My Father's Universe

by Mitch

  Again, she was luminous only for a moment, “I never trust a stranger who says, ‘trust me.’”

  Kedar replied, “Oh pebbles, let’s do it.” As they went to the spot where they were told to stand, the fellow said something in a strange language and the Earth began to move downward. Careah grabbed her husband’s arm and let out a slight giggle gleefully, “Creepers!”

  La`no cracked a smile, “You are on a platform elevator.” As soon as the elevator stopped, they were in a large, endless room full of pipes and machines. “We are working on a hot steam pipe and valve. That is why I had mittens on. Notice, other men working down here have mittens on also. We had an emergency and had to repair it before a real disaster would have occurred.”

  The men flocked to Careah and Kedar to shake hands, looking them over, especially their wings, smiling, shaking their heads and gibbering as they went back to work. La`no motioned for them to follow, “Let’s go back up, I’ll show you around.”

  Careah took note of how tall and handsome he was and surmised he was good at what he did; commanding respect from anyone who knows him, even his voice had the authority of a wise master. “I’ll wager he can hold life and death in his hands, not as a dictator but a leader well respected.”

  Getting to ground level, he volunteered, “You’re probably not aware, I’m the Rosh (Chief Shepherd) of the Belcanto people here in Hi-Why-O. There are many shepherds under me. I’m like a king with governors making sure things run smoothly and peacefully.”

  Careah’s eyes gazed upon him, thinking to herself, ah huh, I knew he was a born diplomat!

  Kedar asked. “How many people live here?”

  Before La`no could answer, Careah asked, “Do you have a family?”

  “There are many here, yes, I have a family; my beautiful wife Wonder, two teenagers, Ke`no, our son, and Te`ro, our daughter; you will meet them soon.”

  Kedar surveyed wondering, “Why live here?”

  “As time goes by, you will see for yourself why we live here. Above all other reasons, we love and worship our Lord as He wants us to worship Him.”

  She said, “I wish the whole world did that.” Then she asked him, “Have any other humans from the outside been in here?”

  With a modified smile, La`No replied, “Many came close but didn’t get very far.”

  Kedar, frowning, asked in his rough voice, “What were those weird brutal creatures we encountered back there behind the locked doors? Would those wild, beastly giants kill humans? I killed a giant bat that was about to kill my wife! Had it not been for my bow and arrow, we may have been killed.”

  He reassured them, “Like I said, you will not need weapons in here.”

  She came back at him, “I hope so!”

  With an alluring look, La`no beckoned, “Please follow me.” He began by showing the workmanship and techniques of the cavern. Nothing could compare with it on the outside.

  Kedar pointed to something he never saw before and asked, “What is that?”

  “That is a ‘derrick,’ we have many throughout our country. We keep the transformers up there out of reach of animals. The transformers control electricity from atomic-powered generators deep underground. Without electricity, private and commercial life would not exist. As you can see, the ceiling lighting and temperature is regulated day and night. A new system is on the drawing board, we will be replacing all wiring with sensors. Water is pumped to our homes, factories, and everything that grows by an underground watering system. Also, a sprinkling system in the ceiling sprays a fine mist which we use mostly at night. Huge fans bring in fresh air down through inactive volcanos. Stale air and smoke from our manufacturer factories are pumped through pipes into live volcanos, hiding any tell-tale signs of smoke.”

  “How does it work?” asked Kedar.

  “Well, I could explain everything, but there is no time, nor would you understand what I would be explaining. I told you what it does, so I will have to let it at that.”

  Kedar whispered to Careah, “I’m not that dumb, am I?”

  She put her finger to her mouth making the sound, “Sheez…! No, you’re not dumb. We all are ignorant in some things. It does look complicated, so don’t feel bad.” He shook his head and muttered to himself. She cleared her throat and said, “I think we will let well enough alone. Okay, Kedar? Kedar, forget it. Listen to La`no! We don’t have all day for you to find out how it works.”

  With half a smile, Kedar asked, “Would it be all right to ask how big this underground country is?”

