by P. R. Garcia
Seeing the hour was getting late and his time above was almost at an end, Enok announced he would tell her more of the Complex and her homeworld the next time he visited. As he stood up from the table he noticed a serious look cross Europa’s face. “I believe there is something that is still bothering you. Am I correct?”
“Not so much as bothered by,” Europa answered, refilling her coffee cup. “More like concerned.”
“What has you concerned?”
“I was wondering how long I will have to stay here on Saint’s Isle,” she replied, a little nervous to say what concerned her. “Do not get me wrong, it’s a beautiful place, but . . .”
“It is a little short on companionship,” Enok finished.
“Yes. Plus, when I do get to leave where am I going to go? Minnos has been destroyed and everyone in town, including my friends, probably think I am dead. I cannot just show back up, just stroll back into town.”
“That is very true. And you have already lost so much you should not have to lose your friends back home also. Perhaps, once you have resettled, we can discover a way where they can be reintroduced into your life.” Enok said. “As for where you will live once you leave here, with the wealth we have accumulated over the decades, you can rebuild anywhere you would like. You can rebuild Minnos or design something totally new. It is all up to you. You can choose anywhere on this planet to live, Europa. I believe we could even construct a home under the water, if that is what you wanted. It would, of course, have to be constructed with the humans knowing of its existence. Humans have dreamt for years of living under the sea. You could be the first one to do so. But, if you do build your home on land, the only thing I ask is you choose a location close to the ocean so I may visit you.”
“I would like that,” Europa said, a smile appearing on her face as she thought of the possibilities.
“As for the length of your stay here, I imagine it should not be a long one; perhaps six to nine months,” Enok stated. “Definitely less than a year.”
“Really?” Europa said, surprised. She had thought it would be much longer. “Less than a year? That is wonderful news. I feared I would have to remain here for ten or twenty years.”
“You only need to remain here until we are sure all the Terrians have been eliminated,” Enok answered. “Once we are sure, you will be free to leave when you like. So you might want to start thinking of where you want to live because, if we allow humans to build your new home, it will take several months to construct.”
“Looks like I will have something to help me pass my time here, finding a new place to live.”
“Actually, I have something to show you and your brother which I believe you will enjoy more. In fact, once you see this you may choose to stay here longer.” Enok saw the spark of curiosity spread across his daughter’s face. “Now I need for you to go ask Earon and Terrance to join us. And tell Terrance to be sure to bring the stone Mr. Dark Feather gave him. You also need to bring the Orb you found in your mother’s attic.”
“The stone?” Europa repeated, suddenly remembering what Mr. Dark Feather had asked Terrance to do with it. “Are you taking us to FarCore?”
“Just go get them,” Enok smiled. “I will reveal all when you three are here together.”
Europa quickly left the room and walked briskly down the stairs, wiping the tears from her face. She returned within minutes with Earon and Terrance, the Orb securely held in her hand.
“Europa says you have something to show us, Father?” Earon asked, a look of excitement and anticipation clearly visible upon his face.
“Yes,” Enok replied. “Terrance, do you have the stone?” Terrance reached into his pocket and removed the round purple stone. “Excellent. Now I need for you to stand before the picture of Medaron and me. That is the gateway to FarCore.”
Europa looked at her father, perplexed at his words. “Father, I already tried to put my hand through the painting. There is a solid wall behind it.”
“That is true,” Enok replied. “It needs to be opened before you can pass through. I believe your mother gave you the key to unlock the gateway.”
Earon and Europa looked at each other. “The only key she gave me was the golden ship. And I used it in the front door. Do you want me to go get it?” Europa asked.
“A different key is needed here,” Enok replied. “Think back. Your mother gave you a special key the day she died.”
Europa thought back to the day she saw her mother for the last time. She replayed the scene over in her mind, but she did not remember her mother giving her anything. Her mother had transferred her powers to Europa and said some words, the same words she used to heal Jeanip with the Orb. THE WORDS!! That was it. Facing the painting and holding the Orb, Europa spoke, “Ennay Benu Carif.” The surface of the painting began to vibrate, then drops began to form and trickle down towards the floor. The drops grew in size and intensity until a shower of colored rain covered the painting.
“The gate is now open,” Enok said, standing there as a proud father. “This gateway is from Europa and will allow only Oonocks to pass through, so you need to wear this, Terrance,” Enok said, as he slipped a small amulet over his head. “You need to hold Europa’s hand as you walk through the gateway to assure you get in. Earon and I will be right behind you. Now, you need to announce yourself to the gateway just as you did upon entering the house for the first time.”
Europa placed the Orb in her right hand, then took Terrance’s hand with her left. “I am Europa Waters, true daughter of Enok and Medaron, monarchs of the Oonocks’ Water clan.” She turned to look at Terrance.
