind assumed the power of

reason and with this power comes the obligation to forgo

cruelty. This is what the Chronicle is all about. The time,

when mankind, despite better knowledge and enlightened

understanding, persisted in doing the most horrible things to

themselves and the world as a whole, which took them to the

brink of self-destruction. A time, when creation and life and

the ruling laws of living together were not guided by kindness,

respect and consideration. But luckily we human beings managed

to break that evil spell.

What counted next was the instinctive act of successful and

plentiful reproduction of one's own genetic characteristics, in

order to attempt continuity of genetic heritage", Franz

continued.

"Of all the various strategies to achieve this, the human

strategy was the most successful and eventually the most

burdensome for the planet as a whole. Mankind's success and

eventual triumph over its self-inflicted problems might very

well be the result of the earlier incessant drive to procreate.

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So, we shall not hastily pass damning judgement of this

previous ancestral urge. But ancient and primitive it truly

was. We can only be grateful that modern science eventually

released us from that bond and burden.

Mind you, not that the people who engaged in it considered it

to be a burden. They mostly saw it as pure bliss and ecstasy,

for the control over it was not rational but subconscious,

hiding like an evil thought in people's minds, ready to attack

and pounce on people's conscious actions at any time, guiding

and manipulating them in constant search of the next pro-

creative encounter.

Would the male not have considered it pleasurable to rub his

penis inside a female's vagina, the species would probably have

died out after making only a short appearance on life's stage.

But as it happened to be, the pursuit of "cheap pleasure"

caused the female to prostate herself for the administration of

insemination. The mechanical result of the rubbing together of

the sexual organs were muscle spasms which caused electrical

tingles in the body. The brain received these "tingles" and

interpreted them as "pleasure".

In the state of orgasmic ecstasy people frequently behaved with

split personality. The ordinarily sedate and self-controlled

became ravaging, screaming, scratching, slobbering alter-egos

of themselves. That is why human beings generally preferred to

keep the sex act private and shielded from observation.

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Nevertheless, they performed it with mind numbing frequency and

the sedative effect of pleasure on the brain gave them the

conscious impression that it was nice and oh so desirable,

going into poetic rhapsodies in praise of reproductive

intercourse, even when the physical outcome of population

increase had long surpassed crisis proportion and logical

desirability. The genetic code had made sure of that - and why

argue or act against nature's wisdom or design; yes, why

indeed?

At the time of the Turmoil Years, the world, by and large, was

populated by a mass of humanity which had hardly surpassed the

level of morons and yet they considered themselves the crowning

glory of evolution. What a lethal misconception in conjunction

with such hollow philosophies as Human Rights and Democracy.

Theological guidance did nothing to overcome the problem

either. In retrospect it is plain to see that mankind only

matured and grew through suffering, not by way of intellect.

Sometimes it appears to me as a marvellous miracle that we did

manage to overcome our archaic genetic orientation. Maybe it is

nature's concept for testing a specie's readiness for further

evolution?

Needless to say, that mankind's early sexual instinct was all

too distractive, and very destructive to the positive powers of

mind like concentration and creativity. Luckily the male and

female pro-creative compatibility was very limited in that the

17
female could only conceive and give birth in roughly annual

intervals. Considering the frequency in which individuals

engaged in reproductive action, it was a great fortune that the

human female did not hatch eggs outside her body, although

human evolution might then have turned out entirely different.

Manipulating the sexual behaviour was, of course, the

instinctive attempt at genetic immortality, causing males to

copulate indiscriminately with any healthy, reasonably

attractive, willing female. Females, however, being severely

limited in the number of their successful genetic

reproductions, had to be extremely selective in their choice of

male progenitors. Even though, these sub-conscious conditions

were perfectly logical for the purpose they served, consciously

male and female did not understand each other's driving

motivation, placing demands and restrictions on their mutual

behaviour, which in time led to an awkwardness and

dissatisfaction in male and female interactions which at later

stages created a rift between the sexes, which caused mutual

intolerance and accusations of chauvinistic attitudes. Men and

women, at that stage, were very cynical and dishonest to each

other - distrustful and in some part even hostile. Worldwide

movements came into existence demanding more understanding from

their opposite sex, or liberation from sexual oppression, or

even outright separation altogether. If they had only realised

and understood the underlying causes the world could then

already have been a much happier place to live in. But these

were the conditions during Francesco's lifetime, when he wrote

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his Chronicle.

The Turmoil Years, of course, did not happen all at once and

people who lived in that time not necessarily considered them

as the calamity they were eventually going to be. They, by and

large, never realised the ominous signs that were looming over

the horizon until it was far too late to take concerted action

and the great suffering was eventually upon the planet as a

whole".

Marrie was listening silently, absorbing these words of

knowledge and experience with anticipation of what else might

follow.

After a moment's silence Franz spoke again: "We know today,

that mankind's cradle is the African Continent, from where our

earliest ancestors eventually spread out over the entire

planet, save the South Polar Region which was too harsh and

remote for technologically unaided people to gain a foothold on

and make a living. Our ancestral migration happened very

slowly, over many millennia in fact, and was spurt on by

competition and much the same curiosity that drives our

attempts to reach the stars. Life in Africa was harsh but just,

in that nature maintained the balance of numbers and thereby

harmonious conditions for all forms of life and as such was

accepted by our ancestors except the disadvantaged and grossly

underprivileged. Mankind always was an inquisitive lot and

19
ingenuous too, looking for and finding ways to make their

existence more comfortable, developing and mastering the use of

fire, tools and technologies which gave them advantage over

their natural enemies and prey and in time let to overcrowding

and the acceleration of migration. The unwanted and

underprivileged started to leave in larger numbers, emerging

into new environments to which they adapted, both by genetic

mutation and habit. Before long, differing characteristics had

established themselves, suited to different environments and

life styles. Thus different people were born in various regions

of the world separated from each other by physiognomy and

culture, who had no knowledge of each other or their mutual

ancestral home and who would eventually fight each other, if

not in competition for resources then in distrust, disrespect

and intolerance. As the ages passed by, the advantage of

superior advancement came to rest sometimes here, sometimes

there, but frequently changing until eventually the temperate

region of Europe gained an unassailable lead. Europe though was

not populated by a homogeneous people and the slightest

difference between them could foster never ending antagonism.

Competition was intense and explorers were reaching out to

pilfer ideas, inventions and fortunes to come home in glory and

increase their regional stature. Mankind was eventually as

divided as could be and as dishonest to and distrustful of each

other as was needed to make the Turmoil Years happen.

Mankind, at its very earliest stage, already had started to

20
dapple in the natural process of selection and developed

medicines and drugs. As the power of reason became more and

more prevalent, powerful religious beliefs were created in

order to justify existence and action. Whilst such religions

contributed to communal harmony and order, they were also

vastly intolerant of other peoples and created such dogmas as

to conquer, rule and use the world and subjugate or even

eradicate other believers.

The power of reason, in the long run, was too strong to be

continually suppressed by theological believes or geo-political

interests which had to at least pay lip service and the

periodical triumph of Good led to the distribution of life

preserving and fostering medicines into regions that were not

ready to cope with its beneficial effects. That was the single

most disastrous step to bring about the eventual worldwide

suffering. As the originating people of these medicines had

simultaneously achieved a basis of sufficiency and future-

security which suppressed pro-creation, other people simply

exploded in population numbers. Good had been misapplied in

that the pre-conditional elevation of advancement of not as far

progressed peoples was left out as simply unwanted or too

costly to achieve. The underlying motive was self-satisfying

greed in not having to share fairly as well as religious

distrust. Besides there was a clear benefit in keeping other

peoples underdeveloped as providers of cheap labour and raw-

materials. This, at the time, was a very much wanted factor at

the start of the Industrial Revolution.

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At the time the Industrial Revolution was a mere two

hundred years old, there were as many people alive throughout

the world as had lived in all of mankind's history before -

roughly 5.5 billion people in all - and their numbers were

rapidly climbing.

So was the number of inventions which made life more and more

comfortable for the people who held the keys to the new

technologies, which, however, required more and more natural

resources to sustain their process of production and

utilisation. On the other side of the coin, the wastes started

to pile up - discarded and unused, not re-cycled as in our

time. Short-sighted philosophy was well on the way to meet

disaster. By now the world was fractured into many, what they

called sovereign nations, some 300 or so, which were all in

larger or smaller ways competing with each other for the well-

being of their citizens through the actions of their rulers or

governments which were by and large the chosen representatives

of nationalistic identities and interests.

Never have people been more jealous of each other, biased and

hypocritical. What a mix-up that was, since nations were not by

any chance indigenous creations but more often than not

inflicted upon people by either force or yardstick. Sovereignty

of multi-ethnic nations was often contested by others and led

to two terrible wars amongst the people of Europe which both

22
times engulfed the world, as a result of which the region of

North America took over the military and economic, if not

spiritual, leadership of the world. After the second of these

wars, there could have been a scenario of worldwide consensus

to create planetary unity since powerful antagonists were all

too weak to put up much resistance to common sense or defend

their pitiful self-interests. This was the best and last chance

to derail the train into disaster. But it was not to be -

mankind was not mature enough to see and understand the need

for planetary unity born out of a mutual concept. Instead the

world divided in half -East / West Cold War they called it.

Where one erroneous philosophy was pitted against another

erroneous one. The western philosophy won and North America, as

its champion, stood proud and tall as the hero of the "Free

World". But free of what - not free of greed nor self-

interested minorities or the elementary needs of life, but

increasingly more and more surrounded by a majority of needy,

disadvantaged people and so were their European and Asian

allies in philosophy. Also not free of the power of reason and

common sense - and since knowledge cannot be undone, their

actions became more and more contorted. Shipping more and more

relief aid - they called it - of food and medicines to feed and

cure the needy people in the rest of the world and by doing so

fuelling the rate of population growth. Some logic our

ancestors were capable of. The planet was being eaten alive by

a mass of humanity that did not know where else to turn to.

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Nature's way of dealing with over-population and limited food

supply is simple. As top predator in the food-chain mankind

became its own worst enemy by starting to turn on its own kind.

Yes, the simple truth was cannibalism!

Before long, people in remote, desperate places of the planet

started to hunt, kill and eat each other. Some hundred years

after the last chance of conciliation, the world had to support

30 billion people. The pollution was even worse. Clean water

and air was beginning to run out.

Technological research was desperately seeking ways to maintain

the status quo of the affluent nations who had kept their

population growth well under control and to keep the rest of

the world off their backs, but to no avail. On the other hand,

technology had made it possible to carry news and images at

fairly rapid speed from any place in the world to any other.

And even though media news from the affluent nations were later

being curtailed and censored, they could never be completely

retained. The rest of the world saw the glaring disparity and

pained for a share of the better life.

How did such disparity come about, one would want to know?

Well, certainly not by origin. However, regional environmental

differences tested people more or less severely, causing them

under the more severe conditions to be more inventive and

24
ingenious in their constant search for a better, more

comfortable life. In time, this gave them an advantage over not

so tested groups of people, which enabled them to exercise

control and manipulate the lives of the not so developed ones.

This was aided by theological and philosophical beliefs which

were created to give legitimacy to the actions of the powerful.

One such concept was the hollow idea of democracy, serving in

purpose only to alleviate conscious guilt of people in power,

who generally used their powers to further their own, self-

interested goals, but doing so under the guise of fulfilling

the wishes of the people they pretended to represent. Little

did those people know or realise the true and real ambitions of

such leaders. Their opinions and sympathies were befuddled and

won by cleverly conceived political programmes such as social

welfare or meaningless guarantees of rights and needs. Never

ever was honesty involved, or a concern for a global concept to

ensure mutual and peaceful long term development. I guess that

the relatively short human life expectancy was not suited to

thinking in historic dimensions. If ever a person did profess

such ideas, he or she was declared a dreamer or incapable to

hold public office, since true and realistic programmes always

required a measure of sacrifice and thus always were vulnerable

in opposition to look good, feel good, have more comfort kind

of ones. Mass education, if granted or provided at all, never

even made an attempt at fostering an understanding of a global

concept. Of course, education was administered and dished out

to the masses from the top down and like I already said, the

25
"Tops" were generally cast in the same moulds of egoistic self-

fulfilment. Quite frankly, most people then couldn't care less

or were able to comprehend such needed long term policies. They

were too engrossed in their own daily lives to worry about the

future of their children. And so, democracy was declared the

state of the art of worldwide communal existence, irrespective

of unaddressed cultural differences, education and social or

economic advancement. A mighty shot in the foot that was and

eventually a huge moral dilemma, for under their falsehood the

self-interested mighty of the advanced nations only cared about

the well-being of a selected few, whereas the vast majority of

global populace was under-privileged. And when this vast

majority, professing their beliefs in democracy, came to claim

their right to vote for a fair distribution of wealth and

resources, the powerful few had no answer, but to resort to the

use of force and weapons to keep the majority away from their

flesh pots.

Not even a previously celebrated charter of unalienable, basic

human rights could change that. What an oxymoron that was! The

founders of that charter had had no idea that human rights were

no natural concept and that, if at all viable, had to be

backed-up by guarantees of sufficiency in elementary needs,

such as clean air and water, food and a way to earn a living.

Who could then have provided such guarantees? When the supply

of elementary needs eventually did run out under the burden of

population increase, "Human Rights" turned out to be the pipe

26
dream they were right from the start. Until then people

paradoxically even killed each other to maintain them. When, in

the nick of time, modern thinkers finally realised the futility

of isolated human rights rather than the rights of all forms of

universal life and started propagating the mutual

interdependence of all creation, did our forebears come to

their senses and, with the advent of the new technologies of

power generation and genetic engineering, managed to pull back

from the brink of ultimate catastrophe. Until then they had

largely trusted and depended upon antiquated religious beliefs

that an almighty, omnipresent and omnipotent, "good" god would

save them and by extension the world, which they believed to

have been given to them to use and exploit as they wished.

Emerging from that fantasy led many insecure people to commit

suicide, which was really an expression of how desperate the

plight of the world had become. Had they been more critical

they would have realised that, up to our time, there was really

no Good in Life, starting with the concept of survival which

required other life to be killed and eaten, or the ever

recurring natural disasters which unselectively and

indiscriminately extinguished life for no apparent reason other

than happening to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This

was particularly obvious when it affected the young and the

weak, for surely an omnipresent and -potent god could have

prevented that, or when large groups of people, usually for

being different from the conquering ones in one way or another,

or for being non-believers, were wantonly and randomly

27
eradicated without even being given a chance to demonstrate

their potential goodness or usefulness.

These religious believes were supported and protected by

extremely powerful and ruthless interest groups and it probably

required the extreme suffering the world went through to be

able to free humanity from their grasp.

Until such time that the approach to world affairs actually did

change, individual nations carried out and funded important

research for technological advancement in their own isolation,

closely guarding and keeping the results as secrets to be used

only for their own benefit rather than the world as a whole.

This obviously meant that there was a lot of duplication in

research work and so, precious funds were squandered in

achieving the same results and conclusions at two or three or

even more different research centres, all researching the same

subject. Some of those research programmes required huge

amounts of money - like in space research - and it would have

made good sense to pool the efforts and distribute the

financial burden more widely and who knows, maybe those

important technological breakthroughs might have come about a

lot earlier, forestalling the most sever suffering. Again it

was not to be, until finally out of the total chaos a worldwide

student-movement arose, which wrested away the political power

from the professional politicians and, unencumbered by personal

obligations to special interest groups, substituted that

28
infamous world body - the United Nations - by a new World

Forum, which evolved into the World Council we know today.

These concerned young people had but one interest in mind - the

improvement of the world as a whole - and under the slogan "We

cannot do worse, but we do it for free", they conceived the

ideas which created the early United States of Planet Earth,

recognition of ethnic diversity and respect for it, under

adherence of pre-agreed population development programmes which

were strictly enforced by concerted effort, mutual research and

education for the benefit of all. Before long, the

breakthroughs were achieved which enabled the rebuilding of

nature, the re-settlement of the roving masses with renewed

compulsory education and the creation of sufficiency which

enabled people to make a living at their place of birth or

origin. The Right to Live was simply given a higher priority

over the Right to Life, and which was achieved by curtailing

population numbers of individual nations by harmonizing

national per capita incomes to within a bandwidth of a common,

leading international denominator, so created to allow

fluctuating population numbers based on nations productivity -

not unlike those erstwhile floating currency mechanisms. In

this way even the "poorest" nations offered their populations a

decent way of life which obviated the need to migrate. During

the initial critical phase when drastic measures and

curtailment had to be enforced, for those who wanted to, in

exchange for not having children, individuals were given

security by way of Incapacitation or Old Age Pension. Otherwise

29
the one-child family became the norm until such time that the

desired population number was achieved. Thereafter, the right

incentives manipulated the global population development.

Their efforts were honest and fair and they were applauded for

it - never mind the sacrifices which were still required.

Common sense had triumphed.

The production and use of weaponry had finally come to rest and

obsolescence.

And look how perfectly it worked, for their idea of letting the

brightest and the best of their graduates volunteer for a

limited two year term of communal service to administer world

affairs and policies is still in use today. From there on, the

different ethnic groups of people accepted to honour and

respect each other and the path was finally free to emerge into

what we know as our world today".

Marrie's dream eclipsed here in a feeling of profound fondness

for her late grandfather, but re-surfaced with her younger

image being in her room and holding a volume of The Chronicle

which she opened.

30
 4.

Young Marrie was reading a diarized entry in The Chronicle,

which had been started by Francesco T. Christmas as a teenager

in the year 2008 according to the now defunct Gregorian

Calendar.

December 25, 2016

How I hate this bloody, compulsory border guard service!

Half the national manpower seems to be involved in repelling

Invaders all the time. Being on the Mexican Border this time

though, beats being stationed in Alaska trying to repel those

goddamn Ice-Travellers.

Last night we came upon a small group of Invaders - five men

and a woman. At distance they looked in our infra-red sighters

like a large, hunched down animal, but how long ago has there

been the last free roaming animal in these parts - I wouldn't

know. Coming closer though we were able to distinguish heads

and limbs. The men were busy copulating with the woman.

Everyone was naked. How emaciated their bodies were! Even more

surprising where they find the stamina to fuck with such

gusto!!

We decided to watch them for a while. The woman was reclined

31
over a flat-top rock, lying on her back with her legs apart and

her buttocks in the air. Couldn't have been older than her

early twenties and not unattractive at all in her features. We

had no idea how long this romping had been going on, but

somebody was kneeling to the side of her, holding a cup or

something in which he collected the muck which squished out and

dripped off her buttocks, from which she was re-lubricated

every now and again. They were taking turns between her legs,

pumping away until they were satisfied, making room for the

next one until it was their turn again. Sometimes they would

stick it up her arse in an attempt to gain some extra

lubrication from her intestinal lining. One knelt over her

torso, rubbing his ding-dong between her compressed tits but

didn't seem to like it much and stopped soon.

There was not a sound to be heard, so they must have been aware

of the dangers they were exposed to. Probably couldn't care

less if it was their last good fuck!

The woman didn't seem to mind and co-operated with the silent

hints the men gave her. There wasn't much else she could do, I

suppose, but what the heck, she probably liked it, too. Besides

what else are they good for if they aren't polluting the world

with their unwanted babies!

After an hour or so we decided to shoot the whole fuckin' lot,

but Ray Cummings wanted to spare the woman at first to also

32
have a go at her. Smithy and I talked him out of it by making

him see the risk of contracting one of those hard to cure VD's.

Ordinarily we were to take Invaders in for sterilisation and

repatriation, but who would know. Besides, why go through all

the trouble to steer them back to base on Christmas Eve.

What a CHRISTMAS surprise they got!!! (The pun is intended)

We silently angled in on them. They were all down with our

first salvo and we cleared out. Gunfire always attracts more of

them, so it's no use to take the risk of bumping into a horde

of these hungry fiends unexpectedly and being ripped apart and

eaten alive.

By today the corpses will have been found and eaten and the few

remaining bones scattered, of which the place is already

overfull.

Marrie's eyes were opened wide and glazed with shock. In her

mind she kept on repeating the same question over and over

again:

IS THIS FOR REAL? IS THIS FOR REAL?

Like in a trance she flipped the pages and by chance picked up

an entry from another Christmas Day.

33
December 25, 2012

Hallelujah! The world is saved!!

In his last Easter address, urbi et orbi, which I came across

today, the pope proclaimed his divine wisdom that mankind will

be saved from the plight of over-population by practising

conjugal restraint or even celibacy!

In reality there appear more and more bumper stickers reading:

"THE POPE: AND YET, HE TOO, FUCKS!"

Well, metaphorically he "fucks" all those who believe his silly

postulations.

Meanwhile the vast majority of world population doesn't even

listen to him because they don't believe in Christianity, but

some other mumble jumble.

On the other hand, if we don't multiply, there won't be enough

of us to stem the tide of those lazy, good-for-nothing hordes

which are closing in on us.

Why do they come here - what do they want; to share their

misery with us?

Like under hypnosis Marrie put down the first volume and opened

34
the second close to its beginning.

January 28, 2017

I'm writing this in anguish over last week's encounter with an

Invader-Woman and her two kids.

