Flash Meridian found himself in that state between sleeping and waking. He knew he’d been asleep because he could sense a beautiful dream fading and the tangible details of his ship making themselves known. In this hypnogogic state, the two worlds merged for a bit. The lovely figure from his dream was superimposed over the control panel of the mothership. With his eyes closed, he could see her vibrant form unobstructed by physical objects. If he allowed his eyes to open ever so slightly, he could still see her layered over objects.

He dared not open his eyes further for fear of losing her completely, and he longed to return to that dream, leaving his body to lay, unconscious forever.  Consciousness returned, however, as it always had, but still, Flash lay still and thought of her. He held on to the image of starlight reflecting off of her silver gown. Of her long dark hair against the infinite blackness.  She had kind, soulful eyes that were both beautiful and sad. 

Flash dozed again and she was still there. Stars clung to the hem of her gown like children clamoring for her attention. Or like baby chicks running under a hen for protection. They swirled and played beneath her and Flash wanted desperately to join them. 

“Come,” she said softly and beckoned to Flash. The gentle word hung in the vacuum and grew. It reverberated as it advanced, becoming thunderous, and sweeping over and through Flash. He felt paralyzed, unable to move or speak. “Come,” she said again and the vibrations subsided. 

With a sigh, Flash realized he was waking now.  It couldn’t be stopped. 

“I’ve been searching for you,” Flash heard distinctly, and opened his eyes.  There in his ship, stood the figure from his dream. 

“I don’t understand,” Flash said. 

“I am a shepherdess of the stars,” she said. “They represent those that are lost.”

“Why were you looking for me?” Flash asked.  “I seek the lost, and bring back the strayed. I bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.”


Flash looked up at the stars displayed on the screen and asked “Does one of those stars represent me?”

“These ninety and nine are safe in my care,” she said. Pointing to a dark spot in the heavens, she said “This one is you.”

Flash looked closely at the screen and saw nothing there.

“A black hole?” he asked. “Yes, you are my little black sheep that wandered away. It took me a while to find you again. You have so much light inside you,” the Shepherdess said. 

“Then why am I a black sheep?” Flash asked. 

“First of all, that is a label you put on yourself a long time ago, so you might be the best person to answer that question.  Secondly, it’s not a bad thing to be!  You have a great force inside you that draws light and holds it inside making for a beautiful soul. Some people wear all of their light on the outside, and that expends a lot of energy.  Every day is made of equal parts of light and darkness. Darkness tells us what light is. It defines and delineates it. You can not have one without the other.  Black sheep…  White sheep…  Do you know what I call them?” the Shepherdess asked. 

Flash just looked at her and waited for the answer. 

“Sheep.  I must go now, but I will be watching over you.”

As Flash watched, she faded from his view, and her words echoed in his mind. It’s not a bad thing at all. 

Cook County News Herald, Saturday November 19, 2011

Jane Howard

Flash Meridian, traveler through space and time, is back! He has awakened from a 10 year cryogenic deep freeze during his flight back to Planet Earth, and his new adventures are being chronicled by alter ego Tim Young of Grand Marais. His experiences have remarkable similarities to the issues faced by 21st Century Earthlings and can be followed at http://flashmeridian.blogspot.com.

Flash Meridian, space traveler, moves in and out of time. He wanders the universe, pondering its mysteries. He picks up friends along the way and they float along together sharing what they are not certain is reality or dream.

As a boy, Flash Meridian lived with his parents on a Michigan farm. A contemplative and creative child, Flash always felt a longing for something he could not find in this world. Something he could not even name.

After being cryogenically frozen for the last 10 years, Flash Meridian has reappeared on earth. His alter ego is Tim Young, Grand Marais artist, college student, justice of the peace, caregiver for the elderly, community volunteer, father. Young discovered Flash when a daydream transported him into outer space in his 1962 Chrysler New Yorker wagon, known in the year 2014 as the Trans-Neptunian Interloper (TNI).

Flash is making his reappearance on the web at http://flashmeridian.blogspot.com and on Facebook. Some might describe his saga as an online sci-fi comic strip illustrated by creatively enhanced photos.

Making it into outer space

Tim was born on July 20, which, in 1969, was the day the first man walked on the moon. He grew up with dreams of being an astronaut, which came true when his journey merged with that of Flash Meridian:

Our story begins in the year 2104 when Flash Meridian, a pioneer in the field of warp travel, is lost in the outer reaches of our solar system. With greater distances traveled at greater speeds than ever before, it soon becomes apparent that the margin of error is also much greater than it had been previously. As Flash hurtles ever outward from the sun to deep space beyond our solar system, a search and rescue party is formed to bring him home.

