00004

The Space Dart flew into the wormhole, and then, suddenly, the enormous entrance through which they had just passed became a tiny speck, now shown on the left half of the wall screen's split shot. The right half still showed what lay before them, and the left now displayed a view as seen behind the rocket. That tiny speck soon disappeared completely from sight, being thousands of lightyears behind the traveling rocket. At the same time, the blackness inside the tunnel unexpectedly (unless one had gone through the wormhole before) vanished, replaced with brilliant wild flashes and screaming colors as sparks and streaks twisted around the ship, creating indescribable patterns and sights. One of the tourists had the presence of mind to take out his personal screen device and try to record the amazing display.

Capt. Shatner's voice came over the speakers again as he tried to explain what they were witnessing. "The cabin inside the Dart seems normal as we travel along the wormhole. The wormhole itself is a shortcut through space. It cuts through thousands of light years, crossing galaxies and making the distance relatively short for us.

“What we see is space outside our rocket- the stars and planets and galaxies, all distorted as we pass by at incredible speeds via inside this wormhole. If you were someone outside the wormhole, and able to see us, you would see the Space Dart as the warped object, and not space and the stars of normal space, which we in here see as twisted all out of shape. Of course the Dart would go by the observer so fast, there's no way anyone could really see us from outside the wormhole. We are faster than the speed of light as long as we are inside the wormhole. But we still can view the stars outside the wormhole as we fly past them, and their after-effect, so this is what we are seeing."

"Fascinating," Nina McCleer told her husband George. "Terrifying, but wonderful. I'm glad I came and didn't miss the light show."

"It is stunning," agreed George. "I don't understand how we can see anything, though, since we are faster than light itself, but the big brains might be able to figure it out. I have to talk to one of them when we land, and see if anybody can explain it in easy terms for me to understand."

After ten minutes or so, the passengers' excitement began to fade, their awe somewhat in check once they got used to the display. Once more Osmo Martin hassled Gazelle. "Hey, what am I seeing out there in the tunnel? You didn't spike my Coke, did you?" And several people asked for stomach tonics.

From her seat in the row behind Osmo, Mita Morgan said, "Osmo, it's such an honor to visit the World of Hope, which is named after your mom as a tribute to her courage!” She imagined if she might engage him in conversation, she could get him to notice her. Maybe she could even draw him out on the matter of his mother, since she had seldom heard him discuss it.

He looked briefly at her. "Oh, yeah, you're right, Mita, it sure is."

"Yes, I think she was a great-"

But he didn't really listen. In fact, he turned to Albert and Jane, and he said how he couldn't wait to see the beach at the Sea of Fun. "I hope you wear that tiger bikini, Jane," Osmo added.

"Hey, that's my girl!" Albert protested, and Jane called Osmo a pig. Osmo didn't get insulted; it was like water going off the back of a duck. A thick skin to match his thick skull.

Mita didn't like being ignored, but even less did she like Jane Ashton calling Osmo names. That wasn't right. And she considered it a flaw that Osmo often let pass by insults without replying in kind. Well, once they were dating, she would point that out to him; she wouldn't let him let people disrespect him.

Some man on the far side of the cabin had a copy of "A World Called Hope", and he told his young son what he had learned about the planet from reading the book and what he himself remembered about its history. He told the young boy how, a dozen years ago, before the boy's birth, the space station Peace Lab, while doing particle experiments in orbit above the Earth, somehow accidentally created a blackhole which opened a wormhole. The whole space station got sucked in, unfortunately, and it took Dr. Hope Martin, one of the researchers aboard the Peace Lab, along with it. She had told  her fellow scientists and the staff to abandon the space station, and then she had managed to move the anomaly far enough away from Earth so that Earth wasn't destroyed by it. In recognition of her self-sacrifice of staying aboard the station as she moved the blackhole/wormhole far enough away from Earth, Earth commemorated her by having the planet found on the other end of the wormhole named after her. Her husband, or widow, Gunther Martin, who had funded the space station’s research, thought it only appropriate. Given his influence, the Earth Leaders agreed, especially since early exploration of that planet had found a new fuel ore there on which Earth now relied to help alleviate the problems of power shortages, giving Earth new hope of a golden age.

