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(As she had expected might happen, Jenny didn’t even notice when Lizziebot removed the plates from her supper meal. She found herself wishing her introduction to the Alliance had been more like Lizzie’s.
She knew where this was heading at this point, of course. Nevertheless, she felt a building anticipation. She was learning things about the Alliance she had not expected. Obviously, she, Jenny, was the exception rather than the rule. She began to see why so many of her fellow guardians and agents had been so shocked by her unusual and abrupt progression from ghost-writer to guardian to gatekeeper.
She wandered back into the living room and curled up in her chair. She realized reading this journal had taken an entire day so far.
“I’ll just read until bedtime,” she told herself.)
After Lizzie had spent a peaceful evening mostly listening to interesting conversations around her, Gaston remarked to her that she was dozing in her chair, and Miriha offered to escort her back up to her room. Lizzie gratefully agreed and was happy to settle herself into the cozy bed with a warm comforter over her as she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Next morning, she awoke to a soft knock on her door. “Wake-up call,” said Miriha with a smile, when Lizzie threw on her bathrobe and answered the door. “Here’s today’s schedule, more or less. You have a lot to look forward to. Breakfast in about an hour. See you then.” And without waiting for a reply, with a smile she turned and headed out the door.
Lizzie yawned and stretched, went through her morning routine—making her bed, bathing, dressing, and brushing her teeth and hair—and headed down the stairs to find others also heading to the dining hall. They smiled and uttered bright and sometimes sleepy “Good morning” greetings as they all made their way towards the smells of breakfast.
Many were already seated and eating when Lizzie entered to find Gaston and Miriha in earnest conversation in their usual places at the end of the long dining table.
“Good morning, Lizzie. Sleep well?” Gaston asked as Lizzie brought her filled plate to the table and sat.
“Very well, thank you. I thought I wouldn’t sleep with all the thoughts chasing around in my head, but I guess the trip tired me more than I realized. I am ready to go now, however. I see my schedule is pretty full.”
“Yes, indeed. Today your guide will be Miriha. I have other pursuits this morning. I’ll see you at lunch.” And with that, he nodded to Miriha, picked up his plate and utensils, and, leaving them on the sideboard provided for dirty dishes, proceeded out of the dining hall.
“So, how was your first day?” Miriha asked just as Lizzie had taken a bite of the breakfast sandwich she had gotten from the buffet.
Lizzie chewed hurriedly and gulped. “It was great—well, ‘great’ isn’t adequate, but I don’t think I know any words that could describe it. I feel like my eyes are just beginning to open, if that makes any sense.”
Miriha laughed, an almost tinkling sound, her eyes crinkling. “Every person in this gathering has gone through a similar experience before they joined us. That makes perfect sense, Lizzie. I still find it enlightening to spend time with this elect group of curious minds.”
This time she waited for Lizzie to take another bite and chew it before asking, “I was wondering if you had decided to pursue a specific scientific discipline yet?”
Lizzie noticed this was a common question at almost every interview so far. “Actually, that is one of my biggest failings, Miriha. My curiosity is never satisfied, and I find all of it—” and she gestured with wide open arms as if to encompass everything she could see— “intensely fascinating. I want to know how it all works, how it all came to be, and what the future holds in store....” She sighed, feeling like she didn’t completely express what she really felt, but not feeling up to the task of explaining more clearly.
“Gaston says I will eventually get over my impatience with my process, but I don’t know how. It’s an itch I am unable to thoroughly scratch.”
Miriha didn’t laugh. She reached out a gentle hand to take Lizzie’s. “It is exactly these qualities that make you a prime candidate to participate in our program. And, over time, you will eventually become more focused. Assuming you come on board with us, you will be given specific assignments, and each one will take you farther along your path.”
“Part of the reason Professor Gaston took you through such varied projects was to see if you could focus clearly on the task at hand and still migrate to new and dissimilar tasks without becoming bored or distracted. He tells me you passed this part of your evaluation brilliantly.”
Lizzie wasn’t quite sure what to say to this, so instead she took another large bite of her sandwich and chewed slowly and thoughtfully.