“I am Terrance Landers, friend and protector of Queen Europa,” Terrance said. Together they stepped forward and walked through the rain shower. Earon and Enok stepped forward and announced themselves, then followed behind them. As soon as all four were through, the rain stopped and the picture returned to normal, momentarily plunging them into darkness. Within seconds, a light appeared ahead of them over what looked like an archway. Still holding hands, Europa and Terrance walked forward through the archway and entered a large expanse of space.
“Welcome to FarCore,” Enok said, as he and Earon followed the two inside.
The three stood there in awe, unable to speak as they tried to comprehend the vision before their eyes, each realizing the panorama before them was an impossibility according to known scientific laws, yet here it was. The area seemed endless with no walls, no ceiling, no end or boundaries. The air had been replaced with the lilac waters of Europa, yet Europa and Terrance had no trouble breathing.
“How is it possible that we’re breathing?” Terrance turned and asked Europa. Terrance brought his hand up to his mouth as he gasped in disbelief, chills running down his body. “Europa look at you. You’ve got WINGS! You’re . . .”
“My most beautiful child,” Enok said, completing Terrance’s statement, as lilac tears filled his eyes and slipped onto his cheek. Three pair of transparent luminous wings could be seen behind her. Her hair was accented with strings of pearl lights cascading down upon her shoulders. Her eyes were larger and the color of lilac. A soft glow emanated from her body.
Seeing the look on Terrance’s face, and unaware of her transformation, Europa reached out to him. As she did, she noticed her arm glowing. Turning to see if the rest of her body was glowing, she saw for the first time her own luminous wings, gently flowing in the water. “Father, what is happening?” Turning to hear his answer, she saw her real father floating before her, the site immediately bringing tears to her eyes. He was no longer the elder human Enok, but the Enok of Europa, the luminous being she had seen before in her dreams. He was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. She noticed he too was crying. “Father, why are you crying?”
“Because you are so beautiful,” he answered, not trying to hide his emotions. “And I never imagined the day would come when I would be able to see the rea
l you.” He floated over to Europa and wrapped her in his top wings. He reached out with his second set of wings and pulled Terrance and Earon into his embrace also. The four floated, locked in each other’s embrace for several minutes, then broke apart. As they separated, Europa saw Earon also was his true, beautiful self, but no transformation had happened to Terrance. He was still a human.
“Father, did FarCore have the power to heal me, to make me an Oonock?” Europa asked, hope flowing through her body.
“No, I am afraid not,” Enok answered. “FarCore is a wondrous place and possesses powers beyond our comprehension. Only time will tell us what transformation, if any, those powers will do to you.” Enok paused for a minute. “FarCore has many security devices to protect itself and its contents, one of which you see now. FarCore sees and displays the real you. It strips away any falsehoods of transformations or disguises to reveal your true self. For Earon and me, it sees we are Oonocks and displays us as such. Terrance is human, so he remains human. But you, Europa, are part Oonock and part human. Because FarCore sees you as both it displays you as each – two complete beings overlapping the other.”
“You’re all so beautiful,” Terrance stated, wiping a tear from his eye also. “Europa told me how utterly lovely the beings in her dreams were, but I had no idea anything could be so beautiful it would bring tears to my eyes.”
“Thank you, Terrance,” Enok replied. “Thank you for accepting us for who we are and appreciating our beauty. You truly are a remarkable human, deserving of my daughter’s love and my respect.”
“Your Majesty, you said you three transformed into your true selves because of a security device,” Terrance stated. “Might I ask why FarCore perceives transformed beings as threats?”
“Yes, Father, why can I not remain transformed into a human?” Earon asked.
“This is the FarCore of Europa,” Enok stated. “Only Oonocks pure of heart can enter through the portal. If a Terrian or a human tried to enter, the portal would deny them access because the security device would see they were not pure hearted Oonocks.”
“But I got through, Your Majesty,” Terrance said quickly.
“Only because you crossed with Europa AND wore the amulet I gave you. Without both you would not have been able to enter.” Enok began to float forward. “My time above is short, so let me show you a few things before I have to return to the Complex, and hopefully I can answer your questions along the way.”
As they floated forward, a replica of the solar system appeared and began to circle around them. It was a replica of what the solar system looked like thousands of years ago, before Jupiter had imploded and JeffRa had turned Mars into a barren wasteland.
“Oh my gosh,” Europa said, letting go of Terrance’s hand and gliding toward the Earth. “There are two earths here,” she stated, upon seeing two blue and green planets.
“No, there’s only one,” Earon replied. “I believe this other planet is Mars.”
“How can that be?” Europa said, looking at Earon. “Mars is barren.”
“This is how Mars looked before JeffRa destroyed it,” Enok stated. “It was a planet filled with life, with lush forests and blue oceans. That is why the other ships settled there. It was a good place to rebuild, almost identical to Earth in every aspect, except for the wildlife. Mars had its own unique wealth of plants and animals.”
“It’s beautiful,” Terrance said, mesmerized by the beauty before him. A somber look came over his face as he realized how close Earth had come to suffering Mar’s fate. “What a shame that such a beautiful planet is now void of life.”
