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(True to her promise to Burt, Jenny had taken a walk in the neighborhood. As she walked, her mind was fully engaged with Lizzie’s first venture into mental training. She found it interesting that Lizzie’s mental guard was a vault. Hers had been a medieval fortress with an armored guard at the drawbridge and portcullis.
Since she had met Burt, her place of safety had been outdoors at a small eddy pool on the Merced River. However, Lizzie’s was a quiet place in a library. This obviously said a great deal about their differences. It was fascinating to her to see how different their experiences had been, and yet, how much she identified with Lizzie.
She was eager to continue the story, finding it more engaging than any fiction book she had read. This wasn’t fiction. It was the life she would have had if fate had not intervened. Their struggles had been different and yet parallel, each leading to heavy responsibilities.
Entering her bright living room, she noticed that Lizziebot had put a favorite snack of peanut butter spread on celery sticks next to the little table by her overstuffed reading chair. Tidbit was stretched out in the sunshine on the window seat, and Chidwi was perched on the back of her chair, knowing that Jenny would be avidly continuing her reading in Lizzie’s journals.
Her relationship with the little linkling had grown to the point that they seldom had to use mindspeech, except when having actual conversations.
With a contented sigh for the peace of the moment, knowing that this respite was only temporary, Jenny sat, opened the journal to the bookmark and reentered Lizzie’s world.)
Lizzie parried another blow from Negoth. She grinned at him, and he scowled. Negoth was one of the few sparring partners she actually felt competent around. She could let her mind drift a bit with him because he was so predictable.
They had long since advanced from simply doing forms to regular sparring matches with the quarterstaff, followed by hand-to-hand martial arts. Now, although they still warmed up with the forms at every session, the sparring matches had become more and more intense as they learned new tactics and techniques. This was still the least favorite part of her training.
However, Lizzie was enjoying the stepped-up pace of her other lessons, which, with the exception of studying the Dimensional Alliance charter documents, were almost all hands on. It was what she had wished college to be: no lectures, just labs of exploration and experimentation.
Not all of her podmates had exhibited the same enthusiasm, however. It turned out that first impressions were not necessarily accurate.
Geln, for instance, despite their apparent bulk and size, were more cerebral than she had expected and had struggled even more than Lizzie with the sparring matches. Evidently Geln’s race was extremely pacific. They participated willingly in the runs, morning and evening, but it was soon obvious to everyone that they didn’t like even the defensive measures they were being taught, much less practicing attacks on their podmates.
Linlin, Mang, and Feth had been extremely proficient in all of the martial arts they were studying, and over time Lall entrusted them to ordering the drills and often paired them with those who were struggling the most, namely Geln, Lizzie, Negoth, and Minth.
Minth, with his heavily charged body, was an issue as far as the metal shod staffs and other metal weapons such as a sword were concerned. Unless they had wooden handles, these were problematical for him, as even with his rubber gloves and shoes, he still exuded a static force around himself that would make people’s hair rise on their heads when he got closer than a foot away.
Physical hand to hand was even more of an issue, and he had to be taught special techniques and wear additional protective clothing, which was more for his opponents’ benefit than his. He would never be a proficient fighter in these forms because he was hesitant to injure another person and very aware of the damage he could cause, without all of the precautions they had to take with him.
However, regardless of the electric barrier between him and his podmates, Minth was kind and attentive, and his gentle sense of humor made them want to be around him. He was easy to talk to and was popular, even among beings from other pods, and was often greeted by beings Lizzie didn’t recognize.
Reanni appeared to be fragile on the surface, with her bright plumage, wings, and slender legs. However, she proved to be not only strong, agile, and resilient, but fierce in her attacks. She handled the quarterstaff with such speed and dexterity that it was often only an indistinct blur. She could also leap higher, with the aid of her wings, than any of her podmates, and her attack from above was indefensible.
Negoth was a scholar but fared well during workouts, even with his stolid and uninventive approach to defense. He almost never went on the offensive. He was serious and inwardly focused. Although he didn’t shun the others in the pod, he preferred to sit quietly by himself at the end of the day, not entering into the bantering and good-natured teasing of his podmates.
Gi was on par with Lizzie physically and mentally. They often had long mind conversations discussing theory and application of what they were learning in their lessons. Lizzie’s first impression had been that she was a bit arrogant, but, as it turned out, Gi had confessed she had thought the same of Lizzie. Neither of them was what anyone would have called a “social butterfly.”
They found they had a lot in common, mainly their intense curiosity about pretty much everything and their ambivalence about their defense practices.
