Chapter 23

When Sarah’s Clan entered the dining area of the space ship, everyone stood. No one commented on the soft glow surrounding them. The clan bowed slightly to the crew then went to the front of the room. Speaking in unison, “We shall speak both verbally and telepathically. We asked all of you to join us here so we could bring you up to date on our activities. We brought Erin’s and Tara’s babies, along with the women who are helping us care for them. We though you should have an opportunity to meet them. As you can see the babies are doing very well and they seemed to enjoy the trip here.

“Over the next five months, we expect to add more than sixty babies to our family. The next addition will be to Ann’s Clan. They are expected to arrive in about six to eight weeks. Alison is due during that time. Ours will arrive in a little more than four months. This will give us around seventy small children at the island, but fortunately their ages will be spread over several months. It was not our intention to add so many babies so quickly. From what we have read of your culture, this number of small babies at one time is not all that unusual considering our circumstances. Even so we thought it was wise to hire these ladies to ensure they receive adequate care. If we need to, we will hire more. In any case, we intend to provide the teaching, support and love they need to grow to be productive members of our family. We welcome your participation in those efforts.” Several supportive comments were heard softly spoken.

“As you can see Amy’s Clan is up and about. They expect to spend much of their time on the island assisting with recruiting more help. However, like us they will be here frequently. Also, Gail woke up this afternoon. She appears to have taken the shock of being here very well. We have not had the opportunity to talk with her yet, but she is well thought of by both Dorothy, Maria and the members of Jean’s group.” That brought some light applause.

Gail raised her hand. Rusty nodded to her.

“I feel very different now with the changes to my body. I owe all of you a debt of gratitude for rescuing me and looking after me so I would recover from the treatments forced onto me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” She had tears running down her face as she finished. Those around her gave her a hug or caressed her shoulders.

Rusty continued, “The five who returned to the island are awake and up. They woke up yesterday morning and seemed to be adjusting well when we saw them at breakfast. We can assure you that it is a shock to wake up in a strange yet familiar body.”

“We agree,” said Amy’s Clan and Gail nodded. That brought a few chuckles.

“Now for the big news. Next week we will begin interviewing the candidates who will hopefully become a part of our crew. They will be offered a contract to work with us for four years which can be extended, but those details are a little loose at the present time. All the candidates are college graduates or currently students with a year or so of graduating. They meet all the essential criteria, to potentially, become crew members. Initial scans show that they have attributes similar to ours, primarily the capability of being telepathic. But, they are Earthlings.” That brought some chuckles. “We are not sure how well they will adapt to our culture. To learn more about them and give them an introduction to the opportunity being offered, we’ve invited them to spend a week or more with us at a resort. During this time they will also have the opportunity to visit here. When they come up here, we ask that you make an effort to share all aspects of our situation as well as what we need to accomplish. Another purpose of the week together is to acquaint them to some extent with our culture. This first group consists of about eighty people and we have three more groups scheduled to visit us at the resort. This is just the first phase of seeking people to join us. More interviews are planned.” There was a gasp from several of the group.

“To be a bit more specific, we anticipate, that all the candidates will accept the opportunity to join us. Yes we are optimistic. Before they visit here they will receive physicals, a telepathic evaluation and an introduction to the learning centers. Presuming they join us, we need to begin preparing compartments for them to use. We also need to prioritize outstanding tasks and the roles we need them to fill. As much as we can we should let them choose which of those they wish to undertake.

“Beyond this initial recruiting, we will continue to search for more candidates. How fast will depend on how quickly they can be assimilated into the crew. As it stands now, we are anticipating adding over four hundred crew in the next four to six weeks. They will likely join in small groups over that period. We need for all of you to look over our plans for getting them trained and productive. When you do, look for things that have been overlooked. Another way to view it is: How would I like to learn to work here? Do we have sufficient learning stations? How will we share coaching and mentoring them? There are many similar issues we need to think about when reviewing our plans. Besides helping where we can, we will monitor their progress. If we do this correctly, we should have a substantial crew before very long. Are there any questions?”

“You are definitely giving us a challenge. Are they really telepathic? What happens if they don’t work out?”

“Indications are that they are all telepathic, although they haven’t been formally evaluated. As to not working out, there is a clause in the contract for us return them to wherever they want to go with compensation up to that point. After they leave, their time with us will seem like a wonderful dream. For those who complete their contract, they will have a nice nest egg to complete their schooling or to begin the next part of their life.”