“Luckily for us Earth was spared her sister’s fate,” Enok said, walking over to Jupiter. “Come here and take a look at this. This is what Jupiter and her moons looked like before the implosion accident.” The three moved closer to have a better look at Jupiter. There were no rampant swirling wind storms, no red eye of the great storm that still raged on Jupiter. Although sparse, they could see water and vegetation on the surface. “Even then Jupiter was an inhospitable place, but life did exist there,” Enok explained. “It was very different from Earth or Europian life since it developed in a world of methane and hydrogen, but it did exist. You can also see Jupiter’s major moons before they were altered by Jupiter’s implosion.”
“Which one is Ganymede?” Europa asked, remembering it was the place JeffRa and his followers were exiled to.
“This is Ganymede here,” Enok said, pointing to the third largest moon. “As you can see, it too was not the most hospitable place for life, but life was very possible there, although hard. There was sufficient water, vegetation and wildlife for hunting to support JeffRa and his followers.”
“Might I ask, Father, why Ganymede was chosen?” Earon asked, curious about the reasons behind the moon’s selection. “Would it not have been better to exile them to a location not so close to Europa? Perhaps one of the moons of Saturn or even somewhere outside this system?”
“Now that we know the result of our choice, yes, a location much further away from us would have been a better decision,” Enok replied. “But at the time, Ganymede seemed like the logical choice. Remember, when I sentenced JeffRa I was still consumed with guilt and felt partially responsible for his actions. I guess I wanted him fairly close so I could be there if he needed me. I still believed he could change and become my little brother again. Since we had discovered Ganymede was already populated with indigenous, intelligent life we concluded that, if they could survive there, JeffRa could also. So I chose Ganymede. Plus, the array of supplies and medicines I sent gave him a fighting chance. Or should I say, I believed I sent. I now know he never received them, thanks to our father.” Europa could see a look of sorrow cross her father’s face once again as he remembered the details JeffRa had told them regarding his capture and torture. The look quickly vanished as he turned and floated over to the moon Europa. “And here is Europa, our beloved homeworld. You can see the layer of ice which shielded us from the outside world while keeping us oblivious of the universe beyond our borders for so many millions of years.” Enok held out his hand and motioned for his daughter to come closer. “Europa, come here and touch your homeworld.”
Europa glided over to Enok and gently touched the moon. Instantaneously, the orbiting planets disappeared and the scene around them changed to the world beneath the ice layer. Underwater cities appeared filled with the daily activities of Oonocks as they navigated with such grace and beauty through a sea of swirling colors and lights. Sea creatures of every shape and color could be seen swimming through the water, each surrounded by their own luminous light. Huge water ferns of pink, blue and green rose from the ocean floor, some appearing to be hundreds of feet tall. Plants resembling flowers lined the paths of walkways and circled individual dwellings. Sea grass filled in any area not landscaped or containing the large ferns, resulting in a continuous carpet of colors. In the middle of the city was a huge palace constructed of lilac and gold stone, with several large pillars marking the entrance and a golden dome which glistened and shimmered in the light of the ocean.
“So this is what our homeworld looked like?” Earon asked. “It was magnificent. I used to listen to the old ones tell stories of our city when I was young, but I never envisioned it looked like this. The only picture I have ever seen of it is the one in yours and mother’s room.”
“Yes, it was glorious,” Enok replied. “I do not believe there was ever a place more beautiful than Europa.”
“Could it have survived, Father?” Earon asked.
“One can hope so,” Enok replied. “Now I believe Europa and Terrance have a task to complete. If you would please follow me.” Once again Enok floated forward and this time a table appeared to their right on which rested hundreds of Orbs identical to the one Europa had found. Some glowed a warm whitish-yellow color and were filled with swirling colors, while others were colorless and appea
red empty. When he reached the table of Orbs, he turned to face Europa and Terrance. “Europa, place your Orb here on the table with the others. Here it is to remain, secured with the records of Europa’s past and the memories of Medaron’s and my life together.”
Europa looked down at the Orb in her hand, afraid to relinquish such a treasure. She raised her vision to look into her father’s face. “But Father, if I leave the Orb here how will I get back in or do the things I have been able to do. Is the Orb not the source of my powers?”
“That is only partly true,” Enok said. “Your powers are yours, they are a part of who you are. The Orb only helped you awaken that energy sleeping inside you and they gave you a way to channel and magnify your power through them. With time you will learn, as your mother did, how to use your powers without the aid of the Orbs.”
“Since I have not learned how to channel my powers without their aid, should I not keep the Orb?” Europa asked, still uncertain why her father wanted her to leave the Orb. “I feel I still need its help and do not believe it is wise to leave here without it.”
“Your Orb is full, like the written pages of a journal,” Enok began to explain. “It can hold no more. You need to leave it here with the others and select a new Orb, which you may take with you. It will have all the same capabilities as the Orb you have now, but will contain empty pages for you to record your own history.”
