Part VIII

On Terra prime a portal opens up over the mat, Jessica comes through lands and quickly rolls to the side off the mat. As Jessica leaves the mat, Jade falls through the portal and repeats Jessica’s moves to the opposite side of the mat. About a minute later Max comes through and lands face down on the mat.

Both Jade and Jessica turn away and laugh quietly. Max rolls over and sits up. "Obviously, I need to work on those landings also. At least it wasn’t the hard ground I landed on." Max looks over to the desk, which is back in place and all closed up. "Where is your father?"

Jessica walks over to the stairs. There on the second to last step is a wad of paper. Jessica bends down and picks it up. She uncrumples it as she walks back to where Jade and Max are standing. After reading herself, she hands it to Max to read also.

<<We have company upstairs. Dad told them I was over at his house retrieving some notes on the project. Take Max into the room, and I’ll get what I need to install the program. I’ll probably be gone most of the rest of the day. Can you and Dad get Quinn for me? >> Jessica explains to Jade.

<<Don’t worry we will handle everything here. Do you want us to start explaining things to Max or wait until you come back? >> Jade asks.

Jessica is surprised by Jade’s change in attitude. <<Whoa, what happened on that slide? You are going to have to explain everything later. >> Jessica shakes her head and continues. <<No wait until I can be here, but fill Dad in on what happened. He can tell you guys some of what happen with me. Max is going to have some tough choices ahead. I think he can handle it though. I better get going. >>

"What exactly does this mean? I don’t completely…" Jessica and Jade both cut him off at once by placing a hand over his mouth.

Jessica closes her eyes in deep concentration. <<Max … Max if you can hear me shake your head. >>

Max’ eyes grow wide and his mouth drops open. He shakes his head. "But … How…"

Jessica looks at him long enough to see him shake his head then again closes her eyes to concentrate. Cutting him off she says, <<Sshh and just listen Max, It’s a long story. Jade will have to fill you in on part of this. The rest will have to wait until I come back. Go with Jade and stay quiet until she tells you. Please trust us. I’ll be back as soon as I can. >> Jessica opens her eyes and smiles at Max.

<<Take him to the room Jade and explain a little of Mindspeak to him. I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can. >> Jessica says to Jade.

Jade gives her a hug. <<Please be careful Jess. >> Jessica turns toward the desk when Jade stops her. <<Oh Jess give me your pouch dear. >>

Jessica takes off her pouch and hands it to Jade. Jade taps Max on the shoulder and motions him to follow her. They go over to the back of the stairs by the washer and dryer. There is a cabinet at the farthest end in the corner under the staircase. Jade reaches up to near the top and rubs her hand along the surface. The cabinet pulls forward slightly then swings out like a door. Behind the cabinet a door is revealed. Jade opens it and steps through. Max reluctantly follows, giving the cabinet the once over as he goes. The door shuts behind him and the cabinet moves back into place.

Jessica watches the cabinet move back into place then quickly continues to the desk. She opens the file cabinet to the right of the chair and takes out a manual and a box of diskettes. She also grabs a bottle of aspirin that is on the desk and puts it in her pocket. Then she walks to the corner of the basement opposite the stairs. She pushes on one of the blocks near the corner. Part of the wall appears to fall outward forming stairs up to a steel door. Jessica reaches along the right hand wall, and finds the switch that opens the door. It slides toward the house just enough for her to climb out. She quickly exits and turning reaching down along the top of the wall. Her hand automatically finds the close switch. Then she glances around to make sure she hasn’t been seen. In a crouch run she quickly races across the yard and through the gate at the back. She walks around the block until she comes to the front of her house. After opening and closing the squeaky gate in the fence out front she runs up the front steps and into the house.

"Dad I’m back." Jessica calls out a little breathless as she enters. "Has Jade come back with Quinn yet?" She continues as she walks into the living room. "Oh" She stops as if surprised by their visitors there with her father. "Hi gentlemen"

Her father stands and goes to her, <<Where are Max and Jade? >> "See gentlemen, I told you she would be right back."

The two men both dressed in Military attire stand up and walk over to where Jessica had stopped. "Is that the project?" One of them asks gesturing to the items she is carrying.

"Yes it is." <<In the room Dad. >> Jessica says smiling.

"Then come with us Mrs. Mallory." The same gentlemen says unsmiling.

"Sure let’s get going." Jessica goes to her father and gives him a quick one-armed hug slipping him her pager as she does. "Tell Jade I’ll be back as soon as possible, and take care of Quinn for me." <<Don’t worry Dad things are cool. >>

Jessica turns and leaves with the two men.