  She clicked her tongue giving him a sour look! La`no gestured with his extended arm pointing in every direction, “There’s several mazes, many thousand miles wide and long. A stranger would never find their way out, even in a lifetime.”

  Careah looked at La`no with piercing eyes and inquired in a demanding voice, “You mean we will never get out of here?”

  “No. I know you will not tell outsiders of this place; I’ll show you the way out when Yesuah is close by. He is our Lord also.”

  She whispered, “Glory be!”

  Kedar’s inquiring mind asked, “How long have you and your people lived here?”

  He sang out willingly, "Many centuries ago, the Lord made this place for us when He created the Earth and began to build on and in it, coal, oil and gas fields, salt, and minerals for every human to use. Our first ancestors came here after God destroyed the Tower of Babel. There are only two entrances. You came through one of the openings, the other is larger and well-hidden on the other side of our Citadel. If anyone tries digging, fire shoots out of the ground, discouraging digging.

  There’s an entrance into each of the seas with portcullis (doors) to keep sea creatures out. We open the portcullis when our ships have to go out into the sea to gather sea food and other treasure."

  Kedar snapped in amazement, “You what? ‘You’ have ships going under water? I don’t believe it.”

  “Yes, they are amphibious ships capable of going under or on top of water, even on land.”

  Baffled by what he heard, Kedar mumbled, “This, I gotta see!”

  “We rarely use them; only when there’s a need. We have air cars for personal use, you will see one shortly.”

  “Oh, by the way,” he said, almost as if by an afterthought, and pointed, “see that shiny craft that looks like a large dish upside down? It is an air-craft; my Corsair I use in my work. I fly to different parts of our country when I have to get there in a hurry. There have been times my crew and I flew out into the outer world.”

  Kedar grunted in disbelief, “There’re no wings, how can it fly?”

  “Watch, I’ll bring it over here.” He spoke in his language and the Craft elevated, as if an invisible hand lifted it, and landed beside them. “Our hospital, the doctor, and Good News publishing company each have one. We are building a newer and advanced model for a special friend whom you will meet later. I will take you for a ride in the Corsair later. For now, we’ll walk.”

  Again, Careah whispered, “Glory be!”

  The farther they traveled, the manicured ceiling became brighter and higher. It looked like the sky on its most beautiful day outside. La`no volunteered, “The bright sunlight you see is atomic diamond lasers smiting a billion light waves per second, in optical fluorescence tubes, producing energy to grow everything and sending healing waves throughout our inner world. We have no ultraviolet radiation in here, barring an accident, we live to be several hundred years or more. I might add, in good health.”

  A spectacular sight at the far end of the large lake took their attention. Alien people were waving to them. Careah’s eyes gazed upon them with warm intensity as she asked, “Are those Mermaids?”

  "No. They are Aquatic people with pectoral fins on their hips and the ability to transform their hands and feet into caudal fins when swimming. This gives them speed to outswim anything in the water. The Aquatic ladies are teaching their children the art of diving and singing to the sound and rhythm of music coming out o
f the waterfall.

  “Their teenager dancing water act is one great show a person has the privilege seeing. The smaller children, also in the act, are rehearsing their routines. Only Aquatic people can accomplish these phenomenal feats to a perfection. Their teenage boys learn by traveling with the men. Their part of our country is Aquavitae (the water of life) in Hermitage Cove covering a thousand square miles.”

  Careah gave them a big wave back and cocked her head to listen to the harmonious and melodious music in perfect pitch. All blustery and saying, “Glory to Glory, how quickly the glory of your utopia would fade if people on the outside knew of this existence. Everything would be buried in oblivion in a short time.”

  He enthusiastically informed them, “You shall meet the Aquatic people later.”

  “Who does all the work keeping everything in perfect condition? The appearance is breathtaking. We have never seen vegetables gardens as these; fruit trees of every kind, flowers growing in abundance, not an inch of space is used fruitlessly.”

  His voice rang out in a deep melodic tone, and instantly, many of his kinsmen appeared. He introduced them to his people. They all slightly bowed to La`no, then nodded to them, gathering around more curious of Careah and Kedar than they were of them. Everyone was speaking in their language. La`no said, “Sprecan (Speak their language),” After the warm welcome, all waved, wished them well, then withdrew and faded into the background.