“Ouch!” Lizzie had let her mind drift too far. Negoth had gotten in a good rap on her thigh. Unlike Lizzie had done, he didn’t grin in triumph, just grunted and bowed, victorious but not excited about it.
“Thank you for the match,” Lizzie said, also bowing in the traditional courtesy.
“You were a little off today,” Negoth replied bluntly. “What were you thinking about?”
“Just how much my life has changed. I’m still not entirely sure how I got myself into all of this, especially when my dimension isn’t even in the Alliance. I mean, what were the odds when only a small handful of Earthlings even know there is such a thing as another dimension? Earth scientists all work on the assumption that our universe is unique and that we are alone amongst the vastness of space.”
“Deep thoughts,” he nodded approvingly. “I believe I grew up taking the idea of dimensional interaction for granted. Your dimension has much to look forward to. It will be exciting for you to be one of the pioneers who eventually bring your people into understanding.”
By this time the others had concluded their matches, with the exception of Mang and Feth, who were moving like a couple of dancers in a complex choreography of pivots, whirls, and rapid connections between their staves.
When at last Feth got in a tap on Mang’s elbow, they bowed and exchanged courtesies.
“Good workout, all. Go to your well-deserved clean-up and lunch. I understand Baird has something special for you all today,” Lall commented as they dispersed.
After cleaning up, they trooped off to the cafeteria. They had begun taking the shortcut between buildings, which was lined with tall shady trees. Light from the two suns filtered lazily through the red leaves edged in green. With the buildings bordering on either side, it was a quiet and somewhat private area in a place where there was little privacy to be had.
At the table, the conversation was lively. Most engaged in speculation about what Professor Baird might have in store for them. They had long since stopped routinely playing the cubes game, although many of them had purchased their own game sets and often spent their few leisure hours playing it. Lizzie noticed it was also played routinely in the cafeteria by some pods during meals.
Baird had hinted they might have a special guest, but none of them had a clue as to who that might be.
Minth was querying Lizzie about her holiday. He found the idea of an ocean to be fanciful. On his planet, all water was underground, pumped to the surface or accessed by wells or succulent plant life. The idea of anyone deliberately immersing themselves into a body of water that was over their head was incredible to him.
Gi, had laughed. The one thing about laughter is that unlike mindspeech, it had a physical sound and was different for each species. In Gi’s case, her laugh was low and round tones nearly like an oboe. Lizzie couldn’t help but laugh with her if nothing else but for the pure joy of laughing in harmony with Gi.
Of her podmates, Gi and Minth continued to be the ones she felt closest to. Oddly enough, it was their differences that Lizzie found most attractive. Minth was handsome enough with his dark pool-like eyes that always seemed somewhat surprised at life, but it was his honest sincerity that she found most appealing. He never was deliberately unkind, but he always spoke his mind, including honest assessments of his podmates when it was appropriate.
Gi was lighthearted, despite her seemingly arrogant appearance. This first impression had a lot to do with her posture. Gi tended to sit very upright, her chin slightly raised, but it turned out that this was a physical characteristic of her people. As far as her personality was concerned, she was very much the opposite her appearance.
She had one of the most positive outlooks of anyone Lizzie had ever met. Not in the airy-fairy way that many people seemed to put on, but a sincere belief that even difficult challenges and even painful experiences had a purpose and were designed to give a being the opportunity to grow and meet their true potential.
She looked upon mistakes and outright failures as an opportunity to improve; and instead of complaining or murmuring at the exigencies of fate, she stopped, looked at the experience, and decided what she needed to do to learn an important life lesson from it. She was constantly encouraging and uplifting the rest of the team without being condescending or making anyone feel stupid.
Lizzie realized she wasn’t the only one in the pod who looked up to these two, but she was so glad they were part of it and that they seemed to enjoy Lizzie’s company as well. The bonus was that Ynni also liked them and cheerfully joined in their conversations.
The pod had accepted Ynni without exception as simply another member. Lizzie had been somewhat surprised to see how quickly they adopted her as one of them, with no special favors or any sign that they found it unusual for Lizzie to have this extra help.
Professor Baird greeted the pod as they filed into his classroom later with a cheery “Come in and be seated!” The chairs were set in a semicircle facing the back of the room and there were no nametags designating where they were to sit, so they sat and waited while he bustled to face them.
“Today we have the privilege of meeting one of our most successful agents in the past hundred years. Her exploits are somewhat of a legend among us. She has some interesting abilities that admittedly give her a bit of an edge. But that being said, there is much you will learn from her today, and for the next few weeks she will be leading us through various member dimensions.
