Ben’s parents ported us all to Angel’s. Angel opened the door. “Mom! Molly’s got friends with her!”
Toni came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Oh, come in!”
Mark had a plate of toast that he set on the table. Used the hand towel before shaking hands. “Hello, I am Dr. Pas, and I am worried about your daughter.”
He stared at Pas’ white robes. I showed him what doctors wear, but he had other plans. Ben’s parents didn’t look worried, so I relaxed.
Ben smiled at me.
We all sat around the dining room table. “Let’s talk while we eat. Mind if I say a blessing on this food?”
“I would enjoy it.”
Mark remembered to ask Heavenly Father to bless Angel with her algebra, and my mother with patience for me, and Dr. Pas for coming to see about Angel, and Ben and his parents for visiting. So sweet.
None of the Zheien took any food. “I already ate this morning. Molly brought Angel to see me and I am very concerned about her pains.”
Angel wasn’t eating.
Toni rubbed her shoulders. “We have an appointment this afternoon with a gastroenterologist. He’s already done some testing and he should have some results for us.”
“I see. Are you aware of SETI?”
“I heard something on the news this morning, yes.” I heard her phone going on the counter before she turned it off.
“They have a treaty, so they must want peace.” Mark took a big bite of sausage. “Mmm, perfect! Did all of you already eat? Please, have something, if you like.”
Angel giggled.
Pas nodded to Lineas, who gave them each a green cube. “These are for you.”
Mark looked at it. “Thank you. What is this?”
“I am a Unified server of Ye~ Hub. These will be distributed to every man, woman and child of Earth.”
Toni dropped hers, and it floated. “This is how you know about Angel?”
Angel giggled louder. “Molly took me to the ship!”
Lineas smiled. “We are here because young Molly has healing that will affect thirteen galaxies.”
Mark dropped his fork. “Your trade network covers thirteen galaxies? Are they all satellite galaxies of our Milky Way?”
“Yes! Molly will rule over Rainbow Unwell Colonies. We have 25 worlds with them, at this moment, and more will come to the Alb System, which is 8 hours by ship from Earth. But, she is young.
“There is a lady who leads our team, and she has a great Gift. She can see futures for certain persons. This is how we know of Molly and her destiny. She saw Molly and Binneas, my son, married, three years from now.
“Molly’s parents adopted six former slaves because Earth had contact with our trade networks and became a place for slaves to work and obtain trade to contact their families. Her parents tried to return these slaves and Molly learned to trade. She bought their freedom and ported to their slaver’s ship. Traded for every slave on the ship and found a temporary place for them on Questalod.
“They had grave peril, but chose her to lead them and she founded a colony start, at 15. I know of nae colony started by one so young! Binneas found them on Questalod because he knew the father of one of her slaves and brought them to Fhiah on Alb Seer. No one expected this colony to survive, but because of Molly’s leadership, it became the most successful healer colony in the history of the Thirteen!”
Mark and Toni stared at him. “You can’t expect Molly to do anything at 12, can you? I mean, yes, she’s a very talented young lady, but 15 is too young for her to get married, and 12—where were her parents, during all this?”
I sighed. “Mom was an alcoholic. Dad didn’t want me. He got involved with a teenager and married her.”
Both of ‘em gasped! Mark frowned. “We need to work harder, to get custody of you, Molly!”
I took their hands. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, but I have work to do. Ben and I have courtship--”
“Molly, you can’t do this! You need to stay in school--”
“Mark, Ben is Zheien. His telepathy is very strong for a Zheien. If our minds get linked, he’ll have to marry me. Look at how he’s sweating! He can’t last!” I held up his twin-fingered hand, which dripped yellow sparkles.
He waved for hygiene. I frowned at him. “You can’t keep doing that, either!”
Ben just smiled at me.
“Can’t he go somewhere else?”
I laughed. “Telepathy isn’t limited by distance! He could go live on the Moon—not that I’d be that cruel—and it could still happen. He’s sweating because his mind is reaching for me and he’s fighting it. We don’t know anything about these futures, but I think if you have a mindlink in them, you’ll get one in this place and time.”
