Part of the training involves learning to let the filling and moving come to a completion based on my original intention. Once finished with the upload, I sort, integrate, and understand what I’m now aware of and know.

  Here are some of the facts I grasp, right away, about these five Re-sets for The Transition.

  In the first two Re-sets that create versions of this timeline, I am not the Chief Communicator.

  In the first, there is no CC, because everyone the MWC delegation approaches freaks out and refuses to believe or cooperate. Earth's membership in the MWC is delayed indefinitely and Earth is left to its own devices.

  That one is ugly.

  The other Re-set has someone I do not know as the CC. That one goes all right for a while, but then that CC gets morally corrupted, somehow, and tries to extort money, personal benefit and other short-term rewards for being the CC, using his newly-developed ES (he's a Level 7, at the end) to blackmail, threaten and ruin many people’s lives. The MWC steps in to recall that one.

  Good.

  For the third Re-set, I am the CC, but I only live as the CC for about two years. Then, I am assassinated by some crazed fundamentalists among the Trenchers who are able to survive (barely) through The Transition, hiding and plotting in caves in South America. Earth devolves into many types of chaos and violence after my death for several months until the MWC can get human society somewhat under control. But, that Re-set is a mess. MWC calls for a do-over.

  For the fourth (the one right “before” this one), again, I am the CC. However, I do not choose Espe as my Media Contact. Somehow, I am persuaded to use someone more well-known, a journalist from the San Francisco Chronicle. That seems all right, at first. But, after about six months, she is killed under mysterious circumstances, reminiscent of espionage murder tricks against those who engage in whistle-blowing. The resulting speculation and conspiracy theories generate a lot of unrest that leads to riots and armed rebellions against the MWC Transition. The misunderstandings about the MWC’s intentions and resulting chaos last several months before the MWC shuts it all down to start this fifth Re-set.

  “Wow!” I breathe, shaken. "Seeing myself die that way, in #3, is creepy. The violence and riots are awful, too. I can understand that the other four are failures. But, I have to say, this one is not going so well, either. How about some ideas for a sixth Re-set, from me? Aren’t we allowed to ‘seed’ a Re-set like this, learning from our mistakes and failures?”

  Led responds, cautiously, “What do you have in mind?”

  “I think about this a lot. I think the problem is described, as my friend and renowned psychodramatist, Franco Gallina, in this oft-used quote from one of his psychodrama teachers: ‘There is no such thing as resistance, only inadequate warm-up.’"

  I pause to make sure they're with me.

  Wiggles, blinking lights, bounces, all good.

  I continue: "Going on Franco's insightful premise, I believe that Earthers are not properly prepared for the existence of the MWC and all the billions of worlds that have sentient life: the ‘ground’ is not properly plowed and fertilized, the ‘foundation’ is not laid. Or, in yet another image, The Transition comes in too sharply for its ‘landing,’ arriving too soon, so too many Earthers crash and burn. Wrong trajectory. Are those enough mixed metaphors for you?”

  I’m talking mostly to Ringo, who teases me often about Earthers’ propensity to get entangled in symbolic analogies, which irks him.

  Ringo moves his triangular, orange “head” pieces, like a nod, almost, and says, “What do you suggest for 'adequate warm-up,’ then?”

  “Well, you know how every human Earther and most animals, particularly elephants, cetaceans and primates, have ‘origin’ stories upon which our cultural myths, legends and religions are based? We have a lot of cross-cultural and interspecies overlapping and even some shared heroes/heroines—with different names, usually, but not always—with these same beliefs. Many creation stories have floods, seeming magical or all-powerful Creators, special groups (their own, usually) ‘chosen’ to be elite or important to Earth.”

  I pause to check in. I feel The Band's intense listening mode is on.

  I then experience that rush inside when I am onto something good, so I keep going. “What if we keep these cultural foundations, but Re-set all the origin stories to include the existence of the MWC? That way, nonhuman and non-Earth-based beings appear in everyone’s stories, somewhere. Some stories could tell about how some of Earth’s species get here from MWC members’ planets, originally. Graphics and pictures, stories and songs, the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, the Sutras: every sacred book and text of every culture has creation myths."

  Mick's lights are blinking very quickly and all his cilia are waving. Others signal to me their understanding, so I go on.

  "If we insert ‘emergence’ or arrivals from other worlds as the main cosmogonies all around Earth, at the beginnings of human communities and settlements, in pre-verbal through literate eras, then every cultural and species group will ‘warm up’ to the idea that ‘we’ arrive here because of ‘others’ who are benign and do return. This helps the Jewish, Muslim and Christian extremists in particular.”

  Silence. That is a good sign, I know. They are considering, and, also, checking with the InterGalactic Council's “head office.” I wait.

  “Also,” I can’t help but add, “the role of Chief Communicator could be embedded, as well. Show that someone’s going to be a liaison, to benefit and assist, intending no harm, gaining no personal benefit. These could be concepts we are warmed up to and more easily accept.”

