TL;DR: Nancy presides over an official hearing where Anahere, a 15-year-old girl who claims to be an ambassador for the 'First Ones' (ancient humans), testifies about an imminent plan to restore Earth`s biosphere using life energy she carries within her.
Anahere explains that both the First Ones and the 'technology peoples' (modern humans) left Earth after its destruction and now exist in ethereal domains, and she proposes that the First Ones should return first to prepare the planet for repopulation by all humanity.
The Council members question her about the restoration process, her unusual wisdom despite her young age, and concerns about repeating past technological disasters, while Anahere maintains that the restoration will happen regardless of the Council`s approval as part of humanity`s destined second chance at peaceful coexistence on Earth.
Welcome to our curated selection of items!
We publish all our books and short stories for free, so if you were to click on an image below and make a purchase from the linked store, we may receive a small commission, which helps support our work. Thank you!
(You don't have to buy the item shown. You can buy anything from that store and we will get credit.)
Penny gently wipes away the tears streaming down Anahere's cheeks, her voice soft with concern. "Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this, honey? You know, mother-daughter relationships... they're incredibly complicated. They can be the most beautiful thing in the world one moment, and then turn into your worst nightmare the next." She pauses, studying Anahere's face carefully. "I can see you've got a lifetime of pain bottled up inside, and you're ready to unleash it all at once. But sweetie, that approach might just make everything worse. Maybe you should take it slow - deal with things bit by bit instead of throwing everything at her all at once. And remember, we're not even completely certain that the woman they found is actually your mom. I just... I really hope you don't set yourself up for another crushing disappointment."
"I'll be fine, grandma Penny," Anahere says, though her voice wavers slightly. "I've got my real family here now to support me, and Sally and Penelope are coming with me. They'll keep me grounded and stop me if I actually try to kill the bitch."
"Oh my, what hateful language - and after all that beautiful talk to the Council about peace and love," Penny says with a gentle but pointed tone. "There's one thing you really need to consider, sweetheart. There's almost always much more to any story than you might understand right now, especially when you're still looking at it through the eyes of a hurt child."
"I know, grandma. I know. I'll behave myself, I promise. If it really is her, I'll probably just stare at her and start bawling my eyes out. I'm just venting here, trying to get some of this poison out of my system before I see her. Mom and Sis are waiting for me in the car. I'll let you know how everything goes. Bye! Love you!"
"I love you too, honey," Penny calls out as Anahere rushes out the door and jumps into the waiting hover car.
"Okay, girls, there's something important I need to tell you about where we're heading," Sally begins as they settle into their seats. "This is a very special domain - it's women-only. That's exactly why our driver today is female. Men simply aren't allowed here. This entire domain is built around celebrating and harnessing female energy."
"Seriously? No boys to check out at all? This is going to be the most boring trip ever," Penelope says with an exaggerated sigh.
"I think boys are the absolute last thing on Anahere's mind right now, Penelope, and I'd strongly suggest they should be the last thing on yours too," Sally replies with a meaningful look.
"Okay, Mom, you're right. We'll just focus on being girls today. But hey, I bet they have some amazing dress shops there. And maybe some really cool hats," Penelope says, her mood brightening considerably.
"'Cool'? You must have picked that up from Anahere. Nobody used that word anymore by my time period. Though honestly, I think I like it better than 'ferocious,'" Sally says, grinning at Penelope.
"So where exactly are we going once we get to this domain?" Anahere asks, finally speaking up.
"According to the reports the Council provided, one of their members was visiting a spa when a woman working there mentioned she had a daughter matching your description. That's literally all we know to go on. So we'll head there and see what we can discover. If she's not there, well, at least we can get a nice soak in their tubs and a relaxing massage."
"Tub? Massage? What are you talking about?" Penelope asks, looking puzzled.
"Well, sweetie, if this spa is anything like the ones I remember from Earth, you girls are in for quite a treat. They have these incredible tubs filled with the most wonderful therapeutic water, infused with all sorts of healing salts and beautiful perfumes. After you soak in the tub, you get a professional massage, and believe me girls, a really good massage from someone who truly knows what they're doing... you won't think about boys for months afterward. It's WAY better than sex."
"What exactly do they... massage?" Penelope asks, looking suddenly concerned.
"Your back, silly girl! And your arms and legs, your neck and scalp, your feet and toes. It's absolutely pure ecstasy. Trust me on this - you'll absolutely love it."
"Okay, Mom, if you say so," Penelope responds, though she still looks somewhat uncertain.