“Will they become more like us in features and abilities?”

“We are committed to ensuring their health while they are with us. We will repair anything health wise that needs it. Whether they stay or not will be their decision. If they decide to stay longer then there are other decisions for them to consider.

“As far as changing their features, it is a choice only they can make. If they take that step, it has significant consequences regarding their future. Without the changes they will be unable to fill some positions on the ship, however there is no requirement for them to do so. Choosing to receive the treatments, creates problems returning to Earth society. There will be no pressure by any of us for them to change. That said, there are some on the island who have already decided to join us and have asked to receive the treatment. We expect their general appearance, once treated, to be similar to us and Amy’s Clan.”

“Oh. We like that,” came a voice from the back, causing quite a few chuckles.

Continuing, “So the medical group will likely have a steady stream of patients for the incubators. Note that the candidates are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. So while all the candidates are similar in build and stature, they are quite diverse in appearance and personality.”

“Are you confident this will work?”

“Yes,” replied Sarah’s Clan.

Rusty smiled as he said, “We are confident the candidates can help us. Whether our plan proceeds as planned is another matter. Circumstances will likely dictate how quickly we add crew. From my perspective, the rate indicated will work, allowing us to improve our progress on repairs. If for some reason the candidates join at a different rate, then we will make adjustments. For the new crew members, the initial focus will be on training. Since these are bright people we don’t think it will take long to get them to the point of being a contributing crew member. We will not turn anyone away, but we do need everyone to contribute to their fullest potential.”

“So we need to make more of an effort to open additional crew areas of the ship.”

“Yes. On that topic, we are really impressed with the progress you have already made in repairing the ship and learning the necessary skills to get it done. We have much more to do as you know, but what you have accomplished since we last me would be very evident to anyone who hadn’t been seen the ship for several weeks.”

“It is nice to not run from one crisis to the next.” The crew member’s comment caused many to laugh.

“Would you like to visit the island?”

“Yes,” replied many.

“We will talk it over with Amy’s Clan and get something started in the next couple of days.

“Any more questions?” It was quiet.

“Thank you again.” Sarah’s Clan then moved to chat and mix with the crew. A table of refreshments had been set up at the back of the room. Much of the crew’s attention was focused on the babies. Sarah’s Clan was pleased by the change in the people’s attitude. Now, besides being friendlier, they were much more open with their observations, questions and suggestions. Both Sarah and Amy’s Clans were quite pleased with the interaction between crew and the nannies.

“We need to move to the shuttle,” said Sally after some time had passed. “If you are near them tell Amy’s Clan, Gail, Dorothy and Maria.”

“We heard you,” said Amy’s Clan.

“Oops. I forgot.”

“I think our connection is tighter under some circumstances now than it was before.”

“Cool. This capability is a godsend.”

“It was.”

“What?”

“We can tell you later.”

As they made their way to the shuttle hangar they said goodbye to the ship’s residents. When they reached the hangar Gail said, “Sarah, Rusty,” as she reached for their hands. Holding their hands she said, “Thank you so much for what you did. I haven’t had time to ask, were others rescued besides Erin, Tara, Claudette and Alison?”

“Yes,” replied Sarah as she hugged her, she then stepped back to let Rusty give Gail a hug. “All of those in the building where Jean and Andy lived.”

“Good. They are good people.”

“We usually refer to them as Jean’s group. Have you spoken with Tara, Erin, Alison and Claudette yet?”

“Not yet, I wanted to thank you first.”

“Okay,” said Sarah, “I will speak with you later. Now we need to get underway.”

“Gail,” said Tara, “you look great.”

“Thank you. I feel better than I have in a long time but...”

Alison walked over and hugged Gail as she said, “Relax there isn’t a gotcha here.”

“Hi,” said Erin putting an arm around Gail to hug her. “Judy can use your assistance. Talking about that can wait, you need to see outside while we make our way back to Earth.”

“There is so much going on. It’s hard to get my bearings.”

“We understand,” said Claudette with a smile as she hugged Gail. “Our time on the island has been amazing.”

Once everyone was on board, they sat so they could either watch the monitor on the cabin wall or look out of a window. Gail was surrounded by the women she knew in the past. Erin and Tara each had a baby on their laps. Judy, Betsy and Connie sat together. They were close enough to monitor Gail but they had much to discuss.