“I know you are currently doing a lot of exploring, and it is well you get used to it. Over the next few weeks, we will be meeting in the gateroom for classes. Today, after a short introduction, we will be going to the outfitters to get you set up and prepared for the coming excursions.
“May I then introduce you to Galena of the Utolian dimension of the planet Lutia.”
From behind the curtain at his back, a short, dark green woman stepped next to Professor Baird. She nodded at the assembled pod. She was definitely only partially humanoid. Her long black hair was plaited into multiple braids that were woven together to create a curtain of hair on either side of her face. Her eyes were huge and also dark green, framed by lashless eyelids and no eyebrows that Lizzie could see.
Her arms were longer than her slim torso and had six almost spidery fingers alongside an opposable thumb. When she smiled at the group, it was obvious by her pointed teeth that those of her race were carnivores.
“It is good to see the next generation of agents coming up.” Her mind voice was almost a whisper. “You are probably at that stage in your training where all of this feels more than a little overwhelming. I am about to make it worse if that’s possible. However, based on reports received from your instructors, you will all be up to the task.”
With that astounding introduction, it was as if she faded, physically blending her features, stretching and becoming tall, pale and multi-limbed. She reminded Lizzie starkly of those stone statues of Durga, the Hindu goddess she had seen depicted in her world studies books. Her hair was nearly transparent and straight, hanging like a shimmering waterfall to her waist.
Once again, she smiled, this time without the pointed teeth, her vividly red lips only barely parted. “As you can see, I am not what I seem to be.”
Once again, she faded and merged and blended, now looking a lot like what her friends in the Northwest United States would have called a “Sasquatch.” She shook her huge furry head at many raised eyebrows and even a gasp or two.
“I think Professor Baird was correct in his assessment that you continue to need practice in schooling your expressions. This is part of the reason I am here. My ability to change my appearance at will is native to my species, but even I had to go through this training. Even with my abilities, controlling my reactions only came after years of experience and practice.”
She scanned their faces, her furry brows knit in a frown of focus on each of them. As she did that, Lizzie had the uncomfortable feeling that she was seeing much deeper than the mere surface of their features. She shivered slightly under that intense gaze but tried to keep her face placid.
“Better, I see. It is easier to handle these types of shocks in a comfortable environment and under no stress. We will be beginning, therefore, to expose you to more complex and intense situations as we go.”
As she said the last few words she began again to change. This time it was as if all of her mass was sucked into a tiny space not much bigger than Lizzie’s hand. To her delight and awe, she now saw before her the classical lines of a pixie, including iridescent wings that fluttered like a hummingbird.
“Ah, yes, Lizzie.” Galena sent in an amused tone,” Professor Baird told me you were of Earth. You would recognize this form, as well as some of my previous morphs. My ancestors frequented your planet before the gates were controlled by the Alliance. As I think you will discover, many of the current Alliance members considered Earth to be a prime place for exploration and adventuring.
“I know the last time I visited there, I found much in the way of art and literature referring to our antics over centuries. Perhaps at some time we can discuss some of your legends?
“And Geln,” and with this she triplicated into what could have easily been Geln’s younger sister(s). “I have also had the opportunity to visit your dimension and experience the joined mind.”
Lizzie couldn’t help herself. Her hand shot into the air. “Please, Galena. Are there many of your kind, and do they visit Earth and other planets frequently? There are many on Earth who insist that we have been visited by beings from other worlds, even now, when the gates are in place.”
She blushed, realizing she might have spoken out of turn, but she couldn’t help herself. Before the Second World War had broken out, the public had panicked due to a radio broadcast version of the book War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells, and many continued to insist that the fiction was not all that far away from possibility.
Until her exposure to the Alliance, Lizzie had been skeptical about the idea that aliens, if they existed, might have any interest in Earth, although she had repeatedly insisted that imagination was as important to science as investigation, experimentation, and theorizing based on established principles of math and physics. One of her heroes was Einstein, who had been quoted as saying, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Now she felt at once vindicated in positing that scientists were missing the point of science; and yet, she knew she herself had been guilty of assuming what was possible and what was not.
The three Galenas smiled an identical smile. “Indeed, Lizzie. Agents of the Alliance frequent your planet for many reasons as we prepare for the time when your dimension will qualify to become an Alliance member in full standing. This is one of the roles of agents of the Alliance, to infiltrate non-member dimensions to evaluate their potential to become members.
“To be sure, we are careful to avoid polluting the cultures we are investigating with anything counter to their culture or level of technology, but you will have opportunities to also observe and evaluate as you go through the training that will qualify you as a full-fledged agent of the Alliance.”
Once again, she faded, this time compacting the three separate forms to a humanoid shape closely resembling Minth.