Thankful she did not have to leave FarCore without an Orb in hand, Europa gently placed her Orb on the table with the others. She looked at the empty Orbs and wondered which one she should select. “May I select anyone I wish or is there a specific one?” she asked.
“The Orbs which are not glowing are the ones which need filling. While any of them may accompany you on your life’s journey and record your part in Oonock history, often the Orbs will choose which one should go out into the world. To find it you need to cup your hands together and place them over each empty Orb. The Orb will let you know when you have found it.”
Trusting her father, Europa cupped her hands and placed them over an empty Orb. Nothing happened. Stepping to the next Orb she again cupped her hands over it and received the same result. She repeated this process three more times and watched in disappointment as the Orbs remained silent. She was beginning to wonder if she was doing something wrong, or if her father was mistaken, when the sixth Orb began to softly hum and emit a low glow even before her hands were over it. Excited this might be the one, she softly put her hands over the Orb and watched as it began to glow along with the amulet around her neck. She quickly looked up at her father and saw his affirmative nod. Smiling, she lifted the new Orb from its resting place, assured she had found the correct Orb.
Turning to Terrance, Enok said, “Terrance, I believe Chancee asked you to leave something he gave you here with the Orbs. Please place it on the table with them.” Terrance reached into his pocket and removed the stone.
“May I see that one more time?” Europa asked, as Terrance went to lay the stone down on the table. Terrance brought his hand up and dropped the stone into Europa’s outstretched hand. She raised it to her eye level and stared at the carving of her mother’s face etched into the stone. Keeping her eyes on it she asked Enok, “I asked Jeanip why JeffRa carved only my mother’s image on his power stones. Why not his own or even yours, since he said you were the one he hated the most. Why only mother’s? Jeanip said he did not know but said perhaps you might.” She raised her vision to look directly into her father’s eyes. “Father, do you know why?”
Enok returned his daughter’s gaze. “I have my suspicions. You must remember that JeffRa loved your mother tremendously and she loved him just as much. Try as he might, he could never stop loving her; a truth he could never accept nor escape from, not even after thousands of years. When my father robbed him of joining with Medaron, I believe JeffRa‘s very soul was ripped apart. He became consumed in so much torment and agony over her loss. And he desperately needed her to know the great love he still had for her, perhaps even hoping she would go back to him. Of course she did not and he hated her for that too. Thus, to ensure your mother never forgot, he carved her face on a special power stone that would activate the weapon he invented to kill her children and family. That stone would remind her every time it was he whom ended their life and she was the reason why.”
“Do you really think that he still loved her that much?” Europa asked, trying to fathom the possibility.
“I know he did,” Enok replied. “I know because he did not kill her that day at Minnos. When Jeanip found your mother she laid unconscious in the road, but there was no sign of JeffRa. He had already escaped. That means he regained consciousness while your mother laid helpless on the road. He could have easily killed her while she laid there on the road, and, if he truly hated her, he would have. But he could not harm her, could not end her life because he still loved her as much as he always did despite everything that had happened over the millennia. And, so that I too would know he still cared for her deeply, he left me this.” Enok opened his left hand to reveal a second purple power stone with Medaron’s image carved on it. “He left this at the scene of the accident so she would know it was intended for you, Europa, and so I would know he let her live. There was still good in my brother.”
“Oh, Father, how tragic, how terribly sad,” Europa said, as she picked up the second stone from her father’s hand. “To live one’s entire life loving someone that much, someone who can never return that love. Now I understand a little bit better why you and Mother could not bring yourselves to execute him on Europa.” She softly placed the two stones on the table. “Mr. Dark Feather was right. Here in FarCore is where they should be left for all eternity.”
Each watched in astonishment as a clear substance bubbled up from the table and covered the two identical stones, encasing each in a protective cover. “Now Chancee’s promise to Medaron is fulfilled,” Enok softly said. “The power stone that robbed Tiree of his life and stole him away from his mother will stay here at FarCore forever safe, forever existing. It, along with the one he meant for you, will never again cause sorrow or take more lives. It is finally finished.”
Enok wiped a tear away from his eyes and turned to his children and Terrance. “Enough of such sorrowful things. I brought you here to bring joy into your lives, not sorrow. Let me show you the wondrous purpose of the Orbs.” He picked up one of the Orbs and carried it to a golden ring which suddenly appeared floating in the air just past the table. “The Orbs contain the history and stories of our world and our people, preserved for eternity so all may know what life was like on Europa.” He placed the Orb inside the ring and stepped back. A blinding flash of light emanated from the Orb causing the four to immediately close their eyes. When they opened them they saw before them a scene from the memories stored inside the Orb.
Two young male Waters appeared before their eyes sitting on the ocean floor. They were building a large flying ship together, laughing and enjoying themselves. Around their necks each wore an amulet identical to the ones the four visitors wore.
“Who are they?” Europa asked, swimming closer for a better look at the two.
