While Flash Meridian had lost all sense of time on his journey through space, his computer told him that it was mid November back on Earth. The thought of it conjured up memories of fall in the northern hemisphere, and Flash felt a wind blow autumn leaves across the wet pavement of his soul.

Flash Meridian remembered back to his childhood, sending cereal box tops off in the mail, to receive t-shirts or plastic toys. The day after dropping his envelope into the mailbox, he ran to greet the mailman on the front walk to see if his prize had arrived. Anxious days turned to tedious weeks, and eventually, when he’d nearly forgotten about it, a package would show up. This is how he felt now. The universe had changed for him. What had seemed a vast, impersonal sea of loneliness, had now become alive with hope and anticipation. Flash actually believed that his dream of companionship and love would come true, as unlikely as it seemed. There had already been times when he asked for, and received things that had seemed impossible. Peering with wonder into the screen before him, Flash saw his own reflection superimposed over the twinkling array of nearby stars and distant galaxies. His other-worldly friends were right. He was unlikely. Here was the stardust that made up his body, contemplating the stardust that surrounded his ship. The thought of it made him smile. The fact that he was here, and knew he was here, told him that nothing is impossible.

Flash Meridian was all alone, and yet, he never felt completely alone because of the memories he carried. Everyone he had ever loved had left their fingerprints on him, and he bore a piece of them on his very being. His ancestors were also present within his very cells, and in this way, they traveled with him among the stars. Still, he couldn’t help longing for another person, with all their ancestors and fingerprints to accompany him and enhance his experience.

Little did he know, someone else was gazing out on the universe asking for the same thing.

Flash had been adrift in space so long, it was a wonder that he had not gone crazy. He was aware of feelings of loneliness, but this was far overshadowed by a sense of awe and anticipation. In fact, he felt that a wonderful change was about to take place. Sometimes, he felt a presence with him in the cockpit of his ship. Sometimes, he thought he saw someone out of the corner of his eye, but when he glanced toward the apparition, there was nothing there. Peck and Lem seemed oblivious to the visitant, and Flash believed his mind was playing tricks on him. This was not surprising, and yet, what tricks! The phantom seemed almost palpable, and it was accompanied by something vaguely familiar, the musical murmur he had investigated earlier. Perhaps he was going crazy after all.

MEANWHILE:

Back on Olo, Buffy and Skip thrived in their renovated environment. They had taken up residence in the castle where they raised their family, and many others came to Olo to live in their beautiful world. Buffy and Skip ruled with kindness and compassion. Their domain was characterized by open-mindedness and fairness. Their royal scepters were topped with rubies that captured the light of nearby stars and bathed them in dancing light. These were the very crystals that Flash had shown them on the day they met.

From time to time, the whales returned, in greater and greater numbers. Olo was their breeding grounds, and their arrival was always met with celebration. The Ololians would gather on the crystal plain, retracing Flash’s first walk on Olo’s surface. The whales congregated in the air above them, rolling and dipping down, allowing the people to climb onto their backs. The older whales taught this behavior to their calves, and seemed to enjoy it as much as the people on the ground.

Flash Meridian was also remembered in festivals and feasts, and some residents believed he would someday return. They sent him messages. Some did this aloud in solitude, some gave speeches before any who gathered. Others sent their thoughts to Flash non-verbally.

Flash was aware of all this, because the events of Olo appeared in the book, which was the one progressive source of entertainment and news available to him.

Physically, he had moved on from Olo, and yet he felt a strong connection to it, as he did for all of the places he had visited on his journey.

The mer creature, the wooly mammoths the Shepherdess of the stars, as well as Peck and Lem, Ash and KD, were all woven into his daily thoughts. They were an integral part of his life.