Chapter 10

Note: When the conversation is telepathic, it is indicated by italic font.

Sarah and Rusty joined Jim, Amy and Erica on the patio. Sarah said, “You’re not going there first.”

“No, Cheri went there earlier. She is staying there to keep an eye on things for a while,” said Erica. “This group has not been here before. Connie and Betsy were their doctors and Donna had the same role at the previous location as she does here. Since they left us, I’ve monitored their well-being. Yesterday was the first time I’ve made my presence known to them. At the time, I was wearing a fairly long dress. So based on what I think they know about us, I thought, it would be better to initially wear robes.”

Erica had just finished speaking when Ann’s group began arriving, as Ann shimmered into view. The others followed with a short pause between each arrival. Once they were all there Erica said, “Welcome. We are glad you decided to join us. With me are Connie and Betsy, who you probably remember. Next to them is Jim, Amy, Sarah, and Rusty.” As she spoke each name, they nodded. “As I mentioned yesterday and as you can see, this is a different location. Let us take a moment to get to know each other, then we can sit on the patio and discuss our situation.”

Ann was the first one to greet Sarah. As they shook hands Ann said, “You seem different.”

“We are relatively new here. I think you will find more people here than there were the first time you worked with them.”

“Yes. There were only the eight of us, the AI and occasionally the doctors. This looks like a much nicer location.”

“We think, it is a very nice location. We’ve named the AI, Donna.”

“Now, why didn’t we think of that? She always seemed to know when we wanted to talk to her.”

“We’ve found her to be very helpful.”

While they were meeting each other, Dorothy and Maria brought out refreshments. Once everyone was seated Erica said, “First let me tell you a bit more about this location, us and who is here, as that may answer some of your questions.”

Erica then described the island, who was there and how they came to be there. “As you probably noticed, physically we are a little different than typical humans. Obviously we are taller, plus our feet and ankles are different. We also have what you call a mane along with a tail.” As she said the last, she let her robe slide off her shoulders then turned slowly around. “There will be time later for a closer look. Our normal way of communicating is by telepathy. In addition to this we have the ability to mind-link with everyone in our family group. Some of us have other psionic abilities. Based on my observations yesterday, I suspect all of you are telepathic. Our night vision is clearer or more acute than a human’s. There are other differences but we can cover those another time. Sarah, Rusty, Sally and Terry are a combination of us and humans. Simply put, when they arrived here, the state of their health necessitated extensive corrective treatments. These involved gene modification or manipulation. As a result, they are considerably taller than us and have gained many of our attributes. Unless you have questions, we would like skip the details for now. A major difference between now and your previous stay with us, is that you will have full access to our library. It includes the information I just skipped and much more. It is accessible from the terminals in the reading room or library. Now, what can we help you with?”

“Thank you,” said Sam. “We were apprehensive when you visited us but I think you understand the reason. We feel badly about quizzing you so thoroughly regarding our previous time at the other location. Jessica, Ann and Marsha monitored your thoughts as you responded, so we were pretty sure who you were by the time we finished.

“Security is a key reason we are interested in your offer. An acquaintance helped us with the security we have at the farm, but it isn’t perfect. We’ve discussed relocating, but we aren’t sure that would resolve anything, except change the antagonists. Another aspect of our hesitancy focuses on what the farm means to us. We really like its location even though some neighbors do not care for us. The intensity of their dislike for us seems to be increasing, which is a concern, as we don’t know why. It is good to see Connie and Betsy again. They took good care of us when we were with you before. So with our limited knowledge of you and what you represent, we have concerns about whether coming here is a wise choice.”

Erica held up her hand indicating she had something to add. Sam nodded then she said, “Let me clear up a couple of items. Before, your primary contact was the site AI, who Sarah named Donna. Amy, Jim and myself had indirect contact with you through Donna. We held back in letting you actually meet us before because of the physical differences between us. A part of the reasoning for that, was that you would be leaving at some point. In hindsight, doing that was a mistake. Our motivation was due to the way we saw Earth’s humans react to the idea of people arriving from other planets. Contributing to this was the way their different races viewed each other. We hope you are not bothered or put off by our differences or the way we handled it.”

