Healer
by Tessa Novak

“Tessa, Tessa, wake up! We must go! Now! We must hurry!” Pietro was shaking me, none to lightly. “Wake up! Wake up now!” “What’s the matter?” I asked drowsily. He half pushed me out of bed. “We must go now!” he said agitated. I noticed a strange light coming from his bed table. It was the metal ball giving off a pulsating, bluish golden light. “Can’t it wait till tomorrow?” “No, silly, get up! Get dressed now! We must be on our way!” “Pietro!” I exclaimed in a reproachful tone as he struggled to get out his pajamas. “Stop it! Immediately! You are tearing your new pajamas to shreds!” I got up and asked in a quieter voice, “Tell me… What is the matter? Let’s go about this in an orderly manner, okay? Pretend you’re building one of your electronics circuits.” It was bull’s eye. He looked up as if stung by a bee. “It’s the orb. It is receiving a signal, the right signal. My transmitter worked. We must go now. If we miss it, we will not get another chance in a long time… and then it will be too late definitely. It may already be too late now. The mission is in jeopardy. We will lose everything! Literally!” He became agitated again. I went over to his side of the bed and helped him getting dressed. Then I put on my clothes. It did not occur to me that I dressed in his presence. Only after I was ready did it dawn. “I’m sorry” I said. “What for?” “Dressing in your presence.” “It’s not important. I do not care. I did not even notice. I was watching the orb. The signal is getting stronger.” The pulsating light was slowly changing into a constant stream. “I grabbed an overnight bag from my closet and started stuffing our clothes into it. The box with his new calculator followed. I rushed to the bathroom with the bag, grabbed our toilet gear, toilet paper, fresh bandages, and stuffed it all in. I slung the bag over my shoulder and hung my purse over the other. I went back to the bedroom. “Are you ready?” Pietro asked. “Yes, I think so. Do we have a long trip ahead of us?” “I’m not sure. The orb will guide us. Do we need all that?” He pointed at the bag. “You bet! I am not going to let you run around like the first bum anymore, let alone myself. And judging from your answer we’ll need something to eat as well!” I pointed to the left drawer and said, “You’ll find your money there. Take it with you. I may not have enough left in my wallet to fill up the car.” I went to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee for the thermos. In the meantime, I stuffed two mugs, a spoon, sugar cubes, and a bottle of mineral water, a pack of cookies, bread, some slices of cheese, and two apples in a plastic bag. I rushed back to the bedroom. Pietro was trying to get up but dressing had taken its toll already. He was too weak. “You didn’t get the money, did you?” He shook his head. “I couldn’t get up. What took you so long?” I opened the drawer, took the money, and stuffed it into my pocket. “You wait here. Let me get this stuff in the car first. Then I’ll be back for you.” A panicky look. “I promise! I will not leave you behind! I gather you are going to bring the orb along. Put it in your pocket. I don’t want to attract any attention with that strange light shining all over the place.” Fifteen minutes later, we were sitting in the car. It took only three or so to put the stuff on the backseat and come back. “When will we be back?” I asked myself as I locked the front door. “Don’t know,” Pietro panted. It took the remainder of the time to help him to the car. He could hardly walk and I had to drag him from the building entrance to the car. I strapped him into his safety belt and started the engine. The indicator showed that the tank was only one third full. “There’s an all-night gas station down the road. Let’s get some gas first.” No answer, Pietro had slumped against the door. I drove to the gas station and filled up the car. I bought sweets, chocolate, chewing gum, and the most detailed map of the whole country the attendant had to offer. “You don’t happen to have a compass, do you?” I asked him on leaving the booth. “No ma’am, have a safe trip.” Pietro woke up as I got in the car. “Where to?” He was too weak to get the orb from his pocket. “Hold on, let’s get out of sight. The attendant is watching us.” I started my car and drove a few blocks down the road before I parked. I got the orb from Pietro’s pocket. It was flashing slowly. “Wrong direction,” he whispered, “direction is okay if it doesn’t flash anymore... a steady light.” I put the orb in the ashtray and closed it. Through the small slit, the pulsating light was visible enough not to attract undue attention. As I turned the light slowly became steady. It led us to the highway in easterly direction. We drove in silence for nearly three hours. I drove a little faster than the speed limit. Pietro was fading in and out of consciousness. I was woolgathering. It always happened when I had to drive long stretches with no traffic at all. “Why am I doing all this?” I asked myself, “You are a responsible person. You have great responsibilities too. There are enough challenges in your life, so why all this? Is it an unconscious desire for adventure then? Why are you involving