Initially, Gunther Martin's corporation, Martinology, oversaw the exploration and exploitation of the new world. When the government stepped in, it managed to crowd out Gunther Martin from controlling the world, but the Leaders and their committees did allow him to help develop it, and mine it, and set up a farming operation, and also to terraform the new world with Enviro-Gens placed in strategic locations.

It was also Gunther Martin’s idea to build up Sparkle City with the help of a competent governor. But these days, the man editorialized to his young boy, so much went on there behind Mr. Martin's back that it was doubtful he was ever brought into the loop in regards to so many matters. Nevertheless, he told him, Gunther Martin still exercised a substantial influence over what happened in matters concerning the World of Hope.

Well, naturally the little boy didn't quite understand all this which his father had told him, but his father tried to inform him, anyway.

When the man had finished telling his son the story, he then stood and walked over with the boy to where Osmo Martin sat and introduced his boy to him. The stranger apologized for the intrusion, but he felt sure one day his son would remember this meeting Osmo Martin, the son of such great parents, who, probably, would also one day be a great man in his own way, considering his genes.

Jane Ashton tried not to laugh out loud at the thought of Osmo Martinattaining anything more than a trophy for winning a beer guzzling contest.

The captain instructed passengers to strap themselves in their chairs again. They neared the end of the flight and expected to land shortly.

Twenty-eight minutes after entering the wormhole, the exit appeared ahead of them as a bright, fixed dot in the distance. And just as quickly as they had spotted the dot, suddenly the dot became a very wide opening, and the Dart zoomed out the tunnel into a new, mostly uncharted quadrant of space. On this side of the wormhole, also, a beacon with a flashing blue light had been set up. As above Earth, here, too, a few security ships prowled the proximity of the tunnel's exit.

"We're here, folks," Capt. Shatner announced. "Welcome to the middle of nowhere. You can see the World of Hope just below to the starboard. No doubt the more observant of you have noticed the exit of the tunnel is only half the distance from Hope as the entrance is from Earth."

Everyone gazed out the portholes at their destination. Smaller than Earth, the World of Hope orbited a smaller sun, which could be seen in the distance. In turn, Hope was orbited by two moons.

The Dart drew closer, and more details of Hope's features became distinguishable. Forests, mountains, lakes, some small seas, an ocean, polar caps at either end. Drawing even nearer, they saw the small metropolis of Sparkle City with a scrubby-bushed dessert bordering almost half the city's perimeter, and the other half of the perimeter abutted the farm zone and the cozy Sea of Fun.

"Yahoo, that was a fast trip," cheered Osmo, "but then, we only went away about a million or so light-years."

Capt. Shatner announced, "We have been cleared for touchdown. If you have not yet, please buckle your seat-belts as we begin our descent, and prepare to enjoy a grand vacation on the planet Hope. And remember, a person cannot live even a minute without hope."

"You got that right," Osmo Martin answered. "And I sure hope to see lots of babes at the beach!"

George McCleer silently hoped Gov. Bright wouldn’t give him too much trouble during his visit. He kept it to himself, but he sure wished he felt more optimistic about the whole affair ahead of him.

(c) 2011

00003

Mr. and Mrs. McCleer boarded the Space Dart, a short space ship lying on its belly on the launching pad. George carried his own bag as well as his wife Nina's while she checked the row numbers looking for their seats. On these short trip rockets there was no such thing as first class, business, or regular coach. All seats were equally uncomfortable in the small cabin. "There, George, I found 'em!"

She hurried to the seats, her greying husband following right behind, struggling with both their bags, trying not to bop any passe nger's head with a cumbersome bag. While he loaded their carry-ons into the overhead compartment, Nina confided in a whisper, "George, I'm still a little uneasy about this flying through a wormhole stuff."

He sat beside her and took her hand. "Hon, you know flying is safe."

"And you know very well that's not what bothers me," she answered in a scolding tone. "I don't trust going into a wormhole to get to the World of Hope. Sparkle City better be all it's cracked up to be, to compensate me for all this anxiety."

George gave her hand a small pat. "It's just the newness of the thing, you know. After all, at first people were afraid to travel by ship and later by car and by plane. I bet our forefathers at one time were even afraid of traveling on horses."

