MENTAL ESSENCE PAGE 115 |
Over the next five hundred- and nine-years Trent encountered two other
concentrations of his mental essence. Both concentrations were too low
to have independent thought. "Trent. We have an inhabited planet," OM thought to Trent. "How far have we come?" Trent asked. "We have traveled thirty-four hundred thousand light years if you draw a straight line to our present location sense our departure from Loma Dena. We have however taken a zig zag trajectory. Total time involved is eight hundred and twelve years. The concentration of your mental essence is slightly stronger here than the others, but still not strong enough establish a hard thought," OM answered. "What sorts of life forms are down there?" Trent asked looking out of the side viewing port. "They call the planet Heptom. They speak a solid form of universal. They have had two nuclear wars. Currently they are still rebuilding from the last one which ended six hundred years ago. Radiation levels are well with safety limits for most life forms. Their population reduced by four billion, and is now under five hundred million planets wide. Life style is basic for the most part. There are only two loosely organized governments, and hundreds of gangs and small cooperatives. There are some radio transmitting stations and no video transmissions. Education is informal parent to child type. General health conditions are good, with no genetic defects remaining from the radiation. There was never interaction with beings from other systems. The gangs are the greatest hindrance to the planet's advancement. There are few beings with what could be considered a professional level," OM stated. "Should I do something about those gangs? Should I once again interfere?" Trent thought. "The gangs are being credited with a great deal of damage. They destroy most of the communities they encounter. They even fight each other. All of the communities live in fear of them. They are just like the pirates we have encountered in the past," OM thought. Hate pirates. Can you detect an imminent gang attack?" Trent asked. "Several are under attack at the moment," said OM. "Drop me off near, but out of sight, one of them. How do I look?" Trent said. "Your appearance is close enough to pass as one of them," OM stated. Thirty minutes later Trent was walking toward the village. "Hi!" Trent said to man running past him. "Run. The be right behind," The being said as he ran. Three males wearing tattered clothing soon came around the corner. "Stop!" Trent said holding his palm to the trio. They stopped. Then raised their weapons to Trent. "Give of die," the small one said. "Die, I suppose," Trent said then thought to OM, "Stop their hearts." The three fell to the ground. "So far, so good," Trent thought. Trent continued another hundred feet to a well, all the time listening to women and men screaming. Two of the gang members walked toward Trent. "You. Give. Give now," one of them said. Trent stood in place, and they rush at him. "Good bye," Trent said with a smile, and they dropped in the dirt. "OM, as you distinguish the gang members from their victims stop their hearts," Trent thought. With a few seconds the sounds of beings screaming had stopped. There were still women crying, but the violence was over. Four men carrying pipes and boards slowly approached Trent. "You be strange here. You be with these?" one of the men asked as he hit one of the gang members laying in front of Trent. "No. I am not. I am just passing through. My name is Trent," Trent said hold out his hand. The man stepped back. "Where I come from it is a form of greeting. Shaking hands," Trent said. "Where you from?" another asked. "There is a village called Mepall about two hundred miles from where you are now," thought OM. "I am from Mepall," Trent replied. "I heard of there. You know why these die?" asked the same man. "No idea. Probably something they ate or drank before attacking you," replied Trent. "Well, good luck to you," Trent said as he began his walk out of town. As he walked Trent noticed the remains of past cultures. The roads were barely noticeable and the remnants of buildings were everywhere. He wondered why they were not occupied, so he walked into one. He touched the wall and it crumbled. "These building are not stable," said Trent as he slowly backed out. "The next village is thirty-three miles away," OM stated. "I think waking for a while will do me good," Trent replied. After a few miles he came across a man using an animal to pull a wagon full of materials he had scavenged from the nearby buildings. The animal was obviously in great distress. "That load seems to be more than this animal can pull. Why do you hurt it?" Trent asked. "Mind the business that is yours, or I'll make you pull it," the man said as he hit the animal again and again. Trent grabbed the man's arm. "This animal will soon die. You have caused it severe injuries," stated Trent. The man tried to hit Trent with this other had. "Intestinal distress if you would please," Trent thought to OM. Trent let go of the man's arm as he curled up into a ball on the ground. "Come there whatever you are. Let's find you some water," said Trent to the animal. "Five hundred feet thought the forest there is a creek with fresh water," OM injected. Trent left the injured animal at the creek and continued down the road. "Stop the man's pain, but keep track of him. If he gets near another animal initiate the intestinal dilemma," ordered Trent. "I will. Now if you look to your right, you will see two gang like men watching you," OM said. "Let them be unless they become unfriendly. What is up a head?" asked Trent. "Between you and the next village there are five beings on the road and two small groups in what appears to be makeshift type encampments built as they travel. One of them has six members, the other seven. They seem to be families," OM stated. |