Opening Earth Part 1Chapter 6
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The next morning, Abby, Andy, Sto, and I went to the State Department, so Abby could deliver her report. I met her boss, Ryan Charles, and Abby introduced me as Ambassador Doug Smith. I suggested that we be informal and use first names, which he agreed to.
Her boss was surprised by my being an Ambassador and wanted to know where I was from. Abby gave him her written report, and said, “Mister Charles, I think you need to read my report. It will answer many of your questions in an efficient manner.”
Ryan accepted the report and began rapidly reviewing it. Several times, he looked up and started to say something, but stopped and returned to reading the report. After reviewing the report, Ryan said, “It appears that your assignment has been very interesting so far, Miss White.”
“Err, yes, Sir. It’s far more than I had expected when you assigned me to be Doug’s liaison.”
“That’s very true. I felt that you needed a low profile assignment and this seemed very low profile at the time. If I had known then, what I know now, I would have given the assignment to someone else. Fortunately, our Ambassador has been able to resolve the circumstances that necessitated me giving you a low profile assignment. Are you satisfied with Miss White’s performance, Doug?”
“I am very satisfied, Ryan. She has been able to cut through the bureaucratic red tape on more than one occasion. My life would have been far more complex, if she had not been assisting me.
“I don’t believe it’s necessary for me to say this, Ryan, but to prevent the possibility of a misunderstanding, Abby was in no way responsible for the error that led to her being identified as Earth’s Ambassador while we were in the Multiverse. That situation occurred because we have a highly respected, senior legislator who fills a hereditary Council position and he is senile. He cannot be removed from his position as a Council Member, so he was assigned to a committee where he would not be able to create a serious problem for the Multiverse Government. The committee chairwoman who oversees his department assigned a caretaker as the Councilor’s assistant. Unfortunately, the caretaker was called away by a family emergency. On the surface, the Councilor appears to be rationale and cognizant of his surroundings. With the exception of his caretaker, the people in his department were not aware of the extent of his senility, so they followed his instructions.”
“Doug, Abby is one of my better Foreign Service officers. She hasn’t been with us for very long and doesn’t have the experience of our more senior officers. However, I know that she would not knowingly do anything inappropriate.
“Abby attached a personal note to her report to inform me that she has unwittingly become involved with you in a personal relationship. She is concerned that this relationship might be interpreted as inappropriate conduct on her part, since her official position is that of your liaison officer. Abby, I would like to know how someone unwittingly becomes involved in a personal relationship.”
“Well, Sir, while we were in the Multiverse, I found myself becoming attracted to Doug on a personal level, but nothing happened between us. When we returned to Earth, I was exposed to his companion’s sexual pheromones, and I became overwhelmed by a desire to have sex with him. I feel that our sexual activity changed our relationship, and I am not certain if I want to return to a platonic relationship. I also feel that if we allow our relationship to take its natural course, people will feel that I am guilty of inappropriate behavior.”
“Yes, that does put you in a rather difficult position, Miss White. How do you feel about the situation, Mister Ambassador, and please explain Miss White’s reference to sexual pheromones?”
I could tell by the formal mode of address that Ryan felt he was in a difficult situation.
“Some women in the Multiverse exude sexual pheromones when they first reach their sexual maturity. That happened to one of my ladies just before our return. She attacked me sexually, and in the process, Miss White and another lady in my party were exposed to the pheromones. The pheromones create an irresistible need to have sex with the people who are near you. The result was the four of us having group sex with each other. The circumstances, which led to the situation between Miss White and I, was a one-time thing and it’s unlikely to reoccur.
“I believe that Miss White is a professional who can perform her duties independent of any personal relationship that may develop between us. With that in mind, I would like to request that Miss White be allowed to continue as my liaison officer.”
“I am going to add a letter to your personnel file, Miss White. The letter will state that on this date you voluntarily notified me of the change in your personal relationship with Ambassador Smith. It will state that after investigating the situation, I decided that you would be able to satisfactorily perform the duties associated with your position in a professional manner. I will also note that, in my professional opinion, you should remain in your current position.”
Ryan seemed more friendly when he said, “I hope the two of you will be discrete should you choose to continue your relationship and not make me regret my decision.”
“Yes, Sir,” Abby said, “I will do my best to warrant the faith you have in me.
“As far as my report goes, Sir, do you have any questions regarding the other aspects I described?”
“No, at least not at this time, Abby. I basically skimmed through it, so I need to reread it with more care, and I may have some questions for you to answer at that time.
“Now if there is nothing else, I have several serious matters that need my attention.”
I could tell that he recognized the seriousness of the situation, but was trying to minimize it.
I said, “Yes, there is one more minor matter, Ryan. Tomorrow morning I am to present my Ambassadorial credentials to the United Nations, and there will be a reception tomorrow evening.
“Miss White’s position in working with my official staff is such that I consider her to be an honorary member of my staff. I have instigated a tradition of my staff wearing a symbol of the Multiverse, and I would be honored if Miss White were allowed to wear this symbol to indicate that she has an official association with my Embassy. Do you have a problem with her wearing this symbol?”
“I will have to give that more consideration and will have to determine the legality of her doing so. What is this symbol?”