"Yeah, but in a way they, too, were justified. Look at all the travel accidents that have happened throughout history."

Rather than argue logically, George just kissed her. Sometimes that assured her more than all the reasoning his mind could produce. Nina seemed to relax some. 

Nina McCleer said, "It'll be nice to see my old friend Xavier again. Oh, I mean Gov. Bright. You aren't worried about me seeing him again after all these years, are you?"

"No, not at all. Should I be?"

She chuckled. "Of course not. It's as you say, since I am with the best, I forgot about the rest."

George admitted, "I do have some concern, however, about Xavier. I hear he's getting more narcissistic these days. Who would've supposed that to be even possible? What if I have to give a bad report about him back to Earth, and I recommend they replace him? How will he take that, I wonder.”

Somebody calling loudly for some booze from the back rows distracted George McCleer from his worries. He and Nina turned to see who wanted to be the center of attention.

A boisterous young man had just found his assigned chair and sat in it. He had some traveling companions with him- or at least they all appeared to be part of the same group of young adults. The young man with a noisy mouth demanded a drink- "Bourbon, preferably."

George and Nina turned away from watching the gang of youths, with George shaking his head. "That guy looks familiar. Is that who I think it is?”

“Yep, it’s that Osmo Martin, son of Gunther Martin, founder and head of Martinology. I guess he's going our way, to get away from Earth and wait for the heat to die down after his last news-making event, no pun intended. It was also in the news for awhile that he had an open invitation from Xavier himself to vacation on the World of Hope. He’s wisely taking advantage of the offer.”

"Just our luck- He takes up Xavier on the offer and is on the same flight we are! I personally think he should've been tossed in jail for a bit to teach him a lesson."

"Now, dear," Nina chided, "anyone can accidentally burn down a house. Had it not been owned by Leader Bigges, he probably would be in a cell right now, in fact.”

“But Leader Bigges and Mr. Martin are something like friends, since Martinology managed to save Bigges' life years ago. So Bigges looked the other way, but was still plenty mad enough so that Osmo decided to leave Earth for awhile. A wise move on his part,  as you said, I'm sure."

Gazelle, the head stewardess, hurried over to the yammering Osmo Martin. "Is there something I can get for you, Mr. Martin? Something besides matches, I mean."

"Haha, funny. I would like a stiff shot, if you please, my good lady," he asked. “And be quick about it. I am thirsty.”

I'd like to give you a stiff shot to your face, you jackass, Gazelle thought silently. No way I am giving booze to a jerk like you. Smiling sweetly, she offered, "I can get you a nice ginger ale. It's not our policy to serve alcohol to young people."

"Wha-aat?" Osmo gasped, feigning confusion. "You know, the Governor of the World of Hope specifically invited me and my friends to come to Sparkle City to relax after our many grueling years of toil at school. He even paid my fare and the fares of my friends! How can I relax if you don't get me a drink?”

Gazelle nodded. "I read about how grueling your days of schooling were. All those parties you had to attend must have been draining for you. No booze on this flight for you, period."

Osmo now found it a battle of wills. "You do know who my father is, right? And the Governor of Hope wants to be my friend, too. Like I said, he invited us. Right, Al? Tell her I'm right." He nudged the young man sitting next to him. And next to Al sat a young adult woman.

Albert Zoeniga told his pal, "Osmo, you know we were invited mostly as a PR move, with an aim to get the World of Hope in the limelight to increase tourism. You know the Governor's not really interested in being friends. He's too busy running the planet. Try not to give the lady a hard time."

Jane Ashton, holding onto Albert's arm, rolled up her eyes over Osmo's antics. "I hope you won't act like this all the time we are on vacation, Osmo. I only came along because Albert came. You will behave, okay?"

Another young woman spoke up from a nearby chair in the row behind. "Hey, you leave Osmo alone. He just wants to have a drink. What's wrong with that?”

Jane turned to Mita. "Hi, Mita. It sure is coincidental that you happened to also be planning a vacation to the World of Hope and then took the same flight that Osmo is taking."

"So, what about it, Jane? Coincidences happen all the time."

