Chapter 8: Woe

Guardian Compassion (Know on earth as Woe) appeared on the bridge of the Prime.

Everyone recognized her immediately.

Rainer remarked, "It has been a long time since you have so honored us, oh beautiful one."

Woe replied, "Yes, it has. I need you, and you, and you. Come along."

Woe pointed to Rainer, Norse and sensor operator Lisa Daring. Like they had a choice? They then disappeared in a shimmer of light. They reappeared on the Enterprise, with Woe.

Jason, seeing the foursome of naked people materialize on the bridge, hit the red alert button.

The monitors flashed to red then to black, and the computer sounded in a female voice, "Red Alert, Intruders Aboard."

He really had gone all out creating it.

Woe stopped time, then walked to Jason's console.

She smiled and thought, 'We don't need to listen to this.'

She pressed the stop button and whispered into Jason's ear.

"You have your wish, now remember."

She smiled as she walked to each of the Flowsman children in turn, and repeated the same thing. Then she returned to her spot in the center of the room, and allowed time to resume.

The clamor that came out of everyone's mouth at the recognition of Woe, was deafening.

Woe held up her hand, and motioned them to silence before she spoke.

"First, Jim. You may speak."

Jim asked, "Woe, why have you done this to me?"

Woe proclaimed, "Hear now, and all present bear witness. This is Jim also known as Tim."

"Wait let me start from the beginning, 10,000 Megacycles, about 9000 years, ago. I failed, and allowed the Grays to escape from the trap laid by Rainer, here. The Centauris know my name as Compassion, and so that was my transgression. I had compassion and allowed a few to escape. For that transgression, I was banished to Earth, where I served as 'fairy godmother', so to speak. I was given the ability to grant the wishes of those that were dying. In addition to my gift of controlling time, I was bound by rules that I could not side step. So it took me years to figure out how to create Jim, here. I needed wishes from three people, plus the wish from Tim himself, to get you all here, and to lift my exile."

"Are you like 'Q'?" Jason asked.

Woe said, "No, not like him at all. Now hush.

"Jim, when you started your first life, you made your mistakes. From them, you learned the importance of Love."

"Yes, I did learn that."

"It was not your wish that I answered, however," Woe said.

Annette said, "You answered mine."

"Correct, you wished that your last husband could have been your first."

"But I asked to correct the mistakes of my past."

"Yes, and it was a good plan. However, it was Annette's wish for you to do so," Woe said.

Understanding dawned on the two of them.

Woe said, "You learned of love in your first lifetime, you got to experience it in your second. Along the way, you acquired money and used it to help others."

"Yes, that is so," Jim said, "but why live the next life as someone else?"

Woe said, "Because with wealth comes responsibility, and you did well. So I gave you the chance to learn about Power in your 3rd lifetime."

Jim asked, "Aunt Martha's wish?"

"Yes. You asked for nothing, and I granted her wish. But I couldn't do so without giving you Annette to be by your side."

Annette said, "That was nice, and he did become a great President."

"Yes, you left your country and your world a better place. You handled your power with great responsibility," Woe said.

"So when The Fords and my parents wished that their children live... ?" Annette asked.

Woe answered, "Yes, your pre-knowledge had to be in place, for you to survive your births."

Jim wondered, "The umbilical cord?"

"On both of you, you knew what was wrong, and could fix it from inside," Woe said.

Annette exclaimed, "Oh, my! Now I remember."