“The symbol is a rather expensive pair of earrings that I will issue to the female members of my staff just prior to their attending a diplomatic function. The ladies must return the earrings at the end of the function. I would allow them to keep the earrings, but I am concerned that thieves might harm them in an attempt to steal the earrings.”
“I don’t see this as a problem as long as Miss White is not being given the earrings as a gift. Until I determine otherwise, Miss White has permission to wear the earrings. In case I am asked about liability issues, how much are the earrings worth?”
“I am not holding any of my people liable for loss or theft of their ring or earrings, Ryan, since they are very inexpensive for me to replace. These items were selected for their beauty and for the symbolism of differing values. In the Multiverse, the earrings Miss White will wear are worth about thirty dollars. I am having a pair appraised by an Earth jeweler out of curiosity. From what I have been told by that jeweler, they appear to be worth over a hundred million dollars on Earth.”
Ryan just sat there looking from me to Abby and back to me.
“One hundred million dollars! What type of earrings is worth a hundred million dollars?”
Before Abby could speak, I intervened with, “Each earring of the pair consists of a platinum setting with very high quality, tanzanite and red diamond gems. The diamonds are about fourteen carets each. The jeweler told me that prior to my showing the earrings to him, the largest red diamond known on Earth was a 5.11-caret gem, and it was worth twenty million dollars.”
Turning to Abby, Ryan asked, “How do you feel about wearing a pair of earrings worth over a hundred million dollars?”
“It makes me a little nervous. I didn’t find out the value of the earrings until after Doug had all of us ladies select a pair from the box he passed around. When the box got to me, I just picked out a pair, and passed the box on to the next person. I sat there admiring the earrings, and then Doug explained why he wasn’t going to just give them to us.
“It’s an understatement to say that I was shocked at the value of the earrings here on Earth. It felt very odd to be sitting there holding a pair of earrings that were worth more money here on Earth, than I will ever earn in my lifetime. It was even more unsettling when Mary Crane told me that she would have Doug take us to a costume jewelry shop on Vora so I could buy a pair for myself. She showed me some of the jewelry she purchased in the Multiverse and it was gorgeous. I had a hard time accepting that on Vora it was costume jewelry.
“I guess what I am trying to say is, now that I know their value in the Multiverse, their Earth value doesn’t impress me like it otherwise would.”
“Yes, I think I understand what you are saying, Abby. I recall a passage in your report about Doug buying things cheaply on Earth, or in the Multiverse, and selling them at an extreme profit at the other location. I guess that’s the symbolism that the earrings are supposed to represent.
“I think I’ve had all the surprises that I can take for one day, so I suggest the two of you get out of here, so I can do the paperwork to document this meeting. That will probably take me the rest of the day.”
Abby told me about a little restaurant that she liked, which wasn’t too far from the State Department. We went there for lunch after I stopped in to say ‘Hi’ to Ken and Charlie.
After giving our orders to the waitress, I asked, “Why did you include that note about our personal relationship?”
“I was very conflicted, Doug. In my position, I am to refrain from having a personal relationship with the people I have been assigned to as a liaison officer. What happened between us was not voluntary on either of our parts; however, I enjoyed it very much.
“I like you, Doug, and I am not opposed to investigating the possibility of a more permanent relationship with you. That’s what’s causing me to have mixed feelings. If I were sure that I would not have sex with you in the future, I would think of what happened as a one-time thing that didn’t need to be reported. However, I suspect I am going to end up in a very torrid love affair with you for I can tell that my feelings for you are headed in that direction.
“Like you said, I am a professional. I feel that a professional should acknowledge such a change in their relationship to their superiors, and allow them to make a decision regarding possible reassignment. So that’s what I did.”
“That’s probably the only way you could handle the situation, Abby. I have similar feelings about you, and I have been trying to avoid them to allow you to do what you feel is best for you.
“Now that the issue is out in the open, I plan to pursue a closer relationship between us. I doubt that I would ever just toss you over my shoulder and carry you off to my bed. However, if you decide to join me there, you will be very welcome. Between now and then, I hope we become very good friends.
“You know, Abby, it’s going to be a relief to finally present my credentials. Recently, my entire life has been centered on making that presentation. My schedule has been driven by whether I should perform an action before or after I make the presentation. Now that I will no longer have to maintain the secrecy of my origin, I will be able to do what needs doing as quickly as possible.
“Unfortunately, I fear that I will now have to deal with all of those crackpots that Matt has been telling me about. We will need to get the Embassy Compound built as soon as possible. That’s the primary area where you can assist me at this time. Do you recall that Building Department Manager that we met in Greeley? I think he may try to create a problem for us. If he does try, is there anything that you can do to negate his attempt?”
“Yes, I recall that idiot. I don’t think that there is anything that I can do directly to overrule any decisions that he may make. An indirect approach to the potential problem may be a better way to gain his cooperation, and I will check into it when we get back.”
“What do you have in mind, Abby?”
“Well, I saw Mister Mason, at least I think that was his name, in his office before we ran into him. The photos on the wall seem to indicate that he is married to one of Greeley’s socialites. His demeanor reminds me of a hen-pecked man who is under his wife’s thumb. Most socialites like to get their names and faces in the papers. If his wife is a socialite, then I will start a rumor indicating that the county’s senior administrative personnel who are involved in the construction of the Embassy will be invited to the Embassy’s Grand Opening. She will automatically assume that her husband will be on the list of attendees, since he is the head of the Building Department.