"Oh, and one other thing, girls - we have to do all of this naked."
"NAKED?! In front of complete strangers?" Penelope asks, now looking genuinely alarmed.
"Yes, sweetie, but remember, everyone there is female, and you wear a sheet during your massage. I'll be right there with you the whole time. I really think you'll enjoy it. You're only naked in the soaking tubs."
"Okay, Mom, but this is definitely going to be the weirdest trip ever. I'm starting to think I should have gone fishing with John instead," Penelope mutters.
"How are you holding up, Anahere? You haven't said a word and you're just staring at the floor," Sally asks with obvious concern.
"Just feeling a little sick to my stomach, Mom. Butterflies, you know? But I'll be okay," Anahere answers quietly.
"We're entering the domain now, ma'am. We'll be parking in just a few minutes. The spa isn't far from here," their driver announces.
"Very cool!" Penelope exclaims, looking out the window with renewed interest. "This looks like another modern domain, just like Capitol City. There's got to be tons of great shopping here. And since we don't have to worry about boys here, that means me and my sis can drive around by ourselves, right?"
"Nope!" Sally says firmly.
"But Anahere is older - she's fifteen. She can drive, can't she?" Penelope tries again.
"Nope!" Sally repeats, even more firmly.
"WHY?!" Penelope asks with obvious frustration. "Don't you trust us?"
"As you just pointed out, this is a modern domain, just like Capitol City. Now that it's been discovered by the outside world, those Capitol City paparazzi won't be far behind. You girls need proper supervision here, just like you do in the City."
"But those paparazzi guys were all men, Mom. They can't even come here," Penelope points out logically.
"Those newspapers will just hire female paparazzi instead. Trust me on this. You girls would get absolutely mobbed here if you were by yourselves. You need to wait until you're older and can handle that kind of attention."
"Crap!" Penelope mutters under her breath.
"Here we are. Take a deep breath, Anahere, and let's go inside. Tell us what she looks like so we can all keep an eye out for her," Sally says encouragingly.
"She's short and kind of chubby, with a round face. Just look for someone who looks Inuit, and that'll be her. She should be around forty years old or so by now. She doesn't look much like me at all - I took after my dad's side."
"An Inuit lady? I'm not sure what that means," the receptionist replies to Sally's inquiry. "Anyway, this is a very discrete establishment. We don't give out any information about our staff or clients. I'm sorry. You're certainly welcome to use our facilities if you'd like. The price list is right there on the wall. We don't accept Capitol City credits though. Do you have any other form of payment?"
"We have these coins that we converted before coming here. Will these work?" Sally asks, showing her a collection of various shaped coins.
"Three of you then? Those three round gold ones will work perfectly," the receptionist says, quickly selecting three coins from Sally's palm. "You can change in there. Towels and robes are provided, and the baths are through the door on the other side," she explains, pointing toward the changing room.
After their spa experience, the girls emerge, with Penelope giving her mother a sideways look. "That was disgusting, Mom."
"You didn't like it? Mine was absolutely WONDERFUL!" Sally says enthusiastically.
"No, no, I really, really enjoyed it. It was you, Mom - those moaning sounds you were making during your massage. That's what was disgusting," Penelope explains with obvious embarrassment.
"Oh. Sorry, honey. I guess I just really, really needed that. It relieved so much stress I've been carrying around for way too long," Sally explains sheepishly.
"Alright, Mom, but I think you enjoyed that woman touching you a little too much," Penelope complains.
"It's not like that, honey. I was just incredibly comfortable and relaxed for the first time in ages. That's all," Sally tries to explain.
"Mom, how much better than sex is a massage, exactly? Like, twice as good? One and a half times? I need actual numbers here," Penelope asks with genuine curiosity.
"What a bizarre question to ask! Well, for me personally, I'd have to say it's about one and three-quarters times better. But why do you need to quantify it numerically like this?" Sally asks, giving her daughter an amused look.
"Well, I don't know anything about sex yet, but now I do know about massages. So I just wanted to know what to expect when I eventually find a boyfriend," Penelope answers matter-of-factly.
"You mean husband, honey. Boyfriends are just for going to movies with. You need to wait for a husband to have sex. Though maybe for you, since you're so boy-crazy, a massage might only be half as good as sex. So you'd better find yourself a husband with lots of energy."
"MOM! That's way too much information. I'm not sure about the whole husband thing though - that's pretty serious and a really long time to wait. Anyway, just because you couldn't get laid until you got married doesn't mean I'll have that same problem."