How does Flash feel about being out in space, uncertain of whether he will make it home? “He really doesn’t feel at home here on this planet,” Tim says of Flash. In his cryogenic chamber, however, he falls asleep to the sound of human voices on the radio.

He treasured the opportunity he had to see things most people never saw. It’s just that space is very big.

Flash has a guardian angel who meets him in a dream and guides him through his darkest hours. “Who are you?” Flash asked the face, not yet sure whether she was real or whether she could hear him. “My name is HollyGram,” she answered.

“I am the one who has watched over you. You are my charge. When you were alone, I accompanied you. When you were weary, I brought rest. When you were happy, I celebrated.”

“Flash wasn’t sure what to think of all this. “Were you here in the TNI before?” Flash asked.

“I have always been here,” she replied.

“You put my ship on course. You brought me safely around Pluto… What about when I first went off course?”

“You needed the journey,” she said simply.

…Flash switched off his radio and computer, putting his life in the protective hands of his guardian angel. A sense of peace filled him while all the questions and fears fell away into nothingness.

The constellations Flash now saw fell from her gown, showering his dreams with diamonds.

The new adventures

The new adventures of Flash Meridian contain real life messages – about environmental responsibility, caring for animals, encountering the Divine – that apply to all of us, swirling together through the universe on Spaceship Earth.

Earth hung like a glimmering blue ornament against a backdrop of spangled infinity.

The computer screen read the current date, 1-14-2114. Could it be? Had he slept ten years?

“Welcome back, Flash Meridian,” came the voice through his headset again. “Relax,” it continued. “you are on auto-pilot, and we will bring you in.”

…Like a dream, or the dream of a dream, details eluded him, leaving him to wonder whether he was even now waking or sleeping. In this way, his dream continued to dream him while crews on earth worked around the clock to bring him back.

Flash couldn’t plan the details of his life any more than he could plan his dreams, so it seemed best to just enjoy the journey as it unfolded.

His mind raced on ahead of him into the unknown, but no earthbound human being could predict the future any easier.

…The one thing he knew for sure was that adventure awaited him. The details of that adventure would just have to wait to be seen.

The goal

“This is not work for me,” says Tim. “…This is play. It’s like breathing or dreaming. …It comes out naturally. I call it gripping the moving pen.”

What message does Flash Meridian bring? “Dream your dreams,” Tim answers. “We’re all poorer if you don’t.”

Tim believes that reality can often be portrayed most “real-ly” through art. “I believe we all have untold stories within us that no one else can tell,” Tim says, “and for me, that is what makes the universe infinite. The power of our thoughts and imagination give us an endless source of things to say. Things that are uniquely ours to tell. …What you have inside you is different than what I have inside me, and we need to hear it just as much as you need to tell it.

…You will be criticized along the way. Not everyone likes what I do. Not everyone will like what you do. Not everyone will get what we’re trying to say. So does that mean we shouldn’t say it or do it? No!”

While paying Flash Meridian a visit aboard the Mother Ship, the Procyon pilot was irradiated by a radioactive beam from space…

Instantly, he was transformed to a giant, 20 times his original size!

The saga continues…

Somewhere near the Mora Nebula, a major malfunction occurred…

Flash Meridian investigated the situation

His mission and his life were in jeopardy!

Using his ship’s momentum, Flash powered down all of his equipment and had no choice but to rely on his limited battery power to get him to safety. The poisonous gasses of the Mora Nebula were choking him and clouding his thinking.

As Flash guided his crippled ship away from the toxic Mora Nebula, the cold darkness of space enveloped him. The slightest movement created friction and the hint of warmth. The stars, while flung randomly against the black curtain of infinity, took on a pattern, and Flash came to believe that not one could be moved without destroying the effect of the whole. In this manner, his mind wandered while he piloted the TNI2 toward the mother ship for repair.

Flash looked around the cavernous underground landing strip, with its massive lid made of Martian ore, and a feeling of restlessness filled him.

“On second thought, Eva, I really have to be going. It’s obvious that things are going well here. I’ll just send a video feed to Ash and be on my way. You understand… The stars are calling me.”

“I envy you” Eva answered. But in a few months I’ll be heading back to Earth. Where are you going?”

“I’m heading to a little planet called Olo. I’ve been thinking about it for decades.”

“Olo…” Eva repeated with a far away look in her eyes. “It sounds magical.”

“It’s unique, Flash agreed, but isn’t every place?”

“I suppose.” she said, with a sigh. “The magic seems to wear off when you’re trapped under ground.”

