23 Hours

By Mark Rogo

With every step we take, advancing ourselves as a species, humans come closer to understanding divinity. Each scientific breakthrough also makes us more powerful as humans, gives us greater wherewithal to question the existence of the divine. It was only a matter of time before explorers of the twenty-first century would allow us to launch a device deep into space that would return data and information, verifying the existence of other worlds that can support other life forms. Our desire to seek out the meaning of our existence through exploration is insatiable. What men never realized, however, was that they were being observed, and the launch of the first nuclear-propelled spacecraft sent the wrong message. This is how the saga began.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514436387

Mark Rogo

Mark Rogo is a frustrated author, deciding late in life that his bucket list needed attention. His various careers through life have led him in different directions, none of which quelled his desire to write. After graduating La Canada High School and the University of Pacific, Mark entered Southwestern School of Law, only to discover that Perry Mason was nowhere to be found. His next move was to join the family business, as a used machinery dealer, which became his career for over twenty years. Eventually, he bought Morton Machinery Company and transformed it from a stocking dealer to a multi-faceted company with divisions in leasing, new machinery sales, asset-based lending, and controlled liquidations. The United States economy had other ideas, and as the manufacturing base left the country, so did Mark’s desire to work harder and earn less. So he followed the path his wife had embarked on, and once again reinvented himself as a real estate agent, which is where you will find him today at Coldwell Banker in Beverly Hills. Mark’s passion for life centers on his trophy wife of 40 years, Lynn Mirisch Rogo, their two daughters Marcie and Lisa, a son-in law Anil, and two perfect granddaughters.

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Copyright © 2016 by Mark Rogo.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015920927

ISBN:       Hardcover       978-1-5144-3640-0

                 Softcover         978-1-5144-3639-4

                 eBook              978-1-5144-3638-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 01/04/2016

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CONTENTS

PROLOGUE: Life as We Know It

VOLUME I: The Transition

Chapter One: Introduction

Chapter Two: The Abduction

VOLUME II: The Yavari World

Chapter Three: The Yavari People and Their World:

An Introduction

Chapter Four: Life Begins on Planet Yavari

Chapter Five: Settling In

Chapter Six: Living as a Celebrity on Yavari

Chapter Seven: Tani

Chapter Eight: Married to Project Tani

Chapter Nine: Invasion and the Great Battle

Chapter Ten: The Meeting with the Grand Council

Chapter Eleven: Establishing My Life on Yavari

VOLUME III: Building a Life on Yavari

Chapter Twelve: Settling In (Again)

Chapter Thirteen: Leadership and Marriage

Chapter Fourteen: Marriage

Chapter Fifteen: Tani’s Accident

Chapter Sixteen: All-Consuming Desire for Revenge

Chapter Seventeen: The Battle for Revenge

Chapter Eighteen: Tani’s Funeral

Chapter Nineteen: Traveling to the Grand Alliance Ceremony

Chapter Twenty: Unrest in the System

Chapter Twenty-One: The Start of the Grand Alliance

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Life of a Galactic Grand Overlord

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Montoid Trip

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Egyptian Connection

Chapter Twenty-Five: My Courtship and a Shift in Power

Chapter Twenty-Six: My Engagement to Princess Hatshepsut

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Brief Engagement Dinner

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Taking on the Grobes

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Suicidal Defeat or Diplomatic Victory?

Chapter Thirty: My First Night with a Queen

Chapter Thirty-One: Meeting the Grobes

Chapter Thirty-Two: Negotiations with the Grobes

Chapter Thirty-Three: Fighting Like Children

Chapter Thirty-Four: Complications in My Love Life

Chapter Thirty-Five: New Developments at RANDI-3

Chapter Thirty-Six: My Betrothal and Marriage to

Princess Hatshepsut

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Diplomatic Reception on Yavari