“If Mister Mason is the type of man I think he is, then he will be very diligent to avoid upsetting his wife. He will need a very valid reason for causing us any problems, once his wife makes her desires known to him. Of course that means it would be a good idea for you to invite the local politicians to the opening.”
“I know. I had planned to invite the Federal, State, and local County politicians. Good relations with them will be imperative in the future. I will also be inviting a number of International political figures, especially those that I will be dealing with in the coming years. You will be very helpful in assisting me with determining who to invite.
“How to hold an opening for the number of people I want to invite is going to be a problem. I expect that we will have around eight hundred American politicians invited and I would not be surprised if the international guest list exceeds a thousand people. Those numbers don’t include their companions. I want the event held at the Embassy, but the Embassy will be too small to hold a sit-down dinner for over thirty-six hundred people.
Furthermore, placing someone like Mister Mason in a captive environment with the royalty of Europe sounds like it would be a social disaster. The only solution that I can come up with is, divide the invitees into multiple groups and hold the opening on three or four nights. Then the problem will be which group to invite for the first night, and who will be there on the last night. I suppose that I will be insulting someone whichever way I do it.”
“I agree it can be a problem. I suppose the only way you are going to please everyone is to hold the Grand Opening as an open house from let’s say from nine-to-nine. If you want, you could make it an informal event and combine it with a Texas Barbecue that would serve barbecued beef, beans, and coleslaw from say five to nine PM. That way everyone will be free to mingle, and won’t be stuck sitting next to a Mister Mason.
“You can also send out invitations to the people you will be dealing with the most to meet with you on other occasions. That way everyone gets to come to the Grand Opening, and you will be able to hold a series of small dinner parties afterward to discuss specific business matters.”
“Yeah, I like that idea. I suggested to Sandy that she be our social secretary and event planner. That idea will give her a lot of work to do. It will also allow me to have a larger guest list.”
Abby was right. The food at that restaurant was very good. After I paid our bill, we headed back to the hotel. No one was in the room when we arrived. I called Bill to find out what was going on. My group had gotten tired of waiting for Abby and me to return, so Bill and Sue took everyone to lunch in the hotel dining room. They would be finished eating soon, and would come back to the room then.
We had to get to New York City and check-in at the hotel that was reserved for us. When everyone was back, I said, “We need to get going, so we can be at the hotel in New York City. Once we get checked-in, what should we do for the rest of the day?”
Rita said, “We don’t know about you men, but we ladies need to get our hair done; and that includes you, Abby. Sue called for appointments at the hotel beauty parlor, and we are all going to get our hair done, facials, manicures, and pedicures this afternoon.”
I looked at Bill, who said, “I have no plans, what do you have in mind?”
When I turned to Fitz, he said, “I’m security for the ladies, so I will be busy until they are done.”
“Then I suggest that Bill, Andy, and I go get haircuts and massages. Perhaps you can get a haircut and massage once the ladies are done, Fitz.”
Three hours later, we arrived in New York and checked into the hotel. The ladies left to get their hair done and we gentlemen took care of our needs also. We were a very stylish looking group over dinner that evening. After returning to the room, I called Matt and Mary. We discussed picking them up at their house tomorrow morning. They would have to be here no later than seven tomorrow morning. That meant that Sereine and I had to pick them up at five in the morning, Denver time. We settled on Sereine and me hopping into their living room at a quarter to five. Later that night, I found that none of my ladies wanted to ruin their hairstyle in bed. All we did was sleep.
I didn’t know it, but my ladies had asked the desk for a four-thirty wakeup call. They had to get ready to go to the United Nations, before going down for breakfast. When they got back to the room, the only thing they would have to do is slip into their dresses and put on their earrings.
We made it to breakfast a little before six. Everyone was excited and rushed through breakfast. When we got back to the room, I hopped Sereine and myself to Matt and Mary’s home. They were ready and waiting for us, so after exchanging greetings, Sereine hopped us back to the hotel room. A few minutes later, our room phone rang and it was the desk letting us know that our limousines were here to pick us up.
Sereine and I had discussed this presentation with Coral and Sto. They would have caused too much of a stir at the United Nations, so Sereine and I had decided it would be best if they remained behind.
I don’t know when the President and his party got into New York City, but Aaron greeted us in the hotel lobby. He and the President were to attend this event with me. The President was waiting in his limousine for Aaron to return. There were three empty limousines waiting for my party and me. The police and Secret Service escort got us through the morning traffic quickly. We arrived at the United Nations building in plenty of time.
Everyone in the area noticed when the caravan of Presidential limousines arrived at the United Nations. The Secret Service escorted the President, Aaron, their wives, and us through the crowd, and into a waiting area that Amir had reserved for us.
While we waited, the President and Aaron’s wives started a conversation with my ladies. My ladies’ English was just barely adequate to maintain a conversation, so I was occasionally called upon to translate.
After twenty minutes of conversation, the First Lady said to Mary, “I have been admiring the earrings you ladies are wearing. I think they are gorgeous and I wouldn’t mind getting a pair for myself. Where did you buy them?”
Mary took her earrings off handing them to the First Lady to examine. “Doug bought the earrings in the Multiverse, for the Embassy ladies to wear at official functions. They were quite reasonably priced, but if you were to get a pair for yourself, you might cause problems for your husband.”
