Notes - surprise lunch / (final) Pouch 14 /

         Mid-morning Kim called and suggested lunch at Max and Erma’s at I-71 and Rt. 68 about forty minutes north. As the weather is going to be bad tonight and tomorrow you suggested today, so that’s what you did. Kim is excited because excavation of their new house began yesterday. You had a nice chat from a quarter of twelve to one-thirty. Friday if the weather cooperates you are having lunch with Cathy and Tod and now you are spending Friday night at Kim and Paul’s so you’ll be able to see the boys and Paul also. On the way home you cut the speed down from 76 miles per hour to 68-69 miles per hour and you got 42.6 miles per gallon. You are surprised it made that much difference. – Amorella

         1419 hours. We are on our way home but stopped at Kroger’s on Kings Mill Road for milk and a couple other essentials. It was great to see Kim – a surprise and fun day. We are going up again for Brennan’s birthday on the twenty-second; this small family and a few friends party will take place at Chucky-Cheese in Dublin like Owen’s party was last year. And, Kim asked us to babysit on Saturday, 17 May for a wedding they have in Cleveland. This works out since I just found out our high school picnic will be on 18 May.

         Once home you went up for a nap. Later, leftovers for supper, last night’s “Castle”, a two week old “Intelligence” and ABC and NBC News.

         2138 hours. I completed Pouch 14. It is better but the conclusion is best – perhaps not in the words – but it is in my heart. I know my marsupials. They make their society work because protection and service to their fellow beings, children first, is what makes them click. It is humbling to serve any and all of their species, that is their prime directive. This is what silences Pyl. That is my intent. I know this doesn’t come across. I am not showing it properly here, but I don’t want to tell it outright.

         It will do. We don’t have to time to develop your word artistry. You do not have that talent. We go with the real world, boy, with what you are, whether you like it or not. Add and post. – Amorella

         2149 hours. You have such a quick retort; such a dry dark-witted humor. I’m impressed Amorella, really I am. I can’t help but put a smile into an almost wickedly mischievous laugh. I wish I could display such wit, but when I think things out I become a dullard.

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(final) Diplomatic Pouch 14 © 2014, rho GMG.One

            "And, this is my room Pyl, looks pretty much like all the others."

            "Like I mentioned in the other living quarters, everything is built in either in floor, walls or ceiling. There is no need for a chair if you are not sitting."

            "Right, you did mention that earlier, but then the other rooms had furniture on display."

            Maintaining a poker face, Yermey added, "I did not realize I was going to be showing you my apartment."

            "The other two apartments were for the women. I thought yours might be more unique," she teased.

            Yermey responded, "You mean more masculine like a den?”

            "A quick question. Are you all professional or are you also friends?" asked Pyl.

            "Pardon?"

            "How long did it take you to get here? Even with faster than light generators it would take years. What do you people do on route? Can you pull up a chair? I would like to sit." The chair expanded from the wall next to her. "That was fast, what did you do?" asked Pyl.

            "You asked for the chair so here it is. Sit. Please."

            "Ship understands my English?"

            Another chair, this time it silently rose from the floor. Yermey sat facing Pyl. "Ship knows everything about you, Mrs. Burroughs."

            "Oh."

            Yermey explained matter-of-factly, "Ship knows everything about each of us for our own protection, that is, for our own safety. He is built to save our lives under any circumstance."

            Perplexed, she asked, "If he could only save one of our lives, whose would he save?"

            "You ask a lot of questions." He paused, "Ship how would you handle this hypothetical dilemma?"

            Ship answered quickly and directly, "I would save your life, Pyl Burroughs. It would only be polite as you are a guest of ThreePlanets while you are on board."

            Pyl was immediately taken back. Ship said "guest" with a sincere authenticity she would not have expected from a fellow human she had just met. Without hesitation she looked eye-to-eye, "Who are you people that would give so much authority and polite moral fiber to a machine?"

             Yermey responded with a slight smile.

            She gathered herself to full honesty, "Ship sounds so human; it strikes a cord in my own humanity."

            "Good. I mean this is completely unexpected. We don't even know one another yet you are connecting with Ship in a human-like way . . . You are bonding with Ship first." Yermey continued his modest smile.

            Pyl caught the twinkle in his eyes, thinking, perhaps I see a blemish of modesty and humility in this man. She quickly grew uneasy and embarrassed for herself.

            Ship spoke up, "Yermey, give her a glass of water, and tell her about how your species was not always so fortunate."

            "Yes, of course. I'll have water myself. Earth water, how's that Mrs. Burroughs, a cool glass of Earth water." The glasses of cool water appeared from an opening slot on the wall.

            Two small tables rose from the floor to set the glasses on. The chairs, originally wood-like, fluffed with a thin comfortable padding and modified into an awkward like lounge chairs, outdoor deck chairs rather than more a more practical kitchen table sort of chair.  

            Pyl took a sip and watched Yermey's eyes and body language. His formality quickly faded to emotionally driven facial and arm and hand movements emphasizing his every speaking word.            

            "Twenty one thousand years ago we were similar to Earthlings in the mid-twentieth century. We lived on a singular planet in five mostly separate, climate driven cultures. A great incurable plague arose and out of necessity ten ships were built to take two hundred people to the two uninhabited but close by habitable planets. This exercise was done in secret. Planet One was left to survive or die from this incurable plague."

            "Science later determined that exactly one hundred people had survived the plague." Yermey raised the forefinger on his right hand, "Exactly one hundred."

            "We continued our science and technology but our economic focus became the survival of our children. We reverse engineered our society to always enrich our children first. We serve our children and in turn as we grow older, our children serve us. We were and are one family on ThreePlanets. What you call government we call Family Services. We mean the term literally. Everyone is marsupial humanoid, our species is a close family and we serve one another. No exceptions.”

            How naive, thought Pyl Burroughs. Unconsciously she was struck by his uncommon sincerity and his innocent sounding culture that she found herself without voice. Fear rose in the vacuum and ‘I need to see these people leave our planet forthwith. If they stay they will be eaten alive.

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