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Uncovering the Plot

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Reconciliation

Chapter Forty: Life As It Should Be Lived

Chapter Forty-One: One Hundred Years and

Ten Children Later

Chapter Forty-Two: The First Break on

Piercing the Time Ribbon

Chapter Forty-Three: Advances on Time Ribbon Properties

Chapter Forty-Four: Dealing with the Queen

Chapter Forty-Five: The Launch

Chapter Forty-Six: The Big Trip

Chapter Forty-Seven: My Return to Earth

Chapter Forty-Eight: Meeting My Wife Miriam

Chapter Forty-Nine: Love Lost and Found Again

Chapter Fifty: The First Press Conference

Chapter Fifty-One: Meeting with the Leaders of Planet Earth

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Last Chapter

GLOSSARY

APPENDIX A

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my family: my wife, Lynn; my daughters, Lisa and Marcie; my son-in-law, Anil; my granddaughters, Kira and Sonia; my mother, Maxine; my sister, Shari’; her husband, John; and their two children, Rachel and Matthew. At the end of our lives, this is all that matters, all that counts: our family.

Of course, I must also acknowledge two men who played major roles in my life: my father-in-law, Marvin Mirisch, and my father, Morton Rogo. Marvin brought a sense of sophistication to my life, introducing me to highly accomplished, incredibly interesting people. Mort, my father, was, is, and always will be my role model, the hero I aspire to be. I credit both of these great men with instilling within me an unwavering commitment to my family and for guiding me, by example, to show the compassion and dedication to my parents that they have shown to theirs. And in the words of Rabbi Shapiro of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, The anecdote for arrogance is humility—a lesson from Marvin I always try to follow.

PROLOGUE

Life as We Know It

Long before written language appeared, humans pondered their place in the universe. As K said in Men in Black, Fifteen hundred years ago, everybody knew the earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everyone knew the earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that people were alone on this planet. Can you imagine what you will know tomorrow?

With every step you take, advancing yourselves as a species, humans come closer to understanding divinity. Each scientific breakthrough also makes you more powerful as humans and gives you greater wherewithal to question the existence of the divine. Leif Erikson and Christopher Columbus pushed the envelope by challenging the commonly held beliefs of their era. Ferdinand Magellan did the same when he circumvented the world. It was only a matter of time before your explorers of the twenty-first century would do the same, allowing you to launch a device deep into space that would return data and information, verifying the existence of other worlds that can support other life-forms. Your desire to seek out the meaning of your existence through exploration is insatiable. What you never realized, however, was that you were being observed, and your launch of your first nuclear propelled spacecraft sent the wrong message.

This is how my saga began. The Yavari people have been watching. They have watched human development as you advanced from small roaming tribes living off the land to hierarchical societies with royal lineages, then developed into democracies and theocracies. They observed and felt the depth of your desire to understand and control the worlds around you. They watched as outcasts were burned for heresy, and wars were fought over dogma. Your world has taken different twists and turns, but ultimately, it was your desire to learn more and your relentless abuse of your environment and your own species that led to their decision to confront you.

One day, you are rolling through your mundane routine of killing each other, arguing between governments, standing by while children die of starvation and disease, and generally leading the unacceptable pattern of life you’ve followed since the dawn of time. The next, you are setting all your beliefs and opinions and judgments of each other aside, watching in complete bewilderment as the Yavarians arrive to confront your aggressive nature, to challenge your perception of your own humanity.

What do you do with questions about the future of life? Where do you expect the next representatives of alien cultures to come from, and what do you have to do to be prepared? You were lucky with the Yavarians; they may allow you to live. Will the next visitors be so magnanimous? I have lived among this species for 257 Earth years, and I can tell you from experience that they will not tolerate the existence of any higher life form that may threaten their world or the systems they are sworn to protect. I make this bold statement as a citizen of Yavari, Prince of Montoid, and as Galactic Grand Overlord of all military forces of the Galactic Grand Alliance.

Your lives, your way of living, life as you know it—they all have to change and diverge from the path leading to the lemming cliff of extinction. You need a complete recalibration of mankind on this rock called Earth. If you don’t address the big questions, what chance will you have surviving the next visitors, who may not be as benign as the Yavarians? How will you rise to their expectations if you present yourselves as the heathen bottom-feeders of this galaxy? Whatever you may think of the Yavarians, I can assure you that they have the means and the will to destroy Earth with true compassion. They have analyzed you, and they hope you will mature to a standard of civilization they developed eons ago and become a peaceful species emulating the ideals of the Alliance.

I’m not suggesting you attempt to develop the military ability to quell a forceful visit. It would be futile, for you wouldn’t even make it to your proverbial first base. You are being watched, analyzed, and observed—at least by the Yavarians and probably by other species as well.