“Why would my getting a pair of earrings cause him problems?”
Mary smiled and said, “They were very inexpensive in the Multiverse, but they would cause him problems, for here on Earth they are very expensive. Doug told us that a jeweler, who is appraising a pair like mine, estimated their value at over one hundred million dollars per pair.”
The First Lady was stunned, but said, “My God! I would love to have a pair, but my husband would kill me if I were to pay that much for earrings. If I wore them in public, the newspapers would be all over him screaming bribery and corruption.”
She reluctantly handed them back to Mary. I could see Aaron’s wife counting the number of women in the room wearing those earrings. Turning to the First Lady, she said, “My God, do you realize we are sitting in a room with almost a billion dollars of jewelry.”
Before the First Lady could respond, Bashira stepped into the room and asked us to accompany him. He led us to the seating area along the side of the General Assembly room and asked us to wait there until he returned. It was still early, but the delegates were beginning to take their seats. We received numerous curious looks from the members, for they all recognized the President of the United States.
A little before nine, Secretary-General Amir Jahrud and his aide Bashira Temba joined us. Bill had briefed me on the procedure that he and Bashira had agreed upon, and Amir reviewed it briefly with me. It was very short and simple. Amir would make a very brief opening statement defining who I was and my purpose for being here. I would then state that I wished to present my credentials, and Amir would accept them. After that, I would make a brief statement regarding my future intent, and we would end the ceremony. Amir and I would then adjourn to his office where we would take care of the remaining formalities. Bashira would take the podium as we departed to announce that I would make a short appearance at the pressroom at eleven, to answer a few questions from the press.
At exactly nine o’clock, Amir mounted the speaker’s platform, and walked to the podium.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
“Today, we are gathered here to participate in an unparalleled event. Last month the American State Department contacted me requesting a meeting to discuss a very important matter.
“My aide Bashira Temba met with the American delegation to determine what they wished to discuss. When he was informed of the subject matter, he asked them to wait, and immediately came to inform me of this event. I canceled my next meeting, and personally went to meet with the delegation.
“The American delegation introduced me to Mister Doug Smith. They then informed me that Mister Smith was an Ambassador who had been sent to Earth by the Multiverse Government, which is the government of an intergalactic society. Mister Smith had been appointed to the position of the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth, and he was here to present his Ambassadorial Credentials to the government of Earth.
“Since the United Nations is the closest thing we have to a planetary government, I accepted the responsibility of determining if the gentleman was what he claimed to be. My investigation has shown that he is of extraterrestrial origin, and after consulting with a few key advisers, I decided that it is appropriate for the United Nations to accept his credentials on behalf of the planet.
“At this time, I would like to present the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth, Mister Doug Smith, to you, the representatives of Earth’s Governments.”
I stood with my credentials in hand, and walked to the podium. Amir stepped back from the microphone so I could take his place behind the podium.
“Thank you, Mister Secretary-General. I wish to thank you for the kind words you have spoken on my behalf. At this time, I would like to present you with my Ambassadorial Credentials, which identify me as the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth.”
Amir stepped toward me as I extended the portfolio containing my credentials. Reaching out, he took the portfolio from me so he could open it and examine the contents.
After scanning the contents, he closed the portfolio, and said, “Thank you, Mister Ambassador. I accept your credentials on the behalf of the people of Earth, and I wish to welcome you to our planet. I hope that your time with us will be beneficial to all.”
Turning back to the representatives, I stepped to the microphone and said, “I have a message from the Multiverse Government for the people of Earth.
“The Multiverse Government, and the people it represents, would like to extend an invitation to the people of Earth to join them as part of the consortium of civilized planets that make up the Multiverse.
“I have been sent here as the Multiverse Government’s Ambassador, so I may aid in the development of relations between the Multiverse and Earth. During the coming years, I expect to work with the United Nations, and its representatives, to develop an understanding of our respective cultures and people.
“You may ask why the people of Earth should associate with the people of the Multiverse, and the answer is simple. We each have many things that we can offer the other. However, the Multiverse Government is very much aware of the risks inherent in an unrestricted association between our two cultures. Therefore, it will be part of my duties here on Earth to establish a time-phased plan for each of our two cultures to learn about the other.
“By presenting my credentials today, I have taken the first step toward our two cultures engaging in that period of learning. I anticipate many meetings and discussions during the coming years, in which my staff and I will be in contact with the Secretary-General and the United Nations’ representatives to discuss matters of mutual importance.
“It’s my understanding that at this time, the Secretary-General and I have several items to take care of concerning my credentials. I want to thank everyone here today for the courtesy you have shown me in listening to my message.”
Amir led me off the platform and we gathered the remaining members of my group. As we left, I heard Bashira making his announcement. Once we reached Amir’s office, we took care of the boring stuff that needs to be done; that stuff no one cares to hear about or do. I had to fill in forms and read various documents. By the time I finished, it was almost eleven, so Amir and Bashira escorted us to the pressroom.
The press representatives were eager to question me. Amir and I no sooner appeared at the podium than the reporters started screaming questions at me. Making quieting motions with his hands, Amir eventually reduced the shouts to a dull roar that the audio system was able to overcome.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Mister Smith will only take a limited number of questions today. He will host a press conference next month, to accept a broader range of questions. For today, I will pick reporters at random and the reporter will be allowed one question.”