Jane talked in lower tones. "Mita, are you stalking Os? I’m telling you, don’t waste your time chasing this Osmo. We are out of school now. Get over him. Look at all the other handsome men around you who like you. Osmo can barely take his eyes off himself; how is he going to see you?”

Mita's cheeks flushed. "He will, one day. He will notice and appreciate me eventually. It's only a matter of time. So mind your own business. If I want advice, I'll call my grandfather."

Gazelle brought Osmo a Coke without the rum and checked on other arrivals.

“Hey, you said ginger ale!”

She ignored him.

When everybody was seated, she went to the front of the passenger cabin, and four other flight attendants also took their places, each choosing one of the four corners of the cabin, to make sure everybody could see the safety demonstrations they were about to perform to prepare the passengers in case there was an emergency. Gazelle gave the standard safety speech and showed what to do with the seat cushion and how to convert it into an oxygen mask.

Capt. Shatner's voice interrupted them, announcing over the PA speakers that in ten minutes the Dart would blast-off, and "so please buckle up. Be prepared for some uncomfortable g-force. Our floor gravity automatically activates and reduces the effects, but until the rumored g-force dampers are perfected and made standard equipment, all space travelers must still experience the mild unpleasantness."

The stewardesses secured all their things and did a final check before strapping themselves in ahead of the final minute before blast-off.

The screen on the wall in front displayed giant numbers as the countdown for the last ten seconds began. A giant ten, a giant nine... Osmo counted aloud with the screen's display. "...8...7...6..." Soon, the rest of the passengers joined in, counting down to zero.

"Lift-off!" Capt. Shatner shouted over the speakers from the cockpit, and the mighty engines of the Space Dart roared to life. The space ship zoomed forward on its launch pad, and its fins caught the air, lifting it into an upright position. In the next moment, it shot almost straight up, the g-forces making one and all grunt, even the flight attendants, who should have been used to it by this time (as if one could get used to such a thing). Up, up the Space Dart soared, past the clouds, past the atmosphere... and into outer space.

"Wow, I sure could use some booze right now," Osmo called out.

In a few moments the rocket adjusted course and headed toward the blinking blue light in the distance. It resembled a blinking star. Through some trick of using the gravity of the wormhole, satellites were set up to orbit the mouth of the wormhole, marking its place with the flashing signal. And in turn, through more gravity trickery, the wormhole managed to stay in a perpetual high orbit about the Earth.

A few security ships patrolled nearby, clearing Capt. Shatner for passage. When the Dart got closer and closer, the screen in the flight cabin focused its view on what lay ahead of the ship. Folks also craned to see out the portholes where they sat, still belted in their chairs. A colossal hole in the blackness of space yawned in front of them, directly in their flight path. It was huge. No stars were visible behind it. The opening of the hole in the void of space stretched a football field's length in diameter.

Nina McCleer gripped George's hand tighter and tighter the nearer they got to the mouth of the wormhole. The kiss must have worn off. George, too, gripped back a little harder than comfortable. A silence filled the ship, except for the thrusters that pushed the Dart over the threshold and into the tunnel. Even Osmo became quiet.

Good, finally, thought Gazelle in her seat. That always shuts them up.

 

(c) 2011

00002

Xavier Bright stepped out past the well polished brass door of the Governor's House, a modest mansion of what appeared to be marble and much expensive wood, a dwelling befitting his position, although not quite as much as his office truly deserved. Well, times were indeed tough on this tiny world, so he had to settle for a mere twenty-room dwelling. The sacrifices he had to make-

Gov. Bright felt the top of his head, to be sure his hair was not messed up. Of course it wasn't, but sometimes it pays to double-check these things. Even though some would classify him middle-aged, he still had all his hair, and not a one had yet turned grey. His physique lied about his age, too, as though he were still in his young prime.

The morning sun promised another beautiful day ahead. As usual, the Governor expected little free time to actually enjoy it in the Morning Garden just across the lawn to his left.

Security Leader Tretl Clyden, Gov. Bright's junior by a decade, stood by his side. "I know what you're thinking, Gov. Xavier- All these gardens and the landscaping in your yard, but no time to spend relaxing, to appreciate the Governor's Grounds. Well, you know what I think-"

"Yes, I do, Security Leader Clyden; just because I may not have time to sit in the gardens does not mean that I cannot appreciate their beauty as I pass by. I like to surround myself with things which are aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, even if I were unable to see them in passing, I still enjoy merely knowing they are here. You, Security Leader Clyden, are a Philistine."