yourself with somebody you do hardly know? Who scared and hurt you? And still, you feel attracted to him, care for him. You buy clothes and stuff to make him happy. He attracts me in an inexplicable way. Handsome, yes. Friendship, yes. Affection, yes. Desire, lust? Definitely not! Well, okay, perhaps just a tiny little bit, inevitable…but because of the circumstances not something I pursue with much vigor. Then what is it? He is one big mystery. His erratic behavior would scare any sensible person away. One thing is certain. He shows all signs of a split personality. One appears good, the other one seems quite evil, and these egos are fighting it out. Is the evil one trying to lure me into some hideous trap? Is the good one trying to save me from disaster? Split, yes, but the evil personality just is not there. It is something else. This conditioning Pietro is talking about perhaps? Why go through all the trouble of this car trip? He never took advantage of any of the opportunities he had. He could have done so already, quite a number of times, and with his strength, I would be easy meat. His weakness could be simulated after all. Not so his amputated arm! Now take this conditioning for instance. It might be the source of all his problems. Underneath his strange behavior, I sensed a dependable, caring, and sensitive person. Someone with whom I was friends with already. Someone whom I could love. Now you are taking it a little too far, Tessa! No, honestly, he has something the men I have been with did not have. What could it be? Of course, I heard and read the stories of two strangers meeting each other and the next thing happening… Sparks flying and nothing in the world could pull those people apart anymore! Was this encounter such a chance meeting? He is a handsome man, no denying. I peeked to my right. Oh yes, definitely! I have nothing to complain about either, so in that respect I am in good company… in that respect we might fit together well. In fact, I am quite pleased with my appearance. All the curves are in the right place, and I do not have to do too much to keep them from resizing, sagging, or to prevent others from forming. I do get my share of looks, ranging from admiration to disgust, but would not any woman with long copper curls way over her shoulder blades, green eyes, and freckles. How I hated my looks when I was young, especially the freckles. My parents nicknamed me Spot. They were the only ones who were allowed to call me that. Anybody else `who called me by something else than my given name ran the risk of serious maltreatment. There were several occasions where a boy teasing me to attract attention got more than he bargained for. Nowadays I am proud of my looks. They make me stand out from the crowd and stand out is what I do with my length… half a head taller than the average male. Overall, it means that I do not have to do much to attract attention. I smiled because I recalled an incident at the office. It was not funny at the start. We had a good laugh afterwards. It was not long after I took over the company. A young woman from accounting broke up a relation after she caught her partner – who also worked in accounting – red-handed with another woman. He expressed his regret and wanted to come back to her but she did not want him anywhere near her. To spite him she started wearing provocative dresses, high heels, lavish hairdos, and lots of make-up. She was seen with male colleagues, a different one each time. Accounting was in a – what one might call – frenzy. Whenever I had business there, I noticed men hovering around her desk with for obvious reasons, none of them business related. I decided to let them try to solve their own problems but nothing much happened because her latest conquest was her boss, the department head. I do not like to interfere in people’s private lives and they can have whatever relations they want with people from the company or with people from the outside. It is not my business, unless it affects the company. In that case, I think I am entitled to take certain corrective measures. The situation was getting a little too much out of hand. Therefore, one day I met her not quite by chance in a hallway. She was wearing a very exposing dress that day. “A word for your ears, Joyce. I like to make a few suggestions regarding your apparel. You are wearing a very beautiful evening dress, I will grant you that, and the accoutrements and pumps form a perfect match, but not really suited for a professional environment. Don’t you think so too?” She thought I was some lowly secretary from research and development, because I had my office there. “Some stuck-up bimbo from development is going to tell me what to wear? What are you anyway?” “A little restraint in your judgment and attire may further your career. I am your boss!” She looked at me laughing and with exaggerated hip movements walked down the corridor. Over her shoulder, she said “Yeah, right! And I am Santa Claus with tits!” I counted until ten and continued with what I was doing. I made a mental note to have a short chat with her boss the next day. Well, to make a long story short, Joyce showed character. The next morning she