“The next few days will be an extension of what Gaston already began with you. After the remainder of your introductions today, you will work on a short project with each of our company. There won’t be any breaks for recreation, I’m afraid, except for a brisk walk around the grounds twice a day after your lunch and supper meals. On the seventh day of your stay here, we will all get together and report, in your presence, regarding your performance and any significant factors we have noticed.”
“Assuming we agree that you are able to continue to full fellowship, we will at that time make you a couple of offers of opportunities that may or may not interest you. The final decision at that point will, of course, be yours. Do you have any questions?”
Lizzie shook her head. “I think I understand. I want to tell you up front how much I appreciate the opportunity to apply for this position, even though I don’t yet know the details. I can already see, based on my first day here, that I can learn much more working with this group than any degree program I could possibly pursue with the university. I’m ready. Let’s get to work.”
She completed the rounds of the remainder of the group that first day and then worked from early morning in the dark to late at night, every night. Each new person and each new project were revelations to her.
Her favorite was her time with Ernst and Alex regarding the observatory itself. The huge facility was completely self-sufficient, due to the many ways they had found to create power, light, and food.
Ernst explained the unusual lighting system was such an advanced secret that, until she signed her second nondisclosure agreement, he couldn’t teach her the science behind it, but the rest was absolutely fascinating.
“Soon after this site was chosen for the observatory due to many unique properties of the land, which you will discover later in your training when you officially come into our little group, we also discovered fumaroles on the property. The heat and steam generated by the fumaroles are trapped by a special system I’ve developed to generate electricity. It’s clean energy and the power is consistent, regardless of the time of year or time of day.”
Alex clarified. “These fumaroles provide all of the power for every building on the property. Not enough power to fulfill the needs of a city, for sure, but more than adequate for our use. I can see potential that geothermal power could perhaps provide most of the electric power on the planet at some point, but for now, my little experiment gives us all of the electric power, heat, and hot water we can possibly use, without the fumes and pollutions created by traditional power sources.”
He explained the aquaponics system in more detail, allowing her to accompany them as he and Ernst did the simple maintenance of the system. “We also grow outdoor crops and keep some cattle, poultry, and sheep on the property. At necessity, we could be completely sustainable here, even with no contact with the outside world. I don’t know that there is another place I can name that has better internal resources than we do.” Ernst said proudly. Lizzie had to agree. The thought, planning, and ingenuity that had gone into all this was unique in her experience.
Of course, there was the observatory itself. Her first full day of projects was capped off with an evening in the observatory. Gaston told her that this was the second largest telescope in the world; the largest telescope actually resided in California. The difference was that here, in the high reaches of this remote area of the Swiss alps, there was as close to zero light pollution as you could get nearly anywhere on Earth.
Lizzie took great delight in the opportunity to directly study the stars and planets via the huge telescope, as the study of space excited her. She dreamed of a time when humans would finally break the bounds of the Earth and be able to travel to the stars as easily as taking a plane to another continent on Earth. Although many scientists pooh-poohed the idea, she was certain that the time would come when humans would venture into space, and she hoped with all her heart it would happen while she was alive.
Of course, she knew that the science of her time didn’t extend to the point where the challenges of interplanetary or intergalactic travel was remotely possible, but the idea of it fired her imagination and was one of the things she had hoped to have a part of at some point of her scientific career.
Regardless of the magnificent view afforded her by the telescope, however, she knew that somehow even that wouldn’t completely satisfy her curiosity about the workings of the wonders of nature and science. She realized she was being somewhat silly. After all, what could possibly be bigger than the universe?
Just as fascinating, however, was her time with Tahira. Gaston had brought her initial weaving projects, to Lizzie’s embarrassment, to show to her. He handed the piece to Tahira and excused himself for another appointment.
Tahira examined the simple dresser scarf with interest and, to Lizzie’s surprise, did not laugh at or scorn her effort.
“And you built the loom yourself and did this without instruction by a weaver? Impressive. The uniformity of the weave is unusual for your first try-piece. And I am also impressed that you chose such a simple pattern. Too often beginners get over-enthusiastic and attempt something beyond their ability and get discouraged as a result. A simple design is an elegant solution and a wise choice, any time you are learning something new.”