I’m not suggesting you hold hands and sing Kumbaya either. They’re not stupid.

What I am suggesting is that you come together as a unified species, recognize your passion for conflict, seek ways to quell those naturally selected desires to feel superior to your own brothers and sisters, and rise above the caveman mentality in order to feed your children and make peace among yourselves.

I offer you this advice as a former humanoid. Yesterday, I was a citizen of the United States of America on planet Earth. Today, I stand before you as a citizen of Yavari, Prince of Montoid.

I’ve always been impressed by a common thread I’ve found in higher life forms: the ability for unique thought. That’s your ticket for success. This path is your only chance for survival.

VOLUME I

The Transition

Chapter One

Introduction

I’m Aaron Epstein, and as the whole world knows, I am the humanoid chosen by the Yavarians to be observed on their battleship for a few days, orbiting Earth. I am somewhat of an ambassador, I suppose—a representative of the human race.

My years of life have offered me a different perspective now of that fateful day. Throughout the passage of time, we all change our outlook on life. Youthful enthusiasm is replaced with mature caution as we travel through life and encounter disappointment, death, and the unexpected. Each experience broadens our overall view of our world, modifies our behavior, and slowly transforms us into paranoid senior citizens.

But the ebb and flow of time has another effect: it stifles our creative juices and deadens our positive outlook on life. The passage of time slowly prepares us for our ultimate destination, both spiritually and mentally. I was more than prepared for my demise when I decided to attempt a dangerous crossing of the time ribbon and return to Earth less than a week ago.

Can you imagine 35 years on this world and 257 on another, instead of our statistical average of 72.5? Try living 257 years of your new life in a climate you are not used to, going about your routine under the ticking of a clock that doesn’t fit twenty-four hours, a world that only stares back at you, and a lifetime of Earth experiences that never leave you. Put on that hat and sprinkle in the memories of your wife and children, then drop in the certainty that you’ll never see them again. Now take that to bed with you every night as your nightmare and wonder how you will keep your sanity.

This is a story of my travels, both here and on Yavari. I will take you with me on this journey, this tale of two worlds—on Earth and in an alien realm—a trek through time and the deepest, darkest corners of my mind. You will experience the wonderment of space travel and living in a divergent universe and know of the deep human desire that burned like a star in my humanoid soul, the deep craving to go home and be with my loved ones.

To read this story, you must prepare yourself. Find a quiet space, relax in a comfortable chair, clear your mind, and come join me …

Chapter Two

The Abduction

Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask but when we are challenged to be what we can be.

—Morris Adler

I’m a CNC machinist in a Los Angeles aerospace job shop, just off the Santa Ana Freeway and Broadway Avenue. Belmont High School was very difficult for me, and my parents couldn’t really afford to send me to college, so I enrolled at Pasadena City College for night classes. A friend helped me get the job at the machine shop during the day. Some of the older guys thought I was smart; they showed me how they program their CNC machines and use their engineering skills to develop programs that instruct their mill or turning center precisely how to machine a piece of metal into a part. It’s a really fascinating process, and in short order, the owner enrolled me in machinist classes operated by the local tool and die trade association. I became an apprentice.

Along the way, I met an amazing woman, Miriam Imhotep. Her parents were transplanted Jews from Egypt who ran a small restaurant in Gardena. It wasn’t a fancy Beverly Hills bistro or anything, but the place was clean, and they worked hard. Miriam was waitressing the day I walked in to have dinner with some friends after work, to celebrate a coworker’s birthday even though I can’t recall whose birthday it was. All I remember is the stunning woman who stood before me, talking to me; I didn’t really hear a thing she said. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life, with dark flawless olive skin, deep dark eyes that hid a powerful intellect, long black hair that framed her perfect face and draped over her shoulders like a movie star’s, and a figure that would have knocked any man to his knees. It was as if the heavens opened, and angels came out singing, trumpets blaring. Instantly and inexplicably, I was in love. It just hit me like a sledgehammer, and I’ve fortunately never recovered. I asked her out that night and kept asking until she relented. I promised her anything and everything and eventually wore her down. It took a year for me to convince her to marry me, and it seemed like an eternity, but little did I know that the concept of time was going to play a crucial role in my life to come.

