Chapter 120: Intergalactic Homework

Saturday, June 12, 1971

I wondered what Catherine was coming all the way out to Houston for. And why she was bringing Grace. If I hadn’t been so tired and distracted by an excited Abby, I would have scanned. That was probably my first mistake.

“Ileana will be here in a second,” I told Abby as we entered the empty stateroom.

“Okay, I’ll be right out,” she said as she disappeared into the bathroom.

I shed my shorts and T-shirt as I crawled onto the berth to wait on the girls. That’s when I made my second mistake.

I closed my eyes.

“ ... to wake up, Michael. Aunt Catherine said to tell you that it’s time to start getting ready to go,” Amy said from the doorway.

“Aahu-rumph-mph...” I groaned, pulling the pillow over my eyes to block out the bright sun in the stateroom.

“C’mon, Michael. It’s time to wake up,” Amy repeated.

I groaned again from under the pillow. I felt like I had been rode hard and put up wet.

“MICHAEL GREGORY WAGNER!” came the voice, sharply as the stateroom door banged open. I don’t care how old you are, when a woman calls you by all three names, you jump to attention and say, “Yes, ma’am!”

So I bolted upright, as I looked at one angry grandmother. I didn’t even get the “Yes, ma’am,” out before she let me have it with both barrels.

“WHAT do you mean going off to that house last night by yourself, young man? What were you trying to prove? That you are some kind of macho superman? Don’t you know better than to ... aw-wwk-wk!” she screeched as I yanked her by the wrist, pulling her over my lap. I pinned her quickly and swatted her butt. Hard!

“What are you doing-g-g ... ow-w!” she cried as I spanked her again. This time I didn’t stop until I had spanked her a half dozen swats.

“Michael ... so help me...” she threatened.

I ripped open the tailored skirt of the expensive suit she was wearing, until her panties were exposed, then I started again. She felt it a little more, with less padding between my hand and her posterior, but still she kicked and threatened. Finally, I yanked down her panties and started a rapid-fire tattoo on her now bare ass.

She began begging me to stop, before her sobs finally choked off her words.

When I quit spanking her, I sat there for a few seconds while she tried to regain her composure. Standing up, I dumped her unceremoniously on the carpet, as I made my way to the bathroom.

When I came out, she still lay where I had dumped her. She looked up at me with tear-stained eyes, as she cried, “I can’t read you. Please, Michael. I’m sorry. Don’t shut me out.”

I closed the door to the stateroom. Up until then, I don’t think that she had realized there may have been witnesses to her spanking. I went to her, and disregarding the hand she offered to me, picked her up gently, before laying her on the still warm berth. Then sitting down beside her, I took her hand.

“Catherine, I am not some little boy to be scolded because you disagree with something I have done. And I will not tolerate your insolence or your petulant attitude. Do you understand me?” I asked her seriously.

She nodded her head slowly, not looking at me.

“I ASKED YOU IF YOU UNDERSTOOD!” I repeated firmly.

“Yes, sir,” she replied softly, still not looking at me.

“Look, I don’t feel like playing games, Catherine. When you are ready to talk, let me know,” I told her. I walked out, and straight into my room next door. It was just after three o’clock on Saturday afternoon, according to my watch, which seemed to be running again.

I’m sure they all thought I’d had a very long nap, but the truth was, I was more exhausted now than when I had lain down for my unintended siesta. I had no sooner drifted off to sleep than I suddenly found myself in the cavern from last night. I could sense them, but they had taken precautions to disguise themselves with light. Or maybe I should have said energy.

The proceedings were formal, and it appeared that I was on trial.

Suddenly, the young woman from last night was beside me. “You are being tested, Michael. You will not be allowed to connect with your women this time,” she told me.

“Stand there,” she pointed to a spot in the center of the cavern.