  “Ye-e-s-s-s,” Led says, more slowly than usual. He must still be processing information. “This could work well.”

  Mick agrees, “I ‘see’ it could.” That means he and others are timulting to put my ideas in place.

  Janis asks, “What else changes?”

  “Does Clara continue as CC?” Diana asks.

  Ringo responds, “Yes, Clara is the CC in all of the continuing timelines, the most successful ones, every time. We now know that.”

  “What about including options and examples of physical travel among the galaxies and planets, moons, all locations? This hologram-only visitation is also hard to accept, for Earthers. I have ideas about that as well,” I offer, “as long as we’re doing a major Re-set, why not improve that, too?"

  Led bounces.

  "We Earthers finally have some science to support this, with superstring theory and understandings of the non-emptiness of space. As of 2011, we now know outer space is actually 95% filled with Dark Matter and Dark Energy. We also are beginning to prove the stability of wormholes for space travel, and the Higgs Boson research is moving right along.”

  More bouncing, nodding and swaying. Encouraged, I continue.

  “My least-favorite new terms in new physics and astronomy are ‘massive compact halo objects (MACHOS)’ and the newly-named axions, ‘Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPS),’ but they’re proving to be useful in these discussions. Some neutrinos have mass. Now humans know about ‘mirror planets,’ ‘mirror stars’ and ‘mirror galaxies’ (right- and left-handed versions of each): it’s all so cool!”

  Led explains, “The reason Earthers can't 'see' Dark Matter and Dark Energy is that they are the influence of the future as relativity influences an expanding universe. When you look into space, via remote or landed telescopes, now, you can only 'see' the past. The influences of the present/ future, however, reveal themselves through the physical dynamics and through timultaneity training.”

  “You’re right, though, Clara,” Mick says, sounding a bit impressed, if I may say so myself. “If Earthers now understand a bit about superstring theory, wormholes and Dark Matter and Dark Energy, we have something to work with for the Re-set that permits us to make physical travel among the galaxies available. First, for us,;then, for you!”

  “You mean, you could really be here, with me, and not as holos, after the
Re-set?” I am excited about that, and also a bit nervous. How big are these beings, actually? Do they fit in my house?

  Janis makes her sound, like breaking glass and running water, that I know means she is amused and Diana joins her.

  Then, Janis says, “We fit fine. But, some do not. And, you would be very large, or very small, to others. Some adjustments must be made with each journey and each encounter. For your training visits, holos are fine. When we are needed for other occasions, some of us may travel in our physical forms.”

  I’m busy picturing superstrings like giant, bowl-less clumps of Vietnamese pho rice vermicelli noodles or angel hair pasta, wiggling around, overlapping, touching and extending forever through the neutrino-laden Dark Matter and Dark Energy of intergalactic space. Perhaps all physical beings are able to travel along and between the “noodles” as quickly as a blink of an eye, provided they are properly outfitted for their forms. Spaceships may be included but sometimes not needed. I wonder what the MWC actual terms for all of this are?

  Led is bouncing higher. Back to business.

  “So, if we do this Re-set, what does that involve, exactly? What changes for me? Do I get Epifanio back?” I ask.

  Led reminds me: “Don’t ask us, Clara. You may ‘look’ for yourself. It’s good practice for you.”

  “OK,” I reply, feeling chastised, much the way I do when the piano teacher I have in junior high school tells me I need to practice the classical music just as often as the pop music, even though I do not like classical as much. “Here I go.”

  I make the proper internal preparations, breathing and setting intention, and establish the parameters of the Re-set mentally. As soon as I feel the *Pop*, I “allow” the Re-set to occur.

  A kaleidoscope of images begins. It’s not as overwhelming, this time, but it is a lot more complicated and intense, nonetheless. Only a small part is personal; the rest is global and intergalactic.

  This timult seems to take a long time ALT [According to Linear Time]. It finally slows. I am tired by the end of the images’ parade. I close my inner eyes and breathe deeply and relax, again.

  As before, at the end of the “catch up” point, the timelines reconverge and I get to review all the ways they are different and the same. “Well, the improvements massively outnumber the drawbacks in this one, I believe,” I tell them. “We can’t avoid conflicts; Fraggers, Trenchers and Psi-Defiers still arise, but fewer and for a shorter period. Moran and the Psi-Warriors do great. What do you think?”

  Diana asks, “Do you remember the part about Epifanio?”

  My breath catches, my heart racing. “What about him?” What do I miss? I forget to focus on him because so much else is going on.

  “Well,” Janis explains, “Epifanio comes to you earlier in our current Re-set than in the other Re-sets, but in some timelines of even this Re-set, he and you do not get together at all as lovers or spouses. You do not get quite ready for each other, or there are complications in your getting together, or he does not become receptive, or his current lover and he stay together longer: many reasons for the lack of deep connection for you two.”

  Diana continues: “Unfortunately, in a few timelines, Epifanio does not survive beyond age 60; in some, he reaches only age 73. It is not clear, yet, in this new Re-set, if he is able to be with you during and after The Transition. He may come to you later or not at all. In many, when you are together, you both live well into your 90's; without your marriage, he does not live as long. This is true of most unmarried older men, yes?”

