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  “Robert and I have been talking about this,” Joe said, “And I think we should go down and talk to some of the people who were at the last meeting. I thought Robert and I could talk to the men and Ina and Ashley could talk to the women.”

  We went down the hill leaving Irene at the entrance of the cave. Joe took my hand and I looked back and saw Robert take Ina’s hand.

  When Joe saw me looking he said, “They have mated. They have love for each other just like we do. I don’t know if she has life in her body yet though.”

  I didn’t know if I did either. I had none of the symptoms I had had with June, the morning sickness etc. I didn’t know when my period was in this lifetime so I couldn’t go by that. But nothing would make me happier than to have Joe’s baby.

  As we continued down the hill, I thought of something I had been meaning to ask Joe. “Why is there no means of transportation?”

  “From what I’ve studied, I think it’s because, as we concentrated over the centuries on learning and communication, transportation became less and less important.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense, Joe. In Irene’s time, she had something called the skywheel. We had cars and trucks and everyone loved to travel. You gave up travel so you could communicate without talking out loud?”

  He was in deep thought for so long I thought he couldn’t think of any reply. Finally he said, “I think, from what has happened now, it was part of the government’s way to control us. They controlled our mind if you think about it.

  “Now that I don’t have so much going on in my head, I’m wondering how many subliminal messages we got from the authorities. I never really thought about why we didn’t have transportation.

  “Maybe the authorities got us so busy in our minds with so much other information that we forgot to think about any other way to go besides on foot. We had everything we wanted so we didn’t need to go anywhere else.”

  “But, wouldn’t you like to drive a car or fly an airplane or fly one of those skywheels Irene told me about?”

  “Now that I can think straight, I think I would. Maybe we can get the cave to give us something like that.”

  “Or maybe we can learn to build one ourselves. I think with an uncluttered brain we can accomplish much.”

  He agreed with me and then we heard Ina calling to us to wait up.

  We were nearing the houses and some of the people came out to stare at us. We must have been a real novelty, a group of red headed people.

  Robert was intrigued with the dwellings and kept rubbing his hands over the exterior like I had when I first saw them. He said he was amazed they had them out here as well as in the cave.

  As we continued walking more and more people came out to look and soon they were following us. I didn’t realize there were that many people there but we had so many people pressing around us it became hard to move.

  I began to feel panic. Joe suggested I sit on a large boulder we were passing and rest, but when I did everyone gathered around me and sat on other rocks or on the ground.

  “Tell them your story,” Joe said and everyone nodded.

  I became very nervous. I wasn’t used to being the center of attention. In 1973 I was a housewife and mom.

  “My name is Ashley. I came here from 1973.”

  With my first two sentences, the crowd went crazy. I saw so many emotions and heard so many questions and accusations I became frightened.

  Joe stood and raised his hands, “Please hear her out and then if you have questions or comments raise your hand and talk one at a time. This here is counterproductive and is scaring her.”

  They quieted down and by the end of my story Joe spoke up, “Many of you know me. My designation is P65G. This over here is my sister who you remember as P42R.

  “This gentleman standing next to my sister is Q66F. I am going to ask that he tell his story and tell of some of the things going on in sector Q. I want you to hear it because I believe that is where this sector is headed unless we do something about it.

  “Some of you have been inside the cave and have seen the city of glowing light.”

  A woman near my right raised her hand. I recognized her as the woman who had tried to pierce the membrane the first time we tried to get into the cave.

  When Joe acknowledged her she said, “I saw the city and have had nightmares ever since.” Turning to the others she continued, “That whole cave is a living thing, and it’s evil.”

  “It is not evil,” I cried. “It’s a healing place. It’s healed all of us in one way or another. I have never felt more at peace than I have since I entered that city. How can that be evil?”

  A frail looking man raised his hand, “Can anyone enter the cave and be healed?”

  This time Joe spoke up, “You have to be ready. I was dying anyway from the voluntary fertility implants. I didn’t feel like I had anything to lose. When I went into the city, the implants were removed and my hair grew back and I feel better than I’ve felt in years.”

  I watched as many of the people who had been listening started leaving. They looked terrified. This whole idea of the implants had been so ingrained in them that they were afraid of accepting anything else.

  It was an age old story. People always seemed to fear that which they didn’t understand. I didn’t understand it very well. I didn’t know why Irene and I had reincarnated as we were in the other life. But I was no longer afraid.

  The ones that remained had many questions, “Why was I reincarnated as an adult? How did we find this cave? Why did I come from 1973, of all times? Why was everyone’s hair red, why not blond or brown?”

  We answered as best we could but I was disappointed that people were drifting away the whole time. I couldn’t believe they would rather live like they had been living but then again change is very difficult for many people. I hadn’t had a choice.

  Joe put his lips near my ear and whispered, “Don’t get discouraged. It may take some of them awhile to want to change.”