This experience is haunting me day and night, so that I'm

beginning to think my sanity is starting to unravel. For the

next few days I'm off duty while I receive medical attention

for a severe inflammation of the eyes, which sometimes occurs

from prolonged use of the various sighting equipment, whereas I

know that my emotional distress simply makes me burst out in

tears whenever those images flit across my mind, so that my

eyes are all red and puffy. I'm feeling so powerless and guilty

at the same time - I don't know how to deal with it - I think

I'm going to kill myself to stop this living nightmare!

Imagine me being in the state I'm in over some Invader!

How many times have I celebrated with friends our resolution to

stop any Invader by whatever means it takes. Remember the

boisterous camp parties when we were bragging to each other how

tough we were, how many of them we'd dare taking on single

handedly; what we'd do if we came upon some flesh-eaters and

how we'd hunt them down if ever they'd capture one of us.

I, Francesco Theodor Christmas, the guardian of peace and

35
tranquillity of the National Union; the protector of our

economic achievements, our economic interests and future

against the barbarous hordes of the slimy, deceptive parasites

who are trying to invade our well-being.

I, the romantic hero, who would with his dying breath still try

to defuse the Migration Bomb - I now, in reality, can't wait to

get out of these hellish border conditions.

What has changed my attitude? Have I grown up; become suddenly

wiser - and at the same time useless for these border-guard

duties? The circumstances haven't changed. We are still under

threat by the Migration-Bomb, which nobody claims to own, so as

to make retaliation impossible, but which keeps exerting its

deadly force all around us by raining down on us like

fragmentation particles in the form of living human beings.

Hungry human beings as the ultimate weapon - the ultimate force

of destruction!

Undeclared aggression of deadly consequence. If it doesn't kill

you, it drives you insane.

Is that it? Is that what happened to me? The subtle erosion of

sanity by being immersed in constant, pacific human suffering -

or by being attacked by the expression of tearless, softly

pleading eyes, which silently scream out their experience of

36
hunger, deprivation and pain!

To witness the feeble efforts of fellow living creatures to

hang on to life, despite such vast odds against it and your own

snugness; satisfied desires. If this is master-minded; what a

satanic concept!

Humanity - the silent, biological super-bomb!

I can't take this any longer. The images are haunting me again.

February 1, 2017

None of the actively serving personnel is older than 30 years

of age. There must be a realisation at highest command level

that an individual can only absorb so much of it before folding

or becoming too critical. So they do realise, that prolonged

border

exposure is harmful to the national interest or the entrenched

political ways. They head-off criticism by curtailing exposure

to these mind-bending influences. This introduces an element of

guilt on the part of those ones who sell us off on the myth

that we are doing our job for our own and the national good and

who give us the feeling that "losing" the one or other captive

bears no ill consequences.

It is obvious we are not achieving anything, with the world

37
population still on the increase. Meanwhile year after year our

young generations are being turned into Hate-Monsters and

potential killing machines. There must be another way.

I found out that Smithy is going through the same anguish I am

experiencing and together we resolved to treat captured

Invaders the way they deserve as fellow human beings. We will

carry some spare hard rations to hand out when nobody else is

looking and hope that it makes-up for our part in the capture,

for I'm afraid we will still have to turn them in for

"processing".

Smithy helped me to deal with the trauma of the woman and her

kids and we mutually recounted the way we experienced what

happened and our feelings about it, but every night I dream-

live the same scenes over and over.

Is this ever gonna go away?

Daytime patrol - a real plum assignment. Nothing ever happens

during the day.

Our scout-craft is parked in a gully cutting through the ridge

of a sandy dune that had built itself up around some rocky

outcrop and which was now sparsely interspersed with low, dry

38
shrub.

The surveillance antenna are primarily aimed at the softly

undulating stone-desert moonscape which extends below us

towards the border.

The early morning temperature is slowly starting to rise. The

soft-blue sky offers not even a hint of a cloud. This promises

to be another stinking hot day in which an unprotected person

can shrivel-up and die within just hours. Right now the view is

still hazy from the early morning mist evaporating from the

dew-wet ground which accumulated during the night.

Just a short distance away from the melodic hum of the crafts

generator there is absolute silence to the human ear. Not a

bird or insect to be heard. Not even the whispering murmur of

hot air rising from the ground on its way to cool-off at some

higher atmospheric level. Nothing - buried in silence. When

it's like this the senses go to sleep; first the hearing, then

the smelling and finally the eye-lids are growing heavier and

heavier until they close completely - the neck muscles relax

and .... with a jerk of your head you are awake again, only to

start the same game all over.

We have strung-up a makeshift awning next to the craft for

shade. There are five of us.

39
Lt. Samuel Cohen, 26, Chartered Accountant by profession,

employed in banking, now seconded to his bi-annual 3 months

tour of border duty. We call him Moses because he is supposed

to lead us through our travails. He's got a good sense of

humour and doesn't mind us calling him so. In his private life

he seems to be quite well off, being able to afford some

expensive sports hobbies. Physically he is in first class

shape.

Sgt. William Christopher Smith-Muggleton, 28, trained computer

technician, decided to go on a four year tour of border duty

after losing his job in a small manufacturing business. He can

handle the technical gimmickry of our modern equipment like

nobody else can and is supposed to give the rest of us on the

job training in its handling and proper application.

PFC Raymond Jonathan Cummings, 24, hopes to get a job as Civil

Engineer after finishing his draft call. Just out of basic

training and now doing his first stint on the border.

PFC Walter Schindler, 24, like Ray he's getting his ears dried.

He's got an offer to work for a large Electronics Concern. So

he doesn't have to worry where he's going after getting out of

this.

Finally, of course, myself - on my second call-up tour.

PFC Francesco Theodor Christmas, 27 this year. If they don't

40
call me Franki, they call me Father Christmas. Fifth generation

American of Spanish descend from around Malaga and originally

named Christomás. The humorist of immigration official who

changed the name to Christmas hopefully fries in hell.

With my BA in Economics I've got a decent job as Commercial

Administrator in the Property Investment Department of an

Insurance Firm. Nothing fancy but it keeps me going.

We are all avowed bachelors, religiously unencumbered East-

Coasters who get along well together.

So there we were, expecting a quiet, tranquil day. Nothing ever

happens during the daytime!

We agreed to take hourly turns at the monitors with Smithy on

the first shift to set-up shop properly, so the rest could

snooze or do whatever they liked. This was going to be a real

boy-scout outing.

"Hey guys, I'm picking up heat distortion at 8000 metres,

9 o'clock", came Smithy's voice out of the vehicle.

"Go and jerk-off, that'll stop it", offered Ray in reply.

Moses had gotten up and joined Smithy inside the vehicle.

"He's right, something is moving out there - slowly coming

towards us".

41
"Let's give it a rocket and see if it can jump", suggested

Walt.

"Hey get serious, this might be some new game they are playing.

We may well see shit flying before we know what's going on.

Franki, see any dust or movement?"

"Negative", I had picked up a pair of binoculars and was

scanning the sector in question, but the morning haze obscured

a clear view. The casual, relaxed attitude of a moment ago was

quickly evaporating.

"Sweep-Scan", Moses' voice was picking up the tension.

"Call-up pattern".

"Pattern is of two bodies; one large adult, one sub-adult",

came Smithy's instant response.

"Hey, it's Laurel and Hardy coming to entertain us".

"Shut-up, Ray, I want you and Walt to move out two hundred

metres on either side and keep yourselves out of view. And, you

two, before you sit down make sure you don't get your arses

spiked by a fork. The moment you are in position I wanna listen

to your sweet voices telling me how well you are. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir"

42
"Aye, Aye, Sir"

Walt and Ray moved out without another word being spoken. Moses

was watching the monitors intently and mumbling to himself -

"Clowns; if they don't grow up here, they are gonna die as

happy kids".

"Franki"

"Sam?"

"I'll take over the "eyes". I want you to take control of the

fire-power. Lock-on, but keep it on safe. Wait for my command

before you let go".

Moses took my place as I clambered inside to slip into the seat

beside Smithy and take-over control of the fire-power.

"One, two. One, two", the wrist intercoms came to life.

"You're trying to tell me something Wally?". I could see a

smirk on Moses' face.

"No, Sir. Just testing. Is it sweet enough?"

"Sir", Smithy interrupted.

"What is it?"

43
"I'm picking up more distortions at 12 and 6 o'clock. These

ones are real close!"

"Patterns?"

"Strange, Sir, it says two-legged arseholes, hunkered down. May

we open fire?"

"Hey, that's us you've got on your monitor, Sarge!" Walt's

voice had a startled urgency to its tone.

"Jeeze, man, you're right. For a moment I was afraid we were

coming under a shit-attack from some new Invader weapon. I'll

have to log your recognition pattern in the friend/foe decoder

so you don't get swatted accidentally. Just as well that you

recognized yourselves in time!"

By now we were all grinning broadly and Moses was chuckling to

himself. The tension started to ease again.

"I never said a word", chimed in Ray. "I want to come back".

"You see", Smithy was beaming as he replied to Ray, "I always

maintained the machine can read minds, even over a distance.

What do you want to come back for?"

44
"I forgot my cooler-lotion and it's getting awfully hot under

my collar".

"Well, if I know the Lieutenant correctly, you've got to stay

put and sweat it out, Honey".

"Listen everybody", the Lieutenant interrupted Smithy's and

Ray's dialogue, "I appreciate the support you're giving me and

will do my best to make sure that we can all continue with our

normal lives once this tour is over. I want you to understand

that during all my call-ups I never had a single daytime

encounter. Maybe Smithy's had but I ain't. So I'm a bit wary

about what's going on and I want you to stay alert to possible

danger. At the speed the target is moving it's gonna take 3

hours to reach us. Still I want you to keep your eyes open.

Stay awake, especially you two out there. It's your lives

you're fooling around with. What's more, you two hold your fire

until we open up and if you have clear sight of a target you

follow suit, if not, you stay put and watch. Only exception, if

you are under direct attack and in imminent danger. From now on

it's silence until action or stand down. Understood?"

Two clearly audible double clicks from the intercom signalled

that Walt and Ray were now serious about their assignment.

Three hours are an awfully long time to watch a snail have a

race. We weren't any better off. An hour down the line Moses

45
could pick-up movement through the binoculars. Nothing else was

alive or moving out there.

"It's a woman and two kids. A boy and a girl. The woman carries

the girl. Something's strange about that lot". Moses was wiping

his eyes to relieve the fatigue from focusing through the

binoculars.

The temperature was approaching its midday peak. The ground

around us was already baking. Heat reflection from the ground

made it even worse. The earlier atmospheric haze had

disappeared and been replaced by heat mirages dancing over the

land on the hot up-draught of heated air. Ray must be simmering

in his juices without the benefit of his cooler lotion.

"Let's call Ray and Walt back in. The woman is alone out there;

I can tell by the state of exhaustion she is in - she walks by

the remnants of her willpower. Sarge, I want you and Father

Christmas here to go out and bring her over so we can give her

the good news, but wait until the other two are back and can

take over from you. Allright?"

Smithy nodded his concurrence and called Ray and Walt on the

intercom.

"Stand down, stand down - do you copy?"

46
"Jesus Fuckin' Christ". It was Ray's voice that was breathing

steam over the intercom.

"I copy". Walt still seemed to have his good humour, but Ray

appeared to be slightly agitated. We were jokingly speculating

why.

Ray came back like a steam-roller pouring his remaining canteen

water over his head as he walked, puffing imaginary smoke from

his nostrils. The last few steps he fairly ran-stumbled into

the vehicle dropping his equipment and stripping off his

fatigue. He never looked at us nor said a word as he was

digging up the supply locker for a bottle of cooler lotion.

"I say, old chap, you look awfully red in the face". Smithy was

teasing him. "Aren't you feeling well by any chance?".

"You know, Smith, you may joke about it, but I'm telling you

it's bloody, fuckin' hell out there if you have to sit around

like a rock. Even more so, if you know that it doesn't have to

be like that. The moment I've fixed myself up I'm gonna shoot

that stupid cunt waddling around during the day!".

"You can't blame her - if anything she is sharing your

predicament. Just consider this: The other Moses led his people

around in the desert for 30 years or so. You see it could've

been much worse".

47
Ray was glowering at the Lieutenant, but one could see that his

temper was already subsiding.

Walt, by now, had also strolled back in, munching an energy

bar.

"What's for lunch?", he enquired.

"Right now, I want you two to take over from Smithy and Frank,

while they go out and pick her up. Thereafter we decide what's

next".

Moses was signalling us with his head to go out and do our

little job.

"What do you think this is all about", I asked Smithy as we

climbed out of the gully.

"I've got no idea".

The woman had come to within 500 metres of our position and was

by coincidence heading straight for us.

"Let's split and approach her from the sides", Smithy

suggested.

So we moved 50 metres apart as we descended from the slope of

the dune. The boy saw us first and pointed us out to what we

48
believed to be his mother. They waited for us as we approached.

The Lieutenant was right. There was something different about

these three. Something discernable but not immediately obvious.

Suddenly it struck me as I came closer. They did not have the

air of abject poverty about them; not the demeanour of broken

spirit - the sullen expression of starvation. Exhaustion, yes;

deprivation and hardship, yes - but also a composure of body

that seemed to indicate that they had known better in the not

too distant past. I guessed the boy's age at about eight, the

girl maybe five and the woman in her early thirties. The

clothes were different too, dishevelled and dirty, but of a

former quality that bespoke a sense of fashion and caring

selection, especially in the way the kids were dressed. Could

they be American and escaped capture from across the border?

Highly unlikely - and yet? They were all dark haired but with

Caucasian features. The boy had moved close up to his mother's

side. She was holding the girl in her left arm and had draped

her right arm across the boy's shoulder - as much to comfort

him as to steady herself. They were all looking straight at us

as we came closer, waiting as to what might happen next. I

couldn't but feel sorry for them. Smithy had shouldered his

weapon and I did the same. We knew the other guys were watching

us closely. Two metres apart we stopped. Smithy must have had

similar thoughts, for he never said a word; he just

outstretched his arms in a gesture to take over the girl and

relieve the woman from the burden of the child's weight, but

the child turned away and hugged her mother even closer,

49
burying her face in the nape of her mother's neck. I unhinged

my canteen and opened the screw top. The woman stepped forward

to allow Smithy to take the girl and the girl relented. Nobody

uttered a sound. Smithy took the girl in his right arm and sat

her on his hip. The woman hesitatingly took a step back again.

She tried to speak but no sound was forming, I held out the

opened canteen to her which she acknowledged in gratitude with

her eyes - no word was necessary to express that. The look in

those eyes was saying more than a thousand words. She took a

quick draught from the canteen and then administered some to

the boy and the girl, careful not to spill any of the precious

liquid. They must have learned on their journey to appreciate

the value of water - cool, refreshing, life giving water.

"Do you understand English?", Smithy asked her and she nodded

in confirmation.

"We must go up there and report to our Commanding Officer.

There you can rest". Having said that Smithy turned and walked

off leading the way back up the dune. After taking another

draught from the canteen she handed it back to me, took the

boy's hand and followed Smithy. I replaced the canteen on my

belt and followed, making up the rear.

As they walked the woman squeezed the boy's hand and looked at

him, speaking to him with her eyes which seemed to say - it's

alright, don't be afraid, we are safe now, we made it to

safety - in such a loving, tender way that words could never

50
have expressed. And the boy understood.

I saw now that she was wearing a small rucksack, which by the

looks of it was pretty empty. At some stage it must have

carried their provisions. They were slim alright, even under-

nourished, but not yet starved, at least not for food. The

children still had a certain chubbiness in their faces with the

button noses all children have. They were weakened by their

ordeal, but the bodies were not yet lethargic like it was often

the case with the ones we picked up.

We were making slow progress up the side of the dune. When we

finally reached the vehicle, Smithy sat down the little girl in

the shade of the awning, ripped open an energy bar which he put

in her hand and placed his open canteen next to her. The woman

and the boy joined her in the shade.

"Smithy". Moses motioned the Sergeant inside the vehicle. "What

was going on out there?"

"I don't know, Sam", I heard Smithy say, "I've never come

across

anything like this before. She says she understands English but

we didn't actually talk. You better go and talk to her yourself

to find out her story, but for God's sake take it easy. They

sure are different".

51
All the while the woman had cared about the children.

Straightening and brushing their clothes with her hands,

combing their hair with her fingers to make it look neat,

pulling out a hanky from the boy's pocket and dampening it with

a little water from the canteen to wipe their faces and hands

(imagine a hanky! I think I never had one, never mind used one

in all my life!). When she tried to break the energy bar in

half to give the boy also a piece, I handed her two more which

again she acknowledged with those warm expressive eyes before

she lowered her glance to open the packaging.

What was it that these eyes had? What power did they hold that

made me feel so guilty about myself, yet at the same time

wanting to care for her and the children, protect them from

further hardship? I was getting more and more confused.

Moses came out of the vehicle and approached her slowly.

"Please, Sir, I beg of you. You can do with me what you like,

but please don't hurt the children. They have suffered so much

already on this long journey all the way from Brazil. Please,

please ..... please ..... ". Her voice, which bore a typical

latin accent, had gradually diminished to a whisper.

The children were sitting silently and motionless with wide

open eyes watching their mother. Like children who have been

made to watch loved ones suffer. Like children who know their

52
vulnerability in the absence of parental protection; who know

the vulnerability of their parents themselves - like children

who know torment and cruelty inflicted upon their protectors

and maybe even upon themselves.

And I wondered - will I ever know or comprehend what these

innocent minds have already gone through?

From Brazil she said? With just her little rucksack? Where is

the father? Did he abscond or die? How did they travel the

distance? Did they depend on others to make their progress?

Imagine to depend on others for favours and sympathy out there!

I can imagine what kind of favours were expected in return,

with or without her consent; and the children watching as their

mother was being abused and played with. Probably enough of an

experience to shut one up forever. And now, with their rucksack

being as empty as it is she must have thought they won't need

more on their final leg. They look decent enough - not at all

like the other creeps we keep on picking up - to be treated and

rewarded with a little kindness, but now that they've actually

made it - wonder of wonders - we have to turn them in for

processing. Shit, shit, shit. This can't be right.

There was more to it than just the spoken word and I could feel

that Moses was also touched by this woman's aura - her spirit

of motherly self-sacrifice for the benefit of her children.

He had to clear his throat before he could speak.

53
"You can rest now. Nothing will happen to you or your children.

But later we will have to hand you over to the processing

authorities. There is no way we can look after you after that,

even though I would if there was a way".

"And the children?". She looked up at Moses - not grovelling,

not demanding, but pleading with all her heart and willpower.

And then she collapsed - just like that.

"She has fainted from exhaustion", Moses said.

But in fact she was dead! Stone fucking dead!

The children still watched in silence.

Smithy was kneeling down beside her, trying to revive her when

he discovered and told us. He shut her eyes - those wonderfully

talking eyes.

And the children were still watching in silence.

Ray and Walt were inside the vehicle attending to the controls,

unaware of what had happened.

I had gone over to Smithy kneeling next to him.

"What now?", I asked, when the quiet behind us exploded with

the clatter of automatic weapon fire.

54
The children collapsed in a heap of torn flesh, without

uttering as much as a whisper.

Now they were silent forever.

Ray and Walt were scrambling out of the vehicle.

"Holy shit! What's going on out here? Ray was looking around in

his bewilderment.

"Good HEAVENS, just look at that!", Walt was recoiling from the

scene of the carnage, stumbling backwards. "What you do that

for, Sam?".

Moses was holding my rifle with his index finger firmly

depressing the trigger, but the magazine was emptied now.

"She asked me to look after them, you heard her", he was

swallowing hard. He dropped the weapon and turned away.

Neither Smithy nor I had moved, frozen in the pose we held when

the gun went off.

Now the life was coming back to me while my mind was still

trying to process and comprehend what had happened. My ears

were ringing from the noise. Everything around me seemed to

proceed in slow motion. All my faculties seemed to have fallen

apart so that my eyes watched my hand softly stroking away the

hair which had fallen over the woman's face without registering

55
that it was my hand they watched. The hair was already well

stroked back but the hand just continued.

Nobody had spoken a word when Moses turned back around and took

command of the situation.

"Let's give them a proper burial."

"Believe me this is more difficult for me than for any of you.

You know full well what would have been in store for them. The

"processing" and later the repatriation and thereafter who

knows? You guys have the easy part. But I, I have to live with

this from now on - and that's something I still have to figure

out how to do. The best we can do now is to bury them; decent."

"Ray I want you to take the pneumatic spate and you Walt, take

the compressor down to the base of the dune. Frank, you pick a

suitable spot and run the power down there. When this is

finished I want you, Smithy, to mine the goddamn place so that

they can rest in peace and no goddamn, fuckin' gravedigger even

gets a chance of as much as thinking about to go near them."

"And I want you to do this without me. I need some space. When

you are finished, look me up - I'm on the other side". With

that said, he turned around again and walked off.

When Smithy got up he mumbled: "I still can't believe what

happened".

Walt had turned away to get the equipment and Ray was following

him. I got up as well to install the power.