  Kedar asked quizzically, “If there are no wars here, do bad things happen here?”

  La`no responded, "It depends, what do you mean by bad? Violent crime, petty, mischievous juvenile, or disobey God’s commandments. This nation has a Code of Ethics we live by. Promoting goodwill between members of our office and people of this nation. Everyone is to have a sense of personal obligation to each and every individual and take pride in our work preforming high quality service; no shoddy work. To employ the best skilled for each undertaking. Without respect of the worker, the servant, professional, and our leaders, male or female, there would be chaos.

  "We will, and do, uphold the high standards of our profession and correct all abuse when there is a need. This is a must to uphold the integrity of all leaders from the highest office down to the lowest. Everyone has and uses their special skills to further the safety, health, and wellbeing of this nation. From the time a child is conceived to the day he or she leaves this world. Everyone has to be perfectly trustworthy to the day he or she is called home by our Lord. This does not mean everyone is perfect, sometimes an adult may get greedy. It is taken care of quickly. Sometimes a child will try to rebel, we must remember he is a child and not an adult. He has childlike qualities, but he is not possessed by them. A child has not been brainwashed believing everything is funny. As he grows older, he becomes wiser, sometimes the hard way.

  "A juvenile misdemeanor is stopped before it becomes a felony. When juvenile, mischievous pranks produce pleasure, the depraved head must be removed. A case in mind, twin brothers, who were very young when their dad was killed in an accident, began giving their mother problems. The biggest problem was borrowing things without permission of the owners. They became known as the Midnight Shoppers, who would then sell the items, giving what was called a ‘Five Finger Discount.’ No child can hope to become a good citizen until he has learned to respect others and their property. They must be taught to think and act intelligently. Learning to build an enceinte vocabulary is a valuable aid to a successful occupation. This can lead to a vocation which is a special calling under God’s guidance. It helps being a good and faithful shepherd.

  "The boys were very close to their dad and had a hard time accepting his death. Counseling had no success helping the boys with their rebellious behavior. Their mother asked if I could do something about her boys. I agreed but first checked with the counselor’s evaluation of the problem. The boys blamed everyone for their father’s death. I asked the mother to bring the boys to the reception room and leave. Next to the reception room is my Office, the Audience Chamber. I asked the older of the twins to come in my office first, then I would talk to the other boy afterwards. The older twin, Rayco, talked his brother Jaydor into coming into the office first. Not knowing the switch, I asked the boy to sit on the chair in front of my desk. I went about my business for several minutes, not paying attention to the boy. Casually I asked the boy his name? He said Jaydor, then I realized the switch. Without looking at him, I asked, ‘Do you love the Lord, Jaydor…Jaydor, where is the Lord?’ Without leaving his chair, he looked under my desk, all around the room, never at me, and ignored the questions. I wanted him to know, whatever they do, the Lord is with them and watching. I sat down, pointed at him, and asked again, ‘Where is the Lord?’ The same response: ignored the question. I leaned over the desk, pointing an accusative finger at him, and asked in a grating voice, ‘Jaydor, where is the Lord?’ You better tell me, or you and your brother are in big trouble.

  “Wide eyed, Jaydor jumped up and ran into the reception room, crying, to his brother. ‘We’re in big trouble. I mean big, big, trouble!’ Rayco’s face reddened with fright. He grabbed his brother’s arm and demanded, ‘What kind of trouble are we in, what in the world did we do?’ Jaydor blared out, ‘Rosh said the Lord is missing. He suspects we have Him!’ I could not help but laugh the rest of the day. I’m happy to say the boys are a credit to their mother and to our country. It has been proven they were blamed for things they didn’t do.”

  La`no took Kedar and Careah across the street to a beautiful building, more beautiful than the temple in Jerusalem. The glass windows of many colors had strange designs of objects and planets of the universe. As they were about to enter the building, Careah saw a critter moving toward them with glowing eyes. As it got closer, its large shining bright eyes began to grow dim. The only sound it made was a slight hiss. Hearing the hiss prompted her to get her bow and arrow out, ready to shoot; Kedar had his ready.

