Morning came and Jewely still sat at the table. He watched the light peek over the cliffs, and then spill out across the plain down below. First, the cobalt plateau shimmered, and then the crimson plain was illuminated. The castle seemed to quiver in the intense light that not only poured out of the sky, but also reflected up again, like a mist.
The tables weren’t only used at night! The Ololians gathered together for most of their meals. There was always enough for everyone.
Jewely wasn’t sleepy, even though he had been awake for most of the night. He had big plans for the day, and wanted to eat a good breakfast before his ride came to pick him up.
The Ololian diet was plant based. Yes, there were plenty of fish like beings in the rivers, lakes, streams and treetops, but the Ololians didn’t eat each other. Flash Meridian had shown them how to make animal proteins by piecing molecules together, but it never really caught on, except in the museum cafe. Even there, it was a novelty. Anyway, plant life on Olo was so diverse, you could find pretty much any flavor or texture you would ever crave. Jewely’s breakfast was similar to one of earth’s milkshakes. It was refreshingly cold, naturally sweet and creamy, and full of nutrients. It tasted a bit like cloud berries.
His transportation glided silently up the hillside. It was a whale with golden skin, like his. Though rubbery, it gleamed like metal.
Jewely stroked the whale’s skin and said I should be ready to go in a minute. I have a friend coming to help.
Bucket flew down the hillside, and Jewely climbed up onto the whale’s back. It was a small whale, but even a small whale is big. They floated up, and the friends at the table waved to them as they ascended.
Jewely was moving into a new home in the mountains, and Bucket had offered to carry things up for him. It was a win-win. Bucket had dreamed of doing just this while he was aboard the mother ship. It was a big help to Jewely even though he didn’t have a lot of stuff. He didn’t need much.
Up the foothills they flew, and then up the glassy cliffs. They heard voices from the foliage below them, calling out Hello Bucket! Hi Jewely! Welcome home! Let us know if you need anything!
Still they rose, to where the mountains divided. They went up higher, past bridges where well wishers watched and waved.
We love you, they called out. Let us know if you need anything!
They scaled the heights of a red tower, and the golden whale parked itself parallel to a ledge with an opening into the mountain.
He stepped across the pectoral flipper, and Bucket followed him in through the cavelike entrance. The inside was roomy, and pink light flooded the room. The mountain, while translucent from the outside, was transparent from within. The furniture was carved from the living stone of the spire, and soft cushions adorned the bed and chairs. The walls were like windows looking out over Olo in every direction. A blue mountain stood to one side, and a bridge could be accessed out the doorway opposite to the one they entered through.
Jewely unpacked his few items from Bucket, mostly clothes and a few personal things.
Are you coming back down? Bucket asked.
No, I didn’t sleep much last night, so I’ll just settle in and maybe take a nap. Would you like to come back up later and watch the sunset with me?
I’ll bring dinner, Bucket said.

Once people realized how helpful Bucket was, he became busier than ever. He was not only willing to hold and carry stones, but he played music, too, and people started making requests.
Toward the end of the day, the light was fading and there was only an occasional bell like tone ringing out as crystals were still being pieced together.
A short time later, Bucket and Aino watched the sunset together before taking the path up the valley into the foothills. They could still see their way because the jewels on Olo’s surface absorbed the light, and glowed softly until nearly dawn.
Arriving back at home, Aino collapsed into her bed and dreamed of a happy memory… the day that had just ended.
The flowers were content on the windowsill, and sent delicate aromas into Aino’s cottage through the open window while she slept.
Not everyone on Olo slept at night. In fact, there were more parties, or gatherings that happened while most Ololians slumbered. Food was served on long tables, and everyone was welcome. Some were nocturnal, sleeping during the day. They socialized and ate beneath a star filled sky. If you ever had trouble sleeping for any reason, you could come to one of the tables. You could share what was on your mind, or simply be nourished without any pressure. When interesting events happened in the night sky, many more would gather in the softer light. This could be the visit of a comet, the alignment of various heavenly bodies, or the approach of a spaceship. Almost imperceptibly, dark patches moved across the sky, blotting out the light in the shapes of whale silhouettes.
A boy named Jewely found himself awake one night in the foothills of the reef like mountains. He picked at a fruit plate, and listened to the gentle conversations around him. He looked out across the crystal plains and saw the glow of the castle in the distance. Someone passed a serving plate down the table, and when it came to Jewely, he scooped a ladle-full onto his plate. It was whiteish, steaming and goopy like melted cheese. It went well with fruit and breads, and sometimes made people sleepy.
Some varieties of the fishlike creatures lit up in their tail sections. They liked to swim through the air in curling paths, drawing pictures above the tables. They could be used as messengers from one table to another, and were always happy to deliver these messages in visual form, no matter how silly the message might be. Often, the meaning would be cryptic. It was like charades, or similar to the way earthlings tried to figure out the meaning behind personalized license plates.

