Be Grateful, Be Thankful
New Earth, Chapter 3 Continues
The third chapter of New Earth continues this week. We left off with Tao awakening in the Welcome Station only to find Maxwell Rhodes with his mind far away. Meantime, back at the Capital on New Earth, the delegation continues their tour and arguing while Reed realizes Tao has disappeared.
The latest excerpt of the story is below the commentary. To read the entire series, click here.
Be Grateful, Be Thankful
As we gather with family and friends, remember all that we have in common. We all want to be healthy, happy and be free to make our own choices and mistakes. If we can recognize that in every person, in every city, in every part of world, how we look at one another will change hearts and minds.
We are all children of God. Don’t let anything or anyone divide us up into anything else.
Peace.
Chapter 3 Continues
The delegation members continued petitioning Max in the Capital. Reed grew weary of arguing the points of free market capitalism over and over again. He thought of his philosophy courses he took in school and about the nature of man. The real nature of man wanted freedom.
Reed turned to Tao. “How could communism even be mentioned—” but he was gone. Reed looked in every direction—where did Tao go?
Reed walked to the women at the Freedom delegation. “Liberty, have you seen Tao? He was right here a second ago and he seems to have vanished.”
The woman smiled and pointed to the side. “That’s Liberty,” she smiled. Each woman seemed identical to Reed. He looked closely at each one. They were identical.
Liberty stepped in front of Reed. “You seem lost, cowboy.”
“Tao’s gone,” he said. “He was right next to me and he just disappeared.”
Liberty looked around and whispered to her members. “We’ll figure this out,” she said. Reed looked on as the women scattered in different directions of the Capital.
“What’s the matter,” Max shouted from above at the podium at Liberty, “has the Freedom delegation given up on Democracy already?” Silence took over the room and all eyes were on her.
Liberty’s steel eyes locked onto Max’s as she stepped towards him. There was a slight flicker in her digital persona when she began to speak. “We seem to be missing someone from the ship.”
“Funny,” Max said. “Looks like everyone is here to me.” He begins counting the delegates with his finger. “Yes, that’s right. All are here and accounted for.”
“What about Tao?” Reed shouted. “Where is he?”
Max nodded. “Oh, him. Of course, well, there is a very small glitch. Now, he’s accounted for and is completely fine and safe on the Welcome Station.”
Reed grew concerned. He said, “You mean the place we have to stay on for five years to be ‘cleaned’?”
The delegation shouted at Max again. The crowd was not pleased and, thanks to Reed, Max had to calm them down about this for the second time. “Don’t forget—” Max tried to shout over the crowd. But his voice couldn’t break through the angry and loud words.
Max made a short swipe of his fingers and the delegation became quiet. But their mouths were still moving. Their eyes grew large as they pointed at each other.
They had all been muted.
Max walked down from the podium and into the crowd. “Look, there are critical decisions that need to be made for humanity’s expansion into New Earth. Eventually, you will have a say on decisions. But right now, I am that decision maker.” He stepped back onto the podium. “The only decision maker.”
The delegation members froze and stared at their sole decision maker. Max caught a glimpse of Reed, standing below him with his eyes shut. Reed’s lips were moving and his hands slightly touched.
Max became alarmed.
Was a Seeker picked to be part of this delegation?