“That is JeffRa and I when we were young,” Enok said, also moving closer to the images of himself and his brother. “This was the day we decided to build a better, faster ship to go explore Jupiter together. Both of us were intrigued by the stories told by those who had already gone there and walked upon her soil. We wanted to see for ourselves what the planet had to offer and explore its wonders.”
“You two look like you are having a good time,” Earon stated.
“Yes, we were. In our youth, JeffRa and I were very close, almost inseparable,” Enok added. “We did everything together in those days. It would be many years before JeffRa’s love for Medaron completely tore us apart, although the seed of discontent was planted soon after this day. See the stone JeffRa has in
his hand?” They looked closely and could see in young JeffRa’s hand a round purple stone made of the same minerals as the stone Mr. Dark Feather had given Terrance.
“Is that bendicor?” Europa asked. “Jeanip told us about it.”
“Yes, that is a small stone of bendicor. Even this small of a stone has tremendous powers. JeffRa engineered and built a special chamber to house the stone and harness more of its power. It was ingenious. He increased our ship’s power tenfold. In fact, if JeffRa had not invented the chamber, we never would have had the capability to travel to Earth and Mars or outside our system. His ideas changed the future of all Oonocks. See, he is installing the new device now for us to test and see how and if it works.”
“Did he ever get to go to Jupiter?” Earon asked. “Jeanip told us how your father forbid him to go with you on your maiden voyage.”
“No, he never got to fulfill his dream of stepping on her soil,” Enok said sorrowfully. “Our father forbade JeffRa from going with me that day. I tried to persuade Father to allow him to go with me, but he would not hear of it. Nor would he hear of JeffRa receiving recognition for the ship’s design, not even as a co-inventor. To Enoquin, only one of his sons deserved honor and recognition – that one son was me. His other son deserved nothing, not even an afterthought. I tried to correct Father’s wrong by giving JeffRa his due credit when I was honored for the ship’s design and journey, but father quickly silenced me. Once again JeffRa was excluded and I was exalted above all others.” Wishing to see no more, Enok removed the Orb from the golden ring and returned it to its place on the table.
“Did the Orbs record all yours and JeffRa’s childhood memories?” Earon asked.
“No, only those events which shaped our history,” Enok replied. “I believe the Orb recorded this event for two reasons: JeffRa’s idea to use bendicor allowed us to travel outside our solar system and two, it was the day the seed of resentment was planted in JeffRa. This was the day my father succeeded in breaking him and started him down the path of destruction; a path which would change all of our lives, change our world’s history and bring about the elimination of the Waters clan and many others.”
“You said they recorded events which shaped our history.” Europa stated. “So they recorded events outside the royal family?”
“You are correct, Europa. The Orbs record those events which impact upon the world whose memories it is recording, be they large events or tiny moments,” Enok replied. “It could be as small as an insect that is blown into a new land and lays eyes. Those eggs hatch and the offspring begin to multiply and devour the foliage in the area. Since they have no predators, the insects go unchecked and soon devour every leaf within thousands of miles, resulting in a collapse of the food chain. The result is the death of every living creature. Or it could be as enormous as an asteroid hitting a planet and exploding it into millions of pieces. Only significant events are recorded and they may be about anyone or anything.”
“Sir, what are those rock chimneys there?” Terrance asked, as he pointed to thermal vents on the ocean floor.
“Those were the sources of our heat and much of our light,” Enok stated. “Our race evolved because of those vents. Their energy enabled the first life forms to develop from the minerals in our waters.”
“Can we see more of the Orbs’ memories?” Europa asked, eager to see the history of her homeworld.
“Yes, you may,” Enok replied, “But not today. I have little time left and there is still more I need to show you. I will leave the Orbs for you to explore over the next few months while you stay here.” He looked down at Europa and smiled. “Remember? I told you I would give you something to occupy your time.”
“By the looks of it I would say we could spend the next ten years here and not see everything,” Terrance said, looking around the great expanse. “How did you ever create such a place?”
“Actually, we did not make it,” Enok replied. “Medaron discovered the gateway not long after we were joined while exploring a new cave. She was searching for seenums, a sea creature which very much resembles Earth’s Dumbo Octopus. She loved keeping the seenums as pets and had followed several adults into this cave in hopes they would have young ones. Imagine her amazement when she not only discovered numerous young seenums, but several Orbs.”
“The Orbs?” Europa asked. “So our race did not create them either?”
“No, the makers of this place did,” Enok replied.
“Who were the makers?” Terrance asked.
“We do not know who the makers were or are,” Enok replied. “They left no indication of who they were, where they were from or what the real purpose of FarCore was. We think they created expanses like this as a place where they could keep a record of the various worlds in the universes and their histories; their equivalent of what you call a library.”
“The universes?” Earon and Europa asked, giggling lightly as they realized they both asked the same question.