came to my office and apologized. She was wearing office attire. I do not care much for dress codes, unless we have visitors and then I insist on some decorum. She was almost in tears as she said, “I’d better find another job.” “Forget it. You came to apologize. That is good enough for me. Everybody makes a mistake now and then. It shows spirit to admit that. Keep your private and professional life a little apart.” “Will it affect my career in Accounting?” “That is not up to me.” Later on, I heard she was a real achiever. She is my personal secretary now, a very trustworthy colleague, and my very best friend. I met my share of men. Such meetings were either relations spanning a couple of months or just one-night stands, the latter just rewarding for glands and mind, but completely void of anything else. I cannot and will not deny certain needs and I am certainly no prude. Mostly attractive men they were, mostly educated and cultured, civilized for sure, but single-minded. Their instant gratification was top priority. More solidity in a relationship ranked lowest on their list. Perhaps it was only exciting for them to be seen with one of the youngest and most successful entrepreneurs of the country. Perhaps it might increase their social standing. Any indication that a more solid relationship might be desirable had them running. Pietro appeared altogether different in many ways. We did not have an intimate relationship. He did not care about social standing. I doubted if he knew what it entailed. He never once hinted, let alone showed, any desire for me. He was genuinely innocent when he walked naked into my room. He started to become sensitive to such situations after I told him that such behavior was not always socially acceptable. He allowed me to take care of him. His invitation to crawl under his blanket was definitely not one of desire. He wanted to comfort me for what he had done. He was scared and needed comfort as well and he needed someone close to him. It was a child’s reaction! I took a quick look at my passenger again. He was asleep but it was a fitful sleep. His mouth was twitching. I took his hand from his lap and held it. Another peek revealed a smile, a sweet smile. Now what about this orb? That is the second thing that does not quite fit into what I consider as normal. While cleaning it I could not detect any seams or openings. It had been giving off a steady light for quite some time. If it was battery powered the batteries should be exhausted by now. There was no indication of letting off. Was this then another technological tour de force or was it really a guiding device? I contemplated a small experiment. I would take the first exit and head back. If the orb burned with a steady light, I would go home, correction, to the police, dump Pietro, and then go home. If it started to flash, I would take the first exit and resume our previous course. Another look at Pietro made me feel guilty and I immediately abandoned any thoughts about this act of treachery. That is how it felt, anyway. Suppose he wakes up while I am heading back and I am all wrong? How am I going to explain my distrust? No, I am not going to cause him more distress because of my own doubts. The orb was showing a steady glow. Slowly pale light began appeared in the sky. We weren’t the only ones using the road anymore. Life was picking up again. Not for me… I caught myself with eyelids becoming heavy. I had to stop before accidents occurred. I took the first exit and parked the car on the shoulder. Unobtrusive enough, I thought. I got out and stretched. Then I poured two coffees, added sugar, and held one under Pietro’s nose. “Yes,” he whispered, “some sugar.” I had to hold the cup. He was too weak to lift it to his lips. “Need to pee?” I asked. “No, but thanks for asking.” The sugar had done him good. I fed him some chocolate. “We must hurry. Please?” he urged me. “Let me finish my coffee first and find a place where I can take a leak.” He smiled at that, “That’s a very unladylike thing to say.” I took my time, I needed the rest. I stuck the small pillow I usually have in my back between Pietro’s head and the window. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, “Take heart, my friend, we will arrive in time.” He looked grateful at me, and closed his eyes. Ten minutes later, we were heading east again. We passed several populated areas where traffic was quite dense. The whole trip was uneventful. I made another stop two hours later. I kept pushing on because of Pietro’s condition. The gas indicator started nearing the red zone. I pulled over at the first gas station we encountered and had the car filled up. I asked the attendant to check the oil and water. It got him a handsome tip. I drank another cup of coffee and ate a sandwich. Pietro was still asleep. The attendant asked about my passenger’s health and I answered that he had been on an intercontinental flight. The weather had been very bad, the landing worse and the food worst of all. “Moreover,” I added, “he is not particularly fond of flying. That is why he is so white in the face, and he has his mind set on trekking a week or so in the mountains. It would have been better if he’d