“But, you’re not a scientist. Is there anyone you people can ask?”
Lineas sighed. “We have members of several science councils here, and I asked of them. They had nae answers for me, so I went to Pirad. He has tech from several levels above ours, and he told me they must marry, or both can die!
“Molly has a great Gift. Pirad can enable it and give to my son skills that can help her to use it, if they marry. Think of this.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“She saved many diplomats, in her healing colony, who saved worlds. Many diplomats work treaties that solve problems that threaten entire groups of worlds. We are involved in a war, Mr. Pedersen, a war that is our seven galaxies against six. If the Six wins, slavers will take over the entire thirteen. Molly is nae destined to affect this war, but the leader of our team is. If she dies, the hope of the Thirteen also dies. Perhaps she led us to Molly because Molly shall save her.”
I grabbed Mark’s hand. “Give me a blessing, Mr. Pedersen. Heavenly Father knows what to do about all this.” I didn’t have telepathy, but he saw his future. I could tell by the blank look he got. Lineas heard it, and startled. “You have Adia’s Gift, Molly?”
“No, I don’t think so--” but Angel and Toni also had the blank look. Maybe I do!
Angel blinked. “Wow, I really hated business school!” She made a face.
I laughed. “You could come to Rainbow and sing! Zheien love the arts!” I saw her on MarKu, performing for Goes, Penny, their kids and his parents!
Lineas showed her what I saw! She had a Zheien husband. “Oh, you’ll meet Tapanasen, Diplomat Of Escet Vu when you’re 23. When you think that surely, you’re destined to be an old maid!” I laughed.
“But I can find him when I’m 18--”
I shook my head. A lot of things have to happen. We can’t tell him. I didn’t like that at all.
I waved up a long bench like in the Rainbow Temple once we finally got one. White and satiny and gold trim with curves. Probably every Temple on Earth has one. Only adults can get a Temple Recommend after being a member a year, and my parents won’t even let me join. Mark and Toni smiled, big.
Mark waved me to sit. Got his keychain with his golden vial of consecrated oil. Put his hands on my head. Blessings kept me going. The one he gave me Sunday warned that big changes were coming in my life.
Mark’s hand shook as he put a drop of consecrated oil on my head and rubbed it. All the Zheien watched with smiles. Their religion does this, too.
Pas, Lineas and Ben added their hands. I felt warmth and white light blazed around us! Mark startled. “Should I let one of you bless her?”
“I will speak, but you will bless her.” Lineas gave his part in Zheien, but a dialect I never heard. I got blessings in Rainbow, but not like this.
Then, Mark spoke. Both his hands trembled on my hair. He’d given me a lot of blessings, but again, not like this.
“Molly Bradford Brown, Heavenly Father knows what is in your heart, and He is pleased with your new calling as Queen Of Rainbow Colonies.” I felt the surprise of a lot of Zheien on the ship. Mark said a lot of things that surprised me. “Do not interfere with my daughter’s work, for it is greater than you know.” Wow.
“I revealed many things to Adia, Queen Of Ye~, and I shall reveal much to you for the good of thirteen galaxies. Do not run faster than you have strength. You will do great things, but you will send your people to do work you cannot do. Pray before you send them, and you will know your part from their part. You are needed to heal Adia after the Final Battle, but you will have help from Ray, Host Of The Red Cube and Suma, Host Of The Yellow Cube to save her and her husband. Their clones will continue her role as One Of Prophecy. J~oie will be King Of Ye~ and Laura Martin, Queen Of Ye~.
“Comfort the Pedersens that you are not angry, because they worry about you. But, if you are wise, you will not have harm, even when there is danger to heal them. You will heal the ones who go on to do my work. But I will take whom I will take, and you must abide. When you marry Binneas, his mind will enable your healing and magnify it. You will then perform miracles for Me.”
He said a lot more, but that one made me cry. Healers just have to deal with it when their patients die. I have Suma to help me. She and Ray are on Adia’s now.
After the blessing, Angel wiped tears off her face. “I’ll help you, Molly, all I can.”