“Come over here and marvel at the Librarians’ technology,” Enok stated, leading them to a large, glass-paned window which appeared to be suspended in the water. It was stationary, but there were no walls holding it in place, no support ropes holding it from the ceiling and no legs supporting it from below. Enok purposely led the three completely around the window in a three hundred-sixty degree circle before stopping in front of it. “Now look through the window and behold the universes!” Enok announced with awe in his voice. The three peered through the window and saw an unlimited number of other glass windows suspended in the nothingness. Through some of the closer windows they could see other worlds and other solar systems.
“There must be millions of them,” Terrance whispered.
“More like billions,” Earon said. “Or trillions. What are they?”
“We believe those are the windows into other worlds, perhaps even other dimensions,” Enok stated. “Each solar system, planet, moon, comet and asteroid has a window behind which its history is recorded in the Orbs.”
“Can we explore them too?” an eager Earon asked, thinking of the possibilities that lay behind the windows, the unbelievable life forms and worlds that existed.
“No, Son,” Enok replied. “One can only enter the history of one’s own world, or worlds if you have lived on or were part of more than one. Like we Oonocks. We have history on both our homeworld of Europa and our new home, Earth.”
“So we can’t enter the realm of Mars?” Terrance asked.
“That is correct, Terrance, you cannot enter Mar’s realm,” Enok replied. “But you can study it here within this expanse since it is part of your solar system. If you touch the planet in the representation of our solar system, you will be given a panoramic view of what it was and is like, as well as a general history of the planet, but no more. We believe one is prevented from entering other realms as another security measure to prevent beings from possessing the secrets of other worlds and using them to make war and dominate other beings. Can you imagine what would happen if a creature of true evil, true hate had access to an unlimited supply of advanced knowledge, weaponry and technology?”
“They could rule or destroy the universe,” Terrance said, thinking what could have happened if JeffRa had had such knowledge.
“That they could, Terrance,” Enok replied. “The creators of this library wanted to keep a record of the universe; but they did not want that knowledge to be used against others. So they limited who could enter and forbade the entrance into other realms. Even those who are allowed to enter have a very strong restriction placed upon them. The gateway will only show itself to beings of pure spirit, who have a loving heart and possess no ill will toward others.”
“But, if their security device is able to screen out anyone who would use the knowledge of other worlds for their own gain, that would mean only good people can enter.” Europa stated. “So, if they are pure at heart, why can they not have access to the
other worlds?”
“I believe Terrance has that answer,” Enok said, turning to look at Terrance.
Terrance suddenly realized everyone was looking at him. Feeling uneasy and awkward, he wondered why Enok thought he would know the answer. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I don’t have any idea of what the answer is.”
“Yes you do, Son,” Enok replied. “You, above anyone here, knows the answer because it is part of your life. Close your eyes and think for just a moment and the answer will come to you.”
Terrance closed his eyes, still confused over what Enok said. He began to relive his life in his mind, trying to find the answer when he suddenly realized what it was. He opened his eyes and looked directly at Enok. “Access to the other realms are denied because one never knows what will turn a man of pure heart into an evil beast.” Terrance saw Enok nod his head in affirmation. “Just like my father. He began life as a creature pure in spirit and heart, but later was turned into a ruthless, hateful murderer because of the combination of his own desires, his ambitions and the cruel treatment by his father.”
“Correct,” Enok replied. “Any being, no matter how pure, has the capability of being turned to evil.”
“And that is another reason why you and Mother could not pronounce the death sentence for him all those millennia ago,” Earon said, now realizing another part of the truth behind their actions.
Enok remained silent but confirmed Earon’s statement with a nod of his head.
“You said every world has an entrance,” Europa said to her father. “Does that mean there is an entrance from Earth?”
“Yes,” Enok replied. “But, as of yet, it has not been discovered. The humans of Earth still wage war against each other, still seek power to dominate the weaker and still have not learned how to live in harmony with each other and nature. Until they do, the human race will be denied access to the Orbs and the gateway. But I believe the human race has many admirable qualities that will one day bring them to global peace and love. On that day, the gateway will make its presence known.”
“Father, you said one can only enter their own world, or another world if they have lived there. Since we are on Earth, does that mean we have access to its realm without using a gateway?” Earon asked, excited by the possibility of another area to explore.
“Is that possible?” Europa asked, now very excited by the idea also.
“Yes. Since you are of two worlds you have access to both FarCores,” Enok said. “Would you like to see Earth’s expanse?”
“Would we!” all three answered in unison.
Enok laughed and was delighted to hear excitement in their voices. He turned and swam past the Orbs toward a small dot of light. The light grew rapidly in size and then suddenly transformed into an archway from which strange sounds could be heard.
“Welcome to Earth’s history,” Enok said, stretching his hand out, pointing the way through the arch.