“I don’t think we are. My intent was to lay out our concerns. Even though we were asked to join you here, we still have concerns.”

“Why are you shielding your minds?” asked Ann with a puzzled expression, drawing frowns from others in her group.

“We recently found it necessary to be a bit cautious,” said Erica. “Ours and Sarah’s groups, plus a few others, are telepathic. Earlier today we had a bad experience. It was resolved but the event prompted us to be a bit more guarded. You indicated before that Jessica, Ann and Marsha were telepathic. Aren’t the rest of you telepathic?” As she completed her comments she said, “Sarah, Rusty, would you open up to them?”

“I have just asked Sarah and Rusty to open up to you. We will monitor our surroundings while you link together.”

“Hi, Ann, Jessica and Marsha,” said Sarah and Rusty. “Who else do we have here?”

“You have all of us, as we are all telepathic,” said Wilma. “I am Wilma. You should see all of us.”

“I do see the association between all of you.”

“Sarah, you appear to be a strong telepath.”

“So our friends have told us. We are not sure what that means. Although Rusty and I have been aware of this ability for sometime, but we are still learning the ins and outs of using it. The attack on me earlier today was scary, but with Rusty and Erica’s help the damage was fixed.”

“Attack?”

“Yes, a telepathic attack. It was an experience, I prefer not to repeat. The person who did it, was looking for information and inexperienced in accessing another telepathically. When she didn’t find the information she was looking for, she became upset and was not very careful. She had a rather stressful three days or so, and was quite scared. I am fortunate that several here came to my aid and that she didn’t intend to harm me.”

Rusty said, “Since then we’ve learned some techniques for blocking attacks and limiting access by those we don’t know. To me, this is similar to computer security.”

Marsha asked, “Could the two of you share some of your memories with us? We would all like to know more about you. You are welcome to look at ours.”

“Thank you.” Sarah and Rusty replayed some of their memories since waking up and a few from their time at Nancy & Bob’s.

“I think we should all get together after dinner so Amy and her group can give us a briefing on their history, background and why they need our assistance. Rusty and I are willing to share how we came to be here and what we consider to be a possible future.” Sarah looked at Amy and Erica and both nodded their agreement. “There are two other groups here so we ought to cover why they are here as well. At that time, we hope your group will share the reasons you are considering moving here. It is not totally necessary, but it would make it easier for the others to understand each group’s circumstances.”

“I don’t think we have an issue doing that,” said Ann and everyone agreed. “I agree that it will help us know and perhaps understand each other.”

“Not all the telepath’s are comfortable with this mode of communication. We are not sure why. We hope that by opening up they will make their presence known. Hopefully with no more excitement.” Sarah and Erica grinned. “I have had enough mental stimulation today.”

Everyone was quiet for a while, as they sifted through the information they had seen. After a bit Ann said, “From what I can see, and in spite of our concerns, I think coming here was probably the best thing we’ve done in a while. Erica is nearly as strong a telepath as Rusty and Sarah. I think this is the first time I have seen this many inherently strong telepaths. You mentioned other psionic abilities. Does anyone have them?”

“Betsy of our medical staff thinks some could,” responded Erica. “She hasn’t had time to do any evaluations. Jim, Amy and I are nearly equal in telepathic abilities and obviously we have more experience in using them. Rusty and Sarah, we believe, are significantly stronger than us. We have been coaching Rusty and Sarah on some aspects of telepathy such as shields and defensive techniques. As to additional psionic abilities, they’ve shown an ability to pick up new skills and enhance them very quickly. They have used a few abilities that we’ve only read about. In each case, they’ve done well with very little apparent effort.” Sarah and Rusty blushed at the praise. “Personally I anticipate some of them may have additional psionic abilities. Does anyone in your group?”

