{"id":592,"date":"2011-12-26T00:01:51","date_gmt":"2011-12-26T06:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=592"},"modified":"2013-02-25T00:15:45","modified_gmt":"2013-02-25T06:15:45","slug":"lost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=592","title":{"rendered":"Lost"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello, my name is Charles.\u00a0 I grew up believing that my family were leaders among men.\u00a0 I grew up believing I was worth more<\/em> than others.\u00a0 Then one day my mind connected the dots between two facts and a new worldview appeared to me.\u00a0 I was lost between two worlds, and didn\u2019t know which way to go.\u00a0 Some people ask God for guidance in times like that.\u00a0 I have always been the kind who finds friends to talk to.\u00a0 Even before<\/em> I became a Cowboy, I have always had friends I would trust my life with.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lost<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

The shuttle left the gleaming-white Guardian Light<\/em> behind, dropping down towards New Earth under full gravity control.\u00a0 It amazed Charles just how silently the small Peloran shuttle could move.\u00a0 It was far more silent than any American shuttle he\u2019d ever flown in.\u00a0 Even when it entered the atmosphere it remained utterly silent, the dull roar that usually accompanied that rush of air past the hull absent.\u00a0 The shuttle made an effortless, last seconds slow to a halt and bumped against the landing field.<\/p>\n

Charles came to his feet, grabbed his white cowboy hat off its hook, and turned to the other Cowboys.\u00a0 \u201cAnd we\u2019re here, everybody,\u201d Charles said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cCheck your uniforms before debarking.\u00a0 I want everybody looking good out there.\u201d\u00a0 He placed the cowboy hat on his head and began to wave his soldiers out.<\/p>\n

\u201cOorah,\u201d The Cowboys responded with some chuckles.<\/p>\n

Charles double-checked his Dress Whites, pulling a suspicious hair off one sleeve, and watched the Cowboys walk down the aisle.\u00a0 One cyber after another jumped off her pilot\u2019s shoulder, growing to full size on the way down, and preceded them out.\u00a0 Charles heard Jack humming the clown car song and the other Cowboys began to laugh.\u00a0 Charles brought his hand up and bit his finger to keep himself from laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut it, Jester!\u201d Charles shouted after getting his voice most of the way under control.\u00a0 He then coughed into his white glove to keep it clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, aye, Chief,\u201d Jack answered with a wink.<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head and waved them out, watching both cybers jump down.\u00a0 He frowned in thought and waved the other Cowboys past him.\u00a0 He followed them out last, Dorothy jumping down to the deck to lead him out in her Dress Whites.\u00a0 She looked different in white.\u00a0 He pursed his lips, considering that she looked better in white than her preferred black.<\/p>\n

He followed her down the ramp, onto the landing field, and turned to look at the gleaming-white shuttle.\u00a0 The hatch closed, the shuttle rose up on silent gravity, rotated to point straight up, and flashed into the sky with an acceleration rate only a craft that could control gravity itself could manage.\u00a0 Charles frowned up after the shuttle, his mind considering a great many things about that.\u00a0 Jack walked over and stopped next to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Chief.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles took in a deep breath and lowered his gaze to meet Jack\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cJester.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t feel like more of Jack\u2019s small talk.<\/p>\n

As usual, Jack ignored his wishes.\u00a0 \u201cOld home week?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cMy family has business interests here.\u00a0 Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cJust wondering if you\u2019re off to visit them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head and turned away from Jack.\u00a0 \u201cCowboys!\u201d he shouted to all the soldiers on the landing field.\u00a0 \u201cBe back here in thirty-six hours, ready to fly.\u00a0 Liberty begins\u2026now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cowboys shouted a hearty \u201cOorah!\u201d and turned to walk towards the main terminal not far away.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Charles said, back in his normal conversational tone.<\/p>\n

Jack blinked, obviously taking a second to realize Charles had answered his question.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles sighed, considering the shuttle again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got something more important to do.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up after the departing shuttle again, now a pinpoint of light so far up even his eyes could barely see it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh.\u201d\u00a0 Jack smiled.\u00a0 \u201cGood call then.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you wouldn\u2019t want old Aunt Bessie\u2019s Fruitcake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHell no!\u201d Charles said without hesitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if you\u2019re interested, you can always go shopping with us,\u201d Jack said with a wave towards Betty and Jasmine.<\/p>\n