"PENELOPE! I waited because I chose to, not because I didn't have plenty of offers. I had lots of offers - they just weren't from the right person."
The three enjoy their leisurely stroll down the charming street, lined with dozens upon dozens of shops filled with the most gorgeous clothing imaginable - flowing dresses and elegant shoes, beautiful sarongs, jeans so tight the models can barely squeeze into them. Penelope is convinced she's finally found where Heaven is located. Suddenly, Anahere breaks away from the group and darts into a doorway, pressing her back against the wall as if trying to become invisible. Sally immediately follows her.
"I'm guessing from that reaction that you spotted her. Where is she? Let's go say hello," Sally says, though she's clearly concerned by Anahere's appearance. Her face is flushed red and hot, tears filling her eyes, her breathing heavy like an angry bull preparing to charge. "What's wrong, honey? It can't be that terrible."
"NO! IT'S WORSE!" Anahere cries out, barely able to speak through her tears, angry and anxious and absolutely furious. Sally is genuinely worried she might have a seizure. "I saw her! Oh yeah, I saw her alright! Sally, she was about forty years old when she took me to the Inuit village! The woman I just saw here looks about SIXTY! That means she didn't leave when I did. That means she FUCKING JUST ABANDONED ME THERE! Oh my God, if I see her right now I'm going to fucking KILL HER!"
"Calm down, sweetie. And please watch your language - people are starting to stare. Here, come over here and point her out to me. Then take these coins and go to that hotel over there and get us a room for tonight. We'll stay here. Penelope and I will follow her and make contact, then bring her back to the room. That'll give you some time to calm down and prepare to confront her in a more peaceful way."
"Can I have a few extra coins? Please? Just in case I need to buy a gun?" Anahere asks, and she's completely serious.
"I don't think we're going to need any weapons, sweetie. Go get us that room. We'll be back shortly. I love you, and we're going to get through this together. I promise."
Anahere paces restlessly back and forth across the hotel room. It's been at least an hour since she checked in, and Sally and Penelope still haven't returned. Where the hell is a cell phone when you actually need one? Anahere thinks to herself. Maybe they got lost? Maybe she lost them somehow? Maybe they got arrested? Maybe they're all dead? Every possible worst-case scenario flashes through her mind as she waits anxiously for their return. Anahere freezes when there's finally a knock at the door.
"Let us in. It's me, Penelope," the voice calls from the hallway. Anahere peers cautiously through the peephole. "Is she with you? Is my Earth mom with you?"
"Yeah, she is. We found her," Penelope answers. "Now open the door. I'm going to come in first and make sure everything's safe." Anahere opens the door, her legs shaking so badly she can barely stand. Penelope enters alone.
"You don't have a gun, do you?" Penelope asks carefully.
"No, I don't. But only because they don't sell them here," Anahere responds honestly.
Penelope motions down the hall to Sally. Sally approaches slowly with an older woman beside her. They enter the room cautiously. Anahere sits rigidly in a chair facing the sofa, visibly trembling. Sally, Penelope, and Miali settle onto the sofa.
"Anahere?" Miali says in a weak, tentative voice.
"I'll let you know when you're allowed to talk," Anahere snaps back. "Let me just look at you for a few minutes first. Then I'll ask some questions, and you can answer them." Anahere sits in tense silence, staring intensely at Miali like a lioness quietly sizing up her prey before striking.
"Why?" Anahere finally asks, her voice sharp as a blade. "Why, Mom? Just answer that simple question. And don't you dare play dumb with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Because I promised. Because you made me promise," Miali answers quietly.
"Promise? I made you promise? Promise what? What the hell are you talking about, Mom? I never made you promise anything! What promise?" Anahere demands, spitting her words out with such rabid anger that she's literally spraying saliva.
"Anahere, please. Calm down and listen to me. There's so much you don't know, so much you don't remember. I'll tell you everything now, but you have to calm down and actually listen." Anahere sits quietly for several minutes, still seething but silent. Sally finds some tea bags and makes tea for herself and Miali, and gets cold sodas from the mini-fridge for the girls.
When Miali believes Anahere is calm enough to hear the truth, she begins telling the story of things long forgotten.
"When my family moved to San Francisco, I was in sixth grade - just a strange little girl in my class. Nobody called me Miali back then. They just called me 'Eskimo.' I was the girl with the round face and the big butt. I didn't have many friends, but I was a good student. My parents constantly told me I was a child of prophecy, destined to have a magical child someday. I never believed them. I barely had any girlfriends, much less a boyfriend, so how was I ever going to have a child? But I did excel academically - I had that going for me.