“You know we will, too.” Mark’s voice broke. He said we would marry today. Ben shook all over. Lineas hugged him and hummed. It’s a shock. Yesterday, I wasn’t thinking about marriage, just how to get through another day.
Ben pulled me to the table. “Eat much, Molly! I shall accompany you to school. Teach me what I should do, as a student.”
I thought about what I did every day, who my teachers were, what they liked---then had to step back and explain a lot of things. He’ll have to prepare for the sound of the bells that ring between classes so he won’t startle badly. He had to deal with similar things on Thorde last trip, for different reasons. They have bad storms in Mella.
Pas went with Angel upstairs to her room. I wanted to help, but it’s a simple healing. It’s diff when its your best friend getting healing. Pas gave me an excuse for her so her mom could turn it in. She’s going on Homebound Program! Yes! No homework or visiting teacher for a month. We’ll be gone by then. Feb 1 at 8:30 pm just popped into my head.
Ben startled. He let people know in his Diplomatic Link.
Mark and Toni came back to the table. I heard the whoosh of portals. Oh, one of the other healers will sit with Angel. Mark looked at his wife. “Dear, I hate my job. Lineas, can I use my engineering skills to get a job on MarKu?”
“Your knowledge will be very useful! Come to the ship, and Goes can speak with you. He is eager to offer you work.”
“Do I need to go back to work? I don’t know if accounting is very useful, and I’m rusty.” She straightened the lace tablecloth that she made.
Lineas smiled. “Lady, is nae required, but Molly thinks of your skill as you made this cloth! Many would love to learn from you.”
“Lace-making? That would be more like play than work!”
“Ah, but we value arts more than your leaders in the United States. Any Zheien colony trades as much as artisans can produce! There are nae requirements for hours of work. When you wish to teach, do, and if you wish time with Molly or Angel, you may give it abundantly. A Zheien king provides housing, foods, clothing formers, and small entertainments.
“I think all of the Earthan colonies will need house designers.”
Mark laughed. “I’m not an architect, but I love to come up with ideas for houses!”
“See this.” Lineas waved up a house design screen. I showed Mark how to use the mental controls, using the telepathic controls in my account. Not as good as telepathy, not as fast, but a lot faster than talking. He got it quick! I even tried designing a house and furniture, but never had much time to spend on it. My talent is in healing, but I did learn how to alter healers’ progs. I waved up Angel’s and explained that. The interface is the same for any task you want to automate.
Mark’s blond eyebrows flew up. “This is amazing! I could finish all of my projects at work in minutes, that’s five years of work! Very boring, tedious work. I’d much rather design houses for people than programs to help businesses make more money. The way tech is going, programming’s a dead-end job anyway--”
“Programming’s a dead-end job? Dad was trying to make me do that, because getting into med school’s not a sure thing!” So glad I stood my ground! But healing is a lot easier than all of this school I’m trying to do right now. Already the thought of going to school today—ugh. But, I can find friends who I knew would end up offplanet. Give them Unified terminals, if they’ll let me.
“With all of the advances in AI’s, yeah. It’s just a matter of time. But once Earth has this,” he waved at the design screen, which already had a finished house plan, “our company will be obsolete. I’m going to go to work and quit! I’ll finish up all my projects, and give ‘em to ‘em.”
“Molly, you may distribute terminals to anyone you like. Soon, everyone on Earth will have them, and aandats.”
He let me explain aandats, and I gave ‘em to Mark and Toni. Mark finished all of his projects in about five mins with help from Be~saech, one of Ye~’s best programmers, and they ported to the ship. Their house went with ‘em! Angel’s room ported to a room on the ship. We stood in an empty house with holos of curtains. From outside it wouldn’t look changed, and holos of them and their cars would come and go.
It’s 6:30 am. I finished my plate. “Oh, that was good! I was so hungry! Oh, Sylvania!” I waved and saw diplomats petting her. She has an aandat now. Pas smiled. “My ennead will care for her, Molly.” Angel’s not allergic to her now, I noticed on her file. Her parents weren’t, either.