56
Moses' reasoning in a way made sense. The processing was

intentionally designed to be painful. Both for adults and

children alike. The daily contingent of captured Invaders

waiting to be processed all had to watch as their fellow

inmates were surgically sterilized. No separation existed for

men, women and children. They were all processed together. The

trauma of watching these proceedings was enough to make even

the most lethargic soil their pants. Especially when it was the

husband, wife or child they operated on. And it was common

knowledge that operations were done without anaesthetic.

The idea being that after repatriation they would talk about

their experience which was supposed to keep others from coming.

But they were still coming anyway, despite an almost zero

chance of slipping through.

So these children were at least spared from that suffering and

maybe from a lot worse further down the line. All too often the

weak and defenceless end up in somebody's pot out there. The

thought of the aversion of such fate helped calm my agitated

emotions.

We were all descending down the slope together.

"I think he might have gone off praying", Walt remarked

jokingly.

Walt and Ray had not actually been in contact with the woman

and the kids while they were alive.

"What a waste of a perfectly good piece of pussy", Ray tried to

57
joke.

Smithy's face was instantly turning ghost pale.

"Don't talk shit, Private. You know, if something was gonna

happen to you right now and you needed my help, I would enjoy

sitting back and watching you die".

This wasn't Smithy. This was somebody else from deep within him

who none of us had previously got to know.

Ray realised that, too.

"I'm sorry, Sergeant, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry".

"Just watch what you are saying for the next couple of days".

Smithy's face was dead-serious and his eyes focused

unflinchingly at the spot between Ray's eyes, just above the

ridge of his nose.

There was a determination in his stare which warned Ray of

seriously dangerous aggression and he looked down to avoid the

discomfort he felt from Smithy's facial expression.

We continued to descend in silence until we reached level

ground.

Smithy and I picked a suitable spot and we started digging -

all taking turns at the pneumatic spate while the others

shovelled away the loose ground.

Every now and again Smithy was saying under his breath: "I'm so

sorry", seemingly oblivious to anybody else around him.

58
When the job was done we looked up the Lieutenant.

We found him, like he said, on the other side of the dune,

sitting on the ground with his legs pulled up and his head

resting on his knees.

Smithy went over to him.

"Sam"

Moses looked up.

"It's done".

The Lieutenant nodded his head and got up. "Let's go back".

When we reached the vehicle he asked Smithy.

"Show me where"

Smithy pointed out the spot where we had dug the grave. For a

moment it looked as if Moses wanted to go down there.

"Lieutenant, you can't go down there. It's mined like you

said".

Moses turned around.

"It's alright, Sarge. Tell me, how did you bury them?"

"The woman in the centre with the kids on either side of her".

"Does anybody of you know how to say a prayer on such an

occasion?"

59
"No, Sir"

"No, Sir"

We all denied we did.

"Alright, I'll try to say something. They might have been

religious. While I speak I want you to stand at attention".

We fell in line, standing at attention.

Moses turned and looked out over the plain in the direction

from where they had come, which was bathed in the softening

light of the late afternoon.

His voice was very soft, almost faint.

"Oh, God, if you can hear me and if you know the people, who

came to me in their desperation, but with hope, a hope I could

not fulfil. These people I deliver unto you, so that you might

fulfil their longing for peace and happiness in your realm".

A moment later he added: "Amen"

After a further minute's silence, Moses dismissed us without

turning around. I noticed that his breathing was erratic. We

went back to the vehicle. 10 minutes later he joined us.

"Let's get out of here!"

February 3, 2017

60
Lt. Samuel Cohen is dead - by his own hand. Last night he was

talking to Smithy and said that he had enough of it, but wasn't

specific in any way.

Later that night he blew out his brains.

As easy as that!

February 17, 2025

Oliver Buckmaster III - I hate you and your smooth talking,

sarcastic politeness. Oh, if I could just tell him to shove his

bloody job up his arse. But employment is so damned scarce, I

have to hang on to what I've got. In a way words can hurt more

than a punch-up. They slice you up inside, destroy your soul,

your innards, your dignity, while outwardly you have to remain

composed, civil and demure. Actually I would prefer a beating

if I had made a mistake in my work, but I didn't even make any

mistake. He just dislikes me; has his fun with me, because he

knows that I cannot afford to or wouldn't fight back.

Watch out, or one day I'm going to kill you, you bastard!

P.S.: Sarcasm is worse than physical assault!

How can I preserve my dignity at work and avoid grovelling?

February 18, 2025

61
I was reading last night's entry and feel shock and disgust

over what I have written - how I felt about the person of

Oliver Buckmaster. At first I wanted to tear out the page, but

that won't undo the past, would it?

Something is wrong in my life, I know, but I can't put my

finger on it. I shall try to deal with it; get to the bottom of

it and find the fault that causes all this hate and aggression,

which so subtly but increasingly pervades my life, but not just

mine; the whole of our society seems to suffer the same

symptoms.

How do I do it? Where do I start?

THE FACTS:

Buckmaster confronts me over work I did and criticizes it. He

does so very calmly and politely, but in a way which is

humiliating, mocking and belittling in my ears.

I am not as glib and rhetorically powerful as he is and cannot

verbally defend myself, even though I do not accede to the

error he accuses me of. My attempt at justifying the result of

my work is cut short by his control over the debate through his

status as superior and hypothetical statements he makes, which

I was not accorded the opportunity to invalidate.

Inwardly I was feeling hot anger and the desire to do him harm!

This about sums up what happened yesterday.

62
Coming to think about it, this is not an isolated event, but

one of a continuous string of occurrences under all aspects of

my life which cause the severe desire to inflict reprisal - and

not just in me, but in all my friends, too. WHY???

Our lives seem to consist of negative experiences and

aggravations all the time. When my friends and I meet, we talk

about nothing else but how difficult it is to get on in life,

how poorly the government represents our interests, how

unjustly we are being rewarded for our struggles and

deprivations.

I, for one, feel no joy of living. Surely that can't be right;

or is life meant to be a burden full of suffering?

This is certainly what the Catholic Church wants us to believe,

so my sentiments are nothing new - except I don't believe in a

God; at least not in a good and just one.

Are there people who do enjoy life? I'm sure there must be, but

everybody I know is always complaining.

ALWAYS COMPLAINING - COMPLAINING - COMPLAINING .....

isn't complaining just an attitude? Do we all suffer from

negative-attitude-habit?

If that is so, what's so good about it that it became so

widespread, almost universal, like a bodily function!? Is it

63
perhaps really an elementary human characteristic? Like a

camouflage - don't kill me, look how poor I am, go kill

somebody else - somebody who doesn't complain!

What a farce Life is, if the most successful strategy of

survival, and by extension, well being, is built on deception

and falsehood - or is it?

Still, despite all the complaints we have, we continue with our

lives. We must be suckers for punishment - or is it The

Principle Hope that makes us go on?

But hope for what? Hope to strike it rich - hope to win the

jackpot - to be able to lead an effortless, unworried life?

Hope that one day to be able to afford the extravagance of not

having to COMPLAIN ..... and become a target for every head-

hunter of non-complainers - and start to worry all over again.

It doesn't make sense. There is a major defect in the concept

of existence on this planet!

It's getting late and I feel rather sleepy. Let's see what life

looks like tomorrow.

February 19, 2025

I've been thinking all day about last night's subject.

64
From now on I shall try not to complain any more. From now on I

will cheerfully deal and overcome all obstacles which present

themselves in my way and life; and I will do so with

consideration and respect for others.

Alright Miss Scarlet, it's a start. Let's see where it'll take

us from here!

I can honestly say that tonight, I'm feeling good about myself

for the first time since I can't remember how long ago.

If I were to be ranked in terms of well being and quality of

life I would probably find myself somewhere in the top quarter

of all humanity. That's no reason to complain if I think about

all those poor souls who get killed each day just trying to get

by.

Since I can't hunt and gather my daily requirements in this

high-density population environment I am part of, I need a job

as substitute for that free roaming way of existence. In almost

every respect a job is a lot more comfortable, safer and

predictable than the uncertain outcome of hunting and

gathering. Again, a job, any job, Buckmasters and all, is no

reason for complaint.

I solemnly promise that, never mind what, I shall do my work to

65
the best of my ability as well as co-operate with and help my

colleagues when and wherever I can.

I'm quite happy to work long hours in exchange for not having

to hunt and gather, which, if it was possible, would probably

involve even longer hours. I do realise that there is no

guarantee though, that I might not lose my job - and I will

constantly have to carefully evaluate such prospect and make

provision for it. Right now, there is, however, no reason, why

I should lose my job. My work shall be part of my enjoyment and

enjoyment shall govern my life!

Are these lines just empty words? They sound like a declaration

of independence. Can I really afford to enjoy myself?

Happiness in life is to find and accept the degree and level of

contentment that is individually affordable and then make the

best of it! I think this formula might be the key to free

myself from unfulfillable aspirations which only serve to

create discontent and jealousy.

I will probably need new friends - well, maybe I should try

going-out with a girl for a change. I will certainly need new

friends if I did that. But why not? Today's animosities between

men and women are just as much created attitudes as I now

believe complaining to be. I think I will seriously consider

giving it a try.

66
I must also pay attention and concentrate more on the positive

things in life. Actually this could be rather difficult. The

news media seem to primarily concentrate on calamities and

other people's mishaps and indiscretions. The daily newscasts

are more like a celebration of bad news and negative events in

the way the gory details are being expounded, rather than a

message of hope and progress. Why are people so pre-occupied

and thrilled with the negative? This cast-iron frame of mind

must be dispelled! I will no longer listen to such "News".

So what have I got left to work with? Well, I have a regular

income, which, if administered correctly, shall provide me with

all my basic needs and expenditures to live on. During the next

few days I shall think about and compile a list of such items

and try and find ways of how to rationalize on the expense.

Then I will draft a budget and see how much is left over and

apply that to eventually free myself from my present financial

encumbrances and debt burdens.

Maybe, if it works out, I might even father a child some day!

What a silly fantasy!!

(Is it really? It would certainly put a purpose to my life. A

little somebody to continue the spirit of Christmas? A

descendant, a successor - an image in the essence of my

existence! I like that idea!)

February 28, 2025

67
I'm quite exited! Making good on my intention to break away

from the stereotype bachelor role and trying out female

friendship for a change, I've answered an ad from a girl who

said she is sincerely looking for a male acquaintance to end

monotony and boredom in her life. To me that sounds like we are

on the same wavelength. Now we have arranged a DATE (!) for

next week. Can you believe it - a date with a woman!!!

I'm also rather nervous about it. What are women talking about

when they go out? How am I going to greet her when we meet? Do

I greet her like a male friend and slap her on the back, or

must I shake her hand? What if she is one of those who say

shaking hands with a man is a sign of submission to male

dominance?

Her name, by the way, is Cathy. Cathy O'Neill. I wonder what

she looks like. Maybe she is one of those dumplings who are too

unattractive to even "face" backwards. Well, let's hope for the

best.

Discussing this matter with Michael I asked him for advice. His

reaction was rather discouraging. He said my intentions were

quite despicable. A sell-out of pride and honour; a sign of

moral weakness. He predicts nothing good to come off it and

that I have to expect rejection by my friends once I'm

contaminated with "Barbie-Odour" and not allowed back in the

68
"nest". I suppose that includes his own attitude as well. To

hell with it - I've made my decision!

Looks like I have to go it alone - and if I get hit over the

head with a hand-bag; so what. I'm going to be positive; I'll

find a way.

I think I just tell her that I have no experience with this

kind of thing. Being ridiculed by a woman can't be worse than

being despised by one's friends.

Be cool, man; stay natural - play it by ear!

March 10, 2025

DISASTER! Total catastrophe!!

Now I have a complaint of sexual harassment on my record.

What a stunner when those two female police officers came to my

flat this evening to inform me that a complaint of sexual

harassment was lodged against me by that stupid bitch and that

I should mend my ways with women or be compelled to submit to

counselling. A friendly cautioning they called it! Sexual

harassment my foot! When I asked them to come in and explain

what was going on they just frowned at me like I was harassing

them, too. I'm welcome to learn all there is to it at the

station, they said.

69
Shit, shit, shit!

And I thought the evening had gone pretty well. Even suggested

to stay in touch and go out again some time.

I must find out what happened or else I can bury myself. Hope

this doesn't get out at work. What a feast for Buckmaster this

would be.

March 12, 2025

Went to the station and found out about this mess I got myself

into. It's unbelievable! Can men and women really be so far

apart? Is it because there are so many single-parent / single-

child situations?

It's obvious I have to learn a lot if I want to pursue my

intentions of leading a "normal" life.

What happened is this:

This Cathy and I met in front of the restaurant where I had

booked a place for us. Yes, it's true - under the emotion of

ill conceived chivalry I had actually invited her for dinner at

a restaurant! Despite the financial extravagance this signifies

if you can't do it on a company account!

70
I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by her good looks. She

smelled nice, too. The surprise made me feel a little awkward,

but I just went ahead and told her that I had no experience

with this kind of thing and that this was in fact the first

time I had a date with a woman - no, I actually said Lady; and

that I wasn't sure if shaking hands was alright.

She said, she was pretty new to it herself and that she didn't

believe in those silly man/woman clichés and wouldn't mind

shaking hands.

So we shook hands - and then we went inside.

It suddenly struck me then that I had never asked her how old

she was, but as it turned out I guess she is about my own age.

Anyway, the evening unfolded in a merry and relaxed atmosphere

-or at least so I thought.

I vividly remember that I liked the way she giggled. We were

telling each other stories of our lives and what motivated us

to go out with the opposite sex. I was starting to become

rather fond of her. The conversation, in fact the whole

evening, was so different from the normal blah, blah with my

friends. (Well, I wonder if I still have friends?). It was

really quite enjoyable.

And then it happened. I stepped right into it. I should have

known from the puzzled look she gave me, but ... but, but, but.

It just happened.

71
 WELL, I TOOK HER RIGHT HAND, HELD IT IN MINE

AND LOOKED HER IN THE EYES!

Now, that's what happened. BINGO!

It wasn't so much the fact that I took and held her hand, but

more the impression I apparently conveyed that I was trying to

weave a spell about her, relaying "feelings" which had

disturbed her then and kept on troubling her later on, feelings

like I was trying to subjugate her spirit of independence or

like an aggressive desire to dominate her - manipulate her into

submission, conquer and rule her. Not at all feelings of

sympathy and friendship - according to her statement.

In the opinion of the Desk Sergeant at the station, it's enough

to build a case for sexual harassment. Never touch a woman -

not even accidentally, unless there are independent witnesses

to such accident - never look at one in certain ways, certainly

never give the impression to leer at a woman, or, oh boy,

you're in trouble!

And watch what you're saying, too! "Real careful", he said.

Imagine like I was leering at her.

The simple truth is that I never forgot the incident with that

Brazilian woman and her two kids on that horrible day way back

all those years. I still remember her eyes; the way her eyes

talked to me. I guess I was looking for something similar in

72
that

O'Neill bitch.

Anyway, I told the Officer about that and he agreed that it was

most probably a misunderstanding, but a complaint, once lodged,

remains there. I shouldn't worry too much about it, since there

is no previous complaint on record and she didn't actually

press for charges.

Nevertheless, I wanted this matter cleared up and asked if I

couldn't phone her from the station, sort of with him as

witness, and explain myself to this O'Neill.

No way would he let me do that. This could be construed as an

attempt to intimidate her, with him being party to it and

attempted intimidation was a lot more serious than a first time

sexual harassment complaint.

"Don't worry about it. This happens all the time. Just give her

a wide berth and stay out of her life in future. As to other

women - just be more careful". The Sergeant was quite

sympathetic. I better follow his advice.

If I could just explain myself to her and then never see her

again. But this way I feel like I've been made out to be a

fiend and nobody gives a damn whether rightly or wrongly so.

73
It happens all the time, he said. Well then, may I introduce to

the audience one more sex fiend - the naive but harmless

F.T. Christmas!

August 23, 2026

Here we go again!

I'm involved with another woman. This time quite by accident!

Ever since I moved to my new address I am struggling to keep

myself occupied in my spare time. I've been to all the parks in

the area, walked all the streets in the vicinity, tried out

some new places of entertainment, but somehow I can't shake the

feeling that the people out there are just waiting for a chance

to do me in. I love reading (maybe I should hate it rather,

with all the thought provoking burdens it places on one's

mind), but right now I can't stand the sight of another book.

So last month I decided to indulge myself with a weekend away

from the city - away from the crowds - and breathe some fresh

air; physically and mentally I thought.

Well then, that's what I did. Catching a bus on a Friday night,

going north, I was booked for a cottage which was advertised

with a self-imposed restriction of occupancy of not more than 8

visitors. Sounded alright if the right guys came together.

Beautiful scenery of rock formations in a tranquil countryside

it said. The place was alright but there were quite a few 8-

74
sleeper cottages. Anyway, I had my mind set on taking long

walks and exploring the scenery.

On Saturday morning I took off. Admiring "rock formations" as I

went along. What I truly enjoyed was the physical exertion of

walking on pathways that followed the lay of the land.

Climbing, dropping and winding their ways through the

hillsides, opening up new vistas all the time. By midday I

reckon I must have walked some 15 kilometres and found myself

in an area were I was indeed quite alone.

Until I found out I wasn't totally alone!

I had sat myself down on a roundish boulder which was smack

bang on top of the path which was winding around another "rock

formation". Not a real obstruction. Only about half my height.

Possibly tricky when wet, but it wasn't so when I arrived. To

the one side, the slope going up was rather steep. To the

other, it was the same but going down. Down into a ravine

between a similar rocky outcrop on the opposite side. The drop

was maybe 10 metres. The part below the path was sprinkled with

loose rocks of varying sizes but high enough to obscure a clear

sweeping view. Intermittent cloud cover made this place as good

a place to sit down as any other.

During my border guard time I have been to some truly deserted

75
places and always enjoyed the sensation of a near soundless

environment. This now was different - I mean it had a sensation

of its own. There was a slight whisper of air moving amongst

the rocks, a kind of murmur or sometimes slight whistle - and

an occasional moan! A Moan? Do rocks moan - sometimes? I stood

up to look around to see which of the many rocks around me was

the "moaning one" and what for; and lo and behold there was

somebody lying down there, partly obscured behind one of them!

At least I could see a pair of legs, clad in Durex pants with

hiking boots on the feet.

There was no question about not going down there to have a

look, shouting out my presence as I did so.

As the full body came into view I almost turned and ran - it

was a WOMAN!

Funny that this option never came to mind as I climbed down.

"What do I do now?" kept on racing through my mind. If I helped

I'd have to touch her - and later suffer the consequences?

Logic dictated that I did help her; but you tell me about

women's logic - one reads so much about the horrors of it! And

after all I had my own experience which I wasn't at all keen to

repeat. Damn it, there wasn't even a friend to call upon as

witness.

But she was bleeding from her leg and that decided it. I threw

all caution to the wind and knelt down beside her.

76
She was conscious and grimaced with pain. I told her that I

could see blood soaking through the right leg of her pants but

couldn't tell how serious it was without removing her pants (I

think I said "exposing her leg"). She closed her eyes and

nodded in concurrence.

If the Swiss ever disappeared from the face of the earth they

will always be remembered for their army knives.

I carefully proceeded to cut through the Durex cloth from her

ankle all the way up to her hip and, by heavens, there was a

lot of blood coming from a wound on the inside of her right

thigh - of all the places it had to be the inside thigh! It was

obvious she had suffered laceration and damage to some blood

vessel. The bleeding had to be stopped, so I cut off a suitable

piece of cloth from her trouser leg and fashioned it into a

tourniquet which I set and applied above the wound. What a mess

with all the blood around. I knew by now that at least her

thigh bone was broken. There wasn't the slightest chance of

moving her even if she checked out okay for neck or other

injuries. I explained to her that I had to go for help and that

she would need to relax and tighten the tourniquet at intervals

- that she needed to keep herself busy with that until help

arrived, for her life now depended on not succumbing to shock.

"Keep your eyes open - talk to yourself", and then I raced off

for the nearest Help-Phone along the way which I had passed

77
previously.

30 minutes later she was air-lifted to hospital.

Now my real worries started. What if she says I tried to take

advantage of the remoteness of the area and pushed her down the

slope in a struggle? I decided I would visit her in hospital to

make sure things were alright for me.

Making enquiries about where she had been taken I discovered

that she actually lived not far from my own address and was now

at the City Hospital. At least I wouldn't have to travel far to

visit her.

On Monday evening following this incident I looked her up.

Loaded with a hamper of fruit and chocolate (which I would very

much liked to have received as a gift myself), a book and a

nice bunch of flowers I tried to make a good impression and

bribe her feelings about me.

After being announced by a nurse I was allowed in to see her.

Having been told by the nurse, she knew that I was the one who

"found" her and administered first aid at the spot. I was

anxious to see her reaction to this introduction.

She smiled at me when I entered the room. Or did she smile at

the presents I was carrying?

Her first words were: "I want to thank you for saving my life",

78
and I knew then I was safe!

After the usual meaningless chit-chat like "it'll be alright"

and "glad to see you getting better" or even prophesies like

"don't worry, you'll be fine", I speculated about whether she

was going to sue the municipality under whose jurisdiction the

accident spot was falling. After all, that boulder on the path

was an accident waiting to happen.