The day I met my wife had such an impact on me. I recall thinking it would forever be the most memorable day of my life. I had no idea how that day would remain embedded in my memory and remain with me for a lifetime on a planet millions of miles away, that it would anchor my thoughts and obsession of returning to Earth.

That’s the irony here: I was about to go on a 257-year adventure in another star system, become the first humanoid to interact with an alien species, fight two wars, intercede in a planned coup, help to develop new technologies, assume leadership as a military chief of staff over billions of life-forms living in over a hundred planetary systems, father twelve children between two wives, and become a prince. Aaron Epstein was days from becoming a household name, and history was about to be rewritten. It was going to be one hell of a week, albeit for a completely different reason.

Everyone has their own version of that fateful day when I found myself thrust into the limelight. I was merely driving to work in my Volvo, minding my own business, wondering what Miriam was preparing for dinner and if I had enough money saved for a vacation later that year. I don’t remember the actual transfer. I do recall listening to KFWB News in the car; there were reports coming from Washington that a possible UFO had been detected, and there was military activity in North Korea. It seemed strange. All I know was that at one moment, I was pulling into the employee parking lot, and in the next, I was sitting in a chair in a strange cold gray room. It was a scene right out of a TV show about police interrogations. There was a desk in the middle with one light hanging above it, and I was seated in one of the two chairs while strangers stood against the wall. I had a sense of some odd gap in time, something like a bad case of jetlag, but I could not figure it out. My senses were overwhelmed by the multiple messages coming in: a strange room, no parking lot, people talking to me, and a weird-looking character in the corner dressed in an alien costume. It was just too radical to handle.

Very quickly, I recovered my senses. I recall looking at someone in military uniform and asking, Where the hell am I?

Mr. Epstein, you are in a government facility in Los Angeles. There is a lot to explain, but first I have to ask if you feel okay.

I’m fine, but … Where is my wife? Where am I? What’s going on? I remember firing off a lot of questions, only to receive strange looks for an answer.

The press reported that I was calm and professional in my original sit-down with the military, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. I was excited and afraid. I didn’t remember anything about how I’d arrived there, and that concerned me. At first, I assumed I’d been in a traffic accident and was suffering from a concussion or some horrible head trauma that was making me dream or hallucinate. Their refusal to answer any of my questions about my wife worried me greatly. At one point, I stood up and demanded to know how my wife was. Finally, they assured me she was fine, but they persuaded me that larger issues were at stake and that I needed to listen to them and try to understand what they were saying.

Then it all came out. Satellite sensors had detected Yavarian battleships orbiting Earth, but the military monitors were sure there was just some sort of electrical snafu. When they trained scopes on the locations, they couldn’t see anything. Yet their detection devices indicated that some sort of massive structures were, in fact, orbiting our lovely home planet. I was asked to sign a nondisclosure document before it all began, but I adamantly refused; my gut told me it was a bad idea.

We all know the story now. The Yavarians were observing Earth and became very concerned with the launch of the JPL satellite that left our solar system relying on nuclear fission for power. They used their pure energy to find their way into the offices of the military chief of staff, the presidents of Russia and the United States, the foreign ministers of the UK and France, and the chair of the communist party of China. They simultaneously delivered the message, and phones lit up in all the world capitals, intelligence agencies went on overload, and military option plans were dusted off. Fortunately, our world leaders were talking to each other and comparing notes. In the end, they all came to the same conclusion: They were facing a formidable foe bent on the destruction of Earth if we failed to prove our peaceful nature. When asked by President Gupta what we could do to assure them of our peaceful intentions, the Yavarians immediately suggested that a typical humanoid be chosen for observation over a few days. The name suggested was a familiar one: Aaron Epstein.

I have never received a satisfactory answer from the Yavarians to one simple question: Why me? All I can say is that Benedict was part of the planning committee that came up with my name, and Shantee approved it weeks earlier.

I recall the colonel’s words so clearly, even this many years later: Mr. Epstein, you need to agree to do this for your country and for mankind. You will be back home with your family before the weekend. I guarantee it. The irony still sticks in my throat. Be back? From where? Where am I going?