trekked straight into bed for a week or so.” The attendant lost his interest, for which I was but all too glad. Because Pietro sat slumped against the passenger door, the attendant never noticed his empty sleeve. I consulted the map. It showed we were nearing a mountainous part of the country covered in forests, low hills at first, then higher ones that eventually changed into high mountains. It was onwards again. I took the orb from the ashtray. It would not attract much attention in bright daylight. The right side was slowly pulsating whereas the left side burned with a steady light. “Left,” I heard Pietro whisper. It was another hour drive before we encountered an exit. The road led via an overpass into the hills. The orb was burning steady again. The road followed a small river up into the higher hills. Suddenly the orb started flashing left and I almost overshoot a narrow dirt road leading into the forest. Deeper and deeper between the trees it led. There were many potholes so I had to drive very slowly. Finally, we came to a clearing. The dirt road ended, I stopped and turned off the engine. “Pietro” I asked softly, “Is this the place?” To my amazement, he did not whisper but answered in a clear voice. “Yes dear, you’ve done very well. This is the place. Please put the orb on the dashboard. Then we must wait.” I did as he asked, then got the bag with food from the backseat and announced, “I’m hungry. Do you want a bite as well?” “Yes please, that would be nice.” “It’s not what you’re used to,” as I held the sandwich in front of him. Instead of biting off a piece, he took it from my hand. As his hand touched mine, I felt how cold he was. “You’re so cold! Why did you say nothing? I always drive with the heating off. It makes me sleepy. Next time you complain, you hear?” I got out and took a blanket from the boot, covered him, started the engine and turned the heating all the way up. He just sat there with the half-eaten sandwich in his hand. A beautiful smile adorned his face. His thin face, so white now. His eyes looking into mine. I do not know how long we sat there, looking at each other, reveling in each other’s presence. The idling engine, the noisy fan, nothing broke that ecstatic moment for a long time. I still cannot explain where my feelings for him came from. They were there of course from the start. Beginning with disgust and ending in love, so deep, so all encompassing, so fulfilling, that every attempt to describe it is destined to fail. I never noticed that the orb had gone out. Another light, outside, had imperceptibly taken over. “Sweet Tessa,” Pietro said softly, “This is what we’ve been waiting for.” I looked outside and saw a cigar-like shape appear. Slowly it materialized. It was big, perhaps a hundred meters in length and some fifteen meters in height. Its skin looked completely smooth and emitted the same light as the orb had before. I could only watch. “Can you help me to him?” Pietro asked after some time. “What is that, Pietro? Should I be scared?” “Don’t be. He is waiting for us. Please take the orb with you.” I turned off the engine and got out of the car. I walked to Pietro’s side, opened the door, and unbuckled his safety belt. I had to lift his legs one by one from the car. It seemed like they were paralyzed somehow. They refused to support him. As soon as I got him on his feet, his legs gave away. I caught him in mid fall and lowered him back in the car seat. “I’ll carry you.” I wrapped the blanket around him and lifted him in my arms. He weighed near to nothing. Slowly I made my way to the bluish golden shape. As I stood at arm’s length from it, Pietro said, “Touch him with the orb.” As I did so, the orb was sucked from my fingers and flowed into the skin. It rippled at first, like mercury, then an opening formed and a ramp slid out. A stretcher stood on the ramp. Then a voice – a strange mechanical voice – said, “Put Maximilian on the stretcher.” Carefully I lowered Pietro on the stretcher and folded the blanket around him. “Stand aside!” the voice ordered. Instead, I sank to my knees and took Pietro’s face between my hands. How cold it felt. “Pietro, my dear Pietro, are you going to be alright?” “Stand aside!” the voice ordered again, this time more insistent. We looked at each other, as we had done in the car, then his eyes slowly unfocused. I bent over him and kissed him on his lips. “Sweet Tessa,” he sighed. I let go of him and as I did his face contorted and he convulsed. “Leave the ramp now!” the voice commanded. Blinded by tears I stepped back on the grass. The ramp retracted immediately into the shape. As I wiped my tears away, I had a last glimpse of Pietro having another convulsion. That broke me down completely. I fainted. I must have been unconscious for a long time. The light was already failing when I came to. I was sore, stiff, and cold all over. My left hamstring protested when I got up. I looked longingly at the ellipse in the hope of seeing Pietro, then turned and limped to my car. It was time to go home, time to forget this bizarre event, time to cry out my heart, time to find solace. I would be warm again once inside with the heater on. “You cannot depart!” the voice