Jim goes into the kitchen to wait, and to ruin a house security scan on Jessica’s portable MACRO.

**********

Jade hears the cabinet click into place. She then turns to Max and breathes a sigh of relief.

"OK, two explanations are owed to you. One: there are security enforcers upstairs waiting to take Jess to the local government offices to install and train people on the new project she has been working on. At least that’s what they believe, actually its something she worked on a couple of years ago. She has about 2 dozen such projects waiting to give them. They usually give her a few months’ in-between installations. So, Jess bides her time between projects, and does her real work hiding most of the important advances in here or on another world with some friends of ours. She is trying to keep our government from gaining too much power, and to also appease them enough to keep us safe at the same time. I know we meant to go over some of that before, but as you found out on Terra 75284.89. I was the reluctant one. I’m sorry I didn’t have more faith in you Max." Jade pauses to catch a breath.

"My dear there is no need to apologize. In sliding it is hard sometimes to know whom to trust. I just hope we can be friends from this point on. I would like very much to enlist your help in locating my friends. Now about that other matter, can you do that telepathy thing also?" Max asks

Jade looks puzzled. "Telepathy?" she questions.

"Speaking with ones mind or thoughts and projecting it into another mind. That is what it is referred to on my world." Max answers.

"Oh, you mean Mindspeak. Yes we all can use it Jim, Jess, Quinn, and me. Quinn and Maxilliam also had developed the use before they died. Those friends we have mentioned taught it to us. It is their way of communicating. They can speak outwardly also, but as a courtesy to them we learned their way of communicating. It has come in handy elsewhere also. Us humans have our limitations though. We have to be within a certain range of one another and most of the time both people have to have knowledge and training to use it. Jessica had to use a lot of concentration to speak to you, and probably has a headache right now. I know you have a lot of questions, but I promised Jess I would wait until she gets back before we really get in to all this." Jade says.

"I understand. I am very intrigued by all of this I must say. Everything from your devices, your advances, your friends, and so on. Do you have any idea how long we will have to stay down here?" Max asks

"Hold on I’ll ask." <<Jim, Can we come up yet? >> Jade asks Jim.

<<Yes you can, I just finished a security scan and everything is fine. >> Jim answers her.

"OK, We can go up now Jim just gave the all clear." Jade goes over and opens the door, which activates the cabinet. Jade lets Max exit the room first, then switches off the light and closes the door as she leaves. After seeing the cabinet back in place the two of them go upstairs and join Jim in the kitchen.

Jade and the men fix a lunch and then sit down to exchange stories of the morning’s slide.

**********

Later that afternoon Jim returns from picking up Quinn. Max and Jade are sitting at the dining room table each with a portable MACRO in front of them. Both have been checking disks that were found on Terra 75284.89.

Quinn comes running through the house and jumps into Jade’s arms and onto her lap.

"Jade whereas Mommy?" He notices Max and gives him a big grin. "Hi you mommy’s friend."

Jade laughs, "Yes, Quinn this is Max a friend of your mommies, grandpas and mine." Jade looks up at Max. "Max I would like for you to met Quinn James Mallory, Jessica’s son."

Max smiles at Quinn, "Well, Quinn I am very happy to met you."

Quinn giggles and squirms in Jade’s arms until she sets him down. "Can I go play now?" he asks looking up at her.

"May I" Jade corrects him.

He giggles again. "Oops, May I go play now?"

"Yes you may go play." Jade smiles as he runs into the kitchen. The back door is heard slamming as he runs outside. Jade turns to Jim as he sits down at the table joining them. "Did he give Shirley any problems?"

"No she said he was as good as gold, but you know Shirley. Even if he were a brat she would say that. She loves it when he comes over. How are things going here? Still no word from Jessie?" Jim asks.

"No, still nothing from Jess. I hope she is home for dinner." Jade says with a little hint of worry in her voice. She is then quiet for a moment in thought. Shakes her head slightly then she turns her attention back to the disks that Max and her have been checking all afternoon. "So far most of what we have found are basic formulas, and journals entries from Professor Arturo. It seems the Professor did not have enough of the Sliding equations to perfect a portal so he and his assistant could slide. He chickened out when Quinn of that realm first offered him the chance to slide with him. He has regretted it ever since. After Quinn and Wade failed to return from their slide, he broke into the Mallory home and stole some of Quinn’s notes and equipment. Since then he has been dissecting the equipment, and been trying unsuccessfully to fill in the holes in Quinn’s notes that would lead him to a working portal, and sliding success." Jade tells Jim.