They explained that I was going to live on one of the battleships orbiting Earth. The whole scene seemed so surreal to me that I expected Allen Funt to jump out and yell, "You’re on Candid Camera!" That was no longer an option when the president walked in; his arrival made it clear that it was all very serious and certainly not some elaborate joke.

All that time, the alien-looking being in the corner just seemed to float there, staring at me. As it observed me, it seemed to get nervous and more and more agitated. Unsettled, I finally asked the colonel, What’s up with the costume gig in the corner?

It is not a costume, Mr. Epstein. That’s their representative, observing you.

I looked at the being, and he looked at me, neither of us really knowing what was in store for us. I later learned his name; they called him Menche.

The networks had started releasing alerts on television as news leaked from the world capitals about the battleship and their demands. Panic broke out in several major cities as a result; the Russians launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), only to watch it explode within seconds of takeoff, thanks to a powerful particle beam cannon. DEFCON 5, the lowest state of readiness, was declared by the president, and the Chinese bombed the hell out of the North Korean nuclear facilities. I have to give the Chinese credit: Early on, before anyone else seemed to get the message, they understood that we couldn’t afford to do anything stupid. And they knew the North Koreans could and might. Their well-thought preemptive strike saved us from ourselves.

At the insistence of CNN, and likely the Yavarian representative, news feed was brought in to accompany me to the pressroom. Despite reports saying otherwise, I was not allowed to call Miriam or my children; I couldn’t talk to anyone. Everything happened so fast, in a blur, and I struggled to keep track of what was going on. Medical technicians came in and took blood, a special marker was placed under my skin, lots of questions were asked by military officers scribbling on clipboards, and people were running in and out and looking at me curiously. I sort of resigned myself to go with the flow, since I was already in way over my head. Up to that point, I was just an aerospace machinist, operating a new Toshiba CNC 5-Axis Horizontal Machining Center. I earned $105,000 per year with overtime, drove a five-year-old Volvo. I was indebted to a mortgage and a car loan, and I’d been happily married to my sweetheart for over ten years. What the hell was I supposed to think?

Before long, I was escorted out of the holding room and found myself standing in a room large enough to accommodate fifty people. I didn’t know CNN was feeding play-by-plays to the world, but everyone saw it. The Yavarian was scrutinizing me from head to toe, measuring me for something, and the military kept asking about next of kin (never a good sign).

You should prepare a few remarks for the people, the president instructed me.

Unable to think of much of anything but my wife, I looked at him in confusion. Remarks on what?

Mr. Epstein, the world is watching you. He pointed to the CNN camera. They will expect you to have something to say.

Surely we all remember that memorable speech, one that apparently caused so much consternation throughout the world that over a hundred thousand people committed suicide in anticipation of the world’s demise. It went something like this:

First, the president began, "Good evening, citizens of the world. I am Sanford Gupta, president of the United States of America. I come before you today as merely a fellow human being, not as the president or as a citizen of the United States, but rather as a representative of the human race. In the past week, events of historic proportion have taken place on our planet, including our first interaction with alien life. Those of us involved with government work had our first exposure a week ago and have been working together ever since to confirm their existence, communicate with their leaders, and understand their intentions.

"It has always been our goal as humans to promote peace throughout our world and to work toward the goal of a world without strife, war, poverty, or hunger. Our history has been plagued by wars and acts of inhumanity. Every atrocious act and bad or selfish, greedy decision we have made has been observed and analyzed by the alien species we now find on our doorstep. Their representative has informed us that our long sordid history of violence and destruction has been observed, documented, and debated on their world. I am not sure what that means, but it seems we are now—at this very moment—encircled by three large battleships equipped with advanced armaments that have the ability to destroy life on this planet as we know it.

"The desolation of Planet Earth, however, was not their original intent. We have been assured that they were simply here to observe us as the primary species on our ‘blue planet,’ as they call it, to keep an eye on our development. Unfortunately, our recent launch of a JPL satellite outside of our solar system, powered by a small nuclear reactor, has raised concern in their world. Their perception is that now we have the ability to deliver nuclear payloads to other galaxies. This has led them to offer us an ultimatum, and it has been delivered to the heads of government of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

"The ultimatum is simply that we cease the development of nuclear weapons and return to more peaceful ways. They will choose a representative of our species and observe him on their orbiting battleship for three days. If they feel we have the potential to engage in a peaceful, constructive partnership with their planetary systems after careful observation and consultation with the heads of their government, they will allow us to live. If not, and if they perceive our development as something of a threat to their system, they will destroy Earth.