“We are not sure. There have been things happen that seem to indicate it, but we are not sure,” said Marsha.

“Are there any other questions?” asked Erica.

When no one responded Jim said, “Please ask if you have a question. I’ve heard it said that the only dumb question is the one that wasn’t asked. Donna is available throughout the complex. She will respond when you start your query with ‘Donna.’ Sarah and Erica will give you a tour and show you where your rooms are located. You indicated to Erica that one concern you had about coming here was related to your home and livestock. We are prepared to bring your livestock and equipment here. In fact, Donna can start moving them once it is dark at your farm, provided you are agreeable.”

“We are,” said Sam interrupting him. “The concerns I laid out initially represented a part of our discussion before we accepted your offer. Sorry, guess I didn’t make that clear.”

“That is what I thought. Now with respect to your home, we think it would be best to duplicate it here rather than move it. The house just disappearing might raise some questions.” Several chuckled. “Besides, it will take fewer resources to build it here. As to possessions, if you give us a list, we can have Cheri pack them while she is there. We could probably move those here tomorrow night.”

“We’ll do that this evening,” responded Wilma. “However, as to building a house here for us why not wait until we are more acquainted with what is here.” The others nodded indicating their agreement.

“Then we will wait to hear what you’ve decided,” responded Amy.

“Where were you going to place the animals?” asked Sam.

“Initially in a large meadow about two kilometers from here. We thought the cattle and horses could be placed there. For the hogs, there is a small glade near the same meadow which should be suitable. It has a narrow entrance so access should be easy to limit their movement. Both areas have more than sufficient water and food.”

“Can we see the meadow?”

“Sure. Come, let’s all walk over to the office where we can show you on a topographical map.”

Donna said, “For this many people it would be better to use the conference room.”

Erica led group to the conference room. By the time they arrived Donna had a large topographical map of that end of the valley projected onto the table. As Jim pointed out the locations he had mentioned, Donna marked the paths leading to them.

“We can use drones to monitor the area to ensure the animals don’t wander off. Do any of you have any concerns with this?” Everyone in the group acknowledged they didn’t have a problem with it.

“What are we going to do long term?” asked Marsha. “What is the weather like here? Where will we stay for now? Should we sell the farm?”

“All good questions,” responded Amy. “As Sarah noted earlier, we’ve had two other groups arrive in the last two days. We have much to share with all of you and would like to do that this evening after dinner. The list seems to grow as the day progresses. But to partially answer your questions, two weeks ago we thought there would only be about ten people here for several years. This was to be a setup similar to when you provided us with babies, who by the way are doing fine. Events over the last few days have resulted in a need to significantly modify our plans. After dinner, we want to provide you with our background and how we came to be here. We would hope that each of the groups will tell of their background. From our perspective, it looks like the path to our future has shifted, so we need to revise our plans with everyone’s input.

“As to this building, we currently have a lot of unused space in it, as some areas are currently unfinished as we are in the midst of remodeling it. We haven’t owned this island very long, but we understand that seasonal changes are noticeable and that there is more than adequate rainfall year round. The valley doesn’t usually experience any extreme weather in terms of temperature. Although some of the highest ridges will have ice and snow on them at times. There are indications of periods of heavy rain and strong winds.

“Erica and Sarah will show you around and where your rooms are located for now. Donna is responsible for monitoring all buildings and our surroundings. This includes monitoring all residents, with a focus on health and security. Saying “Donna” will bring her into your conversation. The sound sensors trigger an alarm when they detect abnormal sounds, like screams, hitting, etc. Those sounds will initiate a very rapid response.”

With that Sarah and Erica led them out of the conference room for their tour, leaving Amy, Jim and Rusty behind.

“Sarah and Erica, can you monitor our conversation and still show them around?” asked Amy.

“Yes,” they replied.