Charles allowed a shudder of horror to escape.\u00a0 \u201cNo thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack spread his arms out wide in a \u201chow bad could it be?\u201d gesture.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, man, share the danger?\u00a0 We\u2019ve flown into certain death<\/em> together.\u00a0 This can\u2019t possibly<\/em> be that bad\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head, feeling the irrepressible urge to rib the man that Jack must have felt most of the time.\u00a0\u00a0 He produced a wicked smile reserved only for poor and innocent victim of a horrible fate.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAccompanying women on a shopping trip is a fate worse than death.\u00a0 I will mourn your passing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jack held his hands out in a defensive gesture.\u00a0 \u201cHey, they\u2019re cybers.\u00a0 No bags<\/em> to carry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head again.\u00a0 For all his street smarts, Jack had some serious holes in his knowledge.\u00a0 \u201cGood luck with that,\u201d he said the wicked grin still solidly in place.<\/p>\n

Jack shrugged and turned to walk away.\u00a0 He stopped cold and spun back to Charles.\u00a0 \u201cHey, if something important comes up, call me,\u201d he said in a momentarily sincere tone.<\/p>\n

Charles examined him.\u00a0 It appeared the man wasn\u2019t as na\u00efve as he sometimes acted.\u00a0 Charles nodded in thanks.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for the offer.\u00a0 I will keep it in mind.\u00a0 Now go enjoy your liberty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir!\u201d Jack shouted back with a jaunty salute, and turned to amble away, determined to have fun.\u00a0 He stepped between Betty and Jasmine, reached his arms out to grab each of them around the waist, pulled them along with him.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, girls.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got some fun<\/em> to track down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Jack,\u201d they chorused in matching amused tones.<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head, wondering if Jack truly realized that he\u2019d just adopted another cyber.\u00a0 Either that or she had adopted him.\u00a0 He shared a look with Dorothy, wondering which way that counted, and silently wished the trio luck.\u00a0 He followed the three then and made his slow way towards the terminal as well, eyes scanning every ship moving up and down from the landing field.<\/p>\n

He walked into the terminal and saw the Christmas decorations filling it from one end to the other, from floor to ceiling.\u00a0 It truly was an impressive collection of Christmas trees covered in lights, Yule logs burning in fireplaces, and man-sized candy canes hanging from lights.\u00a0 Santa\u2019s sleigh flew through the air above everybody\u2019s heads, pulled by nine little reindeer, with Santa waving at the people below.\u00a0 A nativity scene nestled against one wall, just outside the main traffic pattern so it could escape the arriving passengers intact.\u00a0 And a Christmas carol played from speakers embedded throughout the terminal, bringing tidings of good cheer to the arriving passengers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow,\u201d Charles whispered and began to make his way through the crowd of passengers walking out of a boarding ramp connected to another craft.\u00a0 Dorothy turned and smiled, agreeing with him.\u00a0 They made their way to the exit, stepped out, and Charles scanned the Christmas-decorated city street before them.\u00a0 \u201cHow do we get there again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat way,\u201d Dorothy said with a wave of her hand.<\/p>\n

Charles followed her wave beneath the Christmas lights and wreaths.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t speak more than some occasional directions on their way.\u00a0 Charles had never been one for small talk, and in that way Dorothy matched him perfectly.\u00a0 She was always there, watching, waiting, ready to help.\u00a0 That was the important part of being a partner.\u00a0 They turned a corner and Charles whistled at the sight before them.\u00a0 A grand stone cathedral towered into the air above them.\u00a0 Arches held up the entryway roof that protected the massive wooden doors from the weather.\u00a0 A cross crowned the peak of the roof, and a massive bell tower reached up into the sky from the side of the building.\u00a0 It was a truly grand cathedral that reminded him of some of the finest New England churches he\u2019d seen.<\/p>\n

As they approached the front door, he saw a small nativity scene off to the side.\u00a0 He got closer and realized it was human-scale and gulped as he put the cathedral into its correct<\/em> scale.\u00a0 \u201cWow,\u201d he whispered again.\u00a0 Dorothy smiled again but continued to keep pace with him.\u00a0 \u201cYou are certain this is where he is?\u201d Charles asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she answered and cocked her head to the side in amusement.<\/p>\n

