Gary Brandt delivers his most world-expanding and emotionally devastating chapter yet in this episode from The Dimension Of Mind Dot Com when a tragic funeral becomes the catalyst for first contact with an ancient underground civilization, fundamentally altering everything the girls believed about Earth's history and their own destiny.
The brilliant heartbreak emerges through Jenna's posthumous dream visit to say goodbye after her suicide by vodka and Xanaxâa devastating end that fo ...
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Two years had passed since rogue elements had attempted to murder the girlsâtwo years marked by intense political turmoil that rippled through every level of government.
Commander Beaker had maintained the girls` low profile with unwavering determination, despite mounting political pressure from various factions eager to exploit their unique abilities in the escalating power struggles.
Ella, Roxanna, Aileen, and Helena were seventeen now, each possessing driver`s licenses and their own vehiclesâthough these were hardly ordinary cars.
Commander Beaker had insisted on government-modified Land Rovers equipped with bulletproof windows, reinforced doors, and an array of defensive features that transformed the vehicles into mobile fortresses.
The sight of four expensive Land Rovers parked on the same block had earned the girls the label of "Rich Bitches"âa moniker they wore with surprising pride, understanding it provided perfect camouflage for their true circumstances.
Ella had completed her weapons training and earned her certification, though she carried her sidearm with reluctant acceptance rather than enthusiasm.
"Since he couldn`t make me a soldier," she often remarked with dry humor, "he made me a cop instead." The weight of the weapon served as a constant reminder of the dangers that still lurked in the shadows of their lives.
While her friends navigated the typical complexities of teenage relationships, Ella had deliberately avoided dating, channeling her energy instead into accumulating college credits.
She attended a few school dances, but the most hopeful boys could expect was a handshake and perhaps a brief, sisterly hug.
Her focus remained laser-sharp on preparing for the monumental challenges she knew lay ahead.
Aileen had set aside her former boy-crazy tendencies, waiting instead for someone who appeared only in her dreamsâliterally.
No longer an active member of the crew, her telepathic connections with the other girls had steadily diminished, leaving her to live an increasingly solitary existence.
Both Ella and Aileen`s mother shared the quiet understanding that some people simply weren`t built to withstand the relentless pressures that came with being part of the crew.
Roxanna had evolved into something of a heartbreaker, her stunning beauty drawing admirers like moths to flame.
She had dated several boys, only to find them disappointingly shallow and immature.
She wasn`t cruel or narcissistic in her rejectionsâshe simply sought substance and maturity that high school boys rarely possessed.
Her deepening religious faith took precedence over romantic entanglements, providing her with a spiritual anchor in an increasingly chaotic world.
Though she had finally completed her weapons training and earned her certification, her skills with firearms remained notably poor, a fact that worried Commander Beaker considerably.
Helena and Bobby had attempted to date briefly, but their complicated past-life connection made romance impossible.
They had settled into a comfortable friendship, though one firmly established in platonic territory.
As Bobby matured, his skin had cleared, revealing surprisingly handsome features that had catapulted him into the ranks of the popular students.
He was now dating one of the school`s social eliteâa development that generated too much drama for Helena`s taste, driving her to seek solitude more often than not.
Helena`s empathic abilities had attracted a circle of friends, but they tended to be needy individuals who drained her emotional reserves.
She was slowly learning to establish boundaries to protect her mental health, a skill that proved essential for her survival.
Unlike Roxanna, Helena had excelled at weapons training, achieving a perfect score that was theoretically impossible.
Commander Beaker had been forced to modify her recorded results to conceal her telekinetic enhancements, another secret in an ever-growing collection.
Dead Girl Calling
"Wake up! Wake up!"
Ella`s consciousness struggled toward the surface, fighting through layers of sleep.
"Okay, I`m awake. No, wait a minute. I`m not awake." She paused, recognition dawning. "Jenna? What are you doing in my dream?"