  At the close of the day Joe asked if there were some that wanted to go to the city with us and be healed. It was mostly the older looking ones that went with us. One was a woman who looked so old and trembled so much that Robert and Joe took turns carrying her up the hill.

  We had six people total, three old men, two old ladies and a man who appeared to be in his thirties. He hadn’t said anything and I was surprised he was with us.

  As what was becoming part of the orientation for everyone, we sat in the entrance of the cave and we all told our stories, starting with Irene.

  The younger man looked restless and didn’t appear to be listening. His eyes moved constantly, darting this way and that. When we got to the entrance of the city, the membrane was back and we were not allowed to enter.

  “One of you is not ready,” Irene said. She looked at the younger man, “tell us your story.”

  In answer he gave a loud shrill whistle and eight men came running down the dark passage. We had been followed and we had been so trusting we hadn’t noticed.

  They all had knives, stones and heavy sticks. “You’re all under arrest,” The man who had come with us said.

  They were so mean to us, pushing and shoving us, and when the old people fell they actually kicked them and told them to get up.

  Irene, Joe, Ina, Robert, and I were suddenly in the city outside between our houses. The others were led away by the authorities. I heard one of them say something about the dwellings that grew and how they would have to destroy them in order to destroy the cave.

  We had talked freely about how the dwellings must have grown from the roots of the cave. We were naïve and didn’t realize we could have government spies among us when we talked to the people.

  No wonder some of them had been so scared to come with us. They must have recognized the man who betrayed us.

  CHAPTER 13

  We didn’t leave the city for a few days but Irene wouldn’t let us be complacent. She called for a meeting and we went t
o the entrance.

  The youngsters again stayed behind. They had found some baby animals which surprised all of us. We hadn’t seen any animals at all and believed it was the new start given to us by the cave.

  When we got to the entrance of the cave, we were surprised to see around 20 people asleep on the hillside leading up to the cave. Joe called to them and they woke up and came into the cave.

  One was the woman who had said she had had nightmares about the city. “They are planning to destroy our dwellings,” she said. “They believe that if they do, then it will destroy the city and the cave and then they can execute all of you.”

  “Instead of putting us in the museum?” Irene said with a mocking tone.

  “Yeah, apparently they see you as a threat. You want to change the very fabric of the way we live.

  “I must admit, that’s the way I felt yesterday but now I can see how the authorities have been manipulating us all along. So how can we help?”

  “Are you ready to join us then?” Irene asked.

  “Yes, we are.”

  “Good, because, then you will be safe from them but I don’t know what’s going to happen if and when they destroy the dwellings. Where do they expect people to live if they destroy them?”

  She turned to us and continued, “Joe, you and Ashley take Ina and Robert and go down the hill and check things out. Guard the dwellings as much as you can. I’m going to take the rest of these folks to the city and get them healed and then they can join you.”

  Before we got halfway down the hill, we saw many people running up to meet us. We instructed them to go wait in the entrance of the cave.

  They hadn’t destroyed any of the dwellings yet but were arresting people who had listened to us when we were there before.

  “Where are they taking them, Joe?”

  “Probably to the museum.”

  “There are no jails?”

  “Not for many years because there have been no criminals. The people in the museum are people who refused to get the transplants and were mostly put in there to put pressure on them to agree to the transplants.”

  I had another question to ask but before I could phrase it someone grabbed me from behind and held a cloth over my mouth. I tried to hold my breath but it was no use.

  As things were turning black I heard someone say, “Keep them separated. Last time it was when they were together that they were able to escape.”

  CHAPTER 14

  I woke up in one of the cells and I was alone. I have never felt so depressed in my life. I began to cry as I put my head in my hands but then I felt the lightest touch on my cheek. It felt like it had the first time Joe had touched me that way.

  I looked up but there was no one there. I closed my eyes and tried to picture Joe. Neither of us had implants now but I felt like I could faintly hear him.

  I didn’t know if it was wishful thinking or what but I thought I could hear him. And then I was sure, “Honey, don’t cry. We will be all right. Can you hear me, Ashley?”

  I couldn’t believe we could communicate like this. I had never been able to do this before. “Joe, if we can communicate like this, can they hear us?”

  “I don’t think so. I think the cave is enabling us to do this but I don’t know how. See if you can contact Irene. I’ve been trying but haven’t been able.”

  I closed my eyes and pictured Irene. She came in loud and clear, “Hang in there, Ashley. I’m aware of the situation. It looks like I can communicate with you only. Have you and Joe been able to communicate?”

  “Yes. He has been trying to reach you. Why can we do this?”

  “I believe the one who has provided all these wonderful things for us is providing what we need even going so far as to mimic what the others are able to do but much better.

  “I think you were the catalyst for all that’s happened. When you got here, all of sudden there were so many improvements. I wasn’t able to get into the city until you got here.