Charles let out a long breath as they finally reached the steps and walked up them.\u00a0 The doors opened with the perfect creak of wood on iron hinges that he expected to hear from a building that looked half a millennium old.\u00a0 That it could not possibly be more than two centuries old was all the more impressive.\u00a0 Somebody had taken extreme care in crafting this building.\u00a0 They walked into the grand cathedral and Charles heard his footsteps echo on the smooth stone floor, bouncing off the walls and ceiling far above him.\u00a0 His eyes scanned up to see the sun shining in through stained glass windows showing scenes from the Bible.\u00a0 He recognized Noah\u2019s Ark and several scenes with Jesus, but not many of the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow,\u201d he said one more time, and his voice echoed through the solemn building.\u00a0 This was easily a match for any cathedral he\u2019d been to back home.\u00a0 Not that he\u2019d had many occasions to go to them, other than marriages and funerals.\u00a0 He walked to the front of the sanctuary, past row after row of hard wood pews that had to be a pain to sit in.\u00a0 They looked to be the same pews he remembered from Uncle Theodore\u2019s funeral, the ones that kept him sitting straight up and unable to relax.\u00a0 He gritted his teeth, assuming that the priests or pastor or whoever that had been liked it that way.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t thought John would be one of them though.\u00a0 He gritted his teeth and sat down in the front pew, looking up at the massive cross on the wall behind the choir stands.\u00a0 He blinked and looked at Dorothy in surprise.\u00a0 The pew was perfectly carved, comfortable to sit on.<\/p>\n

She smiled at him in amusement again and sat down on his right.\u00a0 He gritted his teeth, not entirely pleased at the idea of being so amusing to her, but seeing the humor of the situation.<\/p>\n

The man Charles had come to see walked into the sanctuary in a simple black suit.\u00a0 He smiled at Charles with a warm gaze and spread his arms out in a welcoming gesture.\u00a0 \u201cHow can I hel-\u201d he froze in mid sentence, staring at Charles, and recognition filled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cChuck!\u201d he shouted, happiness filling his voice, and rushed forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn,\u201d Charles said to his old friend.<\/p>\n

John sat down on his left and shook his hand with joy.\u00a0 \u201cI always hoped I\u2019d see you in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles clasped his friend\u2019s hand in a firm grip, holding it for a few seconds.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

John pulled his hand away and leaned back into the pew with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cSo what brings you here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuestions.\u201d<\/p>\n

John gave him a speculative look.\u00a0 \u201cWe all have questions, but somehow I didn\u2019t expect you coming here with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t really coming here<\/em>.\u00a0 I was coming to you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d John said in understanding.\u00a0 \u201cI must warn you that my answers may not please you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Charles said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I trust<\/em> you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuck nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou can trust me with anything.\u201d\u00a0 He spread his hands out wide again.\u00a0 \u201cSo what questions do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles chewed his lower lip, considering how to say it.\u00a0 Then he sighed and bulled right in.\u00a0 \u201cHave you dealt with the aliens out here?\u201d<\/p>\n

John pursed his lips and let out a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I\u2019ve dealt with the Peloran of course.\u00a0 I\u2019ve met one of the Arnam too, but they don\u2019t travel this far much.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also talked with a Roderan that came this way a time or two.\u00a0 Not many alien converts yet, you know.\u00a0 Why do you ask?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles pursed his lips.\u00a0 \u201cMy family has\u2026extensive business interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

John\u2019s lips thinned in displeasure.\u00a0 \u201cI know,\u201d he said in the closest thing to a cool tone he\u2019d used since seeing Charles.<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026I suppose you would.\u201d<\/p>\n

John waved that away as water under the bridge and smiled again.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you beating around the bush about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles matched his smile, happy to have a friend he could turn to.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m trying to figure out if the names they give us are truly their names or\u2026if they are choosing names to make us think they are something they aren\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

John blinked and Charles could see the wheels turning in his mind.\u00a0 After a few seconds, John frowned and looked directly at Charles.\u00a0 \u201cYou lost me.\u00a0 Could you start from the beginning, please?\u00a0 I have the feeling this is important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 He\u2019d gotten his friend\u2019s attention.\u00a0 That was good.\u00a0 He would need it.\u00a0 \u201cMy family sent negotiators to the Roderan homeworld.\u00a0 It is named Svarga.\u201d<\/p>\n

