Chapter 3

Elaine spoke up. “All of that is well and good, but it is water over the dam. If you felt helpless to change it at the time, what are the odds that you can do anything about it now, other than bitch a little?”

“Good point. It is just so frustrating to be forced to stand by and watch an earthshaking event go down, that is based wholly on a lie and have absolutely no way to change it.”

“Poor baby. Why don’t we look at things we can change? Remember the prayer about asking for wisdom to know the difference between things we can change and those we cannot?”

“Yes, I remember. It is one of my favorite sayings.”

“Well, then, start living up to your sayings.”

“All right. Let’s look at our options. Our new neighbors have effectively resolved the problem with world governments by unlocking the potential in everyone’s mind to read the thoughts of others. When mental telepathy is taken for granted, it changes the playing field completely.”

“Why do you say that? Women have always been able to read minds.”

“I realize that. I have gotten into trouble numerous times because I did what a woman asked me to do instead of what she really wanted. It never crossed her mind that I failed to grasp her meaning in spite of her words. She always thought I was simply refusing to please her.”

“You can read my mind now. Is there any doubt what I want now?”

“No, Dear. Come with me. We can change the sheets together. Art, please respect our privacy tonight.”

“We shall do as you ask.”

“Honey?”

“Yes, Dear?”

“Do you feel like something is missing?”

“Yes. As much as I enjoy holding you in my arms and all that other good stuff, it does feel as if it was a mistake to ask for complete privacy.”

“Then let’s undo it.”

“Ok. Art, please allow us to join minds with you again. You have become an integral part of our bonding and we miss all of you and your loving support.”

“You no longer feel as if we are peeking into your private lives?”

“No. It is just the opposite. Our love encompasses all of you and your reflected love enhances our melding. We want to thank all of you for your support and invite you to always join us when we join.”

“We are honored.”

“Well, that sort of puts any fears of domination by aliens to bed, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, although just because you are not paranoid doesn’t mean that they aren’t out to get you.”

“True, but let’s decide to take the high road and assume that what is will be what is best.”

“Agreed.”

I ruminated a bit, as well as a being with a single stomach can do so. “What should our next goal be?”

“Must we have a goal?”

“Humans with no goal are not necessarily human, at least not for very long.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I once had a neighbor who was a mid-level manager at Lockheed, in Burbank. He worked long, hard hours under the dehumanizing conditions that were the way of life at Lockheed and when we had a chance to sit and talk, he would tell me some of the horror stories about the corporate atmosphere and how degrading he found it. When I asked why he didn’t quit, he would tell me what a wonderful retirement plan Lockheed offered. He had been there ten years and only had ten more to go before being able to retire. I was wondering how anyone could voluntarily endure that sort of torture for any retirement plan. Then he mentioned sort of casually that the average life expectancy of Lockheed retirees was ten months.”

“Ten months? They put up with all the abuse, terrible conditions and stress for twenty years in hopes of being able to take it easy for ten months?”

“That’s what he told me. I think he realized the absurdity of it as he was talking. I moved away not long after our discussion and have no idea whether he made any changes or kept plugging away in hopes that he would be one of the lucky ones who survived a full year after retirement.”

“So that’s what you meant about humans not surviving without goals?”

“That’s right. It is difficult to develop and maintain your own goals for a rewarding life in retirement when your soul is being trampled every day until you reach the magic number.”

“I agree that what you say makes sense and doubt that Lockheed is alone in the medieval treatment of employees.”

“From my contacts with the aerospace industry, Lockheed was no better or worse than any other. The management of Martin-Marietta, where I worked for several years was very similar. When comparing notes with others in the field, it seemed that the best solution for those like me was to avoid all aerospace employers like the plague that they seemed to be.”

“Why did you work there?”

“It’s sort of embarrassing.”

“I know. I can read your mind, remember? I just want to hear you say it.”

“I took the job because it would allow me to work in the city where my old girlfriend lived.”

“Ah. The one who got married to someone else when you went away to college because she was afraid you wouldn’t be coming back?”

“Yep.”

“And you think she tricked him into marrying her very quickly after you left, just in case you had left her with a gift she might not have wanted?”

“That’s true.”

“And you hoped that the years since then had made her miss you enough that she would fall under your spell if you could get back in the area?”

“About right.”

“Weren’t you married by then, with children?”

I hung my head. “Yes.”

“Didn’t you have a good job that you quit to go there?”

I sighed. “Yes, and my manager told me that he wouldn’t try to keep me from leaving if I had made up my mind, but for God’s sake, I shouldn’t go to work for Martin.”

“Was he right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you tell him?”

“Yes. Six weeks later, I apologized to him and felt him out about coming back to my old job, but he had already replaced me. I was stuck.”

“Why didn’t you feel guilty about cheating on your wife?”

“There were two reasons why I felt that it was ok to cheat on her. In the first place, when I proposed to her, I told her up front that I was in love with someone else, who was now married and that I could not promise to always be in love with this woman, but would try to be a good husband if she wanted to marry me.”

“You utter fool! I thought you had some common sense, at least. Didn’t you realize that this would make her hate you?”

“I had no idea what to do. This was before the sexual revolution and I was afraid that I would not have any sex life if I were not married and felt compelled to be up front with her about the other woman.”