Max continues where Jade has left. "Yes it seems that it was just dumb luck on his part that we arrived there on his world when we did. As far as the rest of the world was concerned he had been sliding with Mr. Mallory all this time. When in fact he had been hold up in a cabin. He had just came into town to confer with his assistant. When I arrived at the university they took advantage of the situation. They then had planned on using us to complete the formula and slide themselves. Unfortunately for them I refused to help them, and that Professor Arturo got desperate and took the opportunity given by Mr. Mallory to slide off his world. Leaving me behind to try and explain everything to his assistant and the world. He sounds remotely like your Mr. Bennish was here on your world, petty, jealous, and downright devious. Plotting and planning anything and everything to try and get a Nobel prize. Sad thing is that he probably will get one and Mr. Mallory of that world might never get the recognition that he deserves." Max finishes shaking his head sadly.

"Well on that note I believe I will start dinner. Jess will be hungry when she gets home. She hasn’t eaten since this morning." Jade says as she gets up and heads into the kitchen.

"How about I help you Jade?" Jim says and follows her.

Max returns his attention to his work until Jade finishes dinner. Then they all clear the table putting aside their work until later.

**********

After dinner they once again resume checking disks and glancing through the data collected on Terra 75284.89. Max comes across Wade Welles’ diary that Jessica had obtained from Wade’s home computer. They both found the Newsweek articles pertaining to the diary, and copied all the information to a separate file to be read by all later.

About an hour after dinner Jessica arrives back home exhausted. She has a bruise forming on one cheek, but dismiss their concerns.

"Jessica, what happened?" Her father asks concerned.

Jessica smiles and walks into the kitchen. The others remain in the dinning room as she reheats the dinner left for her. She starts explaining while still in the kitchen. "It’s nothing Dad, that clod Stephen lost his patience with me. I told you how volatile he could be. It just kills him that I have such an easy time with this stuff."

She finishes heating up the dinner and brings her plate and glass into the dining room to join them. Then she continues telling them about her afternoon. "I was trying to go over the notes with him and his assistants. When one of them blurted out that he still didn’t completely understand the last one I installed over five months ago. I made the mistake of saying that it was an easy program and that if he was having so much problems with it that I would gladly spend some extra time going back over it with him." Jessica eats a few bites before continuing.

"Oh boy did that make him mad. He backhanded me, knocking me off the stool I was sitting on. I think I bruised my hip as well in the fall. That was about 45 minutes ago. He stormed out of the room, and told the Enforcers that my work there was done. That he wanted me escorted out of the building so that he could work without worrying about the security of his other projects, and that my presence was a security hazard. He told them that I was not to see any of the projects they were developing there, because I might leak information out. So of course I was dismissed and sent home." She stops again to eat some more.

Jade and Jim look at each other sadly. Jade returns her gaze to Jessica with a look of worry. Jim just drops his head down and slowly shakes it. "Jessica Marie Dean Mallory." Jim says then looks up at her with worry on his face also.

"What?" Jessica says with a shrug. "He is a pompous idiot, who has no real grasp of MACRO tech. I download a program, explain the basic to him, and he spends the next 5 to 6 months trying to learn and understand that one. Before I come and install the next one, and he starts all over again trying to remotely grasp an understanding of the workings of these basic programs. The thing is he has no clue he has a hopper working for him or that I know more of what goes on there or anywhere for that matter, and then he will ever know. Their MACRO’s are all programmed to give me daily reports on everything done there. Grandpa programmed all the MACRO’s with a back door program completely hidden and accessible only by me, him or mom."

"Jessica do you know how dangerous that is? If they ever find out about any of that they would more then likely kill you, me, and anyone else associated with you. You have got to be more careful. Jess." Jim says sternly.

"Relax guys that program has been there for nearly 30 years, and no one has a clue." Jessica sees that Jade and her father’s worry has not diminished any. "OK, OK, I’ll be more carefully around Stephen in the future. I will coddle his poor bruised ego, and treat it like a delicate vase liable to shatter at any moment. I’ll also be more accommodating toward him, and treat him like the intellectual stud that he is." Jessica finishes eating, eyeing her father and Jade out the corner of her eye.

The worry slowly eases, by her last remark they are both trying to keep a straight face, and fail miserable. When they both catch a glimpse of Max’ grinning face. The three of them start laughing as she finishes the last bite of her dinner.

Jessica shrugs her shoulders looking puzzled at the others laughter. "What did I say?" Which makes them laugh even harder. Jessica can no longer keep a straight face and starts laughing also.

When the laughter subsides, she clears her dishes and they all discuss the mornings events. During their discussion Max points out that Quinn is awful quiet. "I was surprised that he has not come to see you yet." Max tells Jessica.