She sat Lizzie down in front of a more intricate table loom than the frame loom she had built, that was obviously meant for an experienced weaver. She showed her the moving parts that took the place of a hand-operated heddle and shed stick and demonstrated how these small advances made the work so much easier. She showed Lizzie the simplicity of creating a houndstooth pattern and set her to it, speaking as Lizzie worked about the entire process of producing usable woven items from raising the sheep to the shearing and processing of the wool into usable thread and yarn.
Lizzie began to appreciate how each craft, each bit of technology, and each bit of new insight gave way to more advancements, and how understanding the workings of apparently simple things could lead to greater discoveries.
At the end of their session together, Tahira presented her with a beautiful intricately woven shawl, soft as a breath of warm air and exactly the right length to drape elegantly while wrapping her warmly. The gift touched Lizzie so much that tears threatened to dribble out of the corners of her eyes.
Tahira noticed this and told her, “Lizzie, those of us who are so blessed as to share this week with you have gotten so many great reports from Gaston that, admittedly, we have been slightly skeptical. It is a joy to see that his reports were not only accurate but understated. It would be natural for you to be a bit overwhelmed by this opportunity, but I have a feeling that you will soon find yourself at home in such company. Based on our observations so far, you have a spark of greatness in you that you don’t begin to understand yourself.
“I had heard you were a bit on the arrogant side, but I begin to see that you are simply confident in your abilities and perhaps a bit introspective, not particularly outgoing mainly because you spend so much time in your head. Time and experience will perhaps change that, as you continue to develop. You are young, and I have a feeling you will round out socially over time, when exposed to the right people and circumstances.
“I gave you this scarf to remind you that what you focus on over time becomes your own art. You will potentially always enjoy weaving as a pastime, but probably not as an art. However, understanding the principles of one kind of art often leads to the spark that will lead you to the unique art form that becomes your life.”
Lizzie was surprised that something as basic as the skill of weaving could produce such deep thought and insight. But then, she did find it easy to think deep thoughts when she spent time with the peaceful rhythm of the loom. She was beginning to see the method in Gaston’s madness and what all of the disparate projects were preparing her for.
She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but she always thought of scientists as being somber, critical, and demanding. What she was finding here was that this wasn’t necessarily the case or even the norm. Instead of the competitive environment she was used to in collegiate circles, these people were all open, helpful, and eager to share their thoughts and ideas with her and to accept her on equal terms, despite her age and lack of practical experience.
None surprised her more than her time with Idoya, the tiny lady from Puerto Rico. She met her in a small gymnasium. Idoya was dressed in a simple karate gi, her hair tied back in a ponytail and her feet bare. Lizzie had been warned ahead of time to dress in something loose-fitting and casual, so she entered wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants.
Idoya got straight to the point. “Okay, Lizzie, this will be quite different than anything we have put you through so far,” she said, by way of introduction. “One of the things Gaston may have neglected to tell you is that your role in our group might be more than intellectual. A fit mind in a fit body is important. You are obviously not overweight or flabby, despite your focus on intellectual things, but we need to go beyond simple fitness, so it is my job to determine what will be needed to bring you up to our standards. Let’s put you through some paces and see what we have to work with, shall we?”
And so, she began. For two solid hours Lizzie not only engaged in basic calisthenics but also walked on a balance beam, did yoga posturing and stretches, threw balls, threw darts, built towers from unusually shaped blocks, and even did some dance moves.
By the time they were done, Lizzie was ready for a shower, but then she was directed to sit on a mat in front of Idoya, as Idoya tested her ability to relax every muscle in her body and then to tighten one area of her body while simultaneously relaxing other muscles. This was harder than it should have been, as Lizzie tended more toward active tension than relaxation.
“I didn’t actually expect you to do as well as you did. People from academia usually come to us pretty deficient in the physical area. You will definitely require some instruction and building up, but you have a pretty good base to begin with. I also appreciate the lack of whining and complaining.”