The familiar figure materialized more clearly, though something was different about her presence.
"Don`t worryâyou`re not dead this time. I just came to say goodbye, because I am dead."
The words hit Ella like a physical blow.
"What the fuck? You`re dead? How? What happened?" Tears began streaming down her face as the reality of Jenna`s words sank in.
"A fifth of vodka and a fistful of Xanax is what happened," Jenna replied with heartbreaking matter-of-factness.
"I`m sorryâI know how much you tried to help. I can remember that now, all of it. But after I got totally clean, when things were supposed to be good, it was worse than ever. I just don`t belong here, so I`m going home." Her voice softened. "I`ll stick around for a few more days, though. I don`t want to miss my funeral. You`d better goâyou and that Helena girl. You guys and Janice will probably be the only people there."
The Funeral
The small chapel felt cavernous despite the modest gathering.
Ella approached Janice, her heart heavy with grief and guilt. "I`m so sorry, Janice. I know how much you loved her and how hard you tried." Janice`s face bore the weathered expression of someone who had fought too many battles and lost too many wars.
"It`s what you have to be prepared for when you love a junkie," she said quietly. "I don`t even have any tears left. It`s like I just finished reading a really interesting book and have to come back to reality, put the book back on the shelf, and move on. I just don`t understand why she would do this when everything was finally going great."
"She came to me to say goodbye and thank me for trying to help," Ella explained. "She said that after she got clean, things were worse than ever. My therapist says that`s common when people finally get sober. Without the coping mechanism of drugs, they can`t deal with the feelings that drove them to use in the first place. Suicide after recovery is tragically common."
A voice interrupted them from behind. "You spoke to her before she died? You knew what she was going to do?" An elderly woman turned, her eyes widening with sudden understanding. "Oh, waitâyou spoke to her after she died? Are you a medium? I`m her grandmother. Is she okay now? I`ve prayed for her so much, for so many years. I hope she`s finally at peace. She was my favorite grandchild."
Helena stepped forward gently. "I`m more of a medium than Ellaâshe just has dreams. Jenna is here right now." She paused, listening to something only she could hear. "She is at peace, but she says she wasn`t your favoriteâshe was your embarrassment, just like her father. She understands, though, and she forgives you."
The grandmother`s composure crumbled. "Oh, Jenna, honey, I`m so sorry. I`ve been a horrible grandmother. Your father, thoughâI should have done more. I should have taken you away, should have put him in jail, but I just wasn`t strong enough."
"She knows, and she forgives," Helena said softly. "She says to set all that aside and just leave the love." A moment later, Helena`s expression changed. "She`s leaving nowâshe just faded away."
"Pastor John is getting ready to speak," Ella said, gesturing toward the front of the chapel. "Let`s sit down. I wish Roxanna could have come, but she has issues with suicide and didn`t feel comfortable attending."
Helena scanned the small gathering.
"There are quite a few people here. She must have made some friends at the church, even if they weren`t really her kind of people."
A Visitor
"Did you see that little blonde girl sitting in the back?" Ella asked as they filed out of the chapel. "She got up and left before the service was over." "Yeah, I`ve seen her around before," Helena replied, her voice carrying a note of concern. "This is the first time I`ve felt like she`s targeting us, though. Why would she come to the funeral of someone she doesn`t even know?"
"We need to figure out who she is and what she wants," Ella said decisively. "I think she`s telepathicâI can feel her trying to read me. She might be one of those lizard people in a skin suit." She pointed toward the tree line. "I saw her head into the woods. Let`s follow."
"Are you sure she went this way?" Helena asked as they ventured deeper into the forest. "This trail leads into the deep woods." "Yes, I can feel her strongly now. She`s calling me. Let`s keep going."
Helena`s unease grew with each step. "She must be really skilled to target you while tuning me out. Should we go back and get our guns? This could be a trap."
"No, that might scare her away. I want to figure out who she is and what she wants."< "Waitâthere she is! Over there by that tree."