"Oh, he already has in his own way, Max. He knew I was home before I came in the door, and has already told me all about his day." She points to her head and smiles. "Mindspeak, Max is a wonderful parenting tool. When we are close together we are almost always talking to each other. He did briefly come in and give me a hug while I was heating my dinner, then went right back out to play. He is just finishing cleaning up his toys and will be in a moment."

As if on cue Quinn is heard running in the back door, it slams shut and he comes trotting into the dining room. He goes right to his mother for a hug and kiss, and then runs upstairs.

"This mindspeak is a most remarkable skill. I would like to know more about it." Max says.

"Well that is something we need to discuss Max." Jessica has gotten serious and looks at both Jade and Jim, before proceeding. "You are going to have to decide whether you plan on staying with us for just a short time or on a more permanent basis. Now before you answer or start asking questions. Let me explain a few things." She pauses a moment then continues. "You can go home and we can work with you to find your friends. I would be glad to share some of our tech with you, and I could make regular trips there to help and teach you. Also giving you progress reports on the search for your friends. Or …" Jessica stops and looks again at Jade and her father. They both nod their heads. She then looks back at Max.

He has a very concerned look on his face. For the first time since meeting Jessica he is worried she may not be willing to help him. He waits for her to finish before expressing his concerns.

Jessica takes a deep breath. She is worried that Max might not be ready to make the choice to stay here on Terra with them. "You can stay here with us. Unfortunately that means a lot of responsibility and danger for you. We have a lot of secrets that you can only know about if you agree to stay. Our friends from another realm, the one Jade and I referred to the ones who taught us mindspeak. They are a very technology wise far advanced of us. I guess you could say that on the evolutionary scale they are about ten thousand years ahead of us. And we are the only humans from any realm that know of their existence, or are allowed to go to their realm to visit. They monitor all realms, but don’t allow themselves to be seen. Now this is all I can tell you before you make your decision, but we can try and answer questions if we can." Jessica finishes and waits for Max to think about all she has just told him.

Max takes a deep breath and starts his inquires. "So you are saying it is all or nothing from me. You send me home to wait for word from you or I have to commit myself to staying here with you permanently so I keep your secrets. Is that what you ask of me?"

Jessica shakes her head. "Yes at the very heart of it. That is what we are asking of you."

"So I am to choose blindly." He says trying not to sound too harsh. "You said something about a danger. Is that a danger for myself or for you and your friends?"

"Mostly for you Max. It is dangerous here on our own world, and you would be safer at home. But there is also a danger sliding with us we have made a few enemies out there. Our friends also have enemies that would love to get a hold of their tech. The danger is also for us. You can’t know about anymore before you decide. We can’t risk our friends safety." Jessica tells him.

"So even after finding my friends I would have to agree to remain here with you instead of returning home with them?" Max asks.

"Yes" Jessica answers.

Max nods his head in understanding and looks down, deep in thought. "I know what I feel I must and should do, but I would like to think a little on it."

"OK" Jessica says.

Max gets up and leaves the dining room, a moment later the back door slams shut. Jessica looks at Jade and Jim.

"Well, what do you guys think? This is the first time we have brought an outsider in on this. Do you think I said too much?" Jessica asks them.

"Honestly I think he is both worried and angry. Worried that we might not help him after all, and angry that we are making him choose. I mean we are kind of asking him to give up part of his freedom here." Jade says concerned.

"I agree with Jade, and Jess I don’t think you said too much. At least he has a choice in this. We didn’t. Sisst choose for us. I don’t know what I would have done given the choice." Jim says shaking his head.

While they are discussing Max, Quinn comes in and interrupts. "Mommy." He waits for her to answer.

"Sorry Quinn, yes." She realizes she has been concentrating so much she had blocked him from mindspeaking with her. "What did you need short stuff?"

He goes over and snuggles to her side, and she puts her arm around him to hold him. "Can I go down to get my trucks. I left them the udder day."

"Yes you "May" go down to get your trucks, and it is "other" not udder Quinn." She says smiling.

Quinn smiles at her, "Sorry Mommy other." He hugs her then runs to the basement door.

"Walk Quinn James." Jessica calls after him.

Jade, Jim and Jessica start putting everything up for the evening. Jim and Jade go into the living room to watch the nightly news reports; Jessica goes up to change her clothes.

Max comes back in still deep in thought about his decision, upon reaching the dining room he hears voices coming from the open basement door. One of them is Quinn, thinking (believing) the other must be Jessica. He decides to go talk some more with her about this.