They hurried through the archway and discovered they were standing on a large plateau, overlooking across grassy planes below. Mountains and active volcanoes could be seen in the distance, with a brilliant blue sky overhead. A large lake glistened in the sun, a light breeze causing small waves to wash upon the shore. Several brachiosaurus emerged from the lake to join the remainder of their herd already grazing on land. Their enormous weight caused the ground to shake as they walked forward. Also grazing on the plains were saurolophus, stegosaurus, several forms of hadrosaurs, a family of gargoyleosaurs and an unfamiliar form of triceratops. In the distance they could see two t-rex with young stalking one of the band of hadrosaurs. Staring down at the scene before them, they did not notice the pteranodon overhead until it flew over their heads and landed several yards away, where her young waited for the fish in her mouth.
“This is unbelievable,” Terrance said. “I know several paleontologists that would give their right arm to witness this.”
“Look, Terrance,” Europa shouted, pointing at the t-rex. “They really do have feathers. And look what those tiny arms are for. Who would have guessed it?”
“Remember, you three, nothing you see here in the expanse can ever be revealed to the world,” Enok cautioned. “It is forbidden.”
“But what harm would there be in announcing a theory about what the t-rex used their short arms for?” Europa asked. “It is already in our past.”
“True, but the present must progress according to the scientific discoveries and lifestyles of man,” Enok answered. “The creators of this library felt any knowledge removed from here would have the possibility of contaminating the future. If any knowledge is taken from this room, the gateway will seal itself and entry will be denied.”
“For how long?” asked a concerned Europa.
“Possibly forever,” Enok replied.
“But why can I remove the Orb?” Europa asked, as she looked down into the round object in her hands.
“Because it contains no knowledge,” Enok replied. “It is blank. You will fill it with your experiences as you go through life.”
“Look over there,” Earon announced, pointing past the pteranodons. “There’s a table of Orbs just like in our realm. Do they contain more of Earth’s past?”
“Yes, they are the records of Earth’s history,” Enok answered. “From the time it formed to today, Earth’s history is stored in the Orbs. And since you are a part of this planet, you may also explore those Orbs.”
“So they can tell me who really killed President Kennedy and if we really walked on the moon?” Terrance asked, intrigued by the possibilities of what he could learn.
“Yes, but use caution when exploring such specific events, Young Terrance,” Enok cautioned. “With the answers comes the burden and power of knowledge. Such specific knowledge brings with it a greater chance of sealing the door because of the greater risk of revealing what you have learned outside of the chamber. It is wiser to explore more general subjects or subjects further in the past.”
“Do all worlds have Orbs?” Terrance asked.
“We believe so,” Enok stated. “I have only been in these two realms. And since I cannot enter any of the others, I can only assume each realm is basically the same, just different histories and scenery. Come, it is time for us to return to our own realm and for me to return to the Complex,” Enok said, leading the way back into Europa’s FarCore.
“Father, how do you know all these conditions? And Graybin said mother painted the gateway. How?” Europa asked.
“Once the Orbs were certain your mother was pure of heart, they revealed to her how to create the gateway and she was given the conditions,” Enok replied. “She passed them on to me and I am passing them on to you. When the day comes for you to bring someone here you, in turn, will pass the conditions on to them. As for the gateway, the Orbs taught your mother how to create it when we were on Europa. She was able to bring it with her when we fled our homeworld. It was very small, about an inch square. She kept it hidden in the golden locket she wore around her neck next to her amulet. When Saint’s Isle was completed, she brought the gateway here for safekeeping and was able to reconstruct it as the painting you saw of the two of us. To most beings it is just a painting, but to those who know its secrets, it is the gateway you passed through.”
“Will it always remain a picture of you and Mother?” Europa asked, curious as to what would happen to the painting now that her mother was deceased.
“That is another question I do not know the answer to,” Enok replied. “But I believe when I have flowed out into the waters and have joined your mother, it will be necessary for the painting to take on the appearance of someone alive. Perhaps it will be a painting of you three.”
“That is an interesting theory,” Earon stated.
“And a little freaky, too,” Terrance added.
The sound of a hall clock began to chime, filling the air with its tone. “We are being told it is time for us to le
ave,” Enok said, seeing the disappointed looks on the three travelers’ faces. “Another condition of the expanse. Beings tend to get consumed by the knowledge in here and can easily remain for days, weeks or even months without emerging. To assure this does not happen, the expanse has a safety feature. It only allows you access for a specific amount of time. The time limit assures you have a life OUTSIDE of the expanse. But you may return tomorrow, if you like.”
“We can come only once a day?” Europa asked, disappointed at the idea.
“Yes, that is the limit for now,” Enok replied. “The gateway could change the limit in the future, but we have no way of knowing when that might occur. For now, we must abide by its clock. Come, let us go.”
Enok led the way back to the gateway entrance. Each one stepped through and onto the floor in the library on Saint’s Isle, Enok, Earon and Europa in human form once again. They were surprised to learn they had been in inside the gateway for over two hours. It had seemed like minutes. They understood why the expanse had the stipulation of a time frame that one could spend inside.