Lizzie wasn’t quite sure how to reply to this. She had hoped that spending time with all of these people would help her to puzzle out what they were actually looking for and how or why they would want her to be involved. However, the more time she spent with this diverse and often eccentric gathering of intellects, the more confused she became. There seemed to be no specific focus or goal. She was obviously missing something because this was no ragtag bunch of “mad scientists.” No group that could afford and create a facility like this one could be purposeless.
By the evening before her final day, Lizzie was both exhilarated and increasingly confused. From the beginning, she had been honest with Professor Gaston about her desire to explore beyond the restrictions of academia, but this was so much more than she imagined might come of that. If she thought the eclectic projects he had assigned her were random, she was sure she had missed something important along the way. She thought of herself as really good at discerning patterns, but the boundaries of this seemed to be beyond her.
As she listened to the buzzing of conversation around her in the dining hall, she found no hint about what was coming next, so she ate quietly, finishing her strawberry-filled crepes with a sigh.
At that point, Miriha stood; and when she did, the room fell silent.
“Well, Lizzie,” she began, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised in a question, “we’ve put you through your paces. And I must say, the reports from every single participant have been glowing. Gaston’s instincts are generally good, but I think he has outdone himself. Of course, you likely feel no more enlightened than you did when you arrived.
“You have been exposed to a number of challenges, all so different as to seem unconnected. So, I am guessing your analytical mind is expectant as to what happens next.
“After conferring extensively with one another and in view of our needs, I believe we are in agreement?” At this, she paused and looked pointedly at each of her colleagues around the long table. As she paused momentarily gazing into each face there was a solemn nod. When she came back to Gaston, who was seated across from Lizzie, he also gave his nod with a confident smile directed at Lizzie.
“It is unanimous, then. Lizzie, what I am about to tell you is held in strictest confidence, but you must be informed of it before we can proceed. We have observed that you are not a close-minded person, but also that you are not gullible nor likely to swallow a wild tale without proof. Therefore, we need to give you some background on two of our number who have been somewhat absent from your program.”
She followed Miriha’s glance toward the back of the hall, and in came Tidbit with Thumble riding on his back, humming joyfully. Lizzie couldn’t help but smile. It was true. During the previous week, they had been conspicuously absent from the proceedings.
“Lizzie, we would like to introduce you to Tarafau.” Thumble hopped from Tidbit’s back, and Miriha gestured toward Tidbit, who seemed to fade out for a moment and in his place suddenly stood a very tall black man wearing colorful robes similar to African or Polynesian people’s native costumes. He was bald, his pate shiny as if polished, and he had pointed ears, but not like those she had seen depicted on classic elf or fairy pictures—the points hung from his earlobes. He smiled, and as he did, she saw his teeth were fanglike, very similar to the cat.
“So good to meet you, Lizzie,” he said in a soft baritone voice. “You already know me as Tidbit. Outside of certain protected areas, on your Earth, I can only appear as a cat. I am a Daringi from a planet outside of your universe or, in other words, your dimension. I have the ability to change my physical nature. Your legends would call me a shape-changer.”
He walked over to her and put out his hand for her to shake.
She timidly extended her own hand. His hand was large, strong, and very warm. The pupils in his large amber eyes were open and black. His skin was about the same shade of black as Tidbit’s fur.
“Good to meet you, Tidbit, er, um, I mean, Tarafau,” she said, continuing to look into those big amber eyes.
He laughed gently. “It’s okay, Lizzie. I don’t bite, at least not in this form.”
Lizzie gazed around at the group seated around the table, all of whom watched her with avid concentration.
“What is this? Is this real or is this another test?”
“Probably a little bit of both, Lizzie,” Miriha replied, amusement clear in her tone. “It’s okay. We’ve all had a similar experience in our own introductions. Come and meet Lizzie formally, Thumble.”
To her astonishment, Thumble leapt from the floor onto the table and, standing on his hind legs, he chirped, “Surprise!”
Lizzie nearly fell off of her chair. “You can talk? What?”
“I speak little Englishes. I like Lizzie. You still like me too?”
In answer, she stroked his head with one finger, as she usually did as he sat on her lap while she read up in her little apartment above the lab in Los Angeles. “Yes, of course. You just surprised me, is all. And where are you from?”