I walked slowly to the center of the vast cavern. I tried scanning them, but couldn’t read anything. I was standing there, waiting, when suddenly, a vicious looking pit bull was standing no more than ten feet away and it was growling.

Reacting instinctively, I immediately began pushing calming thoughts toward the angry animal as I talked gently to it. I was a dog lover, and so while concerned, I wasn’t really afraid. I tried an experimental step in its direction and the pit bull noticed, but didn’t growl. It took a few minutes, but soon, I was close enough to reach out and touch him. It wasn’t long before I was petting him as I asked in the general direction of the female, “What’s his name?”

The dog disappeared while across the room, one of the thugs from New Orleans suddenly appeared. He whirled around as if unsure what was happening. Spotting me, he stared at me for a moment, then slowly began to grin as he recognized me. I couldn’t scan him either, I realized as I stared back.

“They must be shielding his mind from me,” I thought.

He cautiously began to close the distance between us, obviously seeing this as his opportunity for a little payback. My nakedness left me feeling vulnerable. He probably outweighed me by more than fifty pounds, and was apparently experienced in this kind of one-on-one fighting as he circled to my side. At least he didn’t have a weapon. However, unless I came up with something quick, it was going to be a short fight, and possibly my last.

I realized that if I couldn’t beat him on his terms, I needed to take him down on mine. They had told me I couldn’t call on the girls love, but they said nothing about my love for them. I thought of Catherine and what I truly felt for her as he lunged. I sidestepped him, but it distracted me. He came at me again, and I danced away, literally using a dance turn, as he flew past. This wasn’t going to work. So I stopped and drew myself erect, focusing on adding my love for Nicky and Adriana to my thoughts.

I could feel it now. I thought of Jenny and Julie, Randi and Debbie as I felt him coming at me again. I turned slightly and he flew past, but didn’t break my concentration this time. I thought of Anna, Vickie, and the others and ... suddenly, I could sense him. I could get through whatever barrier they had erected.

Quickly, I tweaked his motor cortex and watched as he froze, paralyzed, before toppling over slowly.

He disappeared as I stooped to check on him, the cavern buzzing with energy.

“You did well, Michael,” said the young woman as she appeared suddenly by my side again.

“I think it’s time you told me who you are,” I said to her. “And what is going on.”

The energy in the cavern buzzed even more, as the scene around me changed. Suddenly I was on the platform that had been erected for the mating ceremony on the mountain at Twin Springs Ranch.

She was still beside me as the cavern faded from view. Only now, she too wore nothing except a wide bracelet around her left wrist. She stood looking at me as I studied her. I didn’t try to scan her.

“Why?” she asked.

“Why, what?” I volleyed.

“Why do you not evaluate me?” she elaborated.

“Because you can manipulate what I would find,” I replied.

When she laughed, there was a distinct newness to it. “You were right, you know, when you called us the Old Ones. We are a race beyond your time. A culture beyond the confines of your concept of time and space,” she said.

“What are you called?”

“I am called Narvenia,” she replied. “And on your world, I was once worshipped as the god of the sun.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Narvenia,” I said bowing low, for I truly was in the presence of a goddess.

She smiled as I straightened, and I could sense she had become more relaxed at my bow.

“Tell me, how did you know to use your power like that?” she asked.

I reverted to my boyish shrug. Something had changed about Narvenia. Not necessarily bad, just different.

“If what you say is true, then I am, because you made me. So I do what you would have me do,” I replied cautiously.

“That is quite enough, Sister!” said a voice I suddenly recognized as belonging to Narvenia. “He has passed the tests. Besides, he recognized that you were not me. And no one has ever figured that out before, not even our father.”

They stood side by side now, identical except for the bracelets they wore. The second twin wore hers on her right wrist. I should have noticed that before.

“I think it’s time you told me who you are and what is going on,” I repeated my statement from earlier.

“You are correct, Michael. It is time,” she said. “My name is Narvenia, and this is my twin sister Spiro. While we actually live in a different dimension, about once every forty of your years, certain conditions occur which allow us to visit your planet at this time in your history.”