“A small problem has arisen. Donna’s hardware had two partial failures in the last two days. The power supply output has dropped and there has been a reduction in processing power. We have compensated for most of the power loss replacing the component. However, the reduction in processing power impacts our capabilities here. While we can draw on some of the ship’s resources, it is not efficient and there is a time lag due to the distance. To compound that, the number of people here increases the load.”

“Do you know what is causing the reduction in Donna’s processing power?” inquired Rusty.

“Jim and I are not familiar with those details, but we thought you might be. The information about Donna’s internal setup was in the data transferred to you last night. We know you haven’t had time to look through it yet, so would the two of you have a look at it this evening or tonight.”

“Sure,” replied Rusty.

“I am not sure what I can add,” said Sarah, “but I will do what I can.”

“We know your hardware skills aren’t as extensive as Rusty’s but your analytical skill set indicates strength in this area. The situation with Donna’s system is not critical, yet. Our concern is the loss in excess capacity that we may need in order to respond to emergencies.”

“Okay. Tonight after dinner, I think we should be honest with everyone about this place and why it is here,” said Sarah. “Being open with everyone should make our security easier to manage. With that in place, we can address the other issues that need attention.”

“I would vote for that approach,” responded Erica. “But for my part I need to defer to Jim and Amy.”

“Erica, while it’s true that you officially report to Jim and I, you are a part of the team. So we want you to always express your opinions and raise any concerns you have at any time.”

“Okay. I can do that.”

“We have four groups on the ship, that we need to bring up to date with what is happening here,” said Jim. “At some point, we need to reevaluate what is required to repair the ship. The skill’s assessments we have done on those here indicate we have some of the talent needed. To aid us going forward, we should formally designated Sarah and Rusty to be members of the crew, even though we don’t expect them to join the ship. This makes it easier for them to participate in activities and eliminates some access issues. Initially we did this for our group, the five of us, so we could function as the ship’s leadership with limited authority. As their group grows, we expect to include all of them in this core group. Whether they become a permanent part of the crew, is a choice that must remain with them.”

“I think we have covered everything, Jim and I wanted to talk about. Oh one more thing, Sally and Terry can wear the learning helmet tonight, if they want to. See you at dinner.”

“Donna check to see if Dorothy and Maria need assistance with dinner preparation,” said Amy. “Also, we should have everyone eat together. Probably the best place to do that is on the patio.”

“Why not set it up as a buffet?” asked Rusty.

“A what?”

“A buffet. Dorothy and Maria will know how to do it. It is the way Terry and Sally organized breakfast this morning. Basically, the food is set out on a table, then everyone passes by to fill their plate from the serving dishes. Once a person has their food, they move off to eat. Sometimes there are tables and chairs set up, other times they find a place to sit where they can to eat. Everyone should be familiar with it. It also helps with socializing.”

“Donna, ask Dorothy and Maria to set up dinner as a buffet. Tell them that several of us will be down to help. Rusty, Terry and Sally will take care of their four friends. We will still eat on the patio. Also, let everyone else know about dinner.”

“Okay,” chorused the group both verbally and telepathically.

During this, Sarah and Erica were showing Ann’s group the facilities and their rooms including some of the unique aspects. Going outside, they showed them the barn, the nearby horses, and shed with farm equipment, as well as the path leading to the pastures. Everyone seemed very pleased.

They were returning to the main building when Erica said, “One item we should have noted earlier is that clothing is optional. Besides being a preference, it is also due to a sensitivity some of us have to extended skin contact by fabric, so don’t be surprised to see many naked bodies.” Everyone chuckled.

“We prefer being naked as well,” said Ann. “We started when we were with you before and quite often went naked on our farm. There we had to be cautious as to who was around. Although, there are times when wearing clothing is essential.”

“The same is true for us.”

Sarah said, “There are several things I need to do before dinner. So I will leave you in Erica’s care.”

“See you then,” replied Ann.

When Sally saw Sarah she said, “I thought you were giving the tour.”