All five heads of government offered themselves as representatives of Planet Earth. But the aliens have opted instead to observe Aaron Epstein, a machinist from Los Angeles, California, a husband and the father of two small daughters. Now Mr. Epstein, our would-be ambassador to the otherworldly visitors, has a few words to say.

I stepped up to the mic and began, Hi. I’m Aaron Epstein, and I’m told that I’ve been chosen to represent Earth as a peaceful world to some aliens who are hovering in orbit above us. I have no idea what is expected of me, nor do I know where I’m going. If someone would please get a message to my wife, I need to let her know to pack a bag for me.

And with that, I was gone, off to some faraway place called Yavari.

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VOLUME II

The Yavari World

Chapter Three

The Yavari People and Their World: An Introduction

It’s impossible to fully explain the Yavari and Jedidiah people and their worlds in a context that would be even remotely understandable to humans. Living there helped me appreciate the Alliance, not necessarily understand it. A large part of that inability was due to their technology and environmental differences. Those galaxies bear no resemblance to our own, and if I couldn’t grasp all of it while actually there, I cannot expect you to in just over three hundred pages of recollections. You just need to make it through this boring chapter and appreciate the underpinnings of their world and toss out all of your preconceptions about what an alien culture should be like. Then you will get some sort of a basis of understanding.

Separately, the Jedidiah people are actually an alien species who chose a path of physical development involving humanoids thousands of years ago, but that’s an explanation for a different chapter.

To help you through this difficult part of the story, let’s understand a few underlying basics of the Yavari people.

First, their advanced technology allows them to travel to and fully explore other systems, utilizing what I called pure energy. Even now, I know this is an incorrect translation because while it may be a pure form of energy from our perspective, it is not from theirs.

Second, their ability to harness this so-called pure energy results in a host of new dynamics in their social culture, which also advances their development from a cultural-based environment like ours to a whole new lifestyle of pure transparency. What I mean by that is that their development in technology is far more advanced simply because they can share and exchange ideas and thoughts more efficiently. This is not mental telepathy as humans think of it. Rather, the Yavarians can actually transport their awareness to another location and participate in whatever is taking place. This open form of society creates a whole new dynamic for social mores and social thought, a far higher level of maturity than the one to which we humans have matured. I know what you’re thinking, and it’s confusing to me too. It took many decades of exposure to the Yavarian social culture before this way of thinking was fully integrated into my behavior, for me to fully appreciate how it opens up ideas between life-forms and eliminates adversarial situations through exposure and open communication. But it has its limitations. Only basic concepts can be exchanged, it consumes a tremendous amount of personal energy, other species cannot perform pure energy, and the recollections are similar to watching a black and white TV set.

Third, their reproductive process requires a third sex, one I call a neutral. Believe it or not, there are certain areas in our anatomical development that transcend theirs. One of these is our ability to reproduce, male and female, without the necessity for a third—a connector or neutral, something the Yavarians seem to require. This was not an issue with the humanoids of Montoid.

Finally, Yavari society is a homogeneous world, dulled by a lack of diversity. This is another area in which we excel beyond them. The planets and systems of the Alliance offer a fascinating array of higher life-forms for diversity, though not as technologically advanced as the Yavarians. That was the part of American society that I missed the most—diversity.

I’m not a scientist, so I will explain this as best as I can, and I must offer my sincere apologies to the scientific community.

We all know that the human mind is our least understood organ. Transmission within it occurs by chemical and electronic discharges between synapses. Just the very elementary understanding of this concept offers the ability to appreciate the advanced Yavarians.

Thousands of years ago, the Yavari people were not all that dissimilar to humans. They physically walked their world, carried on numerous clashes, and generated conflict by pitting scientific advancement against traditional religious teachings. Their world cultures were rooted differently, separated by continents, and I believe they reached a plateau of development that left no further choice but to take that next great leap: a unified effort to create pure energy.