Bucket and Aino made their way through the crowd. There were many distractions, but then, the distractions were the event. A group was assembling a bridge out of gems, and they were trying to figure out how to lift the keystone into place. The structure would not hold their weight until it was placed, so they couldn’t climb it. The tallest of the Ololians could not quite reach high enough.
Bucket overheard their conversation and offered I can hold that.
They balanced the crystal on his rim, and he floated up with it. He had no difficulty maneuvering it into place. Nothing could have given Bucket more joy.
Afterwards, he buzzed off to see who else he could help.
Aino went into the museum. The TNI2 greeted everyone as they entered. Aino never got tired of looking at it. It conjured stories in her head, not only of the adventures Flash Meridian had had in it, but also the thought of an object that was made on Earth, a faraway planet that seemed fantastical. Yet here was the evidence that such a place actually existed. There were no schools on Olo. No churches either. People learned from each other, and from the holograms that depicted its history. They also learned from the planet itself. Do you want to know what else there wasn’t? Banks. There were no banks because there was no currency. The Ololians lived on mounds of gems. Oceans of jewels stretched out as far as you could see. When the whole world is paved with treasure, what do you value? I’ll tell you what they value on Olo. They value each other. Don’t get me wrong… the stones were pretty. Beautiful! But they weren’t precious.
The museum had been built on the spot where Flash Meridian had first touched down on Olo. This was the very location where Flash had met the king and queen. It had actually been built around the TNI2 right where it came to rest. It housed many historical artifacts connected not only with Flash, but with life on Olo after the whales broke out of the soil, dislodging the entire planet.
Another wing was being added on to the museum. It would house exhibits related to Olo’s natural world. It would include the jewels, of course, as well as the plants and various creatures that shared the planet.
Speaking of plants, I want to tell you about some of Olo’s fruits. They, like the gems, were available to everyone, every day, but on festival days like this one, they were arranged on tabletops and carts all over the plain.
Olo was home to one very juicy fruit called karkkia. The leaves were thick and rounded like earth’s succulents, and they came in a variety of colors and flavors. You would t know what you were getting until you opened it up. At its peak of ripeness, you could slice the leaves into what looked and tasted like gumdrops or Turkish delight. The trees were known as jokesters, because if you reached up to pick a squishy sweet leaf that wasn’t quite ripe, it would burst. You would be coated in the delicious sucus, the sap or juice. Your skin would then take on the surprise color. It was all in fun. The wearer need only rinse in a lake or river and ideally, under a waterfall.

The king and queen waved to the crowd, which parted as they approached. What a grand entrance they made, descending onto the runway lined by adoring subjects. The whale stopped at the entrance of the museum, and slowly lowered its head toward the ground while raising its tail into the air. As it gradually became more and more vertical, the monarchs slid down its body and were deposited onto a platform where they addressed the crowd.
The king recounted the events that transformed their planet from dull gray to the vibrant paradise they now enjoyed. He told of the sounds that used to come from deep under the planet’s outer crust, and their ascent on the backs of whales, out beyond the atmosphere. As he told of the cataclysmic destruction of Olo, holograms projected scenes into the air above him. Though the Ololians knew the story well, they watched with a thrill as whales emerged from under ground, turning their world to a dust cloud. When it settled again, the pulsing sound had ceased, and everything was transformed. When they saw Flash Meridian’s spaceship land in the very spot where the king and queen stood, everyone cheered louder than ever. This was the beginning of a new age on Olo, and everyone… the king and queen, everyone present, the whales and even Flash Meridian himself were liberated. Aino’s eyes filled with tears, and she glanced at Bucket, who had been freed in another part of the universe, to eventually find his home on Olo.
The king finished his address, and the whales came low to the ground, allowing the people to climb up onto them. They rose like hot air balloons, and their riders could look down on the images that covered the surface of Olo. These geoglyphs now had names, and people identified their neighborhoods in terms of the pictures.
I live in the purple rabbit, one might say, to which another might answer, I come from the flowered dress. Occasions like this let them see what was not visible from the surface.