“You will encounter situations and environments that are inimical to humanoid life. The Alliance does everything they can to ensure your safety, but there are many environments where the only thing standing between you and danger is your own wit, strength, and the ability to quickly evaluate your surroundings and the beings you will engage with.
“For now, I will only say that, starting in tomorrow’s lesson, we will meet in the gateroom in the basement of this building. Be sure to organize the new supplies you will be adding to your MDP so you can get at them easily and quickly at need. You have been trained in the best-use practices of your MDPs, and you will now learn that these are much more than convenient storage.
“At the end of each lesson, Professor Baird and I will be evaluating your performance and discussing our experiences. For now, we will adjourn to the outfitters and after that, you will be dismissed for the day, with the exception of your evening run with Lall.”
At the outfitters, each of them was issued first aid supplies which looked a lot more like a combat medic kit, including a number of medications, both topical and internal, based on each different species’ chemical makeup. Bandages were an obvious addition, but also field surgical kits, various pieces of equipment Lizzie was unfamiliar with that they were promised they would be trained to use, and body bags made each of them ponder these next steps with more than a little trepidation.
Tents and camping supplies were added, as well as rations suiting each of their nutritional needs and supplements to keep them healthy while away from “home.” They were measured for clothing and several different kinds of “environmental suits” useful for various types of climate conditions, including a complete lack of oxygen.
Other equipment included binoculars like Lizzie had never seen. These could see both in complete darkness and in overwhelming light, as well as look as far away as several miles in the distance, as long as a horizon or obstacle didn’t get in the way.
There were several other pieces of unexplained tech, each of which, they were assured, would be used in the course of their training. The outfitters also tested each of the emergency beacons in each MDP to be assured they not only functioned, but the readouts from them corresponded directly to the species and potential medical needs of the corresponding agent.
“These are monitored by a part of the agency responsible for tracking agent assignments. Each MDP is registered to your DNA, and none of the permissions within the MDP is available to anyone else to modify in any way.
“We would like to think that these permissions are unbreakable, but experience teaches us that no system, no matter how advanced or complex, is unbreakable. For this reason, you must practice the safety and security protocols you were taught when you were issued your MDP,” the stern-faced out-fitting officer instructed them. She was a tall yellow-gold being almost as slight as a stick figure sporting three long tripodal legs, but she had lifted large, heavy pallets of supplies as if they were feather-light.
Lizzie was more and more dazed by the variety of beings even in this small corner of the multiverse she would be traversing in her future career as an Alliance agent. She couldn’t help but wonder again, if she or anyone else could hope to ever truly understand it all. However, she straightened her shoulders at this thought. She couldn’t afford to let this keep her from fulfilling her commitment.
When they left the outfitters and headed back to the pod, they were quiet, and Lizzie was sure that today had been as impactful for her podmates as for herself. Even with their day-to-day exposure to beings from many dimensions, passing them in the hallways of the training building or out on the grounds or in the dining hall, today had been a turning point.
They would be going far beyond coursework and into active practice of what they were learning. For now, they were doing this as a group, but they all knew that the following term they would be paired with individual guides and sent to different parts of the dimensions without the security of their pod.
After that, who could know how often they might even ever see each other again? Lizzie realized with a jolt that this actually disturbed her. She had walked away from her college experience and the students she had spent two years with, without a backward glance or a single thought about ever staying in contact with any of them.
Now here she was, barely a few months into the training with these ten disparate, alien beings, and she was feeling concern at the idea of not continuing these relationships. In fact, she felt very similar about those in Sanglarka and Switzerland who had launched her into this course of action.
There was time before supper, and Lizzie realized she just needed to be alone for a bit to focus her thoughts. She stopped in the tree-shaded space between the pods and sat on the springy, naturally yellow grass. The others had filed into the pod before her, not noticing she hadn’t followed them in.
Ynni had been very quiet through this day’s experience. Lizzie reached up onto her shoulder and patted one of Ynni’s soft legs that hung down onto her chest. There was almost no weight to the linkling, but she had proven herself strong and sturdy. Ynni was one more of the many marvels overwhelming her life right now.
“How are you?” she asked, as Ynni patted her hand.
“Ynni is well, Lizzie. We learned much today, did we not?”
This statement stirred something in Lizzie’s mind. Of course, Ynni was participating in these classes right along with her. Obviously much of the information they were being taught would be as new to Ynni as it was to Lizzie. How had she not considered that before?
“What did you learn today, Ynni?”
“Goodness comes in many shapes, Lizzie. Also, there may be a very rocky road ahead of us. Ynni is glad we are being prepared for this. Sometimes Ynni misses her linkling family. Sometimes Ynni wonders what the multiverse has in store for two of us, linked as we are.”