boomed, devoid of any compassion. “Leave me alone!” I shouted, “Give me back my Pietro!” “Do not disobey!” the voice boomed back. I failed to hear car door locks click shut. I ignored the voice and started calling it names, another with each limping step. Uncaring bastard, metal-mind, and stupid computer were the more innocent ones. I got to my car, but none of the doors would open. I was sure I did not lock any of them. The car key also failed to open the doors. “You cannot leave!” the voice bellowed again. “Order someone else around!” I yelled back, “I’m going home now and an oversized metal cigar with the attitude of a drill sergeant is not going to stop me! Let me in!” Of course, the car stayed locked. After another futile attempt to get in, I limped a few steps down the dirt road. “How far is it walking to the gas station?” I wondered aloud, “At least an hour down this trail and with my leg screaming murder…” I did not finish the sentence; instead, I changed my mind and limped back to the car. “Hey!” I yelled, “Can we have an agreement? I promise not to leave and you let me in my car. Okay?” “It is acceptable!” I heard the latches unlock and I got in the car as quick as possible. I was tempted to start the car and make run for it, but thinking of Pietro made me decide otherwise. I made myself comfortable on the backseat as well as could be. Inside it was almost as cold as outside. I rummaged around in the overnight bag and found Pietro’s sweater. I put it on. It was too large but it made me feel warm. The realization that Pietro should be wearing this sweater made me very sad again. Tears started running anew. There was nobody to share my misery with. “Can you hear me?” I sobbed and got quite a scare. The voice was coming from the car’s loudspeakers! “Yes!” After my heart had stopped beating in my throat I said, “I’d like to tell you the story of how Pietro and I got together and eventually arrived here.” “That knowledge is already available.” I ignored the implied refusal and began telling, more to myself than to whomever the person behind the voice. “I miss him!” I concluded my story. “This resume does not add any new data. Emotional outbursts are detrimental to the process of gathering information. Refrain from emotions.” I almost burst a vein. It made me very angry, but instead of screaming my lungs out at the voice, I bottled up my anger. The day will come, I promised myself, but for now let us treat this silicon misfit as a computer. I asked in as calm a voice as I could muster, “Will you volunteer data?” “Yes.” “Who are you?” “I’m called Coreander” That was strange, the voice sounded much less mechanical. “Ah, I’ve heard your name before. As I told you, Pietro said it once unintentionally. What are you?” “I’m a living being, just like you.” Stranger still, Coreander’s voice had a human quality, a conversational tone with a normal choice of words. “I doubt that very much. The way you treated me earlier suggests strong evidence to the contrary.” “Your concept if life is limited…” “See, there you go again!” “For your benefit, the one you know as Pietro has asked me earlier to activate my social skills center. It takes a while to have its desired effect. I’ll accelerate it.” There was a short pause and then Coreander continued, “I’m sorry if I offended and hurt you in any way. It was not my intention to do so. Please forgive me. The person you call Pietro did not think it necessary for me to use my social skills center in our communication. In our day-to-day dealings, we do not need redundancy and obfuscation. It seems, however, that it is a requirement for you to communicate successfully.” “It sounds as a plausible explanation. However, I still put you on probation.” “You judge me too harshly.” “Tell me more about yourself.” “I’m a Custodian.” “What do you take care of?” “Well, it’s not so much taking care of but more like keeping an eye on certain events. Custodians are not supposed to right wrongs, to meddle in local affairs, however, there are, let us say, threatening developments that must be prevented at all cost. The one you know as Pietro and I are a team that does just that.” “Pietro hinted at danger. Could you please explain what kind of danger?” “Right now this clearing is the safest place to be. It was inevitable, but the orb’s path is traceable. You will be found! Those in support of these threatening developments will force you to spill whatever knowledge you have about the one you know as Pietro and me. They will force it out of you under unimaginable agony. Then they will take you apart – cell by cell – molecule by molecule for the sheer fun of it.” “I don’t mind changing the subject, do you?” “It’s a risk the one you know as Pietro and I live with every day. We are used to it. It is our duty to prevent harm coming to the innocent. What else do you want to know?” “How is Pietro?” “Given the circumstances the one you know as Pietro is reasonably well.” “Why do you insist on saying; the one you know as Pietro? Is Pietro not his real name?” “That is right.” “What is his real name then?” “Maximilian Burckhardt.” “Who is he?” “Maximilian was born twenty-seven of your years ago. He lost his parents at a very young