Security Agent Samm brought the limousine down the driveway and stopped in front of the Governor and Sec. Ldr. Clyden. The uniformed Agent Samm got out the limo to open the back door for Gov. Bright, but B-12, one of the two robots accompanying Gov. Bright, beat Samm to the door. The five-foot tall metal and plastic biped machine held open the car door, waiting, pleased to be able to serve.

Gov. Bright made no move to enter the limo. He remained standing on the official Governor's welcome mat, breathing in the air. "The Enviro-Gens are doing an excellent job today, I see. Sec. Ldr. Clyden, please tuck in your shirt. I suppose I should be glad you at least put on your uniform today."

Suddenly, from behind a nearby row of tall hedges, a desperate-looking man jumped out, the blaster in his shaking hand trained on Gov. Bright. He bellowed, "Where's my brother?! Did you put him in the mines? You can't do that to my brother! I- I'll kill you for that, Leader Bright!"

"It is only Governor Bright. I govern for the Leaders of Earth. I am not a Leader. Not yet, but give it time."

"I don't think you will live long enough for that to happen," said the other. His hand still trembled with anxious excitement as he tried to do the deed, while Gov. Bright remained cool, not even batting an eye.

Gov. Bright did, however, raise an eyebrow, staring at the shaking weapon held by the man. "Now wherever did you get a blaster? I doubt you have the proper permits."

Clyden stepped between the governor and the intense citizen. "Listen, son, you don't want to do anything foolish-"

"M-move out of the way! I- I don't want to hurt you, Sec. Ldr. Clyden- only the Governor!"

Clyden shook his head. "You know I can't let you do that."

From behind, Agent Samm clubbed the trespasser with his own Security Agent blaster. The man swooned and Clyden leaped to him, easily pulling the contraband gun from his grasp. The man fell to his knees, holding onto his head, moaning.

Gov. Xavier Bright checked his watch. "If we are going to have so many interruptions today, I am not sure we can make it to the rocketport on time."

As Sec. Ldr. Clyden cuffed the man, he scolded his superior. "I told you we need more guards about the grounds. And see, this is exactly why I tell you we shouldn't have so many bushes and trees around, providing so many places for would-be assassins to hide behind."

"What? Ruin the landscaping and the view because of a nobody like this?” scoffed Gov. Bright. “We already have enough Security Agents moving about the grounds. Besides that, Sec. Ldr. Clyden, the Security Agency building is just over that rise over there, abutting the estate. No, I don't think we need more Agents. I trust you and your people can get the job done just fine with the setup we already have here."

“But— Yes, sir," Clyden grumbled.

The Governor turned to the scared but glaring interloper. "Good news. You will be able to once more be with your brother- at the mines."

The Security Leader pulled the man to his feet and shoved him forward. "Okay, let's get moving, bud. This way. March!"

Gov. Xavier Bright gestured with his hand for Clyden to stop. "Where, may I ask, are you taking this man?"

“To the lock-up at the Security Building, of course.”

Gov. Bright frowned. "Sec. Ldr. Clyden, we really should be leaving by now for the rocketport. Why don't you just, oh, ah, just tie him to that tree there and call for one of your Agents to come fetch him- Speaking of your Agents, why is it that none have yet come to see what this disturbance is about?"

Clyden reminded, "Like I said, we need more guards patrolling-"

Impatient, Gov. Bright said, as he walked toward the limo and got inside, "So you say."

B-12, who had been patiently waiting all this time, holding open the door, now closed it for the Governor. B-12 went to the back of the car and climbed into the trunk of the limo. The other robot, a shorter model, held open the door on the other side of the limo for Clyden, who entered after tying the man to a thin but sturdy oak tree with the man's own belt and then calling for one of his Agents to take care of the man.

Gov. Bright told Agent Samm, who sat behind the steering wheel, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Samm. Yours, too, Sec. Ldr. Clyden, of course. Now drive, please, Agent Samm, to the rocketport. We are going to meet some VIP's from Earth." He said "VIP's" with lots of sarcasm.

