Sally Fishing

John’s just grabbing his bait and tackle, ready to head out the door, when he hears a cheerful, “Hey, John!” Sally bounds up onto his porch, her smile lighting up the morning, and wraps him in a big, warm hug. “You’re here early, kid,” John says, a bit caught off guard. “I haven’t even caught any fish yet.”

Sally’s grin widens, and she holds up a fishing pole with a playful flourish. “Didn’t you notice? I brought my own gear. Figured it’s about time I joined you out there instead of just mooching off your catch.”

John’s face breaks into the biggest smile, his eyes crinkling with joy. “Well, I can’t think of anything better than that. Let’s go fish, then.”

The sun’s barely peeking over the treetops, and a soft fog still blankets the lake, giving everything a dreamy vibe. Sally’s fumbling a bit with the pole and reel—fancy stuff she’s not used to—and her sweater sleeves keep slipping over her hands in the chilly air, making it trickier. But John’s patient, guiding her with a gentle hand. His tackle’s in top-notch shape these days; he’s given up tormenting Ben by making him fix it every morning, and now it’s just about the joy of fishing.

John hesitates, then says, “So, I’ve been wanting to ask you something, but I’m not sure if I’m stepping over a line here.”

Sally’s smile is warm and open. “John, there’s no question you can’t ask me. What’s on your mind?”

“Well,” John starts, scratching the back of his neck, “last time you and Pat went to Earth to reprogram that computer and kick off the terraforming, you two turned into these… beings of light, merged as one. Then you came back, and you’re just the same old Sally and Pat I’ve always known. I guess I’m wondering what the heck that was all about. I’m not sure how to act around you now.”

Sally lets out a bright laugh. “Oh, John, you saw something pretty incredible. For a moment, Pat and I got a glimpse of who we really are, like, the full version of ourselves. We had to step into that state to tweak the universe—it’s not something we could’ve done from Level 5. But just like when we came to Level 3 in human bodies and forgot our true selves, we’ve come back to Level 5 as the Sally and Pat you know. What we did feels like a dream now, fading fast. So when I hug you, hug me back! I’m just Sally, not some glowing cosmic guru. I’m here to live as a Level 5 person for a long, long time, and I plan to spend a ton of it hanging out with my favorite guy, John.”

John looks relieved, a grin spreading across his face. “Alright, then. But we’ve gotta work on your fishing skills, kid. At this rate, you’ll starve out here.” They both crack up, the sound echoing over the lake.

John’s just getting the fish sizzling over the fire when two familiar faces stroll up. “Hey, Mike! Hey, Ben!” Sally calls out, waving down the lane. “What brings you guys up here?”

Mike smirks. “I think you did, Sally. Something about a big announcement?”

“Oh, right, *that*,” Sally says with a giggle. “Grab a seat, guys, and help yourselves to some fish. John and I caught plenty this morning. We’ve got some big news—though I haven’t even told John yet.”

John raises an eyebrow, handing out plates of fish. “Really? Okay, maybe I need to sit down for this too. So, Sally, what’s the big news?”

Sally’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Alright, here’s the deal. You know Pat and I made some tweaks to your domains. John, you’re getting your own domain soon, which is gonna be a blast to set up. Pat and I will be popping in to visit you guys now and then, so don’t be shocked if we just show up. One of the big changes we made was speeding up the terraforming so Earth can support human-like life in a few thousand years instead of billions. Let’s be real—this old solar system doesn’t have that kind of time left. We also set Level 3 and Level 5 into a temporal free-float, so time’s gonna move a lot faster for you than it would’ve otherwise.

“It’s so weird saying all this out loud,” she adds, shaking her head. “I’m still connected to my Level 10 self, but it’s like I’m hearing this for the first time too.

“We had some help from another dimension—folks who came in to collect DNA from Earth’s cells to seed the planet. The bots weren’t quite up to that job. When the time’s right, life will bounce back fast, like it used to be. We’ll need to step in again for the higher animals, especially the social ones, because they need a special reintroduction. The top primates will be the trickiest, but we’ll figure out the best way to handle that when you’re ready.

“For now, we’re stuck in Level 5 for a while before we can repopulate Level 3. So, we made some tweaks to Level 5 domains too. Get this—Level 5 entities can now have babies, just like in Level 3. So, Michael, you better stock up on condoms in Powder Junction—or maybe cribs and diapers. Your call.”