On the monitor, the view shifted slightly as Alpha1 rose off its cradle then moved toward the open port and into the darkness of space. Gail gasped as she saw the view change on the monitor and she looked out of the nearby window. She had been told about it and seen part of it from the ships viewing ports, but this was different. Dorothy sat beside her as they looked at the ship that they had just been on. They were all overwhelmed by the view before them even though everyone but Gail had seen it earlier.

Amy’s Clan had taken seats where they could see the ship as well. Sarah and Rusty sensing the interest of the passengers in it had the shuttle make a circuit around the ship, so they could get a good look at it. The expressions on Amy’s Clans faces showed their happiness in seeing the changes.

Amy looked over at Sally and Terry saying, “We are really impressed with how much has been accomplished while we were recovering. Seeing the changes really boosts our spirits, giving us hope. Your clan and your friends have been a God send.”

Sally, Terry and the rest of the clan reviewed their meeting when they were at the pillar on the bridge. They quietly shared the implications of Amy’s last comment, ‘God send’. “Is there a relationship between God and the voice in the ship?” No one knew for sure, but they also knew that few if any civilizations were successful unless they looked to a higher being. They felt most, if not all, societies eventually erred by thinking that their god was the only one, or the correct one. Many then carried this conviction further, as they came to believe that everyone should believe as they did or die. Everything they had seen of this society indicated that they had not fallen into the trap of self- righteousness. But there were other pitfalls. They then remembered the entity specifically stating that she was not a God. So the term ‘God send’ needed to be viewed much differently than a resident of Earth would view it. They knew they were not Gods, messengers of God or that the entity on the ship was either. The only way then to take Amy’s thought was that divine intervention had brought them all together.” As the closed their review, their was a feeling of truth that they sensed. They took this as an indication that another agreed with their analysis and indicated it was very close to their understanding as well. They suspected the source of the feeling was the entity they had shared with earlier.

Once the shuttle turned toward Earth Gail said, “I noticed that the four of you were associated with Sarah’s Clan. How did that happen?”

“We asked,” said Alison. “Like you are having now, I too, had doubts about these people. We are currently living on an island located in the Atlantic, a very beautiful one. As you know Sylvia’s was not my first experience with enslavement.” Alison briefly told of her escape attempt and subsequent meeting with Sarah and Rusty. “Once I had control of my telepathy and knew what I was seeing around me my impression changed. Tara, Erin, Claudette and I talked about our circumstances a lot. The four of us felt drawn to them. In a fairly short period-of-time, we concluded we wanted to join their clan so we asked. After they accepted us we requested the genetic treatment that they received.”

“But they could have telepathically manipulated your feelings.”

“It’s possible but in our case we don’t think so. That really sounds like something some one who wasn’t telepathic would put in a science fiction book. For these people, the members of each clan bond with each other telepathically. This amounts to what we call a mind-link. Through the mind-link we share our thoughts, memories and senses. It is more than just telepathically communicating.” As Alison talked Gail expression showed her disbelief.

“Now, you sound like a science fiction groupie,” responded Gail with a smile.

“Yea, I guess I do except, this is not fiction. Think about when we spoke to the crew earlier. We spoke in unison. It would be virtually impossible to do that without a lot of practice.”

“Okay. I’ll concede that point.”

“Can you hear me now?”

Gail’s eyebrows shot up, before saying, “Yes. It was a little louder than the background noise I seemed to hear.”

“We need to get Connie or Betsy to show you how to manage your telepathic connections,” said Alison then repeated it verbally.

“I heard it both times.” Then looking at the others she added, “You have all been quiet.”

“We thought Alison was doing a good job,” replied Tara. “There are a number of things we can do to reinforce what Alison has said. However, I would suggest getting a couple of the doctors to help you fully activate your telepathy. I think doing that will do more to resolve your concerns than anything else.”

“What if I decide not to stay?”

“That is a choice. To fit into Earth society, you will need a new identity, to bob your tail and to do something about your mane. While not needing them, you will need to wear heels to hide the change in your ankles. It doesn’t obscure them very much as they are around eight inches high. We have the resources to give you a genuine identity and assistance in getting established again.”

“So, it’s my choice?”

“Definitely,” replied all five.

“Gail,” said Claudette, “we don’t believe this is the perfect group or family to be with, but we haven’t found any reason not to be happy with our choices.”

“After living at the farm for so long, it is just so...”

“There is no rush to decide,” said Judy. “There should be time before dinner, so Betsy and I can help you with your telepathy. It usually doesn’t take very long and it doesn’t change your ability to make a choice for a future direction.”

“Okay. I think I’ll take you up on the offer.”