Clyden noticed someone missing. "I thought Sheila was coming with."

"Oh, she's shopping," Gov. Bright explained as Samm pulled from the driveway. "She has her truck. She said she will meet us there."

Clyden rolled his eyes. "I hope she will show up- and on time, too. You know how unreliable she is."

Unconcerned, the other answered, "Oh, she will. She won't let down her Uncle Xavier. She knows how important it is for me that she be there. And not just for me, but for the whole World of Hope. If all goes well, it could lead to a much better future for us."

"And if things don't go the way you plan, Gov. Xavier?"

Xavier Bright chuckled. Confidently, he assured his Security Leader, "Oh, they will. I know how to attain what I want. That is why I have been so successful as Governor of the World of Hope.”

(c) 2011

00001

Arthur Bigges, an Earth Leader who had seen firsthand the remarkable transformation of Earth civilization since his boyhood years in the 1960’s, opened the monthly meeting of the Steering Committee for Policy Toward the World of Hope. Hope was an Earth colony planet in the middle of nowhere.

“Today we have with us- again- Mr. Gunther Martin. As so many times previous, Mr. Martin will be sitting in with us, helping us further shape and refine policy for the World of Hope.”

Across the table from Ldr. Bright, one of the original members of the committee joked, “Gunther’s here so often, we might as well make him an official member.”

The rest laughed and agreed.

Gunther Martin chuckled good-naturedly. He shook his head and said, “No, but thank you very much for the suggestion. I cannot commit to these meetings on a regular schedule- Martinology keeps me very busy, as you good folk very much know.”

Ldr. Bigges smiled knowingly. “We know, Mr. Martin, we know. Speaking of Martinology, I hope you gave the workers off today, for we know what holiday it is today- even though we are here anyway, working-“

“Yes, it’s the Day the Dreamer Woke Up Day,” somebody replied.

“Correct- Dr. Simon Somnum finally awoke, way back on November 21, 1963. And then he set about to waking up the rest of us.”

The day that the "Dreamer" woke up, November 21, 1963, has long been celebrated by certain idealists of Earth for its significance in changing a man who then changed the world.

Dr. Simon Somnum had been a theorist pondering the possibility of alternate timelines. He had wondered if, when a person was faced with a choice, did that person indeed choose one thing, with the resultant consequences, but also, did that same person also choose something else, resulting in another set of consequences, thus creating different timelines simultaneously with each choice that was faced, because, indeed, the man actually made both choices at the same time, but then not in the same timeline.

November 21, 1963, was the day Dr. Somnum was to give a lecture on that very subject at a prestigious university in Texas. However, things turned out differently than what he had planned, because, after he had developed car trouble a few blocks away from the place of his scheduled speech, he managed to contact a service garage to fetch his car within the hour, and then he began that fateful walk the last few streets to the university, hoping to make his destination and be on time, or at least as close to being on time as possible.

And then the old woman carrying a paper bag full of groceries stumbled before him, spilling her fresh produce all over the pavement. Dr. Somnum briefly considered pretending he didn't see her and just continuing on, since he was running late already. He dismissed that thought and turned back to help her gather her things. As he did so, that was when the life-changing event happened.

Twenty feet down the path he would have been hurrying along, had he not stopped to help the woman, was where it all happened. A heavy oversized piano, of all things, being hoisted by a crane to the penthouse atop the nearby apartment building, suddenly snapped the cable holding it in midair. It plummeted to the concrete below, smashing with a discordant thwang, knocking a deep hole, practically a crater, into the walkway.

The doctor caught his breath. "I- I should have been at that very spot, where the piano fell! Why, if I hadn't stopped to help you gather your groceries, ma'm--" He involuntarily shook from a chill running down his spine.

Dr. Somnum decided then and there to change his speech. Such a close brush with death changes a man's perspective about what's important.

Dr. Somnum preached that day how he realized alternate timelines were logically impossible, and even if they were not, so what? What good could come from wasting one's time pursuing such intellectual entertainment? Would that bring peace to the Earth? He spoke how he had stopped to help the lady, not out of choice, but because he in fact had no choice. That was who he was. He disbelieved in freewill, dismissing it as a mere fantasy. So much for being able to make different choices leading to different timelines. And if there were freewill, how could a man make all possible choices by making each choice in a separating universe? Then where would be the freewill anyway, or the responsibility for exercising such freewill, if all possible choices are made at the same time, anyway? How could that be? No, it made more sense to accept man was a mere animal, a clever one at that, admittedly, but one that merely reacted to stimuli reflexively.