As Max goes through the door, Jessica comes back down from upstairs. "Anything good on?" She calls to Jade and Jim as she goes back into the dining room.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Max is heard shouting downstairs.

"Oh no" Jessica runs downstairs, followed by Jade and Jim.

When Jessica reaches the bottom of the stairs she finds Max trying to keep a hold on Quinn with one hand, in the other he is waving the gun he got from Miss Vondrake toward the other end of the room. Jade gasps upon reaching Jessica side.

"Coward." Max shouts. "Preying on an innocent child while his mother is not looking. How dare you come into this home."

<<Mommy … his gonna hurt .. Mommy … make him …>> Quinn throws panic thoughts to his mother.

<<Ssh, Quinn James, It’s all right. >> Jessica says to calm him.

"Max" Jessica calmly tries to get his attention. Jessica walks over to Max and steps in front of the gun. "Max"

A stunned Max looks at her. "Max let go of Quinn please." Max looks down at the still squirming boy, and releases his grip on him. Quinn immediately starts to run to the other side of the room.

"Quinn James go over with Jade and Grandpa please." Quinn stops and looks at his mother and then back to the other end of the room. He stands still a moment, then nods his head turns and walks over to Jade on the steps.

"Thank You Kwi." Jessica says without turning around. "Max give me the gun." Jessica holds out her hand to Max waiting for him to hand the gun to her.

Max looks over her should then back at her. "It’s all right Max, trust me." Max again looks over her shoulder to the other end of the room.

"Jessica I do not understand what the devil is going on here. I just wanted … I thought…" Max stammers.

"I know Max, you were trying to protect Quinn, and us. But Max there is no need to protect us, there is no danger or threat here." Jessica says calmly with her hand still out. "Give me the gun Max, and I will explain OK."

Max shakes his head and reluctantly hands the gun to her. Jessica holds out the gun toward the stairs. Jim steps over and takes the gun from her then steps back to Jade and Quinn. "Jessica … Do you want.." Before he can finish Jessica cuts him off.

"No Dad I’ll handle this." She tells him.

"I believe I owe you an explanation and an introduction."

Jessica steps to Max’ side and takes his arm. "I think that you have to met our friends now."

Max’ mouth drops open. "Friends, this odd looking…" He stammers again unable to find the right words.

"Yes Max friends" Jessica arm and arm with Max moves a little forward toward the other end of the room. She stops and waits smiling at the being in front of them.

There stands a being about 5 foot in height wearing what appears to be a robe of some kind. The only visible part of the body seen is the head. It is very pale with an almost luminescent quality to the skin. The forehead is squarish in shape sloping back to an elongated skull devoid of hair. The rest of the face is thin and oval in shape coming to an almost pointed chin, with a very small thin lipped mouth near the chin. Then there are the eyes very large for the face, slanted up and back. They are a very deep penetrating black with tiniest bit of white at the corners. Every once in awhile a very thin white milky film comes down to cover the eyes retracting quickly, like a blinking eyelid.

Max jumps when a shimmering iridescent film seems to appear on the wall behind the being. Very quietly another being steps through and stands next to the first. "Greetings Jessica, Is this the double from Terra 5?" Max notices very little movement from the mouth. "I must apologize for our unscheduled visit, but I felt to make an informed decision Maximilliam Arturo had to have all of the facts."

Jessica nods her head in understanding. "Greetings Sisst, Thank you for your use of outward speech. As always your presence is welcome. Yes this is The Max Arturo from Terra 5." Jessica turns to an opened mouth Max. "Max, I would like you to met our friends from Illedania, you have already met Kwi and this is Sisst." Jessica gestures to the newly arrived being.

"I would ask for all of you to come to our home, so we may talk." Sisst asks all of them.

Max clears his throat to get every ones attention. "May I speak now?"

Jessica turns back to Max. "Sure Max, what?" She asks.

"I had already made my decision, before all of this happen. This meeting has only confirmed my decision. I want to stay here, not only to find my friends. I want to learn, research and explore, things that only you can offer me here on your realm with you, and from a scientists stand point I guess you could say your offer is one I can not pass up. So my decision is I am staying now and for how ever long I am welcome." Max pats Jessica’s hand and looks over at the others on the stairs. Then he looks back at Jessica.

Jessica looks over to Sisst. "Thank you for your offer Sisst. We shall gate there in a day or two for a talk and vacation." Sisst nods his head. The wall begins to shimmer again and the two of them turn and walk through.

Jessica smiles up at Max. "Well then we only have one other thing to say. Welcome home Max."

End Story 1

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