"Why would I want to do that", she asked in return, "there's

nobody else to blame for my clumsiness then myself".

That shut me up with straight forward astonishment. After all,

a great many people are waiting for exactly something like this

to happen to them and would consider it good fortune to be in

such an admirable position, having narrowly escaped death, to

now be able to pick and choose who to sue.

The most disgusting part is when they are coy about it and

pretend it's not the money they are after. One exuberant

claimant, flanked by legal eagles - you know, the shyster type

-proclaimed that this is exactly what made our society so great

and economically successful. To sue for money, on whatever

pretext, anybody who looked like he or she or they, had a

Dollar to spare.

I wonder if awards were made in kind rather than in money would

people still sue over the prospect of winning a factory's

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weekly production of bottle caps or tampons or things like

that? The punishment value is the same, but it takes the

perversity out of the game of playing wilted blossom. I'm sure

the shyster industry, under such circumstances, would start

bidding for the right to sue defendants like Car Manufacturers

or Living Space Developers.

Now here I was standing before an individual who clearly did

not fall in the category of hopeful claimants and I admired her

for that.

"You know", I said, for a moment out there I wasn't sure what I

should do when I found you".

"You did the right thing".

"No, you don't understand", I waved off her comment with a

shake of my head.

"Oh", she exclaimed, "you're one of those. I see what you

mean".

"No, not really - I mean as far as "those" are concerned - at

least not any more"

"For some time now", I added defensively.

"I had a very unpleasant experience once and was afraid to

touch you".

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"Why? What did you expect? That I would suddenly bite you?"

I had to smile at the mental picture of her, being in the pain

she was in, trying to bite me.

"No, not that. But maybe sue me for touching you".

I wasn't going to tell her that I was scared of another

harassment complaint.

"Like: ...cut open my pants and unnecessarily explored the

extent of my injury by touching me all over the inside of my

thigh, exploiting my defencelessness and weakness".

"Come here", she said, "sit on the bed. If you don't, I'll

scream".

I must have looked rather alarmed when I quickly did as she had

bid me to do, for she had to laugh out.

She took hold of my hand when she said: "I'm sorry, I didn't

mean to laugh, but you made me do so with that expression on

your face. I also wasn't serious about screaming".

This experience you were talking about. You were cited for

sexual harassment, isn't that right?". As if she had to ask.

She knew full well she was right.

"That's right", I confirmed.

81
"And you are still scared witless that it might happen again,

maybe become public and possibly cost you your job. Right?"

Who was this woman? First she falls and breaks her leg, then

it's up to me to save her life and now she tells me to sit on

her bed, holds my hand and reads me like an open book.

She looked at me quizzically but with a smirk on her face.

Somehow I expected her to tell me next to stay calm and not to

stutter, because I knew that was exactly what happened to me

every time I got excited.

Instead she pressed my hand firmly like she expected me to try

and run away and said: "Come closer and bend over me, I want to

hug you".

Like a well trained teddy bear I again followed her instruction

and, whoosh, she pulled my head down to bury it next to hers in

the cushion except mine was face down.

I remember the smell of her hair; not of perfume, but of a

warm, bodily smell. For the rest, all I remember are stars,

zooming around in front of a mental eye. I was perfectly limp

as she held me down with my arms outstretched wide, pretending

to hug her, bed and all.

"If she doesn't release me in time", I thought, "I'm going to

suffocate".

But she did release me in time and when she did, she looked at

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me with a smile and said: "I'm Nickie. Are you going to tell me

your name or are you scared I might use it against you?".

It was obvious I had to regain some respect or else she would

still laugh about me the minute before she died of old age,

which wasn't going to be soon by the looks of it.

"Look", I said, "to you it might all appear to be pretty funny,

but you aren't in my shoes and can't really say how this whole

women's rights business affects a guy like me. It's not that I

hate women, or ever did for that matter. It's just that this

whole cock teasing "who needs men" attitude of the Women's

Movements caused me to re-act, and I'm stressing RE-ACT, to

them in similar fashion. If women could do without men, then,

my friends and I decided, we could do without women! You know

all this nonsense about "Want a child? Hatch an egg!" and "Want

a child? Have an AI!". But the moment I decided to break away

from that nonsense, I get slammed with that stupid complaint.

What's more my old friends wouldn't see me any more. Eventually

I was so uncomfortable in my old environment that I felt

compelled to move. Shit - meanwhile I'm the one who's supposed

to be the harasser! Now YOU laugh at me because you think I'm

funny".

I was getting real angry, but when I turned my head to look at

her she puzzled me with a worried look on her face.

"I don't think you are funny - or the whole situation as such.

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Inwardly I'm crying, because I want to reach out and touch you,

but don't know how to get through".

When she said that, she had re-taken my hand and covered it

with both her hands.

"Hey, are YOU harassing me?", I asked her and we both burst out

laughing.

"I'm Frank and I like your name - Nickie". The name has a kind

of mischievous quality to its sound, I thought.

"Tell me how you managed to get that complaint".

"Well it was a misunderstanding really. It didn't take too much

to pull it of".

When I told her the story I made sure to tell her about the

border incident with the Brazilian woman first so she would see

the whole affair from the proper angle.

"Stupid bitch", she commented after I had finished, "but I

salute her for her stupidity, or else we might never have

met!".

Before I let you go today you must promise me one thing

though". She pretended to look worried.

"What's that?"

"You must promise me, that when I'm better, you will go out

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with me".

November 29, 2026

Nickie is a great "guy".

I mean really - not in a facetious way. I know now what I've

missed in my life.

The laughter, the joking, the good natured pranks, the humour

and banter which fills out the time when we are together. It's

like a huge weight has come off my chest and taken away the

dullness with it. I'm just sorry it took so long to discover

this.

We can argue about pros and cons of issues without being

accusing of certain attitudes and without aggressive undertones

in making a point.

I really like her very much and she unteasingly returns the

feeling. We are spending a lot of time together.

Of course, there are still moments in everyday life, when

either she or I are weighed down by happenings we had to face.

But as for me, I'm looking forward to the solace and comfort I

find in her understanding and compassion at such times. She

seriously listens to whatever bugs me and then uses her vast

common sense to dispel it. I hope I can do the same for her.

Wouldn't we make a great couple?

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December 24, 2026

It's actually the 25th already - almost morning - but I can't

wait to make this note; and it's got to be under the date when

it actually happened.

Earlier in the day Nickie hinted that we should come up with

something special in anticipation of Christmas Day - after all

that was the day on which all the world could be considered to

celebrate my family name. ("Never mind what it actually should

be", she insisted).

That something special is:

WE ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED

Now it's out! I'm so happy I could yodel!

(Nickie is asleep now, so I better wait)

July 15, 2027

Yesterday was Nickie's birthday. She is 33 now.

We had a long and serious discussion on the merits of starting

a family.

What are the future risks and rewards children of ours might

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have to face? This consideration is our prime concern.

What are the risks and rewards, we as parents, have to face?

Could our relationship suffer if we do or don't start a family?

We both can't bear the thought that we might grow apart over an

irreversible step we are taking now - not to mention the

implications this might hold for a child.

Of course, the whole deliberations are purely speculative.

Always presuming what might or might not happen. There are so

few real certainties to go by.

What we are mutually certain about though, is that we won't

intentionally have more than two children - that is, if we do

decide to have any.

July 21, 2027

What decided the whole issue of starting a family or not is our

conviction that we do consider ourselves to be "good" people.

From this premise it was easy to arrive at the conclusion that

the first step in the WRONG direction would be to be negative

about ourselves or our/our children's future.

As such we now have no problem in embracing our mutual wish of

starting a family and trust that we will mutually succeed in

instilling our own humanistic feelings and convictions in our

children; and that they will thus be able to cope with their

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own adult lives as well as we do with ours.

We are both very excited about the outcome of our "effort" and

are teasing each other in our love making about the ability to

inseminate or conceive.

Last night, before she came to bed, she drew all the curtains

shut and switched off the light. When I asked her what that was

good for she said that she felt certain she was ovulating and

didn't want the egg to die of shock when it "saw" those

millions of single minded sperm coming after it to grab it as

well as the source where they came from.

The darkness produced a totally new experience of just relying

on the sense of touch, smell and taste and letting the mental

vision form its own picture.

Nickie - I'm now sure the name actually means "mischief" - and

how I love it!

I so strongly wish that I can always protect her - and myself,

of course - from losing this quality and attraction. But I'm

positive I will be able to.

April 28, 2028

DING-DONG. Attention Please!

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Mr. and Mrs. Christmas are proud to announce the arrival, at

the dawn of morning, of their baby daughter - REZIA CLAIRE!

Mother and child are both well.

The time of birth cannot otherwise but be a good omen for the

dawning of a happy future for this family - no, make it for the

world as a whole!

Want to say so much more, but can't now. Must get back to the

hospital.

July 16, 2028

While we were both fussing over Reez, Nickie startled me with a

surprising question.

Do I believe that there are circumstances under which ordinary

people could be driven to cannibalism? Maybe even eat their own

children?

My answer was YES. That's the horrible truth.

Superstitious behaviour and criminal malice aside - there are

circumstances, when this seemingly insurmountable taboo will be

broken by people who consider themselves unfairly disadvantaged

89
in their struggle to persevere; to simply stay alive

themselves.

The first symptom of the onset of such desperation is the

abandonment of ones own children, to the point of not asking

what one is being given to eat, to the ultimate horror of

killing, dissecting, cooking and eating a fellow human being

who one had known alive only maybe hours or even minutes

before.

At such level the conscience is reduced to looking at human

flesh as merely digestible nourishment, physically unharmful.

Mentally, however, it is devastating for it allows freedom to

such cruelty that turns other people into a mere commodity

suitable for the achievement of ones own ends - like in those

wars that had been fought in the past century, or all the other

wars for that matter; where people were compelled to kill or be

killed, by such other people who, de facto, were all

accomplished cannibals "feasting" on the human destruction they

created and actively pulling down their fellow kind to their

level of cruelty, or even today where our young people are sent

to perform "border duty".

Given a choice such people would not necessarily choose to eat

human flesh, even though there are plenty of recorded incidents

in history where victors ate the vanquished despite having had

a choice. But when the choice runs out, what keeps them from

not doing so, taking the prevalence of an inherent animosity

towards their "fallen prey" into account that drove them to

90
killing in the first place.

This, or similar circumstances, blended with a certain degree

of economic or emotional desperation, will ultimately,

inevitably, result in cannibalism, irrespective of one's

original abhorrence towards even the mere thought of it.

In a way I was glad that Nickie had raised this question for it

finally gave me an opportunity to cry out the burden of my own

shame and guilt over the one incident on that fateful Christmas

Eve during my second tour on the border.

Our society at large is carefully shielded from the horrors of

everyday life, which exists outside and along our borders and

Nickie for one never realised the true extent of what is going

on in people's lives who are not part of our society.

She wanted to know all the details of what I saw and heard

while serving and together we were weeping with sorrow and

pain over the horrors being disinterred from my memory - the

processing, the shootings, the disappearing bodies left out in

the open.

Despite her own anguish she still tried to comfort me by saying

that I had been too young to fully understand that the people I

was supposed to repel were not the cause but only the symptom

of what is wrong in the world.

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But I can't overcome the feeling that I should have known

better - young or not, even though at the time I was fully

convinced I did the right thing.

What's even more discomfiting is the fact that to this day

nothing has changed - if anything it probably got worse.

We are both adamant that if our next child is a boy, he will be

taught by us to see the reality and even if we can't keep him

from serving duty, he will go, but to work at alleviating and

exposing the horrors.

July 12, 2031

I read an article today offering an interesting theory.

It said that racism and apartheid were natural concepts

imprinted in human basic instinct. It carried on by saying that

civilisation, on a progressive scale, served the primary

purpose of alleviating and gradually overcoming such basic

instincts and overlaying them, if it was successful, with an

appreciation for life expressed in an attempt at valuation and

maintenance of value, which appears to be a function of the

average lifetime per capita income.

92
Two separate civilisations coming together, one poor with low

per capita income and therefore ruthlessly death defying, the

other rich with high per capita income and therefore life

cherishing and risk conscious, would naturally be bound for

conflict over possession and wealth.

If the richer civilisation held the absolute power it would

either mean conquest and death of the poorer, like in South

America at the time of the Spanish Conquest; or apartheid,

which is described as a slow process of reversal of power

through the constant built-up of human pressure in the

segregated poorer civilisation, until the point is reached

where the pressure explodes in a tidal wave that washes away

the richer civilisation, not unlike the Mongolian conquest of

much of the known world at the time, and China, which had their

Great Wall to keep themselves apart from such poorer

civilisation and, more ominously, not unlike the present

struggle which is going on in the world right now!

The reverse implication of the poorer civilisation being the

stronger is not really relevant since the outcome is the same

as the apartheid induced one; i.e. the destruction of the

richer civilisation to a common lower level, except much

quicker than with apartheid.

The solution to the problem is for us to admit and constantly

remind ourselves that we are racist and to either find the ways

93
and means to practise our degree of civilisation by wanting to

overcome apartheid and elevate the poorer civilisation to a

common denominator, making us equals; or to pay racism its due

and annihilate the threat in true Machiavellian fashion.

If we left it to them to procure a solution and self-

upliftment, we and our civilisation (meaning North-America,

Europe and Japan - the rich ones) are doomed!

The article went on about sociology studies of mind patterns in

rich and poor of a common society as perfect example of

apartheid at work, citing incomprehension on the part of the

rich of the criminal vehemence and general brutality (which

governed the lives of the poor) as well as the reversal through

incomprehension by the poor that the rich failed to see the

normality of their plight and dilemma and become increasingly

more fearful and dejective towards them.

Apartheid at work, busy pulling down a higher standard, by

erosion of communal harmony and introduction of hate and

resentment. In a situation where both, the rich and the poor,

intermingle freely, the higher numbers win in the end.

I found the symptoms described and the conclusions drawn, a

characteristic description of the world I live in.

But if we were to attempt the achievement of a world wide

common denominator in the standard of civilisation and wealth

94
we mutually enjoyed, democracy poses a huge risk and danger for

us; the rich that is.

If we just carried on the way we do now, will today's poor of

the world become the Mongols of the future and conquer and rule

our children, or our children's children?

Or will we eventually be forced to employ our weapons of human

mass destruction in an effort to save of the world what might

be left for us to save at such stage and maybe end up being

torn apart from within considering the way we already now

agonize over the use of force and weapons in our society?

We have no other way but to plan a global, mutual future, or

history will repeat itself all over again.

But where does democracy fit in under such a plan? It simply

doesn't work among disparate numbers divided by difference in

wealth, education, cultural orientation, values et cetera. The

one-sided majority - and in a global context this are

definitely the poor - will always vote to have it their way.

But their ways haven't lead them out of poverty in the past.

So benevolent enforcement of measures designed for the

upliftment of the poor must be the answer; and there the first

step obviously is strict population control to start winding

back the numbers. But how could we possibly attempt such

enforcement without risking armed conflict? Can upliftment be

95
enforced at all?

Maybe if the United Nations finally came to their senses and

would subscribe to such measures as to enforced curtailment of

national birth rates designed to equalise global per capita

income - maybe it would lead us all back to a saner way of

life!

July 19, 2031

The article I read the other day is actually part of a series

of commentaries on our contemporary global situation. I found

another contribution, the essential contents of which I'm

repeating below:

Lack of education and job-skill training denies their people

the status of being employable. Not being employable signifies

low productivity under such work opportunities that might still

be available for such category of worker.

Low productivity measured against a global standard is an

assured losing ticket for international competition in today's

global, sophisticated, high-tech working environment.

Low productivity and lack of competitive prowess translates

directly into low income, or, on a national level, low per

capita income.

Low per capita income fosters difference between so-called

developed and un-developed nations which leads to open

animosities - to conflict.

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The progression of these symptoms are clearly reflected in the

national sentiment mirrored in the relevant news media.

Down with the Multi-Nationals; down with Foreign Exploitation,

down with Foreign Capital; down with Imperialism; and maybe:

Kill all Foreigners - Kill this - Kill that - Kill, Kill, Kill.

Sometimes it is reflected in calls for protection or

protectionism of national economies, when the developed nations

are having a go at each other in times of stagnant or shrinking

economic activity in a vain attempt to enshrine past

achievements. Protectionism is politically more palatable than

explaining to one's constituents or voters one's own lack of

economic fitness.

Often it wasn't for lack of wanting or trying that they did not

succeed in providing education and training to their people.

But the rapidly increasing population numbers, in combination

with wrong priorities which diverted funding for teaching

facilities and infra-structure to other, self-glorifying

projects of politician-rulers or the pursuit of international

stature as a fearsome adversary, made the task dauntingly

difficult and, when good intentions or the right ideology were

absent, absolutely impossible.

Attempts at self-encapsulation of nations and setting one's own

standard of progress and development, both in a large way, like

in Communist China, or in a small way, like in Iran, always

97
failed.

Knowledge, once attained, just wouldn't go away again.

And so, life in its natural state, simply turned out too harsh

to bear and to persist with and persevere in such

encapsulation.

The only people who could still cope with life in its

unadulterated way were the indigenous Africans who had always

lived in a naturally comfortable environment which precluded

technological development and who accepted nature's harshness

as a fair trade-off based on their cultural understanding of

such factual need.

They could cope, that is, until they were eventually corrupted

out of their well balanced existence, by forces beyond their

control, into a state, where a natural difficulty in them to

assimilate modern thinking and teaching, finally produced the

disaster of today's African Continent, with such poverty,

disease and cruelty which they had never known on their own.

To say that this isn't right and should be changed is futile.

To this day, since time immemorial, there has not been a single

so-called leader, statesman, personage, who had any significant

influence on the broad implication of events. It was rather

that events manipulated and shaped all these people finally

immortalized in history. (Didn't somebody once say: Famous

people don't make history - it's history which makes people

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famous!)

To escape this tail spinning philosophical deficiency, the

human mind required to make the quantum leap of achieving to

embrace true collective thinking as opposed to the all

pervading egotism and start actively shaping the future under a

global concept.

January 02, 2034

Here we are; the chemical broth that passes as drinking water

is now being rationed to 100 litres per head in private

households. And it's expensive, too! For us that's 400 litres

or two bath tubs full per day. Not a lot if you consider all

the washing and cleaning that's got to be done. Especially not

in winter, when taking a hot bath could almost be considered

medicinal to one's spirits.

Nickie says we'll manage and I agree. We're so great at

adapting. But sometimes I wonder where it's all gonna stop. Are

we still going to see the times where somebody courting his or

her favourite person arrives with a bottle of water as a

present?

Like: Surprise! I brought you a present.

What is it?

A bottle of water!

No; You're kidding me! Where did you get it from?

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Ah; I had it in my cellar. It's a '34 vintage!

A '34 vintage! You know, you shouldn't have. This is precious.

Let me see. It says it's mineral enriched 100% H2O. I tell you

what - we'll keep it for a special occasion!

There is a more gloomy side to the latest development though.

Car Wash Centres have to close down. They use too much water.

Just one more attempt to single out car owners as culprits, the

Association of Car Owners is howling out. I'm glad I don't have

that problem; I never had a car. But, of course, this measure

also means that another batch of people is joining the ranks of

the unemployed.

As far as alternative sources other than the municipal supply

network are concerned - not much hope there either.

Rainwater is too polluted for human consumption. But we now

want to still try and utilise it to water plants with.

Springs and water courses? All off-limits to the general

public. Strictly reserved for industrial use. Severe penalties

for contraventions under the Strategic Commodities Bill!

Private boreholes? All sealed and prohibited for private use in

order to try and preserve the underground water table.

Even the oceans offer no relief. All along the coastlines huge

notices warn: Entering these waters poses grave risk to human

health!

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Oceanic pollution is quite another story. I wonder why they

still maintain the "Don't kill the Oceans" campaign? The oceans

ARE killed already. At least the only marine life our children

know exists in books only. Not even the oceanariums survived.

But then it's not quite true. There is a lot of green slimy

algae floating in the oceans, clogging up water jet propulsion

systems of vessels going through it. Prop driven vessels

every now and again get entangled in abandoned drift nets.

Getting caught in our own traps, aren't we?

Some people, however, even manage to turn this to their

"benefit". Getting stuck in mid ocean and not being able to get

going again quickly will draw a veritable flotilla of sail

powered pirate vessels to relieve one of one's heavy burdens.

So there must also be people who say the oceans are okay the

way they are now!

Ladies and Gentlemen - and now for the next trick! (Whatever

that might be).

May 30, 2042

Today it's official - the rain forests have all gone!

Has the world finally reached the end of its tether?

With the oceans denuded of everything edible and the lands

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turning more and more into deserts under the burden of

desperate production of food, how much longer can we hold out

and cling to our isolated comfort.

Comfort? - some comfort it is to require breathing aids to get

about outdoors, but at least we can still eat!

I wonder how they manage in Europe and Japan.

With Europe being under pressure from the south and east, their

fight against Invaders must be even more critical than ours.