Michael’s jaw drops, and he looks a little spooked. “Wait, how’s that gonna work here? The blueprint for life is in the DNA, which is Level 3 stuff. We’ve just got an echo of it here. Did you and Pat mess with something the Big Guy set up for Level 3 and 5?”

Sally smiles, unfazed. “God, if that’s who you’re talking about, didn’t design Level 3 or 5—you did. It evolved based on what you needed to have the experiences you wanted. When something massive happens, like what went down in the Terran sector, evolution can’t keep up, so we bring in technicians to tinker. All levels are more connected than they seem. The ‘echo’ of Level 3 isn’t just a shadow—it’s all part of the same song. Everything in Level 3 is vibrations in a field of existence, and our forms here are a resonance of those vibrations. That’s why they act the same, even if they’re less dense. All existence, everywhere, at every level, is just harmonic vibrations of one fundamental field. It’s like music—form is made from music, a song. To propagate here, we sing a song with someone else in harmony, and the interference patterns create a new song—our child.

“Life, like energy, can’t be created or destroyed—it just changes form, sings a new song. Your kid is the harmony you make together, one from two. It’s the same in Level 3, but you don’t hear the music—you just see DNA and cells and think that’s the whole deal. By retuning Level 5, we can do it here too.”

John looks totally lost. “So, what, we gotta take music lessons to have kids now?”

Sally bursts out laughing. “Nah, John, it’s like Level 3—we’re only aware of the physical part, you know, the fun stuff. You just have sex, and the song of procreation gets sung. Bet you already knew that part. And here’s the *best* news of all—John, you’re gonna be a grandpa! I’m pregnant, and I’d love for you to be my baby’s grandpa, if you’re up for it.”

John pretends to rub his eyes, hiding a few tears, and grins. “You try and stop me, little girl. That kid’s gonna be spoiled rotten if I have anything to say about it. Sally, I love you so much I can’t even put it into words. And now you’re having a baby? I don’t think my heart can take all this. Might trade in my fishing pole for some woodworking tools—got cribs and toys to make, and I’m the man for the job.” John thought giving Sally away at her wedding was the hardest and best moment of his life, but he’s starting to realize the best is still ahead.

“Oh my!” Ben jumps in. “I gotta get back to Penny—she’s probably already picking out baby clothes. But quick question, Sally—you and Pat came to Level 3 knowing what was gonna happen, didn’t you? Why not just fix the universe back then so none of this had to go down?”

Sally giggles. “Where’s the fun in that? I don’t remember all the details, but life’s an adventure, and it’s gotta play out its own way. Truth is, that network fiasco did you a favor. You were losing the fight against pollution, wars, and bad industrial choices. Cancer, neurological issues, endocrine problems, radiation effects, dementia—all of it was skyrocketing. From a hundred million species, you were down to a few thousand. The planet’s gene pool, the foundation for Level 3 life, was collapsing. Most species go extinct pretty quick, but a small group—about one in a thousand—carries evolution forward. A few thousand species isn’t enough to keep that going. Your planet was already dead; you just hadn’t buried it yet. The network crash sped things up and ended the suffering faster.

“Level 10ers don’t usually step in—it’s on you to learn, evolve, and shape your reality. We make small tweaks to boost life’s potential, especially for new life like Nettie. What you do with that potential is up to you. If we’d stopped it, I wouldn’t be here sharing this with you, and I wouldn’t trade this for anything. As Terra regenerates, it’ll be fresh and full of life again. I’d suggest using this time to evolve your consciousness before jumping back to Level 3. Having kids around will help with that. I’m one of you now, and I’ll be here to help. It all works out, Ben—it always does.

“There’s one more big task for Level 5 while we’re here. By tying our consciousness so tightly to physicality, we deal with its flaws too. There are Level 5ers stuck in dementia, insanity, or delusion, locked away in hospitals, suffering quietly. We’ve got time to fix that before we repopulate Earth. There’s plenty to do, so no one’s gonna be bored. Oh, and one last thing—Mr. Tekky, I’m gonna need your help setting up my new computer. Nettie’s coming to stay with me for a bit once she’s done on Earth. And Michael, I hear you’ve got some little ones in Powder Junction—kittens! I want a white fluffy one. And John could use a couple of puppies—no, make it two each. Can’t have them getting lonely, you know.”