Aino and Bucket made their way out of the yard. Aino passed through a garden gate, and Bucket floated over it. They headed down a path which ran along the bottom of the valley, toward the crystal plain that spilled out like a sparkling lake at the bottom. The light on the plain below them hung like a fog or mist in the air, because of the intense light that reflected up from gemstones that coated the flat surface. Even here in the foothills, the path was littered with diamonds and jewels of every color you could imagine. Enormous crystals jutted out of the soil, interspersed with similarly colored plants. Earthling rock hounds would have a hay day, stuffing the smaller minerals into their packs, or breaking off shards of the larger crystals with their rock picks. The Ololians loved the stones, but were content to leave them in place, or rearrange them into structures for everyone to enjoy. Olo was the only place Aino knew. While she enjoyed seeing the geologic wonders that surrounded her, she knew that leaving them in place was their highest and best use. Even Bucket respected them, though he yearned for a reason to hold them.

A shadow passed over the pair, and they looked up to see a whale flying over them as big as a jetliner, but silent in its flight. It also followed the winding valley down the steep grade.
Today was a festival day, so throngs would gather together to celebrate the rearrangement of the planet.
The party started long before they reached the colorful plains. Friends joined the pilgrimage, and everyone’s anticipation grew along the way. Before long, they could make out the sight of whales hovering in the intense light. Their colors were made even more intense, bathed, as they were in the rainbow beams. Gradually, the travelers began to pick up the sound. It was a gentle approach that would culminate in happy commotion. Joyous voices mixed with laughter and music. There were also tones ringing out from jewels being built into forms, a favorite Ololian pass time. Children participated in the activity as well as adults. You see, there were no wrong answers. It was never a competition. The shapes were determined by how the stones fit together. Beyond the transparent edifices themselves, the light passing through them shot holographic scenes into the air, chronicling Olo’s history.
Once in the midst of it all, wonderful aromas wafted everywhere. There were soups and stews, salads and sandwiches, meals of just about anything you could imagine. Everything was delicious and free.

A cheer rose up as a great white whale appeared, floating over the ridge at the top of the cliff. The queen’s gown billowed like a banner in the updraft, and all eyes turned toward the royal couple who rode on the back of the animal.

Morning light beamed through the open window of a small cottage, gently lulling the occupant from the dancing land of dreams. Flecks of brilliant color dotted the ceiling and walls. There was no rush, but the light invited Aino to participate in the new day it announced.
She stretched and slowly opened her eyes wide. She had been peeking for some time already, halfway waking and then drifting off again to surprise worlds her mind invented for her.
She rolled, fluffing her pillow, and then lay still a while longer.
The pools of light began to twinkle and vibrate from some movement outside. She smiled and waited, and then it came.
Aino! A deep, echoing voice called her name.
Her friend Bucket appeared at the window. He floated in the air, backlit against the brilliant sky.
As his name would suggest, his shape was cup like, and his voice boomed out from the bottom of the… bucket. He had to speak loudly when he was carrying items, as they muffled his voice.
Something protruded from inside him, and his silhouette made it look like he had a big hat or hairdo.
Come in! Aino called, as her foot emerged from below her blanket, and her nimble toes wiggled and stretched, reaching for the floor.
Bucket flew in through the window opening, and Aino could see that he was holding flowers. Ololian flowers are something to see! Not only are the colors magnificent, but the blooms will interact with you. If you put your nose toward them, they open to release the sweetest aromas you can imagine. They don’t always smell the same, the way earth flowers do. They trigger memories individual to their audience. You may get a whiff of your grandmother’s perfume, the smell of the sea, or spices. At other times, they simply offered up intoxicating aromas that grew naturally within them.
The flowers gave other gifts as well. They would open to reveal a small jewel, or treat.
For me? Aino asked.
Yes, I can hold them for you, Bucket offered.
Just set them on the windowsill, Aino suggested, you will want to hold other things today!
In no time, Aino was ready, and went out the front door. She inhaled deeply and stretched again.
Her home was in the foothills. Behind her cottage, colorful glasslike mountains rose, and in front of her, a valley sloped down toward plains in intense hues. I’ve hinted at it already, but I should tell you, she lived on a planet called Olo.