Small miracle that Japan is still able to hold out, but their

policy of air-dropping foods and medicines in pre-announced

areas of the Asian continent seems to be working. Their big

advantage is the fact that their society is fairly homogeneous

in their ethnicity and living standard. For them it's easy to

set standards and policies acceptable to all in their society;

unlike here and in Europe where the diversity of ethnic and

social groups causes all these hate-crimes that eat away at the

fabric of our communities, as if dealing with Invaders wasn't

enough of a problem.

What if the Hitlerites really came to power and make good on

their ideology to foster dominance of the world by mixed race

people, which to them is the solution for ending global

disharmony. With their promises of a living standard of

sufficiency for all their followers, they are finding more and

more disciples world-wide, with nothing to lose and ready to

try them out. All in all they must be the largest political

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movement in the world.

But how can they achieve such sufficiency for themselves?

Certainly only by denying others the means of existence and

yoking them to the achievements of their goals. A really scary

thought to imagine that my family had no place to go to should

they ever succeed. I suppose most would accept their

sponsorship of a mixed union, like so many are doing already,

but Nickie and I don't want to live by the rules of their

draconian doctrine. Maybe it is indeed the only way to save the

world, but is the world then still worth living in?

According to them, they've got it all figured out. Their ideas

entail a state ordained match-making and pro-creative scheme

which is to be strictly enforced by governmental control. The

aim is to create a global populace with mutual identity in

their mixed heritage. In other words, marry and pro-create on

command. They freely admit that they are vastly intolerant of

freedom of choice since it apparently brought upon nothing but

suffering and short-comings for most of humanity. Their

proponents advocate the fair and equal distribution of global

wealth which is music in the ears of the United Nations, who

have time and time again voted for and adopted resolutions to

do exactly that, branding the dissenting power blocks of

Europe, America and Japan as non-democratic, anti-Christian and

financial colonialists. But why do we have to pay for their

inadequacies? Why do we have to sacrifice our achievements for

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their inability to provide employment for and feed their

forever increasing populations? Is it true that we hoodwinked

and took advantage of them at the early stage of our industrial

development? Have we then disturbed their equilibrium of

existence by making them dependent on our medicines and

technologies - and by doing so creating the driving force

behind the global over-population of human beings, for which we

are now responsible and have to pay for?

Sometimes I wonder what Africa would look like today, had that

continent been inaccessible - kind of off-limits - to early

explorers and modern influences. Would there still be the rich

diversity and multitude of flora and fauna which once prevailed

throughout that continent? Would the native human inhabitants

still live their harsh lives, ignorant of the discovery of the

wheel or other modern comforts, prone to natural disaster and

unflinching selection, but in well-balanced harmony with their

environment, which provided all their basic needs in a

comfortable climate which did not require ingenuity to survive?

Or would Africa still have turned into the vast desert it is

today, over-grazed, over-exploited, devoid of all former wealth

in plants and animals, submersed under a mass of hungry human

beings, constantly waiting for the next hand-out.

How can such brutalized people be incorporated in a global

scheme? This is where I simply cannot concur with the

104
Hitlerites to achieve equality without lowering our values of

civil conduct to the same kill-for-nothing standard of such

desperate masses and this is why I don't trust in their

ulterior motifs not to commit the greatest genocide the world

has ever seen.

After all they proclaim Adolf Hitler as their martyr and

visionary, who could have saved the world from today's plight

had he not been hijacked and held hostage by the evil forces of

Nazism, who perverted his ideas, used and abused his benevolent

genius for their evil schemes and designs and finally killed

him to prevent the truth from coming out. Poor Adolf - as much

a victim of Nazism as the Jews were.

But this is a matter of belief which I'm not entirely

comfortable with - but so many are - in their desperation to

improve their lives!

May 01, 2043

If only the Europeans had taken Russia into their fold rather

than sealing-off along Finland, Germany, Chechnya, Austria and

Italy, we would not now have the problem with Ice-Travellers. I

know it's selfish - but it's also a huge strain on our

resources to patrol the northern areas. Resources which could

much better be used to help the under-developed.

105
The Japanese would then be "breathing" a lot easier, too. The

Hermetic Seal could have run from Japan, along Russia's

southern border, to Slovakia, Austria, through the Adriatic and

Mediterranean Seas, the Atlantic Ocean, to our border with

Mexico, virtually sealing-off the entire northern hemisphere by

continuing the line across the Pacific Ocean to link-up with

Japan again.

Instead, when they still had the chance, they dithered and

dawdled about economic strain and ethnic diversity rather than

realising the opportunity to take Russia's vast "breeding

space" out of circulation. Now, of course, it's too late to

have second thoughts about it.

It's estimated that Asia, excluding India but including the

outside countries of Europe and down to Australia, is holding

8 billion people. India on its own another 5 billion. Africa,

including Mid-East, 10 billion. Latin America, including The

Caribbean, 5 billion. The rest, meaning essentially the power

blocks, some 2 billion.

This amounts to 2 billion people, less than 10%, economically

supporting a vast majority of 28 billion and at the same time

keep them in check.

That can't be healthy over any length of time; and we in our

part of the world certainly feel the strain. The restrictions

are testimony to that effect. No more international travel, no

106
free flow of goods, limitations on this, limitations on that.

What's not limited is strategic and as such even more closely

administered. International trade has been reduced to haggling

over "if you give me that, I give you this in return".

The forum of the United Nations has become an arena for

shouting matches. Almost everybody is always sulking over

accusations of unfair practices or taking advantage; power

posturing, misuse of aid, interference in own affairs,

unfitness to govern ..... and so it goes on.

I'm just glad we managed to secure the fresh water reserves in

our polar region with sole jurisdiction so there can be no

argument over when and how to use it.

Why they still hold on to voting over issues I wouldn't know.

They vote, we veto, it gets shelved, we send relief aid.

Every second word that's being spoken seems to be "human

rights". Our basic human rights are this or that and constantly

violated in one way or other. Why bother? There aren't any!

Doesn't anybody have the guts to admit to that fact. It's just

a phrase used in pursuit of wishful thinking. But it sounds

good when accusing others.

The world desperately needs to wake up to the harsh reality and

facts of life on this planet. The suffering must stop and

107
everybody must start to really work together.

Another wishful thought?

June 06, 2046

Now it's happened!

The state of India has ceased to exist. 5 billion people have

gone on a rampage; looting, pilfering and killing each other.

Like I speculated in earlier entries this was bound to happen

some day - well, now it actually did.

The Indian Government finally lost all control over law and

order and was swept away by a gigantic uprising born out of the

desperate plight of the Indian people, fuelled by the long

festering animosity between Hindu and Moslem and perpetrated by

the armed factions of police and military taking sides.

Once the groundswell movement had started and gained momentum,

all initial purpose and direction fell apart. Hindus hunted

down Moslems and vice versa, to culminate in an orgy of angered

frustration, blood lust and feeding frenzy.

Voices of moderation were not even heard. The moment such

attempts were made wild eyed crowds engulfed and simply ripped

them apart or even literally devoured them!

108
Individuals could only choose between one side or the other.

The very few who did not want to be part of it and managed to

escape, reported such unspeakable horrors that nobody is

prepared to try and mediate.

As of now all communication links are severed, but surveillance

satellites show that the whole of the Indian Sub-Continent is

on the move with the two sides slowly coalescing into a west -

east separation fiercely burning away at points of contact.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are on the verge of joining in with

millions already having crossed the border unofficially to

apparently "grab" part of the action.

China is busy building up a human bulwark along her border with

India to avoid any spill-over onto their territory, but how

long those people will just stand on their side, without the

necessary self-support, which the Chinese Government is surely

not able to guarantee, is anybody's guess.

Two nuclear facilities are burning, spewing pollution into the

atmosphere and at least 5 detonations of nuclear tactical

weapons have taken place in the northern part of India.

Expectations are that a Hindu majority will hack, burn, eat

their way north and that the conflagration will eventually

simply explode across India's borders, no longer propelled by

109
religious animosity, but in search of sustenance by marauding

swarms of hungry people.

The ripple effect of this calamity will be felt all over Asia,

East- and West Europe and maybe all the way down Africa and to

Australia.

The United Nations are debating the pre-emptive use of nuclear

force, in order to put a lid on the possibility of the

developments mushrooming out of global control, but the

worldwide consequences of such a step are too uncertain.

Europe and Japan, understandingly on edge, are considering air-

dropping food supplies over southern India on an unprecedented

scale to divert the direction of movement, but are afraid that

the diversion of needed relief supplies from other parts of the

world will increase tensions in those parts to beyond the

"critical mass" and the same conflagration will just flare up

elsewhere.

It looks as if Armageddon has finally arrived!

Madness transcends the world!

I don't really know why I still keep this diary. Will it ever

be read in the future?

August 20, 2047

110
America, Europe and Japan are being accused of racist

complacency.

Ever since the Indian Conflagration spilled over into Asia,

causing increasing incidents of fratricide throughout that

region, have Asian Governments collectively called on the world

and in particular on the affluent nations to acknowledge global

responsibility. They are urging, and here again the affluent

nations, to stop being idle bystanders or else they are washing

their hands free of guilt, should they be unable to stop their

problems from spreading.

Why is it always us who have to sort out other people's

domestic problems. For as long as they are just killing each

other, we should be happy that it reduces the numbers - at

least that is what the majority think over here.

Meanwhile the humanitarian relief aid they are receiving keeps

on getting "lost".

There was a remarkable news item about this problem.

Apparently in an effort to shed light on the movement of "lost

aid", a Japanese consignment of 10.000 tons of food-aid, which

a private food processor was commissioned by the Japanese

government to supply and deliver to Shanghai, was intentionally

contaminated with rat-poison by a worker, secretly pursuing his

idea of embarrassing responsible, corrupt officials at the

111
receiving end. The mixture was absolutely lethal for

unsuspecting consumers.

Well, it proved one thing beyond doubt. The black-market

distribution system in Asia is functioning perfectly, for

within a matter of days all over Asia people were dying from

the rat poison; and they were dying by the tens of thousand.

The international furore which followed turned Japanese

officials quite yellow with embarrassment. But there was

nothing which could be done to stop it. All of the 10.000 tons

were "distributed" within 24 hours after landing at Shanghai.

Broadcasted warnings were not getting through the chatter of

the billions of hungry people. Most of the stuff had been re-

packaged anyway.

Now everybody holds their breath to see the reaction of Asia's

populations when the realisation is spreading of what they were

dished out.

December 07, 2047

G O T C H A

"Today - the 7th of December 2047 - we, in concerted action

with the Europeans, nuked Continental China in retaliation for

the sacking of Japan. The strike was of devastatingly, total

112
success!

May they fry in hell - and may this day be celebrated in glory

by our children"

This was the New World Times' headline of a special issue they

put out early this morning.

I have no emotions left.

Was it right - was it wrong? Who can say.

I have to make ends meet and, by heavens, I wished it was

easier!

Marrie had skip-read through the various books. Now she closed

the volume she was reading and put it down.

She did not sleep that night. Her young body was convulsing

with violent sobs. Her tears would not stop flowing. Anguish

would make her whimper and moan involuntarily.

How, but how - for goodness - could such deeds be conceived and

113
carried out?

Her ACU tried its best to calm her emotions by emitting

soothing sounds and whispers as well as holographic images of

tranquillity but failed.

Marrie would not see nor hear but the images which had come to

life from The Chronicle. By daybreak she fell into a comatose

sleep of sheer exhaustion and would not wake up for the next 24

hours.

One very concerned Active Control Unit had collected a hitherto

unusual experience - and Gaia was scratching her memory banks

the way a person would scratch its head in uncertainty.

114
 5.

Marrie was slowly beginning to wake up. Conscious thoughts

intermingled with the sub-conscious dream images. Her body

moved and turned as the dream faded away into the background.

Suddenly her conscience was completely in control.

"Good morning, sunshine". Her ACU, of course, was quite aware

that she was fully awake, but Marrie pretended to be still

dosing.

"Do you want me to sing it to you, or are we going to play

"catch me" so early in the morning?"

The question was only half in jest since Marrie is quite

capable of altering and disguising her psycho-physical

emissions and aura with a conscious effort, but not during the

transitional phase from sleeping to waking and those tell-tale

signs naturally hadn't escaped the ACU's sensors.

At times, however, Marrie delighted herself at playing "catch

me" with her ACU, causing him to make wrong decisions about her

intensions or action, which always is a source of palpable

embarrassment for him, or so, at least, Marrie liked to think.

"Good morning, João. No, we're not playing games now. I would

have just liked to spend a little more time with my thoughts.

But now you may just as well let it be light".

115
The instant she had said that her habitat was flooded in

outside daylight rather than gradually increasing the intensity

so that Marrie shrieked with surprise and quickly closed her

eyes again.

As he carried out her instruction he had like mumbled to

himself but loud enough for Marrie to hear: "Humph, it's one of

those days again".

"João, you ARE a monster!"

Some time ago now, Marrie had searched far and wide for a

suitably difficult name to pronounce and had finally come

across the name João in the dead Portuguese Language, which she

gave to her ACU. She imagined that her ACU's electronic

articulator was struggling to produce the correct pronunciation

- Shwong - and would use his name to tease him with it or to

express her disagreement when he interfered with her

preferences like interrupting her thoughts this morning.

"It could all be so easy", came his reply back at her, "just a

word; a whisper of a word; the slightest exhalation of your

thought; and I won't trouble you. I will patiently sit on my

microchip, like a dumb little pet, and wait for you - oh,

mastermind - to call me back into your life". João pretended to

sulk.

"Are you sulking?", Marrie asked in mock distress.

116
"Yes, I am!"

"No, please, don't sulk. I didn't mean it. How can I make it up

to you?"

"Well, you could sing to me", João half inquiringly suggested.

"Alright, what do you want me to sing?"

"Hmm, what about - Ave, Maria -"

"I don't know the words."

"Here they are", and a holographic score sheet, complete with

words, appeared right in front of her.

"But this is written for a man's voice and anyway it's far too

difficult for me to sing."

"Then let me sing it for you and I promise I won't sulk any

more."

"Okay, you sing it."

Marrie's habitat filled up with the stirring sounds of this

wonderful composition and a voice, reminiscent of the great

117
tenor Enrico Caruso; as the melody ebbed and swelled in

unsurpassable harmony.

Marrie stood transfixed in her position as the magic of "Ave,

Maria" unfolded.

From the first notes on, her emotions were being touched and

tears welled up in her eyes. Tears of what? Sadness? Happiness?

She didn't really understand. But she was transfused with a

feeling of well-being. So it couldn't have been sadness, or

could it?

After the last notes had dissipated into the background João

enquired of her: "So, what do you think? After all I'm not too

bad, am I?"

"No, not bad at all. In fact I liked it very much."

"Thought so."

"Then why did you first ask ME to sing it?"

"Well, for one, I was fairly sure you wouldn't try to sing it

and, two, it holds the extra beauty for a namesake of the

Virgin Mary, like you, who this composition was originally

dedicated to."

"So there is a message in it for me?"

"A message? From me? No, no message I'm afraid. Just the

118
satisfaction to give you a little extra pleasure at the

beginning of your day."

As Marrie asked her last question her thoughts were suddenly

diverted and her own words rang in her ears.

A message - message - message in it.

The dream. Yes, the dream; is there a message in the dream. She

was filled with the same feeling she had immediately after she

woke up, when João had interrupted her thoughts before she

could formulate her sentiment about a message or an attempt to

communicate.

The dream was not new to her. But lately it had occurred more

frequently. As she was deeply immersed in her thoughts she had

slowly walked to the room in which the cabinet stood which

stored The Chronicle. Ever since the books were given to her by

her grandfather and after she had overcome her initial shock,

she has read the entire Chronicle line by line, sentence by

sentence, many times over. She was convinced the books had

already influenced her to choose Theo-Philosophical History as

her master-subject in her studies.

As she now looked at the volumes of The Chronicle, she placed

her hands on top of them, closed her eyes and concentrated with

all her mind power.

As her concentration rose her mind went blank, oblivious to

anything else but the mission to search for a message, some

form of communication arising out of the books, a source

119
perhaps, a communicator, any remnant of old Francesco's Morpho

Genetic imprint.

As the minutes passed and her mind explored farther and farther

from Earth, she could feel the tug and pull of Universal Force,

like the waves in the oceans or better, the surf and undertow

off the beach, but no clear picture resulted nor any message as

such.

Her strength was waning now. She was drenched in perspiration

when she snapped out of her effort. Trembling with exhaustion,

she withdrew her hands and opened her eyes.

"I must see Dad. Maybe he's made progress or knows a way to

help."

João, all the time, had kept very quiet; in fact had subdued

light and sound the instant he recognized her pre-occupation

with her mental effort.

Now he voiced his concern.

"Shooh, every time you do that, I'm scared witless that your

mind gets lost out there and I'm left with a zombie to look

after."

"You don't have to worry. I won't get lost. But I tell you what

I can lose. I can lose all self-respect if I don't have a nice

relaxing bath now. So be a star and run me one."

120
João's fears were not entirely unfounded though. In the early

days of Virtual Reality, and as the new technique became more

complex and sophisticated, there had been incidents where

people did get lost; sort of stepped out of their bodies, and

never found their way back in, or simply didn't want to come

back. Nowadays, however, this is no longer possible, at least

not in Virtual Reality, since there are safeguards now that

prevent the escape past certain established boundaries as well

as a way to re-trace the steps of any "lost spirit" and lead it

back to Reality.

In Marrie's free-spiriting way though, these safeguards do not

exist. But then her studies encompassed all forms of earlier

theological beliefs, including Transcendental Meditation and

had, of course, been taught how to anchor herself to her own

two feet, so to speak. In other words, Marrie knew exactly what

she was doing, how to do it and how far she could go. The

beauty of her way is, that she could conjure up her very own

Virtual Reality without leaving a trace or record, or anybody

else being able to observe her.

When she entered her bathroom, the bath was already waiting.

She slipped right in and submitted to the relaxing and

refreshing feeling the bath additives were having on her body.

João, of course, knowing her habits, knew exactly what she

liked best and acted accordingly.

121
A habitat in these days doesn't look much different from a

dwelling of old. At least not from the inside. Behind the walls

now, however, there is an array of electronic and mechanical

arrangements controlled by the ACU, which look after the

comfort and pleasure of its inhabitant, running and keeping the

entire household. Marrie needn't do anything but to be there,

live in it and enjoy it.

The procurement of supplies and the disposal of wastes and

unwanted stuff is done by the ACU. Water is being produced on

the premises by combining hydrogen and oxygen and adding the

necessary trace minerals to make it suitable for human

utilisation. Waste water is treated in reverse, true waste

particles separated and removed. Nothing is ever lost or

discarded. Dust or inorganic "foreign matter" inevitably

entering by way of the habitat's inhabitant communicating with

the "outside" world is passed on for energy production and is

the only true consumable. There is no chance that such

commodity would ever run out; not in a universe full of matter

and not in any imaginable time-span anyway.

In order to emphasize the fact and reality that human beings

are not just some meta-physical spirits floating effortlessly

through their material existence, these living comforts have to

be earned from the time an individual becomes qualified and

capable of making a contribution for the general benefit.

122
These earnings are in the form of credits to one's individual

"account". Mostly contributions revolve around teaching,

research, the arts, entertainment, sports and the like.

Marrie, as expert in Theo-Philosophical History, "earns her

living" by rendering advice to the World Administrative Body,

on which she had once served herself as volunteer for the

maximum duration of two years. Her involvement now would be to

assist in maintaining the identities of the multitude of

different ethnic groups and cultures which are all entitled to

their own preferred ways of life within pre-allocated areas all

over the globe and would apply her expertise in cases of

uncertainty or dispute over the ways of old.

What this meant effectively is that anybody could try-out

living like a Tibetan Monk as long as he or she knew the rules

and would abide by them.

Since competition has ceased to exist long ago and kindness and

consideration nowadays pervaded the human spirit, disputes

today are more like appeals for clarification rather than the

hard fought disagreements of old.

Another area in which she is involved, not to the least because

of a strong personal interest, is the creation of theories of

alternative forms of universal existence, which she teaches in

123
advanced courses for classes of incumbent Theo-Philosophical

Historians.

She, as is generally the case, very much enjoys what she is

doing. But she also enjoys to exercise her body. Her preferred

sports activity is athletics. At age 112 she would consistently

run the 100 metres sprint distance at sub 11 seconds. Such

performance also earns her living credits. It isn't really that

much of an achievement, considering that her age is at the

beginning of the prime years of adulthood. With her natural

good looks and firm athletic body she, despite her "age", would

have easily been mistaken in times long gone by for a thirty

something female and caused a great many male heads to look

after her appreciatively.

But now, of course, all life forms are entirely asexual.

This is considered to be a major factor which makes people get

along so well together. Being in the company of other people

has the sole purpose of enjoying that company without secretly

hatched sexual expectations or seductive undertones that served

the human mind so cruelly in more primitive times by causing so

much sorrow, pain, disappointment, heartache, jealousy .....

The danger of accidental incapacitation does not exist any

more. All body parts are completely renewable - even the brain

and to a certain degree also the brain's memory. But

interference with one's body is strictly limited to cases of

124
accidental damage, so that the natural fatigue factor would

stop an individual's bio-clock around the age of 250. Sometimes

a little earlier, sometimes a little later, but usually not

below 200 or above 300 years of age. Life would simply stop

when the time was up - and duly replaced with the latest

"model", one could say, incorporating the sum total of all of

mankind's positive values and experiences collected throughout

the known and recorded human history.