“Don’t ask us how, for even if we understood, our father would not allow us to tell you how we can visit you like this,” Spiro added as she giggled like a young girl.

“While we are forbidden to interfere with other worlds, we discovered that something is about to befall your world, so we asked our teacher...”

“You called him the Old One, the first time you met him,” Spiro interrupted to tell me, laughing.

“ ... so we asked our teacher if we might do something to help your world. He said we could, but that we would have to determine how to do that without revealing ourselves or our plan to anyone from your world that was living there at this time,” Narvenia said.

“You have no idea how hard it was to find a way to solve this problem!” Spiro said. “Until my sister decided we could bend your rules of time a little. The first time, we failed to select the right person, and didn’t prepare your grandfather properly. However, our teacher would not let us change what we had done, so we made corrections and selected you. You see, Narvenia thinks that love is the most powerful emotion in the universe. And it was her idea to use love to try to stop what is about to happen.”

“Our parents were not happy that our first attempt failed, so they have been, eh, more involved, this time. After you were able to stumble onto our world last night, our parents and even our leaders were truly amazed at what you did, following our teacher in like that. I think that they had forgotten just how powerful love can be. No one has ever been able to penetrate the council chambers before. Not even those of our world, if they are not invited first. So they decided they wanted to see just what we had done,” Narvenia said. “And we must tell you, Michael, they were very impressed with what you were able to do with the gifts we have given you.”

“Yeah. That’s why they have allowed us to reveal ourselves to you,” Spiro said. “You are the first outsider in our recorded history to ever have visited our world. Or to meet us as we truly are.”

“Unfortunately, we are not allowed to tell you anything about what is to befall you, or when,” Narvenia said. “But they didn’t say we couldn’t help you prepare! So, we are going to show you how to use your powers more effectively.”

I had listened to the rapid-fire chatter as the twins had unveiled the answers to me, drinking in all that they said. As they paused, I took a moment to reflect. My first impulse was, “Shit! This is all some kind of intergalactic homework assignment for a pair of adolescent goddesses!”

Narvenia and Spiro laughed as they heard my thoughts.

“I guess it would seem that way to you, Michael. But the threat to your world is real enough, and the future of your world still depends on you and how you respond,” Narvenia replied.

What she said was true. So I pushed that thought aside and asked, “All right, what can I do to be better prepared?”

“See,” Narvenia said to Spiro proudly. “I TOLD you we selected correctly this time!”

With that, they began to teach me.

While my watch appeared to have stopped in their presence, to my body, the time that elapsed still seemed like many hours, as they constantly drilled me on how to use my gifts. Finally they called a halt when Spiro noticed that my reactions had slowed considerably. They offered me a drink of the warm brew that went down cool, then bid me to rest.

I looked to the sky and the sun had not moved since we arrived, obviously a flaw in their illusion. Narvenia quickly recognized what I was considering, and suddenly it was night and a mat appeared on the platform for me to lie on. As I did, they quickly lay beside me, one on each side.

I could sense their mental activity that indicated a conversation as I lay between them, but I pushed it out of my mind and closed my eyes. When I awoke, they again offered me the brew, and then proceeded with my training.

I was to repeat that pattern two more times, trying to master everything that they taught me. Finally, near the end of the third day, the original Old One, who I now knew to be their teacher, appeared. He observed me for only a few moments before conversing with the twins while I rested.

“You have done well, Michael,” he said to me, before he disappeared.

“Our teacher has observed that you have grown weaker, the longer you are away from the women you love, so we must end this for now,” Narvenia explained.

“But remember, Michael, even with everything we have given you, you will be challenged. You must continue to prepare. You must continue to grow your love. Narvenia was correct. You have a great capacity to love and you must continue to expand that love,” Spiro explained. “Do not let the evil emotions distract you from what you must do.”