This new direction in his thinking made him consider the varied and diverse ways of thinking throughout the world by different peoples and cultures. He concluded that this diversity of ways of thinking caused uncountable problems for humanity, each individual and each group pulling in so many different directions at once for different goals, making harmonization and world peace impossible. The solution must be to channel these diverse ways of thinking into a single pathway, a uniform understanding of what was best for the collective whole of the race. Unity in diversity. Worldwide.

Excitedly, he tried to stop the President of the United States the next day, as his motorcade made its way through Dallas. He wanted to share with the national leader his vision of how to achieve world peace.

Instead, he got himself tossed in jail for disrupting the President's entourage. The Secret Service, spooked by the matter, redirected the President's route.

Later that day, the President actually went to visit Dr. Somnum in lockup, to find out what his interruption was all about. He had heard of the doctor, and now he wanted to hear what the doctor himself had to say. The President frowned on the Dreamer's ideas. "Sounds like Communism to me!" However, he realized Dr. Somnum meant no harm, and so arranged for his release. One thing he had to agree with the well-intentioned doctor about, however, was that there must only be one universe, so make the best of the one they had.

Frustrated because the leader of the country paid his ideas little mind, Dr. Somnum decided to share his views with other leaders of the whole world, and their peoples. The world needed to wake up! He would wake them! He would share his dream with them!

Over the years, more and more influential people picked up his viewpoint. Many world leaders liked to hear what he had to say. He could not have reached so many with his message, had it not been for many wealthy people sponsoring his efforts. His dream became a global movement.

Of course, not everyone shared his vision, which took on a push for a world government body, to direct planned regional blocs of nations and countries toward a universal good for all. "What of checks and balances between different nations?" some of the throwbacks fretted. “”Why give up our right to self-rule our own neighborhood to some bureaucrat who lives on the other side of the world?” Rather than try to explain anything to those kind of people, who seemed incapable of understanding anyway, the leaders of the movement simply ignored them. The press and tv news stations were very helpful in that way of dealing with those opposing Dr. Somnum's ideas, because they seldom covered any of the dissent and awareness rallies.

The world became smaller as the countries formed into zones and started to work on co-operating with each other. Communication systems grew, thanks to advances in technology, so it became a small matter for a man in Asia to call his brother in North America. And travel increased as well, folks going here and there, to and fro, making it easier for the man in Asia to actually visit his brother in North America. As the trend towards globalization of everything grew and grew, everything seemed to be working out, fulfilling Dr. Somnum's wonderful dream. At first, anyway.

It didn't take long for many to realize there were two kinds of countries and zones in the world- the haves and the have-nots. Despite all the advances and co-operation, it became apparent to many that not everyone enjoyed the same benefits and prosperity these regional zones were supposed to provide. The have-nots discovered the haves were not as willing to share as the have-nots had expected.

Dr. Somnum saw that the globalization process, rather than reducing tensions and fears of wars, had the opposite effect. And the shortages from disasters in the 80's and 90's added kindling to the smoldering situation. To make matters worse, Dr. Somnum finally realized, not all his wealthy sponsors helped him out of a sense of altruism. Only too late, much too late, did he realize that they wanted to find new people to exploit, or to gain positions of power so that they could help run the world, so that they could be the elite running things the way they desired. And, of course, for their efforts, the elite would be compensated accordingly, or so those deceivers had expected it to be.

Dr. Somnum became ill, watching his dream become a nightmare. His aging body suffered failing health. The doctor fell into a deep depression because of the mess of the world his message had caused.

A well-known evangelist visited his bed of sickness. He did his best to explain to Dr. Somnum the reason his plan could not work. He told him of the Four Spiritual Laws of life, and of the sin-factor each person had inherited from fallen Adam. Until sin, the fly in the ointment, was removed, humanity could never achieve a paradise.