The decisive criterion, of course, is respect and honour for

all natural life forms.

What happened to the "spirit", one might have asked in earlier

times?

The answer is "Nothing", of course. The "spirit" just being an

expression of the basic values inherent in the genetic

material, arising out of such material like a soap bubble or a

perceivable holographic image of the individual characteristic

of the particular combination of genes and disappearing again

like a Fata Morgana when the time was up, the bubble burst or

the plug was pulled and re-appearing as soon as fresh

"material" was energised.

People of old already had an inkling about this fact when they

developed their various religions and philosophies involving

re-incarnation, extra sensory perceptions and stories about

previous lives. Although mostly, it seems, people expected

their spirit to go to some mystical place like a "heaven" or

125
"hell" or

"paradise" with jolly fantasies about what it would do there,

like living a lush, plentiful afterlife, or fornicating all day

long with lots of females just waiting for that purpose, or

roasting over eternal fires with the implausible hope that one

day the place might freeze over to plunge them from one extreme

to another, or singing hymns all day.

A long time ago these fantasies were already identified for

what they really were; mechanisms of mass control on the one

hand and expressions of longing for fulfilment of difficult to

realise aspirations in real life or just a reflection on the

general harshness of nature and people's struggle with it.

Today, people live and give up life without hard feelings

knowing that their genetic code is on record and could be

replicated at will. If it wasn't, then something better had

taken its place which is even more satisfying to know. Still,

people know their genetic code is immortal - and that's the

simple fact and truth!

There is, however, one more aspect to it. Genetic material

requires energy to come to life. Just ordinary energy. A supply

of electrons and protons which through their interaction would

give the genes the fuel to do their thing and propel them

through their lifespan. That's the reason why certain life

forms need food in order to attain their full potential of

126
development and life expectancy. As far as human beings are

concerned the energy needs to be "baked" into suitable

compounds the bodies would be able to store and split when

required to release in the dosage wanted in order to fuel and

mobilise the community of cells the genetic code has built for

itself.

This energy is continually converted in a human being to give

and sustain the process of life. Like a fire burning up wood

the energy compounds within a human being would be "burnt" up.

This doesn't mean that the energy is being lost; not at all,

nothing ever gets "lost" in the universe. Instead just like a

fire producing gases or smoke the energy would escape from the

compound, supplying power to the body like the millstream to

the mill and just like the millstream, the freed energy

collects in an ocean that fills our solar system. This energy,

after its release, is carrying the experiences - good and bad -

of the individual it came from and just like the millstream

reaching the ocean it would mix to assume an average salinity

representing the average of mankind's experiences and just like

the oceans salinity it would fluctuate; sometimes more to the

good and sometimes more to the bad side.

Since for some time now human history has been governed by

goodness the "mixture" in the ocean is not very aggressive.

This ocean, or Morpho Genetic Field as it is rather called,

clearly holds the capacity to store and transport information.

127
Modern science has sought and found ways to utilise this field,

prevailing throughout the solar system, for the purpose of

communicating with the other planets at virtually the speed of

light. Just like ships used to carry "messages" over the oceans

on Earth in the days of old.

The Morpho Genetic Field is what Marrie had dived into in her

search for a message from such energy that would trickle away

out of The Chronicle and this is what she was thinking about

while she relaxed in her bath. This and her father, Dr. Mauro

Christmas, who is in the forefront of Morpho Genetic Research,

albeit at supra-dimensional level, which is an extension of the

already well researched field of Morpho Genetics.

Just to forestall any wrong impression. The Morpho Genetic

Field is passive and has no influence over what constitutes the

genetic values and only a very weak influence over how such

values developed should they come in contact with a

concentrated dose of Morpho Genetic Experience. It is, however,

possible to isolate, concentrate and read individual inputs to

this field adding an interesting viewpoint to the study of

life's history on Earth, reaching all the way back to its very

beginning on the planet. This, synthesized with the technology

of Virtual Reality, makes it possible to travel back in time

and "experience" life during the era of the dinosaurs for

example, from the comfort of one's armchair. Of course, it is

not real and as such has no influence on the past. Just a

128
mental trip, which, for the traveller, holds the quality of

being very real indeed. Hence the "accidents" which were

referred to earlier on when some travellers got "lost" or even

forgot to come back.

As far as personalised details are concerned, the unfathomable

volume of information contained in the existing field, makes

such task rather difficult, albeit not impossible. Gaia is on a

continuous mission to sift, sort and record Morpho genetic

history. Nevertheless, for the casual user to look up a

particular ancestor usually results in experiencing only a

certain target area of time and location and the closer one

tries to focus, the fuzzier the picture becomes. What always

helps is the presence of artefacts to improve a more pinpointed

focus. Anyway, it is considered to be more fun to watch a

broader historic picture than having a close-up contact with

the widespread all-pervading ugliness of past life.

Marrie though had not searched for information from the past.

Quite frankly she doesn't need messages from the past. What she

had done was to follow an impulse to search for a message from

the FUTURE! And that is the crux of the matter! The future, if

indeed there is one, is not accessible in our universe. But

there are indications that the future might be accessible

through Supra-Dimensional Morpho Genetics - and that's what she

wants to see her father about.

129
This whole "Future-Business" is a somewhat dicey matter, since

humanity's present understanding of their existence rules out,

or rather, does not want to acknowledge, the possibility of a

Future.

"I hate to interrupt your thoughts again, but I think it

advisable to remind you that you are due to link up with the

Council and join their debate on the effects of Ethnic

Confluence During The 21st Century Migrations in exactly ...."

"Yes, Yes, I know, but thank you for reminding me", Marrie

interrupted João, "would you put out some suitable attire for

me and please find out where my father is. I want to get in

touch with him later."

As far as her presence at the Council debate is concerned, she

could join-in stark naked and while languishing in her bath

without anybody raising an eyebrow. It is, however, more in

line with common practice to wear some form of attire which

would identify the wearer as to his or her standing in life,

especially with regard to one's field of particular expertise

so as to extend the courtesy to one's opposites of not having

to ask.

"Your father is at his institute in Old England. The best time

to reach him is tomorrow between 16h30 and 21h00. Do you want

me to fix a specific time?"

130
"Yes, please. Check my schedule first and then fix the earliest

possible time."

"Done. You're on for 16h30". There wasn't enough time to blink

an eyelid between Marrie's last words and João's confirmation

of execution of her request. At the other end Dr. Mauro

Christmas' ACU had registered the arrangement concurrently.

"Your link-up with the Council is ready but on hold. Do you

want to join on monitor, holographically only or in Virtual

Reality?"

"I'll join on monitor, to give them a real image of myself -

not that it makes any difference. Thank you for choosing this

tasteful garment. I'm ready now; just have to walk over to the

study. Please announce my presence"

Marrie walked into her study and seated herself at her

communications centre, which engulfed her with a 360 degree 3-D

view, as seen from her allocated seat of the actual Council

Auditorium in which the debate took place.

The communications centre enables Marrie to project her voice

and image to any place within the solar system when relying on

Virtual Reality and for as long as the receiver was linked-up

with her. The other two methods are not as far reaching,

because they required more equipment back-up, but on Earth and

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the habitation centres of the other planets they work just as

well.

Marrie's actual TV-image was shown on one of many wall monitors

surrounding the auditorium, with an animated holographic image

of hers in her seat amongst the other participants. Her vocal

contributions to the debate, emanating from her place in her

study, would be heard throughout the auditorium just as clearly

as if she were physically present.

Participants who had chosen to take part through Virtual

Reality became "visible" to the physically present audience by

way of headgear monitors. Without them only their voices would

be heard, but their seats remaining empty. Marrie's

communication centre, however, would automatically edit Virtual

Reality images into the picture she saw, without the need to

wear any headgear. This only worked in an enclosed stationary

set-up like in her study.

The really weird thing about this Virtual Reality business is

the possibility for two users, maybe millions of kilometres

apart, to actually shake hands, for example, with both

"feeling" the pressure of the other's grip; that is if the

individual user chooses "feeling" to be part of the

communication link-up. The mental effect of the experience of

Virtual Reality makes that possible. As such, Virtual Reality

actually simulates personal encounters; even in a make-belief

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Past or Future. The "Make-Belief" Virtual Reality, however,

required a scenario to be set beforehand, whereas the "Real-

Time" Virtual Reality reflected the users mutual interactions.

Who needs computer games or outdoors play, if you can have the

"real" thing right where you are, anytime you want it and make

yourself the hero of your fantasies? Marrie and people in her

time, however, never looked at Virtual Reality in that way, but

cherish outdoors life and real physical contact and activity

above the options of Virtual Reality, except during sleeping

times, when everybody tunes into his or her favourite Virtual

Reality programme.

6.

"Hi, Dad. Are your old bones still serving you well?"

"You bet they do. Why, are you challenging me to a race?"

"I wasn't exactly thinking of that, but why not, if we can

combine it with spending some time together. Maybe Mum finds a

chance to come as well?"

"As far as I'm concerned you're on", Mauro Christmas accepted

his "Darling Daughter's" suggestion, as he would proudly

introduce her to others when she is in his company, "but your

mother unfortunately left last week on an engagement tour of

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the outer planets. She'd be hard pressed if she tried to come

back and if we just told her, she'd be sorry to learn that she

misses out on a get-together. So we better not burden her with

a difficult choice. Let's rather make this up to her when she

finds it more convenient at some later time".

"Yes, I agree. Besides it's only fair to give you a second

chance to make up for losing the up-coming race. I'm still

clocking

sub 11 times, you know."

"You do, don't you? Well, there's nothing better than the

result from a tight race. You might just be surprised what your

"old" Dad has in store for you. Now for the venue - you do

remember that village place in Fireland we all went to some

time ago?"

"What's it called again? - Ushuaia; isn't it?"

"Yes, that's the one. What about two weeks from now for a

couple of days at Ushuaia?"

João's voice came on, softly whispering in the background:

"You'll be okay for 3 days at Ushuaia, possibly 4."

"What about 3 days and we meet there?", Marrie suggested.

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"That's fine, girl. 3 days, 14 days from now at Ushuaia. I'm

already looking forward to it."

"So am I, Dad. See you then."

The link was cut and Mauro Christmas' image faded slowly from

the monitor.

14 days later Marrie used the Orbital Shuttle System, which

took her to Ushuaia in just over an hour. Now she was waiting

for her father to arrive.

Sitting at the water's edge of the Beagle Channel, looking out

over the icy, green waters she noticed two sabre-like dorsal

fins cutting through the surface not far away from her.

In her mind she reached out to the animals who's fins she saw.

"Greetings to you, you magnificent creatures. I wish you good

hunting, but spare the young and have mercy on your prey by

killing it swiftly."

The pair of killer whales lifted their heads simultaneously out

of the water and as if to acknowledge the greeting projected

themselves in a low arch through the air, re-entering the water

with a fantastic splash.

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There is, of course, no real way of talking to animals. But

Marrie could read and convey "feelings" from and to higher

developed other life forms on Earth, which, in a world of

instinct dominated events, is almost as good as talking.

The race meeting between Marrie and her father resulted in its

inevitable outcome. Dr. Christmas was no match for his

daughter's athleticism. He gave it his best shot though and she

held back a little to make the finish of the three sprints they

ran look tight. Competition was not the issue here; mutual

enjoyment was and enjoy themselves they did in the time they

were having together.

That first night in their holiday habitat Marrie raised the

issue she wanted to talk about with her father.

"Dad, you know that all through the ages mankind always

believed that they had reached the ultimate level of

evolutionary elevation. Would you say that in our age today, we

have truly reached such level, or are we just fooling ourselves

like our ancestors before us?"

"Strange that you should ask me this question. After all you

are the expert on such subject and a well respected one I might

add. So tell me, what's really on your mind?"

"Please don't dodge me Dad. I will tell you what this is all

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about, but answer my question first."

"Very well then. I will tell you the way I see the answer to

your question.

To do so, I would use certain criteria to test it against:

Mankind, measured against the perceivable universe it lives in;

Mankind's impact on it's immediate environment;

The immediate environment's impact on mankind itself;

Mankind in the context of a beginning and an end.

Let's start with the immediate environment and mankind's impact

on it.

Viewing our solar system in isolation, as its own macro cosmos,

the elementary forces in nature's cauldron are mixing and

combining in a continuous involuntary process of creation. This

process has brought forth a combination in a mixture of

interdependent yet individually stable life forms as have

arisen on this planet. Weak in their existence in the beginning

by being tossed and turned about, but over time increasingly

more self-propelled in orientation and direction, for better or

worse, without escaping the mutual interdependence.

That was, until mankind managed to take control of the

involuntary process of creation and make it voluntary under its

influence. Pacifying the forces of nature. Sort of

domesticating them by assuming mastery over the elementary

forces themselves, guiding and harmonizing the events and

making the outcome totally predictable. Becoming Lord and

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Master over the micro and macro cosmos it is part of.

From that point of view there is no higher elevation.

With regard to the environment's impact on mankind and in

particular not on mankind as a whole, as a collective being,

but on its individual member ... . Well, the moment creation

takes effect, especially so in its organic form, it runs the

gamut of the risks of existence to try and reach maximum life

expectancy inscribed in each individual's recipe for success,

meaning of course its genetic values. Evolution here is the

constant striving for improvement of ones genetic values by

selective reproduction aided by coincidental positive mutation.

As soon as this was understood by our ancestors and they found

a way to exercise control over it, doing away with the

unpredictable, blindly groping way of earlier reproduction,

effectively eliminating primitive sexuality from their lives

and later from all other life forms, they had exorcized the

risk of mankind turning into a cancer and potential destroyer

of the hitherto manifested environment and opened the way for

the total elimination of all risk of existence for mankind's

individual members as well as improving the genetic values of

other life forms by eliminating pathological influences in

their lives.

By immortalising individual genetic values and being able to

reproduce them at will mankind assumed total dominance over the

environment's impact on itself. Again there is no higher

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elevation than that."

"Yes, Dad, I agree with you. So far, your views represent

today's understanding of our existence. But what about the

larger picture now?"

"Okay. Taking our solar system out of its isolation as we just

discussed, mankind immediately finds itself in a situation

where it faces seemingly insurmountable inadequacies in its

self. We cannot pretend to be Lord and Master over the

Universe, although we are also not its playball.

If we consider ourselves the ultimate product of evolutionary

development in mind and body we will never be able to assume

the same mastery over the universe as we have over our solar

system, simply because one individual's genetic values,

supported on the individual's experience, will not travel any

meaningful distance before the basic values needed to be

reproduced, losing that little bit of individuality resulting

from the sum of the experiences collected but unrecorded,

producing a difference every time renewal took place.

Considering the number of renewals required before we could

surpass the extent of 1000 light-years spherical radius already

explored, the differences would have mounted up already

significantly.

We know that there is no trace of any Morpho genetic field

within the spherical space explored and therefore would need to

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travel unpredictably further to meet up with other life forms,

making it really a one way excursion more than an expansion of

mankind's presence.

If one considers the time factor and the limitation of speed

this places on space travel, the whole idea would have no

future and that, I know, is not so!"

Before Mauro Christmas could continue, Marrie interrupted."

"What makes you so sure that there is in fact a future?"

"The latest results of our research at the Institute. Even

though we are not yet able to fully understand what we are

recording and therefore cannot yet formulate our findings

officially, there is no doubt in my mind, that we are now able

to record signals of Supra Dimensional Morpho Genetic Fields

and that these signals emanate from the future.

However, in order to explain this "Time" always eliminates

itself from our equations and as such would deny the existence

of a "Future". I'm afraid that the way we look at the Universe

today will not lead us to a solution for our findings. We are

at present looking at models which would radically change our

understanding of the Universe and hope to find a solution in

them."

"Daddy, I'm happy that you are convinced that there is a

future, because so am I. Let me tell you now what this whole

140
matter is all about. I didn't want to just come out with it

without knowing your own valued opinion, hoping that your

research would aid and support me on my feeling - and I must

stress it's only a "Feeling" I'm talking about, albeit a very

strong one - and the inevitable conclusion that, if there is a

future, then there must also be further evolution for mankind.

You know how touchy this whole subject can be and how

strenuously some people reject the idea of further evolution in

our species.

The outright fear this idea causes in a great many people among

us. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty that there might

already be some higher beings than ourselves, being able to

exercise control over us, influence our deeds, manipulating our

ways. The fear to face new risks in our existence.

I recall the times in the past up to the end of the Turmoil

Years, when this very same fear ruled the entire species on

this planet, smothering it with blindness and almost leading

the whole world into disaster, through people hiding cowardly

behind monolithic religious beliefs. I have bodily felt the

effort it took to dig out from under the shadow of gloom; the

reverberations around the world from the desperate rallying

cries of the atheists and so-called heretics: "Salvation is

within us, not without", "Everyone of us is The Saviour, we

must act accordingly", "We ARE the Father, the Son and the Holy

Spirit. If we don't save the world, the world will not be

141
saved. Passivity dooms us all", and so on.

I still feel the titanic struggle it took to break up the

monoliths in their powerfully entrenched positions at the

advanced stage.

We have come a long way since, and we exist, but like shadows

going everywhere we reach without leaving impressions on the

ground. Still I see the same fear come to life again. The same

monolithic beliefs re-assembling. This time by blindly denying

the existence of a future, that the Universe will expand

forever into space, that we could never catch up with such

expansion and therefore have no evolution ahead of us. The same

unfounded convictions and hysteria.

We haven't really changed, have we? Or are we being tested?

I would be more inclined towards the latter.

Have you ever wondered why Grandpa gave The Chronicle to me and

not to you? Why I should have chosen Theo-Philosophical

History, when I was more inclined towards practical science

earlier on?

Lately my thoughts keep on being jolted away from whatever I

might be doing to revolving around The Chronicle; and I have

the same real dream recurring more and more frequently with

Grandpa and The Chronicle in it. I feel like I am waking from a

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long and deep slumber. I feel like I am receiving subtle hints.

Hints from the future. The FUTURE, Dad!"

"Marrie, if what you are experiencing and what you told me is

an accurate description of it, you ought to be very, very

careful how you explore it further and how you present any

findings to the public."

"I'm aware of that, Dad. Right now I really have nothing to go

by. I was hoping, however, that you would be able to help me

either confirm or dismiss the whole issue."

"How do you expect me to do that?"

"I could come to your Institute with The Chronicle and maybe

you could focus your apparatus through me to try and decipher

any message I'm receiving - that is, if there is a message at

all."

"I have to think about that. Child, you realise that we are

dealing with the Unknown at the Institute. We don't quite

understand the full extent of what we are doing there. Even

less so the results we have come up with lately. All we really

have achieved so far, is to find a way to access Supra-

Dimensional Morpho Genetics and to receive signals back. We

believe the signals to be from the future and I personally am

convinced they are. But we have no way of telling for sure.

143
What I can say for sure is, that if I'm right, the future holds

a lot, and I mean quite a lot, more information than the Morpho

genetic field in our solar system. We have no way to focus,

amplify, read or direct any of the signals we're receiving. By

the looks of it we are eons away from being able to do that. So

what you are suggesting amounts to walking through an

avalanche. What if we can't pull you back or dig you out.

Just the thought of it scares me silly."

"But Dad, I have to know - and I'm willing to accept my

chances."

"For goodness, child. You expect a father to let his Darling

Daughter jump down an abyss without knowing whether there is a

bottom or not. Let's not talk about this any more. Let's give

it a rest for today. Tomorrow we'll go and explore in the

"Winter Wonderland Park". Okay?"

Marrie nodded silently and got up to embrace her father who had

paced nervously through the room after Marrie had startled him

with her proposal.

As they held each other in a close embrace, Marrie felt a

shiver run through her father's body. Dr. Mauro Christmas was

really shaken by his daughter's revelations.

When they released each other, he took his daughter's head in

both hands and looked her deeply in the eyes.

144
"We might be genetically immortal, but we also are who we are."

He let her go abruptly.

"And now to bed. Peaceful dreams."

He turned and left her alone in the room. Alone with her

thoughts and alone with the uncertainties she was getting drawn

deeper and deeper into.

The ACU was waiting patiently for her to decide if she also

wanted to go to bed or stay up.

7.

Ushuaia is an ancient settlement at the tip of the South

American Continent. At one stage it was the southernmost,

permanent human settlement in the world. Antarctica's ice cap

would start just a little further south. The waters separating

the two continents are green, laden with plankton and other

ocean wealth that would attract such cold water sea creatures

which lived off it. Aquatic life is teeming with action of hunt

and ambush, deception - disguise, pursuit - escape, success and

failure ..... and ultimately death for all.

What is noticeably absent is reproductive activity. This is

being taken care of by mankind on behalf of all organic co-

145
inhabitants of the planet and for the benefit of such community

as a whole. One could say, to maintain law and order amongst

the interactive species. To preserve the ever so precious

harmony and balance of nature. Is that too high a price to ask

off one's fellow survivors of creation in exchange for

everlasting harmony? Clearly mankind has answered that question

and made the decision on its own, but with total conviction

that their intervention is fully justified to overcome nature's

capriciousness. Mankind has assumed the responsibility for

planetary harmony. They never took their duties lightly. No

effort is being spared in the constant search for improvement

in mankind's own actions, especially not where the existence of

other creatures is concerned. After all, they do not require

others to accept what they themselves have not also adopted for

their own kind.