John rubbed his jaw and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cOK.\u00a0 I gather that means something to you.\u00a0 What?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles leaned back in the pew.\u00a0 He had John.\u00a0 Now he just had to pull him in.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve done some research, and it just so happens that Rod and Svarga were ancient Slavic gods worshiped in what is now Russia before that<\/em> came in and took over,\u201d he finished with a wave at the cross.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d John said in a voice that suggested deep contemplation.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Then there are the Peloran and the Arnam.\u201d<\/p>\n

John frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about<\/em> them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cThe people who created them came from a planet called Albion<\/em>, and the name the Peloran call them is the People of Danaan.\u201d<\/p>\n

John\u2019s frown deepened, and Charles saw him pull something out of a deep memory.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t Albion another name for\u2026the British Isles?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles chuckled, impressed that John had remembered that little datum.\u00a0 \u201cYes it is.\u00a0 The People of Danaan settled in Ireland possibly\u2026four thousand years ago according to our histories.\u00a0 It is also in some traditions a name given to the Otherworld, literally another world that the Celts sometimes found themselves traveling to.\u201d<\/p>\n

John rubbed his jaw in deep thought.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026very<\/em> interesting.\u00a0 I suppose this ties into the Shang\u2019s arrival, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles nodded in approval.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

John licked his lips, looking a uncomfortable with the discussion.\u00a0 \u201cI thought that was ruled a hoax.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt was<\/em> ruled a hoax, by the best experts Washington could buy.\u00a0 You know my family owns HW News, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

John nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ve seen the order to the media to report the hoax.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also seen the original transmission and all the tracking information our satellites could generate on it.\u00a0 It came from the Shang fleet, not<\/em> from that rogue satellite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn.\u00a0 Sorry, Lord.\u201d\u00a0 John said with a glance towards the cross.\u00a0 He turned back to Charles and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cSo are you going to say that something called the Shang actually were<\/em> on Earth in the past?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cVery close.\u00a0 It was the Shangdi.\u00a0 The Emperors of the Shang Dynasty of ancient China were supposedly sons of Shangdi, the ultimate god of their mythology.\u201d<\/p>\n

John sighed and covered his eyes with one hand.\u00a0 \u201cWhy didn\u2019t anybody report that when the Shang first arrived?\u201d he asked in a pained voice.<\/p>\n

Charles let out a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cThey did.\u00a0 In<\/em> China<\/em>.\u00a0 From what I\u2019ve uncovered on American<\/em> news sources, they tried.\u00a0 But every fax and cast that did got hacked and burned.\u00a0 The rest fell in line pretty quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

John frowned.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you know this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles gave John a dangerous smile.\u00a0 \u201cBecause one of the hackers that did the burning is on my father\u2019s permanent payroll.<\/p>\n

John\u2019s frown turned angry.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re describing an organized disinformation campaign by the government about the Shang,\u201d he said in a dangerous tone that Charles well remembered from their youth.<\/p>\n

Charles aimed a firm nod at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I am.\u00a0 The Shang did<\/em> tell us that they are the Shangdi that the Chinese worshiped in the past.\u00a0 They did<\/em> tell us that they have returned.\u00a0 I have seen the proof<\/em> that they told us that.\u00a0 Either they are telling us the truth, or they are lying.\u00a0 I intend<\/em> to find out which.\u201d<\/p>\n

John set his teeth and looked up at the cross.\u00a0 \u201cIf they were lying, then our course is pretty clear.\u00a0 We tell them to stuff it, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled as the shadow of the man John had once been slipped through the calm pastoral form he took now.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n

John turned back to him with a grim look.\u00a0 \u201cThe other possibility is a bit more tricky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles met his look without any hesitation.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s an understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n

John sighed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019re here, talking to me, because you\u2019re looking for\u2026what\u2026guidance?\u00a0 From me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled and pulled in a deep breath before answering.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

John turned to Dorothy.\u00a0 \u201cYou have anything to add to this conversation?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dorothy shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