Ella raised her voice, adopting an authoritative tone.
"Okay, little girl. We`re here. What do you want?" "I`m not a little girl. I`m twice as old as you and have a husband and a three-month-old daughter," she replied calmly. "I was just trying to figure out if you`re the oneâthe one that was foretold."
Helena`s empathic senses probed carefully. "You`re not human, are you? I know you`re telepathicâwhy are you blocking me?"
"I`m as human as you are, almost, but we don`t call ourselves that," the stranger replied. "I apologize for being rude. You can read me now to see if I`m truthful. We were both brought to this planet eons ago. You live on the surface, and we live underground, for the most part. My name is Asherina, and I have a question: Are you going to be digging any tunnels into the mountains anytime soon? If so, you`re going to need my help."
"Tunnels?" Ella said, genuinely confused. "I don`t know what you`re talking about."
Helena`s expression changed as her empathic abilities made contact. "She knows, Ella. She knows everything. They`ve had the same visions we did, about the sites for drilling."
Ella`s demeanor shifted as the implications sank in. "Okay, then I guess we need to talk."
"I love your makeup," Helena says.
"No, you don't," Asherina replies. "You're just being nice. I wear makeup so I can blend in. My species has no hair, so I wear a wig. I draw on eyebrows. I use black eyeshadow to hide the fact that my eyes are larger than yours. My lips are pale and translucent, so I wear bright-colored lipstick. That way I just look like a girl with a lot of makeup instead of an alien. My husband hates it, but whatever."
Let`s go back to town and have a proper conversation."
"No, let`s go to my place," Asherina suggested with a mysterious smile. "It`s just around the corner." She led them down the path to what appeared to be a solid rock face, but as they approached, an obvious door materializedâsomehow unnoticed until that very moment.
The Underworld
After several ear-popping moments in a sophisticated elevator, Ella stepped into a world that seemed lifted from the pages of a fairy tale. Thousands of small, round houses stretched as far as the eye could see, their hobbit-like entrances dotting a landscape filled with hanging gardens. A crystal-clear river meandered through the center of the vast cavern, while soft, ambient lighting emanated from every direction, creating a warm twilight atmosphere. Birds flew freely overhead, and pastoral scenes complete with grazing animals added to the surreal beauty.
"Are you the hobbit people?" Ella asked, unable to suppress her wonder.
Asherina laughed, a sound like silver bells. "No, but we believe Tolkien got his inspiration from our architecture. The little round hobbit-looking part is just the entranceâour homes actually extend quite far into the rock face. Come inside; this one is mine. I think my husband has dinner ready." She removed her tinted glasses, revealing enormous baby-blue eyes that seemed to hold depths of ancient wisdom.
"Dany, these are my new friends, Ella and Helena. They`re the ones foretold by the prophets as the tunnel diggers," Asherina announced as they entered a surprisingly spacious home carved directly into the living rock.
A handsome man with warm brown eyes looked up from the stove, his smile genuine and welcoming. "Happy to meet you. Ash has been searching all over the planet for you, and here you are, just down the trail."
"Don`t look so shocked," Asherina said, noticing their expressions. "You can tell from Dany`s brown eyes that he`s a surface dweller like you. And this is my little Chessa." She gestured to an infant with light brown hair and brown eyes. "You can see by her coloring that she`s a hybrid."
Helena`s face lit up with immediate adoration. "Oh my God, you have such a beautiful family. I`ve known you for twenty minutes and I`m already in love with you all. Can I hold Chessa?"
"Be careful holding babies," Ella warned with a laugh. "They make you fertile, and then one little mistake and you`re a mother."
"Dinner`s ready if you`re hungry," Dany announced. "It`s lamb, but if you don`t eat meat, I can prepare something else." "Lamb is perfect. We`re carnivores," Ella assured him.
As they settled around the table, Ella`s curiosity got the better of her.