And that is the crucial test of the question. Out of their

position of superior advancement over fellow creatures in

creation, they applied their superior understanding and wisdom

to produce a solution, drastic in its measure, but for the

benefit of the world community as a whole and equally effective

for all, to be sure. Drastic; Yes, but also fair. No ulterior

motifs, no hidden agendas. A frank and honest presentation of

the facts. A debate of the pros and cons. No lying, no

cheating, no rape of language or contortion of words. Finally

the result of the debate. Participants educated by reason and

wisdom adopt the solution derived from these two great pillars

146
of civilisation. Alea jacta est.

To be able to practise such decision-finding requires a great

deal of civilisation. Fortunately humanity got there BEFORE it

was too late. How much they themselves have had to suffer in

order to acquire this level of civilisation is still remembered

with pain. If there is one universal law applicable to all, it

is:

DO NOT DISTURB THE HARMONY!

Nowadays the arguments have long been put to rest.

The breeding stations and nurseries for south polar life are in

the waters and on the land of Antarctica.

The natural climate, as can easily be imagined, is rather

inhospitable. Also at Ushuaia.

But it is exactly this inhospitality which makes the region

around Ushuaia so attractive.

The settlement itself has outwardly retained its character and

façade of the little fishing village it once used to be.

Steep, winding streets; quaint chalet type houses. Picturesque

in colour and style. Like a place from a fairy tale come to

life.

147
Inside - the same feeling. The warmth of wooden furniture and

coal stove and heater (the latter two simulated though!),

complete with the smells that go with it. Small rooms, sparsely

but tastefully decorated with artefacts of times long gone bye.

What could not be accommodated within the space provided by the

visible structure was put underground. In order to be able to

accommodate all the visitors at peak times, the real settlement

is hidden away, out of sight, in the depth of Earth.

Ushuaia's outward appearance is very deceptive. It is as modern

a settlement as any other anywhere else in the solar system.

Outdoors activities are not impeded by the climate and could be

entirely shielded from any discomfort by the weather. In the

case of the Winter Wonderland Park, however, the magic is in

the seasonal transformation of the landscape. The emphasis,

like the name suggests, is on winter when the meadows, woods

and marshes get buried under thick layers of natural snowfall.

The trees, on their branches, carry caps of powdery snow which

create the appearance as if they were carved from ice. The

stillness of the surroundings suggests a feeling like walking

on air. The sounds which were made by visitors gave the

impression as if they were running away from their source of

origin, afraid to be associated with such noisy intruders,

burying themselves under the snow.

One can not but stand in awe, gawking at the magnificence of

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nature's own art; the spectacular grandeur of the scenery.

Besides, there was a lot of fun to it as well. The fun lay in

getting about. Pathways all over were never cleared of snow.

Inevitably they would be covered by a thick coat of trampled

snow, hardened through intermittent thawing and freezing. It is

the thawing phase which supplied the fun, for when the surface

starts to become watery, it is near impossible to stay on one's

feet. The effort to prevent slipping produces the most

grotesque contortions. The treachery of the underfoot regularly

strikes in the most innocent looking places and suddenly one's

legs would take-off simultaneously in two different directions,

or they would both go forward at the same time, or backward -

sideways -there is no way of telling which way they might go

next.

Of particularly surprising effect is when the legs would shoot-

off with a mind of their own while standing still, admiring the

scenery.

At times the air is quite abuzz with the muffled thuds of

padded behind hitting bottom. Utterances and shrieks of

surprise are then never far-off either. By all accounts there

should always be a fresh breeze blowing, if it wasn't for the

lethargy of chilled air, with all the wind milling arms doing

their best to stir it up.

The hurt of a particularly painful fall never lasted, but the

149
experience and the fun did. Faces were aglow from chilly air

and enjoyment. It wasn't any different for Marrie and Mauro

Christmas.

The discussion about Marrie's intentions and how she thought

her father could help her, had not stopped at the end of the

first evening. Over the following two evenings they were just

as intensely involved in debating the matter. What decided the

issue in Marrie's favour was the statement made by her father

on the first evening just before he left to go to bed.

WE ARE, WHO WE ARE.

Acknowledging validity of that statement, he had to concede

that his daughter's conviction of doing the right thing carried

just as much weight as his own.

He accepted he had no right to stand in the way of his

daughter's pursuit of doing what she had to do. Never mind how

well intentioned his objections were. He had tested his

daughter's convictions and satisfied himself that they were

well founded.

The right thing now for him to do was to lend her his full

support and make the realisation of her ambition as easy and

risk free as possible. But how does one avoid the risk from the

150
unknown?

His daughter was a very brave girl in his reckoning.

Before they parted early on the fourth day, they agreed that

Dr. Christmas would contact his daughter at the earliest

opportunity after completion of the current series of

experiments at his Institute to set up an experiment with her

in it.

Marrie returned to her habitat anxiously waiting for her

father's contact.

8.

While Marrie waited for her father to contact her she went

about her normal life. One day she received an interesting

call.

João announced the incoming link-up.

"Councillor Angelica Mtumtwini asks your permission to enter."

"With pleasure. What system is she on?"

"Holography."

"Then go right ahead and let her through."

Marrie had been studying an ancient textbook on the old

151
Egyptian practice of embalming dead bodies. Now the lifelike

image of Councillor Mtumtwini appeared in the room with her.

"Greetings, Marrie Christmas."

"And to you, Councillor. I expected the Council to contact me

for some time now. Please take a seat."

Marrie indicated a seat near the Councillor's image and turned

her own, so that they could face each other like two real

people would.

"So Gaia considers the developments of a sufficiently important

nature to inform the Council about?"

"Yes, and she is quite right to have done so. In fact the

Council has just finished a full plenum session with the only

topic on the agenda being your intended experiment at your

father's Institute.

We have evaluated the information at hand, being mostly the

contents of your conversations with your father, including your

"Dream" as you related it to him. We found also that the

Chronicle you refer to is not on record.

On the basis of the limited information available, however, the

Council already views this matter with grave concern.

Consequently to the outcome of the debate in this session, I

was instructed to approach and inform you.

It was resolved that -

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You are in no way impeded in your search for knowledge and

truth. The means of your search, however, are restricted to

your own and such assistance as your father's Institute is able

to render. You must accept and bind yourself to work in secrecy

and not cause the existing harmony to be jeopardised. The

people assisting at your father's Institute are to be selected

and committed to the same principle.

Furthermore, and in view of the profound effect this Chronicle

has on you, you are not to enter it in the record system until

such time that the question about a possible future in the

Universe has been resolved in your search.

Finally, the Council wishes you success in your endeavours and

takes the unprecedented step to also wish you luck."

The final part about "luck" was a clear caution that in the

Council's opinion Marrie was going to face risks beyond

mankind's control. Risks she had to face alone but on behalf of

all humanity!

"Well", Angelica Mtumtwini smiled, "this was the official part.

Personally I want to reassure you that I fully support what you

are doing. But, Marrie, I must also say that I am scared for

you. Are you sure a solution cannot be found with normal means

rather than transgressing into the unknown?"

"Thank you, Angelica, and to the Council I want to express my

153
sincerest appreciation for their considerate stance. I will

carry out my mission with humanity's interest at heart and not

act irresponsibly towards the endangerment of our harmony.

As regards other means, I'm fully aware I'm acting on an

impulse. I cannot explain why I am so convinced that what I

intend doing is right. I simply have to pursue this course or

else my mind would not be at rest. I also did not know that The

Chronicle is not on record. To realise that I am the only one

under its full influence is one more reason for me to persist

in my efforts."

"I understand", Angelica Mtumtwini conceded Marrie's point,

"and you may rest assured that the vast majority of fellow

Councillors support your drive exactly because of your sense of

responsibility despite the fact that most do not, or do not

want to, believe that you are on the right track. The thought

of "Future" and "Evolution" is simply too uncomfortable and

disconcerting. Most prefer the idea of Time-Denial, hence

perpetual expansion of the Universe and mankind's exploration

of it through Virtual Reality, once Supra-Dimensional Morpho

Genetics could also be synthesised with our VR-Technique. This

puts the farthest reaches of the Universe within mental grasp

without losing our status in evolutionary elevation as risk-

free species.

The fact that your father believes to record supra-dimensional

signals from the FUTURE has already put fire to the

conventional understanding within the Council of mankind's

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present existence within the Universe. But the point you made

with your father about monolithic beliefs was well received in

our own debate. Nevertheless, we feel it is as yet too early to

confront the public with such intimidating ideas, therefore we

require the secrecy be maintained until a clear picture as a

result of your endeavours can be presented."

"We all do accept then, that the visually existing Universe

does in fact exist materially, too, and we are part of its

physical existence?"

"Sure"

"Then it is unrealistic to expect VR to present us with such

real Universe. We are losing ourselves in make-belief. VR,

after all, is only a manufactured reality. Morpho Genetics is

only a by-product of Energised Genetics."

"Yes, but it is a risk-free make belief."

"Only for as long as the Universe does in fact expand. Besides,

Supra-Dimensional Morpho Genetics is not available and will not

be so for quite some time to come, if I understand my father

correctly. What if one day we can no longer deny the existence

of time as a factual universal reality and the Universe starts

contracting?"

155
"Ever since your father reported the existence of a possible

Future in Supra-Dimensional Morpho Genetics it raised a vast

spectre of uncertainties. The general consensus, however, is

that the negative implications of these uncertainties are so

far ahead of our presence in time that we need not worry

ourselves unduly and disturb the present harmony with possible

threats which are at least billions of years away."

"This is exactly what our ancestors said as they drifted

towards The Turmoil Years and persisted in refusing to face

their real problems until it was almost too late. Let's not

make the same mistake."

"No, Marrie, we do not want to make the same mistakes. I, for

one, fully subscribe to your interpretation. You may always

count on my support, even after my term at the Council is up.

Right now there is nothing left for me to do but to wish you

success in your further endeavours."

"Thank you again, Angelica, I am vastly encouraged by your and

the Council's support."

Both Marrie and Angelica raised their hands in greeting. An

instant later the Councillor's image had faded away.

Marrie felt a great relief. This was the final hurdle to be

taken before she could jump off the ledge. What did her father

156
call it? An abyss without known bottom? Now the point of no

return is passed. She had to jump and she knew she will not

hesitate.

"What do I really stand to lose?", she argued with herself.

"My energised existence could be cut by more than half. It's

unpleasant to imagine that Mum and Dad would have to bear the

consequences of my action.

Just as unpleasant to know that I would lose them and all the

people who are dear to me.

If I do get lost, will it be like with the people who got lost

in VR in the early days of that technique? Today one could re-

grow those people as almost identical copies of their former

selves.

But we are not talking VR. We are talking Supra-Dimensional

Morpho Genetics. Could my genetic record and values simply

disappear beyond the Universe?

Suddenly the realisation struck her that her genetic sample had

as yet not been reproduced. Why? Was there a reason for that?

Are we perhaps really being manipulated from beyond a Supra-

Dimension? Or is this just co-incidence?

"João?", Marrie called out to her ACU.

"Yoohoo", he replied instantly.

"It just occurred to me that my genetic material has as yet

never been replicated. Would you have an explanation for that?"

157
"You are probably a dud."

"No, seriously. I would just like to know if there are any

conscious reasons. What I'm about to embark upon holds so many

uncertainties. The fact that there is a logical explanation for

it would comfort me in a way. After all who could tell whether

what we consider to be calculated selection is really

manipulated from beyond somewhere or not. So what can you tell

me?"

"There are two reasons for it. Firstly, the average biological

lifespan is still increasing causing delays in replacements;

and secondly, the process is still scanning and evaluating for

the best suitable combination to match your own genetic

material. You appear to embody all the characteristics of a

perfect representative of the human species. Something the

process tries to improve upon but finds it difficult to

achieve.

Satisfied? - Oh you, my goddess of perfection!"

"You are wearing your dunce cap again, aren't you?", Marrie

shook her head, but smiled with relief about the plausibility

of the answer and João's verbal escapades - the way he tries

his best to alleviate her worries.

"How did you guess I'm wearing my dunce cap?", João exhaled in

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startled exasperation.

"Whenever you do I can just picture you the way you ought to

look in a human body wearing a pointed hat. A very tall pointed

hat!"

"You mean like this? Or perhaps like this?", he produced a

variety of holographic images to which Marrie shook her head in

denial.

"Then it can only be ..... Voilá! Howzat?"

Marrie screamed with surprise hilarity. There, right in front

of her, appeared a dream of a sculpted female body, hips

swaying teasingly; small, red-lipped mouth seductively aiming a

mock kiss at her; chin resting against a forward pulled

shoulder in a posture, which abetted the look from sultry eyes

under half closed lids which looked at Marrie with provocative

daring; one hand posted cockily on the waist ..... and

extremities which were so obviously and grotesquely out of

tune!

Feet far too large to support this delicate female frame.

Heavy-boned strong, broad hands with prominent veins on their

backs, which looked capable of knocking a buffalo silly. But

the real clue to the image were male genitals and a clean-

shaven man's face, under glaring make-up and a raspy voice

which said to Marrie:

159
"If you think you have reproductive problems, sister, you have

no idea how hard it is to fall pregnant in this body!"

The image was topped-off by a pink, pointed hat. A very tall,

pink, pointed hat, which was strapped tight under the chin to

keep it safely in place.

"How did you manage to make up such funny abomination?". Marrie

was still shaking with giggles.

"I didn't have to make it up."

"You mean ...." Perplexed, she didn't finish her question.

"Yes, every now and again, all through the ages, nature would

fall asleep and close both eyes while some of your human

forebears were having a go at it. As a result some poor souls,

just like Thelma here, would get "assembled" incorrectly,

missing a vital link in the basic genetic orientation."

"But that's horrible." Marrie's voice was full of compassion.

"Of course, in those days, Transvestites, as they were called,

had no way to escape their plight. They had to make the best of

what they got and find a way of life which still enabled them

to maintain self-respect and dignity. Some managed to do so,

others failed. What they all had in common with you were the

160
daunting uncertainties in their lives. But just like Thelma,

many others also drew strength from the realisation that their

lot was the only lot they would get as well as an unwavering

determination to look beyond the horizon to find out WHY; and

for the horizon they would strike out, head held high, steady

stride; and either get there or perish in trying."

"I got the message and I'm very grateful for it. I guess I have

no option now but to dedicate my mission in memory of the

unflinching determination of Transvestites who so bravely took

on their odds."

"That's the spirit, Sweetie", Thelma blinked an eye and blew

her a kiss before she evaporated and left Marrie with re-

enforced grit in her determination to succeed.

9.

"What do you believe happened to the minds of those people who

got lost in Virtual Reality in the early days?"

Marrie was at her father's Institute. Tomorrow was going to be

the big day. Would they be able to shed light on this

overwhelming problem of Time mankind was still struggling to

come to terms with?

Tonight, Dr. Christmas and his daughter were spending their

time together. Would it be the last occasion on which they were

able to do so? Would his daughter cease to exist for him, if

the experiment went awry? Would she disintegrate under the

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bombardment of information he would call down on her? Or would

she simply slip away into a realm where mankind possessed no

powers?

They both carefully avoided to speak about such uncertainties

in direct terms in order not to dilute each other's

determination. Instead, they discussed the experimental set-up

in which Marrie would induce herself to go into a dream-state

and invoke The Dream from the depth of her memory. Her father

would tune into her Morpho genetic emissions, elevate them to

the level where he and his team had found access to what they

understood as Supra-Dimensional Morpho Genetics and reverse the

flow of information through Marrie, in the hope that she would

be able to record, decipher and read such information after her

return. If all went well the whole procedure would at most take

a few minutes and then they would know - either way.

"To the best of my knowledge and understanding they overcame

the genetic bond between mind and body. When they stepped out

of their bodies they severed their energy supply as well. As a

result their mental self would have had to fade away after

exhaustion of its reserves. The physical impact on the body was

disorientation and malfunction of the genetic values leading to

instantaneous combustion of the cellular community. From there

on they were gone leaving no further trace neither in the

Morpho Genetic Field nor in the VR programme. Why do you ask?

Do you think this has any relevance for what we intend to do?"

162
"No, I don't see any connection. I am just curious to learn

your point of view. You know that in former days some people

had this idea about their "soul" going to some mystical place

of eternal peace and happiness after expiry of their earthly

existence. Of course such fantasies were more like a mental

tonic to countermand the effects of nature's harshness on those

people's lives and give them a reason to persevere through

suffering, pain and hardships; to allow them to keep their

sanity in the face of wanton acts of destruction and cruelty.

In other words, it gave them a reason for living.

Their lives were so full of uncertainties and lack of ready,

obvious explanations that they simply needed this escape hatch

from reality. In our days uncertainties are totally non-

existent. That was until we started shaking the pillar of

mankind's understanding of Time. Daddy, I want you to rest

assured that I am perfectly reconciled to the risk, and I am

intentionally saying RISK, I'm taking, so that you need not

worry should anything go wrong. I am feeling responsible for

the situation we are in. But I'm also very proud to maybe be

mankind's first representative to reach the end of the horizon,

or the end of the rainbow as they used to say. I'm doing this

not just for myself, but for all of mankind past, present and

perhaps future. Especially for those of our forebears who

unwaveringly kept marching towards the horizon, despite the

then impossible task to reach it. Tomorrow I will pick-up their

163
torches. My "Reason For Living" is to give meaning to the

efforts of those who have gone before me and pay tribute and

respect to their quest for knowledge, rather than opting for

the easy way out."

"HIER STEHE ICH, ICH KANN NICHT ANDERS; GOTT HELFE MIR. AMEN"

"What was that?"

"Never mind. It was just a quotation of an ancient German

Theologist, Martin Luther, who stood up against fundamental

belief and in doing so had to run the gauntlet of very powerful

opponents who, in those days, liked to quell dissent with

torture and horrible mutilations. Still he would not back-off

from the risks looming over him. His lot was so much harder to

face than mine since he was also up against such then prevalent

traits as intolerance, religious hate, spite and so on. He must

have had second thoughts in his circumstances a good many

times. I have it so much easier to do my bit with today's

goodwill and respect amongst our kind. I so would like you and

Mum and all the people to understand that I am very happy to

follow in the tradition of so many distinguished people before

me. If I shall not succeed and somehow won't make it back,

somebody else surely will.

You do understand, Daddy, don't you?"

164
Mauro Christmas, who had stood motionless while listening to

his daughter, now went over to her and took her in his arms.

"Yes, Marrie, I understand. Your mother and I are so proud of

you. I know now that we humans still have it in us to outgrow

ourselves. Whatever happens I shall dedicate myself to making

sure that it will not have been in vain. I promise you that,

Child, I promise you that."

He cradled his daughter's head against his collar bone so that

she would not see and misinterpret the tears welling up in his

eyes. They were not tears of helpless emotions; they were tears

of immense pride and joy.

"Thank you, Daddy. I feel so at peace and yet strangely

invigorated like I could walk on air. Just hold me a little

longer or else I might float away."

The next day was just a normal day for the world at large.

Mankind, as self-appointed custodian of nature, went about

their ways to maintain creative harmony and entertaining

themselves with the enjoyment of their achievements or seeking

ways to even further improve themselves or nature in general.

Only a selected few were aware that this day was already a

landmark date which, depending on the outcome of the impending

165
experiment at the Supra-Dimensional Morpho Genetic Research

Institute in Old England, could set-back the goal posts of

mankind's achievements and start-off a renewed scramble for the

finish line. Those few held their breath in excited

anticipation as the experiment was set in motion.

Marrie was inside an experimental chamber which was styled

around her own bedroom in her habitat. She had the Chronicle

next to her. All technical equipment was concealed and out of

the way. The monitors were in an adjoining room with direct

access to the experimental chamber. Dr. Christmas and his team

were at their various stations ready to proceed. Marrie's

Morpho genetic emissions were already being recorded and showed

her asleep in the dream state she had induced herself to

achieve.

Before she had done so, she had manipulated her mind into a

pre-occupation with her "Dream", which would then continue on

its own after she had gone to sleep. The dream itself was not

recordable since dreams are an interactive product of genes and

have nothing to do with Morpho Genetics.

Nevertheless, it was clearly distinguishable by normal Active

Control means that Marrie was dreaming and Dr. Christmas gave

the instruction to slowly elevate her Morpho genetic level.

This was still the easy part and everything proceeded smoothly.

Marrie's mental and physical conditions continued steady and

normal. At this stage no supra-dimensional signals were

166
recorded or expected to be received. Soon Marrie had reached

the level at which the experiment became crucial.

"May I have clearance from all stations", Dr. Christmas

requested his colleagues. The "All Clear" came in.

"Very well. I'm setting-off the countdown now."

He activated the Sequence Initiator which re-checked the set-up

for malfunction and synchronisation. At the count of T -0 it

would automatically proceed with the experiment if it did not

abort before for reasons of deviation from the previously laid

down criteria.