  “Oh,” I am so confused. “I know about some of that. I mean, I expect those variations. I timult so many versions of our relationship even before you all come here; those variations are not so new, except for the early death one. I don't ‘see’ that before. Can we keep him alive? I don't want him to die earlier simply because he can't figure out that he loves me.”

  Led bounces a little, “Really? Timulting without authorization is Level 8. You’re not on Level 7 or 8, yet.”

  Mick points out, “Clara is not progressing linearly, Led. She can’t, because she is already ‘on’ with some of these skills, remember? Control and precision she lacks, not skills, for many of these Levels.”

  Led slows his bounces and does his usual hover. “Right, right,” he responds, “I’m not familiar with that kind of progress path, though.”

  Ringo chimes in, “None of us is!”

  “I’m certainly not!” I agree. “So, what about my question: can we keep Epifanio alive into his later years even if we’re not together? I want him to be happy and alive, to have a good life.”

  Janis chides me, gently, “Clara, Fanio’s being with you and any other variation that particularly favors you carries a Psi-Penalty. We talk about this before. There are so many divergences that we have to be prepared. We must account for the choices we make in our intentional Re-sets.”

  I turn to Diana, whom I sometimes think is the “softer” one of the group, “Please: tell me. What happens with Epifanio in this Re-set? I’m too emotionally involved; I can’t timult anything clearly about him or us. I ‘see’ too many options.”

  I feel Diana start to respond, but Led intervenes: “Clara. I understand how important this personal relationship is to you and I do not minimize it. But, many more significant factors are at stake, here. Focus.”

  I nod, deep breaths. Calming. Slow down my heart. More breathing. Openness, presence, spaciousness. Yes. More breathing. Then, I try again.

  “Oh! There we are, several ways: together, apart, together later, earlier. I understand, now. This is one of those occurrences that has too many variables, now, so the Re-set analysis does not show only one possibility. All right. We live with uncertainty. Buddhists understand this. I can cope.”

  “So,” Mick asks Led, “are we on for this Re-set, then?”

  Janis—Diana and Ringo make their assenting gestures and noises.

  I hesitate, then I nod. “We have to do it.”

  “Done,” Led says. And, it is.

  Immediately, I check the news on my regular internet pages. “Wow!” I say, “It’s still today, but there are no reports of deaths, comas, or psychotic breaks! None at all! There are a few from yesterday and a few earlier this week. But before the Re-set, there are hundreds just today!

  "I’m so relieved!” Then, I realize something odd: "Are all of you and I the only ones who know, who remember, the Re-sets?"

  Led says, “Yes, Clara. Good. It's important for you to recognize the uniqueness of your position. There are things very few besides you remember in alternative versions. You must speak carefully to other Earthers."

  He pauses to give me to time to understand the ramifications. I know I'm only beginning to, but I nod.

  Led continues: "Next, we have to prepare you for physical traveling protocols. Those are extensive and require a lot of time. We come back tomorrow, early. In physical form.”

  Before I can react to that, I hear a car and Banjo is barking. “Who could that be?” I wonder, aloud.

  I hear a car door slam, then a man talking softly to Banjo, who stops barking. He barks at everyone, except me, his owners and their sons. He barks, then runs away. Who is not inciting Banjo to bark? Who gets to pet him?

  Steps on the porch, but no knock.

  The door opens and Epifano walks in.

  “Hi,” he says, easily, and nods to each of the MWC members as he goes into the kitchen. He brushes my cheek with his lips as he walks by, kissing me softly.

  I am trying not to be shocked and failing. He isn’t here, yet. We aren’t together, yet. Or, at all. Oh! We are! Sweet!

  “Hi, Fanio!” I say, recovering, and touch his hand as he kisses me. I don’t see his eyes, yet, though, as he turns to go for some water.

  Led bounces and says, “We are leaving, now. See you bright and early tomorrow, Clara!”

  Janis—Diana, Ringo and Mick make appendages-wiggling or swaying good-bye gestures and blink out.

/>   “Thanks, ‘Bye,” I call, wiggling my fingers at them. And, they’re gone. A little too quickly, by my reckoning.

  Something is up, here. I'm feeling a bit like Desi Arnaz does as Lucy's husband when she's done something bizarre in an episode of "I Love Lucy." I wish I could call them back. The Band "has some 'splaining to do."

  If Fanio is no longer My Future Husband, is he my actual husband, now? I have to figure that out, fast. I look down. No wedding ring, left hand. Not yet…

  I get up and join Fanio in our kitchen, also getting some water. I face him standing at the sink, both of us perpendicular to it.

  “You won’t believe this day, Fanio,” I start to tell him.

  He smiles. His eyes are twinkling. He looks at me, slowly looks around, then looks back at me. “Oh, I might. Let’s talk about Re-set, shall we?”

 
Sally Ember, Ed.D.'s Novels