John frowned.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a cyber.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you have access to history from the Peloran perspective?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dorothy shook her head again.\u00a0 \u201cNot really.\u00a0 I was born Terran, so what I remember is Terran<\/em> history, not Peloran.\u00a0 I\u2019m not\u2026cleared<\/em> to know the Peloran histories.\u00a0 I could ask the Peloran members of my family, but\u2026I\u2019d get the same answer anybody else gets when they ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo answer at all,\u201d Charles supplied when John looked curious.\u00a0 \u201cThey neither confirm nor deny any question about whether they were watching us before they made Contact.\u00a0 Or if anybody else was.\u00a0 And trust me, we\u2019ve asked.\u00a0 All those stories about UFOs pretty much guaranteed<\/em> we would ask them.\u00a0 Now we know they have limited contact with a large number of nations out there beyond our furthest explorations, but there are two difficulties in tracking them down.\u00a0 First, they are so far away that Terran-made hyperdrives fail long before we could reach them, and Peloran hyperdrives are\u2026hard to acquire even for my family.\u00a0 Secondly, the Peloran use names based on who<\/em> a people came from, not the race of the people.\u00a0 The Albion were the People of Danaan, which actually tracks with some of our mythologies.\u00a0 The Peloran are the People of Govaan, which does not<\/em> track with any known myths that I\u2019ve found.\u00a0 We are the People of Awdaan, which is surprisingly similar to one of ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam,\u201d John whispered, a thread of pleasure in his voice.<\/p>\n

Charles smiled at the slim thread he\u2019d given his friend.\u00a0 \u201cPresumably.\u201d<\/p>\n

John frowned.\u00a0 \u201cSo do they call the Chinese that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles frowned as well.\u00a0 \u201cAs a race, yes, but from a cultural perspective, they are called the People of Huang.\u00a0 He was the first great Chinese Emperor who united China.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInteresting.\u00a0 So what do they call us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThe People of Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n

John chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI should have seen that coming, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you should have,\u201d Charles said with an answering chuckle.<\/p>\n

John clicked his tongue against his teeth in deep thought.\u00a0 \u201cIt occurs to me that naming a people like that would require a deep understanding of their history.\u00a0 It could take some time to develop that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled again, glad to see the mind of his friend fully engaged in the discussion.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Do you remember that Aneerin spoke perfect English and several other languages when he made Contact?\u00a0 They were obviously watching us long enough to learn our languages.\u00a0 Now I have a theory that they may have been watching us at least as far back as the twentieth century, but it\u2019s just a theory that matches some questionable reports from the past with what we know<\/em> now..\u201d<\/p>\n

John chewed his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cYou ever heard of the Foo Fighters?\u201d<\/p>\n

John gave him a confused look.\u00a0 \u201cThe rock band?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles coughed to disguise a laugh.\u00a0 \u201cThe things the rock band named<\/em> themselves after.\u201d<\/p>\n

John\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 So he hadn\u2019t fooled his friend.\u00a0 \u201cThen, no I haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles pulled in a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cWell, back during World War II, there were\u2026reports from Allied and German pilots of craft that flew in formation with them.\u00a0 The Allies called them Foo Fighters because they couldn\u2019t figure out what they were.\u201d\u00a0 Charles shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThey actually had another word on the front, but you probably don\u2019t want me saying it here,\u201d he said with a wink.<\/p>\n

John chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll trust your instincts on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles gave him an innocent shrug.\u00a0 \u201cAnyways, these Foo Fighters never opened fire on either side, they just flew with them for a while, matched every move the pilots of the time tried, and then flashed away whenever they felt like it.\u00a0 They did things only a craft with gravitic controls could manage.\u00a0 Now these are just reports and stories, but\u2026they were usually cigar<\/em>-shaped, almost always with small fins or wings.\u201d<\/p>\n

John\u2019s eyes widened and he rubbed his jaw in thought.\u00a0 \u201cCigar-shaped?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles nodded.\u00a0 \u201cA big long tube with some fins for weapons or wings.\u201d\u00a0 Charles lifted one hand up.\u00a0 \u201cNow most reports had them as silver, not white, but I\u2019m betting you recognize the shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Peloran,\u201d John supplied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Peloran,\u201d Charles agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn.\u00a0 Sorry, Lord,\u201d he said with another glance at the cross.<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIf those reports were real and it really was the Peloran\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much longer<\/em> have they been watching us?\u201d John filled in after Charles trailed off.<\/p>\n

Charles raised one finger.\u00a0 \u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

John shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 It seems like a mouthful to accept.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cArthur C. Clark said it long ago.\u00a0 Advanced enough technology might as well be magic to the poor primitives.\u201d<\/p>\n

John nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, that makes sense, and I can even see it, from a theoretical point of view of course,\u201d he noted with a stern look.<\/p>\n

Charles smiled, accepting the conditions of the argument with good grace.<\/p>\n

John cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I\u2019m wondering about is\u2026why did they leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles blinked in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