"After graduation, I received a grant and scholarship from the Australian government to study in Sydney. That's where I met your father. He was the only boy who'd ever really talked to me, so I decided right then and there to marry him the moment he said hello. We both majored in anthropology and became specialists in aboriginal studies. The University funded our travels all over the world to study indigenous peoples. It was the most fulfilling work I'd ever done. Then you were born, which put my career on hold for a while. As soon as you were old enough, I resumed traveling and researching, taking you with me whenever possible. That's how you learned so much about the First Ones.
"When you were about two, you started talking - not baby talk, but complete sentences like an adult. You could write and draw pictures with the skill of a grown-up too. That's when I began thinking maybe the prophecy about a magical baby was real. You also had visitors - what I thought were imaginary friends, though sometimes I could almost see them too. You even drew pictures of them. The ones who visited most often were an Asian woman and an American man. They never spoke to me, but you'd tell me what they said. I thought they were singers because you called them 'tenors.'
"When you turned four, you told me your friends would soon stop visiting. You said you'd eventually forget them and forget who you really were. That's when you made me promise. You explained that you had a special job to do, and that when you turned fourteen, we had to participate in a ceremony in the Arctic, not far from where I was born. You made me swear to take you there, saying you'd know what to do when you arrived, but that you'd forget everything before then. You told me it was the most important thing in the world - that the very survival of the world depended on you because you were the chosen one. We discussed it several more times, but by age six, you had no idea what I was talking about.
"So I took you, despite everything. It wasn't easy. Your father knew about it and tried to stop me. He insisted the ceremonies weren't safe and even called the police, but we took a different flight than the one I'd told him about. I brought you to the ceremony and left you with the Elders there. You looked terrified, but at the same time, you seemed at peace. I left you with the Elders and returned to Australia.
"A few days later, we heard reports that you'd all jumped off the ice in a mass suicide. Others claimed the ice melted and there was this enormous glowing cloud, and when it cleared, there was nothing but open water. I didn't believe the suicide story since they never found any bodies, but you were missing and everyone assumed you were dead. Your father filed a missing person report, and the police came to question me. They accused me of conspiring to have you murdered in a ritual sacrifice and threw me in prison. The judge said I'd spend the rest of my life there because I had murdered my own daughter. That's where I remained - in prison - until the war came.
"The war destroyed everything. Cities were blown up or washed away, rivers and oceans became poisonous. Everyone was dying. One day, the jailers simply unlocked all the doors and abandoned us.
We wandered out into a complete wasteland. Everything was dead. We scrounged for food, but we all started getting sick. Our hair fell out, sores covered our bodies. I grew weaker and weaker until I collapsed, and then I woke up here. I've been here ever since, searching for you many times, but I never knew where they'd taken you.
"Are you starting to remember now? Please, try to remember. I love you so much. I need you to remember all of this."
Anahere sits quietly for a moment, staring at the carpet. Then suddenly she bolts up and storms out of the room, running down the hall toward the exit. "Where is she going? Is she going to be okay? I'm scared, Mommy," Penelope asks, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Penelope, follow her, but stay back and give her space. She just had a completely mind-blowing experience and needs time to process it all. I'll stay here with Miali."
Penelope follows stealthily, making sure Anahere doesn't see her. Anahere wanders the streets for hours - sometimes pacing back and forth on the same street or circling the same block repeatedly. Sometimes she sits on park benches for long stretches. It's a pleasant night, neither too hot nor cold, and the local women mostly leave them alone. A few stare, but not many. Penelope uses a public phone to update Sally on the situation - thankfully, the calls are free. Around five in the morning, just before sunrise, Anahere enters an all-night diner and orders pie and ice cream. She still has some coins left after paying for the hotel room. Penelope follows her inside. Anahere sits alone in a booth, and Penelope slides in beside her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. Anahere leans her head against Penelope's shoulder and cries.
"Tenors. She thought they were singers. I wasn't saying 'tenor' - I was saying '10'er.' They were level 10'ers visiting me. God, 10'ers are such assholes. Why does everything have to be so secretive? Why do all the important things have to be forgotten? I think it's some stupid game they play - that's how 10'ers get their kicks. I fucking hate it."
