Alina knocked quietly on the door of the guest bedroom where Meredith had settled in.  The visions she had experienced nights before continued to weigh heavily on her mind, despite her efforts to push them into her unconscious, where they would be more efficiently and accurately deciphered.  Meredith opened the door with a subdued yet genuine smile on her face, looking and feeling far brighter and more alert than she had for a long time. “Good morning, Alina.”

 

“Good morning, Ms. Meredith. It seems as though you are well. I am glad to see this, this is good,” Alina replied and patted Meredith’s bony shoulder. “I was worried it would take it much longer for you to, ah… all the way bring back your… what was it?”

 

“Clarity? Energy?”

 

“Ah, yes. This sounds correct. Both correct.” Alina said in a hedging tone.

 

Meredith gave her a playful smirk.  “You really needa work on your English.  You sound like an android sometimes. Not that that’s all bad or anything, but… you know.”

 

Alina forced a soft chuckle and cast her eyes to the floor.  “Well, in any case… May I come in? There are many things I would like to, ah… talk with you about. Maybe is difficult to hear all at once, but I hope you will be forgiving… That you will not see me, ah, out of my place? A disruption? When I say that I believe this is very important, very ‘big deal’, as you may say…”

 

Meredith raised a dark, thick eyebrow and nodded, beckoning Alina in and motioning for her to sit on the bed.  Meredith herself sat across from the bed on an old-fashioned rocking chair that Alina had outfitted the room with some time ago.  “So, what are these concerns of yours? These visions?”

 

“How can I describe… The night before you come here, the Zelishem, they spoke to me. They showed me a man who stole star from the sky… his hand became like monster’s as he held it.  The sky itself called him… something. It was not good things.  Proud and arrogant, perhaps, those sorts of bad things.  I do not expect you to know exactly what this means, but you are Zelishem – at least, you come from them in essence. Maybe you have some way of thinking and seeing in a way like the Zelishem I see before you come,” Alina explained stiltedly.

 

Meredith squinted and placed her arms against the arms of the rocking chair as she leaned back into it.  “I have long had suspicions about the circumstances of my birth as a vector of Zelishem DNA. I have wondered for a while whether or not I came by my existence as ‘The Conduit’ honestly. The laboratory experiments, my father’s eagerness to parade me as such in front of as many people who would listen… It never seemed all that pure-intentioned to me.  In light of that, I can’t help but feel your visions may have some insight into this.  Not the most straightforward insight, of course, but the Zelishem are not exactly famous for straightforwardness.”

 

Alina lowered her head with a demure nod.  “Also, and, forgive me, Miss,” she muttered in a hushed voice. “What is it your relationship with David Abernathy?”

 

Meredith gritted her teeth and her face grew pale.  “I would rather not go into too many details.  I believe my father’s plan to start a human-Zelishem hybrid race would have started between David and I, but…ah… something went awry, and I can’t be more thankful for it, if we’re being real, here.  I, uh, do not get along with him.  That’s all I care to mention.”

 

Alina frowned.  “Listen, Ms. Meredith.  You are with me, now. We are free. I have always followed the truth simply because it was the truth I knew. I will always believe you are special and can do something wonderful, change the world as you were meant to change it, but perhaps… Perhaps it would be for the best if we found how to do that on our own, by listening to your thoughts and to your visions, rather than going by your father and his followers.  You are right.  No matter how much they know and they study, they are men of the material world.  They only wish to discover spiritual world out of hunger for power.  I humor them only to be close to you.”

 

“Are you saying we should figure out how to handle this whole dimensional-merge thing on our own? I just told you when I first got here, I don’t know if I am really that important. I don’t know if there is anything I can do to ensure the safety of this transition.” She looked down at the floor with a cold frown. “Or if it is really worth it,” she added.  “Can humans truly be elevated? If so, do they deserve it? Are their motivations for pursuing such elevation pure? Most importantly, is that even something the Zelishem will actually do?  They are capable of things humans aren’t – telepathy through images, seeing life in the natural and non-living, telekinesis, and so on. They may be the perfect picture of magical, spiritual beings – Hell, they could be the second coming of the Annunaki those New Age conspiracy theorists are always on about.  But, who’s to say that makes them pure of dishonesty or underhanded intentions?  I may be one of them, in a sense, but I cannot be sure of their agenda at this point in time.  Especially considering how I’ve been subdued.  There are many things I have forgotten.  I don’t even know what to expect when I fully transform into one of them,” she concluded as her lips curled in an expression of fear.