Amir pointed to a gentleman toward the rear of the room. “Do you have a question you would like to ask?”
“You said that you are from the Multiverse. What is the Multiverse?”
“Ah,” I said, “a difficult question, immediately. The Multiverse is a very large, complex organization. In simple terms, it’s a consortium of civilized planets that banded together for the good of all Member Planets. Currently there are over ten thousand Member Planets in the consortium, and around thirty more planets that have Provisional Membership. Since these planets are scattered through numerous universes, we refer to the consortium as the Multiverse.”
Amir pointed to a young woman up front, and asked if she had a question.
“Yes, I can’t help but notice that all the women in your party are wearing identical earrings. Is there a reason for this?”
“Yes, there is. In the Multiverse, I am referred to as a Dimensional Hopper or D-Hopper for short. D-Hopping is a rare talent that allows a person to travel between two universes instantaneously. I was a trader that used this talent to look for a world that had inexpensive merchandise that could be sold for a very large profit in the Multiverse. When I arrived on Earth, I located several items of merchandise that satisfied that criteria. The motto of a D-Hopper is buy low, sell high.
“I registered the location of Earth with my Guild Headquarters. In the process, I was selected to be the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth. A couple of months after I accepted that position, I decided that the Embassy should have a visual symbol, which people could identify with the Embassy. While we were in the Multiverse, I bought the earrings that my female associates are currently wearing. I also bought rings like the one I am wearing for the men. Following my motto, I purchased the jewelry in the Multiverse at a very low price. At the same time, I knew that it would be extremely expensive jewelry on Earth. Thus the rings and earrings symbolize my motto of buy low, sell high.
“I look upon the rings and earrings not only as a symbol of my motto, but also as a symbol of my mission, which is to protect the citizens of Earth from traders who would harm and take advantage of Earth’s citizens in order to make a profit.”
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Day 1: When Doug finally woke up at the ranch, the morning started out with breakfast. Bashira, who had a long day yesterday, slept through breakfast. After thanking Betty for a wonderful breakfast, Doug called Secretary of State Charles Boyd. “Good morning, Doug. I let the President’s Chief of Staff Aaron McCaul know about what happened yesterday, and he said he would inform the President. Aaron and I decided you would be busy so we should wait until you contacted us to see if you needed...
I am now the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth. It is my responsibility and mission to ensure Earth joins the Multiverse with a minimum of difficulties. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to accomplish that mission! I like the people of Earth, and do not want them harmed by the Multiverse taking over their planet. I doubt the Multiverse Government would force itself on Earth, but, I suspect the Guilds will push to open trade with Earth at too fast of a pace, and I will need to resist...
The next morning Abby, Sereine, Mac, and I were ready to leave. Unfortunately, Cindy was sick. My ladies told me that she would be fine in a couple of days, so I should go ahead without her. I hopped us to Wayside and we got our traveling equipment, then Sereine hopped us to our next stop. As usual, the trip was uneventful. Abby was excited at first, but then her excitement turned to boredom. We did have one dismal event on the way to First Stop. I had hopped us to our next stop, and when...
I had Twixted ahead to reserve a room at the Timson Luxury Hotel, as we usually did when I visited Maribel in Timson before leaving the estate. Maribel currently had a moderately light schedule; well, light relative to how busy she seemed to be during my previous visits to Timson. A light schedule was good for we had a number of things that needed to be discussed, and there were a few items that were important to me. Most of this visit would be dedicated to our discussing specific topics, but...
Matt and I were up early the next morning for we knew Yarl and his crew were eager to complete the installation and get back to Vora. I think they were worried that their food would somehow become contaminated by sugar and turn them into sugar addicts. Things didn’t work that way, but many fears are often totally unreasonable. We needed more drivers than I thought, so Matt, Mary, Bill, Sue, and I went into Greely and picked up the rental equipment that Matt had reserved. With Carla and Ken’s...
We had just arrived, and I felt my link with Sto reestablish itself. All I heard was, “Doug back. Go talk.” The idea of Sto having to be face-to-face with me in order for us to talk over our mental link seemed funny to me. “Hello, Sto. How was Toomby?” “Shots hurt. No go Vet. Sto no need shots.” “Shots? Was there something wrong?” “Vet say need. Sto good. No need shots.” By then Sereine and the rest of my people made it out of the house and had walked over to greet us. “Hello, Sereine....
Cindy was right about us needing a bank. My idea of, me becoming a middleman for my people making deposits to and withdrawals from their Multiverse banks was a stopgap measure that would suffice, but only for a short time. The more I thought about things, it was very evident that the Banking Guild would not establish a bank on Earth in the near future, and we needed one now. By the time I got to my office portable, I had formed a rough plan to handle this issue. My first step would be to...
It had been a long and tiring trip back to Earth. The seasons were changing on our layover planets, so we had rain, snow, and temperature extremes to contend with on the different planets. We all agreed that we didn’t care for sitting on a planet in a hundred and two degree heat, and then hopping to our next layover and arriving in the middle of a blizzard and minus twelve-degree cold; the wind chill factor made it worse. I really needed to get a travel shelter. Harry had told me the...