John sighed.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s put it this way.\u00a0 If you were a great and all powerful alien who is worshiped as a god, would you<\/em> let some crazy cult show up and take all your believers from you?\u00a0 And then<\/em> spread out to all corners of the world, and beyond<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles cleared his throat.\u00a0 It was a good point.\u00a0 \u201cLook, we know the Albion died so that explains that<\/em>.\u00a0 As for the rest?\u00a0 Well\u2026the Peloran talk as if civilization died with the Albion.\u00a0 Trade of goods and information alike.\u00a0 Thousands of systems were destroyed, countless ships, and even they can\u2019t begin to calculate how many people died.\u00a0 Maybe everybody just stopped coming here.\u201d<\/p>\n

John shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I don\u2019t buy that.\u00a0 Even one ship that came to Earth even a hundred years ago could easily rule us all.\u00a0 One survivor of that war could have lived as a god here.\u00a0 And if they\u2019d been here before, they\u2019d know how to get here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good point,\u201d Charles whispered.\u00a0 He let out a long breath and chewed his lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cYou may not like this, but a couple thousand years ago we did<\/em> have a pretty important person show up and say he was the Son of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

John shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u00a0 I don\u2019t<\/em> like that idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just taking the discussion to the end point,\u201d Charles said with an apologetic smile.<\/p>\n

John smiled back.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 But there is<\/em> a problem with the idea.\u00a0 And not just from a reactionary theologian,\u201d he added with a wink.<\/p>\n

Charles relaxed back into the pew and waved for John to continue.<\/p>\n

John licked his lips.\u00a0 \u201cIf God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit were just some alien space traveler playing with the local population, why haven\u2019t they returned?\u00a0 Face it, Chuck, a glowing man floating down from the sky would be an easy<\/em> illusion to generate with Peloran technology.\u00a0 Even now, most of us would probably fall for it, but realistically they should have pulled it two or three centuries ago at the latest.\u00a0 After World War II or the Second Great Depression would be the time to do it.\u00a0 The Peloran have the tech to pull it off but they didn\u2019t try.\u00a0 If what you say is accurate, the Shang did<\/em> try it, but only after<\/em> the Peloran made Contact so it didn\u2019t stick<\/em>.\u00a0 Why didn\u2019t they try earlier, when it might have worked<\/em>?\u00a0 If they\u2019ve been coming here for thousands of years, why not take advantage of those times to show everybody<\/em> that the old gods have true power<\/em>?\u00a0 Christianity would have had some real hard times expanding into many of the places we did if the locals could point to things they\u2019d actually seen<\/em> their gods do in their own lifetimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles rubbed his chin and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got some good points there.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cLook, you know it all better than me, but Jesus\u2019 teachings weren\u2019t big on taking power and ruling people, were they?\u201d<\/p>\n

John chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t.\u00a0 More like being better people.\u00a0 Being nice to people.\u00a0 Helping when they need it.\u00a0 Not judging.\u00a0 Not what I\u2019d expect an alien with delusions of grandeur wanting people to worship him would talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed,\u201d Charles said with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeachings like that don\u2019t gain some alien who doesn\u2019t know us a thing as far as I can tell.\u00a0 But someone who already knows us and wants us to become better?\u00a0 That<\/em> is someone who would say those things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue,\u201d Charles said slowly.<\/p>\n

John smiled.\u00a0 \u201cSo, did you really come here for an academic discussion?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles sighed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot really.\u00a0 Look, I don\u2019t know what to do.\u00a0 I know what my family wants<\/em> me to do.\u00a0 But I just don\u2019t think I can\u2026\u201d he trailed off and chewed his lower lip.<\/p>\n

John nodded and patted his friend\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWe all have those moments, Chuck.\u00a0 I had mine five years ago.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAnd see where I am now.\u00a0 Look, Chuck, there\u2019re a lot of people who think they have the power and the right to rule us like gods, to demand our worship, our offerings, and our sacrifices.\u00a0 I do not say they have no power.\u00a0 I say they aren\u2019t worthy<\/em> of us standing with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart,\u201d Charles said with a nod.<\/p>\n

John smiled.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s accept that the Shang tried to get us to follow them.\u00a0 We said no.\u00a0 They smote us.\u00a0 We\u2019re still standing.\u00a0 A hundred years ago, we never could have stood against them.\u00a0 But today, the Peloran stand with us.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 What do they gain from fighting with us?\u00a0 What have they asked in return?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cSo far, just me.\u201d<\/p>\n