age. He had no family so the authorities sent him to an orphanage. He exhibited some exceptional talents that caught my previous partner’s attention, also human. He, let us say, adopted the boy, and made Maximilian his successor. Maximilian’s predecessor had a run-in with those agents I mentioned before and it was only logical that Maximilian succeeded him. However, he was sorely lacking in formal education so I decided to mend that. To live among you he needed conditioning to make him inconspicuous and to protect our interests. Since he completed his instruction, he has proven to be a worthy continuator. We hit the agents at their most vulnerable spot. Maximilian has shown tactical and strategic insights I lacked. It was a daring enterprise but it crippled most of their key preparations. It set them back. However, for each step forward we go back two. It was during the raid that Maximilian lost his arm. I’m happy to tell you that he’ll have it back.” “Oh Coreander”, I exclaimed, “I’m so happy to hear that! Tell me more, please?” “Well, that’s about it, in a nutshell” “How big is this army of yours?” “What army? It is just the two of us. All other Custodians perished long ago. I was not there, then. I had a different mission. I should have been there. It might have made a difference…” I heard genuine sorrow and regret in Coreander’s voice. He was silent for a while. “I’ll drop this subject. It evokes sadness and anger, even aggression. I cannot afford to waste energy on these emotions.” “Do you mind talking about other things?” “That’s acceptable. Let me tell you some history. Maximilian told you about the universes?” “That he did.” “Once, long ago by your standards – before this universe came into existence – scientists…” “How old are you?” I interrupted Coreander, “The universe is estimated at thirteen… fourteen billion years.” “Append a couple of zeros… actually, it is meaningless. Suffice it to say I am quite old compared to you. Please, let me continue…” “Yes, of course, sorry for the interruption.” “Scientists discovered how to communicate with other universes. Similar developments were going on in various universes. Great minds decided that cooperation would be beneficial to all. What one universe was lacking would be supplied by others and vice versa. It led a league of universes. There also was an exchange of knowledge, commerce, and even some physical travel. It was a happy time. Everywhere I went I saw prosperity. The policy makers foresaw that this situation would not persevere. To keep an eye on things they established the order of the Custodians. The politicians decided that each universe should have at least one Custodian. We only reported on the state of affairs. We were bound by a very rigid code of conduct. The political body decides. Member universes would die eventually. New universes might decide to join the league. Most did, others decided that the league offered no benefits, and as you can imagine there always were a couple that pursued absolute power. The one we had to deal with was so big that all other universes could easily fit inside it and then there would be room left still. It lacked all sorts of resources but not intelligence…” “An intelligent universe?” “No, its inhabitants… I’ve yet to meet an intelligent universe… anyway, these creatures invented terrible technology to obtain what they needed by force instead of trade. They gobbled up other universes. Universes that allied themselves with this conqueror were spared that fate but were subordinate. The policy makers commanded the Custodians to put a stop to this rape. We acted, decisively and destroyed ourselves in the act. The conqueror and its allies were obliterated, completely and utterly. Nothing remains of them. All its knowledge was erased. Forever so, the politicians thought. The league of universes, quite diminished, had peace again. Prosperity returned, happiness took much longer to arrive. However, the assembly of policy makers had changed over time, and so had their viewpoints. They refused to revive the order so that the members could find new Custodians. The politicians became a little paranoid as the order showed forth its power, and considered the Custodians a danger to their own might. They never expected the order to have such unimaginable powers. They deemed that one Custodian could be kept in check easily, that I was quite capable of doing the job on my own. In retrospect a grave error of judgment. Nowadays the assembly is like an empty shell. They waste their time bickering over insignificant details, instead of looking at the big picture. They cannot make a fist because there is only one Custodian left. Now they also failed to recognize that the knowledge has surfaced again. Nobody knows how, but it is present, and it is being readied. ‘l Histoire se répète.” “It sounds like the eternal struggle between good and evil.” “Good and evil are determined by the side you’re on. It is much more basic. It is self-preservation, pure and simple as that… and it seems this time we are on the losing side this time. That is why some ten million of your years ago I took matters in my own hands and decided it was time to incorporate new blood. I