Before my wives and I left on our honeymoon, Sandy and I had hired two lawyers, Grant Baker and Kenny Natron, to help us start our new business. They set up an appointment with us for today to discuss their progress and to ask us questions. It was ten minutes to two in the afternoon when Cindy called to let me know our two lawyers had arrived and they and Sandy were waiting for me in our conference room. We were starting to get really busy, so I definitely needed to find someone to be my...
Sereine and I getting stuck in a quarantine shelter for almost a week didn’t really affect my overall schedule. I didn’t have much to do before I had to leave for Shilling, so there was a lot of available time in my schedule. The only impact the delay caused me, was my having to reschedule a few minor things that I wanted to do before I left for Vora. Overall, I would be able to finish all of my outstanding tasks before my departure date. One of the good things that happened while I sat in...
While returning to Earth, I had a great deal of time to think about my past activities on Earth, and the changes that my new position would require in regard to my relations with the people of Earth. I had been telling lies of omission to many people since my arrival on Earth. I don’t like lying, but most of Earth’s people were not ready to learn the truth about my being an alien from outer space or about some aspects of my being a D-Hopper. When a D-Hopper opens a planet, they can choose...
By the time Sereine and I got to Wayside, we were both tired. We had let our egos control our actions, by hopping eight shipping containers to Wayside. Their combined mass and volume was more than the utility equipment we had hopped to Earth some months before, and we had been pushing our limits to hop that much equipment. We decided to leave the shipping containers on Wayside, and hop them to the ranch, later. As soon as we had stored our travel equipment and rested, we hopped home. Since...
Turning back to Kim I could see that she had endured all the culture shock that she could handle at this time. “Kim, I think we should set this subject aside, for now. Once you have had a chance to think about it, we can talk about it again if you wish. “I’m curious about whom you work for, and what prompted you to become a reporter. Would you care to talk about that instead?” “Yeah, I would. I think I got in over my head, and you are right. From what your friends have said, I do need to...
A strong pungent odor burned Zax's respiratory system through his nostrils and rose to his brain, the body organ which contained the soul. Zax woke up from the smell, but when his eyes opened what he saw was foreign. All he could see as he stared above was the ground as the ceiling and a dim light illuminating from somewhere. The last imagery that Zax could remember was the earth he was lying on splitting and a black shadow, like a long and thick whip, moving quickly out of the cracks,...
The trip to First Stop was the usual boring event. When we had arrived on Wayside, it occurred to me, this was the first trip I had made to the Multiverse with no trade goods. On our way to First Stop, Sereine and I briefed everyone on our plans for what each of our two groups would be doing during this trip. We had been talking during the trip, while we rested. During our discussions, it occurred to me that in the future, we might need two penal planets in Earth’s Universe. For the interim...
The first thing in the morning, Edgar called Kendrick to let him know I was back. Me ... I was lying between two lovely pregnant women, and I had no plans for getting out of bed until it was absolutely necessary. As usual, my bladder told me it was necessary and I reluctantly got out of bed. When I made it out into the dining room for coffee, Edgar let me know Kendrick had commed, and he had returned the comm to let him know I was out of bed. Kendrick showed up an hour later, and at the...
Matt, Bill, Sue, and I were waiting for Aaron when we heard a knock at the door. Rita answered the door. “Good afternoon, I’m Aaron McCaul. Is Doug Smith available?” “Yes, please come in.” Rita’s English was getting better, especially the standard phrases we use in our interpersonal communications. Aaron and a woman in her mid-thirties came into the room. “Doug, this is Miss Abby White. Abby, this is Mister Doug Smith. “It’s nice to meet you, Mister Smith.” “And it’s my pleasure to meet...
I timed our departure from Timson so we would arrive at Mister Tam’s home on Halpern late in the morning. I did so for I knew we had to be at the Tam home before mid-afternoon to confirm our hotel reservations and we didn’t want to arrive too early. We arrived in the portion of his backyard that he had previously designated as our arrival area. It didn’t take the Tam family long to usher all of us into their home. Our party was too large for them to accommodate us in their six-bedroom house,...
“Those are the main points that Maribel and I discussed, Kevin, and here are your copies of my replies to the questions that her committee sent you over the past year or so,” I said. “Maribel said that for the next year or two, she will have future questions routed to you, and will expect me to reply through you. That will change once I have a Twixt System in place. Maribel and I did this first set of responses to her questions this way, so we could work out any problems between the two of...
For Alma Walcott it was all in a day’s job as a freelance stringer. She started her day on the phone by calling her normal news sources, but it was an unusually unproductive day for news. Then she called her contact in the Sheriff’s office. To ensure confidentiality, she never used her real name when dealing with someone she had registered with her paper as a confidential informant. She was always Sheila and her informant was either Bob or Babs. Her contacts were aware of this duplicity, but...
From Vora it was only one hop to First Stop. Since we were now based on Slave World, we needed to consider a different planet as our point of arrival and departure. It didn’t make much sense to make three hops to and from Slave World when that would be our first stop. A planet along the route we used to travel between Slave World and Vora would be a better First Stop planet, as it was not commonly used as a rest stop by other D-Hoppers. I would discuss that with Sereine during our return to...