John blinked and pulled back in confusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cowboys.\u00a0 We fly off the Guardian Light<\/em>.\u00a0 Aneerin asked for that after the Battle of Fort London.\u201d<\/p>\n

John smiled in understanding and steepled his fingers, considering things for several seconds before answering.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does he gain by doing that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he\u2019s taken heavy losses in his fighter groups, so we are helping to keep his squadron in the war.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that would be the foremost reason, the public reason, the reason that can be sent to the media so everything can look good to the civilians.\u00a0 Do you know another reason?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles pursed his lips and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Perhaps\u2026understanding?\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned more about them in the last month than the rest of my life put together.\u201d<\/p>\n

John shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThat is how it helps you<\/em>.\u00a0 How does it help him<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, maybe he wants<\/em> us to understand them better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPossibly.\u00a0 Do you want to bank our survival on that guess?\u201d John asked with a frown.<\/p>\n

Charles scratched his chin.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I suppose not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u00a0 I only see one source of action here, Chuck,\u201d John said with a nod of approval.\u00a0 \u201cIf what you say is true, we know what the Shang.\u00a0 They want us to serve them.\u00a0 We don\u2019t know what the Roderan want, but they\u2019ve been on the edges for a while.\u00a0 We know what the Peloran say they want.\u00a0 But is that true?\u00a0 They have serious power.\u00a0 We have to know if they really are<\/em> here to help us or if they are making us dependent on them and all of their technologies before taking us over,\u201d he finished with a nod towards Dorothy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow hang on,\u201d Charles said, anger that he would suggest that about his partner boiling up.<\/p>\n

Dorothy placed a hand on his shoulder and he stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe makes a good point,\u201d she said in a calming tone.<\/p>\n

Charles growled under his breath, not mollified.<\/p>\n

John licked his lips and looked between the two for a second.\u00a0 Charles recognized the concern in his friend\u2019s face, but the John shook his head and it cleared.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry Charles, but it had to be said, assuming we really are<\/em> going to the end points of this discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles growled again, but finally nodded in reluctant agreement.\u00a0 \u201cAgreed,\u201d he said in a low tone.<\/p>\n

John reached his hand behind the pew and pulled a Bible up.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 Now you have<\/em> to find out what they want.\u00a0 Really<\/em> want.\u00a0 And you are in a good position now to do<\/em> that.\u00a0 Take this with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles gave a firm shake of his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou know I don\u2019t believe all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d John said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cBut if you truly want to study about gods and men, you really have to study some of the source material.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles looked at it doubtfully.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose.\u00a0 But I can get an portable copy for study.\u201d<\/p>\n

John chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cAh, but I practice throwing a real<\/em> book at people when they need it.\u00a0 Real paper makes an impact that electrons never will.\u00a0 Take it, Chuck.\u00a0 Read it. \u00a0There\u2019s a lot of information in these pages that can be helpful.\u00a0 A favor for an old friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shifted uncomfortably on the pew and looked at Dorothy.<\/p>\n

She shifted her head to the side and smiled, signaling her agreement.<\/p>\n

Charles sighed and reached to take the Bible out of John\u2019s hands.\u00a0 He shook his head and looked at it with a raised eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cSo if I\u2019m looking for some information in this, where would I start?\u201d<\/p>\n

John laughed and tapped the leather cover with one finger.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, \u2018In the beginning\u2019 of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles shook his head and pushed himself up onto his feet.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u00a0 I should have seen that coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u00a0 You should have,\u201d John said with a smile.\u00a0 Then he turned serious.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019ll know you came.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles blinked at the change in subject, then nodded.\u00a0 There was really only one \u201cHe\u201d when it came to his family.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

John looked grim.\u00a0 \u201cHe doesn\u2019t like me much.\u00a0 He won\u2019t be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t suppose He will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

John put a hand on Charles\u2019 shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIf your family is as involved as you seem to think, he may force you to choose between family and the investigation.\u00a0 If that happens\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles placed his hand on top of John\u2019s and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI know who to call.\u201d\u00a0 Very few people had the resources to anger his father and not disappear afterwards.\u00a0 John was one of those very few.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t always been a shepherd of men after all.<\/p>\n

John smiled.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 Now get going, old friend.\u00a0 You have work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles rose to his feet with a smile of his own.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I do, old friend.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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