needed a partner. It had to be an inconspicuous being. It had to be able to spy and ferret out secrets. Then it was up to me to act. We haven’t had much success till only very recently, a minor victory.” “So Pietro… er, Maximilian is involved in inter-universe wars?” “If you want to call it that, yes. And now you’re too.” “By my own choice. I couldn’t leave Pietro outside. He needed help.” “I’m very grateful for your efforts, for saving his life. Otherwise I’d have to find a new partner. And getting him or her on speed would mean another defeat. Maximilian has been quite impressed by you since he met you some four years ago. He favored a human female Custodian as his successor. On average, human females appear less destructive than males. But from all the species I’ve met and considered as replacement partner humans show the most potential” “Is that a compliment?” “Under the circumstances I’d say yes.” “I was to be Pietro’s successor?” “If he wouldn’t make it? That is an affirmative. However, I had some reservations.” “What qualifies me in Pietro’s eyes?” “That what qualified him, what made all his human predecessors prime candidates.” On impulse I asked, “Who am I?” “You are Teresa Elisabeth Novak. You are twenty-four years old. You are an extraordinary successful entrepreneur…” “How do you know all this?” “It’s very easy to circumvent the electronic information protection that is being used on this planet.” “Tell me more about Pietro, please. What was wrong with him? I don’t quite understand this conditioning yet.” “He had himself conditioned, hypnotized if you want, to die if he was forced to reveal information, regardless what. Because of his feelings for you, the effect of the conditioning was less. We should have anticipated that. We’ll have to take that into account the next time.” “Take what into account?” I asked, suspecting. “Affections, emotional ties.” “Well Buster, as for Pietro there won’t be any next times. Over my dead body!” “No need to get upset…” “I am upset already! Screwing around with somebody’s mind is something you just don’t do, especially not if there’s the risk of that person dying!” “He did it himself. It was meant as a precaution. The stakes are simply too high. Another unexpected side effect was his erratic behavior and bouts of extreme anxiety. I understand that he injured you during one of those?” “Yes, he crushed my hand and then healed it.” “We’re both very sorry that he made you suffer. As luck has it, he heals.” “Why couldn’t he heal himself then?” “The conditioning prevents it. Otherwise it would have been altogether useless, wouldn’t it?” “I guess you are right. Will he recover?” ”Affirmative, Maximilian will recuperate fully. I can tell you now that bones and muscle tissue have been restored successfully. At the moment I am regenerating his organs. The conditioning tends to affect those parts of a body quite aggressively. Once that is completed, he will undergo extensive cerebral reconstruction. All blocks and trauma because of the conditioning are to be removed. However, the memories and knowledge remain. It is a delicate job. It takes several days, perhaps longer, given my own condition. I also need recovery.” “Will he be still my Pietro or somebody altogether different?” “The very same, don’t worry.” “What am I supposed to do in the mean time? I do not have enough food or drink and it gets quite cold during the night. I need shelter. You won’t let me go home so I guess you should provide me with what I need.” “I’ve already considered that. I am sorry to say that for now you must stay outside. As I said, I need to convalesce myself. Moreover, my interior needs some redecorating to make it more livable. I can only do that once Maximilian and I are complete again. Right now I’m sorry to say that I can’t help you. You must fend for yourself the next couple of days.” “Well, thanks for telling me all this and thanks for the help”, I added sarcastically. Darkness fell while Coreander and I were talking. Coreander did not spread light anymore. It was pitch dark now. On touch, I found the bag with food. I had a sandwich with cheese, some chocolate and a few sips of water. I pulled on as much clothes as I could find, stuck my feet in the weekend bag and tried to sleep. Sleep would not come. I lay on the backseat looking through the window to the stars. It was an overwhelming sight. The Milky Way, the individual stars, I recognized two constellations. After a while a noticed a very bright star where there had not been one before. “Coreander, did you notice that new star, the very bright one?” “Yes, I’ve been observing it for about an hour now. It is part of my duty to observe such phenomena. My high-energy radiation detectors gave of alarms about an hour ago. There is also a lot of scientific communication regarding this phenomenon going on around your planet. The light took an extra hour to reach us. Interstellar dust and hydrogen scatters it.” “What exactly is it?” “It may be a dying star, which is an everyday event, but I suspect difficulties.” “Can you be more precise?” “No not right now. It may take a while before I have confirmation of what I suspect. Go back to sleep. There is no danger. I’ll