Flash could feel it. An agitation. He had to move on.

Tell K.C. I couldn’t stay. He’s doing a great job here. Alpha Control is impressed with the development, and Colonel Lander really wanted to see it.

“You know this area is named after him, don’t you? This landing complex is built on the site of the original Lander Camp.”

With that, she pointed to a large sign overhead. ASH LANDER INTERPLANETARY TERMINAL.

And the mining operation is named for Krate Azimuth.

Flash smiled, happy that their early participation was recognized in this way.

“They’re pretty much rock stars here,” she said.

“They risked their lives to save me,” Flash mused, “they are real heroes.”

With that, Flash Meridian boarded the TNI2, and as the great roof glided open. He took off, a speck against the gaping window to the heavens. A homing device on his control panel sped him on a direct course for the mother ship which returned to full power as he approached it.

The TNI2 slowed and pivoted, then nestled itself into its mooring on the belly of the gleaming spaceship, and Flash was home.

The mothership had a comforting effect on Flash. He knew that everything he needed was right here, and that the Table of Elements stood by ready to supply him with any nourishment he may need. He felt happy as he emerged through the hatch from the TNI2 and heard the familiar clicking of the K.D. Head.

“How about a cup of coffee?” he asked the whirring orb with its ever changing yet static expressions.

“Certainly. There is an app for that.”

Flash noticed an alert message on the screen and opened it. An animated face appeared, and said “I am Chel-C, Barista to the Stars. What can I get for you today?”

“A nonfat Latte, please,” he said, realizing that this was only a piece of software. The human face seemed to suggest using proper protocol, and he enjoyed this new interface with the elements.

As always, the Flash Meridian saga incorporates the details of my real life. This week I am studying Rest and Sleep for an exam on Thursday.

People have asked me how I fly my cars in space. I gave a very rudimentary answer, realizing that the general population was not looking for a scientific explanation of the use of antimatter to launch and propel vehicles into and through space. Besides, in 2011 this technology is not yet feasible. I recently heard a “Stuff You Should Know” podcast that attempted to explain this, but they say a picture is worth a thousand words. My friend Bill managed to capture a video of his 1968 Dodge Polara being taken into space. If I get a copy of the video I’ll post it here, but here is a still from that footage.

Detectives later surmised that the ship that zeroed in on Bill’s car was from the vicinity of Ursa Minor, since the name Polara is a reference to the Polaris star. Chrysler chose the name in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race during the early 1960s.
One reporter for the Cook County News Herald claimed that the aliens were confused by the Polara nameplate, but Mopar fans like myself understand that these cars are simply out of this world.

By this time, Mars nearly filled the screen.  Flash tried once again to make contact with Nomicon.

“This is Flash Meridian calling Nomicon,” he said into his handheld radio. “Do you read me?”


“Nomicon 1C3XY56R2LD761947. Loud and clear.  I’m approaching your ship to guide you in. Radio reception at the surface hasn’t been good lately.”

“10-4” Flash responded, “I’m getting a fix on your ship now.” He knew from the serial number that this was one of the Imperial ships. He pulled the visual up on the screen and informed the pilot that he was preparing to jettison his pod in order to follow her to the surface.

The Martian winds had not fully subsided, so Flash was given instructions to utilize the underground landing strip which would open upon his descent.

Flash recalled the last time he viewed the Martian landscape from such close proximity, and questions lingered as to whether this had been in a dream or not. Either way, it was something he could recall, having experienced it in one realm or another. What difference did it make?

The TNI2 silently detached from the mothership, and with just a touch of the booster rockets, began its descent to the surface of Mars. The red terrain loomed, dominating his view, and Flash’s heart raced in anticipation of the drop.

Glancing back, he could see the mothership orbiting, awaiting his return. Ahead of him, superimposed over the rusted red planet, was his envoy, already leaving a vapor trail as she penetrated the envelope of ether.

Shields on the belly of the TNI2 soon insulated him from the friction of Mars’ atmosphere as Flash watched the display of sparks and flames lapping the exterior of his ship.

He couldn’t help thinking of Ash and Krate making this same dive a decade before.

As the TNI2 plummeted toward the surface of Mars, Flash Meridian had mixed feelings. It was a thrill to fall into the atmosphere, to grip the controls of the ship which shook and roared, nearly blinded by the blazing display of friction against metal. The temperature outside the ship was great, but inside, Flash was insulated from the inferno, and oddly, his mind wandered. There was a time, in the early 21st century, that a man traveling to Mars would have been only a dream. Now, while it was admittedly a long trip, it was hardly unique. No, Flash had his mind set on someplace much further away. Soon, Flash imagined, man would cultivate green lawns to be mowed, and instill in the sod-covered red soil pink plastic flamingos and strip malls. It was man’s way. This was not the adventure, but merely a stopping by the neighbors’ as he left town. An off-ramp in the suburbs.

