Chapter 7

The portion of the Crew located at Creator Earth had received notification that the rest of the Crew from Human Earth were in route for a visit.

While Hoot, Jamie, and Sherry were looking forward to visiting with everyone again, Penay-ah, the pups, and Maxim were looking forward to meeting them for the first time.

Hoot, as representative of Human Earth, had a spacious domicile provided for his use, and had invited everyone to stay with his family while they were visiting.

ET, Phoebe, and the eight kits that comprised his Pride, informed everyone that they might have to delay their attendance but everyone was hopeful that they would be able to visit.

ET and Phoebe were in fact quite involved at that moment on the Feline Earth, which was located on the far side of the Alliance, almost diametrically opposed, to the location of Creator Earth.

Seated on his haunches in a patch of luxurious fur like grass with his mates grouped behind him, Shhissa -- the Alpha Male of the Schattal Clan -- surveyed the assembled Prides.

With all greeting rituals performed without incident, the Beta's and the females of the various Prides were spread in a semi-circle around their leader, and attentive.

"Thank you for responding so promptly to my summons, it shows honor to all our Clan. Today we have a new Clan of visiting Felines, from Human Earth, and until recently, they were unaware. Theirs is a story of discovery, leaps in evolvement, and a journey that should be an inspiration to all.

"I will now surrender the Speaker's Patch to ET the Human Earth Representative to the Feline Earth."

ET, having come into his prime, moved with fluid strength and grace to the designated area, and seated himself before speaking. "Greetings fellow Felines, my mate, kits, the crew that comprise my Clan, and I are honored by the reception we have received. The story of our journey physically, mentally, and geographically would take far too long to tell in entirety so I will touch only on the high spots for now and post the full story on your information board.

"I understand that you become mentally aware and are able to communicate in the womb but it is much different for the vast number of felines on Human Earth. Before everyone sets off to chastise the Humans for this seeming inequality let me say that if it had not been for a good friend, who happens to be Canine, I would not be standing before you today."

ET paused as excited utterances erupted from those assembled.

"It is true. And my friend owes his change to his pack leader, a Human."

Again, ET paused as excited utterances erupted from those assembled.

"It struck me that it is a microcosm of the Alliance where all work together for the good of all and the day is coming when all creature of Human Earth can join their strength together with ours for the good of all of the Alliance.

The reason I say that day is coming, we have an extremely diverse eco-system with multitudes of life forms, some of which we haven't been able to converse with directly due to the extreme pressure that exists at the depths in our oceans that they reside. Our frail bodies would crush to jelly before we managed to descend even a quarter of the way to their home but utilizing telekinesis, that day will come."

Once more, the excited buzz from those gathered sounded and ET paused until it quieted again.

Puzzled, ET turned to Shhissa and asked, "Telekinesis is unknown to your clan?"

Shhissa had a bemused look on his face as he answered, "We know of it but are unable to perform it. How is it possible that you speak as if you and these others from Human Earth are able to achieve this without difficulty?"

It was ET's turn to look bemused and he said, "Do you mean to say that you don't possess that skill?"

Oh shit, he thought. I guess I stuck my paw in my mouth that time. I didn't think about it not being a common skill set. I hope I haven't caused problems for Human Earth and the rest of the Crew.

The Group Mind received an urgent query from ET concerning the question of Telekinesis, the dispersal of the gift among the population of Human Earth, and the population of the Alliance members.

A survey taken of all sentient creatures in the Alliance revealed that only those of the original Human Earth Crew, their offspring, and graduates of Haven possessed more than the basic telepathic skill set.

Further investigation revealed that only the Serum imbibed by the individuals conveyed the other skill sets in question to the recipient.

The original Crew, offspring, graduates of Haven, and any that had taken the Serum gathered immediately, said gathering to be located on Human Earth or, more precisely, in the complex under the mountain where everything began.

Jamie stood at the front of the gathering hall carved inside the hill, and adjacent to the laboratory complex.

Clearing his throat, he said, "We now know that the Serum imbues us with gifts not found anywhere else in the Alliance or on Human Earth.

"It had never occurred to anyone of us that telepathy, trigged in anyone by another telepath re-routing the brain synopsis, or inherited by anyone born to telepaths that are not Crew, cannot convey the other gifts we here enjoy.

"Even with telepathy, the mind shields do not allow anyone access to all the information in another's mind without the consent of the individual involved.

"Now, since the knowledge of this is out into the general telepathic stream, and all know that something of this nature is possible, it is up to us to determine if we are to disseminate the Serum to all on Human Earth, and the Alliance or to those in the Protectorate Space Service only.

"Those of us here are, first and foremost, friends. We know each other as well as we know ourselves and potential for disaster with anyone we do not know on that level is unimaginable.