“I think you are right, Ynni. I am beginning to realize that I am more connected than I ever thought I could be to other beings. I had not considered that possible before. I think, when you linked to me, you changed me somehow. I am not the same person. This is probably a good thing.”
“Ah, Lizzie. You are the same being as you have been since before your first consciousness in this plane of existence. You have always been and always will be. You are merely discovering your true self. Sometimes the only way that happens is when you go outside yourself. When we linked, you began to reach beyond where you were to where you are going. We will both be better now.”
Lizzie nodded, considering the depths of her little companion and how seriously she may have underestimated her. Without thinking, she pulled the mbira out of her MDP and began to randomly strum and pluck the little metal tabs. The sound was soothing, and she soon realized that Ynni was crooning along.
She played, her eyes focused only on the keyboard before her, not attempting to form a known melody, but simply to enjoy the harmonizing tones of the mbira and Ynni’s soft croon. She was surprised, therefore, when she realized there were more notes in the melody than she or Ynni were creating.
She paused, looking up to discover that in her revery she hadn’t noticed that Gi had seated herself beside them and in her hands was a small harp, not much larger than the mbira. Gi had also paused her improvisation, looking at Lizzie with those huge amber eyes that contrasted so vibrantly with her dark green skin.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she sent simply. “Your music drew me here. May I continue to play with you? I miss the music of my home.”
Lizzie nodded. She knew very little about Gi’s home world. They had been discussing various home planets, but Gi had not yet made her presentation in Fin’s class.
“I don’t know much about the music of your home, and I am new to this instrument. I was only ‘doodling,’ as my mom would have said.” Lizzie sent, somewhat embarrassed.
“It was perfect. Let us doodle together. Begin and I will follow. Ynni had no trouble following you. Let us make music together.”
And they did. Gi and Ynni wove a descant around Lizzie’s wanderings on her mbira keyboard. Once again, Lizzie got lost in the music, and she began to realize that the music she was making became more intentional as she began to see and feel the pattern of the rhythms and order of the notes.
This wasn’t anything like she would have thought about learning an instrument. This was much less about musical staffs and notation and much more about the feeling and shape of the music. Where was this coming from? To her knowledge, there was no one in her family with any real talent for doing more than carrying a tune when they sang along with popular tunes, and many of them couldn’t even do that.
Lizzie herself was only marginal when it came to singing. She could usually hit the right notes, but her voice was nothing anyone would want to listen to. The only performances she had ever participated in were in the chorus her music teacher had put together in elementary school. She remembered being grateful that her voice was lost among the voices around her.
But this... this was phenomenal. The sweet full tones of the mbira, blending with the riffing melodies of the harp and Ynni’s soft soothing voice, carried them into a place that was neither here nor there. No space, no time, nothing but the music and the vibrations they were creating like a single entity, beyond individual identity, beyond any experience or thought Lizzie had ever had.
They ended as they had begun, first Lizzie, her final long note ringing, lingering and then fading into silence, followed by Ynni and finally Gi’s high, quivering glissando on the harp. As they looked up, they realized that a crowd had gathered on either end of the lane between pods.
Not only her podmates, but beings from different surrounding pods stood transfixed and evidently transported, as not a single one moved or made a sound while the final notes shimmered and died on the air between them.
Lizzie didn’t know what to do. Gi, however, stood and gestured to the standing crowd. “Thank you for your kind attention to our musical ramblings,” she sent simply.
Slowly the crowd began to disperse, obviously taking Gi’s remark as a sort of gentle dismissal. Their pod, however, continued to stand there, grouped around the three of them.
Reanni was the first to move or speak. “That was lovely. I had no idea either of you were musically inclined. Perhaps we should share our cultural music as part of our presentations in Fin’s class?”
Geln shifted their stance from foot to foot, the first time Lizzie had noticed them show any discomfort before. “We have no sounds like these besides those made by native birds and insects or the keening of the wind. This, ‘music,’ did you call it? It is foreign to our culture. I would bring it home if I could.”
Lizzie put out a hand to Geln and they reached out, pulling her to her feet. She wanted to look them in the eyes, a difficult task with three faces before her, but she looked deliberately into each face and then said. “I can’t imagine a world without music, but I too have heard the music of the wind and wave and creatures of Earth in my time.”
They nodded, seemingly satisfied with her simple statement. Now, Gi stood next to her, their shoulders nearly touching as their pod gathered close around them, and what passed between them at that point shifted something in Lizzie’s heart as permanently as if there had been a solemn vow between them.