 

Alina stiffened her back.  “I understand, you go through difficult time in your life.  I cannot even imagine.  But I will stand by my faith – the faith that carries me so far through this life.  In you, and in the Zelishem race.  But, perhaps, yes, together, we figure something out.  We figure out a better way?”

 

Meredith scoffed quietly as she struggled to understand Alina’s point of view. Years of having such responsibility piled upon her embittered her, but she found something refreshing in the company of someone whose faith was clearly rooted in pure intentions rather than the pursuit of personal gain.  She leaned her face against her hand.  This unexpected shift in her treatment by others touched her deeply, though she refused to express this in so many words, or even fully admit it to herself.

 

“Well, well… Sorry to bring so much so early in the morning.  Did your father ever give you the gifts I brought for you the day before you came?”

 

“He gave me a little gift bag stuffed with tissue paper, said it was from you.  I was too lazy to open it. Go figure, right?  I still have it right here,” she said as she pointed to her nightstand.

 

“Would you do me the favor of opening it up, please?” Alina asked.  

 

               Meredith nodded as she proceeded to pull the pale blue tissue paper away, revealing a necklace similar to the fluorite pendant Alina wore as well as a small suede pouch.  Meredith put on the necklace, then undid the drawstring to the pouch to find it filled with tumbled labradorite stones.

 

               Alina smiled widely.  “I remembered how much you like.  Remember?”

 

               Meredith arched an eyebrow and shook her head.

 

               “When we first meet, you were very small.  You took the stone just like this from the altar. I said you could have it.  You looked so happy,” Alina explained with her eyes squinting shut as she laughed gently. “I thought maybe you would like to have more.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

Art by Erin.

 

 

Without replying, Meredith inspected the stones, held one up to the light, and smiled.  “Well, you are right.  I do like them.  Stones are their own little worlds, and these ones are especially beautiful, lively worlds!” She laughed softly.  “Thank you, Alina.”

 

               “I am glad you are satisfied, Miss.  Also, and I am so sorry for asking so much of you, Miss, but could you please help me with the computer David gave to me?  It was hooked up to Internet yesterday, but I am not sure how to use it.”

 

               Meredith nodded.  “Of course.  Really, the most important thing is just getting you an e-mail account set up. This is mostly for maintaining contact, right?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art by Erin.

 

 

 

Alina nodded in return.  The two of them walked out into the kitchen, where the laptop still sat on the counter.  Meredith opened it up and typed in the name of a commonly used e-mail website.  “Here you are.  Just enter a name and password, and you’ll be set.  Long as you remember the password, anyway.”

 

               Alina rubbed her eyes and went through the registration process when she tensed up, startled by a mechanical beeping coming from the computer.  “What is this? Problem?” Alina asked, turning to Meredith.

 

Meredith shrugged. “I don’t see anything wrong with it,” she asserted.  “I don’t know why it beeped.  Maybe you need to update something.”

 

               “What a pain!  This is why I never have the computer until now,” Alina grumbled.

 

               The beeping stopped.  “I guess whatever it is, it can wait,” Meredith said nonchalantly.

 

               Alina nodded and removed a slip of paper from the carrying case that had held the laptop.  On it was a list of e-mail addresses for Richard, Brenda, David, and Brian.  With Meredith’s assistance, she sent them a brief greeting from her new e-mail address.

 

            *****

               “Hello, Richard?” David spoke softly over the phone as he stood by Brenda Silva’s bed.

 

               “What is it, David?  I’m about to meet with Dr. Morgenstern about the Silva Academy project.”

 

               “Brenda’s health has taken a turn for the worse,” David muttered.

 

               “How can that be?! We had Meredith sent away!” Richard growled through gritted teeth.

 

               “I suppose the damage has already been done, then! I do not believe there is anything I can do.  I’m sorry, but, well… as you know, you did bring this upon yourself. You knew the risks…”

 

               “Now is not the time to mention that, David!”