  La`no chuckled, “Do not fear, La`no is here.” Then he grinned, saying, “I just could not resist saying that. It’s one of our air cars that I had mentioned earlier.” Half chuckling, he said, “Since we don’t have wings, we need something much faster than we can walk. It’s like a chariot without wheels.”

  Kedar, wide-eyed, mused, "Does it move like your Corsair?"

  He beamed, “Yes, as you can see, it floats above the ground by an anti-gravity generator. It can travel slow or very fast, only the air-craft travel faster; much faster.”

  A stunning lady stepped out of the air car. Her natural tan made her sharp features stand out along with soft blue eyes of the Belcanto people. At once, Careah saw a jewel of a lady. Her rhythmic quality brought out very attractive features, forcing a glint of savage delight in her eyes, sparkling like blue diamonds. She was ethereal, stunning, vibrant, and had an aura around her whole being. Smiling, she showed dimples high on her cheeks. She made a slight bow to La`no, then turned to them.

  “Hi, I’m Won, his wife. Won is short for Wonder. Careah, you and your husband Kedar are most welcome to our country and in our home.” Again, they were baffled, how did she know who they were? Won giggled and asked Careah, “Are there more like you? You sure are very beautiful. I know you two are likeable; you’re making this place come alive with your presence. Let’s go, lunch will be ready when we get home.”

  They saw La`no look at something on his wrist, “Where did the morning go?” They noticed Won had one on too, only smaller. He saw them looking at his wrist, so pointing to it, he volunteered, “It is a watch and vision phone (VP) telling us the time of day or night and seeing the person you are talking to, anywhere in our country.” He raised his arm and, in his language, said something into it. “I told everyone where I will be for the next couple of hours in case I’m needed.”

  Won asked Careah, “Would you like to be the first to get in the…?” Careah was in before she said the word, ‘air car.’ She rubbed her hands over the velvety velour upholstery, touched the details of chrome trim, and ran her han
d over the smooth glass windows of the air car, giving a head motion for her husband to come in. Won crooked a finger at Kedar, her soft eruption of a giggle stunned Kedar when she said, “You’re next, Kedar Marcus.”

  “What? How? Marcus is my middle name, no one has called me by that name but my mother.”

  Careah smiled and winked, “Maybe it’s E. S. P.”

  A female’s soft voice came out of a speaker on the dash, “Welcome to Hi-Why-E, it is a pleasure meeting you! We will be at the Bel’s home in a few minutes.”

  Traveling at a high rate of speed, they arrived at the Bel’s home, the most beautiful brick home they had ever seen. Upon entering the reception room called the Anteroom, they walked on plush wall-to-wall carpet. The walls were a luxurious yellow-gold giving the subtle prints an elegant look. An extra-long ottoman and several easy chairs, that came from a sunken ship believed to come from Solomon’s palace, sat in front of a highly polished cedar desk built by a master carpenter. A large brass peacock faced the desk, its tail spread across the fireplace, acting as a fender grate.

  After entering the large Audience Chamber of the Chief Shepherd, La`no sat down at a bright-red wooden desk on a foot-high platform and began pushing buttons and talking into a mic. In front of the desk were eight chairs. “This is where my husband runs the country from,” informed his wife. The room was alive with all kinds of monitors. Some had pictures of people inside, talking and moving around. Others had gauges with small hands moving back and forth. Won informed them if something happens anywhere in the country, within seconds, it shows up on one of the monitors. The phone on La`no’s desk beeped and he picked it up saying, “No, Eli, later.”

  Careah and Kedar could not comprehend what they were seeing on one of the monitors they were watching! They saw themselves and knew it was not a mirror. Won explained what it was. “A camera is taking your picture and showing it on that monitor. And, of course, the whole country is seeing you as you are standing here.” Careah smiled a whimsical smile. Won noticed the smile was impossible to predict what she was thinking.