Arriving at the Archer home, Doug rang the doorbell. “Good morning, I’m Doug Smith. This is my Administrative Assistant Cindy Smith, and my lawyer, Kendrick Jones. We have an appointment with Mrs. Archer. Is she available?” “Yes, sir. Mrs. Archer is expecting you. Please come in and I will show you to the sitting room, and let Mrs. Archer know you are here.” The sitting room was a nicely furnished and pleasant place to meet with someone. I decided that I would like to have a small meeting...
Kendrick and I were talking and he said, “The Judge outsmarted the media. The case number and parties associated with the case, have to be posted for at least one hour prior to a hearing. Normally, the case number and all of the main parties are listed in the posting. He listed the case number and your name followed by the phrase ‘and others’, which satisfied the requirement of the law. The media expected the Archer family’s name to be listed. Since it wasn’t, the majority of the media missed...
“Are you ready to go, Doug?” “Go where, Bill?” “To put in another order for vehicles. You were going to put me on your calendar for a vehicle shopping trip.” “Sorry, Bill, I forgot to tell Cindy. I can’t think of anyone I was to meet with today. Let me check my calendar ah, yes, I have the rest of today clear; except for my regular tasks, which I can put off until later. I was talking with Matt about this, so will we need him and when did you want to go?” “Matt told me that as far as...
I was awakened at two in the morning by the siren alert of my comm unit. Someone had sent me a Twixt, and had flagged it as urgent. By the time I got to my comm unit, my eyes were open far enough for me to read the message. The message read, ‘Urgent you and Abby return to my office at once, Kevin Moore.’ I went down the hall and knocked on Abby’s bedroom door. When she said to come in, I opened the door, and said, “You need to get up and dress. We need to leave for Vora as soon as we can. I...
I needed to talk with Matt, Bill, and Sue about presenting my credentials and a few other things. “Matt? Doug, here.” “Hi, Doug, what’s up?” “I’ve finished the immediate things that I had to do. Do you have time to go over the arrangements for my presenting my credentials?” “Yes, when do you want to do it?” “I’m still at the ranch. We should be back at my home, shortly. Let’s meet there in two hours.” “See you then, Doug. Bye.” “Hello, Sue, Doug. Matt is going to be at my place in two...
The media had gotten word that my entourage was staying at the Trinity Hotel in Cinnity. They had staked out the hotel’s ground-level entrance and the landing pad on the roof. The only way my people could come and go undetected was for Sereine to hop them in and out of the hotel. Since her ability to hop was limited by her recovery time, it was very inconvenient for all of my people. My bodyguards decided that the media representatives needed to be taught a lesson; namely, do not harass the...
My wives said I needed a new wardrobe for the office. Rita was the most insistent, and she had arranged for an appointment with a tailor at a men’s specialty store that Charlie had recommended. Charlie always looked good in the office while he had been with HS, so I accepted his suggestion. Rita knew exactly what I needed as office casual and my other wives agreed, but Charlie had said that whatever I got as off-the-shelf clothing had to be tailored to fit me properly. Cindy had some work to...
During breakfast the next morning, I talked with Betty about her translation efforts. She said she needed an office in which to work. I suggested she get with Misty and set something up in the Hospital portable. Then the conversation took a turn that I wasn’t expecting. Rita said, “Carol and I have been talking to Betty and Cindy about your trip to visit with Harry at his office at the Archer Conglomerate. “Betty and Cindy think you are interested in the receptionist at the front desk and...
Within a sealed cavern, encompassed by blackness, sitting crossed legs, Zax prepared himself to tackle the fifth bottleneck of insight. Smell, touch, taste, sight ... These were the four bottlenecks of insight Zax already perceived and proceeded to comprehend. Zax was not oblivious. By now he could tell that the bottlenecks of insight have something to do with the five senses. The issue was with him unable to figure out if the remaining sense, sense of hearing, which will probably make him...
Our status meeting went well. Matt was making progress on getting a building permit for our temporary facilities and William was finalizing the supporting drawings. I let Matt know that we would have to install the utility equipment at what would be their permanent location, since Chairman Smart had bought me the equipment I would use for the Embassy Compound. I let him know I would get the equipment’s technical details for him when I had a chance and we would get with William to give him...
The Reyes and Rivera families remained at the clinic for the remainder of the day and well into the evening. Misty would periodically check her patients with her analyzer. By early evening, it was apparent that their condition was improving. After Misty informed the families, they returned home except for the mothers, who stayed with their sons for the night. They didn’t want a bed in which to sleep, so we provided them with a couple of our comfortable office chairs. They talked until the...
I arrived a little early for my appointment with Sergei, and was immediately ushered into his office. “Yarl Wilson, who is my installation foreman, Tim, and I, were reviewing the pictures that Tim Hart took at your ranch. Tim told us that you plan to set up a temporary Embassy Compound on your ranch, and live in it for a year or two. Is that right?” “Yes, but we hope it will only be a little over a year from the time we move in, until we can move into the Embassy.” “Yarl mentioned that you...
It took a bit longer than I had planned before we were ready to depart. Sereine hopped us to our first intermediary stop just as the sun was rising above the horizon. Three hops later, we arrived in the backyard of Mister Tam’s home. They had started to worry about whether we would get there for the wedding. Mister Tam said they had expected us to arrive three days ago so there would be plenty of time to make any final arrangements that may be necessary, and the wedding was scheduled for...