Simple physical movement takes time and effort. Over the centuries, we have developed tools to supplement simple desires for more efficiency. For example, we initially hauled things manually, then by a wagon pulled by a human, then one pulled by a horse or mule, then motorized vehicles, and ultimately by ship or plane. Mankind has always been driven by the desire to build a better mousetrap; as the saying goes, Necessity is the mother of invention. The Yavarians, likewise, set out to eliminate the physical barriers to the next level of technological development.

Pure energy goes several steps beyond our need for physical movement by utilizing transmissions of neurons in the brain for transport. If you examine your body, you will discover that you are a package of neurons, nerve endings, and electrical and chemical transmissions. Our epidermis and skeletal infrastructure only serve to provide an organic net to hold it all in and to protect us against the elements. Every generation has been frustrated with the carrying costs of being organically developed in a skeletal structure and all the physical problems that brings. How easy would it be if we were just able to instantaneously transmit our thoughts to another location and bring along the rest of our physical body only if needed? Those transmissions—those thoughts—require a certain amount of energy on the part of their host, which can be drastically reduced in a pure energy state.

That’s the summary of the current development of both of our worlds. Over five hundred years ago, the Yavarians took the next big step in social development by unifying their different sects and mounting a planet-wide program focused on removing the physical limits placed on them for travel by their bodies. This was a gigantic leap forward for the Yavarians; they came together as a world with a central focus for the achievement of a common goal, the development of this pure energy.

Thus, the Yavarians established Phase One in the mono century, as they called it, during which they developed the ability to transmit their awareness. However, as is the often the case with technology of any sort, there were accidents and problems, hurdles to be overcome. Arriving in the middle of a mountain was not good, nor was it safe to transmit through solid matter, such as an asteroid. The transmission process was flawed because it only worked when there was unobstructed line of sight between departure point and final destination. In short, this was simplistic transmission of energy pulses that are reassembled upon arrival in an arrangement identical to when they were dismantled, a procedure performed by large complex machines.

What was needed was not the development of movement of telepathic energy from one location to another. Rather, a more advanced design was required, one that would transform matter—both organic and inorganic—leaving it unaffected by physical barriers or line of sight issues. In this second phase, it also had to be unencumbered by distance, albeit within reason.

The third design phase was the development of the final form of pure energy, which had to be generated by the power of the Yavarian mind rather than any large complex machines. Travel had to be 100 percent safe, guaranteed for a safe arrival at the point of destination and with retention in greater detail. The focus on efficiency led to the development of a transport of increased awareness, still unencumbered by the physical body. Sects joined together, resulting in a universal cause that rallied the numerous continents under a common goal. The Yavarian people recognized that such a technological achievement would change their world and their social character and launch them to the next level of evolution.

There were limits though. Transport of an awareness would now allow for any interchange and really only provides for a limited understanding of what is taking place, eliminating any option for two-way communication. While it was merely a transport of awareness, it was also a huge leap forward. The ability to recall the events in detail were, however, still severely limited.

Over a span of time, they focused on developing new definitions of education that would expand the mind and lead to the development of a superior intellect. This philosophy purported that they would become the guardians of peace and tranquility in their star system and maintain the status quo. They do not see this as a claim to a superior attitude, though it really is. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to envision the debates that ensued between me and their leadership over many years, especially if you employ common Earth examples of despotic rulers coming to power in societies that encourage superiority, racial or otherwise.

It all came together in the duo century, which immediately followed the mono century. Their scientists took the advancements even further at that time, and that final technological leap allowed Yavarians to harness pure energy in a more controlled format. The transport remained intact in the form of energy pulses, but sensory input was heightened; they could both sense and observe their surroundings in greater detail and between Yavarians with heightened intellectual powers. It is yet another concept that is difficult to explain, but to put it in a nutshell, the Yavarians had better control over their faculties. They were aware of what was taking place and could recall the input later, when they reassembled in their physical state. They called this development stasis, likely the best translation, though most Yavarians still refer to it as pure energy.

Stasis was purposely developed so it cannot be used without other lesser life-forms being aware of its presence, and that caused its own set of problems. The high level of moral code embedded within Yavarian society dictates absolute respect for this technology, an attribute sorely lacking in any Earth society. Can you imagine what havoc would rein if Earth had access to stasis? In such a state, humans could literally send themselves inside the Kremlin and absorb private military discussions. You could sit in on the meetings of your business competitors and hear what their strategists are up to. The possibilities for foul