“Planet in distant dimension, far, far away. You come and visit my home someday?”
“Visit?” She turned to Miriha. “Okay! Enough. What is this really about?”
“Sorry, but we know your analytical and somewhat cynical mind by now, Lizzie. We thought some concrete evidence was the best way to introduce you to our offer. Relax for a moment while I explain some things to you. For now, just listen. There will be time for questions later.”
Lizzie nodded her head, her expression dubious and her mind racing.
“The first thing you should know,” Miriha continued with a smile, “is that I am also not of your Earth. My planet is in an entirely different dimension or what you might call a ‘universe.’ I am what is known as ‘The Gatekeeper.’ I have a very specific position in our organization, which I shall explain.
“The twelve people in this room, with the exception of Tarafau and Thumble, are what are known as ‘Gate Guardians,’ which denotes a position of authority beyond any held by any government entity on your world, but they do not influence or interfere in any political or other organization on your planet, due to strictures they are bound by oath to obey.
“Beginning at as close to the beginning as we are able to see, there is more than one universe ‘out there,’ and they are interconnected by naturally occurring dimensional portals. For reasons we do not fully yet understand, and as far as our understanding extends, this network of portals only seems to occur in any particular universe at or around a single planet. Our scientists are at a loss to explain how a particular planet is ‘chosen’ by the phenomenon, although there are theories. Nor do they have a clear understanding of how, when, or why these portals were formed.
“A person can step through a portal and be transported from their home universe and planet to a totally different universe and planet in an instant. On Earth, to our knowledge, there are twelve of these portals. There may be more, but some of them may be in places yet unexplored by humans to any degree. In ancient times, these portals were wide open, and it was not unusual for them to be discovered by a being from a distant dimension stepping through them, either by accident or intent.
“For many who discovered this, it became a way to study other species, cultures, and universes. For others, planets with less technology or understanding became hunting grounds for them. Some decided to experiment with colonization or even domination of cultures they discovered beyond the portals. And in some cases, cultural exchanges and trade began to take hold.
“When the groups who had banded together to trade ideas and goods conferred, it became apparent that there were predators out there, who, if left to their own devices, would use these portals to enslave, pillage, and take advantage to satisfy their desires of greed and power over others.
“That was of grave concern to the loose association of dimensions. They decided that perhaps there might be a way to control traffic through the portals; and by so doing, it would allow them to protect the weak from the strong and allow those less able to defend themselves to grow and develop without fear of predators or interference from more advanced cultures.
“Thus, the Dimensional Alliance was formed. They combined technologies and sciences to create a system to detect gates throughout the multiverse and set up a network of controlled gates that would bar non-Alliance cultures from using the gates to prey on others.
“To prevent eventual incursion by those who might have the technology to infiltrate the system, they also set up a structure that meant each known gate was guarded by a being who became responsible for monitoring the comings and goings through those gates. Thus, were the Gate Guardians of the Alliance recruited from each planet where it was possible to use native guardians. Not all universes are active members in the Dimensional Alliance, as not all of the cultures or intelligent beings on a planet are technologically advanced to the point that we can afford to introduce this information to the populace at large.
“In the beginning, the Alliance made the error of not taking this into account. As a result, some cultures were changed radically and ultimately destroyed themselves with technology they weren’t ready for. Earth is not an active member for that reason. It is not and never has been the intent of the Alliance to alter the destiny of any culture. On the contrary, one of the primary concerns of the Alliance is allowing the freedom of a culture to choose their own destiny and develop as a unique and treasured asset in the multiverse, not a clone of another culture.
“An example of this was the huge world wars your Earth has been experiencing. We have the technology to have put a complete stop to those wars and all of those around the globe that seem to plague humankind. However, no culture is truly at peace if they are forced into it, and in our experience an enforced peace never lasts. Eventually, if the necessary lessons are not learned, a culture will regress to their earlier state. It is our firm belief that every culture should have the right to choose their ultimate destiny, and the diversity of the multiverse is one of its most valuable treasures.”
As she listened to this, Lizzie realized her mouth was hanging open, and she shut it. Miriha had paused and was looking at Lizzie expectantly, so Lizzie said the first thing that popped into her head.