keep watch.” “You don’t need sleep then?” “No. Sleep tight.” “Just one last question if you don’t mind. You mentioned communication. What do you mean exactly?” “I monitor all communication for a sign of our adversaries. They try to blend in, just as we do. Good night now.” It was a fitful sleep, cramped on the backseat, and it was cold. I woke up a number of times from the cold. A chattering noise woke me up as light was showing in the sky. My own teeth made the noise! “Coreander?” There was no answer. I got out of the car. Coreander was still there. The forest was silent, no wind, and no animals. Walking around and waving my arms got me a little warmer. I had a sandwich with – no, not again! – cheese and lukewarm coffee from the thermos. That brought me back to life a little more. I can be brief about this day. It went by without Coreander giving a sign of life. I tried several times but to no avail. I rearranged things in the car a to be a little more comfortable. I lowered the passenger seat so that I was able to lie down and stretch my legs. Last night’s sandwich produced quite some crumbs so I cleaned the backseat. Rearranging kept me occupied for one hour. I toyed with Pietro’s calculator but watching the trees was more captivating. After darkness fell, I watched the sky. The bright star again had grown considerably in size, and it was much brighter too! Extraordinary! Its color had changed. It was white at first, now it seemed like there was a blue sheen. Was it something to be concerned about? I missed my get-ready-for-bed routine and went to sleep with a dirty feeling. Day two passed much in the same vein. Three events marked that day. I ran out of toilet paper, which upset me, it began to snow in the evening, and the bright spot in the sky gave off so much light that it shone though the snow clouds. When I woke up the next morning, a fine layer of snow covered everything, except Coreander. This was the third day after he stopped talking to me. I sucked my last sweet and sipped the last drops from the water bottle. Coreander still refused to answer. It did not snow anymore so I was not condemned to the car. I strolled towards the edge of the clearing. To my bewilderment, I could not reach the trees. It only happened beyond a certain point. As soon as I made a couple of paces in the direction of the trees, I would somehow end up where I started. As day three drew to an end I got very worried. Like the day before I tried several times to talk to Coreander. In spite of feeling sad for Pietro, I still was in reasonable spirits the first day. But as darkness crept into the sky that third day, despair crept into me. I was hungry and thirsty, very cold, and I felt very dirty. In short, I felt depressed. Certain pangs in my abdomen announced something I could do entirely without now. Why now? The overcast had vanished during the day and the sun made me feel warm again. Now, as night fell, the clear sky promised intense cold. It felt like it was already quite a few degrees below zero. As I crawled into my car and hoped I would freeze to death during the night. The last thing I did that day was looking up through the window. The bright spot was much bigger and the blue sheen appeared now to frame nodules that grew and shrank. It was a menacing sight but my condition prevented me from feeling any fear. I fell asleep, and dreamt. It began as an exquisite dream. I was floating in a warm bath with scented water. A servant in a loincloth washed my back and rinsed the foam away with more warm water from a golden bucket. A second servant clad in a skin of tiny green scales entered the room and sounded a tiny bell to announce dinner. I rose from the bath. Small birds carrying a dressing gown made out of many-colored down feathers hovered and draped the garment over my shoulders. A tortoise with a golden stool mounted on its back took me to the dining room. A servant in very ornate attire helped me into my chair, handed me my napkin and served me consommé. The dream became very unpleasant after I lifted a spoon to my mouth. A corpse with one arm rose from a dais, pointed a calculator in my direction, and screamed, “She’s not using the right cutlery! Wake her!” He servant proceeded to hit me over the head with the serving spoon. The chair rose and dumped me very unceremoniously on the table. Guests I had not noticed before were all laughing. They pointed and shouted mock protests. I had lost my gown! I scanned the table in sheer panic for napkins to cover myself, but there were none. I woke up a little. Somebody was gently shaking my shoulder. A familiar voice said softly, “Wake up.” “Let me sleep, Daddy. I do not want to go to school. It is too cold!” “Wake up, Tessa.” It finally registered. I opened my eyes and there stood Pietro! He smiled and said, “Let’s get inside. It is rather cold out here.” I was so stiff that he had to help me to my feet. I felt too groggy to ask any questions, to say anything meaningful. He supported me the two dozen steps or so to Coreander and touched its side. The ramp slid out. The moment we stood on it, it slid back inside into… the hall of my apartment. “The car,” I heard Pietro say before I passed out.