  “The one who is providing for us will not let anything happen to you. You are needed by us all. I promise you will be all right. Pass all this along to any of the others you are able to contact.

  “Tell them also that Pud, Zen, and Zoe have found a lake to swim and bathe in, hills to hike in, animals of all kinds which they are making many into pets, and more fruits and vegetables than we’ve seen. They have really been exploring.”

  I laughed and one of the guards came over and asked me what was so funny, “Not a thing,” I said as I continued to laugh. We stared at each other as I communicated with the others and it was clear he couldn’t listen in.

  At one point, Joe told me this way of communicating was so much better. There was no background noise. Also, he didn’t have to worry about the authorities listening in.

  I didn’t know if we were going to be rescued or not this time. I didn’t understand how it all worked, but after the guards had locked up for the night and gone home, I sat down on the cot and closed my eyes.

  I had an idea about getting out of there. I concentrated, as one by one, the other minds seemed to be connected to mine, I kept thinking over and over, “Take us home,” and suddenly we were in the city.

  As I hugged the others I said, “This is going to scare the crap out of those guards.”

  Our city had grown tremendously while we were gone. Everyone had grown hair and chosen names. It was hard to understand why anyone would want to live any other way, but if you didn’t know any other way except having implants and being brainwashed and controlled by the government, you would have no reason to question it.

  Most people were afraid of change of any kind, even for the best. We were trying to get them to make such a big change that some of them just couldn’t do it.

  Some of them had changed their minds when they saw that their dwelling was going to be destroyed, but I think a lot of them just wanted a safe place to live.

  We all decided to spend a few days exploring before going back outside and down the hill. Joe and I started up a hill located just outside the city. It was amazing how there could be a city and countryside inside a cave.

  “I’m glad you like to hike, Joe. I’ve always enjoyed it myself.”

  He was thoughtful for awhile and then, “I think one reason I started hiking was that I was trying to escape all the voices.”

  “I can’t imagine how horrible it was for you to have all those other voices all the time.”

  He was quiet so long I thought he was finished with the subject. He stopped and pulled me down onto a big boulder to sit beside him.

  He laid my head on his shoulder and began talking again, “The whole indoctrination they did on us was so gradual no one noticed. They started out with only one small implant and gradually increased them, convincing us we needed each of them for a different function.

  “I honestly didn’t realize I was living with so much noise inside my head until they were removed. And I didn’t consciously realize I was going up the hill so often to try to escape the noise.”

  “I’m so glad you’re whole again, Joe.”

  “Yeah, me too, let’s go farther up and see what’s up there.”

  The hill leveled off at the top and was covered with purple flowers. Again I tried to pick some but they held on tight. We stretched out in the flowers and I was suddenly, for some reason, remembering my clothes.

  “Joe, why does everyone wear these ugly robes? I miss my sweaters, and my sandals and some bell bottom jeans.”

  “Ah, I once had shoes and pants and such myself.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “They wore out.”

  “Couldn’t you buy some more?”

  “No one made any more. These robes we wear were issued by the government.”

  I was suddenly angry, “What is wrong with you people? Do you realize you’ve let them take away your whole life and identity just so you could have a better way of communicating?”

  “Yes, I do now realize this, but you
don’t have to yell at me.”

  I laughed, “I’m sorry, Joe. You’re right. The government is much more controlling now than in my time. Although in my time they decided who was going to give their life for a lost cause. I’m talking about the Vietnam war.”

  “Oh, yes, I have learned about this war. It was very sad. Who won?”

  “No one did, Joe. No one ever wins in a war. Everyone loses.”

  He stroked his chin, “Yes, this is what I worry about now. I don’t want to be at war but I feel the lines are being drawn, and it’s so senseless.”

  “They’ve never been violent with anyone yet have they?”

  “No but the threat of destroying the dwellings scares me. I don’t know if it is an empty threat or if they are desperate enough to actually do it. I believe they are afraid of losing control over us.

  “Sometimes when someone is afraid of losing control they will get desperate and do things they would not otherwise do.”

  “Yes, I agree with you. Do you think they are desperate enough to destroy the dwellings or do you think it’s an empty threat?”

  “I really don’t know but I’m not willing to take a chance are you?”

  “No, Joe, I’m not. I’ve been wondering just how those dwellings grew and if they are a part of this cave. I never saw all of your dwelling. Can we go there and let me take a look at it.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, Now.”

  CHAPTER 15

  We left the cave and headed back down the hill, keeping to the wooded areas whenever possible. The dwellings we passed all looked intact.

  There was no one around his dwelling and when we entered it looked the same. The halls and doorways were tubular instead of rectangular. There were five rooms with the spheres and also a kitchen where his sister had made the meals.

  The kitchen looked like the ones in our houses in the city. There were no straight surfaces or corners anywhere. The source of the heat for the stove and the cold for the refrigerator was unknown. Joe didn’t even know the sources.