Marrie was waiting at the gate to the "Future", hoping to catch

a brief glimpse of it when her father would push open the gate

for her.

The Institute's ACU read out the countdown.

"T minus 3, ... 2, ... ."

Previously all that was required to do was to sit back and

watch the recorders do their work for the pre-determined

duration before automatic shut-off. This time there were the

additional monitors showing Marrie's condition as well as a

manual shut-off switch at Dr. Christmas' station which would

allow him to abort the experiment prematurely should he feel it

necessary to do so. The room was kept in a twilight which

167
enhanced the illumination of the individual instruments and

monitors. An eerie silence froze everybody into motionless

observers as the countdown continued.

"T minus 1, ... Zero!"

Nobody heard the final word despite the total silence by all

present in the room. At the instant of the commencement of its

pronunciation the instruments came to live.

Dr. Christmas' only concern was the monitors showing his

daughter's condition.

For a pulse or two her heart stopped beating before it

accelerated sharply. Her breathing became deeper, pumping

increasing quantities of oxygen into her body. The fists were

tightly clenched - a sure sign that she was struggling or

mentally holding on to something. More worrying was the huge

energy consumption in her brain. Her mind was active at fever

pitch. Whatever she was engaged in there was no way of telling

whether she was winning or losing. This could not go on for too

long before tissue deterioration would give her a disadvantage

in the mental battle she was fighting. But to just cut her off

without indication of definite danger could mean that she

missed that vital split second in which to achieve the

breakthrough. On the other hand, a split second too late could

be a fatal hesitation.

Dr. Christmas calmly watched the monitors. When he observed

168
that his daughter's fists began to open involuntarily he cut-

off the experiment. At the same instant Marrie was shielded

from further supra-dimensional influence.

Marrie was having a good look at the familiar objects

surrounding her within the experimental chamber in order to get

a good mental grip on them, for whatever it might be worth,

prior to settling in to the task before her.

She was calm and relaxed with a slight electric tingle running

through her body. She felt close kinship with all the great

explorers which humanity had produced and asked herself whether

they had felt like her before they took-off on their epic

missions. Somehow she would have liked them to know that after

all those many centuries which had passed in the interim there

where still people who remembered their deeds and held the

deepest admiration and respect for their courage and dedication

without which mankind would never have found the answers to the

many, many questions which had obscured the path to today's

evolutionary elevation.

Surely, mammals, after so many millions of years of bloody,

dirt scratching existence, were bound to be going the same way

dinosaurs went when they finally encountered the one, big, fate

determining problem, if it wouldn't have been for humanity to

take it onto themselves to forestall such possibility and

169
instead harmonize creation and transform the whole planet into

this beautiful, landscaped jewel within the Universe.

Just to imagine that it was now incumbent upon her, Marrie

Christmas, to explore the answer to the very last uncertainty,

TIME, gave her the power and reassurance that she mustered the

strength of all humanity that had lived before her.

Honour, gratitude, fondness ..... all inspired her to do what

she was about to do and do it right.

"To the very, very best of my ability! - So help me God", she

somewhat sheepishly spoke the words in her mind in remembering

last night's conversation with her father and as salutation to

the kinsfolk of past who probably uttered the same words before

embarking on their journeys to success or failure.

The initial procedure required hardly any effort. To

concentrate on the "Dream" and fall asleep were measures well

within her normal talent, so that she achieved that state in

the time it took to look at a wrist watch and back again.

The Dream unfolded in its normal way but somewhere along the

way it started to accelerate. Her initial act of getting a grip

on her surroundings was a conscious effort and her conscience

now would detect and report such deviation from normality like

the acceleration of the Dream. Despite her sub-conscience being

in the driver's seat, Marrie was "aware" of the acceleration

and able to rationally conclude that this was probably due to

170
the elevation of her Morpho genetic level taking place.

Then sometime later the acceleration stopped and she knew that

this was it; the gate to the "Future". Any moment it could be

flung open and she braced herself for that.

When it happened, it still took her by surprise. It was not so

much what happened, but the vehemence with which it did. Marrie

was swept clean of her "feet". Her mind cascaded down a

waterfall straight into a whirlpool which tugged at her with

incessant pull while the "water" from above constantly pressed

her down. In her mind she was gasping for air while her "arms"

desperately tried to keep her up and find something to hold on

to, pull her out of the deluge and away from danger. There was

nothing to hold on to! Suddenly she saw herself as a spread-

eagled figure, cart-wheeling towards the sun while the whole

Universe looked on with passive disinterest.

She felt totally exhausted and was about to resign herself to

either cartwheel through eternity or collide with the sun,

when, as she later recalled, she distinctly felt - and it was a

feeling - a command-like impulse: DON'T GIVE IN!

Before she could react to it all went black; pitch black

darkness engulfed her. Then a glimmer of yellow light started

to traverse the darkness. Then another one from a different

direction; and another one, and another one, until the darkness

was beginning to fill out with a mad pattern of criss-crossing

171
tracers. The tracers became embers of red-hot coal shooting

through the darkness like projectiles which was uncomfortably

hot to look at, to the point where she started to register

pain.

But what a pain!

Her head seemed like it was trying to blow itself apart. Under

the pain no rational thought or sub-conscious memory was able

to form. She had no impression of time, where she was or what

was going on. Eventually the pain ebbed away. She started to

hear voices and slowly her memory came to the fore.

"Welcome back, Girl", she heard her father say and realised

then that it was over and she was safely back on Earth.

10.

"The only reason I can think of, for not doing it again is this

indescribable pain in my head after coming back."

Marrie was in discussion with her father.

"The pain is something we can forestall the next time 'round,

but what makes you so sure that you'll fare any better if, by

your own account, you were overpowered the moment you went in?"

"I think I didn't do too badly. Next time I know what to expect

and won't be surprised. I can prepare myself to stay on top, so

172
to speak. And then, even though I did not collect any useable

information, something did get through to me; something I

didn't hear or see but rather something that pervaded me from

within. A kind of command or instruction; or was it

encouragement - I'm not sure now because immediately afterwards

it went dark. What I do remember, however, is the message:

DON'T GIVE IN. It could also mean: TRY AGAIN - couldn't it?"

"Sure. It's as good a reason as any to have another go at it.

Then we are agreed that for the next try your body will go on

life-support and we install an external circulatory system to

the brain. That way we can control energy input and

temperature. You determine when you are ready. Everything else

stays just the way it is. Okay?"

"Sounds alright to me, Dad."

Marrie's mind was spinning. It was like sitting in a centrifuge

which slowly increased its revolutions to the point where the

walls around it formed a circular enclosure and then a bubble.

The walls were plastered over with images from The Chronicle.

Clear but also well familiar images. Unrevealing as far as any

deeper meaning might be concerned.

The revolutions still increased and the images started to blur.

173
Marrie's concentration was buffeted by gusts and swirls of

unfamiliar energy. By now all former images had disappeared

beyond the impression of a madly revolving background.

Mentally she clenched her fists.

"I have to hold on. Hold on ... . Have to ... hold on ... hold

on."

Her effort of concentration had lost all purpose or direction.

She needed all her mental strength to hold on, afraid that if

she slipped and let go she might be catapulted out into the

supra-dimensional unknown. The tremendous exertion left her no

strength to keep her mental eye open and she succumbed to the

desire to close it. Her sub-conscience sank into total

darkness.

And then it happened.

A cacophony of light exploded inside her head.

Was that a word? ..... PROTECT.

This time she had clearly recognized the word "protect" before

it disintegrated in a shower of sparks. Other words formed.

..... DESTINY ...

..... YOU ...

..... MAYBE ...

..... LOSING ...

174
..... QUALITY ...

..... ATTRACTION ...

..... HER ...

..... SHOW ...

..... STRONGLY ...

These words stood out in clear illumination against a

background of black and left a searing imprint in her memory.

At the same time Marrie was overcome by a feeling as if she

held a model globe of planet Earth in her arms. But when she

looked at it, it wasn't Earth she was holding.

Marrie let go of her effort. Like a snorkel diver running out

of air, she struggled back to break through the surface into

what was still to her the "real world".

Dr. Christmas and his team recognised the new direction of her

effort and helped "winching" her back on board. Marrie regained

her body. The energy supply to the brain fell sharply from one

instant to the next. She was going through accelerated dream

cycles in which her body re-tuned itself in preparation for her

conscience to take control.

"Daddy?"

Marrie's eyes were staring at the ceiling. She was still

hooked-up to life-support and could not move any body part.

175
"I'm here, Girl. I'll be with you in a second. We are just busy

shutting down the system. Welcome back. Am I glad it's over."

Dr. Christmas could hardly contain his relief and excitement

over his daughter's safe return. The moment he had done what

needed to be done, he rushed over to the entrance to the

experimental chamber expressly forbidding anybody to reach his

daughter before him. That honour was to be his.

There was an air of jubilation amongst the team members and the

first ones finished with their tasks had wanted to rush over to

the chamber to help Marrie out of the contraption she was in.

But no ways would Dr. Christmas allow that.

Now his team stood around him and applauded with loud cheers as

he opened the chamber doors and hurried over to his daughter.

Marrie was released and helped to her feet. Still unsteady and

weak she hugged her father. Mauro Christmas held his daughter,

transmitting through his hold the comfort and support he felt

she needed.

"Relax. Take your time. Don't say anything if you don't feel

like it. Do you want me to take you to your room?"

"It's alright, Dad. I don't have much to say anyway.

But I have had a very startling experience.

Dad, we all know the Universe is globular ..... "

176
The people surrounding Dr. Christmas and his daughter were dead

silent in anticipation of what Marrie was going to reveal from

her experience. An experience so novel that not even Virtual

Reality could pretend to duplicate it.

"..... and it is two-dimensional at the same time!"

This was a bomb-blast - nonsense - a super nova, a galactic

implosion, of a statement!

Nobody within earshot would suspect Marrie Christmas to make

such a statement irresponsibly. At least not after what she had

just gone through. Had she lost her mind on that trip? Does she

still have the capacity to realise what she just said; to

recognise the contradiction?

"Please, everybody, please give my daughter a chance to

explain."

"Marrie, what you just said doesn't make sense. It cannot be.

Is there perhaps a qualification required to understand your

statement?"

"I know that what I've just said is true even though I cannot

yet offer you any proof. You all accept that the Universe is

globular?"

177
There was nobody who would deny that.

"Then look at it that way. What we perceive of the Universe is

not inside, but ON ITS SURFACE!

The Universe is like a flat sheet of paper, hence two-

dimensional, but bent by The Force of Perfect Symmetry into its

globular shape. What we see of the Universe are merely the

horizons beyond which it curves away. I know it's true. I held

it in my arms!"

The buzz and chatter of a moment ago was now replaced by

stunned silence. Utter astonishment. This was another whopper.

Except this time nobody speculated whether she had gone out of

her mind or not. This was scientific news in the making.

A room full of top calibre scientific brains was trying to come

to grips with the implications of this sensational statement.

Somebody cleared his or her throat as if words were to follow.

But no words followed. Everybody stared at Marrie. The silence

became awkward.

Marrie spoke again.

"Daddy, do you understand? The Universe has neither beginning

nor end. Time is only a perception created in the minds of

subjective observers like ourselves. We are misguided in our

interpretation by our own three-dimensional micro cosmos.

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"But how come you could hold it in your arms, if the Universe

is, like you say, two-dimensional?", Mauro Christmas wanted to

know.

"I have no answer to your question. At least not yet. There was

more to my experience than what I've told you so far. But right

now I am as confused about it as you are about what I told you,

and still have to try and work out what to make of it. All I

know is that the search for the "Future" is over, but I'm left

with the distinct feeling that this doesn't mean that there is

no further evolution for mankind. If WE will ever find the

answer to the riddle .... RIDDLE? Did I just say riddle?

Of course, the words I saw. Are they a riddle? But where from?

Grandfather, The Chronicle, The Dream - the words ..... Is all

that connected? - and if so, what is behind all this?

Dad, I want to go home now. I think I might be onto something.

If you want to come along I'll explain to you on the way."

All of a sudden Marrie had started to feel very restless. There

was nothing else for her to do at the Institute. Her father and

his team would now ordinarily start evaluating the data

collected. But she was convinced she knew already all there was

to be learned from the data if any of it could be interpreted

in the first place. If her father wanted to join her and lend

his support to what she intended doing she was sure his team

179
would do the work just as well without him.

"What do you say, Dad?"

Dr. Christmas slowly nodded his head: "Yes, I think I'll join

you. Now that you've punctured my balloon, let's see where it

flies off to." He said that with a smile though. If his theory

was to be proven wrong, then so be it, as long as truth and

progress triumphed.

He hugged his daughter again. More so in happiness over her

safe return than over the developments that took place

afterwards. Those developments still left a lot to think about.

Marrie hurried off to make preparations for their trip.

Dr. Christmas gave instructions how to proceed with the work to

be done and then followed her.

"My-oh-my, things ARE changing these days. This morning the

Universe was still spherical and now it's flat! And nobody saw

it coming", was the thought that crossed his mind as he

gathered the few personal things he would need while staying

with his daughter.

"Let's recapitulate what we've got."

180
Marrie and Mauro Christmas were mulling over her theory for the

umpteenth time.

"There is a string of seemingly unconnected words. If I am

right they provide a clue to the solution of whatever there is

to find out. On the assumption that it is in fact a clue,

everything else we refer to can only be a tool for the purpose

of deciphering the clue. The tools must be objects and

experiences in my life. First and foremost, of course, there is

The Chronicle. I think we both agree that The Chronicle cannot

be ignored as a tool."

"I am also convinced that your dream is an essential tool",

Dr. Christmas contributed.

"Then there is the last experience at your Institute", Marrie

continued, "which, to say the least, was unusual in its

revelations."

From a multitude of previous options they both agreed to limit

their initial search to these three obvious choices.

"Okay then. Let's start by loading the information contained in

these three tools and scan them through Virtual Reality. Dad,

will you put The Chronicle through the optical scanner while I

relate the Dream and the experiments' outcome to João."

181
While Dr. Christmas did his part, Marrie settled down

comfortably and impulsed her brain to concentrate on nothing

else but the task that lay before her.

To scan the Chronicle was really just a matter of how long it

took for the ACU to mechanically turn the pages. For the first

time since it was written by Francesco Theodor Christmas the

complete document became accessible to the entire human

population.

Marrie's part took a lot more time and quite a lot more effort

to complete. When she finally finished she felt too exhausted

to do anything else than bath and rest.

Tomorrow they would enter Virtual Reality in search for any

connection to the clue words.

Marrie half expected that her sleep would be restless;

disturbed by the Dream maybe, or all sorts of images and

fantasies. Instead, when she woke, she couldn't recall having

dreamed at all. But she felt fresh and full of bounce.

The instructions they gave to João were simple.

"Recount the information received in yesterday's loading

session and search for and highlight any connection with the

following clue words."

182
Marrie repeated the words for João's benefit.

"Copy your progress into Virtual Reality and show us what you

do."

With that they donned their headgear and entered the world of

Virtual Reality - a world of make-belief, sure - but so real

that people had got lost in it.

A kaleidoscopic procession of images marched past their eyes

and sometimes straight through them as they assumed the role as

passive, immaterial observers.

There was the image of Francesco T. Christmas, synthesised with

the help of local Morpho Genetics, his wife Nickie and their

two children Rezia Claire and Pierre, as they took part in

events described in the Chronicle. Other people were there, not

immediately identifiable, as they all re-enacted their parts

ascribed to them by the Chronicle. Scenes of gruesome events,

of happiness and terror, joy and sorrow; of history and the

full spectrum of human frailty. Scenes of life as it used to

be.

But there was also Grandfather Franz, exactly the way Marrie

remembered him, playing his part in the search Marrie and her

father were embarked upon.

The images of Marrie's experience at the Institute were fuzzy

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and drawn out. A clear indication that the data collected

during the experiment were still not decipherable with the

means at mankind's disposal.

The inherent evaluation procedure calculated probabilities on

an ongoing basis. A result, if any, would only be offered after

the full scan was completed. With the eclipse of the final

images, the system highlighted two passages:

..... the books in turn will help you in your studies of

mankind's history and maybe show the way to their destiny.

..... I so strongly wish that I can always protect her - and

myself, of course - from losing this quality and attraction.

"Well, this wasn't too difficult", were Mauro Christmas' first

words to his daughter, "but if we have indeed decoded the clue

words, then we are sitting now with a cryptic message on our

hands.

What do you make of this?"

"The clue words certainly do fit in. The first passages are

words Grandpa used the day he handed the Chronicle over to me.

To me it's a clear invocation of mankind's destiny. About the

second passage I'm not so sure, but I know it is from an entry

in the Chronicle. Let's look it up."

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Both were poring over the volume of the Chronicle which

contained the entry dated July 21, 2027, reading it backwards

and forwards, but not coming to grips with it.

"To me the central theme of the passage in question is

protection from loss of quality and attraction. But what

quality? What attraction? Come on, Dad, give me a good guess,

because right now, I am lost!"

"I can't say that I can make much of it either. We shouldn't

lose sight of the first passage though. In conjunction with the

second it might condense to mankind's destiny lying in the

protection from loss of quality and attraction. All I can think

of is, that the entry hints at the frailty of human

relationship and existence. You know that at the time Francesco

made this entry human beings were susceptible to extremely

irrational behaviour and emotions which caused a lot of anxiety

in their lives. Secondly, more so then, than now, we Humans do

lose quality and attraction in our bodily form of existence. In

Francesco's time gradually over his lifespan. In our time

abruptly when the clock stops."

"So mankind's destiny could be the metamorphosis in the final

step of evolution from frail organic being to strong inorganic

super brain?", Marrie soliloquised.

"Something like that". Mauro Christmas shrugged his shoulders

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in uncertainty.

"Some form of existence like Gaia perhaps. Capable of reasoning

and learning. Holding all the knowledge ever acquired. Being

devoid of any needs attributable to organic existence and yet

capable of reproducing itself in unlimited numbers. Existing

eternally in a timeless Universe, criss-crossing all over the

Universe without ever reaching a beginning or end.

Communicating with each other in the massless sphere ..."

"In the what?" Dr. Christmas interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Marrie looked surprised.

"You just said the "Massless Sphere."

"Oh yes, the massless sphere", Marrie started to explain, "is

what we believe to be Supra-Dimensional Morpho Genetics and

.....

... Goodness! How did this get into my head.

... And what on Earth is that?"

As she realised she had talked about the "Massless Sphere" as

if it was common knowledge, even though before she actually

spoke about it she had had no idea of its existence, she had

turned her head away from her father. There in the centre of

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the room, floating between ceiling and floor was an iridescent

form and yet so vague that the slightest breeze should be

sufficient to dispel it. But then it would not budge despite

the normal air circulation in the room.

"João?" Marrie called out and the alarm in her voice was

noticeable.

For the first time ever João would not answer. Instead a voice

so melodious and peaceful spoke.

"Don't be alarmed, Marrie Christmas. I have no name, but I am

YOUR brainchild. I am the essence of all Humanity concentrated

in Gaia's existence. As of this moment mankind has completed

its final phase in evolution and is poised to travel the

Universe.

I have come to offer my salutations and farewell, for you are

the most worthy representative of mankind's old human life

form. Please accept my expression of profound respect and

sincere admiration on behalf of all your children in mankind's

new existence."

With this said, the mirage wavered, broke apart and

disappeared.

Marrie's mind was reeling. But the surprises weren't quite over

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yet.

"Daddy, do you hear the music? It's beautiful!"

"Child, I hear no music. What's going on?". Dr. Christmas was

worried, for he was aware that something was going on that

escaped his own perception. He had heard and seen the mirage,

but obviously Marrie was under some deeper influence.

Marrie's eyes were closed as she listened. Her face, though,

was relaxed. One could even say it radiated a faint smile.

"AVE MARIA, GRATIA PLENA, DOMINUS TECUM; BENEDICTA TU IN

MULIERIBUS, ET BENEDICTUS FRUCTUS VENTRIS TUI, JESUS.

SANCTA MARIA, MATER DEI, ORA PRO NOBIS PECCATORIBUS, NUNC ET IN

HORA MORTIS NOSTRAE.

AMEN."

As the singing and music stopped, loud cheers arose of

jubilation and happiness with a background chatter as if from

noisy, cheerful revellers. Above this din, a clear voice arose.

"Welcome, Marrie Christmas! Do come and join us if you wish."

"Who are you?"

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"We are The Immaterial. The Essence of all Existence. You have

reached the highest level of Symbionics. Mankind's material

existence has achieved immortality in the evolutionary

symbiosis of human and machine. Your collective genetic values

are now qualified to join us."

"But what will happen to the rest of Humanity?"

"All of Humanity that ever existed will be united in you and

you in them. Come meet your ancestors. They will all be here.

Your planet is, but an empty eggshell now. Give it back to

Nature and watch whether other species can follow your

achievement. We have all gone through the same."

Marrie's mind opened to an all encompassing understanding and

wisdom. There was really no point in denying that.

"I'm coming", she replied with joy.

And all of Humanity's genetic values left their old Universe

together, leaving behind their obsolete, useless bodies which

in time would die-out and vanish from the Universe as well.

--- * ---

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