“Okay, so assuming that all of this is more than an extremely elaborate and unnecessary practical joke, what does it all have to do with me?”
“Good!” said Miriha with a delighted grin. “So glad to see you using your head. Of course, with the tech available to us in this facility, as you have seen, we could have created an illusion to deceive you. This was well thought out and well said. Would you be averse to one more quick demonstration before I answer your question?”
“I suppose not,” she said, squirming a bit in her chair, painfully aware that all eyes were fixed on her and her reactions.
“Then please stand,” said Tarafau’s soft low voice behind her. She stood hesitantly.
“This won’t hurt. I am going to take you to my home planet for a few moments and we’ll be back to get the rest of your questions answered. Simply stand still.”
Before she could reply or react, Tarafau put a large hand on her shoulder, and suddenly the room faded from sight. In an instant she was standing in a meadow surrounded by what looked like large military tanks. In the top of the arc formed by the tanks was a very large statue of a woman standing with her arm outstretched as if pleading. The sky was more violet than what she was used to. There were flowers growing between the wheels of the war machines like none she had ever seen before.
He reached down, plucked a blue flower that was growing at their feet, and handed it to her.
“This is a special place on my planet, in walking distance from my home. It is a memorial to a woman who changed the history of our planet from a war-stricken place of greed, intrigue, and violence, to a peaceful community where each being is valued and peace reigns,” he said, gesturing around the meadow. “Someday, assuming you join us, I will take you down the road that leads to my home and introduce you to my family, but time is short and there is much more for you to discuss about your future choices, so we will return to the observatory.”
Before she could answer, he placed his hand once again on her shoulder and once again the dining hall faded into her view. She felt shaken and more than a little overwhelmed, to put it mildly. She looked down at the exotic flower still clutched in her hand.
“Was that a gateway?” was all she could think to ask.
“No. It is a talent of my race to be able to transport through the dimensions without a gate. The purpose of this trip was to lend some reality to this discussion and give you more understanding as you are called to make some important choices in the next twenty-four hours.”
She plopped back down into her chair and looked wide-eyed at Miriha. “Can you do that too?”
Miriha laughed. “No. As far as I know, the beings on Tarafau’s planet are the only ones in the multiverse with that talent, but the multiverse is a big place, so I imagine there may be others. My race is not among them. So, now we come to the point of this entire week.
“When Gaston started watching your progress in his university and learned more about you, he became aware of an opening we would have in the near future for what you might call an apprenticeship. We are looking for a few candidates to become agents for the Dimensional Alliance. Agents, unlike Gate Guardians, have a much wider role in the Alliance and often are groomed to eventually become Gate Guardians.
“Gaston chose you because of certain qualities that are necessary for this position, including honesty, kindness, a sincere desire to do good, a curious and intelligent mind, and the ability to learn and adapt quickly to unusual circumstances. We need those who are advanced in their thinking and wouldn’t be corrupted by access to advanced technology and the knowledge of the gate system.
“It involves and requires intensive training in body and mind, as well as the ability to stick to a task and follow very specific and involved directions. The professor designed that apprenticeship course in his lab to test you for these qualities. Even Thumble and your visit to Gaston’s home at the holiday was a sort of test.
“The second phase was the week you spent with us here. It is easy for a teacher to become blinded to the shortcomings of a student when they grow to like and care about them. We needed to expose you to people who didn’t know you well, to see if Gaston’s observations were accurate or slanted in any way.
“The consensus from the guardians is that you meet the qualifications. Otherwise, we would simply have found you an internship in a worthy research facility somewhere on Earth, where you could advance your career and get on with your life; and you would never have heard or experienced what you have this evening.”
“So, I passed the test, and now what are you asking me?” Lizzie asked.
“We would like to formally extend an invitation for you to join the Dimensional Alliance agent training program. It will be challenging physically, mentally, and perhaps somewhat emotionally. At no time would you be required to change any of your personal beliefs. And if, at any time, you choose to opt out, you can do so with the caveat that your memories of everything you have experienced up to that point that concern the Alliance in any way will be wiped, and new memories will replace them.