Every night, I fall asleep listening to The Adventures Of Flash Meridian. Yes, I listen to the sound of my own voice, reading words that I wrote. With each listen, I am teleported to Olo, and drift off to sleep validating myself, not out of vanity, but just gently remembering who I am. It’s easy for me to say this is enough. That I don’t care whether anyone else reads or appreciates my story. That is not entirely true. I want to share the gentle beauty and meaning that I experience. I long to discuss it with someone. At the same time, I wonder if it’s good. Silly thoughts! A friend listened to the whole story with me. At the end of each chapter, she yelled “More! More! I want to hear more!” She told me that it was good. And that I am good. I am confident that it will make its way to any who are ready and willing to hear it. If I’m wrong about that, I have loved it, and will continue to love it until my body vaporizes into a dust cloud, and I wake again to walk Olo’s surface.

[The great artist is one] who is never for a moment without the genius of childhood — a genius for which no aspect of life has become stale… master of that only too difficult art — sensitive spirits will understand me — of being sincere without being absurd.

– Baudelaire

FLASH MERIDIAN: From earliest childhood, Flash Meridian had been captivated by the night sky. After the sun dipped below the western horizon, he would stand in the treeless yard of his parents’ home and gaze at stars… planets… the moon… and dream of what lay beyond the highest traces of Earth’s atmosphere. Now he is engulfed in a night that never ends. Earth’s air-clouded view of the stars paled in comparison to the blazing orbs that looked like pin-pricks way back then. It seemed only natural that he would devote his life to the exploration of space and the radiation, temperature and other conditions of space.

ASH LANDER: Ash Lander is the definition of a hero. He is a highly intelligent and dashing figure, as well as a true friend. Who could be better to lead the search and rescue mission into the solar system to save Flash Meridian as he drifts through space?

KRATE AZIMUTH: Krate Azimuth’s impressive resume made it abundantly clear that he would be an ideal deep space astronaut. His working knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry was unsurpassed, so when men were needed for an emergency journey to the outer reaches of the solar system, his name was toward the top of everyone’s list. Despite his impressive credentials, Krate was a bit of an unsung hero, preferring to remain anonymous while others basked in the glow of the public spotlight.

CRYSTAL WEIGHTLESS: Crystal Weightless and her identical twin sister, Gravity were born under mysterious circumstances and left in the airlock of a space school for girls. The two were raised under the heavy hand of the institution’s rule book. Crystal found it difficult dealing with the strict guidelines which bound her, and as she grew older, she fought for her independence more and more fiercely. Mischievious as she may have been, Crystal had a good heart. After studying under the glaring lights of the classroom with the other girls, Crystal liked to go off by herself into dark, open space, and just float free. Nothing to tie her down, no one looking over her shoulder or distracting her from her dreams. Weightlessness was her drug. While the other girls studied inertia from books, Crystal experienced it first hand, honing both her mental and physical skills, and growing into a strong, capable space girl.

GRAVITY: Gravity and her twin sister Crystal Weightless were left as newborn infants in the airlock of the Federation’s training school for girls, where they were accepted into the fold of the institution and raised under a clinical watchful eye backed by the Federation. Gravity turned out to be just what the Federation preferred, a cookie cutter version of their ideal for young women. Studious, serious, sensible. Gravity was content to live her life by the rulebook, while she watched her sister fight for her freedom and individuality.

SLY WORMHOLE: Major Sly Wormhole was an officer with the Federation, and was usually stationed on Earth. As it turns out, Wormhole wasn’t cut out for his job. It started with missing office supplies and just got worse. Sly Wormhole does not play well with others. When it was discovered that he sabotaged the mission of Ash Lander and Krate Azimuth to rescue Flash Meridian, and attempted to kill them all, formal charges were brought against him. Lo and behold, Wormhole was nowhere to be found. Little did anyone know he had stolen a ship and was headed to Mars to finish the job he had originally set out to do.

NEBULA X: Nebula X is a multi-purpose fashion droid with self generating parts. She has universal linguistic and protocol functions, stealth and cloaking features, and high definition audio and video components as well as radar, heat vision and communications capabilities. She also has a long term sleep function so that she can be deployed to distant systems and remain dormant en route.