Terrance removed the amulet and handed it to Enok. “No, Terrance, you keep the amulet for a while. You will need it if you want to go back inside. Since you are not of Europa you will need to have Europa or Earon go with you at all times. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” Terrance replied, returning the amulet to its place around his neck. He knew what an honor it was to be given something that only a member of the royal family wore.
“Walk with me downstairs,” Enok instructed, as he left the library and headed down the staircase. “I will be back in a few days to see how you are doing. Europa, think about where you want your new home to be while I’m gone. We can start building it as soon as you’ve chosen a location.”
“Yes, I will.”
“When I return I will be bringing several Oonocks with me to work as helpers and allow Graybin and Runbee to return to the ocean. They have been very generous with their time, but their assignment to watch over you and work as the house staff was only to be temporary, until I could bring new helpers aboard. You may be interested to know, Earon, that EeRee has volunteered to work at Minnos.”
“EeRee? Really?” Earon asked, a definite tone of excitement in his voice.
Europa noted the immediate joy in Earon’s voice and upon his face. She was curious who this EeRee being was. Turning to Earon she asked, “And whom, might I ask, Earon, is EeRee?”
“EeRee is probably one of the most beautiful Waters ever born,” Earon stated. “We were to be joined as life-mates before Mother found out she was pregnant and I came up to the surface to live. I have not seen her in over twenty years. When I left, I released her from any obligation to wait for me and I have always assumed she continued her life without me.” Looking at Enok, Earon asked, “Will she be coming alone or did she find another Oonock to take my place?”
Enok smiled, stretched out his arm and pulled his son in close to him while they walked down the staircase. “Oh, Earon, you certainly are your father’s son. You released her from her obligation to avoid causing her pain, just as I did when I instructed Jeanip to tell Medaron I had passed. We were both wrong to do so. The truth is, EeRee only has eyes for you. She has not taken another as her life’s mate because she gave away her heart years ago – to you. She waits for you and will not consider another to be joined with.”
“Really, Father?” Earon asked, elated to hear his one true love was still waiting for him. “So there is still a chance we can be joined?”
“Most certainly,” Enok answered. “And now that your true identity is known to your sister, I see no reason why the joining cannot take place in the near future, perhaps here on the island. That is, if you still wish to join with her.”
“Most definitely,” Earon responded.
“When I return to the Complex I will speak with her parents and make the arrangements for her to accompany me back. Then you two can rekindle your love and decide when you wish to be joined.”
Europa watched as Earon began to skip toward the front door. She had never seen her brother so happy, so excited about something or someone. “I cannot wait to meet this EeRee. She definitely has won my brother’s heart. And it will be nice to have another female of my own age here on the island.”
When they reached the front door, Enok paused for a moment. “I believe it is safe for you three to escort me down to the water’s edge.” He smiled as he saw excitement cross their faces. “During the day, if you wish, you can come out into the gardens. I am sure you are getting a little claustrophobic being cooped up inside the house. Just be sure the doors are locked before dinner and the plank removed. You can unlock the door each morning after breakfast or anytime during the day, if you wish to go outside. If there is any potential danger, the security grid will know and the house will not allow the door to be opened. I will be bringing up new security personnel to monitor the grid and see to your safety until Jeanip is able to return. And I have my eye on a young medical personage named Gardawyn that I am considering bringing up also.” Enok saw a worried look appear on Terrance’s face. He realized the appearance of several young male Oonocks was making Terrance a little nervous. Currently he was the only eligible male on the premises and therefore had exclusive opportunities with Europa. To ease Terrance’s fears Enok stated, “And do not worry, Young Terrance. Just as EeRee has eyes only for my son, my daughter has eyes only for you.” Terrance breathed a sigh of relief as he blushed. He looked over at Europa and saw she too was blushing. Neither of them had realized Enok knew of their growing love.
Finally at the ocean’s edge, Enok turned and hugged each of his children, giving them a kiss on the cheek, then turned and gave Terrance a hug goodbye also. “Now, if you will wait here I will swim by as I leave,” Enok announced, as he continued down the path inside the cove and out of sight. Europa started to ask why they could not escort him all the way down to the water’s edge when she remembered that, in order to transform, Enok had to disrobe. Although nudity meant nothing to the Oonocks, she understood Enok realized it would be embarrassing and awkward for her to see him that way.
Once he was out of sight, Enok undressed and slipped into the water, transforming into a dolphin. He was quickly joined by several others who would escort him back to the Complex. As he promised, he swam over to where the three travelers waited and loudly clattered and clicked his goodbyes. He then dove underneath the surface and disappeared into the ocean’s vastness, emerging again in the dense fog bank before transforming into a Moby and returning to the Complex.
____________
That night Europa laid in bed, thinking of all she had seen on the other side of the gateway and all that was left to discover. She also began to think of where she wanted her new house and what it would look like. For the first time in many days, she looked forward to her future with excitement and she knew she was going to be okay. She was human, but she was an Oonock of the Waters clan also. She thanked God for both.
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