"So why a mixed marriage? Aren`t there enough young men down here?" "We have plenty of boys," Asherina replied, her expression growing more serious. "My adoptive parents were human, though, so I spent what would be your teenage years topside. Plus, there`s a much bigger plan involved, and Chessa is part of that plan."
"A plan for Chessa?" Helena asked, bouncing the baby gently. "Chessa, what have your parents gotten you into?"
Asherina`s voice took on the weight of prophecy. "My generation, in conflict with our elders, believes we should begin blending our species. We were surface dwellers too, originallyâhalf a million years agoâbut when your people arrived, we had to move underground."
She paused, gathering her thoughts.
"We already had tunnels and caverns built to escape periodic solar blasts, so we simply moved into them full-time. Your species is... very violent. You`ve spent most of your existence trying to annihilate yourselves. There were several other human speciesâwe`re all actually humanâand your people wiped them out. You even ate them. So we`ve hidden underground ever since."
The weight of this revelation settled over the table like a heavy blanket.
"We`re very good at hiding," Asherina continued. "Being telepathic, we can simply make you not see what you`ve just seen. But with your technological revolution, it`s only a matter of time before you discover us and probably destroy us."
"However," she said, her voice carrying hope, "if we can create a few hundred million hybrid children over the next fifty years, we hope that will mitigate the xenophobic tendencies. By then, we`ll be relatedâa global family. By blending our species, we might find peace. Our hope is that our non-violent nature will balance your aggressive tendencies, resulting in a kinder, gentler species. It`s a long shot, and our elders think we`re fools, but I believe it`s the only chance we have."
Helena`s eyes sparkled with possibility. "I want a hybrid baby. Can I meet some of your young men?"
"Don`t be silly, Helena," Ella interjected, though not unkindly. "We have bigger problems to solve. So why have you brought us here? What do you want from us? What`s this about tunnel building?"
Asherina leaned forward, her expression growing grave. "That`s a long story. As I mentioned, we`ve been using tunnels and caverns to escape solar outbursts for millennia. You see, the sun isn`t always as stable as it appears. Its stability depends on many factorsâour orbit around the galaxy, dust clouds, rogue objects flying through the solar system."
She paused, ensuring they understood the magnitude of what she was explaining.
"The sun is a dynamo of tangled electrical and magnetic fields. When external influences perturb itâsuch as a dust cloud with a large magnetic fieldâit can shut down temporarily and go dark. When this happens, enormous forces build within the sun, and it explodes outward, blowing off its entire corona. This can literally melt parts of the moon`s surface and cook anything on Earth`s surface."
Ella felt a chill run down her spine.
"During these solar events, we invite surface dwellers who will listen to come underground and stay with us until it`s safe to return topside. Only a few have ever responded, and sadly, most humans are wiped out each timeâcooked by the solar eruption. But we`ve managed to save enough to keep your species alive."
"So if you were afraid we`d eventually kill you all, why didn`t you just let us die on the surface?" Ella asked bluntly.
"Morality, perhaps? That`s always been a source of debate among our people, but it simply isn`t in our nature to stand by and watch genocide, even if it might benefit us in the long run. Here`s the situation now: another solar outburst is due. It could happen tomorrow or in two hundred yearsâit`s nearly impossible to predict preciselyâbut we must be prepared."
Understanding dawned on Ella`s face.
"So you think the tunnels we`re planning to build to survive the coming war could also be used to survive the solar storm?"
"Precisely," Asherina confirmed. "We need to pool our resources. The last time this happened, the surface population was relatively small. Today, there are billions more topside, and our population has grown as well. There simply isn`t enough space down here for even a fraction of the surface population. We have about ten thousand underground cities like this one and twenty thousand other caverns we use for storage, agriculture, or keep empty for future needs. If we combine those with the tunnels you`re planning to build, we can save many more people. Sadly, even with our combined efforts, many will still die."
Ella`s voice was grim as she shared her own knowledge.