“You would be placed in a highly favored position in a good company, and you would have no idea any of this had ever happened. None of your previous memories would be erased, of course. You would just think of Gaston as Professor Cormier, a nice instructor at your former college. The degree you had been shooting for would be awarded to you, and all of the school records would reflect that you completed your coursework with honors.
“On the other hand, the ‘coursework’ for the Alliance training program is extensive and grueling. No textbooks and limited library time. You will be exposed to technology beyond anything you’ve ever seen before and will be expected to master its use. You will be held to high physical standards as well.
“It will also mean there will be much of what you do that you will not be allowed to share with even your closest friends or family. You will be provided a feasible cover story, which you will be drilled in thoroughly. The first six-week section of your training will isolate you from family and friends. You will tell them you have been accepted into a six-week internship that will take place in an area inaccessible to mail or phone.
“From time to time, you will return to Earth to allow you to make contact with family and friends. You will be studying off world and out of your dimension during most of your training, with occasional breaks to continue to nurture family relationships and enhance your cover story.
“After that, assuming you pass or exceed expectations, you will become an agent intern of the Dimensional Alliance. Following the completion of formal training and your internship, you will be doing a lot of traveling throughout the dimensions, depending on your assignments. Some of these may be extended amounts of time, as long as a year, with few breaks for intermingling with your friends and family on Earth.
“The benefit to you will be the opportunity to expand your learning in the sciences and much more. We are of the agreed opinion that you have the qualities that would allow you to be successful and valuable as an Alliance agent. During the course of your internship and your term as an agent, you will be exposed to and get hands-on experience in science beyond anything you may ever find here on Earth. Your efforts will benefit all beings on your planet and in your universe.”
She paused and looked meaningfully at Lizzie. “Do you have any questions?”
Lizzie shook her head and then nodded, realizing she had just contradicted herself. “Well, yes. Of course, I have about a million questions. However, I realize all of them would easily be answered over time by simply accepting your offer. Therefore, I will ask only one: how soon can I start?”
The room was silent for a moment that seemed to last forever. Miriha cocked her head to one side, much like Gaston when he was puzzling something out or was surprised by one of her retorts. “We generally give an applicant a full twenty-four hours to make this decision. If you agree, arrangements must be made. Are you sure you are ready to accept that responsibility with full integrity?”
Lizzie looked directly into those intense green eyes. “Miriha, I swear to you and in front of this quorum of witnesses, that I will do this and give it every effort I am able to make. I finally see what Gaston was preparing me for, and I am overwhelmed and gratified that he chose me. The sooner we can get started, the sooner I can finally find out what I am fully capable of. Do I need to sign anything?”
Once again, Miriha paused, searching Lizzie’s face. She took Lizzie by both hands. “So shall it be,” she intoned solemnly.
“So shall it be,” repeated the assembled guardians. It sounded very formal and very final to Lizzie, like a ritual of some kind.
“Lizzie Japhet, do you covenant to uphold the laws and ideals of the Dimensional Alliance; to defend the rights of choice and liberty of the downtrodden and vulnerable of the multiverse under the direction of the Dimensional Alliance Council, to fulfill all assignments with integrity and diligence, and to always do your best in every assignment you are given by those in authority over you, as far as it is within your power to do so?”
Lizzie nodded her head. “I do so covenant.”
“So shall it be,” Miriha repeated.
“So shall it be,” the assembly echoed.
Miriha drew Lizzie into a warm embrace. “Welcome, little sister, to your new family. There are now new doors open to you. There will be some formalities to deal with. Gaston and I will meet with you in a few minutes, but for now, rejoice with us!”
Suddenly music sprang up from seemingly nowhere, the usual bright lights softened, and the room burst into applause. Thumble ran up the table to throw himself at Lizzie, little arms open wide. Lizzie barely caught him in one hand as he chirruped, “Lizzie is ours now! We can keep Lizzie!”
She perched him on one shoulder while the others gathered around, each shaking her hand and congratulating her and some bringing her into warm, enthusiastic hugs. She was surprised to realize there were tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m home,” she whispered to herself. “I’m finally home.”