"Yeah, tell me about it. My mom and dad were level 10'ers too, and sometimes their minds are completely scrambled. Then there's this guy Josh who was a 10'er before becoming a coalescent. He's pretty cool, but he can be seriously freaky too. But it might be more than just 10'ers visiting you. I think maybe you're one yourself, like Mom. Maybe you're a level 10'er who came here specifically to do this thing you're doing, and that's why you had 10'er friends too. I wouldn't be surprised if those two you drew in your pictures were Mom and Josh. It sounds exactly like them. This is totally freaking me out. What a night!" Penelope says.
"Thank you for being here, Penelope. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. I love you and your mom so incredibly much. And I hated my Earth mom with such intensity. But now I don't know what to think anymore. She only did what I forced her to promise, and then spent the rest of her life in prison for it. She sacrificed everything to keep her word to me. How can I keep hating her after learning that? But how can I just stop hating her? I'm completely lost, Penelope. I don't even know who or what I am anymore."
"Mom said you got your mind completely blown and it would take time to process everything. I'll stay with you as long as you need. We can sit here and watch the sunrise together. Our moms are sleeping anyway. In the meantime, do you have any more money? We could order more ice cream while we wait for everything to sink in," Penelope suggests. Anahere actually smiles and giggles as she tosses some coins at Penelope - her first genuine smile in what feels like forever.
"Mom hated Dad for a really long time after my brother Joshua was killed. She hated Ben intensely too. She basically hated everyone for years, sometimes even including me. Hate, hate, hate - that was her entire existence. But she got over it eventually, and you will too. I don't think she and Dad will ever get back together, but I don't think she hates him anymore either. So you don't have to live with your birth mom again - in fact, you'd better not, because you live with me now. But I think you can be like Mom and Dad - you can become friends again."
"I suppose you're right. It's just that my mind feels completely disconnected now. None of the pieces fit together anymore. And then I have this enormous task I need to complete on Earth, and I don't really have a clue how that's going to work. I just know I have to go there and do it."
"Mom explained that you have to dissolve into the biosphere. She's done that before, and so have I. I didn't dissolve into the entire biosphere though - just a forest of pine trees. Anyway, while she was in there, she finally found peace with the Joshua situation, and when she came back, her mind was healed. I think when you go there, if you just relax and let those waves of feeling wash over you while you're connected to everything, you'll find peace too. I think you and Mom should go soon. You need to release this burden you're carrying. Then we'll have more time to cruise the City and check out boys."
"That sounds like a perfect plan, Penelope. But let's not tell Mom all the details, okay?"
The waitress brings their ice cream and hands the check to Penelope. Penelope starts eating but then suddenly shoots a startled look at the waitress, who's returned to her position behind the counter.
"Oh my God, oh my God!" Penelope exclaims. "This day just keeps getting more and more bizarre. I know that girl!"
"Okay," Anahere says, grabbing the check and hiding it. "Her name's on the receipt. Tell me who you think she is, and I'll tell you if you're right."
"Her name is Alannah," Penelope says confidently.
"Holy shit! You're absolutely right. How do you know her?"
"I met her in California in 1875."
"1875? What do you mean, 1875? You weren't even born then."
"It's a very long story. I'll tell you all about it sometime. But that's definitely Alannah. She's John's daughter, and in a roundabout way, she's also my sister-in-law."
"If she's John's daughter, then she's your Aunt Alannah, not your sister-in-law."
"Trust me, it's incredibly complicated, but she's both. Don't forget what a strange world we live in - pretty much anything is possible here."
"Does John know she's here?"
"No, and for now, he doesn't need to know. He's happy where he is, and she looks happy here, so let's not rock the boat."
"Why not? Don't you think he has a right to know?"
"Someday, yes. But not right now. John belongs to me now - I mean, John belongs to us now. Let's not complicate things by bringing this other woman back into the picture just yet. But now that we know where she is, when the time is right, we'll tell him. Okay, sis? Our little secret?"
"Okay, it'll be our secret. But I can't wait until you do tell him - he's going to be absolutely overjoyed to know she's here."
"I hope so. When the timing is right though, not just yet. There's another complication too - I don't think Mom is ready to meet Alannah yet. It's too complex to explain right now. Just trust me on this."
The sun is fully up when the girls finally leave the diner. They walk hand in hand back to the hotel, where they immediately crash and sleep deeply well into the afternoon. Then, naturally, they go shopping.
![Pistola Denim Gia Vest - Gaze - [M]](https://thedimensionofmind.com/images/DeCache1.jpeg)