The shaking stopped and the greenhouse of his ship was flooded with even, pink light. It was nearly silent until a voice broke the stillness.

“Bear north 6 degrees and a tracking beam will bring you down.”

“10-4” Flash replied, redirecting the pod.

Below him, Flash could see Martian mountain ranges and canyons that would dwarf any on Earth. He saw one formation that looked remarkably familiar.

As his craft descended, he saw a plain stretching out before him. A section of the plain slid open revealing a long underground corridor. It was Nomicon’s subterranean landing strip. Effortlessly, the TNI2 approached it, and as the pod dipped below the planet’s outer crust, even Flash was impressed by the scale of it. Touchdown was so controlled that Flash barely felt it, and the TNI2 came to a stop behind the Imperial ship that had escorted him here. As the roof slid closed, the hatch opened, and Flash stepped out into what felt like a huge empty warehouse or abandoned train station. While he took this in, he was aware of the hatch opening on the other ship as well. He heard that voice again. “Welcome to Nomicon, sir.”

Flash turned to see a small person approaching. “Nice place you’ve got here,” he said.

“Flash Meridian.” He held out his hand. She shook it and giggled.

“Eva,” she said. “It’s a nickname. My specialty is Extra-Vehicular Activities. Or it was, before I was stationed here.” She sighed.

“I take it you’d rather be out there?” Flash asked, glancing upwards.

“I go up every chance I get,” she answered. “We’ve been underground for months.”

“Take me to your leader?” Flash asked.

A blip appeared on radar, so Flash tried to bring it up on his screen. If it was an asteroid, it was a very small one. It wasn’t moving like an asteroid. It appeared to be a very small ship. And it was approaching.

Flash grabbed his radio. “Identify yourself”, he said.

He only heard static in response. Still, the unidentified object was closing in on his ship.

Flash was not worried about the approaching object even though he didn’t know what it was. All he saw was a blip on the radar screen, and all he heard was static, yet the object felt very familiar and comforting.

“Do you read me?” Flash tried the radio again. “This is Flash Meridian,” he said.

“I know who you are,” a voice said. It was either a weak signal or a very quiet voice. Not quite a human voice. The sound of it filled Flash with a sense of nostalgia.

When Flash was, at last, able to see it on the screen, he could hardly believe his eyes.



“Geronimo and Comanche?” he asked in disbelief. This made no sense to him at all.

“When you were a child, you played with us. We are but two of many come back to see you.”

“Many what?” Flash asked, though he already knew the answer to his question.

“Childhood memories,” Geronimo answered.

“How is it that you are here… In outer space?” he asked.



“We are everywhere you are. Playing with us, you made us a part of you, and thus gave us life. That little corner of your mind… A place you haven’t thought of for a long, long time… A place you may not even remember… That is where we live.”

“But I do remember you. Can you come aboard?”

“We only needed you to ask”



With that, Flash found himself face to face with two of his favorite old toys.

“You’re much bigger than I remember,” Flash observed.

“You are much bigger than we remember.” Geronimo smiled and Flash looked into his eyes. “As you grew, we grew. As you learned, we developed. Being a part of you, we benefitted from everything you saw and experienced. Even subconsciously. We are the parts of you that you aren’t even aware of.”





“I thought you were lost,” Flash said, stroking Comanche’s face.



“Nothing is really ever lost. Every detail is still here,” Geronimo said, touching Flash’s forehead. “Every face you’ve ever seen in a crowd. Every word you’ve heard. Every detail. We come back from time to time. When you are ready. When you least expect it, we might appear.”

“I’m glad,” Flash said. He felt so happy and fulfilled. “Wait. You said two of many…”

“I did,” Geronimo agreed and pointed to the screen. Flash only caught a glimpse before everything began to disappear. He felt as though he were being pulled, or sucked out of the room. The next thing he knew, he was waking up, with an overwhelming feeling of longing to return to that dream. It wasn’t the toys he longed for. It was the innocence of youth. The security of being cared for by loving parents. The wonder of discovering the world for the first time.



This was Flash’s experience, not a fantasy. The passage of time had changed him, but those life changes only built upon his formative years.

Meanwhile:

The K. D. Head looked on, clicking away. Flash glanced over at her and said “I wish they were still here.”



“Certainly,” she said.

Timouth and Comanche, 1970