Just then Karen said, “There is the moon.” Her comment drew everyone’s attention to the windows, especially Gail’s. The Earth soon came into view. They watched the blue and white planet grow larger as they approached. Their path took them close enough to the space station that they could see it. The shuttle began to slow as it prepared to enter the Earths atmosphere. As soon as they entered the atmosphere, the viewing ports closed and a short time later they arrived on the island.

Sarah’s Clan asked Alpha1, “Why did the windows close on entering the atmosphere?”

“It is done as a precaution. The windows are essentially a hole in our cloaking envelope so they close to, hopefully, avoid detection. We aren’t certain whether space surveillance instruments have the resolution to detect those emissions.”

While watching the activity surrounding her, Gail thought about what she had learned and felt since waking up. Knowing Erin, Tara, Alison, Claudette and Dorothy at the farm and then hearing their comments gave her sufficient confidence to follow her instincts. By the time Alpha1 was settling down toward a landing, she decided to relax and observe and perhaps life would be better.

When the shuttle door opened and Amy’s Clan stepped out, there was a loud cheer. Nearly everyone was edging toward the door, when Dorothy said, “Come on Gail. I’ll bet there are some people out there waiting to meet and greet you.”

“But I didn’t bring anything to wear.”

Dorothy looked at her for a moment then busted out laughing and said, “We wear the same thing here we’ve worn ever since we’ve known each other. Except now we look better and feel better. Better yet, it is our choice.”

“I can agree with that.” When Gail stepped through the door she blushed when she saw the big sign saying, “Welcome home!”

Tears filled her eyes as she thought, “This just might be home.” Once out of the shuttle Dorothy took her arm and led her toward a group of people. It took her only a moment to recognize most of them, even through the tears in her eyes. Gail lost count after Maria, Jean and Andy gave her a hug and welcomed her arrival. She thought, “This feels better all the time.”

The crowd had begun to thin when Judy and Betsy approached her. Betsy said, “Let’s see about your telepathy before your friends drag you off somewhere.”

“Yes, let’s do it. This is a beautiful place.”

“We like it.”

It was close to half an hour later when Betsy said, “Okay. I think you are well on your way to being a skilled user. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us. Telepathy is a quick way to get an answer. Dorothy and Maria will show you around, find you a place to sleep and acquaint you with all the other details of living here. When you are comfortable, we would like you to consider using your medical talents to assist us.”

“Thank you. But, I am not sure my background would qualify me.”

“Believe me it does. We have a few more tools, and we have an excellent teaching system to acquaint you with what we have. It is your choice, but we would like your assistance regardless of your decision on staying.”

“I’ll give it serious consideration.”

Jean, Dorothy and Maria were waiting nearby when Gail finished talking to Betsy and Judy, so she walked over to them and said, “What’s next? Betsy said you would acquaint me with this place.”

“We will,” said Maria. “I love the way you look.”

“Thanks. It’s taking a little bit of getting used to.”

“Sarah’s Clan said the same thing.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The short version is that they were victims of Sylvia just like we were, except they ended up here. They were the special project Sylvia sent us on. Great people.”

“Oh.”

“We have an AI here. Her name is Donna. She will respond when you address her by name. One of her duties is to monitor the site. She is available anywhere around the buildings just by saying her name. If you are out of sight of the buildings, then one our four legged security team will respond if you scream. They are lions so don’t be alarmed.”

“The more I hear the stranger it seems.”

“I think of it as different, or out of this world,” added Jean with a chuckle. “Some of it would be hard to believe if I hadn’t seen it. As to Sarah’s Clan, we all love them.”

“So I shouldn’t question what they say?”

“That would be exactly the wrong thing to do,” said Dorothy firmly. “I understand what you are thinking but the life we had on the farm is dead and gone. There is no resemblance between that and anything here, except some of the people.”

“It is hard not to make comparisons after living like that for so long.”

“We know,” replied both Maria and Dorothy as they hugged her.

Jean said, “Gail, we would like for you to stay with us for the time being, or as long as you want to. We thought you might be more comfortable with us as we have shared some experiences, but doing so doesn’t obligate you to stay. Dorothy and Maria stay with us some times but their current duties keep them fairly close to Amy’s Clan, or at least it did before Amy’s Clan got sick.”

“You’re different than I remember. I like it.”

“Oh. I think we’ve all changed since we arrived here. Being here is almost like living a fairy tale. All of our group has decided to stay and contribute however we can.”