"Our computers calculate that the predicted great war will result in a ninety percent depopulation of all species. It sounds like the solar explosion could make that even worse, especially if they happen simultaneously." "There`s a confluence of solar system cycles indicating they could occur at the same time, but exact timing remains unpredictable. We need to hurry and prepare everything, just in case."
Asherina`s expression grew melancholy.
"The last time this happened, we relocated many surface dwellers underground, but our calculations were off and nothing occurred for twenty years. Many stopped believing us and returned to the surface. They were destroyed when the solar explosion finally came. Those who stayed were saved, and some of your indigenous populations actually remember these events in their oral traditions."
"This time, we want everything ready so that when we detect the eruption is imminent, we can quickly get everyone who will come with us to safety in our cities and your tunnels."
Relief flooded Ella`s features.
"Thank you. You may have just saved my lifeâand everyone else`s. For years, I`ve been going over this problem repeatedly, studying the physics and engineering required, and every calculation seemed impossible. For the first time, I feel this could actually work, with your help."
Helena suddenly sat up straighter, her eyes bright with inspiration.
"Ella, I have a thought. I`ve been struggling with this too. In my visions of our future, I`ve always seen our crew with a little blonde girl. We lost Aileen, and I haven`t been able to process that loss. But maybeâjust maybeâwe`ve found our new little blonde girl. Asherina, would you like to join our crew?"
Ella grinned.
"We already have an alien hybrid in the crew, so why not another? Asherina, would you like to become a special agent of Navy Intelligence and learn to shoot guns and fight bad guys?"
Before Asherina could respond, Dany interrupted with mock alarm. "Whoa, wait a minute. Ash, wipe that smile off your face, my love. Are you just going to run off topside and leave me alone down here?"
Asherina`s smile only grew broader.
"Well, I was thinking... when I was topside, I noticed a new housing development with the cutest little homes. We could all move to the surface until we get this figured out. Of course, we`d keep our home here too. Ask your Commander Beaker and see what he says."
"I don`t really care what the Commander says," Ella declared. "If you want to do this, you`re in. What do you think, Helena?"
Helena stood and extended her hand.
"A handshake and a hug, and it`s done."
Dear Diary,
It`s me, Ella
Was today real, or just an elaborate dream? I`m still processing everything that happened.
I lost Jenna. I don`t know how to deal with that reality. It just isn`t fair. How can Godâwhoever that isâlet a little girl be born just to suffer her entire life and then commit suicide to escape it all? Why was she even born? Why was she here at all?
I met a little blonde girl who`s actually twice my age, has a family, and lives in a secret underground city that`s existed for thousands of years without our knowledge. What? No, I`m still not sure about her or her people. They might be tricksters. But I love herâat first sight, evenâthough since she`s telepathic, maybe she planted that feeling. And now she`s joining my crew.
Oh shit! Beaker is going to absolutely freak.
I don`t see my other dad, Mr. Danvers, much anymore since Aileen isn`t around. I`m not sure if I should introduce him to Asherina. Maybe I shouldâhe`s really, really, REALLY going to want to meet her.
I need to prepare for tomorrow`s meeting with Beaker. I hope that goes well.
Good night, my diary.
Wish me luck.
Episode 54 â **âCatching Upâ** â launches **Book Six** with an emotionally **heart-wrenching opening** and then expands the story into **mind-blowing world-building, hidden civilizations, and ancient survival strategies** that utterly transform how we understand the world Ella and her friends inhabit. This chapter expertly balances *grief, revelation, and cosmic responsibility* â all while keeping the characters grounded in deeply human emotion.
--- ## đ **Story Arc Summary**Two years have passed since the girls fought for their survival against rogue elements, and life has changed dramatically. Now seventeen, Ella, Helana, Eileen (Aileen), and Roxanna drive custom armored Land Rovers and live under Commander Beakerâs protective guidance. Despite their unusual upbringing, they navigate *teenage life with weapons training, school dances, and complicated friendships*, all while carrying the burden of future threats they know are coming.