“And Michael, the alignment of our separate dimensions will not allow us to be here with you much longer. So I hope you can forgive us for pushing you so hard now. We do not know when you will face the ultimate battle, although we sense that it will be soon. We want so much to be here, but we have only fourteen of your days left before we pass out of range. And we will not return for forty of your years.”

I turned and faced the twins. Bowing low from the waist I said, “I am humbled you have chosen me for this mighty quest. I will do my best to achieve the lofty expectations you have set for me, and I will try to do everything as you instructed me, that my world might be safe again.”

Then I stepped to Spiro and pulled her into my arms, kissing her with all of the considerable passions within me. She swayed on her feet as I let her go, and reached for Narvenia. Narvenia was ready for the kiss, but unprepared for what it did for her.

“Don’t tell me that this is their first kiss?” I thought to myself.

Narvenia just stood there when I released her, unable to speak for a moment.

“You are very perceptive, Michael. Indeed, that was our first kiss,” Spiro replied to my thought. “I’m sure our parents will have much to say to us when we return to them shortly.”

“But it will be worth it, even if we cannot join with him,” Narvenia agreed.

I got the feeling I had just stepped over the line of a cultural taboo.

“In our world, Michael, intimacy is reserved for those who wish to mate and produce offspring. While we have feelings such as you, unfortunately, we do not share them readily,” Spiro explained.

“I believe that it has been so long since our world experienced real love, that we have forgotten its mighty powers,” Narvenia said.

“But, if this goes well, and you are victorious, Narvenia and I will try to get the Council to consider revising that in our culture. But we can tell you that love, such as you have, has not been seen in our world since before the dawn of yours.”

“Goodbye, Michael,” they said together.

Before I could respond, I heard, “ ... to wake up, Michael. Your grandmother said to tell you that it’s time to start getting ready to go,” Amy said from the doorway.

I turned off the shower, and just leaned against the wall. I was not only tired, but slightly overwhelmed by all that I had learned. By my watch, it had only been about six hours since I last took a shower. But by my body’s clock, it had been three days. Three days of very hard, intensive training.

As I dried myself, I considered what had happened. I now knew who had done this to me, and why. I understood my capabilities and limits a little better, and what I needed to work on. I still did not know what kind of evil I would be facing, but I knew what I had to do. It was time to call a board meeting.

“Catherine, I have something to say to you. Are you ready to listen?” I asked.

“Do I have to sit down to do it?” she asked. I thought I detected a slight mirthful tone to her question.

“Nah-h-h. Hang on while I get everyone else,” I smiled as I replied to her.

I connected with Nicky, Vickie, Adriana, Anna, Ileana, Abby, Deedee, Debbie, Candy, Jenny, Julie, Randi, and Jessica. Then I connected Amy, Penny, Karla, and Kip, explaining that I was about to tell the girls what I had just learned about my powers. While they were not directly involved, I felt they needed to know.

“Penny, should I include Tommy in this?” I asked.

“Let’s wait on that. He probably needs to get his feet wet first,” she replied.

I checked with Mikeya, but she begged off, saying she was packing for her trip.

Next I connected to Kalani. It was after midnight on Tapato, and she was asleep. I woke her as gently as I could.

“Michael! Is anything wrong? Is something wrong with the girls?” she asked quickly.

“No. They are fine. Mikeya has decided it is time for her to return home, so I am putting her on a plane in the morning. Oh, I’m also sending one of my security people with her. Just to make sure she’s safe. Would you mind putting him up until you return?”

“Of course. Is there something wrong with Mikeya? Or the babies?” she asked.

“No, Kalani. Mikeya is just feeling left out of all the excitement of preparing for Tapato to be recognized. She is going to be a great leader,” I told her.

“I miss you, Michael,” she said. “Have you heard from Jason? I wonder how he’s doing in Tennessee?”