The four security people traveling with us were new to me. I had just a few minutes to introduce myself before we left Slave World, and I was having trouble recalling their names. Edgar said they were four of the better people that he’d had assigned to him by Kendrick. I would make a point of getting to know them better as I rested between hops. Our first stop on Vora was at my parent’s home. I had timed our departure so we would arrive early enough to have lunch with my Mom and Dad before...
Kendrick wanted to know when I would hold my media conference. The media was in a frenzy to find me. They wanted to know everything about me. My task during the interview was to limit my answers to my public life. He also wanted to set a date for me to meet my Board of Directors. He had contacted the Chairman of the Board and explained how I had inherited the conglomerate. The Chairman wanted at least a week to finalize their presentation. Kendrick and I settled on dates and times for my...
My wives woke me early the next morning. They enjoyed playing in bed yesterday morning, and were thinking of another romp in our bed. We had just started our usual sex play, when Carol made a mad dash for the bathroom. We could hear the sound of her retching, so Rita went to check on her. When Rita returned, she said, “It’s time for Carol to be checked out by Misty. I think she’s pregnant.” “Pregnant!” I exclaimed. “Didn’t she just finish her ovulation period? I didn’t think morning...
Alpha males vs earth sissies revolution part 1 "Pink or blue?" "Or should i say light pink or powder blue, we cant make you think blue is a boys color, it can be feminine also... or a sissy yellow... hmm." the deep alpha manly voice asked his soon to be sissy prisoners as he and the other alpha men laughed. the captured "men" were asked. "It doesn't matter soon to be sissies," the tall, huge super alpha man said grinning as the captured men of earth struggled. "You'll look...
Alpha Males Vs Earth sissies; part 2 A few weeks later.... "Stacy... are you ready to come out and show your new feminine self to me your new master?" The strong alpha male called from outside her girly room. Jack/Stacy stared at slender self in the mirror still not quite believing what had come of herself.. The servants had taken their time get "her" ready... slowly stripping away the earth masculinity and showing the inner girlishness all earth men naturally have, but has...
Alpha Males with earth girl sissys part 4 final. John tried to get away, but it was hopeless, as she looked down at his new feminized body, the restive pink skirts did nothing to help with getting away as he tried to escape. The nightly ritual of letting the now conquered earth sissies try to escape from their manly super alpha males, now their strong boyfriends/husbands. They never got that far, with their girly clothes always giving them away, the light pink yellow pastel colors...
“Morning, Betty, are you feeling any better this morning?” “Yeah, knowing that you really care about me as a person helps a lot. The way my parents and friends treated me is going to bother me for some time to come. I’ll get over it, but it will take time.” “That’s good ... at least, the getting better part is. Rita, Cindy, and Carol should be back tonight, unless they comm and extend their visit for another day. “I think we should plan on getting back to Vora tomorrow or at the latest the...
Matt and his wife Mary were to join my ladies and me for dinner at my home. We had to discuss the trading hop and to make plans for outfitting Matt and Mary for the trip to Vora. Mary turned out to be a moderately attractive redhead in her mid-forties, with the lithe muscular tone of an athlete. Betty had been in her element all day for she had been busy preparing our meal. My ladies tolerance to sugar had increased, so I had cleared them for eating a wider variety of foods. Betty was making...
Rita met me at the door with, “Doug, Aaron called you and he asked you to call him back.” Bill and Sue were still at the house, so I asked everyone to stick around until I finished the call. Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Aaron said, “Doug, I wanted to discuss the President’s event with you. “I had my assistant reserve three, two-bedroom suites for you at the Embassy Suites, and each bedroom has two queen-sized beds. I don’t know what the sleeping arrangements are for your...
As I said, we arrived at Wayside two hours later than I had expected. During one of our rest stops, Mac and Martha’s son Timmy wandered around the clearing. He was tired, so he stretched out on a comfy looking bed of leaves and fell asleep. Unfortunately, the leaves were on the far side of a boulder. So, when Dan prepared to hop us to our next stop, no one noticed him behind the boulder. Mac and Martha each thought the other was holding his hand. Martha knew Timmy wasn’t holding her hand,...
The first thing I did was to call William on his direct line at HRD. “HRD Architects, William Chambers speaking.” “Hello, William. Doug Smith here. I was able to complete my business on the East Coast sooner than expected. I would like to arrange an appointment with you for tomorrow morning.” “No problem, Doug, would nine be alright?” “That will be good. I will be bringing Matt Crane and his wife Mary with me. “Matt will be setting up mobile homes, portable buildings, and utility...
Days 4 & 5: It was Day 4 and Sereine was to make her presentation to our attackers and the lawyers they had retained. Yesterday, Sto, Coral, and the kits had moved back to their home with Sereine. The kits were doing fine. Aunts Sereine, Misty, Betty, Carol, Rita, and Cindy were taking turns making sure they had everything they needed. Sereine started her presentation with a detailed description of the laws pertaining to the commission of an act of violence against another party and the...
“Hello, Bashira, it’s Doug. How are things going with you and Amir?” “Good, Doug. Are you and your wives starting to settle in as married people?” “Well, not yet Bashira. The honeymoon trip has ended and we just got home yesterday, but our honeymoon is continuing. If I’m lucky it will continue for some time to come. I’ll have to wait to see if married life is different from just living with my ladies. What is Amir doing?” “He is busy with a number of issues, Doug. Canceling your visit was...