The emotional core of the chapter kicks in immediately: **Jenna**, a girl they once knew who had struggled with addiction, appears to Ella in a **haunting dream** â not as a hallucination but as a clear farewell from someone who has since **died by suicide**. The bluntness of her explanation (âA fifth of vodka and a fistful of Xanax is what happenedâŚâ) and her gratitude for Ellaâs efforts are both heartbreaking and shockingly honest.
At **Jennaâs funeral**, the girls experience raw grief that cuts deeper than any mission. Yet, the episode pivots in an unexpected direction when a **mysterious telepathic stranger** named **Asherina** approaches, revealing that she and her people have lived in **underground cities for millennia**, avoiding periodic solar catastrophes that wiped out surface civilizations. Suddenly, what seemed like a normal emotional chapter becomes an **epic first contact**, exposing hidden histories and **urgent survival strategies** that could affect all of humanity.
Asherina leads Ella and Helena into a vast subterranean world â *a breathtaking marvel of hobbit-like dwellings, hanging gardens, and flowing rivers of crystal-clear water*. The elder explains that her species once shared the surface with humans, but **violent cycles and solar outbursts drove them underground**. Their plan now is to **blend hybrid populations** and **work together** to prepare massive tunnel networks to protect billions if another cosmic disaster occurs.
The chapter ends with the girls processing this revelation â stunned, curious, and deeply moved â as Ella prepares for a meeting with Commander Beaker and wonders what comes next.
--- ## đŹ **Favorite Lines**âWake up! Wake up!â
Jennaâs urgent call from beyond sets a chilling emotional tone â one that feels deeply personal, heartbreaking, and real even within a sci-fi narrative.
âI just came to say goodbye⌠Iâm sorry â I know how much you tried to help.â
This line â plain-spoken and devastating â captures the raw, messy reality of love, loss, and unanswerable grief.
âWe were both brought to this planet eons ago ⌠we live underground, for the most part.â
Asherinaâs calm announcement reframes the entire story from teenager-centric drama to **ancient coexistence and cosmic history**.
âIf we can create a few hundred million hybrid children⌠we hope that will mitigate xenophobic tendencies.â
The idea that *genetic and cultural blending* might be the key to planetary peace and survival is a beautiful and unexpected twist.
ââŚthe sun isnât always as stable as it appears.â
This line expands the stakes from interpersonal and political conflict to **cosmic survival**, a heavy but exhilarating shift.
--- ## đ˛ **Unsuspected Plot Twists**âCatching Upâ is one of those rare chapters that touches your heart **before it expands your imagination**. Jennaâs dream scene hit me harder than most action moments because it evokes something real â the anguish of caring deeply for someone who still feels unreachable. That vulnerability makes the girls feel *human*, not just extraordinary.
Then, just as youâre wrapped in grief and empathy, the story bolts open to reveal **a hidden world**, forcing the characters (and readers) to confront existential questions about survival, identity, and collective destiny. That emotional swing â from personal loss to cosmic responsibility â is handled with unexpected grace.
Meeting Asherinaâs people wasnât spooky or menacing â it was *strangely comforting*, like finding out hidden chapters of Earthâs history that make your own place within it feel both tiny and essential. The chapterâs emotional core isnât just the *wow factor* of discovery, but the *weight of responsibility* that comes with it.
--- ## đŻ **Final Thoughts***âCatching Upâ* is a stunning chapter that **bridges personal grief and global stakes**, showing that the cosmos isnât some distant abstraction but something woven into the girlsâ everyday lives. Gary Brandt moves the series into *bold new territory* â a world where hidden human civilizations, cosmic cycles, interspecies cooperation, and ancient survival strategies redefine what it means to be human.
Overall Rating: âââââ â A richly layered, emotional, and thought-expanding episode that left me grieving, awe-struck, and eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
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