Chapter 5

A few moments later, a small, dense cloud came floating toward us against the slight breeze and about four or five feet off the ground. From within the cloud, we heard, “I left the messages you heard. We wanted to make contact with humans and were able to leave messages on your phones.”

Karen and I were sitting up with the cloud to her right and my left in a loose triangular formation. I said, “I am guessing that you know something of us. Tell us of yourself and of your kind.”

Karen interjected, “Do you have a name?”

We heard, “We don’t have a name that can be translated into your language. You may call us, Rudolph. We are an intelligence without body but are appearing to you as a cloud. If you don’t mind, we would just as soon appear as a disembodied voice.”

Karen nodded and I said, “Rudolph, you don’t have to use the cloud.” The cloud vanished. It didn’t dissipate. It just vanished!

Rudolph said, “We are a group intelligence. In a space the size of that cloud, there could be and were millions upon millions of us. Singly, we aren’t intelligent like you are. Together, we are very smart and can control objects. With enough of us together, we could control the motion of this planet.”

We have been studying the cosmos for billions of your years. We have studied earth for a few thousand of your years. After much debate, we decided to contact you. As individual intelligences, you are very different from any other species that we have found in the universe. We/I wanted to try communicating with you to learn about you and how you think.

“For that reason, we sent you messages. We didn’t mean to make you get together though it appears that you enjoy your togetherness. We don’t want to hurt humans. We would like to be, uh, friends or fellow travelers. Just from our observations of the two of you, we have learned that your species makes connections with others of your species in various ways. Larger groups of us connect with other larger groups of us also. However, the connections are deeper and different and include sharing within the groups of the essence of each group. It’s hard to explain in a language.”

I said, “Karen, my mind is officially blown. We are talking with an invisible group intelligence from somewhere other than earth.

“Rudolph, I am correct that you are from somewhere other than this planet?”

“Yes and no. We are constantly recreating and reforming. At some prior point, we came from outside your solar system. We have been recreated and reformed to the extent that we feel we are part of this planet. We know we are not but that feeling is still inescapable.”

Karen said, “Okay, Rudolph. We believe you. Where does our relationship with you go from here?”

“We would like to quietly observe you and the interactions between the two of you and among others of your kind. We will have questions and would like you to open your minds for our questions at your convenience.”

I said, “What benefit is this observation and discussion to us.”

“We can protect your physical bodies from harm. We can stop bacteria and viral infections from occurring. We can protect your physical bodies from things outside your bodies. For instance, Brad was concerned that he not have an accident with his vehicle last night. That will not happen for we will watch and prevent any accidents from occurring.”

I felt my mind prickle. “We will become your guardian angel to watch over the two of you. We noticed that the two of you seem to be paired quite closely emotionally.”

Karen said, “We are becoming close. That is the nature of humans. A male and a female, usually, become close in an emotional relationship that helps each of them cope with the world. They form a bond. The good relationships last a lifetime.”

“We know. We have studied your parents, all six of them. Two sets will last. The other set’s relationship is already broken.”

I said, “Karen has four parents. However, two of them proved to be bad people and bad for her according to the rules of our society. They not only split apart but our society is punishing them by holding them apart from other people. Karen’s other parents are good people and follow the positive normal practices of our society. They are, in society’s eyes, her real parents and her only parents.

“Does that make sense to you, Rudolph?”

“We understand better now. We were confused before. Because you are separate beings, you have developed rules for how to live together. If a human does not abide by those rules, then they are punished.”

I said, “Rudolph, Karen and I want to spend some time together getting to know each other better. This is an important time in building a relationship. You may listen but save your questions and any impact you might have upon us until we give you some time.”

“Yes, Brad. We will honor your time with Karen. It is very emotional in a positive way. You are making each other happy. We will wait for your call?”

“Thank you. Do we call and leave a message or think of you?”

“Just think of us and we will respond.”

“Thank you. We will.” I looked at Karen. “Did all that make sense to you?”

“Not really. But it did seem real. I like your explanation about my parents. You made it sound like I had little or nothing to do with any part of the problem.”

“You didn’t. You were just a conduit for their obsessive addiction. It didn’t matter that you were a person because that personhood had no meaning for them. I believe that you are pure and lovely.

“If you were walking along a path and a tree fell on you, it would not be your fault. You don’t keep the path clear. You don’t grow trees. You don’t knock them down. How could you have been responsible? I like my mother’s attitude. You are in the present and have a future. The present is very good as is the future. It is yours to claim. If you want the past to control you and ruin the beautiful person you are, you can let it but it’s your choice. The past doesn’t rule us unless we let it.”

“Thank you, Brad. That’s philosophical but I sense that it’s what you truly believe. You make me feel better about myself just listening to you.”

“I will always feel positive about you. I am honored that you walk by my side and feel humbled that you allow me to walk by your side. I see how other people feel about you. Melissa loves you. Last night, she told me to ‘take care of her girl.’ Paul is quite willing to worship you. If I ever stepped away, he would be there instantly to care for you.” I grinned. “That’s just one reason that I don’t want you ever far from me.”

Karen jumped me kissing me and crying and hugging me. “You are a wonderful, dear man. Is it any wonder that I love you?” She kissed me for a long time. “You make me feel valuable. I don’t want you to ever to be far from me.” We kissed and hugged some more.

My phone rang. It was Paul. “Melissa and I are going to the cafeteria for lunch. You two can’t live on just love. Come join us!”

I laughed. Karen laughed and nodded. I said, “We’re on our way.” I shut off the phone and gave Karen one last kiss. She stood and pulled me up. We folded the blanket and, holding hands, went to the cafeteria to join our friends for lunch.

On the way, Karen asked, “How much should we tell them?”

“About Rudolph, tell them nothing. About us, you can tell them as much of the truth that you think they will believe.”

“How much will they believe?”

“Paul thinks or wants to think we have made love.”

“We have. Just not the way he wants to think we have.”

I chuckled. “Melissa isn’t sure whether she wants you to have been physically intimate with me to that extent or not.”

“You seem to know them well.”

“Paul is a good guy but he’s also a horn dog. Melissa is a ‘mother of all’ and dotes on you. I think she is very happy to see us together. She will be overjoyed to hear that we are in love. Paul won’t be able to decide how he feels but he will go along because we are happy.”