“I miss Michael, too,” Julie said. “And Jason is doing just fine.”

“Although, he does seem to be tired a lot!” Jenny added as both sisters giggled.

“Oh! I thought we were alone,” Kalani said quickly.

“Nope. I just found out who is responsible for my gifts. And why. I wanted to tell everybody at the same time,” I stated. I could hear the buzz as they became excited.

“Michael? Maybe you should include Grace in this. She will want to know. Please?” Catherine asked.

The ‘please’ sealed it. It was obvious that she felt it important, but she was not going to just tell me to do it. Her bottom was still too sore to forget.

“Grace?”

“Michael? Is that you?”

“I am connected to everyone else to tell them that I just learned who is behind what has happened to me. And Catherine felt like you deserved to know, so you’re welcome to listen in, if you’d like,” I said carefully.

“Thank you, Michael. That is very considerate of you,” Grace replied.

Okay. I’ll admit it. When Grace spoke to me, I realized I still loved her. How did I know? Because my heart felt the same electric spark that I felt with Catherine, Adriana, and all the others. I found my mind wandering for a moment as I tried to figure out why Narvenia and Spiro didn’t include seeing the future along with all the rest of their gifts. That way I could figure out what Grace needs.

I shook my head to clear it.

“First, I want you all to know that I love you. I...”

“We ALL love you, too,” Kip wisecracked. Everyone laughed at my slip.

“You all are a tough audience tonight,” I stated. “Okay. Here’s what happened. When I lay down on the berth this morning and closed my eyes, they brought me to the cavern from last night. For those of you who have not experienced the old ones, when they want you, they simply take your mind to wherever they want to. But last night, I accidentally followed an old one back to their world.”

“Do you mean you went to another planet?” asked Randi, incredulously.

“Yes. And this morning, I was returned there. They started off by testing me...” I said as I began to relate what had happened. Normally I can relate something simply by replaying it, but for some reason, which I forgot to ask about, I cannot replay my memories of my time with the old ones. So I had to resort to telling my tale the old-fashioned way. Which may have been better anyway, because of the size of my audience. They all grasped my replays at different speeds depending on how much experience they had doing that with me, plus their own speed of comprehension.

I told my tale completely, leaving out nothing of importance, up to our arrival at the ranch. Then, I gave a brief overview of my training, explaining how I had been there for three days, only to wake up here, right before three o’clock.

“No wonder you woke up grumpy!” Amy said.

“Yeah. I’ll bet Catherine wishes you had told us this sooner,” Vickie quipped as everyone who was on the train joined in the good-natured teasing. Of course, everyone else wanted to know what she meant.

“Michael spanked Grandmother because she started yelling at him without talking to him first,” Nicky supplied.

“He what!” Debbie and several others cried.

“Michael spanked Aunt Catherine on her bare bottom,” Amy replied. “She told us it was her first spanking in forty years, and that she probably deserved it.”

“But what did she do?” Debbie continued.

“Debbie. That really is between Catherine and me. You wouldn’t want me to discuss our moments, would you?” I asked.

“Well, no. But I’d still like to know what she did so I can avoid doing it, because I sure wouldn’t want you spanking me!” she stated as everyone laughed.

“As I told you, one of the things I learned was that the old ones will only be here for two more weeks before their planet moves out of range again. And I got the distinct impression that we will all see them more in that time. I also learned that I tend to grow weak when I am away from all of you. I also learned that while Deedee is not able to feed me her emotions like the rest, she has a unique ability to take your emotions and focus them. Somehow, that increases the power,” I explained.

“I wondered about that. I could feel something like that happening, but I wasn’t sure,” Deedee said.

“Is there anything else, Michael?” Anna asked.

“No, that’s about it. I just wanted all of you to know what I had learned. I realize that the old saying about the more love you give away, the more that will be returned, is very true in my case,” I told them. “And I want you to know that I love each of you from the bottom of my heart!”