Dr. Somnum rejected the idea of sin. Being a secularist, he considered man an animal, he told the evangelist. Man needed to be trained, tamed the right way, and Somnum's dream could still become a reality. Dr. Somnum just couldn't figure out how. But- the doctor was very vocal about his next assertion- religion couldn't solve the problem. No, that is what helped to make the problem, since so many different religions helped divide the world. What the world needed, Dr. Somnum reasoned, was a unified religion. Yes, maybe in that way, religion actually could solve the situation. After all, one religion was as good as another, so why not just blend them all together...

The evangelist pointed out, all religions cannot be right, since they contradict each other. Either there was none right, or only one. The evangelist said, only in one religion did its founder rise from the dead. History suggested the resurrection narrative's authenticity, if one only carefully considered. The evangelist further went on to say that Dr. Somnum had not really "awoken" on that fateful day in 1963, or he would not equate all religions as the same. He said the doctor still slept, but did not know it, and that it was time for him to truly wake up.

No, Dr. Somnum insisted, his dream could work, and he would one day find a way to make it work! Dr. Somnum died a year later, a very disappointed man, as the world teetered on the brink of chaos, each wanting what the other refused to give, and many actually needing more than the available resources could provide.

The international space station, the Peace Lab, was launched with much fanfare, in the hopes that the crew could find answers to the world's needs. It had been put into orbit, away from the world, where controversial experiments could be conducted with the understanding that, if the experiments produced cataclysmic results, at least the Earth should not be contaminated and harmed from the failed testings. But what solved much of the problem was the Peace Lab's tragic accident, which opened the wormhole to some distant, uncharted galaxy, to a planet in the middle of nowhere.

That new world provided new hope for the people of Earth- if only someone could be found to keep order there while the world developed into a colony serving the Earth, a colony that would deliver fuel ore and ample hybrid foods grown on the farms on the new world. The Earth leaders looked for someone to make the planet in the middle of nowhere into the World of Hope, a new hope for humanity, and thus make possible Dr. Somnum's dream, after all.

The Earth Leaders had found such a man- Xavier Bright! He would work with Earth and help them by governing this new land in such a way as to make the colony productive and fruitful. He would send the bountiful prosperity to those struggling on his homeworld . At first, the Leaders delighted in their selection for the position of governor for that world, and for all the goodness which he had attained for Earth by his governing the World of Hope. What a good choice! That was what they thought at first...

“We owe it to Dr. Somnum to make sure that colony planet in the middle of nowhere succeeds in living up to its promise for humanity. We owe it to Mr. Martin, to show that his personal tragedy wasn’t in vain. And so, even though we have the utmost confidence in Gov. Xavier Bright’s abilities to run the World of Hope, we also should send somebody to take a fresh look at things there, who can give him some ideas how to do things with... How should I say this... with more yielding results. And I know just the right man to send-“

The unanticipated interruption of the receptionist- whose normal spot during these meetings was outside the meeting hall at her desk, but now here she was- distracted him a moment. “Yes, Miss Brent?”

She spoke in low tones. A few committee members tried to discretely eavesdrop, but the majority looked away, attempting to honor the Earth Leader’s privacy.

Ldr. Bigges’ cheeks reddened. “What? What??!! How could he burn down my house? Thank God no one was hurt- but just what was that delinquent Osmo doing—“

Ldr. Bigges turned his smoldering eyes turned toward where sat Osmo’s father, Gunther Martin-

-but already his seat was empty, and he gone from the meeting hall.

Out in the reception room, Gunther Martin hastily tried to contact Osmo on the cellphone. “When you get this message, Osmo, don’t dismiss it like it’s nothing serious! You know how Gov. Bright’s been inviting you and your pals to the World of Hope ever since graduation? I suggest you take him up on it as soon as possible- I’ll call him to work out the details; you and your friends do some fast packing. Meanwhile, I’ll also try to calm down Ldr. Bigges before this gets blown out of proportion, although I don’t know how it could not be, considering tge situation. I’ll stall him from taking any action while you take a vacation until things calm down!”

Gunther Martin returned his phone to his pocket and headed back into the meeting hall to face the music for what his son had done, and to placate the Earth Leader before he did anything that might include probably justified incarceration of his son Osmo.

(c) 2011, 2018