“We were nearly finished so I left them with Erica. I thought this was more important.”

Rusty joined them as they entered Judy’s room. They assisted Judy with her evening exercise routine and eating. Once most of it was done, they left Sally to finish up while Rusty, Sarah and Terry went to Jill. By switching off they were able to complete the tasks a bit quicker than they expected. They were quite pleased with the responsiveness of their friends as they helped them through their routine.

Rusty, Sarah, Terry and Sally discussed their observations of Judy, Janet, Jill and Joyce on their way back to their room. They still need to exercise and let their milk down before freshening up for dinner. It seemed to them that their friends were much more energetic than the first time they saw them. Visually their bodies appeared to be fully adjusted to the changes.

Donna broke into their conversation and said, “From my perspective your observations are accurate. Current data indicates that Jill, Janet and Judy could be awakened the day after tomorrow. However, Betsy has to confirm the observations first. It will probably be another week before Joyce is ready to wake up. There is a possibility it could be significantly less than that as Joyce’s progress moving more rapidly since you’ve been helping.”

“Nancy will be pleased to hear the news that Joyce will be up soon,” noted Sally.

“Yes, but don’t say anything until Betsy confirms my observations.”

“We won’t and we will try to keep our anticipation under control,” said Terry.

They quickly moved to their exercise benches. This time the exertion required was at the higher level for all of them. When they were done, they lay quietly on the benches to catch their breath. Rusty and Sarah recovered first and helped Terry and Sally into the showers. The warm water cascading over their bodies seemed to help rejuvenate them.

“Boy, I see what you meant by your comment earlier,” said Sally. “The new exercise level is really challenging. With that in mind, we should think about when we want to resume Tai Chi.”

“I agree, but shouldn’t we wait until Jill, Janet and maybe Joyce are up?”

“Good point. You’ve been up 4 days now, correct?”

“Yes, this is day four, although it seems longer,” responded Sarah.

“So why don’t we make a note to ourselves to wait until they are up at least 4 days. In the meantime, we probably ought to discuss exercising following the Tai Chi forms with Betsy and Connie.”

“We may need to show Betsy and Connie what that is,” said Terry.

“Good point. Let’s finish up and go eat before we turn into prunes.” Everyone laughed at Rusty’s comment and laughed even more when his stomach growled.

“Amy told me earlier she would like for both of you to wear the learning helmets tonight,” said Sarah.

“Good,” said Sally. “I’ve seen glimpses of what you learned and it has aroused my curiosity.”

“It would make a good sci-fi novel.”

When Sarah and her friends arrived on the patio, they found Ann’s and Amy’s groups already there. They went over to Ann’s group to introduce Sally and Terry. Both Terry and Sally were shocked and let out a shriek when they recognized two of the women. They both knew them from before they were involved in the baby project. They hugged their friends.

Bob and Nancy heard the commotion and looked over. Recognizing Ann’s group, they went across to join them. Once Sally and Terry settled down, Bob introduced Julia, Stan, Susan and Alice. It turned out that they had some mutual acquaintances which made for some friendly chatter. Then Zoe’s group, Shirley, Thomas and Janice joined them.

When Jean’s group arrived Tara said, “I hope we aren’t holding things up.”

“Not at all,” said Amy.

Sarah and Erica noticed Jean’s group was holding back and looking a little nervous. At a break in the conversation Sarah introduced Wilma and Cathy to Jean, who promptly introduced those with her. This prompted the others to introduce themselves. As several of the women in Jean’s group were obviously pregnant, it quickly became the topic of conversation.

Erin said, “I think I am the furthest along as I am due in about a month. Come to think of it I believe, Tara is due about the same time I am.”

“Sarah told me today that I am carrying two sets of twins,” added Alison, “but I’m only about 3 months along.”

“Well in that case,” said Jean, “it looks like we will have quite a few new arrivals.” Just as she said that the groups shifted positions, drawing Nancy and several others into the discussion.