HOLLYGRAM: Holly Gram visits people in need and brings guidance and comfort. She is beamed into situations as a holographic image. Lost in the abyss of deep space? Never despair. Holly Gram can reach you. She is your guardian angel. Where does she come from?

SGT. SNOWPANTS: Sgt. Snowpants is a former soldier who now makes a living any way he can… repairing equipment, hauling freight [aka smuggling], or as a bounty hunter.

PJ RAYGUN: PJ Raygun, put simply, is a space cowboy. Like the renegade outlaws of the old American West, PJ Raygun is a loner. Dashing and debonaire, Mr. Raygun leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake, for he is constantly on the move. Pursued by the Federation, or just restless, PJ Raygun doesn’t put down roots. He loves the thrill of making his own way in the universe.

DOCK GALAXY: Dock Galaxy works for Nomicon, the multi-national, multi-planetary company that is planning to set up a colony on Mars. He’s a company man. Whatever is good for Nomicon is good for Dock Galaxy. He’s level headed and a hard worker. His opinion is the opinion of Nomicon. Give him his allotted coffee breaks and no one gets hurt. Hee Hee.

YOUNG FLASH MERIDIAN: 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. The thing vanished as quickly as the longing came on, like a beautiful dream.

FIN MARTIN: Fin Martin is an eccentric scientist working in the vicinity of Washington D.C. in and around the year 1961. Because of his genius, his services are often requested by the government, particularly the Space program. When a strange ship known as the Trans-Neptunian Interloper suddenly turns up near the capital, Fin Martin is summoned by an agent of the U.S. Government. What he learns from this ship enables America to eventually place a man on the moon.

CELESTE VELA: Celeste Vela is a student at the Federation’s Training School for girls. She is a classmate and friend of Crystal Weightless and Gravity. Celeste is one of the more popular girls. Is this due to her natural charm and poise? Her sense of humor and infectious laugh? Her undying loyalty to friends? Or could it possibly be because she has her own spacecraft? Hmmm. You decide!

KD: If it’s true that Good things come in small packages, than what could be better than this little space girl?

COR EPSILON: Cor Epsilon is a Space Traffic Controller with Alpha Control on Earth in the 22nd century. It is Cor who is on duty the morning Flash Meridian’s radio transmissions are finally and miraculously received on his return to Earth after being presumed lost forever in space.

BERTHA: Bertha works for the government. In fact, she is a clerk in the White House under the Kennedy administration. Her job is boring and her workload is heavy. For entertainment, she spends her free time talking on the ham radio in her basement. One night as she scanned for friends to chat with, she picked up a signal from a guy pretending to be a space man. Or so she thought. She unknowingly talked Flash Meridian down onto a residential street in Washington. Flash was unaware that he had gone through a time warp on his return to Earth placing him over one hundred years back in time.

Over the past 24 years, Flash Meridian has been described as a hero, a superhero and an action figure. For a long time, I believed it. Those are natural descriptions for a futuristic astronaut, hurtling through uncharted space and encountering alien beings.

That is, until a 14 year old pointed out that Flash Meridian doesn’t DO anything!

He fixes broken equipment, and hikes distant planets at times, but he mostly sits in his spaceship sipping lattes and thinking deep thoughts about his life, the universe, and his place in it. Kind of like me.

He doesn’t really fight villains. He doesn’t possess any unusual strength or have any notable abilities.

I’m in the process of producing the complete audiobook. Friends who have listened to parts of it have not described it as thrilling, but rather darling, and have said that it helped them fall asleep. But in a good way.

I’m not offended.

I’ve described this as introspective.

When I used to do late night radio shows, listeners called in saying that my voice was relaxing. The music I played was melancholy. One listener even said my music was morbid. Ok. I just think it’s beautiful.

I’ve written guided imagery meditations specifically with relaxation and sleep as the goal. I fall asleep to the sound of my own voice every night.

This is what I do. I subvert a genre. It’s similar to the way I present the world in my paintings. You might think you’re looking at majestic old growth pines, only to later notice the fish swimming in the treetops.

I accept that my story is not the action adventure you might expect. It just happens to be set in outer space.

It comes out of me, with the themes and flavor that flow through me. That’s not unexpected. If it helps you fall asleep, it’s served a purpose. If it makes you think differently about life and death, it’s served a purpose. If it entertains you, it’s served a purpose. If it inspires you to express something that you find flowing through you, it’s served a purpose.