 

               “You are a recklessly ambitious man, Richard.”

 

               “And you’re one to talk,” Richard retorted while swallowing heavily.  “How much longer do you think she’ll last?”

 

               “It’s difficult for me to say for certain.  Perhaps two weeks at the most, I imagine.  Finish your meeting.”

 

               “Shit. I won’t be back for another six days… What about Alina?  Is there any way someone can bring her over?” Richard rasped in desperation.

 

               “I will try and see if it’s possible, but I can make no promises.  Anyway, if there were anything she could do about this, wouldn’t you have had her do it already?  My sincerest apologies. Goodbye, Richard.”

 

               “Goodbye,” Richard choked as David pressed “end.”

 

               Brenda lay on her disheveled bed, mumbling words that David did not recognize.  Every so often, she would say Meredith’s name.   David moved in closer to her face in an attempt to hear her more clearly, hoping she would say something he could understand.

 

               “The Zelishem’re at war ‘mongst themselves,” she slurred with a blank, wide-eyed stare.

               David frowned as he felt tension spread through every muscle in his body.  “Over what?” He asked, not entirely expecting a response.

 

               Brenda turned away from David, continuing to mumble incoherently.  David gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.  He seized Brenda by the shoulders and turned her over so that she was facing him again.  She had no reaction, and a trickle of drool spilled from the corner of her mouth as her face hung limply against her collarbone.  “Over what, Brenda? What are they fighting over?”

 

               “We have t’ set ‘er free, completely free,” Brenda muttered without making eye contact with David.  She closed her eyes and weakly pushed him away.  Frustrated and defeated, David shook his head and kicked one of the legs of the bed.

 

*****

               “Sorry I’m late,” a short, bespectacled woman with dark, curly hair said as she set a cup of coffee down on her desk.  A plaque on the desk read “Tabitha C. Morgenstern, Psy. D.”

 

               “Don’t worry about it,” Richard replied hurriedly as he tried to steady his breathing.  “What’s fifteen minutes? I was on the phone anyway.”

 

               “You seem nervous,” Tabitha said between sips of coffee.  “Have a seat, please.”

 

               Richard nodded and sat down in a deep blue armchair across from Tabitha’s desk.

 

               “I understand you intend to found a school for gifted children,” she said flatly.

 

               Richard exhaled heavily.  “Not only gifted children.  Twice exceptional children.  Those who are both intellectually gifted and disabled.  I understand you have quite a bit of experience with this population through your work in the field of child psychology, to the point of attaining a reputation as an expert.”

 

               “Well, I’m flattered to hear that you trust my reputation, and I am happy to hear that you are invested in the future of children with these very specific needs.  But, I must ask, what is it exactly you want from me, as far as involvement in the school?”

 

               “I would like for you to handle admissions and case management,” Richard replied.  He steepled his hands and continued to breathe uneasily, hoping Tabitha wouldn’t notice.

 

               “Sounds manageable.  I have to ask, though, what is your investment in twice-exceptional children?”  Tabitha narrowed her amber-brown eyes at Richard, who appeared to dodge her gaze.

 

               He paused momentarily.  “They, ah… They are an untapped resource.  They need and deserve an education that will meet their needs, so they can fulfill their maximum potential,” he stated as he regained his poise and leaned back into the armchair with a subtle smirk on his lips.

 

               Tabitha smiled.  “I couldn’t agree more.  Consider me on board.  I trust you will keep me up to date as far as progress.”

 

               Richard nodded.  “You can be certain of it.”  He rose from the armchair, approached Tabitha’s desk, and extended his hand for a handshake which Tabitha readily reciprocated.

 

               “It was a pleasure meeting with you and I look forward to working together with you, Mr. Silva.”

 

               “The pleasure was all mine,” Richard said quietly.  He felt his face growing pale with worry once more and he left Tabitha’s office as confidently as he could in order to conceal his mounting anxiety.

 

               Once he was back in the hallway, he dialed David’s number.  His ringback tone was a discordant piano piece, Erik Satie’s Gnossiene #1, and it was all the more jarring to Richard on account of his mental state.  David did not pick up.  The only message Richard could bring himself to leave was “Call me back immediately.”

 

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